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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 1979)
Q U OF OR- - ; c n a. p ;: R L I 3 Hospital levy wins big margin on third try, t "It's a relief." "We're happy to have the budget passed." "Terrific, I couldn't be happier." "I was impres sed with the turnout." Those were the reactions of Hospital Board Members and County Court officials after seeing the results of Thurs day's hospital levy election. The third hospital levy elect ion received overwhelming support from voters with 854 yes and 459 no votes, a margin of almost 2-1 and surprising after the loss of the second levy by a margin of five votes June 26. Hospital Board Member Ed Dick said he was impressed by the voting turnout in Heppner whose tally of 528 yes votes exceeded the total no votes cast in the entire county or 459 no's. Only 103 no votes were collected in Heppner. North end voters were still heavily against support of Pioneer Memorial Hospital based 45 miles away. In Boardman, the $506,474 levy outside the 6 percent limita tion drew 33 yes votes com pared to 148 no's and in Irrigon, the vote was 13 yes and 180 no. Besides providing for the support of Pioneer Memorial Hospital, the levy asked over $157,000 for the North Morrow Clinic in Board man. In the south end, voters in Heppner polled 528 yes and 103 no, in Lexington, 129 yes and 11 no and voters in lone cast 151 yes and 17 no. Looking at the election results, Morrow County Judge D.O. Nelson said the third levy vote "gives us time to work on the problems." Dick agreed and said by this time next year, the hospital levy and budget may be included back into the county budget or a The Heppner 11 I II Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper VOL. 97, NO. 33 HEPPNER, OREGON THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1979 12 PAGES 20 cents w ind generation site at Boardman faces delay by Department of Energy Location of the Mod-2 Wind Turbine System in the Board man area has been tempora rily delayed by the considera tion of other sites by the federal Department of Energy in Washington D.C., according to a spokesman from the Boe ing Company which is building the "largest windmill in history" under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. , The spokesman said NASA had considered locating the windpower generation system in the Boardman area but the Department of Energy asked for a delay to "look at other sites." It was estimated that the delay in locating the system may only be about two months. The Morrow County Plan ning Commission was in formed about DOE's change of plans before issuing public notices for a meeting to be held on August 27. That meeting has been cancelled. Boeing's Mod-2 wind turbine system will be the largest wind turbine ever built and was started in August 1977 under a three year contract with the Department of Ener-' gy. The turbine will be a two bladed horizontal axis ma chine with a diameter of 300 feet and located on top of a 200 ft. tall shell tower and the blades will clear the ground by 50 feet. It will be designed to operate at a mean wind speed of 14 m.p.h. and operational at wind speeds of 11 miles-per hour and will "feather" or stop and stand still by changing the pitch of the blade tips at wind velocities greater than 45 m.p.h. When located, it will generate 2500 kilowatts of electrical power at a rated wind speed of 27.5 m.p.h, enough for about 750 homes. The ultimate goal of., the contract is to determine the feasibility in terms of costs for commercialization of large wind turbine systems. Boeing's Engineering and Construction Company is cur rently constructing the Mod-2 in its Seattle plants and had planned to locate the turbine in the Boardman area, pre sumably at the test site. Ironically, a press release sent to the Gazette-Times office this week and dated August 9, provided details on the future wind power turbine but noted "that the location fo for the system is yet to be selected by the Department of Energy." However, company officials Cont. on page 9 ... s9 f .'Vr- r ' . -. , -J v -r- - ....... v., f- w - j.-r.. feitwiKi 'i i' ajj'-y, .,1' $miO W . k,!i tA. Wind power The Boardman area could be the site of Mod-2 wind turbines, the largest turbines in the world being built by the Boeing Engineering and Construction Co., but the Department of Energy is looking at other sites though company sources felt up until this week that the Morrow County site would be the best. According to one official, the federal DOE caught officials by surprise with the announcement that it was looking at other locations. 