Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1979)
The Library University of Oregon Kascsna, Or 97403 Fnv " i i n f i t) County medical services ride on Tuesday levy vote Facilities in Boardman and Heppner Voters go to the polls Tuesday to decide on a reduced hospital tax levy of $549,077, $45,000 lower than the original levy submitted and defeated May 22. The. figure asked is outside the six percent limitation and projected by the county hos pital board as the minimum necessary to maintain satis factory patient, emergency, physician, nursing home care services at Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Heppner and support the North Morrow County Clinic in Boardman as well as the county ambulance service. Hi Low Precip. Tues.,Junel2 81 48 Wed., June 13 69 40 .. Thur., June 14 73 45 Fri.,Junel5 74 47 Sat., June 16 62 45 Sun., June 17 63 47 .09 Mon.,Junel8 73 50 .02 VOL. , t I J" "m f 1 . I ' - hi I f - , Parts of farm machinery were used as rebar in the concrete walls of the old county jail at the Morrow County Courthouse when a firm drilled through to establish a door to the rest of the building as witnessed by County Judge D.O. Nelson. Nelson said it took a Kennewick firm ten hours to drill through the wall with a pneumatic saw. The work is being done to ready the old jail for use as the assessor's office. Advisory committee boundaries set for most school district attendance areas Boundaries for representa tion on Morrow County School District advisory committee were approved Monday night by the school board in all areas except Boardman and Irrigon. A dispute arose over the boundary description of the Boardman area. Board mem ber, Ken Broadbent, Board man, felt the boundaries should include the Ordinance area because it was an attendance area for elemen tary school children. School District Superintend ent Matt Doherty said the area was not intended to be an attendance area and express ed hope that the area wouldn't be divided into attendance areas for the north county elementary schools. Broadbent felt more public input was needed on the issue from the Boardman-Irrigon area and made a motion to table board action. His motion resulted in a 3-3 tie and board member Irvin Rauch, Lexing ton, followed it up with another motion resulting in a tabling action. The advisory boundaries are used to establish equal representation on advisory committees elected by district voters in the Heppner, lone and Boardman-Irrigon areas. Following the May 22 defeat of the budget, hospital board members agreed to trim the budget by $45,000, reducing the planning and development requirement by $25,000 and reducing the amount antici pated to balance the budget in physician income ($20,000 more is expected in weekend physician service.) They ask ed the Morrow County Court to resubmit the reduced tax levy to the voters. , Since the budget failure a month ago, a . committee has been formed to support the upcoming hospital levy vote, merchants asked to display 97. NO. 25 - Keeping them During the discussion of the boundaries, Doherty was ask ed if this would affect the voting districts of the board of directors; Doherty said their boundaries were based on old school district boundaries. Approved in the board action were the Hardman Ruggs area, all area contain ed in the original Hardman School District and all area from the original Heppner School District lying north of the Condon-Heppner Highway and west of the Rhea Creek Road and that portion of the original Heppner District lying south of the Heppner Condon Highway and west of the Upper Rhea Creek road beginning at the Haguewood ranch; the North Lexington Pine City area, (Heppner Advisory Committee) all area from the original Lexington District lying north of the Base Line and all area contained in the original Pine City School District lying within Morrow County; Lex ington area, the original Lexington School District (Heppner Advisory Commit tee) and the north Lexington Pine City area and the Lexington area will be con sidered one area for the lone Advisory Committee; Hep pner area, all area contained posters in favor of Pioneer Memorial Hospital and fact sheets circulated throughout the community entitled "Hos pital Budget Fact Sheet." Hospital board members appeared at Monday's Hep pner Chamber of Commerce meeting at the West of Willow to urge voters to support Tuesday's levy request Chair man Fred Martin recom mended passage of the bud get, remarking that "It was well put together." Ed Dick, a board member, noted that the hospital was a business ven ture and required financial support to operate. Cont. on page 10 GAZETTETIMES Morrow in in the original Heppner School District; lone area, all area contained in the original lone School District; Cecil area, all area contained in the Cecil District, if no candidate avail able, the position will be elected from the lone attend ance area. The board recommended continuing the special activity bus between Heppner and Lexington for students en gaged in extracurricular activities after the regular school hours despite a com plaint received from a patron that the policy was unfair to the other areas of the district. Doherty said the policy was first established in 1964 when the Lexington Elementary School closed and the loss to the community from the lack of a school in its own boundaries was eased by the concession of the activity bus. The superintendent felt people did not understand the situation in which the decision was made. Rauch added, "This is their Amtrak, they better use it," referring to student use of the bus. However, board members expressed the need to re assess their decision in light of future gasoline hikes. Cont. on page 3 l7fW,TS' Tuesday, i PIONEER " A. 