F. S 5 IE V E T 2 S I L
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VOL. 100 NO. 10 THURSDAY. MARCH 10. 1983
Thieves break into HHS, take cash, camera equip.
Thieves using a cutting
torch broke into a large safe at
Heppner High School over the
weekend, stealing over $400 in
cash and $400 worth of camera
equipment.
Heppner City Police Chief
Dean Gilman, in Investigating
the crime, said the break-in
and theft appears to have
occurred late Sunday night or
early Monday morning.
The thieves first broke into
the school shop building, took
an acetylene torch assembly,
then broke in through a door to
the high school kitchen area
and went downstairs to a safe
in the main office area. A
small hole was first cut in the
wall next to the safe where the
thieves were apparently
checking for an alarm system.
A larger six-inch hole was cut
in the door of the safe to gain
entiy.
High school custodian Wade
Bothwell discovered the
break-in when he came to
work at 6:30 Monday morning.
City and state police were
railed in to Investigate. Po
licemen found a footprint in
the shop and were checking
for fingerprints throughout
City Council learns
State contends city owes for bridge
Four years after construc
tion has been completed, the
state of Oregon has informed
Heppner that money is still
owed on a bridge project here.
The city council received a
bill for $1,800 from the state at
its meeting Monday night, for
work done on the Morgan
Street Bridge.
"There's no justification for
the bill," said City Attorney
Bill Kuhn, "they don't even
say what It's for."
The bridge was built under
an agreement where the fed
eral government paid 80 to 90
percent of the project, the city
10 to 20 percent, and the state
was to supervise the construc
tion. Total cost of the bridge
was about $110,000.
"We don't owe the state
anything, and it's too late to
owe the state anything," Kuhn
told the council. The council
agreed, and voted to refuse
payment.
In other business, the coun
cil: voted to hire EDM Sur
veying of Irrigon for $800 to do
surveying on several pieces of
property in Heppner, inclu
ding a potential site for a new
city well, and property owned
by Gene Pierce to be used for
a park.
learned that June 14 has
been chosen for dedication of
the new Willow Creek Dm.
The dedication would be on the
80th anniversary of the great
Heppner flood of 1903.
voted to buy 30 feet of pipe
and other pumping equipment
for city well number 2, for
$525.
reiterated that responsi
bility for upkeep of the Demo
crat Gulch School House at the
City Park, is the responsibility
of the Morrow County Histori
cal Society, not the city.
-
State Troopf T.rry Springer exomine o damaged lock a! th.
high school VoAg hop early Monday morning.
the area.
When asked if there were
any suspects in the crime,
Gilman said. "All I can tell
you at the point is that it's
under investigation."
High School Principal Jim
Bier said Tuesday that the
money taken included money
referred an Inquiry from
Shorty Peck about water and
sewer service to property out
side city limits, to the City
Planning Commission. The
property is located along the
Bunches receive
conservation award
; rut '5 ;y
L. kid
Mike Bunch and his
' V N ! i ; 1 ' ill , I
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1983 Morrow County Wheat league President Mark Miller (left)
presents gift to outgoing president Chuck Nelson.
Al and Mike Bunch were
named Morrow County Con
servation Men of the Year
Monday night at a meeting of
the Wheat league in Heppner.
The Bunches, father and
son, were given the award for
their work with no grade ter
races, trashy fallow and
chemical fallow.
"The S.C.S. (Morrow Coun
ty Soil Conservation District)
office said they do as good a
job as anybody with chemical
Tli Heppsasr
Li 1
Morrow County's
8 PAGES
photo by Mary Ann Cerullo
from hot lunch sales, postage
stamp money, some money
belonging to the junior class,
student body funds and some
petty cash. Nothing else was
taken from the office area or
the school. Bier said. The
new Willow Creek Road
southwest of the cemetery.
Owner Larry Angell plans to
divide and sell the land in
parcels.
father, Al
fallow, said Morrow County
Wheat League President
Mark Miller in making the
announcement.
The Bunches farm some
acreage, four miles below
Heppner, and property south
of Clark's Canyon. Al has been
farming in the area since 1946.
