FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times,
Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 28, 1993
Landfill monies could benefit pool study Outrageous costs
The Official Newspaper of the
City of Heppner and the
County of Morrow
Heppner
To the Editor:
One of the many steps involv
ed in building a public swimm
ing pool in the Heppner area is
a feasibility study by engineers to
see if the proposed sites would be
suitable for a pool. This study is
estimated to be between $7,000
and $10.000.
The city of Heppner is receiv
ing. through Morrow County,
their share of fees received from
Finley Butte Landfill. A commit
tee will be meeting later in May
to decide how to allocate these
GAZETTE-TIMES
U S P S. 240-420
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
Published weekli and entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Hepp
ner. Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879. Second class postage paid at Hepp
ner, Oregon. Office at 147 West Willow Street. Telephone (503) *76-9228.
Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner »¡a/ette-Times, P.O. Bo* 337,
Heppner, Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $15 in M on«», Wheeler, Gilliam and
Grant Counties: $23 elsewhere.
Joyce Hughes ............................................................. Office Manager, Typesetting
April Hilton-Sykes .....................................‘............................................News Editor
Mary Van Bibber................................................................. Graphics Department
Monique D evin............................................... ,............................................... Bindery
Penni Keersemaker........ ............................... ................................................ Printer
Jean Ann Turner .......... ........................................................................ Distribution
Marks is an asset
David and April Hilton-Sykes. Publishers
L e tte rs to th e E d ito r
Let council know your opinions
To the Editor:
A letter to the registered voters
of the City of Heppner:
I take the comments made by
Marlene Gray in the April 21,
1993 letters to the editor section
of the Heppner Gazette-Times to
heart. In fact, if I didn’t know that
I have never visited with her on
these matters. I’d think she was
paraphrasing my own thoughts.
When I decided last fall to run
for reelection to the council, I
made a commitment to the voters
of this city. My first responsibili
ty is to represent the people who
elected me to office. I have tried
very hard to do just that. For the
most part, the council members
are left on our own to try to deter
mine what we think is best. But
when a controversial issue arises,
such as the transient room tax and
the city manager’s contract, you
let us know what you think.
I will tell you that I make a con
scious effort not to base my vote
on personal opinion, but on what
1 feel is truly best for the entire
city. As an example, I voted for
the transient room tax because I
believe that the chamber manager
position, which is funded by that
tax, benefits the entire city of
Heppner. I also voted against a
plan whereby city employees can
receive up to a six percent merit
pay raise based on an evaluation
done by their supervisor. It does
not require ratification by the
council, except in the case of the
city manager. In this case, the
council is the supervisor. Placed
on top of a 3.5 percent net in
crease in employees salaries for
1993/94. it is possible for an
employee to realize a 9.5 percent
increase in salary. A Gazette-
Times article mentioned that such
a plan had passed. As a council
member, I received no negative
comments from you, the citizens.
Am I alone in feeling that such
a plan is not in the best interests
of the citizens of Heppner?
All the blame for unpopular
decisions cannot be laid on the
shoulders of your elected
representatives. (However, we’d
be more than happy to accept all
the credit for popular decisions.)
You also have a duty and respon
sibility to be informed. Where
were you when the public
meetings on the budget were be
ing held? That is one forum
where the nuts and bolts of opera-
tions are discussed. Those
meeting dates are published in the
Gazette-Times. Granted, it is dif
ficult to know what is being
discussed at council meetings.
(Even the council members don’t
receive an agenda until the Fri
day before Monday night coun
cil meetings.) But what does it
take to make a phone call to city
hall to ask what is on the agen
da? A couple minutes of your
time.
I have a number of issues that
I would like to bring before the
public. Therefore, in an effort to
exchange information and con
cerns, I am making myself
available on Saturday, May 1,
1993 in the front sitting room of
St. Patrick’s Senior Center from
1-3 p.m. My agenda will include:
1) The program for merit in
creases in salary;
2) The 1993/94 budget;
3) The level of current ser
vices; and
4) Issues brought forth by the
public.