70,223 cut in tax levy asked by schools separate hospital district formed. Voters turned out in droves at the Heppner precinct, there was heavy traffic around the polls and a truck with a loudspeaker, sponsored by the Heppner Chamber of Com merce and Lions Club urged people to vote. Heppner's vote gave the election a record turnout with 1,313 voters deciding on the fate of Pioneer Memorial Hospital, compared to 3,463 total registered voters, or a 37 percent turnout a high per centage considering Thurs day's vote was a special election in a non-Presidential year. In the second levy vote, there was a turnout of 1,244 and the first levy election drew 844 voters. The first levy election was voted down by almost a 2-1 margin. After the second levy loss, the Hospital Board instituted a number of changes, reducing the levy from $549,077 to $506,474, reducing the entire hospital budget to $1.6 million, changing the voting date to Thursday from Tuesday and accepting the resignation, of Hospital Administrator Bob Byrnes. While in the north end, Boardman Mayor Jerry Peck and City Manager Jim Thompson called for creation of north and south end hospital the hospital and told the employees there. Nelson said the workers were "very ex cited about the results." A newly-formed medical assoc- Hospital levy passes 854 Yes 459 No districts to provide for sep arate medical facilities in the county. Dick told the Gazette-Times that uncertainties in whether the budget would be approved had forced delays in screening applications for the new administrator of Pioneer Memorial Hospital and held up physician recruitment for both the hospital and the North Morrow Clinic. The hospital has received six applications for administrator and several doctors have expressed an interest in re locating in Heppner. When Judge Nelson heard about the results, he went to iation of professional em ployees had recommended several financial changes in the budget before submission of the ballot back to the voters. Thursday's voting results ended a summer of levy failures, long hours by Hos pital Board members working on the budget, presenting talks to the public and concern by residents that should the levies fail to come up with the necessary simple majority, the hospital might close. Negotiations between the hospital and non-professional employees are expected to continue. 'CONFIRMATION FOR GOLDSCHMIDT' Packwood likens cabinet shake up to 'chaos' President Carter's cabinet shakeup was "overblown by the Eastern Press" , . Sen -Robert Packwood told the Gazette-Times in a special interview Thursday when the junior U.S. Senator for Oregon visited Heppner. Asked what his reactions were to the recent cabinet shakeup, Packwood said the shakeup gave a "single im pression of chaos in Carter's Presidency." He admitted that Congress is partially to blame for the energy crisis. "Congress is perfectly able to pass the energy program but as an individual the President can inspire the public." Packwood said Carter, who has tended to campaign against Congress as the Wash ington establishment, has be come himself part of "the isolated island of Washington, D C." after two and a half years in the White House. :: V ! til T mm--- i & - - Sn. Bob Packwood Packwood says the Senate will confirm Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt unanimous ly as the President's choice to replace Brock Adams as Secretary of Transportation. With the three strongest potential contenders appar ently bowing out of a 1980 race with Packwood, Goldschmidt, Congressman Les Au Coin and Attorney-General Jim Red den, the Senator said he has raised about $300,000 so far for the coming Senatorial cam paign from about 11,000 con tributions. Packwood said the rush is on for acquiring Eastern campaign money and if a strong opponent should show up, it could cost $1,000,000 for each candidate in the 1980 election. In his 1968 race against Wayne Morse, Packwood said each man raised about $400,000 and with inflation, the figure would climb. In the next Senatorial election, Packwood said the Campaign Limitation Law, which was declared unconstitutional, limited spending to $380,000. The campaign limitation law is not in effect this year but there is a limit to the amount of Cont. on page 12 LONG DISTANCE FROM WASHINGTON The Morrow County School District has asked the County Assessor's office to approve a $70,223 reduction in the tax levy outside the 6 percent limitation, which was ap proved by the voters in April. The total tax levy certified in July was $3,771,364. The revised levy