Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1993)
e r s S l E U WFTZ 0 F 0 R F P F W 3 P APER r fi <"• t; • • l OR School district plans could include Boardman and Irrigon high schools, new Heppner Junior High building !. ! 3 9 7 4 VOL. 112 NO. 42 8 Pages Wednesday, October 20, 1993 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon Sheriffs office moves to new facilities Irrigon resident Dan Creamer and mayor Don Eppenbach ask ed the Morrow County School Board to include a new high school for Irrigon and a new junior high for Boardman in an upcoming capital improvement bond issue. The board is seeking to put the issue on the March ballot. Irrigon high school students are currendy bused to Riverside High School at Boardman and Board- man junior high school students are bused to Columbia Junior High School in Irrigon. Riverside has 397 students, of which ap proxim ately half are from Irrigon. Proponents of the plan say that since recommendations already call for the addition of many classrooms to accomodate an estimated four percent growth in the north end, new schools should be built instead. School superintendent Chuck Starr said that if both Riverside and Columbia Junior High School were remodeled to accomodate students in seventh through 12th grade, the plan could be feasible. Starr said that a bond issue to fund construction would not fund staffing and general fund budget constraints would not allow for funding of staff at two additional schools. But, if the schools were expanded to seventh through 12th grades, staffing needs would pro bably remain much the same. The district faces additional cuts in the general fund because of the passage of Ballot Measure 5. The district growth committee had earlier recommended that the following additions or changes be made: Riverside: addition of 12 classrooms, gymnasium with wrestling/balcony area and locker rooms, auditorium which could seat the total student body, storage space, remodeling of several areas and disabled access between the main floor and gym level; A.C. Houghton Elementary: addition of eight classrooms (sixth grade students would be schooled at Columbia Junior High) library, remodeling of pre sent library for staff/conference rooms, storage space; Columbia Junior High: addi tion of 10 classrooms (six classrooms for new sixth-grade students to be schooled at Colum bia and two additional classrooms for growth in the seventh and eighth grades. Sam Boardman Elementary: addition of four classrooms for growth (sixth-grade students would be schooled at Columbia Junior High School), two con ference rooms, one staff room; Heppner Elementary School: remodel or replace gymnasium; Safety issues: Heppner High School-provide disabled access between lower level and upper level of building; Heppner Mid dle School-provide disabled ac cess to the top floor; lone Elem entary School-provide disabled access to all levels. lone resident John Bristow spoke in behalf of the plan for high schools and junior high schools in both Boardman and Ir rigon. He said that 115 lone residents had signed a petition in favor of construction of the schools. “ It’s not good to bus kids away from the people who care about them,” said Bristow. Bristow, Eppenbach and Creamer concurred that a school focuses a community and creates a sense of pride and identity. While Starr and school board members stressed that the deci sion to build or remodel schools should be based on educational need and not politics, Heppner resident Rollie Marshall said that including a new junior high school in Heppner in construction plans would make passage of a bond issue more likely. Starr said that preliminary estimates of costs for implemen ting all recommendations for the bond issue total $16 million. Starr said that the estimated assessed valuation for the $16 million in improvements would be $1.92 per thousand, based on a six percent interest rate. For ex ample, a person with a $40,000 home would pay $76.80 a year; a person with a $100,000 home would pay $192 a year; a person with a $300,000 business would pay $576 a year and a person with a $1 million farm would pay $ 1,920 a year. The $ 1.92 rate per thousand would be lowered by a lower interest rate, additional construction in the county and higher valuations. The $1.92 rate would be offset somewhat by a lower school tax rate mandated by Ballot Measure 5. School board rejects HHS dance team request, changes graduation date Undersheriff Verlin Denton (left) and sheriff Roy Drago display new communication equip ment in their new office. A move by the Morrow Coun ty Sheriff’s Office to new facilities at the former U.S. Forest Service building on Willow View Drive in Heppner will not only provide the office more space for their expanding department, but will also avail them to new state-of-the-art com munication equipment. The department moved from their three-and-a-half room, win dowless cubby hole in the cour thouse basement to a 10-room modem facility beginning Mon day, Oct. 18. Moving is expected to be completed and the facility in full operation by Thursday, or Friday. The move was prompted by the sheriffs office’s designation as a coordinator for emergency pro cedures in the event of a chemical agent release at the Umatilla Ar my Depot during destruction of chemical weapons. Purchase of the $200,000 building was funded by the Ar my for the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Pro gram (CSEPP). The Federal Emergency Management Ad ministration paid for the $80 thousand remodeling job and the $120,000 radio console and 911 system were funded through state 911 funds. Another $20,000 of 911 monies were set aside for the changeover of phone lines from the previous system. County tax monies were not used for the facility. The new system is in preparation for an enhanced 911 system which will be implemented as soon as a rural addressing system is completed. With the enhanced 911 system, when a dispatcher picks up a 911 call, the computer system will automatically display the origin of the call. The old 911 system will remain at the courthouse as a backup in the event of an emergency. The new facilities are also much more secure than the old offices. The new office has security cameras at each of the three entry ways and a security front door which will be locked after 5 p.m. business hours. To obtain entry after 5p.m . anyone without a key must use a securi ty phone located outside near the front door. If the person is deter mined to have a legitimate reason to enter the building, the dispat cher will then signal the computer to open the door. The front of- fice/dispatch center is also now protected by high impact glass. The sheriffs office now has an ‘’interview ” (interrogation) room, a booking center that will eventually have a locked securi ty room for temporary holding of prisoners, an evidence room, a radio and computer room and of fices for the sheriff, undersheriff, civil deputy/business manager and 911 and dispatch center, in addition to the CSEPP command center/squadron room and emergency management office. The CSEPP command center is equipped with a multitude of phone jacks