Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 1992)
Pool options detailed City pool operation doubtful this year 35C azette imes VOL. I l l NO. 3 8 Pages Wednesday, January 22, 1992 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon Well traveled minister settles in lone By Anne Morter Lea Mathieu has lived in many parts of the country including New York City, Seattle, Alaska and Connecticut, but as of January 1, she calls lone home as the newly appointed United Church of Christ minister. Just how did Mathieu land in lone? It all started when she met a former minister from lone, Kathy Barker, at a meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. “ She raved about the community and about the church,” said Lea, although at that time, she was still convinc ed that she was a true-blue city dweller and not interested in small towns. Well time and peo ple change, and about two years later when Lea was conducting her own nationwide job search, she saw that lone was listed on the denom ination’s national listing. Remembering her conver sation with Kathy Barker, she found herself quite interested in the position. She was a candidate on December 8, and after review ing all the applicants, the con gregation voted unanimously to offer Lea the job. Lea graduated in 1990 from the Union Theological Seminary in the Manhattan area of New York City. From there she did an in ternship at Hartford, Connecticut. Her most recent position was in Seattle where she was employed by Catholic Community Service working at a shelter for homeless women. A self-described “ army brat," Lea grew up in many different locations, including Alaska. Home base is Seattle, where she has lived off and on for the past 10 years. Aside from the usual dif ferences people notice between lone and the big city. Lea notes the biggest change is the owner- Kay Robinson reappointed Heppner mayor ■ Lea Mathieu ship of a car. For the first time in her 34 years, she has been forced to own a car. a bright, shiny red 1991 Subaru. Previous ly she got around by public transportation in the various cities. She also looks forward to ad ding a cuddly canine to her fami ly. “ I can't remember the last time I lived in a place with a yard,” she said. Of her new position. Lea says, “ I love it. I’ve been here a week and I feel totally at home. One parishioner who came to visit said it looked like 1 had lived here forever,” she laughed. Harold Rietmann, a member of the search committee, said that the congregation seems quite pleas ed with its selection. “ So far, everything has been positive,” he said. For now, Lea is busy getting out and visiting all the active parishioners and finding that to be quite an enjoyable chore. Ser vices at the United Church of Christ are at 11 a.m. and Lea stresses that everyone is welcome to attend. Robin Baker appointed lone city mayor Robin Baker Heppner City Administrator Gary Marks told members of the city pool committee Jan. 15 that the city has no money to fund the pool, but even if it did, the pool is in such bad shape that it should not be opened. Marks showed videotapes of the pool, illustrating the deterioration of the pool, the heating system, filtering system, deck and changing room facilities. He and city crew foreman Dave Winters also ex pressed their concern over the pool draining system. According to state regulations, a pool of that size must have more than one drain to lessen the chance that a small child be unable to escape the force of the drain. Winters and Marks said that pipe leakage underneath the pool is causing cracks in the cement deck. Cinderblocks, which are being used to prop up the failing foundation of the pool deck are being undermined by an ongoing washing away of the earth. Of ficials fear that the situation could lead to a cave-in of the pool deck. Also of concern is the build up of sediment and corrosion in the pipes which restricts the water circulation and contributes to the water quality problems. The pool was closed 12 days last summer because of water problems. Marks detailed several options to deal with the pool situation in cluding formation of a new recreation district which would tax residents in Heppners four precincts for money to build a Robin Baker, 37, has been ap pointed mayor of lone to fill out the term of Mark Tullis, who resigned. Tullis’ term expires in Nov. Baker has worked extensively with the Oregon Trail group and is involved with the tourism com mittee. She said that as mayor she will be working with the lone pipeline project. A natural gas pipeline from Alberta, Canada to California will pass through lone and will be installed parallel to existing pipeline. Installation is expected to begin this month. Bom and raised in Portland, Baker came to lone 18 years ago when she married her husband, Robert, an lone native. They have five children, 16. 15-year old twins, 11 and four. Kay Robinson was reappointed Heppner city mayor to fill out the term of previous mayor Cara Osmin. Robinson will serve un til the end of this year. • Osmin was forced to resign when she moved out of the city limits. Robinson, 61, began her four- year term as a council member in January 1989. In August she was appointed to Osmin’s position un til Dec. 31, 1991. Both the coun cil and mayoral positions expire Dec. 31, 1992. The council also appointed Bob Kahl, Joyce Kay Hollomon and John Edmundson to the city budget committee and Howard G illiam , Cara Osmin and Florence Holt to the Heppner Housing Authority. new pool and an operating tax base. If the committee decides to go with this option the pool would probably be closed for two seasons. If they choose that op tion, the issue would probably be on the Nov. 1992 ballot and, if passed, construction would follow the spring and summer of 1993. Marks estimates that construc tion and land acquisition would be around $900,000 at 1.1882 per thousand assessed valuation with an operating tax base