Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1982)
B ESS I E WET2 ELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB EUGENE OR 97403 gaz: VOL. 100, KUMA Eb Hughe, Heppner the air with KUMA 1" 0' T'" " I, j : t3d g n V V. 4j .-j Jl 'HwioJ r, ' Will offuet next year'i taxet PGE to pay $2.3 million in back taxes By MARY ANN CKKl'I.LO Approximately $2. 300.000 in Iwiek taxes is to be returned to the county in time to offset the tax levy for 1082 83. announc ed Greg Sweek, county tax assessor, to Morrow County Court Wednesday. March 17. The "PGE Appeal" is the result of tiixes owed from PGK on the Coal Fire Plant in Honrdman for the tax veurs of 1978 through 1980. The money owed lo the county will be divided primarily letween the Morrow County School Dis trict, Port of Morrow. Blue Mountain Community College, and the county voting district, explained Sweek This will reduce next vear's Boardman men vie for school board Two Boardman men, Joe Stevens and KoU'rt McKinley are running for one open position on the Morrow County School Board The position, zone one Boardman, a four year term is presently held by Kenneth Hroadbent . Stevens, 44, is a personnel manager at Lam Weston, Hermiston. He and his wife, Cheryl have four children, ages 17, 16, 13 and nine. Stevens said he has no major complaints about the school district and feels the biggest problem facing the district is "trying to get things accomplished and stay within the budget and still keep the quality up." He said he didn't think any particular areas of education need improvement and feels the overall education Morrow County students re ceive is good. Running against Stevens is Robert McKinley, also of Boardman, however no in formation was made available. Morrow County's NO. 12 THURSDAY. MARCH 25. 1982 comes to Heppner MM and sinter Anita of Milton-Freewater go on Moro Patrick's Day features on p. 6 levy to $2,662,600 from the proposed $3.2.18.000. should it be passed, he continued "This means we (the vot ers) will be paving 17 cents less (per thousand) than what we're paying now," Commis sioner Dode Krebs added. "It will also reduce the school levy by $14 million," stated Sweek, "and BMCCwill receive $250,000." In other business, the court : agreed to rent a room from the Heppner Neighborhood Center to the Baptist Church for Sunday services at a fee of $20 - moved lo adopt a revised personnel policy. moved lo adopt a revised payroll policy. - appointed Lisa Harsin as auditor for Morrow County. - approved a mapping pur chasing agreement with the Oregon Department of Rev enue. - appointed Ernest Jorgen son as Jastice of the Peace, protein on March 23 and 24 - heard the Road Report from Don Kriggs of the Public Works Dept. Rietman seeks re-election Bob Rietinann. an lone rancher, is seeking re-election to position number one, a four year term on the Blue Mountain Community College Board. He has served on the college's board for six years. Rietmann will run against Gordon Woerner of Adams. Heppner man finds old Indian bones near was that of an Indian, above the eve socket George Stillman of Heppner made an interesting discovery Thursday, March II while hooking up a temporary water line for liucon Corp. at the Willow Creek Dam site. Ac cording to Beryl Stillman, his father found part of a human skull lying in some soil that had been removed while making a temporary water diversion channel. Beryl Stillman said the skull The Heppner ETTE-TIMES Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper 12 seek 8 positions on co. district advisory committees Twelve county residents are seeking eight open positions on Morrow County School District Advisory Commit tees. Seeking election to position number one on the Heppner -Lexington Advisory Commit tee, a two year term, are incumbent Karen Stack and Helen Riehl. Stack. 39 of Heppner is a medical technician and a piano teacher. She and her husband Francis have four children, ages 16. 14, 13, and seven. Stack was appointed to the position six months ago. Helen Riehl. 38 and her husband Tom are owners of the R 4 W Drive-In in Heppner. They have three children, ages 14, 13, and seven. Riehl reports she was an active elected member on the St. Ignatius School, Port land, for one and one-half years, was chairman of a fund raising committee at St. Ignatius for three years, worked with the principal of, St. Ignatius to outline a strict student disciplinary program, was an active room mother for twojyearSjWas a confraternity of Christian doctrine teacher (elementary level) for two years and introduced a stu dent's weekly progress report! at Heppner High School. Julie Ashbeck is seeking election Position No. six on the Heppner Lexington Advisory Committee. The two year position is currently held by Brok Tucker. Ashbeck is running unopposed. Ashbeck of Pine City, is a 29 year-old housewife. She and her hus band Alvin have three child ren ages six, seven and nine. Barbara Hayes is running for Position No. four on the probably a woman. He report ed that the skull contained "sand ground teeth" (teeth that have been ground away by eating food containing sand and roc k fragments). Stillman said the "sand ground teeth" are very common in skulls found in the Columbia River Basin area, and based his theory of the sex determina tion on the skulls small size and lack of a prominent ridge It PAGES 2$ CENTS Voters to Next Tuesday county voters Next Tuesday county voters will be asked to approve a 1982-83 school budget which is up 11 percent over the current year. Although the proposed bud Ret does not include any new programs or personnel, there is an increase because of higher costs for employee benefits and general inflation, says Superintendent ' Matt Doherty. "We have an excellent health plan for our em ployees." Doherty told the Heppner Chamber of Com merce last week in explaining the budget. He said last year saw a 31 percent increase in the cost of the plan, and next year will see an additional 30 percent. He also pointed out that with general inflation, and es pecially electricity, it will cost more to operate the schools. Doherty did have good news on the shape of the district's Heppner -Lexington Advisory Comm. a three year term currently held by Judy Wright. Hayes is also running unopposed. Hayes. 