Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1992)
Plans aired for Main Street renovation e r ss Of 1 F. '£:ZEL OR£ P A P" . L l ~: 0 R 9 7 3 35C • Main Street as it looks now with utility poles azette • 101es VOL. 111 NO. 6 8 Pages Wednesday, February 12, 1992 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon Motel-hotel tax ordinance to be drafted Facing a budget shortfall and reduction of fund earmarked for the Heppner Chamber of Commerce manager's aJary, the city council directed ad- mini trator Gary Mark to draft an ordinance for a city hotel- motel tax. Rollie Marshall, on behalf of the chamber, proposed a five per- cent tax that would eventually be pa sed down to cu tomers at the Northwest Motel, the only motel in town, and Penland Hou e Bed and Breakfast. Tom LaRus o , owner of the orthwest Motel and RV Park, protested the tax, saying that neither he nor his partner Dolores Cooper had been consulted about the tax. " We shouldn't be singl- ed out," aid LaRusso. " We're an easy target. '' LaRusso said that the ordinance would place tax collecting burdens on him and would pre-empt any increases in motel rates he and Cooper might have planned. He said he feared that with additional charges the motel would not be competitive with other motel in the area. A small portion of the tax monie would be returned to LaRus o and Cooper for ad- ministrative costs, according to the chamber plan. Formation of pool district for Heppner not possible Heppner City Council members learned Monday even- ing that formation of a pool district to fund con truction of a new city pool is not possible. Forming a di trict had been the most promising option in deaJing with an ailing city pool, but of- ficials say that a new district can- not be established because the Willow Creek Park Di trict is already in existence. Other o ption included operating the city pool as is for another year, but the pool's deteriorated condition and fun- ding problems will most likely preclude this: raisi ng funds through a city bond i ue, but the city does not have enough allowable debt and puts new fire equipment at a higher priority ; seeking funding through the school district, which is aJso fac- ing Mea ure 5 budget hortfalls; or seeking funding through the Willow Creek Park Di trict, (WCPD) . Spoke men for the di trict aid earlier that becau e of their involveme nt in e tabli hing an RV park at Willow Creek lake their next pro- ject would probably be earmark- ed for the Lexington-Ione area and WCPD support of a Heppner pool was probably unlikely. Ci- ty officiaJs indicate, however, that they intend to approach the WCPD again, considering this latest development. At an earlier pool committee meeting, committee members discussed community input they had received and discussed the possibility of opening the pool for wimming lessons only or busing children to the Ione pool for lessons. Concern was voiced the pool would be closed for two years and that more children would be swimming at the dam. The pool committee asks that anyone with comments contact committee members , Steve Dickenson, chairman; Bob Kahl , Barb Watkins, Cara Osmin, Jean Strange, Kay Robinson or Mar- tha Doherty. A video detailing the problem with the old pool is available for viewing. Contact ci- ty admini trator Gary Marks for more information. Ranger district to have prescribed burn The Heppner Ranger Di trict of the Umatilla ational Fore t will ha ea large pre cribed bur- ning during the prtog of 1992 . Pre cribed burning in regeneration harve t cut i planned for 34 eparate unit di tributed throughou t the dt trict. The purpo e of burning i to reduce the fire hazard and to prepare the area for planting of tree eedling . n additi nal 9 ,4 0 acre of " environmental'' burning will be under pre cription and ready to bum . Thi type of burning i con- ducted to improve fore t health, provide , ite preparation for n· tural tree edlm e tabli h- · m fi ra e and remove natural accumula- tion of fuel from the fore t floor. These bums will be of low inten ity and will bum with flame lengths from one to three feet in length, con urning needles, limb and dead tree bole , aid a fore t service poke person. Burning could tart a early as late February and continue into the m nth of June. Locally heavy concentration of wood moke can be expected in and adjacent to the individual bum but hould di ipate quickly, they said. Con- cern or que tion about the bur- ning program hould be directed to Gary Clark, Heppner Di trict fuel peciaJi tat 676-91 7. •. •t LaRusso said that he suggested that all businesses be charged for a city license to offset the chamber manager's saJary. All the businesses benefit from the chamber of commerce, LaRusso added, so they all should contribute. Computer altered photograph of Main Street without utility poles The Heppner City Council heard plans Monday night from Columbia basin Electric Co-op manager and Heppner Economic Development Corporation representative Fred Toombs to renovate Heppner's downtown area. Bob Jepsen In other business: -Bob Jepsen was sworn in as ci- ty council member replacing Kay Robinson , who resigned to become mayor. Jepsen's