Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1983)
ii,ii'yiT'n f "J Changes made in levy notice Changes in wording for the March 29. 1983 County Tax Levy are being requested by County Clerk Barbara Bloods worth. Bloodsworth stated that the needed changes became ap parent when several voters complained that the sample ballots were confusing. Also, an error was caused by the use of incorrect population fig ures. spokesperson, but would have resulted in the need for an administrative adjustment. The budget which the county is proposing for 1SS3-84 Ims been projected at $289,802 less than for the current fiscal year. A complete pxt of the changes in the ballot measure can be found on page 8 of today's paper. The corrected version re tains the total amount of the levy at $2,742,470 but changes the amount that needs to he financed independent of state funding from $554,442 to $.Wi.l8R. Had the original bal lot been submitted to the voters, it would not have resulted in payment of more faxes, according to the county r r c s i s v e t z r i l u c f . o p. : : VOL. 101 NO. 1 2 Voters School budget Voters will be asked to approve a tax levy of $.'..111,515 for the school dis trict, an amount up $245,fififi, or 4 5 percent, over last year. School Superintendent Matt Doherty says the increase is due mainly to increased costs of benefits for employees and planned repairs to healing systems in the schools. Health insurance premiums fur employees will cost the district $R2.ooo more this year, and heating problems at Heppner High School and Heppner Junior High will cost over $15. ooo to fix, he stated. Other increases are in pur chased services, mainly the cost of electricity, which ' schools in the northern end of the county are heavily depen dent upon for heating, and in supplies which are still show ing increases because of in flation, the superintendent said The ritnl school budget for next year is $7,432,618, with a little over $5 million to come from local taxes. To raise the tax money, the district estimates a tax rate of $8 II per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, based on an estimated total county proH-rty valuation of $700 million. IjisI year's tax rate was $7 95 per thousand of valuat ion, which means an increase of 0 18 to fund the proposed budget. Tax payers will notice a larger jump in their tax bills though, hecausp the district received nearly $1,200,000 in back taxes from Portland General Electric which brought down Hast year's levy to about $f The new rate would mean a person owning a $i'0, 000 home would pay $487 in taxes. "The district gained some added liencfit from the PGR settlement." Doherty said. "We normally receive our tax money in dribbles, hut we were given $1 .200.000 all at one time and were able to invest it and the district made about $.100,000 in interest." He said the interest and surplus funds left over from hist year were used to offset taxes for the coming year, Voters will have a choice in this election to vote on an A and B ballot; however, the breakdown of the A and B, or amounts funded all locally and amounts partially funded by the slate, will be shown in the ballot explanation. Polling places The following have been designated as polling places for the March 29 special elec tion: Combined Boardman 1A and IB - Greenfield Grange; lone 3 - lone City Hall; Combined Irrigon 4A and 4B - North Morrow Annex; Iexington 5 - Lexington School office; and Ifardrnan 2 and combined I lepprier 6, 7, 8 and 9 - Heppner Neighlwrhood Center. All polling places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. THURSDAY. MARCH 24, to go to the po County budget Morrow County voters will be asked to approve a tax levy that is $289,802 less than the levy approved by the voters for 1982 83. This year the tax rate for county operations will be ap proximately $3 92 per $1,000 valuation. Last year's levy was $4 37, but after Portland General Electric paid back taxes, the tax levy was redu ced to $.1.52 per $1,000 of valuation. 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. Of the $6,306,745 total bud get. $2,742,478 Is to be funded by property taxes. The 1983-84 tax base is $4.18.281. If the measure passes, $2,376,290 of the taxes levied will be eligible for some state funding. How ever. $366,188 of the taxes levied will be totally financed by local taxpayers with no partial funding from the state. Judge Don McElligott sites increased efficiency in county operations as one of the rea sons for the decrease. County employees will re ceive a 3 3 percent cost of living increase, compared to a 6 7 percent raise last year. The county budget includes all county operations plus Pioneer Memorial Hospital, North Morrow Medical Clinic and ambulance. County Fair and Rodeo, Mental Health Services, the Juvenile Servi ces Commission and Federal Revenue Sharing. State statutes and federal laws require county govern ments to provide certain ser vices at county expense, in cluding tax collection and properly assessment for the county, the school district, Hlue Mountain Community College, the incorporated ci ties and special districts with in the rounty. Other required services in clude public health, waste disposal, judicial systems, police protection and main tenance of county roads. All county taxing districts requiring property taxes will reflect a similar increase based on their proposed levies, the court spokesperson said. BMCC budget Umatilla arid Morrow Coun ty voters will be asked next Tuesday to pass a $3,255,859 levy for Blue Mountain Com munity College's operation. The