43 of Hep pner is a secretary. She and her husband have two children ages 13 and 17. Seeking election to Position No. seven on the Heppner Lexington Advisory Commit tee, a two year term, are Ed Struthers and Nella Britt. The position was previously held by Steve Peck. Britt. 37 of Lexington is a bookeeper. She and her hus band, John have a five year-old child. She reports she has been a volunteer at the Heppner Grade School for two years. Position No. three of the Boardman-Irrigon Advisory Committee, a three year term is being sought by incumbent Carol Titus. John Jensen and Marshall Richmond. Titus, 43 of Boardman is a branch officer, opertions at a Boardman bank. She and her husband Norman have two children, ages 15 and 20. Titus has been a member of the advisory committee for nine months. "I have enjoyed working with the advisory committee and feel I have a better understanding of our school board and administra tors duties and problems now than I did when I first went on. I hope I will get to continue being a member of this group and will give them my support. A good number of people have worked hard on the school budget and I hope that enough voters will get out and support it so that it will pass the first time around," stateJTitus. above the eve socket Stillman guessed the skull to be that of a Umatilla or Cayuse Indian. He said he was told by a representative from the Umatilla Indian Reserva tion Confederated Tribes that this area was a major migration route of the Umatil la and Cayuse nations. He estimated the skull to be "in excess of 200 years" old. Stillman said many other bones, believed to be animal HEPPNER, OREGON decide fate finances, savina that the finances, saying that the district had a good year for its invested money (earning more in interest than last year), and that tax collections were up. He said the district collected $500,000 of the $800,000 it was owed in back taxes. Also Doherty said the dis trict lost less money ($44,000) in basic school support from the state than was anticipated, and less than many other school districts in the state. The total proposed budget for next year is $6,735,691. This is an increase of $671,956 over this year's budget. Of the total proposed bud get. $5,440,110 will need to come from local taxes. This is an increase of $80,473 over this year. Taxpayers will find, how ever, that their tax rates will be much lower next year. A dispute with Portland school ,,t enson, 34 of Boardman is a shift supervisor. He and his wife Jeanette have two child ren ages nine and 10. Richmond. 41 of Boardman is a survey party chief. He and his wife Joyce have two children ages 10 and 14. He stated he attended Portland State University for three years and studied land survey ing law. urban planning law, urban planning and land surveying. He said he has been active in the Boardman Little League for three years and served on the Boardman planning advisory group in 1979. Incumbent Burrel Cooley is seeking re-election to Position No. four on the Boardman Irrigon Advisory Comm., a three year term. Cooley is running unopposed. Cooley. 39 of Irrigon is a power plant mechanic. He and his wife, Karen have two children ages 20 and 19. He stated he has served on the Irrigon Park board for 12 years, served 14 years on the Irrigon Fire Dept. and 11 years on the advisory committee. Perry Morter is seeking election to Position No. three on the lone Advisory Commit tee, a three year term presently held by Harold Holtz. Morter, 47 of lone is a farmer. Morter is running unopposed. He and his wife Kathy have six children ages eight, 10, 12. 16, 17 and 19. Position No. two, also a three year term is being sought by incumbent Marvin Padberg. He also runs unop posed. Padberg , 37 is a rancher in the lone area. He and his wife Tanna have three children, ages 16. 11 and nine. He has served on the advisory committee for three years. bones, along with fragments of burned bones, one human phalange (finger bone) and a grinding pestle were found in the same area. He said that during the late 1960's he found bone chips, fragments, projec tile points and grinding rocks near where the Corps rock crusher is now. He believes the area was a camp site and or burial area. Stillman said Weather mt by The City of 1982-83 school budget Tues. General Electric over the So instead of navinu what a-.a . value of its coal fired plant at Boardman has been settled, and PGE will be required to pay $2.3 million in back property taxes. The money will be used to offset taxes throughout the county, and the school's por tion of the money is $1.4 million. Tues., March Morrow County voters will decide the fate of three proposed budgets, elect a new county school board member, elect eight county residents to school board advisory posi tions and choose three direc tors to Blue Mountain Com munity College's Board in an election next Tuesday, March Commissioner Krebs budget 'a very good The $6.6 million county budget voters will decide on next Tuesday is "a very good budget, which gives us the things we need," says Morrow County Commissioner Dor othy Krebs. Up 3.6 percent over last year, the budget includes increased salary costs, money for some new personnel, new equipment for the road de partment, and new equipment for the hospital and the North Morrow Medical Clinic at Boardman. Unlike prior years, the county budget and the hospital will be combined in next Tuesday's election. At the courthouse the county has budgeted funds for anoth er sheriff's deputy, and for another person in the asses sor's and treasurer's office. The deputy will be used as a transportation officer to bring prisoners from jails outside the area into Heppner for trials. A transport