By Margaret Hopper

Opportunity High School has placed most of its students in the community, as planned. Some have been in their learning positions up to three weeks. Friday afternoon, OHS teachers were out checking on their students at their assigned business locations. Students seemed happy to see them, and teachers said they appeared to be doing well.

Doyle Shirey, cake decorator at Food Basket's Bakery, watches as Karina Baeza works on a decorating detail.Doyle Shirey said Karina Baeza has learned enough by now he thought she could produce and display an entire big table of her own goods. She had the interest and was working out well. Baeza went early to her job this Saturday; she put in four hours between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m., decorating cakes for the weekend. The Bakery says she works four hours a week.

Another student, Shyla McBride, at right, shows teachers Dixine Moore and Stephanie Tedord what she does at Circle Heart each afternoon.Shyla McBride has entirely different contact hours. Co-workers say she comes an hour or two each afternoon, moving merchandise, checking the displays and cleaning to be sure the western wear at Circle Heart shows well. She is GǣbankingGǥ six or seven hours a week, well above the minimum 30 for a nine-week period. This Friday, the owners were at the county fair, managing a booth there. She and another clerk were minding the store.

Martin Rivera, at right, has regular hours with Mike BrownG