A former Central teacher's editorial on Central 13J School District
Guest editorial by Frank White
For Trammart News Service, March 21, 2025
EDITORIAL
Frank White is a former teacher at Central High School, who has described his professional life as one dedicated to teaching and serving students. In 2019, White was selected Oregon’s History Teacher of the Year.
Before coming to Central in 2014, he taught history and English in Montana and Chicago. He was selected the Outstanding Graduate for English Teaching by the University of Montana. In his career, he held a national board-certified teacher in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Social Studies and holds an Oregon Teacher Leader license.
White provided public testimony at a recent school board meeting that drew an overflow crowd – but his time was limited to only a few minutes. In this editorial, he expands on the issues he addressed that night.
Teaching at Central High School is the most rewarding experience of my professional life. Last year, I chose to leave that calling to better serve the needs of my family. Several factors figured into that decision. Sadly, among those factors was the inability of this district to recognize, develop, and retain effective leadership.
I was so encouraged, as were so many at the high school, when Roseanna Larson became one of the vice principals at Central. Her brief tenure in that position drew on her deep roots and understanding of the community, her decades of effective teaching at Central, and her uncompromising dedication to the needs of the Central students. Finally, after so many missteps, we had leadership we could depend on to help us improve. Someone who shared our values and worked in partnership to better serve our students. The improvement in morale was tremendous.
When the opportunity came for Roseanna to become the principal at the high school, the choice was a natural one. The staff gathered themselves for a leap forward in our ability to better serve our students. The hallways and department meetings were abuzz with creative ideas, opportunities to leave Central’s troubled past behind, and finally realize the potential of a talented staff to realize its potential.
That opportunity was inexplicably denied our staff and students when Larson was overlooked, and someone else was selected to lead us. We were confused. Uncertainty replaced hope. That confusion became hurt and then anger. We felt devalued as a staff. We had made our feelings very clear to district leadership. They had sent an equally clear response.
Our feelings simply did not figure into decisions made by district leadership. In response, teachers at the high school did what they have always done – they retreated into their classrooms, turtled up into a defensive position, where building leadership became something to endure, not a partner in improving the school.
This wasn’t fair to the staff. It created a cynical environment unfair to building leadership, and above all, eroded the educational environment at Central High School. We began to lose talented staff, who had endured enough, and chose to pursue their profession in places more conducive to growth and hope. Isolation is not constructive. Good teachers thrive in a positive learning environment where collaboration and creativity are encouraged.
District leadership has consistently stifled any attempts to create and maintain such an environment, and the results are evident.
Last year, after much soul-searching, my family decided that the continual stress and ongoing disappointment at the district’s inability to foster effective building leadership was taking an unsustainable toll on me and my family. We have absorbed the attendant financial challenges presented by my early retirement in exchange for stepping away from the poisonous environment created and fostered by district leadership.
The latest confirmation that this was the best decision comes in the decision by district leadership to, once again, force out an effective leader in Laura Waight. Laura has long served in a variety of leadership roles at the high school. She was an effective union leader. She served as the voice of reason when the environment at Central became too toxic to bear.
Above all else, she is the uncontested most talented teacher in the building. To watch Laura Waight teach is to observe a master class in education. She loves her students, and she drives herself mercilessly to improve her craft. In twenty years of serving in a vast array of educational environments, I have not seen her equal. She is incredibly smart, unwaveringly focused, and generous to a fault. Laura Waight is the ideal that everyone wishes they could emulate.
Imagine the force multiplier of someone like that in a leadership position. I don’t have to imagine it. I have experienced it, firsthand. Ms. Waight was my administrative evaluator during the last year I served at Central. By then, the decision to leave was pretty well developed. But Laura’s leadership made me reconsider my choice.
Laura Waight has that all too rarely encountered trait in education – she is direct, she is honest, again to a fault, and she will not tolerate anything but the best for Central’s students. Her insights into my craft stirred me to action. I wanted to show her that I could be better, that I could build on the strengths she had identified and that I could address the opportunities for growth that she had so clearly presented. She trusted me enough to be honest, and I trusted her enough to accept the advice she had given me.
Laura Waight is an inspiration, and she can teach effectively how to become a better teacher because she can show you how it’s done. She knows what effective teaching looks like, and she is such a talented educator that she can help teachers with a wide range of abilities and challenges how to improve. Her leadership ability is unmatched in my experience.
