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.