Oregon School and District Report Cards for the last school year (2017-18) were released to the public this week. The goal for Lincoln County School District remains the same –- use the report to pinpoint areas of strength and weakness to guide the district in continuous improvement.
Links to the Lincoln County School District At-A-Glance Report Cards are updated on the district website.
Individual schools will send them out to families.
LCSD Superintendent Dr. Karen Gray said the annual report card issued by the Oregon Department of Education offers a summary of student performance and growth in Lincoln County School District.
“As a new superintendent, I can assure you that we are working hard to understand the essence of the data captured by the At-A-Glance Report Cards as well as other data metrics,” Gray said. “We are putting several measures in place to support not only the academic achievement of our students, but also help them to interact positively in a social setting.
“I look forward to seeing the results after my first year of work in the district and to continue to strive to make sure all of our students have the support they need to succeed.”
The main goal of the report cards is to provide parents and educators with clear, meaningful, and relevant information on student learning and growth, as well as overall district performance.
District goals are in the process of being developed by the Board of Education, the Superintendent and District administration. Goals may include: Increase student achievement in reading and math, increase attendance rates and decrease referrals for behavior, become an AVID K-12 school district, and recruit and retain excellent instructors while increasing diversity.
The district is also the recipient of Chronic Absenteeism and District Improvement Grants. All of our goals will align K-12 across our vast district. We are also working on a new 3-5 year strategic LCSD plan which will be inclusive of all of these goals.
Fall is in the air and Halloween is coming! Many people view Halloween as a time for fun and treats. However in the United States, roughly two times as many children aged 5-14 are killed while walking on Halloween evening compared with other evenings of the year. Falls are a leading cause of injuries among children on this holiday. Parents can help prevent children from becoming injured on Halloween by following these safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Safety Council.
Children should:
Go only to well-lit houses and remain on porches rather than entering houses.
Travel in small groups and be accompanied by an adult.
Know their phone numbers and carry a cell phone for an emergency phone call.
Carry a note in their pocket with their name and address.
Bring treats home before eating them so parents can inspect them.
When using costume knives and swords, ensure they are flexible, not rigid or sharp.
When walking in neighborhoods, they should:
Use flashlights, stay on sidewalks if available, and avoid crossing yards.
Cross streets at the corner, use crosswalks if available, and don’t cross between parked cars.
Stop at all corners and stay together in a group before crossing.
Wear clothing that is bright, reflective, and flame retardant.
Consider using face paint instead of masks.
Avoid wearing hats that could slide over their eyes.
Avoid wearing long, baggy, or loose costumes or oversized shoes to prevent tripping.
Always look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.
Parents and adults should:
Supervise the outing for children under age 12.
Establish a curfew for older children.
Prepare homes for trick-or-treaters by clearing porches, lawns, and sidewalks and by placing decorations away from doorways and landings.
Avoid giving choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys as treats to young children.
Inspect all candy before children eat it.
To ensure the safety of pedestrian trick-or-treaters, parents and adults should:
Make sure children under age 10 are supervised as they cross the street.
Drive slowly.
Watch for children in the street and on medians.
Exit driveways and alleyways carefully.
Have children get out of cars on the curbside, not the traffic side.
Following these tips should help ensure this Halloween is a safe and fun holiday for everyone.
For more information and tips, visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and Like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
Lincoln County Jail deputies discovered an inmate’s deceased body Thursday night during a routine inmate welfare check just 50 minutes after completing a previous inspection.
Inmate Joshua Gilleo of Depoe Bay was discovered by Jail staff in his private cell at approximately 10:27 p.m., and CPR, including use of a defibrillator, was immediately administered. The subject was pronounced dead by paramedics called to the scene.
UPDATED INFORMATION PROVIDED BY NEWPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Gilleo was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy was conducted on Oct. 26. The State Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Gilleo’s cause of death as suicide. The cause of death was consistent with evidence located at the scene by Newport investigators.
The subject was lodged in the Lincoln County Jail on charges of Unlawful Use of Weapon; Endangering a Person Protected by a Family Abuse Prevention Act (Restraining Order), Possession of Prohibited Firearm, Menacing and Contempt of Court x 3. Total security was $135,000.
