LOCALNEWS
Reader photo, C2 Editorials, C4
THE BULLETIN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
LOCAL BRIEFING Bend hosts free citizens academy The city of Bend is offering a free citizens academy to help residents understand where tax dollars go and why. Classes will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at Bend City Hall over the course of four days in March and April. On March 13, members of the Deschutes County Historical Society will discuss Bend’s history. On March 20, there will be an introduction to city government, along with information about the budget and city finance. Public safety will be the topic during the class on April 2, and the Public Works Department will be the topic on April 10. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 541-3885516 or emailing jfinestone@ci.bend .or.us. Residents are welcome to attend as few or as many sessions as they like.
www.bendbulletin.com/local
BendSisters enrollment drops 6.9% La Pine OKs transfer policy OREGON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REPORT
By Patrick Cliff and Ben Botkin The Bulletin
Sisters School District’s enrollment fell more over the past year than enrollment at any other district in Central Oregon, according to data released today by the Oregon Department of Education. Sisters’ decline comes as districts across the state saw minimal enrollment changes. State K-12 enrollment slipped .07 percent, losing 382 students. In Sisters, however, enrollment fell by 6.9 percent, or 91 students.
The state’s data provide a snapshot of enrollment each fall, and the changes are year-to-year comparisons. Enrollment is critical for districts because the state distributes funding on a per-student basis. Sisters School Board Chairwoman Christine Jones attributed the enrollment drop, in part, to the down economy and the difficulty of earning a living and supporting a family in Sisters. See Enrollment / C2
Local school district enrollment District
2010-2011 total enrollment
Bend-La Pine Schools Black Butte SD
2011-2012 total enrollment
16,157
16,275
17
15
2,932
3,010
636
642
Jefferson County SD
2,803
2,806
Redmond SD
7,003
6,962
Sisters SD
1,302
1,211
Crook County SD Culver SD
Source: Oregon Department of Education
By Patrick Cliff The Bulletin
Musicians from TAO: The Art of the Drum perform for students at The Tower Theatre in downtown Bend on Tuesday morning.
5 candidates on primary ballot The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office yesterday announced which presidential candidates will appear on Oregon’s primary ballot in May. President Barack Obama will be the sole Democratic candidate on the ballot. Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum will appear as the Republican candidates. The last day to register to vote in the primary election is April 24.
Photos by Rob Kerr The Bulletin
An education in rhythm
The Bend-La Pine School Board unanimously approved a policy Tuesday that could allow more students from outside the district to transfer to its schools. A new state law requires each district in Oregon to decide by March 1 how many student transfers it will accept. Bend-La Pine’s new policy sets guidelines for transfers, giving preference to transfer students already attending district schools and their siblings. Bend-La Pine Deputy Superintendent John Rexford said Sisters, Redmond and Bend-La Pine districts will have similar transfer policies. The three districts generally have allowed students to transfer freely to neighboring districts. See Transfers / C5
DESCHUTES
Officials discuss priority bills this session
— Bulletin staff reports
News of Record, C2
Have a story idea or submission? Contact us!
By Hillary Borrud The Bulletin
The Bulletin Call a reporter: Bend ................541-633-2160 Redmond ........ 541-617-7837 Sisters............. 541-617-7837 La Pine ........... 541-383-0348 Sunriver ......... 541-383-0348 Deschutes ...... 541-617-7829 Crook ............. 541-504-2336 Jefferson ....... 541-504-2336
Above, Buckingham Elementary School fifth-grader Xavier Judson gets a highfive from a TAO performer Tuesday morning, following a special performance for students at The Tower Theatre in downtown Bend.
Salem ..............541-419-8074 D.C. .................202-662-7456 Education .......541-633-2161 Public Lands ....541-617-7812 Public Safety ....541-383-0387 Projects .......... 541-617-7831
Left, members of TAO: The Art of the Drum perform for students at The Tower Theatre in downtown Bend on Tuesday morning. TAO combines Japanese taiko-style drumming with martial arts and elaborate costumes. TAO performed Tuesday night for a paid audience at The Tower Theatre.
Submissions: • Civic Calendar notices: Email event information to news@bendbulletin.com, with “Civic Calendar” in the subject, and include a contact name and phone number. Contact: 541-383-0354
• Births, engagements, marriages, partnerships, anniversaries: Details: The Milestones page publishes Sunday in Community Life. Contact: 541-383-0358
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Obituaries, C5 Weather, C6
Deschutes County officials are worried that legislation designed to combat gang violence will divert money from services for local at-risk youth. The shift, they fear, will treat the symptoms of delinquency rather than the cause. “This is a sticking point for us,” said Hillary Saraceno, executive director of the Deschutes County Commission on Children and Families. “Funding in the state for youth would primarily be used in areas that have gang violence.” Saraceno expressed her concerns Tuesday as Deschutes County commissioners discussed the county’s top priorities for the current state legislative session. The bill Saraceno referred to, House Bill 4165, would implement changes to Oregon’s education system and children’s programs sought by Gov. John Kitzhaber and approved by the Legislature last year. See Priorities / C5
Bend junior works hard at acting out
Clarification
By Megan Kehoe
A story headlined “Foreclosures: Salem works to ease housing troubles,” which appeared Tuesday, Feb. 7, on page C1, mischaracterized the status of Dave Kaiser’s Madras farm. Kaiser continues to work with the bank to save his property from foreclosure.
On any given day, Marlee Norr, 16, is one of two people. There’s the Marlee who is quiet. Who spends hours alone writing fiction. Who loves to bury herself in a book. Who does well in school. Then, there’s the Marlee who loves to get up in front of large crowds
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OUR SCHOOLS, OUR STUDENTS Educational news and activities, and local kids and their achievements. • School Notes and submission info, C2
and become someone else. “I consider myself an introvert,” Marlee said. “But for some reason, when I get up on stage, I’m not. It gives me a chance to express myself.” Marlee is involved in a variety of activities, but the one she loves above everything else is acting. The Cascades Academy of Central Oregon junior
has been involved in productions since she was in sixth grade. She is currently working on a oneact play titled “Painted Closet,” which she wrote with some friends. Marlee, a student through Innovation Theatre Works for young adult actors, says that she hopes to act at a professional level someday. See Norr / C2
Andy Tullis / The Bulletin
Junior Marlee Norr, 16, stands by her painting in the art classroom at The Cascades Academy of Central Oregon in Bend on Tuesday.