'A f" H M 0 MEMORIAL J HOSPITAL n " rth .Morrow North i. - Medical Clinic Boardman PollsOpen 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Heppner County's HEPPNER, OREGON Beverly Kyd appointed to Port Commission; budget within limit Portland sludge disposal in Morrow County discussed Beverly Kyd, wife of the late Charles Kyd, was elected Thursday to fill her husband's unexpired term on the Port of Morrow. Mrs. Kyd won unanimous election as port commissioner with the four other commis sioners voting in favor, Gene Allen, Louis Carlson, Leroy Gardner and Larry Lindsay. Port President Leroy Gardner said at the start of the election that he had been advised that the board could hold an open election. Appointing Glen Ward, Heppner, as the elec tion judge, each member's vote was voiced publicly. Also applying for the posi tion were Gary Hager of Hager Construction and Mark Docken. A potential applicant, Dan Kreamer, decided not to submit a letter of application. Commissioner Lindsay said, "Mrs. Kyd had the most qualifications for the position" and had traveled throughout the world. Following the swearing-in ceremony, Mrs. Kyd turned to the audience and said she preceded her husband's inter est in Port activities serving as secretary and manager at one time. She then assumed her seat on the board. Her term expires at the next regular election, according to Port Manager Buddy Toadvin. The five member board approved the 1979-80 fiscal year budget and tax levy of $40,226 on property within the Port boundaries, within the 6 percent limitation, after hear ing the recommendation of the port budget committee made on April 27. The General Fund budget approved is $205,591 and includes funds for per sonal services, materials and services, capital outlay, con tingency, transfer to other funds. Also approved were a $103,987 port facilities fund, $270,605 water and sewer utility system fund, $1,021,000 industrial bond reserve fund, $157,000 F.H.A. bond reserve fund, $2,177,500 PGE bond reserve fund and an $18 million pollution control bond fund. State Fish and Wildlife Agent Glen Ward expressed concern to the Port about fish reared in the neck of a proposed road which the Port hopes to build as an extension In Marine View Drive. Port June 26 Mb . . r w ) J':VS zT. n TV Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper THURSDAY, JUNE Manager Toadvin said the ' Port is still negotiating with Union Pacific Railroad for right-of-way property and ex pects to use rip-rap to reduce wave action. The road exten- sion is being proposed to allow for future docking facilities on the river. At present, the port has no docking facilities. Ward also inquired whether there would be fishing access to the future road. "If we build any docks, we will have to provide parking," Toadvin responded. Toadvin reported later in the meeting that the chief engineer of the Union Pacific has rejected for the second time right-of-way property needed for the road but noted that the railroad would have to negotiate eventually with the port because of a future change in its tracking. Concerning Portland's proposed barging of sludge up the Columbia River to dis posal sites in the Boardman area, the board went on record in support of a motion by Louis Carlson, "in the event that the Bombing Range The U.S. Navy has come under attack by two Morrow County agencies upset by its continued use of the bombing range. Port of Morrow Commis sioners approved a resolution to the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association meet ing next week in the Tri-Cities, calling for a return of the "underutilized bombing range" to private ownership "through an equitable and public distributive process in order to place in production nearly 50,000 acres of prime farmland." At the May 17 meeting of the East Central Association of Counties, members of Gil liam. Morrow and Umatilla counties discussed alterna tives to use of the bombing range by the Navy such as irrigated farming and grazing on the range. Gilliam County Judge Leo Barnett asked for a motion to authorize staff assistance in exploring pos sible alternatives to the bomb ing range and another official moved to accept the staff's Budget needed to keep services for residents Maintenance Should the $49,410 county tax levy request fail a second time in its voter test Tuesday, there is still a question whether the Morrow County Court would resubmit the levy for a third vote. County Judge D.O. Nelson told Heppner Chamber of Commerce members Monday "There is time for one more vote on either the county or hospital levy" if the June 26 levies failed and permission would have to be obtained from the assessor's office. But he added, "I'm not sure we could have another vote." Judge Nelson was sure about one fact, "If the levy 21, 1979 Portland Sludge project mat erializes the Port of Morrow should be made the docking site." The commission was quick to point out that it was not deciding the