Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1981)
BKSS i E VV 2 T 2 E L L. U OF ORE IJEW3PAPI-II L I 3 CP. 9 7 4 0 3' VOL. Road plan, school By PATTI AI.I.STOTT lone rancher, Eric Ander son, reported at a Monday night meeting that the Morrow County Courthouse in Heppner has informed him only a three year serial levy is legal in Morrow County. The new stipulation prohib it!) the earlier proposed four year levy for road rehabilitation Area ranchers, bankers and oilier interested persons were oniony those present at a Wheat League sponsored pub lic meeting held at St. Patrick's Parish Hall in Hep pner. Anderson, along with Don Brings of the Morrow County Road Department, discussed the proposed $!() million road levy and answer! questions (nun the audience. Anderson stated that the proposed levy originated through the Wheat League and the next step is to present a petition to the cmmtv clerk to have the levy New runway f Lexington Ainrt Ity MARY ANN' CERl'I.LO A rii-w runwav is i-nrrently being planned for the Morrow County Airport at Ix'xington. Discussions have been un derway since Jan. 27 by the Irf-xington Airport Committee to add a longer runway off the present taxi area. The airport committee pre sently consists of five people: Milo Prmdle. I'ele Skow, Mel Hover, Pal Culsforth, and Dr. Joe Gilford. The airport is currently operating with one major runway and a taxiway cross ing it. The runway, number 8 26. measures 2,520 feet by 50 feet. The proposed runway, num ber 20K-HL, will parallel the present runway, allowing the taxiway to cross it The runway is designed to meas ure 4.1 12 feet by 1(H) feet with a 10-inch base. Morrow County has furnish ed the hard rock and. accord ing to Dr. Joe Gilford. Kin.tia Corporation has donated time, energy and money towards a project (hat will handle a moderately sized four-engine aircraft. This isn't a plaything, says Gilford. The new runway could mean more business for the county and should be taken seriously. Marrow County's Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper M, NO. 10 Tlll'RSDA V. entered on an ucoming May ballot Anderson states that the proposed levy is of "great importance to us and the need has never been greater." He also commented that the only negative response he has encountered is that people are concerned about possible lUll'V v. ' rfJ!"" mJ f,ir " - Jmk'p i r " ..... .... ffeSk. .r: - ..,., j 1 -1,1 . . iuu" ; ' J I i-..... - . , JL . 1 Don Briggs (left) and Eric planned for Lex airport ""' "TV U i- 1 i ,m.m.mfi, Wl. f ri-: i ir--- m".: ..- - . ..''. .. .: . " "". i,a," " Presently, the committee is attempting to get federal or stale funds for lighting and hard-surfacing the new run way. The lighting would be low intensity and taxiway lighting with a "vasi" system. The "vasi" system would allow angular approaches. According to Giflord, state funds arc almost impossible to gel at this time, so the committee is approaching the federal government for help. County has until April 1 to make CETA decision Morrow County will have to decide by April 1 whether the county will transfer respons ibility of the Balance of State CKTA (Comprehensive Em ployment Training Act) pro gram, to a county level. CETA, partially subsidized by the federal government, and partially sponsored by the slate, is a work -training program for the unemployed. Ray Thorne. Employment Division administrator, an nounced Feb. 20 that the state will no longer act as prime sponsor of CETA as of March The Heppner TTE-TM MARCH 5. 1 981 10 PAGES budget reviewed at Anderson waste and misuse of funds. If approved. Briggs said a portion of the levy monies would be used to purchase new road equipment. He added that the equipment will be needed by the county even if the proposed levy is not passed. Supporters of the proposed To receive federal funds, the airport must abide by stricter lighting regulations and sub mit a plan within the next 30 to 60 days. Gifford says the Morrow County Airport Com mittee may be looking at $30,000 to $00.0(10 for finding of the project. The lexington Airport Com mittee is scheduled to meet during the month of March. A date has still to be set. 31. Governor Atiyeh set the decision deadline for April 1. So far 24 counties in Oregon have voted to transfer CETA to a local level. One county voted that the Employment Division assume full responsibility for BOS CETA. bypassing the counties all together. Two counties ab stained one preferring to wait until federal officials report their preferences, and one preferring to turn the pro gram over to a non -government, community-based organization. 