CONTENT
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I-84 ramp closures in/near The Dalles
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Sherman Junior High Athletic Schedule Update
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Genealogy Jamboree Celebrating National Family History Month, Oct. 8
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Kegan Forrester, Sherman High to Linn-Benton Welding Graduate
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Inis Irene Helms Jones 1931-2016
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Elaine Kelley Kalista, Mass of Christian Burial, Oct. 8
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Floating All Boats
1. I-84 ramp closures in/near The Dalles
Please alert motorists to the following I-84 ramp closures, as paving takes place on the Freeway:
All work 7pm – 7am each day.
- 10/1 Exit 76 EB on/off ramp
- 10/2 Exit 82 EB off ramp
- 10/3 Exit 82 EB on ramp, Exit 83 EB off/on Ramp, Exit 84 WB off Ramp
- 10/4 Exit 83 WB on ramp, Exit 82 WB off/on Ramp
These closures are subject to weather or other construction delays. Message boards are in place on the freeway and ramp closures will be lifted once the freeway paving has passed them. ~ Oregon Department of Transportation
2. Sherman Junior High Athletic Schedule Update
3. Genealogy Jamboree Celebrating National Family History Month, Oct. 8
Please join us to celebrate National Family History Month on Saturday, October 8, 2016, at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. This is a open forum style event for all levels of genealogical research from beginner to advanced. Or if you haven’t done genealogy before , we will help you get started. We will have Jan Bony from Oregon GenWeb and Emma Jean Smith from The Daughters of the American Revolution to answer any questions and to guide you in your research. Also our CGGS members will be glad to help you start your journey to the past and bring your ancestors to life. The jamboree also will be covering subjects like organizing your genealogy, DNA, internet resources, genealogy software, military research, social media, and we will have someone to help you with your technology device (laptop, phone, etc. ).
We will be giving out great door prizes too. Attendees will have a chance to win a new HP Envy 4520 3- in -1 Wireless Printer, a genealogy gift basket with assorted research tools plus a 32 GB Lexar flash drive , the new book by Drew Smith “Organizing your Genealogy” and we will be giving away 2 free one year memberships to the Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society. This event is free and we encourage you to bring a friend.
The Jamboree starts a 10:00 and closes at 2:30.
4. Kegan Forrester, Sherman High to Linn-Benton Welding Graduate
Linn-Benton Community College publishes student stories, and this one features a Sherman High School graduate. http://www.linnbenton.edu/current-students/student-support/instructional-departments/welding-technology/student-stories/kegan
After dropping out of college, Kegan Forrester finds the courage to try again – then graduates from the welding program with honors, and lands a good paying job in the aerospace manufacturing industry!
“Everyone at LBCC encouraged me to keep going. The faculty is inspiring and really wants to help their students succeed. They aren’t just here to collect a paycheck.” Kegan Forrester
You would think honor roll student Kegan Forrester’s road to college would be nothing but smooth.
Though he ended up graduating from the welding program with honors, Kegan’s first try at college was not so great.
After struggling in math, he decided to drop out – with no intent of returning. Maybe college just wasn’t for him. Being the first in his family to attend college, Kegan really felt he was on his own to figure things out.
He discovered along the way that sometimes it takes trying, failing, and then trying again to succeed.
After high school, Kegan, like many students, went to work. Although he liked his job at a farm outside of his hometown of Moro, Oregon, he knew that getting a college education would help him be more successful in life.
“My first try at college, I actually started out pursuing a criminal justice degree – I didn’t start thinking I would become a welder,” said Kegan. Although he was doing well in most classes, college-level math was challenging – so much so that Kegan became discouraged and dropped out.
He returned to his farm job near Moro, something he knew he could do. But his bosses saw his potential, and with their encouragement, Kegan decided to give college a second try; only this time in a different program. Since he liked welding in high school, he reasoned, the welding program seemed like a good second choice.
As it turns out, he found that he could do the math. LBCC industrial programs offer math and writing classes that directly relate to each program, and Kegan actually got the math this time.
“Welding has its own core classes, including both math and writing for welders, which helped me to connect and understand it better,” said Kegan. “I love welding. It’s a great fit for me at this point in my life.”