Newport Police Department is handling the death investigation.
In order to better serve the needs of our school communities, the Lincoln County School District would like to know your opinions on how well our district is meeting your family’s and children’s needs, and how you feel about your school experience. You only need to complete one survey per family.
A rare total burn ban for all of August and September and most of October will be lifted Friday for Lincoln County.
Recent rain and precipitation in the forecast, which will further reduce the risk of fire, prompted suspension of the ban, the Lincoln County Fire Defense Board said Thursday in a news release.
The summer’s unusually dry and warm weather resulted in record-low fuel moisture levels and increased fire danger throughout the region, the release said.
The LCFDB thanked the public for its cooperation: “Their diligence, along with the quick response of all of our Lincoln County firefighters helped keep wildfires to a minimum.”
Many Lincoln County fire agencies require a permit to burn yard debris. Contact your local fire agency for specific regulations regarding burning of yard debris:
Master Gardeners get as much as they give, says Gail Langellotto, statewide coordinator of the Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener program. Registration for winter Master Gardener classes is open now. (Photo: OSU Extension Service)
By Kym Pokorny
Kris LaMar and Barb Cary live at opposite ends of Oregon and have never met, but they’ve got a lot in common.
Both women are up to their trowels as Master Gardeners.
A shade under 3,000 Oregonians join the two women who went through the intensive two- to three-month course that covers everything from soils to disease diagnosis. In return, they agreed to volunteer to advise gardeners and potential gardeners with the research-based information they learned in class. The program — part of Oregon State University Extension Service — reached over 100,000 people in 2017.
“Becoming a Master Gardener is a fantastic way to increase your knowledge of sustainable gardening, to meet like-minded gardeners and to give back to your community,” said Gail Langellotto, statewide coordinator of Oregon State University Extension Service’s Master Gardener program. “People are excited about growing their own food and gardening for wildlife. Master Gardeners help people understand how to meet their goals in a way that protects and conserves natural resources.”
Kris LaMar teaches dozens of classes in her role as a Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener, including composting basics. (Photo: OSU Extension Service)
LaMar, who has been a Master Gardener for five years, knew nothing about the program until she saw something about it in the newspaper. At the same time, she was qualifying to be a Master Recycler. Once she got her hands into compost and saw the overlap, she was hooked. She took both courses and has become one of the most active Master Gardener volunteers, teaching classes, monitoring the Clackamas County speakers bureau and, most of all, answering hundreds of questions — 2,200 since she started a little over a year ago — in Ask an Expert, an online question and answer service through the extension.
“I can stay home in my jammies,” she said. “I don’t have to drive. I can answer questions from all over the world. It’s wonderful because I get to learn all this, too. Like an insect that lives in Mozambique or India or Norway. I’ve found my niche. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.”
LaMar makes a good point. Master Gardeners don’t stop learning after finishing the course. When they can’t immediately diagnose and solve a problem, they turn to the wealth of research from OSU, other universities and reputable sources.
The breadth of activities Master Gardeners do for volunteer hours is wide. Some answer questions via email or phone hotlines, Langellotto said. Others spend time teaching in learning gardens, community gardens, even correctional institutions. Cary, a Master Gardener since 2013, works in a preschool that’s next door to a food bank where she volunteered.
“They jumped on it,” she said.
For an hour a week for 18 weeks, Cary spends time with 3 and 4 year olds, reading books, germinating seeds, planting, watering and harvesting. A tomato taste test is always a winner.
“It’s fun, so fun,” she said. “The little kids are really engaged, and we get positive feedback from the parents. We use it as a carrot for good behavior, and it works.”
You don’t have to be an experienced gardener to sign up for the classes. In fact, many people join to learn more about their own garden. LaMar, who was a judge in Portland for 25 years, grew houseplants and container plants. Cary was too busy during her career days to garden, but once she retired and moved from Orange County, California, to Brookings, she got busy. Both said being a Master Gardener has helped enormously.
While Cary took the class in person, LaMar took the online course — a new option — and recommends it to people who can’t make it to classes.
“Master Gardeners tend to be retired,” she said. “I’d like to see more young people get involved, and the online course offers that flexibility.”