officer was in the budget last year, but was cut after the budget was defeated at the polls. "Now we have to have that person," said Krebs. The county has been notified it will have to move its prisoners out of Umatilla Co. Jail because Umatilla Co. was taken to court by some of the prisoners for sub-standard jail condi tions. That action has not yet been resolved, say county officials. She said to find space to house its prisoners the county may have to begin traveling long distances with prisoners. The county does not have enough deputies to give ade quate patrol and also trans port prisoners, says Krebs. A car for use in prisoner transportation is included in diversion channel at the finding area has been flagged off and that an archaeologist would be pre sent during any further exca vation in the area. . Two archaeologists from Idaho and the Corps District archaeologist LeRoy Allen were also at the site and viewed the findings. Allen agreed that the skull was that of an Indian and was TT TUM ' MarcH 16 of Heppner wi.. March n Thurs., March 18 Fit. March 19 Sat., March 20 Sun., March 21 Mon., March 22 So instead of paying what was an estimated rate for next year of $8,07 per thousand dollars of assessed value for schools, county tax payers will be assessed only about $5.96 per thousand, said Doherty. He said this means tax payers who own a $60,000 home will pay about $119 less for schools next year than they 30 is election day 30. Morrow County School Dis trict's proposed 1982-83 opera ting budget. Morrow County's proposed budget and Blue Mountain Community Col lege's proposed 1982-83 budget will all be decided at the hand of the voters. (See related stories.) Polls will be open from 8 the budget. It would also be used by the Juvenile Services Commission. Also in the proposed 1982-83 budget are funds to hire back the chief apprasier, Pat Campbell, who left the county for one year. In the road department, the county has budgeted $317,000 for capital purchases, includ ing a larger more efficient loader, a new service truck with crane, a new pickup truck and a new 130G grader. The new grader would in crease the county's total to five, and allow one to be permanently in the Boardman-Irrigon area. The proposed hospital bud get, which is combined with the county for this election is up $137,963 over 1981-82. Personal services (includ ing payroll costs) are expect ed to be up $192,395 for next year, and the hospital plans to buy some new equipment for both Pioneer Memorial Hosp ital in Heppner and the North Morrow Medical Clinic. At the hospital, a new call system, tables, a whirlpool and other equipment are budgeted at a cost of $6,120. At the medical clinic in Boardman, a new monitor, suction machine and micro scope are budgeted at $9,012. The hospital is expected to receive less outside revenue in 1982-83, so $330,794 in property taxes will be needed to balance the budget. $108,565 in property tax was needed last year. Outside revenues are also down at the county offices, says Krebs. Grants from LCDC state matching funds for the deputy district attorney, forest fees, veteran's matching funds, probably a woman because of the sand ground teeth. He said burned butcher bones were also found near the skull and it appeared that garbage had at one time been dumped in the area. Allen would not guess as to if the area was a burial site. He said the skull could have been found elsewhere and later deposited at the finding site. Allen estimated that the skull was between 150 and 200 High Low Precip 48 47 39 47 46 54 57 28 27 33 .07 33 27 31 35 Trace did in 1981-82. On the overall budget Do herty said "we've got a real good budget. An increase of only 11 percent is good, and the budget committee trim med that from 13.5 percent." Poles for voting on the budget will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. next Tuesday, March 30. a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations: Boardman combin ed precinct - Greenfield Grange, lone precinct - lone City Hall, Irrigon combined precinct - North Morrow Annex, Lexington - Lexington School building, and Hard-man-Heppner combined pre cinct - old city library build ing. says co. budget...9 justice court fees, state liquor tax revenues and planning office receipts are all expect ed to be down next year, she pointed out. Krebs had praise for the road department, which she says has become more ef ficient to operate in the last year. "Part of the savings in the road crew is we now have a pug mill and paving machine which is saving money in the road budget." She said with the new belly dump trucks, the county has cut hauling costs from 16 cents per mile for every yard of material, to just 6 cents. A new cost accounting systems is also working well. "We know exactly what it's costing us for a job, which gives us some real figures to work intelligently from, and helps us save money." Out of the total county budget of $5,640,463 requested for next year, $3,238,773 will come from local property tax. Out of the property tax the state will partially fund $2,583,056, and local land owners will totally fund $644,717. However, because of a recent settlement with Port land General Electric on the value of its coal fired plant at Boardman, the county will receive a lump sum of $570,000 in taxes. The money will be used to offset taxes, which will drive estimated tax rates down 17 cents lower than this year, to $4 22 per thousand dollars of valuation. This year's rate was $4.39. Polls for voting on the county budget will be open all day next Tuesday, March 30 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. dam site years old. He also said that two test pits had been conduct ed before any work in the area began and nothing was found. Allen said the bones were sent to the University of Idaho at Moscow so the tests could be run to determine the sex and estimated age of the bones. After testing, he said, the bones would be given to the Umatilla Indian Association for burial.