If you are as concerned about
your city government as I am,
please make the effort to be
heard. If you can't be present per
sonally, you may also contact me
at home at 676-5417 in the
evenings.
Remember, if your council
members are truly going to repre
sent you. you need to let them
know your opinions.
Thank you,
(s) Martha J. Doherty
Heppner City Councilmember
To the Editor:
The Heppner city residents can
be thankful to have some rational
thinking city council members
who use common sense.
It appears. Chuck Holt, Mar
tha Doherty and Dave Pranger
realize you don’t have to give a
city employee all kinds of re
wards and benefits for doing what
he or she was hired for and paid
to do.
If the mayor and other city
council members wish to risk
their personal monies to co-sign
on a mortgage loan for a city
employee, that’s fine, but don't
involve the rest of the Heppner
city taxpayers.
I believe there are people in all
levels of government who do not
understand what measure 5 is all
about.
(s) G. Sonstegard
Council members use common sense
To the Editor:
Knowing that many agree with
me, I write this to affirm and sup
port the work of our city
manager. Gary Marks, during the
past two years.
Coming into a virtually ‘ strap
ped” little town, he has found
ways to finance projects that
seemed impossible. Among other
accomplishments, he has
prepared the town’s first long-
range plan for equipment, staff
ing and street repairs, initiated
passage of a bond to insure and
improve fire protection,
engineered the new county-wide,
cost effective library project, was
active in implementing the “ new
look" on Main Street, worked on
a deal with DEQ to move forward
with the apparently bogged down
sewer-improvement project, and
has redesigned our spending
policies so we now operate on a
cost allocation system.
Furthermore, through active
membership in the Coordinating
Council, HEDC, Chamber of
Commerce, Willow Swimming
Pool Commission. Main Street
Task Force, Fire Dept., Ad
visory, Housing Authority and
others, he is able to facilitate
communication among them and
coordinate what might be
fragmented productivity. He is
also giving Heppner a favorable
fees to benefit the area. The
Willow Creek Park District’s ex
ploratory committee on the swim
ming pool is applying for these
landfill fees to pay for the pool
feasibility study. If you would
like to have these fees approved
towards a public swimming pool
feasibility study, please show
your support by calling or drop
ping by Heppner City Hall or
writing Gary Marks, city
manager, Heppner, or Skip Mat
thews, Heppner. Thank you.
(s) Kay Proctor
image in outlying areas in the
state.
It is true that right now we have
no swimming pool, but with Gary
Marks’ managerial skills and our
conscious support, we will have
one.
The press may have unwitting
ly left space for a fallacy of think
ing that the proposed contract was
an ultimatum issued by Gary
Marks. Wrong. That contract
was presented by a committee
from the council, and his ‘no’ did
not mean he was quitting it if
wasn’t signed.
Actually, we have to be
thankful that this young man and
his family wanted to come here
to live. They are a definite asset.
Through his vision and creativi
ty, he has tended to wake us up
and encouraged us to plan a
positive future for this little town.
He merits our help to have a de
cent home (he's making the
payments, not us) and to set his
hours, too. With his energy and
commitment. I’ll wager he’s
already worked many overtime
hours and will continue to.
Also the city council can do
their best work with some
positive re-inforcement. They
have already done the best thing
to happen here in years by hiring
Marks as manager.
Sincerely,
(s) Jane Rawlins
Vote yes for county budget
To the Editor:
The county levy needs careful
consideration and support.
The levy provides funding for
the many county services that we
rely on in our day to day lives.
We feel that the county court
and budget committee have
carefully reviewed the county
budget to make sure our tax
dollars are used wisely.
Please join us in voting yes for
the Morrow County operating
levy.
Yours truly,
(s) Larry and Betty Mills
Vote yes for county levy
To the Editor:
The Heppner Chamber of
Commerce is encouraging Mor
row County residents to vote yes
on the county operating one year
levy outside the tax base. The
membership present at the Tues
day, April 20 chamber meeting
endorsed the levy. Our county
needs the services that would
have to be cut should the levy be
voted down again. Loss of ser
vices means loss of potential
business and a lower quality of
life for all of us. This is the time
to be positive and move forward,
not backwards. Please mail your
yes ballot to the courthouse by 8
p.m. on Tuesday, May 18. Thank
you.
