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The Heppner
Gazette-Times
Weather
M o rro w C o u n t y ’s H o m e - O w n e d W e e k l y N e w s p a p e r
Voi IM No. 23
H eppner, Oregon 25*
WedneMlav. June II
1986
Parade, elephant races
Circus coming to Heppner
By Avon Melbv
The circui is coming to town ami
there will be an elephant race on
Willow Street between Main and
Chase streets after the parade
Chuck Marquardt, manager of the
Wagon W'heel Cafe, asked city
council for permission to sponsor the
race after the parade The parade
will he held as soon as the circus gels
here, probably about 4 p m Friday.
June I)
Proceeds from the races will go
for a trip to F.XPO for the Heppner
4-H Teen Club, which is sponsoring
the appearance in cooperation with
Ford Bros , owners of the Circus
There will he two shows at Morrow
County Fairgrounds, one at 6 p m
and one at 8 15 p m to accom
modate those working late in the
fields Included will he clowns,
aerialists. elephants and acrobats
Adult and children s tickets may be
purchased at reduced rates by call
ing 676-5144 There will be four
elephant races, with two elephants
per race Ihose wishing to rule may
sign up at the W agon W'heel
In other business, the council
Set a special charge of $10 for
two-bour sessions ot the Blue Moun
tain Community College aerobics
classes use of the swimming pool,
with the college supplying
lifeguards The council was split on
lowering the charge, with two soting
for and two against Mayor Cara
Costa broke Ihe tie
Heard a report from City
Manager Marshall laisgren that Ihe
city landfill was ' ‘just about break
ing even." It is using $5,000 of
revenue sharing funds this year.
Lovgren said
Approved purchase of two body
armour vests for the police depart
ment at $250 each, with specific in
«ructions that the on duly officer
should wear them at all times
Heard that Marvin lane is the on
ly member of the council not re
quired to run for office this
November There will he three four-
year positions to fill and two two
year ones at that election, as well as
the position of mayor
-Heard from Kenneth Key that he
is willing to be annesed to the city
if that will get city water to his pro
perty on Cemetery Hill sooner Ci
ty Attorney Bill Kuhn will find out
from the Corps of F.ngtnrcrs if the
city may open an access road
through their property
Appointed Norma Groce to the
City Library board, replacing Bill
Kuhn who resigned
by the City of Heppner
School budget cut $344,128
rhe Morrow County School
Budget Committee recommended
Wednesday night that the School
Hoard cut nest year's budget by
SU4.I28
The committee voted to approve
the SU4.I28 arrived at by the
district's administrators who had. ac
cording to Superintendent Doyle
McCaslin, "taken a hard look at the
budget and cut those items which
they telt could be eliminated or
(vstpined while still pmviding stan
lard education "
The school board has the final
Jccision and. according to Assistant
Superintendent Chuck Starr,
may accept or reject the comnuttre’s
Up, Up, and
School Board
reverses
decision
The Morrow County School
Board met briefly last Wednesday
night and reversed an earlier deci
sion to raise summertime wages for
temporary employees by three
percent
Several of the hoard members had
heard complaints aNmt the three per
cent increase, and School District
Superintendent Doyle McCaslin told
the board that although it was
generally "bad practice to come
back and reconsider a decision on the
basis ot phone calls to the board."
rather than taking the comments
which come before the board in an
open meeting and standing by the
decision "I feel we must do so in
this case, however.” he continued
Board members discussed the school
budget defeat and approved a natfion
to freeze (he summer wages at last
(hopefully not) Away
See page 2
Ballots for county levy in the mail
Morrow County is resubmitting the
same levy which voters rejected in
the May primary election to a mail
in ballot which registered voters
should already have received June
24 is the offic ial election date when
ballots must be back in the ofTice of
the County Clerk
School budget committee
recommends two levies
The Morrow County School
Budget Committee last Wednesday
night recommended a one year
$5.140.(881 special levy, the mas
imum amount they are allowed since
the first two levy requests were turn
ed down by voters
Since $6 180.HUH levy request
failed Match 26 and again May 21.
the Board is limited by the 1981 tas
rate limitation law to levying the
amount which Morrow County's
base tas rate of $6 89 per $1.188) of
assessed property value will raise
Even if the Board had reduced the
levy between the first two elections,
thev would still be required to return
to the base tas rate
The two defeats. McCaslin cs
plained to the committee evidcntal
ly mean that the voters feel the budet
is "too high while the area's
economy is down." and recom
mended the budget committee accept
the budget cuts outlined by district
administrators
After accepting the recommended
cuts, the committee was told that the
special levy would still m8 raise
enough money for the district to
operate the schools all of nest year
Should the levy fail August 12.
