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NEWSPAPER LIB
EUGENE OR 97403
The Heppner
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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 .:
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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
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XXX - CLOSED
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