Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 31, 1990)
Three vie for one County Commission spot BESSIE 4 OF W E T Z E L L ORE î W S P A P E R LIB ; 2 E N E & 7 4 0 3 OR Irvin Rauch VOL 108 NO. 44 Wednesday, October 31, 1990 Heppner 35*_____16 Pages Tax base to establish Willow Creek Dam lakeside campground By Merlyn Robinson “ The tourists are coming.” And the establishment of an overnight recreational vehicle park at the Willow Creek Dam lakeside will strengthen the economy through diversification by catering to the tourist trade, said Park District Chairman Ken Turner. The Park District has asked south Morrow County voters to decide on a $41,752 tax base for operating a proposed recreational-vehicle- ovcmight campsite and the establish ed dock system and day park. If the $41 thousand tax base is ap proved, it would amount to less than $12 on a $50,000 house. But the pro posed tax base does not levy a new tax. Instead it establishes a tax base that would be subject to the six- percent constitutional limitation that could not exceed that amount without voter approval. In March, 1987 voters approved a one-year operating levy of $29,300, 638-400, support establish ed park development. About $75 thousand received in grants plus donated labor have resulted in lakeside improvements that are now valued at about $150,000. In August, 1990, Senator Mark Hatfield announced during his Hepp- ner visit that, $150,000 through the U.S. Corps of Engineer budget would definitely fund half of the estimated Willow Creek overnight campsite construction costs. Once the Corps funding is obtain ed, a $40 thousand Oregon Economic Development grant will become available. More than one- fourth of matching construction funds have been pledged from donated in-kind services. Turner projected that construction should start in March 1991. “ It’s going to happen (the RV park).” Final designs have been drawn up subject to Corps approval thanks to engineer Jim McElligott, lone, Turner said. A tax base is needed to provide funds for opera tional expenses, he said. Turner also credited the Morrow County Tourism Committee along with the Heppner Forest Service District, headed by Forest Ranger Roger Williams, with “ positive ac tions” to help atract visitors and enhance recreational opportunities for local residents. “ The Forest Service is really sup portive of tourism in the area and helping the local community anyway we can," said Williams. “ We sup- port it (the Willow Creek camp site).” Large scenic by-way signs to be placed on the by-way exits from 1-80 have been approved by the Depart ment of Transportation. A kiosk in formative center near Heppner and a snowmobile park at the top of Coal Mine Hill above Willow Creek are being developed. Marked hiking and horseback riding trails are to be built by the Forest Service in the Cutsforth Park area about 20 miles from Heppner. “ This scenic by-way is worth $1 million in advertising for our Coun ty,” Morrow County Judge Louis Carlson said. “ As our economy evolves, diversification is essential. The emphasis on specialized crops and industries are important assests in the north end of the county. But the agriculture base in the south end will be implemented by specialized wood products and the evolution of the tourist industry. Money spent on the construction and maintenance of the Willow Creek park development and other recreational assets are the essential keys for planting seeds as a new facet for our economy,” he said. CBEC annual Willow Creek Recreation meeting Nov. 8 Area receives federal funding The 46th annual meeting of the Willow Creek Park District Chair man Ken Turner notified the G azette-Tim es Tuesday that $150,000 has been approved through the Corps of Engineers budget for construction of the Willow Creek Recreation Area, at the Willow Creek Dam near Heppner. Turner said that U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield’s office and the Corps o f Engineers notified Nancy Brownfield of the funding approval. “ It makes all the hard work seem worthwhile," Brownfield added. Hatfield has been instrumental in gaining funds for the recreational area, which will include an overnight campsite and an RV park. Turner said that this funding of $150,000 will enable the district to get $40,000 in matching funds through an Oregon Economic Development grant. He said that the $150,000 may be subject to a slight reduction. “ We’re off and running,” said a jubilant Turner. “ W e're going to build a park.” Supporters of the Willow Creek Recreation Area say they hope to at tract more tourists to the area and make it more feasible for the tourists to stay in the area for longer periods. Colum bia Basin Electric Cooperative will be held on Thurs day Nov. 8, at the Isobel Edwards Hall in Fossil. Registration will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. and the business meeting at 7 p.m. Business conducted at the meeting includes election of directors and a by-law change. Merchants to meet The Heppner Merchants Commit tee will meet Tuesday, NMov. