Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 24, 1993)
Ethics complaint against Judge Louis Carlson dismissed An ethics complaint filed against Morrow County Judge Louis Carlson by lone farmer Jim McElligott, has been dismissed after an investigation by the Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission. McElligott had alleged that Carlson benefited from an agree ment with Morrow County to provide the county with a quarry site on land owned by one of Carlson’s corporations. The contract stipulated that the county would gravel a road on Carlson’s property in exchange for the quarry site. Commis sioners Don McElligott (uncle of Jim McElligott) and Ray French both signed the agreement, how ever C om m issioner McElligott later said he did not read the contract before signing. Carlson declared a conflict of in terest on the agreement and did not sign as county judge. An identical contract had also been signed with Morrow Coun ty resident Albert Wright on the same day. Jim McElligott’s complaint said that Carlson “ used his posi tion for personal profit by enter ing into an agreement with the County of Morrow to establish a rock quarry on land owned by one of his corporations.” McElligott also alleged that VOL. 112 NO. 47 8 Pages Wednesday, November 24. 1993 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon « Heppner gets $170 thousand grant The city of Heppner has receiv ed a $170,000 award from the Oregon Economic Development Department’s Special Public Works Fund Program to con struct mandated wastewater system improvements, according to Bill Scott, director The improvements are now ex pected to cost $1.9 million to serve the city of 1,415 residents, located in Morrow County. An initial OEDD award of $300,OCX), was made in August to cover costs which became ineligi ble for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funds after the state Department of Environmen tal Quality required modifications to the project. The city called for second bids ^ for construction of the project in October. Earlier September bids were higher than the initial estimates and provided the basis for an additional state award. “ The Community Develop ment staff uses a great deal of flexibility to help local govern ment with funding expensive in frastructure projects needed for quality of life and economic development. It can modify an in itial award to meet the true cost of construction,” said Scott. The city will use the additional funds, a grant of $100,000 and a deferred loan of $70,000, in con junction with the initial grant of $ 150,000 and a loan of $ 150,000 to match the reduction in grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency wastewater fund. The initial Environmental Pro tection Agency award was reduc ed to eligible costs of approx imately $1.1 million due to modifications in the project. The city anticipates starting construc tion immediately following the execution of the grant and loan contract with the state. “ The grant/loan package makes our wastewater project possible by providing the final funding piece of the city’s con struction budget,” said Gary Marks, Heppner city manager. In 1989. the city of Heppner sold a General Obligation Bond for $625,000 to finance its share of the p r o je c t. A total of $406,000, following expenditures for engineering design, remains to offset construction costs. The city’s rate for municipal sewer service, at $19.70 per month, is the highest in northeastern Oregon. The special public works fund, created by the legislature, uses lottery dollars to finance the con struction of publicly owned in frastructure such as roads, docks, water and sewer systems that are needed by industry to expand or locate in Oregon, thus creating new jobs. She’s not your average seamstress Anne Beard, Heppner, isn’t just the average home sewer. For the past 10 years she has been creating exquisite fashions from tiny pieces of imported hand- woven silk. And she also creates southwestern appliqued designs for wool gabardine garments. After exhibiting her wares at a show in Sun Valley, Idaho, this fall, she recently returned home from a Spokane gallery showing called “ Inland Craft Warnings” held at the Masonic Temple. As a newcomer, she was ac cepted for this show earlier this year. According to Beard, the show has been limited to a select group of artists in order to main tain a high-quality mix of diver sified art offerings. But the uni que thing about this show is that for the past 11 years, it has been staged and managed by artists themselves. Craftspeople like Beard have led the way by introducing stong and saturated colors into the fashion world, especially for evening wear. Her western motifs on jackets and vests come from “ something I grew up with,” Beard claims She admits that she is often swamped with orders which sometimes are the result of ‘w ord-of-m outh’ contacts. However, she also prepares orders for outlets in Santa Fe, N.M .; Sedona and Scotsdale. both in Arizona. county employees graveled more of a portion of road than the agreement called for, used ap proximately three times the amount of materials than the agreement called for and altered time cards to cover up the actual cost and dates the work took place. Carlson said that when it was determined that the county used more materials than what was called for in the agreement, he of fered to pay for the difference in the amount of rock taken from his qauarry and what was placed on his road. The two commissioners could not agree on what the cost should be and this disagreement was settled by an arbitrator. Judge Carlsdon paid the amount decided upon by this independent arbitrator. The county paid Carlson for the extracted rock and Carlson paid the county for the road that was built. Commissioner Don McElligott told the ethics investigators that he felt C arlson received something of financial value he would not have received had he not been a public official. He said he also did not agree with the ar bitrators