Recent events at Central have only emphasized the importance of effective leadership at the high school. On the morning of March 3, the Talmadge Middle School Principal called six people in the Administrative Office to report a student had been seen entering CHS with a potential weapon.
No one in the district office answered the call. Laura Waight was the 7th call and immediately showed great leadership by getting all kids out of the hall and into their classrooms. During this time Ms. Waight showed great leadership working with police officers to secure the building.
The student was identified from the building's security cameras and brought in for questioning. It was found that the item that was carried by the student was a toy and not a weapon. Laura's first reaction was getting all students to safety while the person in question could be found. This is an example of many events where communication and availability of administrators in the district office is hit or miss.
Ms. Waight is frequently called upon to make such decisions because she is always there and always willing and able to make difficult decisions, quickly taking decisive action when others are less able to do so. When staff needs something done, and done right, it’s Ms. Waight’s door with the longest line.
Ms. Waight’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively may be seen as a little abrupt for some. Her impatience with incompetence and her incredible workload means that she has little time for niceties.
She is not a political figure. She is intent and intense and insists that others keep up with her pace. Has this characteristic worked against her? Has her effectiveness with students, staff, parents, and community members placed others in the shade by comparison? Has her transparent, direct communication style created distance between her and district leadership?
As one of the few remaining keystones in the Central leadership structure, her presence plays an indispensable role in sustaining an effective educational environment. Her removal threatens the integrity of an already unstable structure. Deep roots, warm relationships, and respect take years to develop. Are these characteristics valued by CSD 13J?
Is district leadership trying to avoid a reprise of the disastrous experience when Roseanna Larson was being considered for the principal position at the high school? Time will tell.
Laura Waight has changed the lives of hundreds of struggling students as a teacher and as an administrator to help them cross the finish line of graduation. Her effectiveness, even in her brief tenure as Vice Principal, suggests a bright future in educational leadership. Whether it be intervening to help kids develop a math skills plan for state testing or personalized assistance plan for graduation, Laura's focus has always been to help lift kids up by giving them the tools and confidence to meet the bar – not lower it. Her talented, compassionate instruction makes her an effective leader, in the classroom and in the staff room. These are traits desperately needed at Central.
Can district leadership at Central turn away from prioritizing control in the ongoing pursuit of mediocrity in favor of creating and maintaining a value of working collaboratively with building leadership? If not, perhaps a change needs to be seriously considered.
Laura Waight’s philosophy is grounded in living a life of service. She goes to work every day to make a difference in the lives of students, staff and teachers. She lifts the kids up she is working with. She believes in a restorative approach and not a negative disciplinary approach that would make them feel bad about themselves. Such a positive leader is essential if Central is ever to create the constructive environment students deserve.
Hopefully,
Frank White
(Once a Panther, Always a Panther!) ▪
Guest editorial by Frank White
For Trammart News Service, March 21, 2025
EDITORIAL
Frank White is a former teacher at Central High School, who has described his professional life as one dedicated to teaching and serving students. In 2019, White was selected Oregon’s History Teacher of the Year.
Before coming to Central in 2014, he taught history and English in Montana and Chicago. He was selected the Outstanding Graduate for English Teaching by the University of Montana. In his career, he held a national board-certified teacher in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Social Studies and holds an Oregon Teacher Leader license.
White provided public testimony at a recent school board meeting that drew an overflow crowd – but his time was limited to only a few minutes. In this editorial, he expands on the issues he addressed that night.
Teaching at Central High School is the most rewarding experience of my professional life. Last year, I chose to leave that calling to better serve the needs of my family. Several factors figured into that decision. Sadly, among those factors was the inability of this district to recognize, develop, and retain effective leadership.
I was so encouraged, as were so many at the high school, when Roseanna Larson became one of the vice principals at Central. Her brief tenure in that position drew on her deep roots and understanding of the community, her decades of effective teaching at Central, and her uncompromising dedication to the needs of the Central students. Finally, after so many missteps, we had leadership we could depend on to help us improve. Someone who shared our values and worked in partnership to better serve our students. The improvement in morale was tremendous.
When the opportunity came for Roseanna to become the principal at the high school, the choice was a natural one. The staff gathered themselves for a leap forward in our ability to better serve our students. The hallways and department meetings were abuzz with creative ideas, opportunities to leave Central’s troubled past behind, and finally realize the potential of a talented staff to realize its potential.