McCaslin said there would be
enough money to operate the schools
until the nest possible elction date.
September 16. but should the levy
fail then, the district would have to
schedule closure of all its schools un
til a budget could be pa>sed
The committee also accepted
McCaslin's suggestion for raising
the balance of the money needed to
operate nest year above the special
levy, and recommended by a 14-2
vote that the Board go out tor a venal
levy which would raise ’473.786
each year of the serial levy
A serial levy raises a specific
number of dollars for a purpose over
a specific number of years The
amount levied must be uniform for
the specified number of years, and
the tas rate must be declared as part
■ ■I
the
ballot
measure The money raised by the
levy must also be used for the
spec ific purpose named in the ballot
measure, the purpose would be
general operational purposes
The budget committee did not
recommend a number of years to try
for a serial levy, but Stan said
after the meeting that a serial levy
is usually three years, but may be
any number more than one
With the budget cut*, the $72.251
reduction in the amount the district
is required to levy for lases not
received.an additional $150,(88)
cash carryover squeezed from the
current year * budget, the special
$5.140.(88) operating levy, and the
$473.786 special levy, the total
budget will be $16.554 less than the
budget approved for this year. Starr
concluded
The levy was reduced by $99.690
following the March defeat and. said
Morrow County Judge Don
McFlligott "W’e have squeezed out
all we possibly can without cutting
vital service* " All of the depart
ment* in the general fund trimmed
wherever they thought they could
The Court has heard comments,
the Judge continued that some peo
pie voted against the budget because
(hey thought it included additional
money for the hospital and for
Lifeguard helicopter service Those
levies have already been approved
and are separate from the county
operating levy
He also emphasized that no pro
perty tas money is being spent for
renovation of the County Cour
(house The funds for that project arc
from federal revenue sharing
The judge explained that in many
cases funds had been shifted The
Public Works budget shows an in
crease of approximately $20.(88) in
maintenance costs, he said, but that
is not a true figure Many funds have
been pulled together and what the
figure reflects is a change in the way
items are budgeted "W e're cutting
a little and holding the line a little.'
The county's operating contingen
cy was low and now it more
Sidewalk bicycle ban enforced
Heppner Police Chief Doug
Rathbun has announced that the
police department will begin enfor
cing the ban on sidewalk bicycle*
An ordinance was adopted by the
realistically includes vacation time
and salary contingencies which must
be appropriated even if the county
does not use them, he said
Ihe only thing we have budgeted
that is not mandated by state law are
the Extension Service and the Weed
District, he said
The road department alone re
quires $148.000 tax dollar*
to balance the budget, but "I see no
way service* can he cut for two
years, be said, " it people want
roads kept up in the condition they
say they want them " Some of the
smaller roads are in bad shape, but
we fix them up the best we can and
see what needs to be included in next
summer's work If the south side's
Rhea Creek mad and the north side's
Wilson road are done this year, we
"will be seeing daylight." and can
take care of the other need*
Materials and service* for the road
department have already been cut
$30.4(8) and capital outlay trimmed
hack, he said, hecau.se the equipment
is now the size we want it. and now
our purchase* are to maintain ttxat
size
Further cut* to the budget would
mean a serious reduction of service*
and job*, and a shorter work week
Lindstrom offers resignation
Steve Lindstrom. marketing dim
tor for the Port of Morrow, has of
fered his resignation, lout* Carlson,
president of the port commission
confirmed Tuesday night
"Steve has offered his resignation
and. although I can't speak for the
commissioners. I assume they will
accept it at the meeting W'edncs
day "
city several year* ago against bikes
on sidewalks in the downtown area
Riding bicycles on the sidewalks
i* dangerous to pedestrians, the
Chief said
Tue»
Wed
Thurs
En
Sat
Sun
Mon
Weather
Mas 27 - June 2
1 os*
Prrs’ip
High
61
40
59
34
00
57
39
00
63
69
00
45
81
00
53
90
55
00
55
(8)
83
Lindstrom did not indicate hi*
plans or the reason* for his resigna
tion. Carlson continued
Lindstrom wa* the general
manager of the port until recently
»hen the commission approved a
shift in his duties to marketing direc
tor and shifted many of the
manager's responsibilities to then
Assistant Manager Bob Miller
"A s president of the commission.
