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VOL. 11 NO. IS THURSDAY. MAY 12. I0
Cause of
The cause of a fire that
destroyed a half -block of busi
ness buildings in downtown
Heppner early last Wednes
day morning is still not known.
Heppner Fire Chief Forrie
Burkrnbine said Monday.
Richard McFarland of the
State Fire Marshal Division'
Pendleton field office began
his Investigation of the fire
last Thursday and Friday, and
returned Tuesday to continue.
The fire which seemed to
break out in the Bottom
Drawer, was reported at 2: 12
a m. The Heppner Fire De
partment responded and al
most had the blaze contained
at one point when water from
a pump truck ran out and fire
.hoses had to te connecUd to
hydrants, allowing enough
lime for the flames to spread
rapidly. Members of the
. Hermtston Fire Department
Joined Heppner firefighters at
about 4:30 a m. With the aidof
the Hermiston men and their
pump truck the blaze was
finally knocked down, how
ever. Heppner firemen con
tinued to douse t.'ie rubble and
stayed on the scene until 9 30
that evening
St J Market. The Bottom
Drawer, the Post Office and
the old Post Office building
were completely destroyed.
The Shoe Box received exten
sive damage, while The
l,eRush Shoppe and Peter
son's Jewelers both received
minor damag.
Many Heppner residents
turned out to help evacuate
stores tnd businesses, and
then helped the more fortu
nate store owners move
merchandise back in the next
day.
Nothing was salvaged from
S & J Market, the Post Office,
or the building that housed
Curt and Jana Lee's Bottom
Drawer and a custom meat
cutting shop, Jerry and Joyce
Hollomon of Shoe Box were
able to save a partial amount
of" their stock.
A temporary Post Office
was set up by noon Wednesday
at the old city library, next to
city hall. Postmaster Ken
Nairns announced Tuesday
that the office would be moved
to the union office next to
Western Heritage Federal
Savings and Loan Assoc. on
Main St.. "hopefully this
weekend." The union office
will be located in the old
welfare office behind Coast to
Coast.
School board to meet,
consider policies
The next regular meeting of
the Morrow County School
board will be held May 16 at
Riverside High School in
Boardman. The meeting is
scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
Items the board is expected
to consider include board pro
cedures in matters related to
school closure, school advi
sory committee responsibili
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fire still undetermined
Jerry ond-ioyce HoHomort opened the burhesies in the West of Willow building th week
ofter fire heovily domoged their building lost Wednesday morning
Trie two Post Office build
ings were owned by the Hep
pner Investors, and the newer
building had been leased from
them bv the government.
The postmaster said if the
investment group rebuilds,
the space will be leased again
for a permanent Post Office.
"We plan to stay in the down
town area hopefully in the
same place we were." tie said.
One of (he investors. Jack Van
Winkle, said the group does
plan to rebuild in the same
location tor a Post Office.
The Shoe Box and Talk-n-Ts
are open lor business in
the West of Willow building,
across the street from the
Hollornon's burned out store
building Jerry's Barber Shop
will open at a later date,
Although all of the burned-out
business owners are waiting
for their insurance companies
to settle. Hollomons want to
reopen in the same location.
"That's whal we're shooting
for." said Joyce.
Scott Adkisson. who with his
wife. Jeannie. own S & J
Market, said he guessed their
loss to be about $170,000.
"We'd like to rebuild, but we'll
have, to wait and see what
happens with the insurance."
he said.
Buz Lynch, whose wife.
Kathleen, owns the building
that housed the Bottom
Drawer and the custom meat
cutting shop, gave a similar
statement. "We're waiting for
the insurance and then we
will decide." Lynch said they
had no loss estimate yet.
Jim Hayes, president of the
Heppner Economic Develop
ment Corp. said. "At this point
ties, needed adjustments in
current expenditures and sev
eral matters related to per
sonnel, said a district spokes
person. The board will also hear a
report on the district's
advisor -advisee program as
' operated at Riverside High
School. The report will be
presented by Mike Wetherell.
counselor at Riverside High.
