Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1986)
P F S S I E * F 7 Z f l : U OF ORE NEWS P AP ER L I 8 EUGENE OR 9 7 4 0 3 The Heppner Gazette-Times M orrow C o u n ty ’• H om e-O w n ed W eek ly N e w sp a p e r VOI. 104 NO. 2« Heppner. Oregon 25*_________Wednesday. July 9 , i<ww»________ 11 Pm*^ Weather 1>> the ( .it> of H eppner Sheriff offers contracted police service Moving to the next field Merman Bletell (entering pickup) was moving his combine to Gene IXiherty's barley Helds Tuesday morning Bletell admitted getting a half ton of barley per ac re on a field of his own he had |ust finished thrashing near I ightmile Harvest, though nm yet in full swing, has begun on several of the fields northeast of lone We hear from reliable sources that Ken Nelson cut the first barley in the county June 25 County Ag Agent bred Lundin says that most farmers he has talked to arc expecting their wheat go between 45 and 50 bushels per acre, in spite of possible empty heads and pinched kernels caused by the hot spell early in May By Avon Melhy Heppner City Council Monday night received an offer five contracted police serv ices from Morrow Coun ty Sheriff Roy Drago Mayor Cara Costa told the coun ctl that many cities, especially small towns were going to tfus type service to save money She passed out an ‘ information sheet" from the Sheriffs office outlining costs and services Two officers and one vehi cle on a 24 hour basis would cost the city $58,000 per year Costa said the city 's present budget is $90.000 for that service Councilman Marvin Lane said he was afraid of the city losing control of its force if the service were contracted Councilman Chuck Holt, a former policeman, said "When you contract you are phas mg out your police force." in agree ment onthe probable loss of control The mayor said there would be a meeting on this with other cities later this summer and she would know more about it at that time and the possibilities it might oiler, both good and bad Development of an RV Park on Corps of Engineer property at Willow l.ake was proposed at City Council Monday Dr H S Huber, chairman of the recently court -created South Mor row County Park District, said the new district was negotiating with the Corps to get a long term lease to construct a park on the ridge above the lake, just North of the present Corps' maintenance building He said he thought it would be beneficial to the town, and could become a popular fishing and recreation area Shore development would be on the Balm Fork entrance to the lake The project, with maps of the proposed development will be presented Heppner Planning Commission next Monday The Corps is not very forthcom ing on repairing and bringing up to standards the l ittle league field pro mised the city two years ago. said City Attorney Bill Kuhn The field was built, but in such a way that the outfield, including the second base man could not be seen from home plate Eighteen months ago the ing below ground "Morrow County and the state's reputations are at risk." Canaday continued," because no SSC (Super conducting Super Collider) or similar project will consider the state if it can't honor a contract it has with a party to provide an area for space age development ” Canaday concluded that some decision was needed immediately because Boeing had three contracts with three clients that required work done at the developed facility and it was necessary for Boeing to decide where to place the project Judge McFlligott said that anten na range proposal was well documented and almost could be us ed as a model, but the o(her possi ble future uses for the parcel were mentioned only incidentally in a let ter from the company's vice presi dent "We are not trying to hold you up and can go ahead and make some determination today, but would like to ask a higher court for a summary judgment, " the judge said "Do you have any objections if we pursue this route for the balance of the project?" Canaday said that such an action might speed up some processes, but it would not solve all problems and suggested that the Court's time and money might be better spent Jim Ross told the Court, by telephone, that the Dept of Land Conservation and Development did not oppose the application for addi tional uses and strongly urged adop ting a limited use overlay zone "Our concern is helping ensure that the county doesn't take an action that could be repealed by some other par ty ." he said The Dept had previously recommended an overlay zone specifying only an antenna test range use, but Ross said that they now had no objections to the expand ed uses County Court rezones 4000 acres near Boardman M orrow County Court last Wednesday approved re/oning of 4.(XX) acres of land near Boardman from agricultural to industrial use The Boeing company had re quested the /one change in order to place a radar antenna test range on the property Boeing has indicated also that it may do electronic aerospace and space vehicle research and development there The new zoning is necessary because the immediate plans which Boeing has for the land have been studied and determined compatible with the adjacent farm uses, and other industrial uses may not be compatible in Morrow County All improvements on the land are sub jeet to approval by the County Court The County Court received testimony from Boeing. LCDC. the Dept of Veterans Affairs which owns the land Boeing has leased, and representatives from the Port of Morrow and city of Boardman. at a June 25 session of the public hear ing begun June 18 and recessed because parties involved were unable to be present Morrow County Judge Don McFlligott said the court would ac cept