The Lebanon Express from Lebanon, Oregon • 1

i me -t AWygn -tor, "fi- txempt ion legislation passes, but too I ate Lebanon 1 By Rob Oster The passage of a bill allowing school districts to seek a waiver of the mandatory merger law has come too late for the Lebanon-area schools. Senate Bill 467-D passed by a 28-2 vote in the Senate and 36-20 in the House of Representatives last week. Among other things, the bill would allow districts located less than 15 miles from the nearest high school to petition State Superintendent of Public Instruction Norma Paulus for a waiver of the mandatory merger law. The petition must be made within 60 days of the bill's passage. The superintendent's decision is not appealable.

The bill states that public comment will be sought to establish the appropriate procedure and criteria to obtain the waiver. Distribution of plastic fetuses caused commotion at parade Two people were killed and one injured when two vehicles collided Sunday evening at Highway 20 and Spicer The force of the collision knocked the engine from one of the vehicles and Highway 20 was blocked off by the Oregon State Police for four hours during an investigation of the scene. (Photo by David Patton) IS jn n. on the proposed amendments to SB-467-D dated May 31. He did not see the final bill.

TheESD was responsible for working with the districts toward unification. Bennett also believes that it is too late for them. Bennett said that the Lebanon merger was consummated by final orders to the Department of Revenue by the March 31 deadline and the May 31 effective date. "All other input I've received also indicates that the mergers were validated on a timely basis and that they cannot be undone at this time," he said. "To such ends, none of the affected districts would be eligible for the waiver clause of SB-467-D, even if it gained legislative approval.

And I have been informed by Continued on Page A4 goes. You might even be right. "But until there is a unanimous opinion from all those who get their guidance from the same book (the Bible), you are doing more harm than good." Debbie Tracy, director of the Pregnancy Alternatives Center, explained the group's goal. "We had a float that celebrated life and we had-people that were representing the different stages of life," said Tracy. "We were trying to educate people about the baby in the womb and what a miracle from God it is, how perfectly it is made even at that stage of development.

It's perfectly formed, just not old enough to be born yet. "We don't want to get into a position where we get into a shouting match. We were in the parade and we passed out plastic babies. It wasn't an aborted fetus and we didn't talk about abortion. We were trying to educate people about different stages of development." 1 Continued on Page A2 Two dead in Highway 20 accident Although Lebanon's component schools would seem to qualify-under mislauseoftte bill, some believe that it is too late for them.

"My information from both our attorney Bill Paulus and from Jerry Bennett (LinhBentonLincoln Educational Services District (ESD) Superintendent) is that, in their opinion, this bill does not effect the Lebanon district," said Ike Launstein, Lebanon superintendent. "Everything has been processed correctly and we are unified as of May 31." He said the district will continue proceeding as a unified district. Paulus concurs. Lebanon Union High School and the component districts were consolidated before the effective date of this act, he said. Paulus's opinion was based pretty much put off." Turner wrote a letter to the editor of the Lebanon Express that was published on Wednesday, June 7, expressing his disapproval of the distribution of the plastic fetuses: "I received a lot of phone calls at the theater after that letter was published," he said.

"Most of the people called to say that they were glad someone had said something. "I support the right of the Pregnancy Alternatives Center to say what they want to say, but I think in the future they should use better taste. A. small town parade is not the place to be drawing an ideological line." In a letter to the Pregnancy Alternatives Center, Turner voiced his support for the group's First Amendment rights. "This is America, and I would die for your right to say what you- feel.

Whether I agree with you on the issue is not germane. Perhaps you feel that your issue is so important that anything I .,1 By Rob Oster A two-car accident at the intersection of Highway 20 and Spicer Road resulted in the deaths of the two drivers Sunday night, according to Oregon State Police. A passenger was injured in the crash. Joshua Weaver Lester, loVof iir Si I if" I iff 1 i IB UHT board makes tough decision on home-schooling By Terry Hudson Plastic fetuses that were handed out at the Strawberry Festival's Grand Parade have caused a stir in Lebanon. The Pregnancy Alternatives Center sponsored a float in the parade, and members of the entry handed out packets with a card from the center, a card that described some of the bodily functions of an 11-12 week old fetus, and a small plastic replica of a fetus.

