Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1981)
VqyWMHpgplWH BESS in W F, T z u or c r. z v i z i a i' :. r. 1. 1 n L U m L i - C' - - 0 VOL. City water storage Work on the city's new water storage tank and water lines would be stopped Immed iately if the Willow Creek Dam is cancelled, a US Army Corps of Engineers spokesman said at a meeting in Heppner last week. Major Walley Mook, project coordinator from Walla Walla told a gathering of reporters and city officials Friday, "If the project is stopped, we would not be able to complete this work. Whatever point we were at, we would stop right there." Mook's comments contra dicted information given to the Heppner City Council two weeks ago, when city engineer Scott Kvundall told the council even if the t40-niillion plus dum project is somehow stopped, the city would still get the designated new water lines and storage tank, called for as part of the dam project. The waterline and storage tank are needed since the dam will cover up existing water mains into the city. Mook emphasized that he has had no word of the project being cancelled, and, on the contrary, said the Willow , Creek Dam project haB been presented to the new Keagan administration "and it's all go " An advisory ballot seeking Nancy Miller crowned Morrow Rodeo St H 0 1981 Morrow County Anita Palmer, Queen M:rrow County's Nancy Miller was crowned Queen of the ll81 Rodeo last Saturday night during ceremonies at the Lexington Grange hall. The beaming Nancy receiv ed the Kodeo crown from outgoing Queen Lori Kd wards, who wished Nancy and her court well and told the gathered crowd she had very much enjoyed her reign as chief representative of Mor row County and head of the Kodeo festivities. Dclpha Jones of Lexington was MC for the coronation events, held in the grange hall Nancy's grandfather, Harvey Miller, had helped build many years ago. A potluck turkev dinner for GAZET Morrow County's Home-Owned US NO. 17 Tlll'KSDAY, APRIL 23. 1981 voter opinion on construction of the Willow Creek dam will tie put before voters of the Heppner Water control dis trict May 19. Voters will be asked "Do you favor construction of the Willow Creek Dam?" The vote is strictly advisory and will in itself not stop the dam project. An identical question, asked only of Heppner city residents April 3, 1979 received approval 188 yes to 135 no. Accompanying Mook to the question-answer session were Ron Barrett and resident engineer Don Johnson. "The Corps has no vested Interest (in the dam project, we're here just to answer questions," Mook said. "We operate on mandates from Congress." Mook said it is rare that a projct once started is stop ped. Neither he nor Johnson could offhand think of one instance. He said the only changes made in the dam since the project was started years ago, is that the Corps has decided to use roller compacted con crete for construction, instead of the. originally proposed earthen structure. The more recent design change will move the "toe" of the dam 500 feet farther out from town, require less vol ume to build the dam. and fist t ; Rodeo Court (L-R) Andrea Ball, Shelly Stroeber, Princess Nancy Miller, Princess all present was served up before the activities began, and then it was time for introduction of the court by Bob Montgomery. In addition to Nancy, the court includes princess. Anita Palmer and Kathy Hansen. Pennant bearers for this year's Kodeo. Andrea Ball, Shelly Stroeber, Sylvia Ladd and Lori Fetsch, joined the court on stage where all were presented with bouquets of roses in honor of their participation. The Kodeo court was also presented with belt buckles from Ken Miller of the 1st National Bank, Dot Ilalvorsen for Willow Grange and Judy Currin. The Heppner 14 PAGES work cut cause the spillway to be built down the center of the dam instead of on the end. He said that the dam still has multi-purpose use of flood control, recreation and irriga tion. Concerning flood control. Barrett said onc e the dam is in place the city would see quite a change in the flood plain (that area in which building requirements are stringent and insurance rail's higher). He said the flood plain would drop from the present five to six feet in some areas to one to two. "There will be a substan tial change in the business district adjacent residential area of Heppner," he said. Barrett also said there would be a shrinking of the size of the flood "way" in Heppner (that area where no building is allowed whatso ever at this time). Concerning recreation pur poses, Mook said the dam would contain an average 2.(100 acre-feet of water, and be about 65 feet at its deepest point at the dam. He said the height of the dam would be 154 feet above the Willow Creek stream bed. " " Passing1 out an artists con ception of the dam. Mook said except for the dam being a darker gray color, the picture accurately depicted how the dam would look once complet i "HW.fa.i.irr!. : ar-rr.