no new testimony July 2, but did alkiw Boeing attorney Richard Cana day and Jim Ross of the Dept of land Conservation and Develop ment to clarify previous testimony He also expressed dissatisfaction with the parties involved who had contacted him while die hearing was recessed to discuss the proposed or (finances He said that he would have found it necessary to remove himself from the proceedings if they had made any attempt to add testimony outside the hearing sessions Speak ing to ('anaday. he said, "an ex cellent attorney such as yourself should be mapping a direction through this zoning maze It makes an uncomfortable position for the Court if we make an error, because the consequences will fall on us " Canaday told the Court that "on a practical level, a company such as Boeing finds it difficult to invest $10 million in bricks and mortar' for an antenna range in Eastern Oregon that it can use for nothing else because if our clients change slightly, and we can’t sell or change the uses of the land, we have an expensive white elephant on our han d s." The land has soil that has little value for farming, he said Little has changed since Boeing's lease began in 1965 to change the value of the property The contract which Boe ing has with the state is "valid and binding" he said and urges Boeing to develop die land as a space age in dustnal park (Boeing's lease expires in 2040 ) Boeing has spent many dollars to develop irrigation and far ming on its sections of land north of Tower road, but has always felt it should reserve the land south of I 84 i for space age industrial uses Boe mg Agroindustrial Corp asserts that according to its lease rights, he said, that particular land should be zoned general industrial Ihe 4,000 acte sue was selected for the antenna range use above 55 other sites in the western United States, he said, because it is unique ly suited for the proposed use "If Boeing should make a claim against the state for breach of lease, it would be difficult for the state to find a reasonable alternative site such as this one bordered by the PGF. Coal Fired Plant, the Navy Bomb ing Range. Boeing farm lands, and with private road access," he said Approval of the 4.(XX) acre zone change should not imply zone c hange approv al for the balance of the parcel leased by Boeing, he said Boeing had originally wanted a new zoning classification such as "space age industrial" with a different zo- Corps was asked to re do the |ob I Xiong the final phase of completion of Willow Creek Dam this project, and others in Eastern Oregon.were taken from the Corps' XA alia W alla office and combined in the Cortland office Kuhn said this had made working with Corps people difficult because too many new ones did not know about the has kg round pro hlems He asked the city's permis sion to write Oregon Congressional people if there are more delays, and it was granted Police Chief IXmg Rathbun ask ed if the city had an agreement with the Corps to patrol the Lake swim ming and boating dock He said a Corps employer had asked one ot his officers to patrol up there, say mg the city was supposed to do so on an agreement The city officials said there had never been such agree ment The area is outside the city limits and is in the county Sheriffs service area Kuhn said state requirements in updating the city's comprehensive plan were going to make a lot of legal work He said he did not have the time lor the job, and suggested the city hire someone |ust tor the purpose A state grant of about $3,5(X) will he available, and the two he talked to said they could do it within that amount No action was taken Ken Key asked about his propos ed annexation to the city v> he can get city water service on his proper ty above the cemetery A portion ot Corps' owned land between the cits and his property would have to be also annexed He was told the Corps had ads ised the city the request was "being reviewed" on June 17, but nothing further had been received He will be notified when information is sujxplied the city so he can sign a formal annexation request In end of the year bookkeeping the city awarded the bid for gas tor the ci ty to Cal s Mobile Service approved transfer of $ t|5 from Ihe 1985 K6 budget for the librarv to the same account in the 1986 87 budget The change was needed because the money was originally budgeted for certain hooks, which were not available until later authorized the City Manager to destroy files 10 or more years old which will not be needed in the future heard from City Foreman Dave Winters report he had been able to "get a gorxl deal" on gravel and now had a sufficient supply Also that he would have final figures for cost ot putting in sewer repairs and pav ing in time to get a bond request on the November 12 ballot -Council members were provided with petitions to have filed with the county clerk so they could run for re-election All city elected officials cxcejx councilman Marvin 1 ane will have to run in the November general election Any interested person may obtain a petition at city hall It is ad visable to get 30 signatures. Ad ministrator Izngren told the coun cil members Only 20 arc required, but 10 extra are advisable to be sure ot getting ones that will count Proposed classified licensing rules changed Sevcral changes were made in the Motor Vehicles organizations about the potential im proposed classified driver licensing The most significant changes pact of the law and rules on farm rules reports Dennis Rice, manager were in response to concerns ex vehicle drivers They also objected of driver licensing for the Dept of pressed by some farmers and farm to the distances which some farmers might have to travel to get to a testing site in eastern Oregon The rules were revised and filed bids are final. Mchlligott said, the with Bids have been let for the Huber county's Secretary of State June 27. share is just over $50.