2(t CENTS HEPPNER. OREGON levy have now agreed to contract out portions of the planned improvements if ap proval is granted by the voters. In other discussion. Don Cole, principal of Heppner Elementary and Junior High Schools represented the school district in discussing the proposed 1981-82 school bud get. In explanation of budget increases and tax computa tion for the 1981-82 budget, the following categories show in creases from , the present 1980 81 budget: Total require ment : Amount of tax required to balance: Estimated tax not to be received: and Levy for bonds and interest: showing a Decision on sewage sludge left in the air again By MARY ANN CERt'LLO A decision on Portland's sewage sludge proposal wa left in the air again by the Morrow County Court last Wednesday. The county court, meeting in Irrigon, postponed the decision on making the trans portation of Portland sludge to Morrow County. Also postponed were deci sions on plans for the disposal and usage. Two proposals are under consideration by the County Court - "SPARS" and "CROPS." SPARS is a method by which the sludge is dried by solar and wind processes. The dried sludge would then be stored in Morrow County and distributed to agricultural users in the area. Portland officials are believed to be in favor SPARS. CROPS entails the injection of the sludge under the soil of a perched 40-acre bed. A perch ed bed is an asphalt and cement lined bed designed to separate the liquids from the solids. Pool repair will cost $2,000 council told The Heppner City Council learned Monday night it will cost about $2,000 to sand blast and repaint the city pool, $250 more than previously esti mated. Paint in the pool is begin ning to crack and peel off, and pool chairman Ron Forrar said after some investigation he came up with the figure he felt would be needed for the repairs. To pay for the repainting job the city will have to come up with at least $1,000. The Heppner Lions Club has al ready committed $1,000 to have the job done. Monday the council investi gated several options, includ ing postponing the job until next year. A final decision on the pool will be made at a special meeting of the council March 16, Mayor Cliff Green said. In other business at the Wheat League total of $1,059,518 in increases to be levied, said Cole. . Cole. One category. Resources, showed a decrease from the 1980-81 budget of $404,993. In the breakdown of expend itures he said salaries have been allowed a 10.6 percent increase (cost of living). Employee benefits have been allotted 17.9 percent, much of which is not controlled by the school district, such as FICA wages, unemployment, etc. Purchasing services show an increase of 14 percent, -supplies. 17 percent, while capital outlay shows a 20 percent reduction, said Cole. All remaining expenditures One hundred acres would be used on an experimental basis so that the effect of the grained liquid fnm the sludge on crops could be watched. Portland officials presented modifications of both plans to the county court. Officials agreed to discuss possible site changes of the SPARS pro posal. CROPS officials agreed to shift emphasis from dis posal, storage and experi ments to a greater use of the product in sludge processing. Under the new modifications, a five-acre perched bed would be used in place of a 40-acre bed. During a discussion on the removal of heavy metals from the sewage sludge with John Lang, Public Works adminis trator of Portland, it was revealfd that no changes have been made in the cadmium removal processes and instal lations in Portland. Cadmium, a poisonous heavy metal, enters sludge from the effluence systems of industries such as electrplat ing and battery manufactur ing plants. The effect of cadmium on the food chain is not yet known. meeting, the council: - decided not to vacate Kirk Street, and to continue to maintain a bridge behind McBride's Body shop. agreed to a liquor license transfer for S & J Market which is under new ownership. - decided to hold a special meeting March 16 to approve the bond sale for the city water improvement project. The sale is a formality as Farmers Home Administra tion of the federal government has already agreed to buy all the bonds. - voted to hire Van Arsdale Construction Co. of Heppner to grade the shoulders of some city streets which are break ing off and deteriorating. The job was