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
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