Also at the Wheat League
meeting, Mark Miller, the new
1983 president of the league,
presented a gift to outgoing
19B2 president Chuck Nelson.
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Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
25
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Sx-inch hole was cut in safe
cut in wall (left). -
acetylene torch and tanks
" were found left in front of the
safe. ;
Bier said about six doors
were damaged in the break-in
with repairs to cost about $75
per door. He also said the
damages and stolen money
were not covered by insurance.
Heavy rains add 9 ft. of water
to Willow Creek Lake
Last Friday's heavy rains
added about nine feet of water
to Willow Creek Lake behind
the new Willow Creek Dam,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engi
neers announced Monday.
The Corps restricted water
flow out of the lake to 260 cubic
feet per second. Water was
coming into the lake from
Willow anr) Palm Fork at 495
feet per second.
"We're not saying we pre
vented a flood, but it would
have been higher if we hadn't
had the dam there," said Doug
Dugger with the Corps' Walla
Walla. Wash, office. Dugger
said the channel of Willow
Creek would have been at
capacity without the dam.
The creek reached a peak at
2p.m. on Friday, and it was at
its highest since February of
1979.
By Monday morning the
level of the lake had risen over
U feet from Friday morning's
depth.
Dugger said probably more
water was released than had
to be, but the Corps did not
want to raise the lake level too
high and flood an access road
behind the dam still in use by a
contractor.
Work on the dam is still
continuing, with grouting now
underway to correct seepage
of water.
"We're having seepage, as
expected," Dugger said. He
estimated water was seeping
through at about four cubic
feet per second, or 1,800 gal
lons per minute.
"As far as engineering, it's
nothing to worry about," Dug
ger said. "It's more than we
want, but not abnormal for a
HEPPNER, OREGON
to gain entry. Hole was also
' .;., ' ''
The last break-in at the high
school occurred during the fall
of 1982, Bier said, when 13
soda pop canisters, and two
teachers' stereo equipment
and a calculator were stolen.
He said the thieves were
apprehended and the equip
ment is to be returned to the
owners.
new dam."
He said grouting now being
done should cut back the
seepage substantially when
completed.
H J
Townspeople greet Calif.
Dr. and his wife
i
' .
Dr. and Mrs. Roy Kent
Several townspeople
greeted Dr. and Mrs. Roy
Kent of Sonora, Calif, at an
open house at Pioneer Mem
orial Hospital In Heppner last
Saturday. Dr, Kent is consi
dering opening a practice in
Heppner, and came up to
"look things over."
Kent, 48, has been practi
cing medicine, obstetrics,
Heppner City Planning Comm.
to meet
The Heppner City Planning
Commission will meet at a
7:30 p.m. on Monday, March
14, at Heppner City Hall,
announced Chairman Dick
Weather
by the City
Co. Court says tax levy down
over $289 thousand
Morrow County Court has
announced that the proposed
levy for the 1983-84 fiscal year
is $289,802 less than the levy
approved by the voters for
1982-83.
The tax rate this year for
county operations will be ap
proximately $3.92 per $1,000
valuation. Last year's tax levy
was $4.37. However, Portland
General Electric was required
to pay back taxes that had
been under dispute, resulting
in an off-set of taxes required
and reducing the levy to $3.52
per $1,000.
Although the total taxes
proposed to be levied are down
from last year, the tax levy
would actually increase be
cause there will be no off-set
this year.
A total budget of $6,306,745
was approved by the budget
committee on February 18. Of
this, $2,742,478 is requested to
be funded by property taxes.
The tax base for 1983-84 is
$438,281, and $2,304,197 above
the tax base will be presented
to the voters as a special levy '
on March 29.
According to Judge Don
McElligott, one of the major
reasons for the decreased tax
requirements is due to in
creased efficiency in county
operations resulting from
changes made during the past
three years.
County employees will re-
"All dams leak when you
close them, we'll just have to
cut it back to a tolerable
level."
pediatrics and basic surgery,
said Hospital Administrator
A.K. "Lucky" Felt.
