Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1987)
• 4 •. • * . ' ' — . , - » W * » , **4 W v « * ; , \ < S «•* » • _ • _ Ts . ' • •! • * " -* . I • J - •• » • * / Concern for watershed expressed By Avon Melby Concern for ihe Willow Creek watershed ww expressed at Heppner erty council Monday All cit> wells I f : : r . I are at risk because of Forest Service practices. George Stillnun. a city u employee, told the council. Forty years ago there was enough c »• O ix water in Rock Creek that Indians caught salmon there. Stillman said Now there is not enough water there for the state to stock fish in the stream. Stillman said “ They are punching wells into Hell's Half Acre, there are 22 of them there Morrow County’s Home-Owned Newspaper now. and it's not a big enough area Most of the drainage trom there goes The H rppnrr to Ihe John Day watershed, with a small balance making up the water shed for Willow Creek The Forest Service has stripped a grade slope of 60 percent in clear cut which could plug up our watershed.*' Stillman referred to an editorial in Monday's Iasi Oregonian saying there was money available for pro tection of watervhexis and cncourag mg pcxiplc to start working to save them "City councils ot South Morrow County should let the state know ol their interest in saving the water sheds. County Planning Director Deane Seeger said Cutsforth Park bnngs in about $3 .(XX) to the coun ty per year in usage fees, and "it is V O L 105 N O 4 0 W ednesday, O ctober 7, 1987 H eppner 25« 8 Pages vcD possible that there could be no Council hears enthusiastic review of minibus program ihe city does not want to take it over as a city street, the county would take the road so there could be development in the future. City Attorney Bill Kuhn said the Corps would not improve the con dition of the road when it was given back and it is mil usable as a city street Seeger said possibly county equipment could be used to bring the road up to standards, so it could be back on the lax rolls Or the cemetery district might want part of the road, and land the Corps has there which is also available Kuhn said the city has been work ing for months on this w ith the Corps and though the Corps now says it is available, it will take them two years to "get their paper work done” City Crew Foreman David Winters was recognized with a cer tificate for "doing a good job" by Mayor Cara Costa She said it was just the first of a new Employee Recognition Program going on within the city. A change in city personnel policies requiring second opinions for employees who are ofl due to illness came up lor discussion with city police wanting to know how long one would have to be ill to require it Kuhn told the council if a second opinion was going to be required by the city on any illness the city would probably have to pay the costs in volved. which now, at least, would require transportation outsif town to another doctor After some discussion Kuhn was instructed to draw up a policy requir ing a second opinion for an employee off more than 30 days Only Kevin Dick, out of the four property owners notified to clean up their property after last council meeting, has tailed to reply. saidCi ty Manager Marshall Lovgren Others arc all completing work by set dates The council decided to schedule a public hearing for the November council meeting to con demn the property since Dick has been notified several tunes to clean it up. Police Chief IXiug Rathbun turn ed in a list of changes he wants for training police Council woman Denton questioned the costs, and who would pay for the revolvers us ed in the training she was told those receiving the training would be re quired to provide (heir own guns The suggested policy changes were to be examined by attorney Kuhn before being presented the council at its next meeting, the mayor said Preliminary floor plans posted By Avon Melby Preliminary floor plans for the changes to be made in rejuvenating the Heppner Hotel into a senior citizen apartment complex arc on the wall at city hall in Heppner A c hange has been made by the ar chitect so the apartments will range from 470 square feet to some over-700 square feet, making better use of the space, and more spacious apartments Senior Citizens will have most of the ground floor for their center con sisting of a conference room, office area, kitchen area, and d in ing meeting room Bill Kuhn, who is working with the architect and Seniors on plans of the building for the city, said the Senior who have seen the plans arc quite pleased with them. A parking area with II to 12 spaces, and some green spaces" for grass and trees, will be included at the back of the building "The pnijcct is progressing as fast as expected." Kuhn said The architect is now starting to draft specifications for bids, he said Dates needed for regional calendar Regional Winter Events Calendar is being compiled by North Central Oregon Tourism Committee for distribution to Chamber and City of fices in the three county area, says Chamber Manager Claudia Hughes She asks that within the coming week all special events scheduled tor November through February as well as pre scheduled annual events be in her hands This calendar will prevent major events in Morrow. Gilliam and Umatilla counties from being scheduled at the same time It will also serve to publicize the events in the other counties and will be out quarterly North Central Oregon Tourism Committee (NCOTC) is currently involved in creation of a colorful three county brochure, exhibit for the Ixaguc of Small Citics Convcn tion in Portland, and hospitality training Next meeting is scheduled for I p m in Milton-Frcewatcr. (X tober 14 Heppner is represented by Joyce Hollomon and John Edmund son of the Tourism Committee, and Claudia Hughes. Hoard member Historical cSociety asks information Early Harvest decide where money for city parks should be spent this year All cities in the county and all park districts are to have representatives there The money is for small parks and is available each year Amount will be about S1,6(X) Seeger said l^xington has never benefited from the money and maybe should get it this year The mayor said Heppner needs tunds tor rest rooms at its city parks >.