term will expire Dec. 31, 1992; -held public hearings on three city properties designated public nuisances . Lamb cook-off Entries are now being accepted for the second annual St . Patrick's Day Lamb Cook-Off to be held at the Farley Motor Com- pany in Heppner on Saturday, March 14. Deadline for entrie is Wedne day, March 11 . Entry forms are available at Heppner TV. Grand prize for the lamb cook- off will be two nights lodging at the Driftwood Shores in Florence, donated by Lee Bab- cock and 3-K Live tock in Brownsville. Prizes will aJ o be awarded for the best lamb recipe in three categories: barbecue, conventional and mi cellaneous. Students grades 10 through col- lege senior, will compete separately for two scholarship award : $100 for fir t and 50 for second. Intere led cook may reque t an entry form or submit a copy of their recipe ( erving 4-6) with their name, address, phone number to Maureen Kreb , event coordinator, Cecil Star Route, lone, OR 97843 . Conte tant hould indicate any pedal equip- ment needed for on- ite cooking or whether their entry will arrive already prepared. After a uccessful first year. the Oregon Sheep Commi ion agreed to join the Oregon Sheep Grower A sociatioin and Hepp- ner' t. Patrick' Day Com- mittee in pon ring the 1992 Lamb Cook-Off. The lamb k- off i a promotional activity of the Oregon heep Grower A ia- tion to how ase the variety, taste and heaJthful nature of t ay ' lamb. According to Toombs, CBEC plans include removal of utility poles from Main Street to im- prove service and decrease the C'O-<'J)'s liability. Ex.tensive plan include reconstruction of Main Street with adequate storm drains, store front improvements, in- stallation of permanent planter boxes with trees and benches, and improvements in water and sewer lines. The whole project is estimated to be around $1.2 million. The Bank of Eastern Oregon has set up a speciaJ loan program for local businesses for store front improvements. Zero interest loans are available in Heppner through a grant from the Oregon Develop- ment Dept. which subsidizes in- terest on the loan. A $4 ,830 Oregon Department of Forestry grant has been ap- proved for the planter boxe , trees and benches, but in-kind donations of labor and materiaJs are needed to complete the pro- ject. Marks encourages volunteers of time and materiaJs to come forward . A buy-a-tree program is aJso underway . The State Highway Department had plans to resurface Main Street as part of an extensive road pro- ject, but Toombs and Heppner City Administrator Gary Marks say they have per uaded the highway department to delay the project o that all improvement could be made at the same time. While the highway department has proposed re urfacing only , Toomb aid that re urfacing would only make the highway' crown even higher and torm drain are not adequate not. The highway department ha not yet committed fund for the road project and ha not pecified the extent of work it plans to do on the road, but ha committed some engineering for the project, according to Toomb . Marks said that recon truction of the road would make an ideal time to make improvements on city water and sewer lines, which may not be adequate for future development. ' ' It' a tremendous project with lots of hoops to jump through,'' said Toombs. "It may not fly ." The project will require funding from several sources-including a bond issue or local improvment district, the highway department , grants, in kind work and dona- tien and other source . Too ., said that grants are available, " We've got to scrap for them." Tentative plans are to place a fun- ding mea ure on the ovember 1992 ballot. Fonner mayor and owner of the local Coast to Coast store, Cliff Green commented, " We have an opportunity to do a ma- jor beautification project to enhance our town . We must take hold of it and try to fix Main Street like it should be. Thi project is in character with pre ervmg our future in that all nt1 1e are working together. Toun m is the corning attraction for our small town economy , par- ticularly since we have a major pot on the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway .'' Enhancing the area has been a two-year project of HEDC, VI- SION 2000 committee, the city and the tourism committee. Fred Toombs Hughes honored by 4-H for LABO exchange work Joyce Hughes (I) receive ilver plate from Carol Bennett Carol Bennett, OSU Exten ion agent, on behaJf of the Oregon 4-H Foundation, presented Joyce Hughe with a ilver plate in recognition of her time and dedication to the LABO/LE program. Joyce i the local coor- dinator for the total inbound e - change in Morrow and Gilliam Countie . LABO. LEX and UTREK Japane e organization and the O regon Cooperative Exten ion ervice of Oregon State Uni ver- ity coordinate the 4-H/ Japanesc Exchange program. It i a two- way ho t family and cultural ex- change. 4-H 'er are placed with ho t famiJie . The tay i approx- imately four wee . Oregon ha been ho ting Japane e children ince 1973. Bank of Ea temOregon HOME LOAN PROGRAM Rates as low as 7¾% ....., B i:,caskrt,, =-==- 7"~ ~K OP' F.DJ .C. Arlington • Heppner • .. Ymir ll'td~pntdnu " - <>-ti a..t·•
