Council member files suit against council
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L I B
9 7 4
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VOL. 112
NO. 24
Heppner City Council member
Martha Doherty has filed a suit
against the city council, council
members and the city ad
ministrator over a merit pay
resolution enacted by the council.
The suit, filed June 7, names
city mayor Bob Jepsen, council
members David Allstott, David
Pranger, Chuck Holt, Kay Robin
son and LoRayne Bowman and
city administrator Gary Marks as
defendants.
In the suit, Doherty maintains
that the merit pay system
“ violates the city charter in that
it unlawfully empowers the city
administrator and department
heads to determine the amount o f
compensation for services o f ci
ty officers and employees.”
According to the suit, the city
charter states “ The council shall
determine the amount of compen
sation for services for each city
officer and employee.”
The personnel evaluation and
merit compensation policy ap
proved by the council calls for
evaluation o f employees by their
supervisors and ranking o f
employees’ job performance bas
ed on the number o f points ac
cumulated. An employee could
be ranked unsatisfactory, needs
improvement, satisfactory, above
10 Pages Wednesday, June 16, 1993
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
Joe Yocom to ride in Sesquicentennial wagon train
Joe Yocom is ready for the trail
A bon voyage party at his Lex
ington home last Sunday featured
Morrow County’s official Oregon
Trail Sesquicentennial Wagon
Train teamster Joe Yocom, who
is ready to roll. Yocom will spend
over two months bumping along
“ the trail” as the driver o f one
o f the 10 official wagons
dedicated to this long journey.
Starting June 25 from the
Wyoming border the wagons’
slow travels across two states will
halt at Oregon City for an “ end
o f the trail” celebration on Labor
Day weekend. This memorable
event will recapture the pioneer
ing spirit o f thousands of people
who came west beginning in
1843-the longest and largest
migration in American history.
The sesquicentennial journey
will parallel as closely as possi
ble the route taken by the original
pioneers, in some places in sight
of the actual ruts. Averaging 15
to 20 miles per day, overnight
stops will coincide with festivities
o f communities planning their
own
wagon
train
commemoration.
Former Heppner resident Jerry
Schubert, Pendleton, will be the
wagon master, using his wagon
and horses that have been
featured in many parades.
Yocom’s wagon train adven
tures hinged on the restoration of
an old farm wagon belonging to
the George Griffiths below lone.
Yocom still wasn't sure he could
make the trip until a retired pump
and irrigation specialist was hired
to take his place during his
absence from work for the Mor
row County Grain Growers.
Stormy spring weather imped
ed progress as the old wagon was
dismantled in haste at the Mel
Piper country home. Piper drew
up a blueprint to ascertain the
missing parts and he fashioned
new parts including the tongue
and the coupling pole out o f oak
hardwood. New metal fittings
were patterened after ones that
had been dug out o f the ground
in the junk yards of various
farms. The metal rims on the
wheels had to be refitted by a
wheelwright in Moscow, Idaho.
Now that the wagon was
reassembled and brightly painted
it looks as it had been restored for
a museum. But even with lots of
free labor from family and friends
this authentic wagon cost Yocom
over $1,000 to repair.
Yocom’s determination is in
herited from the pioneering spirit
of his great grandfather who
came west by covered wagon and
homesteaded in the Willamette
V alley. Yocom recalls his
boyhood days in Wasco County
where horses and mules were us
ed for putting up hay. But
because he was too short to pitch
hay on the wagon, his job was
stacking loose or bundled hay, he
says.
Yocom’s immediate family
took roots in Morrow County
while the four Yocom children,
Debbie, Millie, Jack and Marie,
were growing up. During that
time Yocom’s western adventures
continued to grow. There were
wild horse round-ups above
Meacham and wild horse events
at rodeos with his Lexington
friends. Like a Roman Ben Hur,
he participated in chariot racing
during Heppner rodeos. His
jockey experience provided some
harrowing tales when he rode for
the Heppner Wranglers during
relay races at the Heppner show
and the Pendleton Round-Up.