Master Gardeners are community members with an active interest in gardening. We are enthusiastic about gardening and willing to learn, and in turn, help other community members improve their gardening skills. As a Oregon State Master Gardener™ volunteer, we have access to advanced training from university researchers and horticultural specialists.
After completing the Master Gardener training, we volunteer throughout Lincoln County reaching out to community members at our five demonstration gardens, spending time at our plant clinic help desk working on real garden issues, promoting the benefits and joys of gardening at community events, and of course, working with other gardening enthusiasts.
Join us as a Lincoln County Master Gardener. You’ll become a better gardener and have fun doing so.
In Lincoln County, the traditional course commits participants to 60 volunteer hours after completing the in-classroom series. Registration is taking place now for classes beginning on Jan. 10. For more information, contact [email protected] or 541-283-5119.
Kym Pokorny, 541-737-3380, [email protected] and on Twitter @OregonStateExt
The Oregon Health Policy Board (OHPB) recently voted to approve a comprehensive set of policies that will improve the health of Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members, address health disparities, control program costs, and continue to transform health care delivery in our state. This next phase of health care transformation is known as “CCO 2.0.”
“We’ve taken this opportunity to really look at what’s working with CCOs and where we need to push the system to advance health transformation in Oregon,” said Zeke Smith, OHPB chair. Together, these policies have the potential to significantly change how our members experience care and how the state pays for that care.”
The end of the first five-year contracts with coordinated care organizations (CCOs) marks an opportunity for OHA and OHPB to improve the services that 1 million Oregonians receive through OHP. CCOs are community-governed organizations that bring together physical health, mental health, addiction medicine, and dental health providers to coordinate care for people on the Oregon Health Plan. Since 2012 Oregon’s coordinated care model has saved taxpayers an estimated $2.2 billion, while also reducing unnecessary emergency department visits and improving preventive care for children and adults.
OHA heard directly from more than 850 Oregonians who participated in public meetings and forums held across the state in more than a dozen locations, which were led by OHA Director Patrick Allen. Additionally, multiple surveys and online outreach tools were used to gather perspectives from a diverse cross-section of Oregonians. OHP members and other stakeholders issued support for the policy direction and expressed satisfaction with Oregon’s coordinated care system.
“Our members feel good about the coverage they’re receiving from OHP, but they also let us know that we have areas where we can improve,” Allen said. “It was clear that our top focus needed to be improving access to mental health and addiction services. We also heard that CCOs can play a stronger role in working with community partners to help patients with the factors that influence health outside the doctor’s office, particularly access to safe and affordable housing.”
The resulting CCO 2.0 policies build on Oregon’s strong foundation of health care innovation and tackle our biggest health problems. They cover four priority areas identified by Governor Kate Brown:
1. Improve the behavioral health system and address barriers to access to and integration of care
CCOs will be accountable for developing a person-centered mental health and substance use disorder (behavioral health) system that OHP members can count on, no matter who they are or where they live. CCOs will remove barriers between behavioral, physical and dental health. The policies include:
Require CCOs to be fully accountable for the behavioral health benefit.
Address prior authorization and network adequacy issues that limit member choice and timely access to providers.
Use metrics to incentivize behavioral health and oral health integration.
Expand programs that integrate primary care into behavioral health settings.
Require CCOs to support electronic health record adoption and access to electronic health information exchange.
Develop a diverse and culturally responsive workforce.
Ensure children have behavioral health needs met with access to appropriate services.
2. Increase value and pay for performance
Over the next five years, CCOs will make a significant move away from fee-for-service payments toward paying providers based on value. OHA will incentivize providers and health systems for delivering patient-centered and high-quality care. CCOs will develop value-based payments (VBPs) to improve health outcomes specifically in the areas of hospital care, maternity care, behavioral health, oral health, and children’s health care. The policies include:
Each CCO will be achieve an annual VBP growth target and have 70 percent of their payments to providers be VBPs by the end of the five-year period.
CCOs will be required to make “infrastructure and operations” payments to patient-centered primary care homes.
OHA will work to align VBP efforts in OHP with Public Employees’ Benefit Board (PEBB), the Oregon Educators Benefit Board (OEBB), and commercial payers participating in the Primary Care Payment Reform Collaborative.
