IF ,-, /r- - November 21, 2012 Page 3
LMANAC
HE ILLUSTRATEI) BIBLE
.LSAIff STOVES im¢.
Tem )eratures
Forecast
541-928-4986
Serving Ore£o, • WOOd, Gas,
Since 1984 Pellet Stoves
• Sales & Service
• Sweeps
• Installations
• Inspections
Almanac sponsored by Albany Stoves Inc.
High Low Precip
Nov. 13 50 45 .45
Nov. 14 53 42 .10
Nov. 15 56 33 .00
Nov. 16 56 35 .00
Nov. 17 58 49 .12
Nov. 18 52 45 .65
Nov. 19 58 56 .20
Lake Levels
Precipitation to date: 48.86
Nov. 23, 2011:42.81
Mostly rain and showers. Highs
around 50. Lows around 40.
Weather information courtesy of the U.S. Corps of
Engineers. Call 367-5132 for updated stream flow
information.
Foster Reservoir: 613.85
Green Peter Res.: 947.83
And when you offer
a sacrifice of
thanksgiving ', :
to the Lord,
offer it of your
own free will.
LEVFITCUS 22:29
VOUR COMMUNITV
Bus drivers: shorthanded, but it's not first time
ed to staffing or the four-day week.
"It's only arriving late because
of transportation issues where par-
ents want their kids on different
buses because of conflicts," Trans-
portation supervisor Dave Goetz
said.
"We're still getting the job
done," said driver Trinity Yoder.
"We're still covered."
"They truly are short on driv-
ers," Canfield said. Two have quit
for other jobs, one for lower pay but
more hours.
As a result, the transportation
department's dispatcher has driven
a route, and the mechanic has driv-
en an out-of-town trip, said driver
Brenda Tunnell. Drivers couldn't
get off from their regular routes,
and all the substitutes were driving.
"They have had to do that be-
fore," said Goetz, who assumed
leadership of the Transportation
Department earlier this year. "It's
not uncommon, although it's not a
daily thing for them to pick things
up. How often (this situation oc-
curs), I don't know. I can't answer
it."
Drivers make between $8,000
and $25,000 annually, according to
estimates by several drivers.
"There's single people trying
to do it on their own," Yoder said.
• The move to the four-day week
cost some drivers 20 percent of their
hours, Canfield said, and the classi-
fied union has had no cost-of-living
adjustments or step increases in the
past couple of years.
"The only hours they've lost
are the hours on Friday," Goetz
said. Nothing has been added Mon±
day through Thursday. "I'm doing
everything I can to try to offer them
work to deal with that. There have
been hours cut, there's no question;
and that would hurt anybody with
that much time cut.
By Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
School District 55 bus drivers
say that the cut in hours and pay
from the four-day week has left
them shorthanded this school year.
In response to a comment at the
regular School Board meeting held
on Nov. 5, drivers said they wanted
to assure residents of the district
that the buses are not overloaded
and they are getting the job done.
Velma Canfield, president of
the classified employees union, said
in remarks to board members that
the buses were overloaded and one
bus was continually arriving late.
To clarify, she said, the buses
are not overloaded, although the
drivers may be overloaded.
There are sometimes not
enough to handle every trip, she
said. The late bus refers to a spe-
cial needs bus that is on a different
schedule from normal and not relat-
"I think the district is trying to
find creative ways to get classified
people more hours, but we are run-
ning into roadblocks."
Because of the issues going
on right now, he said, he probably
shouldn't talk about it.
"It's a problem, and the dis-
trict recognizes that," Goetz said.
"I know there was communication
early on (about trying) to get staff
development for the classified. We
continue to try to find ways to get
some classified hours back."
Yoder said the drivers are
dealing with the struggles and ob-
stacles.
"We are pulling together as a
team."
Canfield, who is a special edu-
cation assistant at Foster, said the
drivers are the first and last school
employees children see each day.
"We do it for the kids," she said.
"We don't do it for the money."
The drivers are trained Profes-
sionals, she said. They don't break
the rules of the road, and they drive
safely every day.
"They're doing it for the kids,
and they want their kids to be safe,"
Canfield said.
The drivers are short two po-
sitions, said Dispatcher Cheryl
Hicks. Those are being filled from
the sub list, which will fall to two
subs, down from a normal roster of
eight.
It's going to take time to train
the new drivers and new subs once
they're signed up, probably three
to four weeks for the new drivers,
she said. In addition to driving, the
mechanic has had to fill in as an aid
on routes.
Goetz is trying to do what he
can, said Tunnell.
He is trying to make it a posi-
tive atmosphere, Hicks said. "He
wants us to talk to him and let him
know what we think."
Goetz said he has made some
recommendations in the transpor-
tation department to save money.
Among them, the district had been
sending a bus to pick up a student or
two. Now i£s sending a Suburban.
, ,y
Movember
i
/
/
The South Santiam Sweet Potato Queens show their solidarity for the "Movember" movement, in which men
grow mustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of prostate and other male cancers. Founded
in Australia, the event is celebrated in countries around the worm - including here. The Queens reported that
they "did their best. The Queens love hangin' out with the GUYS" they saM.
10# $4.99
25# $10.99
50# $19.99
State Farm TM
Happy Thanksgiving from
Beth, Amy, Tina, Edna and Jaxon
727 Long Street I 541-367-4353
i ¸¸