According to a letter from the Pregnancy Alternatives Center, about 2,000 of the packets were distributed during the parade. The inclusion of the plastic fetus apparently upset some parade spectators. Paul Turner, theoperator of the Kuhn Theatre "at 668 S. Main said he picked up a half dozen of the plastic fetuses in front of the theater. "The general consensus seemed to be disgust," Turner said.

"The crowd that was gathered in front of the theater was IK i. 'V Albany and James Edgar Hyer IV, 72, of Eugene were both pronounced dead at the scene. Mildred D. Hyer, 66, is in fair condition with chest injuries at Lebanon Community Hospital. Lester, driving a 1970 Datsun 510, was driving east on Spicer Road at about 7:35 Sunday night when he went through the stop sign at with his class.

He tried to make up all four" years in three and failed by only three and a half credits. He needed a half credit of math, a half credit of English and and a half electives to qualify. Graduation exercises were held the day after the board meeting. Because of his behavior and his inability to stay focused, Dennis was in detention a lot before he was home-schooled, his mother said. He was also not allowed in sports, although his parents were told early on by doctors that he should never be held back from sports because he needed the outlet.

Schlitzkus attended Lebanon public schools his entire school career, with the exception of eighth and ninth grades. He attended East Linn Christian Academy during eighth grade. "Nobody ever suggested that he couldn't make it in public school," Anita Schlitzkus said. "At the. time, Tourette's Syndrome wasn't that well-known." She said that during his year at home, she was a tough taskmaster and Dennis was made to work hard.

His curriculum came from an organization specializing in home-schooling. She decided to put Dennis Inside Anniversary B6 Births B5 Business A6 Calendar B5 Classified Highway 20 without stopping. Hyer was headed north on Highway 20 in a 1978 Buick Limited when his car was struck by Lester's. The bodies of both victims were initially taken to Huston Funeral Home in Lebanon. Police blocked Highway 20 and rerouted traffic for about four hours to conduct an investigation and clear the wreckage.

back in the public schools because the year at home had been very trying for them both, and because he needed to be in sports. Schlitzkus had a huge workload his sophomore year, but was still able to letter in swimming. But his grades faltered because of the amount of work coupled with his learning disabilities. He was disallowed from sports again because of his grades. Ultimately, he was able to make up all but a few of the credits ne needed.

Last Friday, he was notified that he had passed math. The board, on Superintendent Ike Launstein's advice, was unable to let Schlitzkus walk. "That was tough," said board member Art Messmer. "I admire him for coming to the board. It took a lot of courage.

It bothered me because he seemed to have worked hard. We're getting more and more parents who are going toward florae-schooling, and we should have a policy toward those students. At the same time, we need to get some very clear guidelines from the state as to the matter." Continued on Page A5 Crossword B1 1 Legals B6 Opinion A12 Sports B1-3 Weather A3 By Rob Oster The UHI School Board turned down a student's petition to graduate last week because he was three and a half credits short of the credits required for a diploma. The student, Dennis Schlitzkus, has Tourette's Syndrome and Attention Deficit Disorder and was home-schooled in the ninth grade. He entered high school as a sophomore and nearly completed the work of four years in three.

But the Lebanon Community School District's policies won't allow the board to let Schlitzkus graduate. The district does not recognize credits earned as a result of home-schooling. Schlitzkus' entire freshman year was not allowed by the district. Schlitzkus and his mother, Anita Schlitzkus, asked the board to let him graduate at the board's meeting last week. He was home-schooled for a year because Schlitzkus's parents believed the schools couldn't deal with his disabilities.

Anita Sclditzkus said her son's self-esteem was so low, it frightened her. When he re-entered school, he decided he wanted to keep up Roth's IGA, Bi-Mart Celebrating the end of school Cascade's Heather Krause has a laugh while participating in the tug-of-war during the Cascade Field Day last week. Many Lebanon schools held a fun day just before the end of the school year last Friday. For more Cascadephotos, turn to page B9. (Photo by jess Reed) Express, inserts: Carson Barnes Circus, Huston FunefarHdfne, How to Find Us 90 East Crant PO Box 459 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.

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