I regret his resignation We certain
ly had a good team put together that
would do some gixid things for Mor
row County." he said "W e with
him success in whatever he does in
the future."
recommendations and decide the
dales for the election
The Board generally accepts input,
from the budget committee. Starr
continued The next board meeting
is Monday June 16
Some of the cuts recommended h\
the administrators include reduc ing
the nuinbei ot new teachers resulting
in a budget decrease ot $61.517. cut
ting administrators' salaries by a
total of $12.'(>4. reducing the
amount of summer maintenance,
reducing benefits by $30,407,
eliminating $10.188) ot purchased
services, and postponing capital
outlay in various areas for a total of
$16*4865 Some of the capital items
cut are $18.7(8) of irrigation parts,
$1 1,768 for an addition to the office
at A C Houghton, overhead proiec
tor*, typewriter*, tools, maps, band
instruments, cameras, tables, chairs,
classroom clock*, drapes, student
desks, a used pickup, calculator*, a
portable chalkboard, office chairs a
social studies kit. and a math
program
The school district admnistrator*
had reconunended cutting $4 (88) for
summer school at A C Houghton
and Sam Hoardman that the commit
tee put back into the budget After
adding the summer school back into
the budget.the committee approved
the total dollur aitkHint ot the cuts but
did not require that any specific
items be cut
The Board, then, may accept the
committee's recommendation and
still add back in any of the recom
mended cuts as long a similar
amount is cut from somewhere else
in Ihe budget The board may also
reject
the
com m ittee's
recommendation
The budget failed by 156 votes
March 26 and again by 88 vines
May 21 The two defeats. McCaslin
explained to the committee "eviden
tally mean that the voter* feel the
budget it too high while the area's
economy it down "
Prior to the committee * decision.
McCaslin presented three options to
them which he said were possible at
this point in the budgeting process
The first option, a series of five
steps would maintain all programs at
some level, cut new personnel, most
new equipment purchases, postpone
equipment and building maintenance
that can wait, and to look for a new
source of revenue la serial levy)
The second option would be to
embark on a senes ot major cui K k ks
that "look good" to voters, by do*
ing down the community service'
which the distnet now pros ides
eliminating inefficient classes such
as Advanced Placement English
which includes only a tew students
by making a rule that 12 students
were necessary before a class could
be offered, close inefficient s c h o o l -
which he said is a popular notion
among some people
He reminded the board ol their
policy established three y c .
* >
regarding school closure ol distnet
schools The Board must announce a
closure six months in advance, studs
the reasons for closure, and hold a
public hearing in the area where the
closure would occur
The hoard could decide to close
a variety of labs, shops, and sell Ihe
surplus property, they could
eliminate staff such as librarians
which some people see as extras, ami
put these serv ices in charge of the
principal and an aide They could
also decide to contract out the
transportation service or eliminate it
altogether
The third option would be to target
program cuts based on the [>'|'tilan
ty of the program s, cut the
specialists, especially at the elemen
(ary level, cut administrative stall
cut allhletics. cut special program
beyond the minimum standards, cm
extra-curricular
non athletic
activities
He explained that options two and
three arc attractive to people, but thai
when programs are cut. they are
usually added back in later on as
funds allow He encouraged accep
ting ihe option ol maintaining pte
sent programs at some level
l See related store
Chamber supports
county budget
The Morrow County ( htimber ol
Commerce voted Tuesday to go on
Record in support of the Morrow
County Budget, presently before the
voters in the county's current vote
by mail program
The county budget, which has tail
ed two previous times, has been cut
by almost $1(8),(88) since its first
defeat in March
ft
• c
John Boyer lo give airplane trip to Ml St Helens
More than 100 prizes
await Reno players
Over $3,000 worth of prizes await
gamers who'll be playing at a dozen
21 table*, several crap, roulette and
4-5-6 lew and poker tables
Playing with purchased script
they 'll compile it lo use for bidding
on a tremendous asvirtment of value
•*e ,ra '
Over 100 prize* include a trip to
Reno, one half beef, truck load of
wood, »elf propelled lawn mower,
microwave oven, packaged trips to
George Strait concert, Roy Clark
concen. two 4-tickct packages to
Manner gsames. golf tnp to C any on
Lake in Tri-Cities. Float trip on
Deschutes, an airplane trip to St
Helena, and many others
A large number of Heppner
Club memhers have work
ed hard
crowd is looked for according to
Dick Devin president Chairperson
Diana ball expect* several hundred
people
This first Annual Reno Nile is
designed to be the once a year hind
raiser for all kinds of service to
»chool activities not limited to
athletics
"la** of fun for a good cause,
plus a high ratio of folks will go
home big winners.” claims Ken
Turner. Booster member
There will be finger food.
beverages and games right up to auc
t,on nme
All the public 21. and over. \%
welcome and invited to attend The
caamo atmosphere starts at 7 p m at
(he upstair* Izidge rixxnof the Hcpp
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