3. Focus on social determinants of health and health equity
Over the next five years CCOs will increase their investments in strategies to address social determinants of health and health equity. CCOs will align goals at the state and local level to improve health outcomes and advance health equity. OHA will develop measurement and evaluation strategies to increase understanding of spending in this area and track outcomes. The policies include:
Increase strategic spending by CCOs on social determinants of health, health equity and disparities in communities.
Increase CCO financial support of non-clinical and public health providers.
Align community health assessment and community health improvement plans to increase impact.
Strengthen meaningful engagement of tribes, diverse OHP members and community advisory councils (CACs).
Build CCOs’ organizational capacity to advance health equity.
Increase the integration and use of traditional health workers (THWs).
4. Maintain sustainable cost growth
To support sustainability of OHP, CCO 2.0 policies address the major cost drivers currently in the system. OHA will also identify areas where CCOs can increase efficiency, improve value and decrease administrative costs. The policies include:
Strengthen financial incentives and set up new tools to reward CCOs for improving health outcomes and containing costs.
Ensure program-wide financial stability and program integrity through improved reporting and strategies to manage a CCO in financial distress.
Use program purchasing power to align benefits and reduce costs, with a focus on pharmacy costs.
“In order to make these improvements a reality for our members, our team at OHA needs to hold ourselves accountable to monitor and enforce new and existing contracts with CCOs,” said Jeremy Vandehey, director of OHA’s Health Policy and Analytics Division. “We also need to set clear expectations and support providers and CCOs in making these changes so together we can improve health while containing costs.”
The request for applications for the coordinated care contracts for 2020-2025 will be released in January, and the contracts are expected to be awarded in summer 2019.
Oregon charity regulators have joined the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the National Association of State Charities Officials (NASCO) for the first International Charity Fraud Awareness Week.
Awareness about charity scams helps ensure that donors’ hard-earned money goes to the worthy causes they seek to support.
Here are a few things you can do:
Make Your Donations Count
This video provides tips to help you donate wisely and avoid charity scams. It emphasizes the importance of researching charities before giving to make sure make sure your donation is going to help the cause and the people you care about.
Follow us at Facebook.com/FederalTradeCommission and on Twitter at #CharityFraudOut to get tips about donating wisely and avoiding charity scams.
Here are a few tips to avoid donating to a sham charity:
Look up the organization online and read what others are saying about it. Search the charity’s name with the terms “scam” or “complaint.”
Check out the charity’s ratings with groups like the Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch and Guide Star. Find out how at FTC.gov/Charity.
• Verify that the organization is registered with your state charity regulator. Most states require charities or their fundraisers to register before they can ask for donations.
Dr. Karen Gray of the Lincoln County School District has been honored by the Oregon School Counseling Association (OSCA) with its “SUPER-intendent Award” for her support of school counselors.
“The students in Lincoln County are being served by an excellent group of counselors supported by a superintendent that values school counselors,” OSCA President Kari Weileder said.
Weileder said Gray has been influential in advocating for counselors and their efforts to create data-driven, comprehensive counseling programs, and for bringing the American School Counseling Association [ASCA] national model to the Oregon Coast and supporting the implementation of the standards to all school counselors of the county.
Lincoln County school counselors have been given the opportunity to participate in professional development specific to their field, and to network with hundreds of other counselors in the state, she said.
In explaining the background for the granting of the award, Weileder said:
“Back in 2011, there were no elementary school counselors. Our two largest high schools had only one counselor serving over 700 students. In 2016 building administrators were given one FTE to hire a TOSA or school counselor.
“Dr. Tiana Tucker was the principal at Sam Case [Elementary School in Newport] and was the only principal to choose to hire an elementary counselor. It was apparent that counselors have a special skill-set and the students at Sam Case had an advantage over their peers at other schools.
“In the spring of 2018, LCSD was conducting a new superintendent search. At the community meetings, applicants were provided data about the impact school counselors can have on student achievement and the current less than satisfactory state of school counselors in LCSD.
“Candidates were asked about their views of school counselors and what would they do to have a school counselor in every building in LCSD. Dr. Gray was selected to be our new superintendent and quickly stated we would have a counselor in every building.