for use by federal emergency experts, if the need ever arises. Drago said that the entire facility will be taken over in the event o f such an emergency. The office also has a propane generator that will automatically kick on in the event of a power failure. At the previous office, the generator had to be manually started if the power failed. The new facility is also han dicap access, which the cour thouse basement was not. Concerning the communication center, D rago com m ented, ‘‘We’re looking at a system that will probably be here when we're gone.” He said that the former system is just now starting to fall apart after 20 years of use. ‘‘We know it’s just a matter of time before we have to expand our services,” added Denton. Drago said that when he first came to the department, they received around 28 calls a year. Now the department receives around 1,500 calls. Part of the in crease in calls is due to an in crease in crime, said Drago. But, he added, more people rely on the department to handle calls now. “ We still answer calls,” he said. In addition to the business office and Morrow County 911 calls, the department also handles 911 calls for Wheeler and Gilliam counties, who pay $5 thousand and $10 thousand respectively for that service. Those two counties also contributed financially to the department’s move. The county sheriff s office is still a bare-bones operation, however, as far as personnel goes. In addition to the sheriff and undersheriff, the department employs seven deputies, five fulltime dispatchers, one part time dispatcher and the chief civil deputy/business manager. The Morrow County School t Board turned down a request to allow a dance team at Heppner High School, despite assurances from the petitioners that the pro gram would be self-funded and required no school district funds. The district had earlier voted to cut funds for cheerleaders and dance teams from the budget of all Morrow County Schools and turned down a similar request to allow cheerleaders at Heppner High School in September. The board vetoed the request on “ principle” , saying that ap proval of such a request would create inequities among the schools and further antagonism between the communities. Student body president Gret- chen Berretta told the board that the dance team already had $200 and would receive another $400 from Oregon Together to pay for a parttime advisor during basket ball season. Volunteers are prevented from donating their time because of the certified staffs extra duty contract. A.C. Houghton Principal Don Holes, says that his school’s dance team, which also has been cut, would have difficulty raising funds to support a dance team. Berretta. other dance team members and Heppner communi ty members criticized the board's acution, commenting tha tthe dance team is a healthy alter native to drinking, drugs and gang activity and praised the girls for using their initiative in rais ing the funds. Heppner High School teacher Bob Sagely suggested that the dance team become independent of the school. Superintendent Chuck Starr said that was a possibility as long as the dance team did not have HHS or Hepp ner High School on their uniforms and requested in ad vance, as is required by any other non-school group for permission to perform during halftime. In other business the board: -agreed to change the gradua tion dates of both Riverside and Heppner High Schools to Sun day, June 5. Proponents of the change cited conflict with state baseball playoffs and senior trip plans for Heppner High School and state softball playoffs for Riverside High School. Other members of the delegation said that Heppner’s Thursday night, June 2, graduation date, would not allow relatives and friends from out of town to attend. River side’s graduation date was previously Saturday, June 4. lone High School’s graduation date re mains on Friday, June 3. -heard a report from Holes and Riverside High School principal Dave Youngbluth concerning gang activity in their respective schools. “ We cannot stop gangs in the community,” said Holes, “ but we can stop them in the schools.” Youngbluth said that administrators have undergone training in dealing with gang ac tivity and said that training in volved the use of “ pepper spray” . “ We have safe schools,” added assistant RHS principal Kevin Fry, “ but we have to be proactive.” The principals said that problems arise from outsiders on campuses. -approved a request from the Irrigon Park District to use an undeveloped piece of land for a little league park. The park would be developed and maintained by the park district, but ownership would be retained by the school district. -learned of applications for grants to fund site council ex penses and to fund a satellite dish to broadcast classes that are not presently offered at the schools, such as foreign languages and other specialty courses. MCGG annual meeting Nov. 1 The Morrow County Grain Growers annual meeting will be Monday, Nov. 1 at the Morrow County Fairgrounds in Heppner. Dinner will be served by the Willows Grange at 6:30 p.m. The program will include reports from company officers and election of directors. The speaker for the evening will be Fritz Hill who will give a humorous talk on agriculture. Nominations sought for ASC ballot Farmers are asked to nominate candidates of their choice by November 1 to be on the ASC county committee ballot, says R.H. Matthews, chief executive officer. The ASCS county committee election will be conducted from November 26 to December 6 by mail ballot. ASC committees are responsi ble for managing federal farm programs on the local level. To meet the needs of individual pro ducers, ASC committee members must be concerned and responsi ble individuals, Matthews said. Morrow County farmers have the opportunity to nominate people they feel would best serve the farm community. Farmers will be receiving petition forms by mail and will be submitting them to the county ASCS office. A few basic considerations should be kept in mind when cir culating petitions, said Matthews. In order to be valid, petitions must be limited to one nominee each, must include written cer tification that the nominee is will ing to serve if elected, must be signed by at least three eligible farm voters in the ASC communi ty. and must be received in the county ASCS office by November 2 deadline. Farmers may circulate or sign nominating petitions for as many candidates as they choose. Anyone wishing to nominate a farmer for the ASC committee election may contact the county ASCS office for full details, in cluding eligibility requirements for office holders. Farmers should petition for and elect those individuals they feel would do a good job as a member of the ASC committee, said Mat thews. The election of concern ed farmers to positions on ASC committees is essential in the ad ministration of farm programs, he said. Matthews further explained that the county ASCS office welcomes all valid petitions. The opportunity to nominate, vote, and to be elected to office is guaranteed to all farm ers regardless o f race, color, religion, sex, age. marital status, handicap, or national origin.
