Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1992)
Morrow County School Supt. resigns P c S 5 l F WFTZFLL U OF O R S *■' r 'A' S T A P F R I. I P EUGENE 97403 OR HEPPNER 35C azette imes VOL. 111 NO. 45 8 Pages Wednesday, November 18, 1992 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon Morrow County Superinten dent Ralph Reed tendered his resignation at the regularly scheduled school board meeting Monday, Nov. 16. “ I have not met my goals or that o f the school board,” said Reed, who was hired by the district in July o f 1991. His con tract will expire June 30, 1993. The board accep ted h is resignation. It was reported that the teachers’ union and the school board did not reach a contract set tlement at the Nov. 10 negotia tion meeting. “ People on both sides are frustrated,” said Reed. “ It wasn’t that they didn’t try during an all- night session that lasted until 6 a.m. the next day.” Since the teachers’ contract was not ap proved, the negotiations will pro bably proceed into the fact finding stage, which is expected to be sometime in January. D istrict business manager Shirley Landauer told the board o f preliminary figures which in dicate that the district may lose $2.7 million in the 1993-94 year, primarily due to the effects o f Ballot Measure 5. Landauer stressed that the figures are very preliminary and- the district won’t know exact figures and the formula the state will use to calculate state reim bursements to the district until the legislature meets. Ballot Measure 5 mandates that property tax limits for schools drop from $12.5 per thousand to $10 per thousand. Landauer said that Excavation to begin in preparation for clinic other factors involved in the loss include devaluation o f property in the county and a suit pending which would remove railroad property from the tax rolls. In other business, the board: -named Pat McNamee to the budget committee; -accepted resignations from Cathy McCabe, lone High School tennis coach; Thelma Perches, A.C. Houghton special education assistant; Judy Pettigrew, head cook at Riverside High School; and Tim VanCleave, ground skeeper at Heppner and lone schools; -approved employment o f Judy Daniels, Columbia Junior High head girls’ basketball coach; Kim Linn CJH assistant girls’ basket ball coach; John Larson, CJH assistant girls’ basketball coach; Benn Houk, CJH assistant boys’ basketball coach; Tom Long, CJH assistant boys’ basketball coach; Marvin House, CJH head wrestling coach; Bingo Ganvoa, CJH assistant baseball coach; Sharon Leinweber, CJH Talented and Gifted coordinator; Kelley Swarat, lone High school assis tant girls’ basketball coach; Jim Raible, IHS head tennis coach; and Dana Reid, Heppner High School assistant girls’ basketball coach; -heard an inspection report on the Riverside Pirate activity bus; -approved a transfer o f an Echo student to Heppner High School; -heard a report from the district growth committee. The board will have a session concerning ad d itional cla ssro o m s to a c comodate a growing north end student population. Grant for Main Street project falls through The Heppner Main Street renovation project is on hold following notification that the Ur ban and Community Forest Assistance Grant Program o f the U.S. Forest Service turned down a grant request for funds for an engineering study for the entire project. “ The project was hinging on the grant,” said Fred Toombs, coordinator o f the project. Toombs said they are now resear ching altern ative grant possibilities. The project included installing planter boxes with trees and ben ches on Main St., water and sewer line improvements, resur facing or reconstruction o f Main Street and improvements on Main St. storefronts and several other projects. The cost o f the entire plan is estimated to be around $1.2 million. The Oregon Department o f Transportation has indicated that they will either tear out Main Street and redo the entire street or simply resurface the street. ODT has not committed funds and has not yet specified the ex tent o f work, but has committed engineering for the project. Toombs said earlier that resurfac- ing would only make the street’s crown higher and storm drains are not adequate now. City of ficials earlier persuaded ODT to wait to begin their project to coin cide with the other aspects o f the master plan. A $4,830 grant has been ap proved by the Urban and Com munity Forest Assistance Grant Program for the planter boxes, trees and benches. This grant must be matched by donations and in-kind services. The city’s in-kind contribution is estimated to be around $2,060 and the com munity’s portion o f in-kind ser vices and donations is around $3,975. The total planter project is estimated at $10,865. A buy- a-tree program is also underway with a tree accompanied by a pla que with the donor’s name available for $80. Several Main Street businesses have taken advantage o f a zero in terest loan program through the Bank o f Eastern Oregon to renovate storefronts. The