While the family participated in
rodeo events Yocom served many
years as the dance director for the
Heppner Rodeo Board. In recent
years his horse-driving interests
led to transporting wedding par
ties in his fancy buggy pulled by
high-stepping horses. But for now
he’s putting aside his tuxedo and
top hat. He’ll be spending long
days pioneer style, perched on the
high wooden seat o f his trail-
worthy wagon pulled by two big
Percheron mules.
In mid-August this wagon train
will be crossing Morrow Coun
ty. An overnight stop at the
Kuhn.
Doherty is asking for no
monetary compensation, just a
legal ruling.
A small delegation of citizens
attending the city council meeting
Monday night protested the merit
pay increases and voiced fears
that the system would take con
trol out of the hands of council
members.
“ It’s a pretty tough evaluation
system,” added council member
David Allstott.
“ The council has final authori
ty over the budget,” said council
member Chuck Holt. “ We
haven’t lost any control what
soever. If it gets out o f hand one
iota, I’ll jump all over it.”
Those citizens initially
disagreeing with the merit in
creases finally agreed with the
council’s position of letting the
system work for a year.
Meeting set for summer project
A meeting for volunteers for
the Neighborhood Center Sum
mer Project for area children has
been planned for this Thursday,
June 17, at the United Methodist
Church from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The Rev Grace Drake, project
coordinator, says that volunteers
are especially needed for the se
cond and third weeks of the pro
ject on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The project begins July 6 and will
conclude July 30. Classes are
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily, with
longer classes on field trip days.
Contact
Rosalie
Scharen
676-9209.
The project is open to children
who have completed first grade
through sixth grade.
Shelby Dyer gets souvenier ball
Shelby Dyer, a resident o f
Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home
was made an official honorary
member of the lone Cardinal Ma
jor league team Monday night.
The team, made up of nine
through 12 year olds, presented
Dyer with a baseball cap and
certificate.
Dyer, 81, who is paralized on
his left side, caught a fly foul ball
Saturday when the Cardinals
played Condon. Team members
signed the ball and presented it to
Shelby. The Cards went on to
hand Condon their first loss of the
season 5-4.
Shelby Dyer
Swimming lessons scheduled at lone
The lone swimming pool will
open for public swimming on
June 15. Pool hours will be from
2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday
through Friday and 2-5 p.m. on
Saturday and Sunday. The pool
will be closed on Monday. Pool
rates for all ages are: season pass
family-$50; individual $20; per
session $1.
Season passes will have priori
ty for swimming if the pool fills
to capacity with swimmers.
Checks can be made out to lone
Pool and mailed or delivered to
lone Schools, Box 167, lone,
97843.
The first session o f swim
lessons for lone and Heppner
have been set for the following
dates:
lone: June 22-July 2, advanc
ed beginners from 9-9:45 a.m.
and 10-10:45 a.m.; beginners
11-11:30 a.m. and 11:45-12:15
p.m.
Basic water safety classes for
students who have passed advanc
ed swimmers will be available if
enough sign up. Registration for
the lone lessons may be made
with Jill Nelson at the lone pool
or at 989-8494.
Lessons for Heppner children
will be held July 6-16. For more
information call Shane Palmer
422-7115.
The second session of lessons
will be July 20-30 for lone and
August 3-13 for Heppner.
County employees receive pink slips
Twenty-four county employees
received “ pink slips” last week,
advising them that their jobs will
be eliminated as of July 1.
Unable to support County
operations on the revenue
generated from the tax base
established in 1908, a third levy
failure would require the county
to slash all non-mandated person
nel and services for fiscal year
1993-94, said Morrow County
Judge Louis Carlson. The fiscal
year begins July 1, 1993.
The lay-off would represent a
31 percent reduction in work
force. The road department
would receive a 40 percent reduc-
tion in tax revenue thus
eliminating all new construction,
paving and crushing contracts.
Carlson said.
