The Library
University of Oregon
Eugsae, Or '97103
For MicrofH
The Heppner
Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
VOL. 96, NO. 44
THURSDAY, N0V.2, 1978
HEPPNER, OREGON
TWO SECTIONS-18 PAGES
Tl JfT
1V1
arrow property taxes
climb skyward; 1978-79
statements are in the mat
While property tax rates are
dropping across most of
Oregon during this year of the
tax revolt, rates for Morrow
County are on the upswing in
every district.
Morrow County will lose its
status as having the second
lowest millage rate in the
state as property evaluations
and local government spend
ing spiral upward.
There will be a little
something extra for nearly
every Morrow County resident
in tax statement letters that
will begin to be mailed thid
week.
While the statewide prop
erty tax rate appears to be
dropping to an average of
below $20 per $1,000 valuation
for the first time in recent
history, the rate will climb to
above $20 for the first time in
recent years in Heppner.
Heppner property owners
can expect to pay $24.25 per
$1,000 worth of property -up
from $18.82 last year.
Next highest will be Irrigon,
where property owners can
expect statements seeking
$19.48 per $1,000. Boardman
residents can expect tax bills
of $19.12 up from $14.74 last
year. In lone, the new rate will
be $19.22 up from $16.56.
Lexington's new rate will be
$14 7Q an inrrpnsp frnm
$11.90. Three rural tax code
areas O-l, 1-3, and 40-1 each
share the lowest new tax rates
in the county, $14.
Taxes went up an average of
$3 per $1,000 in each of the 30
Morrow County tax districts.
During the 1978-79 fiscal
year, a total of $5,106,582 is
expected to be collected, up
from $3,501,968 during 1977-78.
Morrow County's taxable total
value has increased by more
than $42 million to a new high
of more than $328 million.
The increase in millage
rates is due mainly to voter
approved budget increases in
the various local, city and
county government agencies.
Most of the budget increases
were sought to keep abreast of
inflation.
County government will
take $2.75 per $1,000 worth of
property this year, up from
$1.55 last year. Morrow
County schools will cost tax
payers $9.59 per $1,000 this
year, compared with $7.58 in
1977-78. Heppner city govern
ment will cost $9.78 per $1,00
during the current fiscal year,
up from $7.20 a year ago.
COUNTY SCHOOLS
61.9
NNCITIES 7
MCC COUNTY ss
,,. " PORT
X 99 17.8.
MORROW
Your tax dollar
Several tax receiving agenc
ies show decreases this year,
on the other hand. A scaled
down Blue Mountain Com
munity College budget passed
on the second go-around will
cost taxpayers $1.54 per $1,000
this year, down from $1.87 last
year. Heppner's water control
district dropped from 19 cents
per $1,000 last year to 17 cents
in the current budget. The
Port of Morrow assessment
will be 12 cents per $1,000 this
year, down from 13 cents last
year.
Another cause of the higher
millage rates is the fact that
several utility companies with
property in Morrow County
including PGE's Carty coal
plant have appealed their
property tax valuations.
According to Morrow
County Assessor Everett Har
shman, the county cannot
collect taxes on the property
valuations totaling about $20
million that are under dis
pute. Artificially high values on
homes resulting from the
current housing crunch aha'
contribute to the higher tax
statements, Harshman said.
Donkey basketball
at lone Friday
Donkey basketball is com
ing to lone Friday, Nov. 3 with
the lone Lions Club sponsors
of the event taking on lone
High School alumni.
The game starts at 7:30 p.m.
in the lone High School gym.
Mounted on the beasts of
burden, team captains will be
especially interested in a
victory for their respective
squad as a cream pie awaits
the smiling face of the losing
team captain.
Proceeds from the game
will be used by the lone Lions
for their community service
programs. Admission is $2 for
adults; $1.50 for students age
12-17; $1.00 for children 5-11
and under 5, free admission.
Five from Heppner to attend FFA
Convention in Kansas City
Five Heppner High School
students will travel to Kansas
City, Mo., this weekend to take
part in the National Future
Farmers of America conven
tion. Representing the Heppner
FFA chapter will be Julie
Grieb, Marie Van Schoiack,
JoLyn Dayl, Dan Nix and
Scott Sherer. The five local
youths will leave by bus on
Saturday, arriving in Kansas
City on Monday. After taking
in a week of convention
activities, the Heppner FFA
members will return on Nov.
12.
Last week, the Heppner
FFA chapter took first place
in district soil judging comp
etition at Blue Mountain
Community College. The local
soil judging team will take
part in state competition at
Beaverton next week.
Members of the soil judging
team are Ron Young, Lee
McCarl, Pat Clark, and Ken
Bailey. Accompanying them
on the trip to Beaverton will be
Tony Currin, Jim Angel, Joe
Mollohan and Earl Hammonds.
-"l p 5'1
Debra Palmer
Queen of 1979
Morrow County
Fair& Rodeo
A pert five-foot, five-inch
blonde with a vivacious and
contagious smile will reign
over the 1979 Morrow County
Fair & Rodeo. Debra Palmer,
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Lee Palmer of lone, has been
named Queen of the coming
year's festivities.