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Shoe Box conference room. All business people are urged to attend and discuss Christmas promotions. Grain Growers plan annual meeting Nov 5 John Oades, director of the U.S. Wheat Associates Portland office will speak at the Morrow County Grain Growers annual meeting Nov. 5 at the Morrow County Fairgrounds at 6:30 p.m. US Wheat is an overseas market development organization working on behalf of American wheat pro ducers. The organization operates market enhancement programs in about 130 countries for a base of 14 overseas offices and two state-side offices. In the Portland office, Oades and his staff are responsible for liaison work with the grain export trade and cooperating state-level wheat com missions. hosting visiting foreign trade delegations as well as servic ing needs of US wheat headquarters in W ashington, D .C. and 14 overseas offices. Also on the agenda will be the elec tion of directors. Four positions will be elected for three-year terms. Nominees are Keven Hague wood, Steve Hill, John Kilkenny, Larry Palmer, Rick Peterson and Paul Proudfoot. Four associate directors will be elected for a one-year term. The nominees for these positions are Mark Cutsforth, Virginia Grieb, George Miller and Steve Peck. The meeting will also include reports from company officers. Dinner will be served by the Willows Grange. By Merlyn Robinson Incumbent Morrow County Com- ntissioner Irvin Rauch, Democrat, is completing his second four-year term. During that period he has served onthe Association of Oregon Coun ties Land Use Commission; eight years as a director for the East Cen tral Association of Oregon Counties public land and agriculture commit tee; seven years as a director of the Greater Eastern Oregon Develop ment Council Corporation; and he is completing his second one-year-term on the East Central Association of Oregon Consortium board of directors. A lifetime county resident, Rauch went to school at Heppner and Lex ington, graduating from the Lex ington High School before its closure. He attended Oregon State University, Gonzaga University in Spokane and Eastern Oregon Col lege in LaGrande. Rauch served 20 years on the Morrow County School Board. He is a member of Hope Lutheran Church, the Oregon Wheat League and the Oregon Farm Bureau. He also served on the advisory board for the Morrow County Grain Growers. He and his wife, Millie, have three children and six grandchildren. Th ir fimily ranch business is now a partnership o oration with their children. “ There are things I want to see finished,’’ Rauch said as his reasons for running for office again. He listed the completion of the Willow Creek highway and the implementa tion of a geographic information system to map areas of the county as an aid to the planning commission and assessor. “ We need to enhance the county- owned parks but retain the primitive settings while promoting increased park use,” he said. “ But I feel we have a more efficient road depart ment now that we have acquired a crusher and other newer equip ment.” When asked about the growing number of county employees, Rauch replied, “ There is more record keeping in all governmental offices today and the Boardman Ordinance Depot de-commission requires hir ing additional personnel.” Raymond French By Merlyn Robinson Retired livestock rancher and former state representative Raymond French, Heppner, is the Republican candidate for Morrow County Com missioner, position number one. French graduated from Heppner High School and attended Montana School of Mines and Colorado Col lege. He seized as state represen tative from this district from 1983-85; served in the U.S. Navy; wa legislative chairman for the Voters go to polls Tues Morrow County voters will go to ¿he poll: Tuesday, Nov. 6, to decide the fate of state, county and local measures and elect a U.S. Senator, Representative in Congress-2nd Congressional District, governor, Commissioner of the Bureau of Land and Industries, State Representa- tive-59th Representative District, Morrow County Commissioner and lone City Council and Irrigon City Council members. Other positions are unopposed. * Ray French and Irvin Rauch will vie for the Morrow County Commis sioner position. Pat Wright, who is not on the ballot, is running a write- in campaign for that position. * Four people are competing for three spots on the lone City Council- Harvey Childers, John A. Ekstrom, Janet Thompson and Mark Tullis. No one has filed for the lone Mayor’s position. Heppner City Mayor Cara Costa is unopposed in a two-year term as is Martha Doherty for a two-year council member position. Only two candidates Richard Curtis and Amie Hedman are on the ballot for three four-year Heppner council positions. * No candidates have filed for the Lexington Mayor and two city coun cil positions. * Four have filed for three four- year positions on the Irrigon City Council: William H. Cooley, Caryle E. Gallien, Stanley P. Mills and Kel ly K. Wright. * Three have filed for three Board- man City Council positions: William “ Bill” Brown, Thomas D. Meyers and Everett Moore * Duane Neiffer, Christian Rauch and Tom Currin are all unopposed in three four-year Morrow Soil and Water Conservations District spots. * Voters will decide