levy shows a 3.5 percent increase over last year. The levy will amount to $1.64 per $1,000 valuation, an in crease of five cents per $1,000 over the 1982 levy. The owner of a $i0,0)0 home would pay $3 more for support of the college in 1983-84 result ing in a total of $98.40 for the school year. Included in the proposed budget will be funding for: the sophomore career program, an electronics engineering in structor, a computer science Morrow County's 19K3 12 PAGES School board and ad. comm. positions County voters will elect two directors to the Morrow Coun ty School Board, and on local levels, a total of six advisory committee members will be elected. Seeking election as direc tors are Jerry McElligott of lone, incumbent, who is run ning unopposed for zone HI; and Robert Hawkins of Butter Creek and Randy Hughes of Lexington, who are vying for the position in zone IV, cur rently held by Irv Rauch of Lexington. Both are four-year terms. Paul Tews of lone is seeking re-election to position no. 1, a three-year term, on the lone Lexington Advisory Commit tee, and George Miller of lone is running for position no. 5 on the lone-Lexington Advisory Committee, also a three-year term. That position is current ly held by Ed Patton. Harley Sager of Lexington has agreed to run as a write-in candidate for position no. 3 on the Hcppner-l,exington Advi sory Committee. Sharon Har rison of Lexington currently holds the position and is not seeking re-election. Sager runs unopposed. Marlene Currin and Peggy Fishburn, both of Heppner, are seeking election to posi tion no. 5 on the Heppner-Ix'x-ington Advisory Committee as write-in candidates. Gail Hughes cuncntly holds the three-year position. The names of write-in can didates must be written cor rectly on the ballot to be counted. Voters in the north end of the county will also elect two advisory committee mem bers. Marilyn Putman of Irri gon is seeking re-election to position no 5 on the Board man Irrigon Advisory Com mittee and John T. Jensen is running for Shane Fritz's seat, position no. 2 on the Board man Irrigon Advisory Com mittee. Both are three-year terms. (For more information about local candidates for school board and advisory committee positions see Can didates Forum on page 4.) and board instructor, remodeling of the computer laboratory and some additional instructional hours in the study center, adult education and English as a second language pro grams. Also on the ballot will be six candidates seeking election to one open position on the col lege board of directors. The candidates running for posi tion no. 5, currently held by John Hansell of Hermiston are; Val K. Ballard, Hermis ton; Harry Fromong, Pendle ton, Marlene Goodwin, Pen dleton; Evelyn Hanks, Pen dleton; John Kopetski, Pen dleton; and Garry L. Rey nolds, Hermiston. 7$ Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper 25' lies Port Commission County voters will have to choose two of four candidates to fill positions on the Port of Morrow Commission in the March 29 election. The posi tions are four-year terms. Those seeking election as commissioners are incum bents Leroy Gardner and Lawrence D. "Larry" Lind say, both of Heppner; Jody Tatone of Boardman; and Daniel Creamer of Irrigon. (see Candidates Forum page four.) Other ballots Voters in Heppner will choose directors for the Hep pner Rural Fire District, the Heppner Water Control Dis trict and the Heppner Ceme tery Maintenance District, lone and Lexington voters will elect a director in the lone Lexington Cemetery District. Seeking election to the Hep pner Rural Fire District are Donald L. Bennett and Monte Evans, who both run unop posed for four-year terms. Archie Ball, Jr.. Albert L. Osmin and Gene Pierce are running for three open posi tions in the Heppner Water Control District. The Heppner Cemetery maintenance District has two open positions for directors, one two-year term and one four-year term. Christopher George seeks election to the two-year term and Beverly Gunderson is a candidate for the four-year term. Both are running unopposed. Voters in lone and Lexing ton will elect a director for the lone-Lexington Cemetery District. Roy W. Lindstrom of lone is seeking election to that four-year position and is run ning unopposed. Gardners llsT Leroy and Murj Gardner Marj and Ixroy Gardner, owners of Gardner's Men's Wear in Heppner, have an nounced they will retire from business the first of April. The Gardners, who have owned and operated the cloth ing store, since 1964, will be turning over the business to their son Leroy "Roe" Gard ner, and his wife, Marilynn. The Gardners came to Hep pner from The Dalles in June of 1952. Marj worked at beauty shops in Heppner and they both worked for Heppner Nor Gas until 1964 when they pur chased what was then called Wilson's Mens' Wear from Bill and Shirley Blake. The store was much smaller then and in 1975 the Gardners expanded with a major re modeling job which took in a building next door once hous HEPPNER. OREGON Sheriff Morrow County Sheriff " Larry Fetsch resigned last ' Friday after being away from his duties for one month. Fetsch has served as sheriff for the past six years. Fetsch's wife, Donna, pre sented the resignation to Mor- row County Court for him, since he has been out of ths state receiving medical treatment. County Judge Don McElli gott said Tuesday that the resignation had not yet been accepted but that it would be reviewed in county court's Wednesday session, "and (the court ) will undoubtedly accept it." The judge also said that county court holds the respon sibility