Tlie Meppiier
Morrow County's
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thre are too many unan
swered questions" to deter
mine what will take place in
the war future. He said the
Heppner corp. Is checking into
a grant from the state for
IV) (Mi (o $100,000. and, has
been in contact with the state
ecorwuntc devekiprwnt corp. J-
Morrow County Court has
been in contact with Governor
Ativeh's office, and Senator
Eugene Timms has reported
that he is checking to see if the
city qualifies for emergency
assistance.
For those post office box
Spring music concert presented by
Heppner primary students
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Donna Weed's second grade class at Heppner Friday. The program, which featured students in
Elementary performs "On Top of Spaghetti," at kindergarten through fourth grade, was directed
the school's Primary Spring Music Program last by Kitty Coon.
Governor's office says fire
relief funds available
RyMAKY ANNC KM'I.LO
An early morning phone call
from Governor Vic Ativeh's
office was made to Morrow
County Court last Wednesday
to let the people of Heppner
know that there are relief
funds available for victims of
the recent fire on Main Street.
Bob Montgomery, aide to
the governor, told Judge Don
McKlligott that funds have
been found in the Imminent
Threat Fund under a block
grant. Fully insured busines
ses and federal buildings are
not eligible, Montgomery said.
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Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
25
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holders who lost Social Secur
ity checks in last Tuesday's
mail a Social Security repre
sentative will again be avail
able at the Heppner Neigh
borhood Center in Heppner
this Friday from 10 a.m. to 12
noon to take reports.
Heppner Mayor Cliff (Green
pointed out that because the
Willow Creek Dam has been
built, store owners will be able
to rebuild if they choose to,
whereas before the dam was
constructed, the flood plain
wouldn't have allowed it.
"There isn't a lot of money
involved but at least it's some
thing." McKlligott said later.
"The Heppner mayor, the
governor's office, the county
planner and I will be getting
together this week over it."
McKlligott estimated that
the fund would be around
$50,000 to $100,000.
In other business the court:
discussed the installation
of the new county computer
with Greg Sweek. county as
sessor. heard a request from
County Tax Collector Margo
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HEPPNER. OREGON
Voters to
tax levies
Next Tuesday, voters in
Morrow County will consider
1983-84 school district and
countv tax levies for a second
time. Both were defeated in a
March 29 election by narrow
margins.
The amount to be levied for
the county. $2,304,197 outside
the six percent limitation, is
left unchanged from the
March ballot. (Up to a six
percent increase is allowed
each year by law without
voter approval.) The 1983-84
ax base is $438,281, which
brings the total levy to
$2,742,478. The same levy
amount failed in the March
election by only 48 votes.
The tax rate for county
operations will be approxi
mately $3.92 per $1,000 valua
tion. If the measure passes.
S2.376.290 of the taxes levied
will be eligible for some state
funding: however. $366,188
will be totally financed by
county taxpayers.
The proposed budget in-
etudes a 3.:Tpercent cost of
living increase for county
employees, funding for all
county operations, plus opera
tion of Pioneer Memorial Hos
pital, of the North Morrow
Medical Clinic and ambu
lance, the County Fair and
Sherer. to form a policy on
returned checks. The court
appointed Sherer, Mike Oths.
Barbara Bloodsworth, Greg
Sweek and LoRayne Bowman
to look into forming a county
policy on fees and to report
back to the Court on May 18.
appointed Dan McBride,
Heppner. as emergency co
ordinator to fill Jini Launer's
position with the county
Search and Rescue Posse.
' received a resignation
from Merle Carlson of Board
man, from the Vector Control
Commission.
... f "
Weather
by the City of
consider school district & county
for 2nd time
Rodeo. Mental Health Servi
ces, the Juvenile Services
Commission and State Reve
nue Sharing.
State statutes and federal
laws require the county gov
ernment to provide certain
services at county expense,
including tax collection and
property assessment for the
county, the school district.
Blue Mountain Community
College, the incorporated ci
ties and special districts with
in the county.
Other required services in
clude public health, waste
disposal, judicial systems,
police protection and main
tenance of county roads.
County Judge Don McEIli
gott said the budget was left
unchanged because. "There
was nothing left to cut without
cutting county programs."
Unlike the county budget,
the school budget was cut by
$111,509. The district seeks to
levy $4,291,705 outside the six
percent limitation. If passed,
$3,721,565 is eligible for partial
"stale funding; however," tax
payers will totally finance
$570,140.