is $3,701,'l41 and changes the amount outside the 6 percent limitation to $2,426,924, leaving the amount ' within the limitation un changed at $55,119. According to , Supt. Matt Doherty, the new total tax is $3,701,141. Doherty said the tax savings on flood damage because of tax statements. He said the Asphalt plant set up for highway project Peter Kiewit Sons' Com pany of Vancouver is setting up equipment and an asphalt plant about a mile and a half south of Lexington on land owned by the State Highway Division for the start of resurfacing work of 12.26 miles of Highway 207 between Lexington and Hermiston. Harry Bosler, construction supervisor for the project, said one lane would be kept open at all times and flagmen and signs will be out directing motorists. The low bidder for the highway project hopes to have the project completed before the winter snows and is working on a 270 day contract. Initially, construction crews will rip up the current pavement damaged by last winter's freezing tempera tures, widening the road to 12 ft. and installing four ft. shoulders with asphalt. The project ends at the Boardman turnoff. The south end's last resur facing operation was about three or four years ago on the Heppner-Lexington highway. is caused by the district's receipt of $38,000 more in basic school support from the State as a "direct result of the county's growth and savings more reasonable purchases than anticipated." The superintendent said the reduction was unusual and will be reflected on this year's district could have used the financial benefits to offset taxes next year but decided to apply the reduction to this year's levy. Special section marks 1979 County Fair and Rodeo In today's Gazette-Times, is a 16 page special Morrow County Fair and Rodeo Edi tiona guide to the upcoming events of fair and rodeo week in Heppner. The special edition was compiled from the overall efforts of the Gazette-Tjmes staff as well as contributions from the Rodeo and Fair Committee, and the County Extension Office. Area merchants provided the financial backing to make the edition possible. The Gazette-Times would like to welcome you to attend the 1979 Morrow County Fair and Rodeo. We feel you will find it an enjoyable experi ence and a chance to meet with friends and neighbors. Thanks to the Morrow County Court of Judge D.O. Nelson, Commissioners Doro thy Krebs and Warren McCoy, the Fair Committee of Harold Peck, Cliff Williams, Marvin Clarkson, Gary Grieb, Ruth McCabe, Mildred Rauch, Phyllis, Piper, Virginia Peck Delpha Jones (chairman) and Bill Helphenstine and the Fair Board of Virginia Grieb, Lexington, Paul Hisler, Hepp ner, Pete Richards, Irrigon Ron Currin, Heppner, Floyd Jones, Heppner, chairman and Nancy Bruch, secretary- treasurer for making the dreams of a fair, "Down A Country Lane" become pos sible. Ullman chats with local audience on telephone Congressman Al Ullman-D, couldn't attend a special luncheon meeting Friday at the West of Willow Restaurant in Heppner but he still carried on a conversation via a phone link-up from his hospital room in Washington, D.C. Using a conference line attached to a microphone, those who attended the lunch eon talked briefly with the Chairman of the House Ap propriations Committee. Ad ministrative aides who were transporting the equipment at the Congressman's planned stopovers said the scheduled conferences were drawing small groups because of the fact that Ullman was forced to cancel the trip because of an injured leg and lack of publicity about the conference phone sessions. "I feel badly I can't be there in person," Ullman said, noting that he had many friends here and would have liked to see them. County Judge D.O. Nelson, who acted as the emcee, said, "We appreciated setting up the meeting. It's a small but enthusiastic group." Ullman said the Willow Creek Dam appropriation will probably come up before a vote of the House and Senate early in September after the Congressional recess. "It looks like there's a green light for the project." When he testified before the House Appropriations Com mittee, Ullman said the Army Corps of Engineers had not completed its feasibility study on the proposed dam on the outskirts of Heppner. Concentrating mainly on the economic and energy issues, Ullman said he was working on development of geothermal resources, funding to sink a well at Ontario, working on r: W " ,je" . 9 ' Rep. Al Ullman projects around Mt. Hood and development of gasohol from waste materials. Noting that in 1972, the nation peaked in domestic oil production and' wlrf never Cont. on page 12