(XX) after the public and Palmateer bridges. Morrow hearings in seven In other business, the county court Oregon cities last County Court was told last Wednes month heard a report from county ar Information available day the DMV Bob Smith who said the con indicates that most farm to vehicles The state highway division ap chitect are proved a low bid of $170,654 for tractors were expected to begin work Class 4 vehicles, Rice said Under on Courthouse windows the week of the law. all drivers of these vehicles replacing the Huber bridge 7. A low bid of $516.254 was award July heard be convenes! to Class 4 licenses a summary of the Willow will ed IXmg Coats of Bend for the without any testing Many farmers, Palmateer bridge The total cost in Creek Park District Board's plans he added, also have Class 5 vehicles for development of a park site at the (midsize trucks) and some have eludes engineering and the ap dam proaches. Morrow County Judge I vehicles — big truck and heard a presentation on the coun Class [Xm McFlligott said The contrac trailer These are current retirement and a recom generally combinations tors must have a detour in place ty's driven seasonally and mendation for review of same before tearing out the bndge usually on back roads within a -reviewed this year's county 50-mile radius of the farm Expected completion date for the with Budget Officer laiRayne projects is October 51. 1986 If the budget Revised rules allow the division to Bowman conduct Class 1 .2 . and 3 vehicle drive tests by appointment at farm This will be done only if the Registered voters will receive serial levy which would give the sites farm is more than 55 miles from a ballots in the mail late this month district an additional $473.786 each DMV office or other truck testing says Morrow County Clerk Barbara year for three years location, he said Bloods worth A license based on a farm test will The August 12 election will be be good only within a 50 mile radius another vote by mail because the first of the farm and be restricted by the one was so successful, she says So to vehicles registered for Those persons over age 58 who division far the school district's one-year farm use operating levy and three year special earn less than $28,500 per year and purposes and used for agricultural levy are all that have filed for a posi are interested in living at die propos The classified license law was tion on the ballot, petitions may be ed elderly apartment complex at the passed by the 1985 legislature and Heppner Hotel are invited to fill out tiled until July 9 is the first major change in the way The school district is asking voter a pre application form and return it Oregon licenses drivers since 1951. to Heppner City Hall permission to levy a one year special Rice concluded Thirty-one other The pre application forms are an stales have classified operating levy of $5.140.645 above license laws indication of people who may be in the tax base This is the maximum An effort has been made to collect amount the district is allowed to ask terested in living there vimetime in signatures for a petition getting a the future, the pre application forms for since the levy has already failed measure on the general election twice, the first time on March 26, are rax a commitment to move in im ballot to repeal the classified license mediately upon completion of the law Morrow County Cow Belles and again on May 21 The tax base and the special levy project that 500 signatures were col Pre-application forms are report will not provide enough money to lected locally taken to Hermiston operate the district for a year, so the available at Murrays Drug Store. June 30 to be and added district is also asking for a three-year Heppner City Hall and Case lected statewide with others col Furniture Bids let for two bridges School budget will be voted by mail Still time to turn in applications Sparklers The spectacular fireworks display at lone last Friday night lit up the night sky Accident victim \s Condition remains serious Dennis Campbell was still in in tensive care Tuesday at St Mary 's Medical Center in Walla W.illa A hospital spokesperson said he has multiple facial iniuncs and is listed in serious condition He was taken to Walla Walla by Lifeguard helicopter Saturday night following an accident one mile from Ruggs on highway 207 Campbell was alone in his car when it ap parently went out of control on the highway's new oil and gravel sur face, and sideswiped an oncoming vehicle occupied by Dale and Bob bette Hedrnan and their three children Campbell's vehicle rolled 4wo and a hall times, the Morrow G-T questionnaires coming in If you have n«X already returned the questionnaire about the newspaper in last week s Gazette times to the office, please do so by Friday . June 11 Several of our rcmlcrs have return ed the questionnaires sent out with last week's newspaper We ap preciate your prompt response County Sherilfs office estimates before it came to rest in an alfalfa field The Hcdman vehicle was fore ed off the road into Barton Clark's driveway Dale Hedrnan reports that although one of their childicn was under observation Saturday night at Pioneer Memorial Hospital, everyone is fine now Market Report lues.. July 8 Soft White *2 81 July by l(Xh »2 72 July by 2<Xh »2 72 July bal »2 70 Aue Sept *2 ' « 2 j 4 Oct »2 •r, 7 | Nov *2 80 *2 82 Barley •70 July Aug »71 Sept »72 Oct Nov »73 Hard Red Winter S ( Irdinaries »2 72