Sincerely,
(s) Rollie Marshall, President
Heppner Chamber of Commerce
Why are pets being killed?
To the Editor:
About three weeks ago our dog
got out of the yard. He was gone
for two weeks before we put a
lost dog ad in the paper. Last
week he was found. Someone had
shot him and thrown him off the
bridge over Balm Fork.
I have a couple of questions for
whoever is responsible for this.
Why was the dog shot? His only
crime was that he was out of the
yard. For what reasons are the
pets in our town being killed and
thrown in Willow Creek Lake or
up Slaughter House Road?
Who or what is next9
(s) Delbert Binschus
To the Editor:
Recently I saw in the “ East
Oregonian’’ a “ That’s
Outrageous” letter to the editor
about high costs for lab fees at St.
Anthony’s. That has compelled
me to tell my “ outrageous” tale.
In December I was in Pioneer
Memorial Hospital for 24 hours.
Every day I take three tablets.
Premarin, Provera and Syn-
throid, total cost is less than 20
cents per day. Not each. Just
before I left the hospital a nurse
brought a cup of pills. Among
them were my three. The thought
crossed my mind to refuse them
because I could take them at
home in a few minutes, but I took
them.
1 was charged $12.75 for the
Synthroid, $15 for the Provera
and $18.63 for the Premarin. A
total of 46.38.
I spoke to the hospital ad
ministrator. He said it did sound
exorbitant and that he would in
vestigate and be in touch with me.
That was several weeks ago.
In January 1 was in St. An
thony’s hospital. But I got smart.
I refused the pills.
Sincerly,
(sj Mary Jean McCabe
To the Editor:
For the past 13 years we have
been involved in the Centennial
Middle School 8th grade ex
change either by hosting students
in our home, sharing our ran
ching business and a meal or
helping other livestock growers
do the same. The purpose is to
give city students a better
understanding of the beef in
dustry, including year round care
of cattle and branding day on the
ranch. One of the pluses is con
tinued correspondence with ranch
visitors over the years and work
ing side by side with other ran
chers exchange day.
We in the livestock industry
were a bit sensitive regarding the
caption under last week’s photo
of the Portland student “ watching
with disgust” is not exactly the
type of public education the beef
industry is striving for. In the
photo surgery was being per
formed on the bull calf, castra
tion; neutering if it were being
performed on your cat or dog.
animals might be viewed with
trepidation or concern, rather
than disgust, since it serves a
useful purpose. We hope the
eighth graders who took home
copies of the Gazette will explain
to their families what was hap
pening. We appreciate the articles
made available for the students.
The livestock industry is a
business and like all other
businesses takes pride in its pur
pose and appreciates positive
press. Possibly we all fall a bit
short when it comes to sharing
our business with the guy “ next
door” to further understanding.
Local exchanges might be a
possibility.
We have enjoyed working with
the Heppner Middle School staff
and Dave Olcott from Centennial
over the years, and are glad to
continue upon request. We learn
from each other.
Sincerely
(S) Merlin and Claudia Hughes
Hughes Ranch
lone Topic Club members will
hold their spring money maker,
a food sale, at the lone City Hall
May 7 at 10 a.m. Money from
this sale helps to finance the
operation of the library and pay
the salary of the librarian, Edith
Matthews.
Sensitive to photo caption
Surgery, whether on humans or
lone Topic club meeting May 7
In T h e Heppner Gazette
Your A d s A re Read
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Heppner Elks #358
Schedule Of Events
The Elks Lodge dining room will be closed
this Friday and Saturday only to allow
employees off due to the state convention. We
will have regular meals Fri-Sat the following
week. Lounge will remain open this week-end.
Heppner
Elks
358
676-9181
142 N. Main
"Where Friends
7
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Court Street Market
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