Kent's wife, Julia, 41, is a
registered nurse and a na
tional certified physician's
assistant. Felt said.
Felt said the hospital board
would probably know the
doctor's decision by April.
Bigelow: "There is no regular
business scheduled for the
agenda, so this should be
short," he added.
Mi I
f W 4 K '
of Heppner
ceive a 3.3 percent cost of
living increase in salary for
1983-84. This increase is re
quired due to union contracts
currently in effect, said a
court spokesperson. The cost
of living increase for last year
was 6.7 percent.
The county budget includes
all county operations plus the
Pioneer Memorial Hospital,
North Morrow Medical Clinic
and ambulance, County Fair
and Rodeo, Mental Health
Services, Juvenile Services
Commission and Federal
Revenue Sharing.
State statutes and federal
laws require county govern
ments to provide certain ser
vices at county expense. One
of those requirements is tax
St. Patrick's Day, Mar.
17, Schedule of Events
This year's second annual St. Patrick's Day celebration
promises to be even bigger and better than last year's event.
A full day of activities are planned, and several prizes will be
awarded.
Following is a schedule of
9:30 -10a.m.
9:45 -10a.m.
10-11:30a.m.
ll:10-ll:2Sa.m.
11 :30a.m. -lp.m.
12:40 -12:55 p.m.
1:25 -1:40p.m.
1:30 p.m.
1:45 -2 p.m.
2-5p.m.
5-7p.m.
Catholic Parish Hall
In addition, the Morrow County Museum will be open all
day; Cal and Beverly Sherman, owners of Cal's Arco will be
celebrating the station's 15th anniversary and everyone is
invited to stop by for coffee and cookies; the Athens Weston
Bagpipe Band will be performing during the day; members
of the Morrow County Creative Arts and Crafts group will
hold a show and sale with refreshments in the old Post office
building from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and local Soroptimists will be
having a homemade pie and plant sale in front of Sears
beginning at 9 a.m.
Also, several Heppner merchants will be offering coupons
with purchases good for a free cup of coffee or soda pop at
participating businesses.
Prizes to be awarded include $10 to the best dressed
Irishman, sponsored by Eb Hughes; $10 to the best dressed
Irish woman, donated by Matt Hughes of M & R Floor
Covering ; $10 to the Irish descendant who travels the farthest
distance, sponsored by Farley Motor Co.; $10 to the best
dressed leprechaun, sponsored by Turner Van Marater and
Bryant Insurance. The best bagpipe band will be presented
with a $50 award from Morrow County Grain Growers, Matt
Doherty and Jim Norene.
KUMA will be announcing the winners of prizes the radio
station is donating over the air. They will be giving away a
$50 green bill, a green sweater and other prizes.
5
High Low Preclp
Tues., March 1 56 42 02
Wed.. March 2 58 40 Trace
Thurs., March 3 48 45 1 03
Fri.. March 4 54 35 .02
Sat.. March 5 52 39 .29
Sun.. March 8 54 45 -04
Mon.. March 7 56 42 13
collection and property as
sessment, not only for the
county, but also for the school
district. Blue Mountain Com
munity College, the incorpor
ated cities and special dis
tricts within the county, the
Court spokesperson ex
plained. Other required services in
clude public health, waste
disposal, judicial systems,
police protection and main
tenance of county roads, all of
which are cost consuming
programs.
AH county taxing districts
requiring property taxes will
reflect a similar increase
based on their proposed
levies, the court spokesperson
said.
events:
Slides of Ireland - Elks Lodge
Heppner High School Band -Main
Street
KUMA "Coffee Hour" - Up
stairs Elks Lodge (with phone
conversation with patrons of a
pub in Ireland)
Heppner Jr. High Band Main
Street
Brunch and entertainment -Elks
Dining Room
Heppner Fifth Grade Band -Main
Street
Heppner Sixth Grade Band
Main Street
Tour of Willow Creek Dam
lone High School Band Main
Street
Farley Motor Co. S5th Anni
versary Celebration
Irish Stew Feed - St. Patricks