The cuts originally included
dropping one full time and one
parttime classified employee
(non-teacher) and one full
time teacher from lone High
School, one teacher from lone
Grade School and a parttime
and full time classified em
ployee at Heppner. The ad
ministration said the lone
teaching positions were drop
ped because enrollment there
had recently declined. Presen
tly about 30 students attend
lone High School with approx
imately 90 enrolled at the
grade school.
However, a large number of
lone residents protested the
cuts in teaching staff. They
said they felt the cuts were
unfair, would reduce the
quality of education at lone
schools, and were the first
step to closing lone High
School
The administration has re
ported that the cost of edu
cating students at lone is the
Girls have record-breakins season
HHS tracksters on to
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These Heppner High School tracksters will be
on their way to the Class A State Track Meet this
weekend at Lewis and Clark College in Portland.
Pictured in the back row are John Moyer (left)
and John Martin. In the front row from left to
right, with trophies the team has won this year,
are: Jodi Padberg with a girls' first place trophy
from the Condon Invitational; Pam Orr with the
High Low Preclp
Tues.. May 3 . 38
Wed.. May 4 70 43 95
Thur.. May 5 56 42 .37
Fri May 6 69 44 11
Sat.. May 7 58 M 28
Sun , May 8 50 38 12
Mon.. May 9 54 36 01
Heppner
highest in the district. The
cost to educate one student for
one year at lone is $4,800. the
administration said. The dis
trict average is $3,600 per
student per year.
The lone people reminded
the hoard that education costs
in the north end of the county
were also high before recent
population growth.
At a special meeting last
Monday night, more argu
ments were heard from con
cerned lone citizens. After
much discussion and debate,
one teacher's position was
restored. lone residents
threatened to vote against the
budget if both positions were
not restored.
After more discussion was
heard, a motion was made to
restore the second position. It
was passed by the board with
Smoke causes patient
evacuation at PJM.H.
A large amount of smoke
from a heating system at
i" Pioneer Memorial Hospital
caused over 20 patients and
nursing home residents to be
evacuated from the building
last Sunday afternoon.
Heppner Fire Cheif Forrie
Burkenbine said the smoke
was caused by a buildup of
waste product in the boiler,
which backed up through an
auger that feeds fuel to the
boiler.
Hospital Administrator A.K.
"Lucky" Felt said. "It's
happened before and it'll
probably happen again," al
though it had never caused
this much of a problem before,
he added.
The smoke caused no dam
age he said, but it was felt that
patients in the immediate
area should be moved. Felt
said. Firemen and the County
Search and Rescue Posse
moved most of the patients
outside the building, however
some were taken to the Don
Cole home nearby.
The fire chief said the
amount of smoke made it
difficult to find what was
causing the problem. Once it
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a vote of three in favor, two
against.
School District Superinten
dent Matt Doherty said the
money to pay the two teach
ers' salaries would come from
the district's contingency end
ing fund balance, but he stres
sed that if the budget passes
the district will have to borrow
money by next August.
The district's proposed bud
get on the March ballot went
down by 40 votes.
Polls will be open from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following
places: the Heppner Neigh
borhood Center for Heppner
and Hardman voters; at
Greenfield Grange. Board
man; lone City Hall; North
Morrow annex. Irrigon; and
the Morrow County School
District office. Lexington.
was located. Bob Lowe, a
. former maintenance man at .
the hospital, was called and he
was able to make the neces
sary adjustments.
New fair sec
named
J'
Ruby Munkera
Ruby Munkers of Heppner
has been named the new Mor
row County Fair secretary.
She replaced Dorothy Est
berg, Heppner, who recently
resigned.
A Heppner resident for 81
years, Mrs. Munkers worked
in the arts and crafts division
of the fair last year, and has
six years of secretarial ex
perience. state
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girls' first place trophy from the . Wasco
Co. Invitational; Sherry Clement, holding the
girls' first place District 7-A trophy; Janelle
McElhany , the Columbia Basin Conference girls'
championship trophy; and Stephi Payne, the
combined boys' and girls' second place trophy
from the Sherman Co. Invitational,
(More sports inside. )