Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1982)
' BESS 1 E WF.T2 ELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB EUGENE OR 97403 The Heppner ff . H ji n If J II II II II v hi- TIMES Weather by The City of Heppner High Low Preclf Morrow County's Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper VOL. 100. NO, 11 THURSDAY. MARCH It. UU I PAGES 2S CENTS HEPPNER, OREGON Tues., Mar. , 62 40 t Wed., Mar. 10 64 34 .11 Thun., Mar. 11 41 28. .01 Fri.Mar. 12 SO 28 Sat., Mar. 13 71 36 .01 Sun., Mar. 14 47 33 .22 Mon.,Mar.lS .43 25 .01 P MTl and union employees at standstill in contract negotiations Students from 11 schools take part in music festival Contract negotiations be tween Pioneer Memorial Hitspital and hospital em ploy ees AFSCME Local 2479 are mill at a standstill, report!) Donald Scott. Salem, a labor consultant hired, by the hospital board, and Judy Seihel. a union representative. The employees present two year nine month contract expires March 31. Scott said the employees are now seek ing a three year contract. Union employees involved include nurses aides, the laundry department, the diet ary department, two mainten ance positions and two clerical positions. A mediation session, lasting about six hours, was held Friday, March 5. "We really didn't make much progress," Scott said. The main hangup in settlement is related bene- -fits. He said members of the union are seeking wage and fringe benefit increases that are equivilant to a 17.7 percent increase. Scott said that the emloyees belonging to the union are asking for a five percent salary Increase and an Im proved medical plan which will also cover dependants. Currently, Scott said, the hospital contributes $47.95 per month, per employee, for insurance. He said the em ployees want a plan that "covers essentially every thing," which would cost the hospital $125 per month, he said, premiums are scheduled to go up to a cost of about $150 per employee, per month, and the hospital doesn't feel it's feasible. He stated that the Morrow Co. Sheriff indicted employees are seeking a 1.6 percent increase in additional premium pay for call in, stand by, and shift differential. ' Siebel agreed that the em ployees were asking for a five percent salary increase and full family insurance cover age. "What our people are looking for are fringe benefits. They would rather have good insurance than a bigger salary increase," she stated. She said they are seeking the same insurance plan the County Road Dept. employees have. Siebel said a better retire ment plan and vacation bene fits were also unsolved issues, but that the retirement plan wasn't a big issue. She said the employees have had an excel lent vacation plan for several years and the hospital wants to take it away. "I really don't want to look at a strike at this time, but it is a possibility," Siebel said. State mediator Nancy Ruez, who resides in Portland but is employed in Salem, has an nounced that fact finding would be the next step, Scott said. He said a fact finder would hear both sides of all issues and make recommend ations. However, no fact finding hearing date has been set. Morrow County Sheriff Lar ry Fet.sch, lone, was indicted by a county grand Jury last Friday, March 12, for Fourth Degree Assault (a Class A Misdemeanor) for allegedly assaulting his 15 year-old daughter. Morrow Co. District Attorney Ann Spieer said the county Children's Services Division and the Oregon State Police conducted the investi gation. Wheeler County District Attorney Mark Nienstaedt was named special investigat or in the case by Morrow Co. Court Feb. 24 at Morrow Co. District Attorney Ann Spicer's request. Spieer requested the case be investigated by another county since her office works closely with the sheriffs office. Fetsch, 41 county sheriff for 5i years, has not resigned and has not been asked to resign, said Spieer. County faced with pmonerf"" Cf lodging problem iff m:.i T3 Morrow Co, proposes new $3.3 million tax base Ity M HY ANA ( I Jtl't.l.O Last Wednesday, March 10, memtterx from the County Ituduet and Revenue Sharing Committees, and Morrow County Court met and unani mously agreed on a new tax base of $:t.:i2H.77:i. The tax base is to he presented to the voters in the May IH primary. The proposed tax base is an increase of $377. 55B from the 1 tut I It'.! property tax levy of $2.r.l.215. which also equals the amount which Morrow County voters will lc asked to approve under a property tax levy on March 30. Under a recent state law, a new tax base must be present ed to the voters if a district exceeds the six percent tax limitation for three consecu tive years. A new tax base is also encouraged because increas ing the base may raise the amount in the budget which qualifies for property tax relief from the state. Candy sales jump I f . "SJTV .: ; -,4, JxllA - - A tax base is the amount of property taxes which can be collected from property own ers without the voters ap proval. The taxing district is allowed to increase the tax base amount by six percent every year, according to the Oregon Constitution. Morrow County's present tax base is $367,990 which has been unchanged since 1940. The committee which agreed on the proposed new tax base consisted of Mary Bryant. Terry Thompson, Chris Lovgren, Eldon Pad berg, and the Morrow County Court. Pat Cutsforth and Joel Stahl were not present. Morrow County received word last Friday morning from Bob Oliver, head jailer at the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton, that Morrow County must immediately remove prisoners from their jail. County officials have been aware that this situation could arise since Umatilla County was taken to court by some of the prisoners for sub-standard jail conditions. That action has not yet been resolved, said county officials. The four prisoners were then lodged at Wasco County Jail at The Dalles. However, Morrow Co. District Attorney Ann Spieer said the Co. Sheriff's office received word Monday morning that the prisoners may have to be