“From four counselors in 2011 to 14 currently, the landscape of school counseling is changing in Lincoln County. Dr. Gray has also committed to providing professional development to counselors on a monthly basis, bringing an ASCA expert to our district to develop and fully implement the ASCA national model, as well as assigning a special programs administrator to support counselors.”
The Lincoln City City Council votes Monday on the emergency warming shelter issue at City Hall
The homeless could find themselves lounging in the living room of a willing private homeowner’s house or in one of several public facilities under consideration as temporary emergency warming shelters following a sudden reversal of fortunes to an ordinance proposed Monday to the Lincoln City City Council.
Councilor Diana Hinton first voted against the proposed ordinance amendment allowing for an emergency to be declared that would pave the way for an overnight homeless shelter site.
She then reversed her vote at the end of Monday’s meeting when Mayor Don Williams asked her if she would like to make a motion to reconsider, citing parliamentary procedure. After the council approved, a unanimous vote followed and a second reading was greeted unanimously.
By law, the amended ordinance will go into effect in 30 days, on Nov. 22.
“I commend the City staff for the speed at which they have devised and drafted this ordinance, which holds a potential solution,” Warming Shelter President Patrick Alexander said. “I want to assure you the City Manager and I are in touch regarding the potential for community meetings in the event that he feels such outreach is necessary, to get people comfortable with the use of a particular site.”
The proposal, which also provides for emergency shelters, staging areas, inoculation areas, distribution centers and similar emergency operations, does not permit the City to commandeer private property, but allows for its use if agreed to by the owner. However, Taft Hall, site of the Lincoln City Resource Center & Emergency Warming Shelter for the past two years, is considered the most obvious public site option because of logistics and the overnight services and amenities it can provide.
“We’re taking about human lives and not a stupid sign that was upsetting a couple people in an election-cycle,” Williams said. “When we talk about people’s lives, when we’re sitting fat, happy and comfortable in a warm building, it’s offensive to me.”
An emotional Williams grew angry at one point.
“… The time is now, time is up,” he said.
Various locations are being considered to serve as a site for the Warming Shelter this winter following the funding reduction of Taft Hall, 1206 SE 48th Place, due to the City interpreting the zoning code to disallow hosting clients there overnight.
“That long road unfortunately turned out to be a dead end,” Alexander said. “Despite good-faith efforts on both sides, we now find ourselves in a place where there is simply no time to go through the other processes that are available.”
Lincoln City Assembly of God Pastor Kevin Wolfer read a letter on behalf of the North Lincoln Ministerial Association asking for the continued use of Taft Hall as the warming shelter site.
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Dick Anderson
Judy Casper
Patrick Alexander and Ron Chandler
Ronald Chandler
The fourth floor of City Hall, where Career Tech Charter School resides as a renter from the City, has been mentioned as a possible replacement site. The old fire department building on SW 4th Street has also been proposed, but the building lacks insulation, running water or bathrooms.
The City said “Accessory Use” requirements eliminated First Baptist Church at 1333 N.W. 17th St. in the Oceanlake Plan District zone.
Language of proposed Ordinance 2018-14 amends Chapter 2.72 (Emergency Operations Ordinance), and Section 2.72.070 (Authorized Emergency Orders) of the Lincoln City Municipal Code to provide for temporary emergency operations use of public and private property. The ordinance, in part, states:
— Upon the declaration of an emergency, and during the existence of such emergency, the terms of any such declaration may include any of the following or such other terms of emergency orders which are not prohibited by law, allowing the City of Lincoln City to redirect funds for emergency use.
— Designate any developed or undeveloped City property for temporary Emergency Operations Uses, including but not limited to, use as an emergency facility, shelter, overnight shelter, bivouac, mess hall, temporary campground, staging area, inoculation center, distribution center, or similar emergency operation uses. Private or other public property may similarly be designated by the City, with the permission of the property owner, for such emergency uses. The duration of such authorized uses is only during the period of the emergency and for a reasonable period of time after the end of the declared emergency.
Councilor Diana Hinton first voted against the proposed ordinance amendment allowing for an emergency to be declared that would pave the way for an overnight homeless shelter site.
