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
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30
29
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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
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