of around $25,000 at .3565 per thousand assessed valuation. The cost for a $40 thousand home would be around $62 a year for construc tion and operating expenses. He said that a city taxpayer with a $40 thousand home now pays around $50 a year for upkeep and operation of the pool, a difference of about $12 a year. Marks and Winters also show ed videotapes of several styles of pools they had visited last sum mer and gave ballpark construc tion costs for the pools. Besides forming a new park district other pool options detail ed by Marks included: -funding the pool and operating it in its current condition. Fre quent closures should be expected and safety hazards could threaten swimmers; -renovating the existing pool and funding it through a bond levy. Cuts would have to be made in other departments; condition of the pool would indicate almost total reconstruction; funding would require all or more of the city’s debt limit and would not allow for emergencies or up dating of the fire department equipment; -funding a new pool through a city bond levy. Additional fun ding would be needed to make up the difference between the city’s allowable debt and the cost of the departments to provide operating funds; other areas of city service would not be allowed access to financing for necessary equip ment; the city would use all its credit limit and place itself in a precarious position should an unexpected emergency arise re quiring debt financing; the city would have to find sources for over $200 thousand in additional funding; -seeking a bank loan to fund construction of a new pool. Ad ditional cuts would have to be made in other general fund departments to provide necessary operating funds; and the city does not have resources to fund the cost of a conventional loan; -approaching the school district about picking up the provision of pool facilities. Because of Ballot Measure 5, the district would probably have difficulty in fun ding operation costs and viabili ty of the bond measure is doubt- fill because the district would in clude all of Morrow County, in cluding the north end which would not benefit from a pool in Heppner; -approaching the Willow Creek Park District about picking up the provision of pool facilities. Since the district includes areas as far as lone the viability of funding is questionable; and the district might not want to expand its scope beyond the current RV project. Pool committee members are to discuss the options with the public and meet on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. at the city hall. Com mittee members are Jean Strange, Barbara Watkins, Bob Kahl, Kay Robinson, Cara Osmin, Martha Dohety and Steve Dickenson, chairman. Two file for school board spot Bill Doherty, Lexington in cumbent, and Ed Hiemstra, Heppner, have filed for the Zone 6 at-large Morrow County School Board position, according to the Morrow County Clerk’s office. No one had filed at press time for the Zone 2 Irrigon position, currently held by Dwayne Carrol. Carroll said that he will file unless someone else steps forward. If no one files for the school board position the board may appoint someone to fill that spot until the next election. Filing deadline is Thurs., Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. Jim Hankins, Boardman has filed for the Boardman-Irrigon school board advisory position # 3 . Jim Kindle named to East Shrine football team Port manager’s salary upped The Port of Morrow Commis sion voted unanimously Jan. 15 to give Port of Morrow manager Gary Neal a $12,400 salary in crease effective immediately. Neal’s salary will jump from $57,600 to $70,000. In com parison, Port of Umatilla ex ecutive director of economic development Byron Grow earns $40,280 annually. BMCC presi dent Ron Daniels earns a salary comparable to Neal's. Neal, who received praise from port commissioners, came to the port in March of 1989 from the Port of Clarkston in Washington. Neal was instrumental in negotiating a proposal to con struct a gas-burning co-generation facility at the port. The plant, which would be owned 49 per cent by PowerLink and 51 per cent by the Port of Morrow, is scheduled to begin operation in 1994. Construction for the facility has not yet begun. pool. Additional cuts would be made in other general fund Jim Kindle Jim Kindle, Heppner High School senior, has been named to the East-West Shrine first team. A.K. “ Lucky” Felt said that Kin dle was chosen as a tackle and fullback, and added that he is a “ triple threat.” The East-West Shrine football game is schedul ed for August 8 in Baker City. Kindle is the son of Michael and LaRae Kindle of Heppner. Derek Calvert, a Weston- McEwen guard and Tony Woolridge. a Umatilla halfback, were other players named to the first team. Alternates are Steve Sheller. Umatilla Guard, Rusty Green, Umatilla quarter back, Clint Earl, Stanfield halfback; Mike Spencer, Sher man Co. guard, Chris Hum phreys, Spray fullback and Trevor M cCoin, Condon punter-kicker. Players named to the Single A Big Sky Conference are Justin Bales, Dufur halfback and Don Melzer, Sherman Co. halfback Felt said that Heppner High School has had a player on the Shrine team for the last five years and for 31 of the 40 years the game has been held. The game, sponsored by the Associa tion of Shrine Clubs throughout Oregon, benefits the Shrine Hospital. He added that for the last three years the game has been the fifth most successful fund raiser in the U.S. Thirty first team and 30 alter nates are chosen for the East and the West teams. Players are nominated and voted on by coaches in the conference and then players are chosen from the nominees. Those wishing to purchase tickets may contact Felt. Felt is in his third year as statewide ticket chairman. Bank of Eastern Oregon Announcing « ♦ HOME LOAN PROGRAM Rates as low as 7% % nA tJK O F D JZ a á tem O reaon Arlington • Hoppnoc • Ion* *• ‘‘Your Independent Home Onmed Bunk F.D..I.C.