pro's or con's of whether the county should allow the sludge to be shaped here. That decision will be made by the Morrow County Court. Toadvin said the proposed sludge systems was one of the best he's seen but he express ed doubts about the long-term effects on the amount disposed of, quoting a figure of 30,000 gallons a day. "If Portland brings it up here, they will have to pay for it." Said Carlson: "The Port of Morrow should be the legal entity to receive the sludge. We should be the receiver, either provide or be the docking site." Gene Allen said it is assumed that the sludge would go on the ground when it could be marketed by private enter prises. In reply, Toadvin said he has seen it marketed in recommendation for a feasi bility study of the bombing range. Both passed. The resolution approved by the Port of Morrow Commis sioners further states that: "use of the bombing range is energy inefficient and waste ful, alternative sites and Greg Sweek expected to be named assessor to fill Harshman9s term The Morrow County Court has not made it official yet but is expected to appoint Ap praiser Greg Sweek as the new county assessor by July 1 to replace Everett Harshman who is resigning for health reasons. Tom McElligott is expected to be named Chief Appraiser, according to county court officials. In its regular weekly meet ing Wednesday, the county court approved a motion accepting Harshman 's res ignation. Court Judge D.O. Nelson told the outgoing and operations money asked fails, we will have to go back to $347,160 to run the county." The $347,160 is the amount of tax base allowable within the 6 percent limitation for the county's general fund. $494,410 or the levy amount requested is outside the six percent limitation and needed for several reasons to balance a total budget of $2,266,758. The additional tax monies are needed, Nelson said, to provide $100,000 in additional funds for road repairs, $35,996 to offset a cutback in federal CETA funds, $47,000 to replace a reduction in federal in-lieu of taxes; $24,000 added to make up a phase-out of anti-reces TWO SECTIONS 16 PAGES Milwaukee and it would be "a terribly risky venture for private industry." Mrs. Kyd was concerned about "raw waste being barged up the Columbia River." Toadvin said digested sludge was about 3 to 5 percent solid and the rest water, doesn't have much odor and looks like burned out oil from a crankcase. "Over a period of years if you apply the sludge, you are going to contaminate the groundwater 5, 10, 50 years, nobody can tell us how long," Toadvin said, urging the county to stipulate that if contamination occured, that it would pay for the problems. Gene Allen was elected secretary of the port replacing the late Charles Kyd. And Allen asked the Port to donate $75 towards the Charles Kyd Memorial Scholarship fund. Mrs. Kyd said the fund is now over $3,000 and seen as self-perpuating. A bonding agreement was Port of Morrow, ECO AC look to alternative uses methods are just as instruct ive and far less costly and energy consumptive;" energy generating facility siting is unduly and unnecessarily con strained by continued use of the bombing range; the type of energy generating facility official, "I wish you the best." Harshman served four years in the position and was first elected in a write-in campaign during the June, 1974 primary election. Harsh man received 61 write-in votes on the Democratic Party ballot and 80 write-ins on the INSIDE: See page 7 County officials anstter some questions on Pioneer Memorial. sion funds and $64,260 to absorb the 7V4 percent salary increase for county workers. A $35,000 increase in the District Attorney's budget is necessary, Nelson said, be cause the D.A. has a great many demands on his time including opinions and consul tations with the county's boards and his work with Morrow's growing law enforcement agencies. Nelson said this has added to his criminal prosecution work and "there has been a great push in the county to eliminate (he drug problem." Nelson feels the expected Cont. on poge 9 20 cents concluded between the Port and Gourmet Foods for is suance of $1.5 million in industrial development bonds to expand the processor's refrigeration and packaging systems. Under the agree ment, Gourmet Foods will pay the Port a $1,750 fee starting the first year of the bonding arrangement and that rate will decline as the bonds are paid off. The company will receive the capital it needs at a lower rate of interest by working with the port than securing a bank loan. The company would be able to exercise a purchase option at the end of the payment period. In other business, the Port commission approved a cus tom farming agreement for its effluent land with Miracle Foods, heard of problems with the effluent system and the need for more irrigation equipment, heard from Mike Sweeney, attorney for the Arnold Braat easement re- Cont. on page 3 locating in the area is unnec essarily limited by continued existence of the range and the efficient and orderly develop ment of irrigated agriculture in the area is prevented by continued existence of the bombing range. Republican ballot. The appointemtn of Sweek is expected to take place June 27. In other appointments, Tom Daulton, Irrigon, was ap pointed to the County Vector Control Board replacing Max well Jones Sr., Irrigon. " ! ' if ,J int.