Oregon Development Department sub sidizes the interest on the loan. Columbia Basin Electric has plans to remove their power poles from Main Street to improve ser vice and decrease liability. The addition, which will be 26 feet by 98 feet, will house four iexam rooms, four offices, a lob- aby and reception area, physical •therapy and Home Health offices, «which will be located in the base- |m en t. There is also a possibility that the public health office will be m oved there from its downtown location. Pioneer Memorial Hospital administrator Kevin Erich said that plans in clude some restructuring o f the present offices. One o f the cur rent three exam rooms will be made to accomodate the clinic’s transcriptionist; Dr. Jeanne Ber- retta’s current office will become a procedure room and the The city o f Heppner Police Merle Cowett. business office will be restruc Department will be giving classes There will be eight weeks o f tured. Erich also said plans may for reserve police officers starting training. The training will consist include a break room for the November 29. o f Oregon state statutes, Oregon clinic’s employees. Individuals interested should Motor Vehicle code, firearms A large area in the basement pick up an application at city hall training, self defense classes and for Home Health offices may located at 188 West Willow Street community relations. double as a community education or contact assistant chief o f police and meeting room, he said. “ I think the addition will be a real plus,” commented Erich. “ It will speed things up so people w on’t have to wait so long. He also commented on the necessity o f the expansion because o f the growth o f the clinic’s business and Home Health and added that locating the physical therapist near the doctor’s offices will in crease out-patient services. Nolan said that cost o f the pro ject is around $200 thousand. Erich said that the project will be funded through a bank loan and estimates monthly payments at around $2,500 for 10 years. Northwest Metal Fabricators. Inc., Hermistion, is contractor. Nolan said that the hospital is planning on doing as much as possible themselves to cut down on costs. After the planning commission OKs the plan, construction o f the foundation and footing forms will begin. Nolan says that their con cern is that the weather does not become too cold for pouring con crete, but if it does they will use thermal blankets or heat the area. Pam Worden, Heppner, displays some of the items she and He stresses that the clinic will her sister will be selling at the upcoming Artifactory, Dec. 5 remain open during construction, at the fairgrounds in Heppner. The artifactory is sponsored by but there may be some inconve the Soroptimist International Club of Heppner and is an an niences. He added that clinic nual money maker for the club. There are still a few tables left. parking spaces will increase from Anyone wishing to reserve one should call Carol Michael- 12 to at least 20. Bennett, 676-9642, project chairperson. Police Dept, plans reserve classes Artists conception of new clinic building Artifactory coming soon Floor plan of new clinic Excavation is expected to begin this week in preparation for con struction o f an addition to the Pioneer Memorial Clinic in Heppner. Pioneer Memorial environmen tal services manager Gary Nolan stresses that construction on the clinic will not begin until the Heppner Planning Commission approves o f the plan. The com mission will meet on Nov. 24 at 8:30 a.m. Construction on the clinic ad dition was postponed because of changes in the length o f the ad- dition, from 64 to 98 feet, which required approval by the commis sion. The project, originally ex pected to be completed by the end o f February or the first part o f March, now has an expected completion date o f the end o f March. Lauritsen hired as new coordinator EMT III Carl Lauritsen has been hired as the Morrow Coun ty Emergency services coor dinator, P ion eer M em orial Hospital administrator Kevin Erich has announced. Lauritsen. w ho w as form erly in the maintenance department o f the hospital, started his new position on Nov. 1. As emergency services coor dinator Lauritsen will be respon sible for coordinating the EMT organizations in the county, train ing EMTs. ensuring that the am bulances and emergency vehicles are maintained properly and sup plies are not out o f date and en suring that the EM Ts’ forms are properly documented. Erich said that Lauritsen will spend Monday and Tuesday in Heppner and Wednesday through Friday in Boardman. He will also be available to go on ambulance runs. Erich said that the newly created position will “ help im prove county-wide emergency services” and help the EMTs keep abreast o f ever-changing regulations. Presenting ... oank oj Eastern Oregon HOME LOAN PROGRAM Rates as low as 7.25% K OF m : a stern O rea on Arlington • Heppner • lone • / )>■ «> /ii» A /» i il,/, n m i //,.11,, H i U h r i f u n i t l H a n l Member FDI C