That opportunity was inexplicably denied our staff and students when Larson was overlooked, and someone else was selected to lead us. We were confused. Uncertainty replaced hope. That confusion became hurt and then anger. We felt devalued as a staff. We had made our feelings very clear to district leadership. They had sent an equally clear response.
Our feelings simply did not figure into decisions made by district leadership. In response, teachers at the high school did what they have always done – they retreated into their classrooms, turtled up into a defensive position, where building leadership became something to endure, not a partner in improving the school.
This wasn’t fair to the staff. It created a cynical environment unfair to building leadership, and above all, eroded the educational environment at Central High School. We began to lose talented staff, who had endured enough, and chose to pursue their profession in places more conducive to growth and hope. Isolation is not constructive. Good teachers thrive in a positive learning environment where collaboration and creativity are encouraged.
District leadership has consistently stifled any attempts to create and maintain such an environment, and the results are evident.
Last year, after much soul-searching, my family decided that the continual stress and ongoing disappointment at the district’s inability to foster effective building leadership was taking an unsustainable toll on me and my family. We have absorbed the attendant financial challenges presented by my early retirement in exchange for stepping away from the poisonous environment created and fostered by district leadership.
The latest confirmation that this was the best decision comes in the decision by district leadership to, once again, force out an effective leader in Laura Waight. Laura has long served in a variety of leadership roles at the high school. She was an effective union leader. She served as the voice of reason when the environment at Central became too toxic to bear.
Above all else, she is the uncontested most talented teacher in the building. To watch Laura Waight teach is to observe a master class in education. She loves her students, and she drives herself mercilessly to improve her craft. In twenty years of serving in a vast array of educational environments, I have not seen her equal. She is incredibly smart, unwaveringly focused, and generous to a fault. Laura Waight is the ideal that everyone wishes they could emulate.
Imagine the force multiplier of someone like that in a leadership position. I don’t have to imagine it. I have experienced it, firsthand. Ms. Waight was my administrative evaluator during the last year I served at Central. By then, the decision to leave was pretty well developed. But Laura’s leadership made me reconsider my choice.
Laura Waight has that all too rarely encountered trait in education – she is direct, she is honest, again to a fault, and she will not tolerate anything but the best for Central’s students. Her insights into my craft stirred me to action. I wanted to show her that I could be better, that I could build on the strengths she had identified and that I could address the opportunities for growth that she had so clearly presented. She trusted me enough to be honest, and I trusted her enough to accept the advice she had given me.
Laura Waight is an inspiration, and she can teach effectively how to become a better teacher because she can show you how it’s done. She knows what effective teaching looks like, and she is such a talented educator that she can help teachers with a wide range of abilities and challenges how to improve. Her leadership ability is unmatched in my experience.
Recent events at Central have only emphasized the importance of effective leadership at the high school. On the morning of March 3, the Talmadge Middle School Principal called six people in the Administrative Office to report a student had been seen entering CHS with a potential weapon.
No one in the district office answered the call. Laura Waight was the 7th call and immediately showed great leadership by getting all kids out of the hall and into their classrooms. During this time Ms. Waight showed great leadership working with police officers to secure the building.
The student was identified from the building's security cameras and brought in for questioning. It was found that the item that was carried by the student was a toy and not a weapon. Laura's first reaction was getting all students to safety while the person in question could be found. This is an example of many events where communication and availability of administrators in the district office is hit or miss.
Ms. Waight is frequently called upon to make such decisions because she is always there and always willing and able to make difficult decisions, quickly taking decisive action when others are less able to do so. When staff needs something done, and done right, it’s Ms. Waight’s door with the longest line.
Ms. Waight’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively may be seen as a little abrupt for some. Her impatience with incompetence and her incredible workload means that she has little time for niceties.
She is not a political figure. She is intent and intense and insists that others keep up with her pace. Has this characteristic worked against her? Has her effectiveness with students, staff, parents, and community members placed others in the shade by comparison? Has her transparent, direct communication style created distance between her and district leadership?
As one of the few remaining keystones in the Central leadership structure, her presence plays an indispensable role in sustaining an effective educational environment. Her removal threatens the integrity of an already unstable structure. Deep roots, warm relationships, and respect take years to develop. Are these characteristics valued by CSD 13J?
Is district leadership trying to avoid a reprise of the disastrous experience when Roseanna Larson was being considered for the principal position at the high school? Time will tell.