And, connecting with people who could help along the way was key to his success. “There were a lot of people who helped me, including math instructor Russ Burchard who often worked with me one-on-one,” said Kegan. “My welding instructors, Fred Stuewe, Dean Dowless and Dave Ketler were great as well, and helped keep me on track with my schedule.”
As a bonus, a few months before finishing the program, Kegan landed a good paying welding job at a local aerospace manufacturing company.
“My advice for new students is to get to know as many people at the college as possible. They can help you along the way,” says Kegan. “Getting involved and meeting people helped me to get grants to help pay for school, and helped me get a job. I’ve made some excellent friends here.”
Kegan served as budget officer for LBCC Student Leadership Council, as president of the LBCC Welding Club, and as senior vice president of LBCC Phi Theata Kappa (PTK) Honor Society. He also volunteered at Christmas Storybook Land and participated in two Honors In Action Projects.
During his last college term, Kegan was taking 28 credits and working full time. He graduated with honors, earning an associate of applied science degree in welding. He’s the first in his family to earn a college degree.
~ Story & photo: Lori Fluge-Brunker, LBCC College Advancement Marketing Office
Calapooia Center www.linnbenton.edu/programs
5. Inis Irene Helms Jones 1931-2016
Inis Irene Helms Jones passed away September 22, 2016 in The Dalles. She was born in Mitchell, Oregon, on May 20, 1931. She lived in Sherman County since 1963, first in Wasco, later in Biggs Junction and most recently in Moro.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Vincent “Mike” Helms and Stella Nicholas Helms; her younger sister, Mary Jane Helms Smith (Paul), her youngest son Willam C. Jones Jr., and her three husbands: LeRoy D. Smith, Michael Kravitch, and William C. Jones, Sr. She is survived by her brother, Merle Helms (Phyllis); two sons Michael J. Smith (Cindy) of Grand Marais, Minnesota, and Tony R. Jones (Ana Fe) of White Salmon, Washington; three grandchildren: Tyler Jones (Alexandra), Erin Jones (Logan), and Alex Smith.
Inis was the bookkeeper for her husband, Bill Jones’ service station and garage and rock shop in Moro, and worked as a waitress and short-order cook. She enjoyed long drives in Sherman, Gilliam, Wasco and Wheeler counties, and considered Mitchell her home and favorite place. She was laid to rest in Wasco Sunrise Cemetery next to her son Billy Jones.
6. Elaine Kelley Kalista, Mass of Christian Burial, Oct. 8
Mass of Christian Burial
St. Mary Catholic Church, Wasco, Oregon
October 8th at 11 a.m.
7. Floating All Boats
A growth mindset, which has always been important psychologically, is a critical factor in economic well-being, too.
For five decades, The Pacific Institute has been working with the most forward-thinking business and world leaders to teach them the importance of a workforce with an efficacious, growth mindset. The concepts taught by Lou Tice have worked their way into mainstream American business culture. A book called “The Power of Self-Esteem,” by psychologist Nathaniel Branden pointed out that a workforce lacking confidence in its ability to think and cope with life’s challenges won’t be very productive or competitive in a demanding global environment.
Branden reminded supervisors and managers to help employees stretch by supporting training and workshops, and to tolerate mistakes as long as people learn from them. He also counseled listening to employees because they have something worthwhile to say and asking for their help as ways to stimulate new ideas. In doing this, you are building confidence by giving lots of sincere compliments and encouragement
What occurs, when this happens, is you are creating a workforce with a “growth” mindset, instead of a “fixed” mindset that fears change. Each individual, within the full spectrum of employees, is seeing each situation as an opportunity for growth. Change is sought, not feared. Personal development is vital, and not an afterthought. Personal development training for managers as well as for those they manage becomes a critical investment.
In the final analysis, it is difficult to have a workforce that is any more confident than the individuals who comprise it. Remember, it’s not the machine that shows up for work every day – it is a human being. Let’s give each worker, regardless of job responsibilities, every opportunity to know they are integral components in the organization’s success. As the old saying goes, “A rising tide floats all boats.” ~ The Pacific Institute