-f.3;' . V I Kathy Hansen, Sylvia A violin solo featuring a medley of old songs was performed by Frances Smouse. Queen Nancy's grandpar Pickup, semi collide near Heppner Thurs. A pickup and semi -truck collided around 8:18 last Thursday morning, injuring Fa ye Seitz and her daughter, Melanie, Heppner. The collision occurred on Highway 207 on Heppner Hill toward Ruggs. A 911 call was received by the county Sher 11 llFiliQ Weekly Newspaper 20 CENTS HEPPNER. OREGON off if dam ed. He said water from Willow Creek would flow through the dam. "We're not going to cut off anybody's water rights down stream Water that goes in will come out." he stated. He says there are presently plans for the Corps to build a boat launching ramp and restrooms on the shore of the lake, and there are also plans to stock the lake with fish. Mook said the Corps plans to have bids for actual dam construction let by next Sep temtK'r, with construction to start in the spring of 1982. Once construction begins he estimates the dam will take fioo days to build. With regard to the new construction process. Mook said that the roller compacted process has been used on many structures around the world, and there is a lifesize model of the Willow Creek Dam at the Corps Bonneville offices. He said the model is room size and actually uses running water for testing. "The Corps if very conserv- : ative in dam design. And this is not a new and untried design," he stated. (See map page three.) I i -u v Ladd and Lori Fetsch ents were early members of the Lexington Grange, with grandfather, Harvey, being past master and one who helped build the grange build ing. iff's Dept. and a deputy and an ambulance were dispatched to the scene. Mrs. Seitz and her daughter were transported to Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Hep pner. Mrs. Seitz was released from the hospital on April 19 and her daughter April 17. ,1 i' T I I 1 stopped, .... Artist's conception of Willow Creek Dam queen ;j i -v. y r 1W (Vim Nancy Miller crowned by 1980 Queen Lori Edwards Fire burns pump house The Heppner Fire Dept. responded to a pump house fire at the Pete Skow resi dence, about a mile south of Heppner on Saturday. The fire, reported at 12:48 p.m.. took around 25 minutes to put out. according to Heppner Fire Chief Forrest Burkenbine. Burkenbine said that the cause of the blaze, which involved some grass as well as the pump house building, had not been determined. Miller, Steagall win Gazette-Times contest Vicki Miller and George Steagall are winners of this week's Gazette-Times "Know Your Local Business Person Contest." Each won a $25 gift certificate for being the first two entries drawn which correctly identified the places of business of six area business people. For details, where to enter, six new pictures for this week and the answers to last week's contest, see page five of this week's G-T. says Corps spokesman Lake i Hepprrl o CP i (L - R) Donald Johnson, Major Walley Mook and Ron" Barrett of the Corps of Engineers Superintendent says district may be in financial trouble Even with an approved budget for 1981-82, the Morrow County School District may be in financial trouble before the year is out. Matt Doherty, school superintendent, told the board of directors Monday night. Doherty said that although no definite word has yet been received the district may receive nearly $300,000 less in basic school support from the state than last year. "That's a pretty serious situation," Doherty told the board at its monthly meeting in Irrigon. Doherty says he anticipated a drop in school support this year because of budget short falls the state is experiencing. However, he says the cuts may be worse than he anticipated. Doherty told the board when the budget was put together earlier this year. "It would be almost impossible to absorb that without cutting basic 'J, programs," he warned the board. Although he stressed that he would not know until at least June what the district could hope to receive from the state, he wanted to put together a contingency plan in case heavy cuts are necessary in school expenditures to make up for a large shortfall. "I want the board to tell me and the administration which way to go on this," he asked. The board's concensus was that other programs should be cut before education. "We are trying to avoid cutting educa tional programs," said Doherty. Doherty said capital outlay, a new talented and gifted program and other non-educational programs should be axed first. He said, however, that lunch programs and transportation should be cons si dered as a basic program. In other business at the meeting, the board: ! 7 JY' ;' , .Z -'7- adopted new budget committee selection guide lines where "Each board member shall nominate a candidate to the budget com mittee from his-her zone. Every effort shall be made to provide equal representation on the budget committee from each area of the district," the new policy stated. - moved to convert six of the district's buses from gas to propane power next year. . - okayed a request from Gorden Munck to take a 10-day trip to Mexico with five Spanish students. The trip will be furnished by the Spanish Club. - accepted the resignations of teachers Nancy Mykelbust, Riverside; Carol Wallace, Boardman-Irrigon; Milli Hanna, Heppner Elementary; Gene Sartain, lone; Don Boyce, Heppner; Pam Aus man, Heppner Elementary; and Barbara Fairchild, Hep pner Elementary.