removed from that jail also, because of an over crowding situation. Spieer said the county is looking for space if needed, to lodge the prisoners in Grant County, John Day. Other possibilities are at Burns, or the Deschutes Co. Jail at Bend or at the Lake Co. Jail at Lake view. County officials have form ed a jail study committee under the chairmanship of F.E. Glenn, Boardman, to explore the problem in depth. The jail committee has recom mended a jail for Morrow County and the county is presently number eight in priority to receive building funds for a jail, if the state bond issue for additional prison space passes in the May 18 primary election. Umatilla County is second in priority on the list for receipt of aid in building jails, the officials said. Spieer said the state will give about $800,000 in support for the construction of a modular jail if a state wide $60 million bond issue passes. Spieer stressed, "If the bond issue doesn't pass, Morrow Co. will be forced to build a jail out of the tax payers pockets. If Morrow Co. does not build their own jail, we will find ourselves in the same position as Multnomah Co. i.e. - turning criminals lose on the streets." Heppner choir students perform at Tri-County Choral Music Festival held in Heppner last Tuesday night photo by Mary Ann Cwullo By JUSTINE WEATHERFORD Tuesday night, March 9, Heppner hosted the 1982 Tri-County Choral Music Fest ival. Early that morning buses from ten schools in Umatilla, Gilliam and Sherman counties rolled into town carrying much musical talent which joined our local talent for a great musical day. All day long the 180 students and their dedicated choral music instructors worked un der the leadership of Bill Mayclin, the Pendleton vocal music director, with the assistance of Heppner pianist, organist (their accompanist) Karen Stack. Those who didn't make it to the big concert really missed a tremendous treat. Heppner's Kitty Coon was a lively Mistress of Ceremonies, and she beamed with pride as she led Heppner's General Choir and then the smaller Swing Choir during the first segment of the concert which featured performances by five individ ual school choirs: Helix under Director Tom Whaley;. Wa tonka under- Director Bill Byers: Echo under Dave Perry and Moro under Larry Loop, along with Heppner.' The second half of the program saw those five schools joined by singers and their directors from Stanfield under Steve Muller: Pilot Rock under Hal Shepherd Umatilla under Ray Blalock Arlington under Norm Cox Condon under Richard Grein er and Weston-McEwen under Sheri Pyle. The students and their directors combined their voices under the leadership of Mayclin. an experience which they all obviously enjoyed very much. The five numbers presented by the massed choirs were exciting - all differed in tempo and format --one included narration "May There Always Be Sun shine." one. "Let Me Ride" included accompaniment by an instrumental group. It was good that this was not a contest requiring adjudica tion (judging) as it would have been almost impossible to rate the excellent performances of all the schools and their directors. Each one was a top winner and massed together they made the true winners the members of their audience. Corps notes changes in Willow Creek Route f , KM I ROM HUT The portion of Willow Creek Road, beginning at Alfalfa Street and continuing up stream approximately one mile , has been permanently closed to public traffic. A portion of Balm Fork Road beginning near Alfalfa Street and continuing upstream ap proximately 2000 ft. has also been permanently closed to public traffic, said a spokes person from the Corps of Engineers. Anyone wishing to drive up Willow Creek or Balm Fork roads should drive past the Heppner Swimming Pool on highway 206-207 and turn left on the new relocated Willow Creek Road, located approxi mately one mile from the city limits. Jail Comm. approves support for Co. jail Dawn Papineau Heppner Campfire boys and girls had their most successful candy sale this year as they sold over 1.770 boxes of candy and peanuLs, said a spokesper son. Funds raised from the sale will go to help support the Oregon Trail Council of Camp Fire awards. Dawn Papineau, daughter of Keith and Lisa Papineau of Heppner was top in sales for the area with 2lKi boxes. Spring vacation to begin Morrow County schools will close Friday, March 19 for a week -long spring vacation, said a spokesperson from the Morrow Co. School District Office in Lexington. Classes will resume Mon day, March 29 By MARY ANN CKRl'I.LO "It was a good committee with overall good attend ance," said Judge Don McEl ligott during a Jail Study Committee report to Morrow County Court last Wednesday, March 10. According to McKlligott, the County Jail Committee met Thursday. March 4 and ap proved support of an operat ing budget for a facility within the county. With the committee's deci sion, the court agreed on a resolution to be sent to the state Corrections Division, stating support of a correc tional facility within Morrow County, provided that funds from the state become avail able. In other business the court : - 0rwH on the fftrwtillutjon of $400 in personal property tax for the year 1975. The property had since been destroyed and the owner's whereabouts, unknown. - heard the Neighborhood Center Report for the month of February from Pat Brindle, director. - heard the county Road Report from Don Briggs, director of the Public Works Dept. Construction for the new county maintenance shop by' William Lonigan and Assoc. is scheduled to begin March 22, reported Briggs. - discussed the possibility of purchasing a new postage meter to replace the old one of twenty years with Margo Sherer, county treasurer. - moved to adopt an ordin ance as corrected for weed control within the county. (See Public Notices o WILLOW CREEK . j 4$ffl t" J tL'Z V PROJECT v-. t I cflj RHocoitd Balm For ,O07-"vll. X w III MORROW C0..ORE jlv T ?a 3S ,W 26S27E. KjL cA i SJ0 0 403 1000 XXX - CLOSED k.lftiBl4ltiU...iliiSlt.il..il 'l
