B ESS I E WET2 ELL
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NEWSPAPER LIB
EUGENE OR 97403
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VOL. 100,
KUMA
Eb Hughe, Heppner
the air with KUMA
1" 0' T'" " I, j : t3d g
n V V. 4j .-j Jl
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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.