whether to establish a Willow Creek Park District tax base in the amount of $41,752. This measure would establish a tax base for operation of facilities for the Willow Creek Park District. Facilities will include an overnight campsite, an RV park, a dock system and a day park. The proposed measure does not levy a tax, but establishes a tax base. * Irrigon voters will decide on the formation of an Industrial Livestock District. * Morrow County voters will decide the fate of a measure calling for an increase in Morrow County’s tax base from $659,012 to $4,767,189. The current tax base represents 15 percent of the total taxes needed to fund the count) budget. The remaining 85 percent of taxes must be levied outside the tax base for county operations. Polling places are as follows: lone-lone City Hall; Lexington- Mormon Church; No. 8 Northeast Heppner-Old City Hall; No. 9 Nor thwest Heppner-Pettyjohn Office Building; No. 10 Southeast Heppner-Morrow County Cour thouse; No. 11-Southwest Heppner- Morrow County Courthouse. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A lot at stake at final CBC M ustang football game Heppner High School’s final regular Columbia Basin Conference football game of the season against the Umatilla Vikings is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m . Friday, November 2 at Umatilla. Both teams have qualified for the first round of the OSAA 2A football playoffs scheduled for November 10 and Friday’s contest between the old rivals will have a lot at stake. The winner of the Heppner-Umatilla game will be the CBC champion; the Oregon Cattleman’s Association in 1982-83; and served 12 years as chairman of the Morrow County Soil and Water Conservation Board. As a 30-year member of the Mor row County Livestock Growers Association, he served as president and director. Besides serving on the Morrow County School Board one term as chairman he has been a member of the Oregon Wheat Growers Association and he served on the Morrow County Board of Equalization. He is also a member of the Heppner C ham ber of Commerce. A lifetime resident of Morrow County, he and his wife Norma have three married daughters and nine grandchildren. The Frenches are members of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. “ Local people must take control of changes affecting our area and I want to be a part of those changes,” French said as a candidate for com missioner Other priorities he listed were the continuance of quality health care facilities in the county; doing the best job possible of im proving the county’s road infrastruc ture and quality water and land resource management “ The county court must be in novative and be ready to meet issues that haven't even been thought of yet,” he said. loser will be runner-up. The winner will get to host the number two-team from the Wapati League in that first round play-off game; the loser will be traveling to Vale to take on the second-rated team in the state The second place team from the Wapati League will be decided this weekend between Grant Union. Enterprise or Imbler. In the key con test. Imbler will play the Prospectors of Grant Union. Pat Wright Morrow County Health Nurse for the past 16 years, Pat Wright has launched a write-in campaign for Morrow County Commissioner. Wright was born and raised in Lexington and graduated from Lex ington High School. She received her nursing diploma from Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland and worked as a nurse at Good Samaritan in the emergency and operating rooms and at Gresham General Hospital in the coronary care unit. She lived in the Portland area for 18 years before returning to Lexington. She recently retired as county health nurse. She has served four years on the Ione-Lexington School Advisory Board, four years on the Morrow County School Board, two years on the Pioneer Memorial Hospital Board and four years on the Lex ington City Countil. Wright also served on the doctor search committee. Wright, a widow, has two married children and two grandchildren. She is a member of the United Methodist Church. She is also active in the Historical Society, the Morrow County Creative Arts and Crafts club, the Lexington Grange and the Pendleton Bird Club. “ I do think we need a ‘kinder, gentler' board of commissioners who are more responsive to our residents,” said Wright. “ I am also very sympathetic to our senior citizens, because I am one." Wright also expressed concern over the garbage issue, “ It (garbage) is there. We must monitor it (the landfill) carefully to keep it en vironmentally safe.” Another priority listed by Wright is the Sheriffs Dept. “ I’m very hap py with the Sheriff s Dept. They've handled the increase in crime over the past few years very well. I’m very supportive of them." Weather Report by City of Hoppnef Tues. W eds. T hurs. F ri. Sat. Sun. M on. O ct. 23 - 29, High Ix m 58 34 66 33 39 68 62 35 34 63 61 35 39 65 1990 Prec .0 .0 .02 .0 .05 ‘ * BEST RATE IN TOWN 7.S " " A / 1 ^ 9 90 day CD H A N K • D 5 0 0 0 minim um O P ,, J Z a s te m U reqon A rlingto n John Oades $ • Heppner • FD, C lone " Y im r I m lf p r ’u irn t Horn* O v.’n r d Bank , •