MSWCD to give away seedlings
The Morrow Soil and Water
Conservation District will be giv
ing away Ponderosa pine and
Douglas Fir seedlings beginning
Thursday, June 17 between the
hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
There is no limit to the number
of seedlings per individual.
Hawkins Ranch on Buttercreek is
scheduled for August 16. The
next night will be at Well
Springs. The following two
nights, August 18 and 19 will be
at the Krebs Ranches at Cecil.
County organizers are already
gearing up for a major celebra
tion at Cecil. By then Yocom and
other wagon train members
should have plenty of trail stories
to tell.
Public participation for
segments o f this 73-day journey
must be reserved in advance by
calling Metropolitian Events in
Portland 223-3299. This Portland
based agency is in charge of
handling events and logistics for
the wagon train. Participation is
limited and there is a charge for
those who wish to ride in or drive
additional wagons, or accompany
the train by walking or riding
horseback. These charges help
cover expenses of the train which
have been kept at an affordable
rate with the help of sponsors, ac
cording to the agency. Meals and
other amenities are included in
the cost. The wagon train is ac
companied by support services
including meal service, water
wagons, fire fighting equipment,
portable showers and toilets, hay
for the animals and other services
that will be traveling in a separate
group.
The area itinerary is Monday,
August 16-Butter Creek/Hawkins
Ranch, Tuesday, Aug. 17 Well
Springs, Wednesday, Aug. 18
Cecil Krebs Ranch #1, Friday,
Aug 20 Krebs Ranch #2.
standard and outstanding. An
employee ranked unsatisfactory,
needs improvement or satisfac
tory would receive no merit in
crease. A ranking of above stan
dard would result in a three per
cent merit pay increase and a
ranking of outstanding would
result in a six percent salary
increase.
Merit increases become perma
nent upon approval by the city ad
ministrator and are effective the
month following completion of a
review . Employees will be
granted only one merit increase
during any calendar year.
The merit increase would be in
addition to an annual cost-of-
living increase.
Doherty is represented by her
brother, Hermiston attorney Den
nis D oherty. The city is
represented by city attorney Bill
Anyone interested in seedlings
is requested to bring his own con
tainers. The district office is
located in the Pettyjohn Office
Building. 430 Heppner/Lex-
ington Highway, Heppner. For
more information call 676-5452.
The sheriff department would
lose all deputies with the excep
tion o f the civil deputy which is
required to serve legal papers to
residents. All departments of the
courthouse will be reduced to
elected officials and appointed
department heads. Office hours
will be reduced to Vi days to the
public.
Funding for extension and
other non-mandated services will
need to be eliminated because of
lack o f funding he said.
In the event of a levy failure,
a representative will be on hand
at the courthouse to assist
employees with unemployment
applications.
Morrow County voters have
twice turned down a levy which
seeks to raise fewer dollars than
were approved last year. County
officials responded by providing
a fact sheet that they believe to
be necessary for voters to make
an informed decision.
Judge Carlson said, “ We have
listened to the public and have
responded in the way they have
asked.”
Carlson said they have cut
operating costs by $100,000;
frozen elected official and depart
ment head cost of living in
creases; provided detailed infor
mation for what services are be
ing provided in Boardman and Ir-
rigon; explained what services
will be discounted in the event of
a third levy failure.
“ Now the time has come for
the voting public to decide if they
are willing to pay for the services
that they typically have enjoyed,”
said Carlson. “ If the majority
votes to reject these services, that
is their choice, on the other hand,
if their choice is to vote in favor
o f these services, the structure is
still in place and most of these
services will continue.”
If approved by the voters, the
levy will establish a property tax
rate o f $6.28 per thousand o f
assessed value. This includes an
already approved tax levy for the
medical fund of 73 cents per
thousand o f assessed value.
Carlson said that voters should
consider that utilities pay 65 per
cent of total tax revenue collected
in this county.
Introducing our new
LOW INTEREST CREDIT LINE
THE EVERGREEN
ACCOUNT
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