The 19-year old student at
Blue Mt. Community College
follows in the footsteps of her
twin sister, Donna, who was
Queen of the Fair and Rodeo
Court in 1978. Both girls
previously served as prince
esses on the court and before
that, penant bearers.
A farmer's daughter with
three sisters and no brothers
Queen Debra knows her way
around the family farm on
Rhea Creek where changing
sprinkler pipes, driving truck
in harvest and working with
her own 4-H projects is a way
of life.
Studying business market
ing and management at
BMCC, Debra hopes to enter
the field of fashion buying.
Sewing and cooking are fav
orite pastimes, but Queen
Debra is athletic by nature
and enjoys water and snow
skiing and roping.
7 y
Debra is looking forward to
being an ambassador of good
will for Morrow County in
1979. a job she is experienced
at through her family s long
association with the Fair and
Rodeo.
"I really enjoy getting out to
meet the literally hundreds of
people in other communities
and invite them to visit us in
Morrow County dui ing our
festivities," said the i.ew
Queen.
Fay Seitz of Heppner is
chaperone for the 1979 court.
Few face opposition
No suprises expected in voting
for local candidates on Tuesday
Bound for Kansas City to attend next week's national Future Farmers of America convention
are Heppner High School FFA chapter delegates (from left) Jolynn Daly, Dan Nix, Marie Van
Schoiack, and Julie Grieb. The trip will mark Julie's second journey to attend a national FFA
convention.
The race among local Mor
row County office seekers
should cause little adrenalin to
flow when voters head to the
polls on Tuesday, barring a
serious, eleventh hour write-in
campaign.
The lack of excitement
stems from the fact that all
candidates seeking council or
mayor's positions in Heppner,
Lexington and lone are run
ning unopposed. If there was
ever a good year to enter the
areana of local politics, it
would have to be 1978.
In Heppner, Mayor Jerry
Sweeney faces no challengers
in his bid for a fourth term at
the helm of city government,
lone Mayor Linda LaRue,
appointed to the number-one
spot in her town's adminis
tration earlier this year, is
unchallenged in her first bid
for a full term.
Seeking council slots with
out the inconvenience of
opponents in Heppner are Bob
Laughlin, Frank Pearson and
Joe F. Miller for four-year
terms, and Ron Forrar for a
two-year term. In lone, Elmer
Holtz, Billy J. Rietmann and
E.J. Akers face no challengers
in their quest for four-year
council terms. In Lexington,
Edward Baker and Willard
"Bill"1 Smith are the candid
ates for two four-year council
terms, and Charlene Papineau
and Bill Sheirbon are running
for two two-year council
slots.
Lexington voters will also be
deciding on whether to author
ize a tax serial levy to buy a
new fire truck. The $44,400
cost of the new fire truck
would be paid over a six-year
period.
On the county level. Judge
D.O. Nelson, Commissioner
Homer Hughes, Assessor Ev
erett Harshman, and District
Attorney Dennis Doherty are
all up for re-election. Only
Hughes faces a challenge on
the ballot, from Democrat
Dan Creamer, a write-in
candidate during the primary
election. Creamer has not
mounted a concerted effort
towards unseating Hughes.
however.
Unopposed in bids for direc
tor's positions on the county
soil and water conservation
districts are Pete Richards,
Kenneth Wright, and Albert
Osmin. A vacancy exists for a
fourth director, but no can
didates have offered to fill it.
About the only hotly
contended local race facing
voters will be the decision on
who will fill District 55's seat
Third bid opening set
for Morgan St. bridge
Perhaps the third time will
be the charm.
Bids will be opened on Nov.
16 for a new Morgan Street
Bridge over Willow Creek in
Heppner. Two previous bids
for a new span were rejected
when they exceeded by far
estimated costs for the pro
ject. This summer, the city's
consulting engineer withdrew
from any responsibility for
keeping the current span
open.
The Morgan Street Bridge
proposal is one of 12 projects
for which the Oregon Depart
ment of Transportation will
open bids on Nov. 16. The total
cost for the dozen projects is
expected to be $1.7 million. .
Weather
By Don Gilliam
Date High Low Precip
Wed., Oct. 25 58 24
Thurs., Oct. 26 63 27
Fri., Oct. 27 60 35
Sat., Oct. 28 59 31
Sun., Oct. 29 52 35 .06
Mon. Oct. 30 50 26
Tues., Oct. 31 49 22
Precipitation for October
was .06. The morm for the
month is 1.29. In 1977 we had
.36. A record was set in 1917
with 0 precipatation for the
month.
in the Oregon House of
Representatives.
It remains anybody's guess
whether the replacement for
defeated incumbent Jack
Sumner will be Republican
Bill Bellamy, a Culver vo-ag
teacher, or Democrat Chuck
Bennett, a former Salem
newsman, now affiliated with
a public opinion research
firm.
Mustangs
I areCBC
1 champs
h More Sports
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