Laura Waight has changed the lives of hundreds of struggling students as a teacher and as an administrator to help them cross the finish line of graduation. Her effectiveness, even in her brief tenure as Vice Principal, suggests a bright future in educational leadership. Whether it be intervening to help kids develop a math skills plan for state testing or personalized assistance plan for graduation, Laura's focus has always been to help lift kids up by giving them the tools and confidence to meet the bar – not lower it. Her talented, compassionate instruction makes her an effective leader, in the classroom and in the staff room. These are traits desperately needed at Central.
Can district leadership at Central turn away from prioritizing control in the ongoing pursuit of mediocrity in favor of creating and maintaining a value of working collaboratively with building leadership? If not, perhaps a change needs to be seriously considered.
Laura Waight’s philosophy is grounded in living a life of service. She goes to work every day to make a difference in the lives of students, staff and teachers. She lifts the kids up she is working with. She believes in a restorative approach and not a negative disciplinary approach that would make them feel bad about themselves. Such a positive leader is essential if Central is ever to create the constructive environment students deserve.
Hopefully,
Frank White
(Once a Panther, Always a Panther!) ▪
Mayor Schwarzler reports on the "State of the City"
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, March 21, 2025
Moving forward to meet the financial challenges facing Independence as it tackles a new budget with a looming shortfall means recognizing “where we’ve been,” said Mayor Kate Schwarzler in her “State of the City” speech on Thursday.
Decisions made previously, even many years ago, “shape our present – but they do not have to define our future,” Schwarzler told more than 50 audience members, who had braved a stiff wind and spitting rain to attend. “What we do now together is what matters,” she stressed.
The community “was clear” when it voted against a levy in November, Schwarzler acknowledged.
The city is actively pursuing “beneficial resources,” such as grants to help stretch the budget. There also is continual work with legislators on the financial strain being experienced, she added.
But without sustainable revenue, funding services at the same level that was done in the past isn’t possible, she affirmed. Independence is facing a budget shortfall of more than three-quarter million dollars, she said.
Schwarzler’s presentation also included numerous positive highlights, from the appointment of Tino Banuelos as police chief to the announcement of a new business, the Crystal Creek Dairy & Creamery. But some of her presentation seemed to reflect contributions from public services that now seem imperiled.
The Independence Library received a Spirit Mountain grant to purchase 16 new Chromebooks, which are used in computer coding programs, she pointed out. The Heritage Museum welcomed over 6,000 visitors and had almost 3,000 volunteer hours, Schwarzler announced.
Her predecessor, John McArdle, who was mayor for more than 25 years, was contacted via email by Trammart News for a comment on past practices that allegedly contributed, in part, to the current fiscal situation. However, no response had been received from him at the time of this news outlet’s Friday deadline.
Schwarzler’s talk came less than 24 hours after a town hall in which residents visited displays with information about the different public services – museum, library, parks – and were asked to place poker chips representing their top priorities into containers.
Some of those who attended felt the lack of options left out an important step they hope to see explored during the budget process: Are there places to trim costs or reduce spending on some services, rather than shutting them down entirely?
For example, a combination of services between the library and museum that was formulated by Museum Curator Amy Christensen and Library Director Patrick Bodily was “missing in action,” as one resident put it. Others asked why property sales of city land – aside from parks – wasn’t on the list of possibilities.
In fact, in a recent e-newsletter to museum donors, the same observation was made. “The city owns several undeveloped properties, but to our knowledge, there has been no discussion about selling them to address the budget shortfall,” according to the missive from the Heritage Museum Society, the nonprofit arm of the museum.
Earlier in the week, City Manager Kenna West emphasized two options: Consolidating the Heritage Museum and Independence Library, as well as selling the museum building, and placing park land for sale. The proposals were described during a KMUZ podcast with Schwarzler titled “City Budget,” which was posted this week on the city’s YouTube channel.
“It can help get us over the hump,” West said of selling the museum building and park property. She noted that insurance costs have increased, there is limited tax revenue, and inflation continues.
Schwarzler stated during the same broadcast that she’s making transparency a priority in her service as mayor, a point she reiterated in her State of the City address.
However, in contrast with all other cities in Polk County, no municipal audit from the City of Independence for the past year has been filed, a document due by January 1 and considered important to budget preparation. “The accounts and fiscal affairs of every municipality must be audited and reviewed at least once each calendar or fiscal year unless specifically exempt,” according to the Oregon Secretary of State.