expected to cost $800. - discussed the sale of city water to the Army Corps of Engineers while the corps is building the Willow Creek Dam. Weather by Don Gilliam Feb. Precip Normal Prec. Feb. 1980 1.26 inches 1.12 inches 1.95 inches show a 4.8 percent reduction. Included in the 1981-82 ballot Is $623.80 within Jhe six percent limitation and $715,732 for bonded debt. The amount to be voted on at the levy election will be $4,020,660. Of this amount. $3,604,830 will be on an 'A' ballot and $415,255 will be on a 'B' ballot. The money levied in-the 'B' ballot is a '"bare bones. ..hold the line budget." said Cole, not to be used to fund new programs, with one exception - a program for talented and gifted students. The proposed school budget will be presented to the voters in a March 31 election. The county court restated its earlier decision, that Mor row County does not favor applying sludge to county land if the sludge has a level of 50 ppm cadmium. Portland officials stressed Portland's Commitment to the pre-treatment process, abid ing by regulations, and the plan to reduce the cadmium level over a two-year period. Portland is currently on a deadline of Sept. 30 for funds from the Environmental Pro tection Agency, so Portland officials are urging the county court to come to a decision. Judge McElligott says no decision will be made until April or May. A sludge information meet ing is scheduled in Boardman on March 12. 'Diary of Anne Frank3 performance is this Thur. & Fri. wal j I f , v, p"'"" ' .,,- 1,. i ,. ., g 1 wmTTr...- I : J t fT" I"' " Km.. "-J1 V I vv-: -A- ?'Li O -si t - V. By MARY ANN CERl'I.LO Anne and Mr. Frank played by Lisa Nix and John Bier portray a tender scene between father and daughter in the upcoming Heppner High performance of "The Diary of Anne Frank." High lw Tues.Feb. 24 50 33 Wed.. Feb. 25 53 27 Thurs..Feb.26 54 28 Fri.,Feb.27 55 31 Saf..Feb,28 53 27 Sun. March 1 51 27 Mon..March2 55 27 District class employees reach tentative agreement The Morrow County School District and classified em ployees have reached a tent ative agreement on a new three-year contract, following two sessions with a state-appointed mediator. A mediator was called in after the two groups declared an impasse after over a year of negotiations. Highlights of the tentative contract call for the class ifieds to receive a four percent cost-of-living increase the first first year, plus an individual dental plan. In the second and third years they will receive a cost-of-living increase less the cost of a dental plan for all familv members. Morrow County tax investments earn money According to Morrow County Treasurer and Tax -Collector Afirgo Sherer- ap-! proximately $2,000 was made for Morrow County through a repurchase agreement. In the past, when taxes were paid to the county, the money was put into a bank for four days while it was divided and delegated to the taxing districts. Harsliman pleads guilty Trial was cut short last week, Feb. 25, in Pendleton when Floyd Everett Harsh man, 22, pled guilty on two counts of burglary. Cole's House of Fashion and Murray Drugs, both in Heppner. Precip. .02 .01 The district agreed to pick up the employee cost of the public employee retirement plan, a benefit of about six percent. The classifieds and the district also agreed on a revised leave policy. The classifieds can now take leave w hen it is ok'ed by the building principal, and they now have the option of taking leave working or taking comp time on "bad weather" days when . schools are closed. The two groups will get together again to refine the language of the labor agree ment, before sending it to the district board of directors and the classified employees for final approval and adoption. This year when second installment payments arrive . says Sherer. the tax -money was invested into a repurchase agreement for four days. During those four days, the money belongs to the county. The investment was recommended to the county treasurer by efficiency experts and, says Sherer, seemed to work very well." A presentenceing investiga tion is underway and will last for approximately six weeks, according to Ann Spicer, Morrow County district attor ney. A date for sentencing has not vet been set. Dramatic scenes, vintage furniture, and a set designed according to the Frank's original hiding place offers a full evening for play goers. Curtain time is 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday. March 5 and 6 at the Heppner High School Cafetorium.