of appointing a new sheriff, and that court mem bers were reviewing that poli cy Tuesday. Mrs. Fetsch said the sheriff has undergone surgery three times in the past few months; once to repair a nerve injured while making an arrest and twice for a bone disease that "ias affected botii jaws. "Widespread speculation in many quarters by persons in both the private and public sector of the county on Sheriff Fetsch's whereabouts" is the reason for his resignation, she said. She said the sheriff had arranged to have his duties covered whenever he was away from the county and also kept in touch with his office. Deputy Sargent Roy Drago of Boardman has been head ing the sheriff's department since Fetsch left February 17. Drago has been with the sheriff's department for three years and will continue run ning the department until the court appoints a new sheriff, and McElligott says he does not know when that will be. to retire ing the Western Auto store. "It more than doubled the size of our store," says Leroy in recalling the expansion. The Gardners say they plan to stay in Hepner when they retire. And what will they do? "Anything we want," says Leroy. Anything will include traveling, fishing and spend ing time at their cabin in the woods, they say. "It has been real rewarding running the store, we've en joyed it very much," says Marj. An open house to honor Marj and Leroy will be held Thurs day, Mar. 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the store. Everyone is invited to come and also get acquainted with Roe and Marilynn. There will be a drawing for a door prize. Weather by the City of Fetsch resigns Sheriff Larry Fetsch Local student wins 1st place in state poster contest i O, g0r X i Nance Wright A Heppner Elementary student's Eye Injury Preven tion Poster has won first place in the state contest sponsored by the Oregon Elks Lodges. Nance Wright, 12, is to receive a $300 U.S. Savings Bond for winning the contest. Her poster was selected as first place winner from among 5.000 entries made by fourth, fifth and sixth grade children statewide. Second place was awarded to Teresa Lent, 12 of Myrtle Creek. She receives a $200 savings bond. New power rates and conservation program approved for irrigators The Columbia Basin Elec tric Co-op Board adopted new rates and an energy conserva tion program for irrigation customers at a board meeting last Thursday, Mar. 17, an nounced Fred Toombs, co-op manager. The new rates are the same as those that were considered at the board's last meeting. Toombs said earlier that the rates had only been restruc tured and will not reduce revenue. Energy charges will now be based on a pump's horsepower use, energy use and demand use, instead of only horsepow er and energy use. After a recommendation from the Irrigation Commit Tues., March 15 Wed., March 16 Thurs., March 17 Fit. March 18 Sat., March 19 Sun., March 20 Mon., March 21 Heppner Be Careful tJSf ei . ri. - rwi ' 1 Lr muuiicTc n uurucot? Nance Wright's winning Eye month? at Mall 205. the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Clacka mas Town Center, in Port land. The Order of Elks of Oregon has sponsored the poster con test since 1975 as parat of its commitment to providing eye care to children. The organi zation supports the Elks Chil dren's Eye Clinic at the Ore gon Health Sciences Univer sity in Portland. Nance is the daughter of Kenny and Judy Wright of Ruggs. tee, the co-op agreed to pur chase and install demand meters for the irrigators. Toombs said that 57 demand meters have been ordered and should arrive by May. Free energy audits for ir rigators are included in the irrigator's conservation pro Physician submits application to PMH Dr. Clare Koznek of Sandy has submitted his application to Pioneer Memorial Hospi tal's Medical Staff and Board, announced Hospital Adminis trator A K. "Lucky" Felt. The medical staff reviewed the application Tuesday and Low Preclp 30 29 30 29 32 38 40 .09 Prize winners on St. Pat's Day Local residents as well as out of town visitors took prizes in St. Patrick's Day contests in Heppner last week. The best dressed Irishman prize went to Joe McLaughlin of Pendleton and Mrs. Mike McDaid, also of Pendleton, won a prize for being the best dressed Irish woman. Donna Moeller and Sheridan Tarnasky, both of Heppner, tied for the best dressed leprechaun award. Ilene Kenny Richards of Eureka, Calif, won the prke for being the Irish descendant to travel the farthest. Winners in KUMA radio station's contest were: Cam Kennedy of Spray, a $50 green bill; Donna Privett, Heppner, a necklace; and Helen Martin, also of Heppner, a green sweater. For more about St. Pat rick's Day in Heppner, see page seven. ufth these &B Guns rrecrackers ) Injury Prevention poster Third place winner is Jason Frazer, 10, of Grants Pass. He is to receive a $100 savings bond. The top winners had already won local and district awards for their posters, which were intended to remind children to watch out for the dangers of eye injuries. Four judges selected the winning posters for original ity, composition and their "message." The winning posters along with 17 district winners will be displayed during the next two gram. Toombs said the audits will begin as soon as funds are available, (see related story). The restructured rates and conservation program are two of several cost-saving mea sures the co-op has approved to help the irrigators meet the increasing power rates. later one staff member said "It looks fairly certain that he will be coming the first part of May." cont. p. 2 High 54 52 53. 50 56 59 59