West has indicated that the municipal audit will be submitted soon.
In part of her State of the City address, Schwarzler urged: “Now more than ever, we need to come together to listen and to support one another, to build an understanding and to move forward – not as individuals moving in different directions but as a community that believes in its future.”
The Thursday morning event, which was co-sponsored with the City of Monmouth and coordinated by the MI Chamber of Commerce, was held in a large meeting room on the lower level of the Independence Civic Center. Mayor Cec Koontz led off the event giving the State of the City report for Monmouth, noting that the "away team" addresses the audience first.▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, March 21, 2025
Moving forward to meet the financial challenges facing Independence as it tackles a new budget with a looming shortfall means recognizing “where we’ve been,” said Mayor Kate Schwarzler in her “State of the City” speech on Thursday.
Decisions made previously, even many years ago, “shape our present – but they do not have to define our future,” Schwarzler told more than 50 audience members, who had braved a stiff wind and spitting rain to attend. “What we do now together is what matters,” she stressed.
The community “was clear” when it voted against a levy in November, Schwarzler acknowledged.
The city is actively pursuing “beneficial resources,” such as grants to help stretch the budget. There also is continual work with legislators on the financial strain being experienced, she added.
But without sustainable revenue, funding services at the same level that was done in the past isn’t possible, she affirmed. Independence is facing a budget shortfall of more than three-quarter million dollars, she said.
Schwarzler’s presentation also included numerous positive highlights, from the appointment of Tino Banuelos as police chief to the announcement of a new business, the Crystal Creek Dairy & Creamery. But some of her presentation seemed to reflect contributions from public services that now seem imperiled.
The Independence Library received a Spirit Mountain grant to purchase 16 new Chromebooks, which are used in computer coding programs, she pointed out. The Heritage Museum welcomed over 6,000 visitors and had almost 3,000 volunteer hours, Schwarzler announced.
Her predecessor, John McArdle, who was mayor for more than 25 years, was contacted via email by Trammart News for a comment on past practices that allegedly contributed, in part, to the current fiscal situation. However, no response had been received from him at the time of this news outlet’s Friday deadline.
Schwarzler’s talk came less than 24 hours after a town hall in which residents visited displays with information about the different public services – museum, library, parks – and were asked to place poker chips representing their top priorities into containers.
Some of those who attended felt the lack of options left out an important step they hope to see explored during the budget process: Are there places to trim costs or reduce spending on some services, rather than shutting them down entirely?
For example, a combination of services between the library and museum that was formulated by Museum Curator Amy Christensen and Library Director Patrick Bodily was “missing in action,” as one resident put it. Others asked why property sales of city land – aside from parks – wasn’t on the list of possibilities.
In fact, in a recent e-newsletter to museum donors, the same observation was made. “The city owns several undeveloped properties, but to our knowledge, there has been no discussion about selling them to address the budget shortfall,” according to the missive from the Heritage Museum Society, the nonprofit arm of the museum.
Earlier in the week, City Manager Kenna West emphasized two options: Consolidating the Heritage Museum and Independence Library, as well as selling the museum building, and placing park land for sale. The proposals were described during a KMUZ podcast with Schwarzler titled “City Budget,” which was posted this week on the city’s YouTube channel.
“It can help get us over the hump,” West said of selling the museum building and park property. She noted that insurance costs have increased, there is limited tax revenue, and inflation continues.
Schwarzler stated during the same broadcast that she’s making transparency a priority in her service as mayor, a point she reiterated in her State of the City address.
However, in contrast with all other cities in Polk County, no municipal audit from the City of Independence for the past year has been filed, a document due by January 1 and considered important to budget preparation. “The accounts and fiscal affairs of every municipality must be audited and reviewed at least once each calendar or fiscal year unless specifically exempt,” according to the Oregon Secretary of State.
West has indicated that the municipal audit will be submitted soon.
In part of her State of the City address, Schwarzler urged: “Now more than ever, we need to come together to listen and to support one another, to build an understanding and to move forward – not as individuals moving in different directions but as a community that believes in its future.”
The Thursday morning event, which was co-sponsored with the City of Monmouth and coordinated by the MI Chamber of Commerce, was held in a large meeting room on the lower level of the Independence Civic Center. Mayor Cec Koontz led off the event giving the State of the City report for Monmouth, noting that the "away team" addresses the audience first.▪
Local Indy woman travels to New Orleans to be honored at "Rosie the Riveter Day"
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, March 21, 2025
It’s Women’s History Month. You might think that if you hunt for information on that you’ll find the best repository of reference material in the Heritage Museum, on the shelves of the local library or at Second Chance Books on Main Street.