* , . «>. * ». - • |f - *%• ; v ' . Brad (left) and Donnie )onnie Papmeau Papineau bagged baaaed their forked horn and five-point opening weekend of general deer season m the Ditch Creek area They were among about 15% of hunters who were suc cessful the first weekend of the general season. Assistant Wildlife Biologist Bob Krien said Many hunters had difficulty finding bucks because of the hot. dry conditions in the forest Most had to be satisfied with 1Vfe-2 year olds, he said The outlook for next weekend is even more bleak unless some ram comes to hunter s aid Deer will be found near water sources, he continued, with foothills probably yielding the fewest animals V v % f X ? s '. - • 1 s S • V s • 1 *■ ” £• **«.', *j 9 • % « M i»f. t . 7 * a The Historical Society and the Ci ty of Heppner arc planning to clean up and restore the fountain at the farigrounds parking lot. historical society member Delpha Jones has announced When finished, we would like to attach a plaque, she said, but we need additional information We have discovered that the Gentry family donated the land for the foun tain and that it was built circa 1916-1918. but we re not sure who built it Anyone with information mav contact Jones. 989 8189 Denton offered to make copies ot the city bills which are now posted in the window of city hall, to go out in each water bill monthly She said it could be part of the new "city news letter" the city is starting to send with water bills beginning next month Motion was approved and council woman Angie Pedro will work with fX-nlon on it The deck is being built, and cables have been ordered and are on the way for Ihe foot bridge across Willow Creek. Councilman Wilbur Jackson reported He said work was still being done on the bridge, with some assistance by Lions Club An executive session on employee overtime was held after the council adjourned No action was to be taken at the meeting ihe mayor said DEQ rep visits landfill site Steve Greenwood, manager ol the Solid and Hazardous Waste Section of the Department of Environmen tal Quality visited the proposed Finley Buttes landfill (Xtober 3 as part of a "get acquainted" lour of Eastern Oregon landfills. Tidewater laical Consultant Ed Glenn reports Speaking of both the Morrow County and Gilliam County sites. Greenwood said (hat (he same cn sironriK-nt.il standards would be ap plied as were being applied in Western Oregon such as at the Bacona Road site In applying those standards, however, differences of soil and rainfall would be taken into account and different construction and operational features may result (ireenwiKid's tour included the Pori of Morrow terminal where Tidewatcr Barge Lines proposes lo transload sealed containers of solid waste from the Portland metropolitan area from barges to trucks for the final leg to the Finley Buttes landfill Port Manager. R I. Miller conducted the lour of both the Port facilities and the landfill site Accompany ing the lour were Tim Davison ol the Solid and Hazardous Waste Section; Steve Gardclls. Rich Duval and (ill Hargraves all of the Pendleton DEQ office, l-arry Lind say. Port of Morrow Chairman and Ed Glenn Included in the "get acquainted" tour was the landfill at Heppner and others throughout Eastern Oregon BB V * - » j v' ' .v ii .MS' % .1 # ‘ft « • Z. * , r.r . . > * At the Fire Hall Cherry Webber's morning and afternoon Kindergarten classes visited the Heppner Fire IX-pt last week They tried to fit into firefighters’ hoots, coats and helmets, then sat behind the wheel of a real fire truck, and (above) climb onto the buck of the tire truck where grown up firefighters ride .‘XT * y * • - •«* - « ' V / . « ij Soil Conservationist joins county office Soil conservationist Randy Franks has been on the |ob in Morrow County since July 20 He filled the vacancy created when Jon Tunburg was transferred Franks, his wile, l.mda. and (heir sons. Eric, 15 and Nicholas, three months, live in lone. Franks, a native of Arkansas, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from the Univcr sity of Arkansas al Monticello He worked tor the SCS in tour different Arkansas counties before coming to Oregon by way of Washington stale Franks is currently working with District Conservationist Bob Adclman lo determine erodibility ot farmland in the county "By 1990. farmers must have a conservation plan on all highly crodiblc land." he said We are working to determine which lands meet the highly crodi ble criteria Our office also suggests conservation methods and helps fumiers map out a plan for their ground at no charge, he suid Farmers of course, have the option ot hiring a private consultant, but must then pay for the service laind bid into the Conservation Reserve Program currently is under a conservation plan, but if the land is relumed to cropland utter 10 years, it will still need a conserva tion program, he said, whether a ullage practice, terracing, or a new methiKl used in some areas ot drill mg three inch deep holes a fix« square at intervals in the field to hold ‘ Pioneer Memorial Hospital has announced a new Community Education Program Meeting the se corn! Tuesday of every month, this series of classes will be on Diabetes Mcllitus Boardman Glenn said, "T he passage of this initiative would delay Tidewater's project for