settlement figures. C om m issioner Raymond French sided with Carlson and said he did not believe Carlson violated any ethics laws and did not get anything “ simply because he was judge.” Two road departm ent employees also said they didn’t see anything out of the ordinary on the Carlson agreement. Don Ball told investigators he “ did not feel that Judge Carlson attempted to use his official position for any financial gain and simply wanted an equal trade type of agree ment.” A nother road departm ent employee, Deroyce Lusher, who was in charge of building the road, and was responsible for more rock being placed on the road than the agreement called for said this was his decision and Carlson had nothing to do with it. Lusher said the Carlson agree ment was a “ normal contract and all contracts vary depending on what the owner of the property wants as payment for his material. Nothing was done for Judge Carlson that would not have been done for anyone else who had the same agreement with the co u n ty ,” Lusher told investigators. In closing the ethics commis sions said: “ There has been no evidence presented, nor does it appear that any exists, to indicate that Judge Carlson used his of ficial position to influence this agreement in any way.” Judge Jack Christmas Punch game to begin Olsen seeks Some lucky person will win a tificates will be drawn for some reelection grand prize of $600 in gift cer lucky winners. Everyone who tificates just in time for Christmas. Local businesses start Christmas Punch this week with a total of $1,200 in gift cer tificates to be given away. To enter shoppers need only to pick up their “ lucky” punch card at any of the participating businesses, have the card punch ed with each perchase of $5 or ¡«ore and then place the card in the special entry boxes around town. Each week six $25 gift cer- enters throughout the four-week contest will have their name in the big final drawing for the $600 grand prize gift certificates on Dec. 21. Participating stores are Coast to Coast, Central Market, County Rose, Gardner’s Men’s Wear. Green Feed and Seed, Les Schwab, Morrow County Grain Growers, Murray Drugs Store, Peterson’s Jewelers Pettyjohn’s. Court Street Market and the Shoe Box. Christmas tree permits available Christmas tree permits can now be purchased at all offices of the Umatilla National Forest for $2 per tree. There is a limit of one tree per household, although friends, relatives and neighbors can pick up permits for others. A Christmas tree permit is re quired for each tree cut. Douglas fir, Englemann spruce and blue spruce are the most popular trees, though insect infestation and disease have left these species a little bedraggled. Ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine make unique and fragrant alternatives. Permits may be purchased dur ing regular office hours Monday through Friday at the Forest Ser vice office or Millers Mini Mart in Heppner, the supervisor’s of fice in Pendleton and at the district offices in Ukiah and Walla Walla and Pomeroy, WA. Circuit Judge Jack Olsen, Pendleton, has announced that he will seek reelection in 1994. Olsen has served as circuit judge since 1976 following a contested election. He was reelected in 1983 and again in 1989. Olsen is presiding judge of the circuit and district courts for Morrow and Umatilla counties. He was ap pointed presiding judg* by Chief Justice Wallace P. Carson, Jr. of the Oregon Supreme Court. “ We hold court in Pendleton, Hepp ner, Hermiston and Milton- Freewater,” Olsen said. With an “ extensive background, including law en forcement and criminal prosecu tions,” Olsen said, “ there are some exciting things going on in the criminal justice system right now which should make our com munities a safer place to live. I want to be a part of those changes. This is something I’ve devoted my life to and I look for ward to it.” Firewood season ends A fter hours set for G ardner’s Nov. 30 Anne Beard with one of her creations It's an eight hour per day “ labor of love” in her home studio that has won her national recognition. These garments often require eight to 10 days for piecing and cutting of just one ar ticle. Last year, she won the “ Fabrics at their Best” division at a juried show in Yakima. WA. Now a Heppner area resident. Beard says that her flair for designing and creating garments came from her mother. Florence Bayless, who now lives in Florida. Beard decided to pursue that interest as she and her hus band trooped about the world for 22 years during his army career. Her husband, retired Lt. Col. Casey Beard, now works as Mor row C o u n ty ’s em ergency management director. They reside below Heppner on Willow Creek. The final day to cut firewood on the Umatilla National Forest for the 1993 season is November 30, when all areas on the North Fork John Day Ranger District will be closed. All other firewood areas on the Umatilla National Forest closed earlier. Firewood permits purchased for the Umatilla National Forest can also be valid on the Wallowa- Whitman National Forest if the Wallowa-Whitman Special Con ditions Attachment accompanies the perm it. The W allowa- Whitman National Forest will re main open for firewood cutting until December 31, although most areas have received signifi cant snowfall and may be inaccessible. Pioneer M em orial Nursing Home Auxiliary to raffle m eat The Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home Auxiliary is holding a drawing for $100 of meat pur chased through Court Street Market. Tickets are on sale at Court Street Market. Kate's Piz- za and Murray Drugs and may be purchased for $1 or six for $5. The draw ing will be held December 15. All proceeds go towards Christmas gifts for the residents. Photo by Joyce Hughes Roe Gardner and Gardner's Men’s Wear will be hosting the next Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours next Tues day, Nov. 30 beginning at 6 p.m. All business people are in vited to attend, sample some refreshments, enter a drawing and socialize j