But you’d be wrong.
Because the greatest symbol for what’s widely regarded as the most significant turning point of the women’s movement in modern history lives in a buttercup yellow bungalow in Independence. She’s a “Rosie the Riveter,” and she’s receiving special recognition in New Orleans today, Friday, March 21.
Clarice Lafreniere, a former wartime ship welder, is being honored on "Rosie the Riveter Day," as a guest of the Gary Sinise Foundation and the National WWII Museum. She's one of 30 other “Rosies” and their companions who are expected to celebrate the event in the town often referred to as “The Big Easy.”
“I am so looking forward to it,” Lafreniere said a few weeks ago, as she was planning the whirlwind three-day trip with her grand-daughter, Barbara Robertson.
“Grandma has never been there (New Orleans), so I'm hoping to squeeze in a quick trip to Cafe du Monde for beignets and chicory coffee, and a little stroll in the French Quarter as we're able,” Robertson said. She’s a guest of the event, too – as the assigned guardian of her grandmother.
The Rosies will also be accompanied by high school students “eager to learn from them, ensuring their stories and sacrifices will live on for generations to come,” according to the Gary Sinise Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by the actor, which serves America's veterans and first responders, as well as their families.
Lafreniere, originally from Colorado, became a bride there 75 years ago. After she and her husband had a son, Lafreniere and her spouse decided to move to the Pacific Northwest. Her daughter was born the night Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese.
There were blackout curtains on the hospital windows – an Oregon precaution in case bomber planes flew all the way to the west coast. About a year later, Lafreniere began working at Kaiser Shipyard on Swan Island in Portland. Her mother cared for her two children while she worked the night shift.
Lafreniere was one of the millions of women who stepped up – and into – what were formerly men’s jobs to support the war effort.
Last year, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, along with dozens of other women who served as riveters, buckers, welders and electricians during World War II. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas has called Lafreniere a “living legend.”
But this week, along with the 29 others in New Orleans, everyone will be calling her “Rosie.” ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, March 21, 2025
It’s Women’s History Month. You might think that if you hunt for information on that you’ll find the best repository of reference material in the Heritage Museum, on the shelves of the local library or at Second Chance Books on Main Street.
But you’d be wrong.
Because the greatest symbol for what’s widely regarded as the most significant turning point of the women’s movement in modern history lives in a buttercup yellow bungalow in Independence. She’s a “Rosie the Riveter,” and she’s receiving special recognition in New Orleans today, Friday, March 21.
Clarice Lafreniere, a former wartime ship welder, is being honored on "Rosie the Riveter Day," as a guest of the Gary Sinise Foundation and the National WWII Museum. She's one of 30 other “Rosies” and their companions who are expected to celebrate the event in the town often referred to as “The Big Easy.”
“I am so looking forward to it,” Lafreniere said a few weeks ago, as she was planning the whirlwind three-day trip with her grand-daughter, Barbara Robertson.
“Grandma has never been there (New Orleans), so I'm hoping to squeeze in a quick trip to Cafe du Monde for beignets and chicory coffee, and a little stroll in the French Quarter as we're able,” Robertson said. She’s a guest of the event, too – as the assigned guardian of her grandmother.
The Rosies will also be accompanied by high school students “eager to learn from them, ensuring their stories and sacrifices will live on for generations to come,” according to the Gary Sinise Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by the actor, which serves America's veterans and first responders, as well as their families.
Lafreniere, originally from Colorado, became a bride there 75 years ago. After she and her husband had a son, Lafreniere and her spouse decided to move to the Pacific Northwest. Her daughter was born the night Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese.
There were blackout curtains on the hospital windows – an Oregon precaution in case bomber planes flew all the way to the west coast. About a year later, Lafreniere began working at Kaiser Shipyard on Swan Island in Portland. Her mother cared for her two children while she worked the night shift.
Lafreniere was one of the millions of women who stepped up – and into – what were formerly men’s jobs to support the war effort.
Last year, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, along with dozens of other women who served as riveters, buckers, welders and electricians during World War II. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas has called Lafreniere a “living legend.”
But this week, along with the 29 others in New Orleans, everyone will be calling her “Rosie.” ▪
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