a year, until the next general election Dial delay may very well kill the project altogether since the Portland metropolitan area plans to write a 25-ycar contract with someone ear ly next spring " He added that if Morrow County isn't ready then, there may not be another chance for 25 years, if at all West remembers that, "there was some reservation lhat the PGF coal fired plant would be an unbearable polluter of our environment That hasn't happened because of the various governmental controls and the plant and its employees have become a very valuable part of our community The solid waste landfill will also become an important part of our economy " Glenn said that the committee's goal of ending contusion on the issue would be simplified by remember Continued page 2 • f moisture from rain or snow iik -I i in puddles so it can he »Hire readily ab sorbed into the field. Both water and wind erosion arc considered. Franks said ltic Soil Conservation Services uses six criteria lo determine water erodihili ty: I) ruintull. 2) a factor for soil tex lure, 3) slope. 4» length ot slope, 5) cropping practice mold board or no till . and 6) contour farming For wind erosion, they consider tillage practices and soil cover as well as ground cover ami wind velocity Conservation practices can prove economical, the conservationist con imiiod without effecting a farm's productivity Funds are available in high erosion areas through the na tional I ikk I security act Morrow County has one of the highest ero ston ratios in the stale, he said *S 1 r- ’> , I . * s ». ) ■> • .VJ r - , ■ ” • . • s s » 'Sr- \ s. s. .v v ■’ * 1 ■ » • » • - . . 3 • J » *•»./■ s r . «s. , N J~ > . *v - • - •* •f V s N . ’f c 'V l * s *■,. \ 7 * •w" «>> r * . * « .. • * - •• ' * • f »3 *J C & * .1 < r-'J Randy Franks Community education program begins Committee forms to clear confusion about landfill Dewey West, Boardman City Councilman and former mayor, and Harry O'Donnell. Heppner. were elected co-chairmen of Citizens of Economic Growth at its orgamza tional meeting last Friday evening Morrow County residents formed the policital action committee to overcome widespread confusion about the upcoming initiative elec tion concerning solid waste landfill siting in Morrow County, Tidewater Representative Ed Glenn said By initiative petition. Morrow County voters will consider a measure that would require a vote of the people before a solid waste land fill could be sited, developed or operated The measure applies only to landfills to he used for disposal of refuse imported from outside the county The vote to approve a Ian ilfill could only be made at a general election and a majority of registered voters would have to approve Tidewater Barge Lines has pro posed to open a solid waste landfill on Finley Buttes. 10 miles south of • * ■ '• ! >T* ' \J I he first class entitled "Diabetes An Overview" will be (Xtober I (. 1987 al 2 p m al Pioneer Memorial Hospital Future classes ihe hospital plans to otter will include Heart At tacks. Strokes. Cardiac Risk Fa* tors, and Cancer Prevention For further information, iranspor talion. or suggestion ot topics, please contact Molly Rhea at 676 9133 ,. * V- ' H-: ; .0 ." V * * , : 79 83 85 84 74 73 77 46 46 47 48 43 44 43 v * ; j- V ? •* ‘y* *1' Market Report ,ompi.m#r?y ut v-m M ornm G Tuesday. (XI. 6 Sott White »3 07 3 09 Oct H II " l< Nov M 15 V3 17 Dec *3 19 * 3 21 Jan Harley '87 50T Oct / Nov Hard Red W inter »3 08/bu 11 protein PIK 104% Certificates N ' r.-V" .*■» * 1 ' b y C ity Oi Tucs Wed Thurs 1 r, Sat Sun Ml-U > v ’-> . -f.— Weather Report September 29 - (b lo tter 5 High Ian* Prec. r ‘ '« \ . * v - fcT » 9z,>. imes azette By Avon Melby Enthusiasm was high Monday night among (hose who had in spected a minibus program similar to one proposed for Heppner Representatives from the county court. Heppner city council, and County Planning Director Deane Seeger looked over the laiGrande minibus program and reported to Heppner City Council at the (Xtober 5 meeting At the suggestion of City Attorney Bill Kuhn the Chamber of Com merce will he asked to participate in a public meeting to explain how the proposed transportation plan would work The county has made an applica tion for a grant to purchase the bus Planning Director Deane Seeger said A second grant to operate the pmgram has also been included in the request. "You've got a tremen dous program going in this hotel." Seeger said about the proposed restoration of Heppner Hotel into Senior Citizen apartments and sug gested the bus be kept there and the city tie the Senior Citizen program there in with the bus He explained that Senior Citizen programs were much less Jpt to be cut under other federal administrations than were direct grants to cities arulcounties "They have too many voles," he said. Tern Denton said insurance on the bus would he only SI .(MM) to $1.500. from estimates given It would be a new bus and have low maintenance If the city does not want to run the program, the county could, or the Seniors might take it over. Seeger said, and if it isn't working out. it can always be dropped Council decided to work with other organizations and sec if enough interest can be raised through ex plaining the program, so the public will be interested enough to use the bus. The road owned by the Corps of Engineers which borders Ken Key’s land is available from the Corps of Engineers, Seeger said He said if water there," he said Seeger said the county planning department would ask the cities to work together and let the state know ol their concerns Council persons Angie Pedro and Rick Curtis were appointed by Mayor Cara Costa to work on the project Seeger said there would be a meeting at 7:30 p m at the county office in Islington on October 14 to
