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SWCD reviews year in annual meeting
: Z F. L l.
Ecosystem managment has put
heavy demands on the resources
of the Morrow County Soil and
Water Conservation District
(SWCD) during 1993 as review
ed by director Jerry Anderson
during the annual meeting at the
Town and Country event held in
Heppner last Wednesday, Jan.
0 R F
r a P F R F i r
nir.F.iiE
OR
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VOL. 113 NO. 3 6 Pages Wednesday, January 19, 1994 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
Morrow SWCD was the first
district in Oregon to sign a sup
plemental m emorandum of
understanding to allow the district
to have input into the Food
Security Act compliance review
process. The local district also
regularly reviews memorandums
of understanding with USDA,
SCS, USFS, Oregon Department
o f Agriculture, the Natural
Resrouce Division, the Navy and
a current interagency agreement
with the Army.
The district staff attended
workshops and training sessions
to keep updated on changes in
employment laws, weed control,
pesticide application and natural
resource related subjects.
But out in the field there have
been many developments. In
cooperation with ODF&W there
have been seedings for wildlife
and streambank riparian area fen
cing. A riparian and upland
meadow enhancement project on
Wilson Prairie was implemented
in cooperation with landowners.
Monitoring of Army Depot
wildlife and weed control plus
monitoring of range utilization in
cooperation with lessees on the
Navy Bombing range is part of
SWCD’s responsilblity.
A spikeweed control project
was completed in cooperation
with local landowners in the
Alpine ara. A governor’s water
shed enhancement grant was us
ed on Rhea Creek to repair and
improve a riparian area in
cooperation with Larry Inskeep.
Grass seeding at Finley Buttes
Landfill was a project to prevent
wind erosion on a completed
landfill cell. And willow trees
were planted around the Willow
Creek Lake.
To implement weed control the
district purchased a Bowie Hydro
Mulcher. In cooperation with
other agencies, the mulcher was
used to seed roadside banks along
the state highway following the
construction of a left turn lane at
Kinzua Mill. The machine is also
available for other seeding
projects.
Morrow SWCD sponsored a
resource conservation and
development measure in conjunc
tion with the West Extension Ir
rigation District that converted
about 100 acres from flood irriga
tion to sprinkler irrigation to con
serve water in the Irrigon area.
This agency also sponsored an
RC&D measure for skeltonweed
control in the weed districts of
Morrow, Umatilla and Gilliam
counties.
In cooperation with the Mor
row County Children and Youth
Services Commission an Oregon
Youth Conservation Corp provid
ed summer jobs for local youths
who built and maintained hiking
trails at Heppner city parks and
next to the Willow Creek Lake.
Currently the local weed con
trol district is involved in en
couraging the USFS to complete
an environmental assessment for
weed control on national forest
land and to assist Morrow County
producers, the district has
dedicated tiime to encourage the
extension of the current Conser
vation Reserve Program as they
continue to assist landowners in
resource management.
Seminar on gang
activity slated
Reports in recent months of
drive-by shootings in Hermiston
and the appearance of gang
related graffiti and activity in a
number of communities, in
cluding Boardman and Irrigon,
have brought the issues of youth
gangs to the attention of south
Morrow County residents. As
community members travel to
neighboring communities and as
regional growth brings new peo
ple into our neighborhoods,
previously unheard of questions
begin to be asked? “ Are there
gangs where I shop? In my
neighborhood? How would I
know if my children or their
friends were becoming involved
in gangs? What can I do to avoid
it?’’
Speaker Jesus Villahermosa, a
gang expert from the Puget Sound
area will try to answer some of
these questions when he ad
dresses parents and community
members Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 7
p.m. at the Heppner High School
cafeteria. Babysitting will be
available. Those needing to use
the babysitting service should
contact Darcy Robinson at the
high school 676-9138.
A presentation will also be held
at the Heppner Chamber of Com
merce from noon to 1 p.m. at the
Heppner Elks Club.
A staff inservice is scheduled
for both Heppner and lone
schools on Tuesday from 1:30 to
4:30 p.m. Schools will be
dismissed at 1 p.m.
“ Addressing our gang problem
is of concern to me for several
reasons,” says Heppner High
School principal Steve Dicken
son. Dickenson cites national
research that gang involved youth
have lower achievement and
higher drop-out, truancy and
suicide rates. They are also more
likely to develop a criminal
record than non-involved youth.
“ My main reason for having
this presentation,” says Dicken
son, “ is to help make parents,
staff and community members
have read. Reading teachers ad aware of the telltale signs of gang
just the goals to meet the in activity as they travel to shop, do
dividual capabilities of each stu business, or compete in athletic
dent. Students must read a certain events in neighboring com
number of pages or books and munities which may have a gang
report on the material read. The problem.”
students then are rewarded with
While Heppner, Lexington and
free treats from the drive-in. The lone don't appear to have a gang
program has grown from 105 problem at this time, the same
students earning 190 certificates could have been said of a number
in the 1986-87 school year to 184 of eastern
Oregon
and
students earning 490 certificates Washington communities a few
in ’92-93.
years ago, which are now com
The Riehls also provide ice batting gangs. Presentations like
cream treats as rewards for other that scheduled with Villahermosa
programs, such as the summer will help develop a community
reading program at the Heppner awareness of youth gangs that
Library.
will empower parents and com
For many years, the Riehls, often munity leaders to keep their com
helped by their sons, provided munities safe and gang free, said
community roller skating at the Dickenson.
Morrow County Fairgrounds.
Jesus Villahermosa presents up
They were also loyal supporters to the minute information in an
of the Heppner High School interesting style, combined with
sports program.
recent anecdotes and humorous
Tom Riehl came to the rescue analogies emphasizing practical
of many area businesses last and useful advice. Villahermosa
winter, when he used his small is famliar with Hispanic culture,
tractor, fitted with a blade, to being of Puerto Rican descent.
clear heavy snowfall from city Parents should be aware that
sidewalks.
Villahermosa advises that most
Helen is active in the Altar gang seminars are not appropriate
Society of St. Patrick Catholic for youth.
Church which they attend. Tom
The program is being funded
has been a member of the Hepp through the Morrow County
ner City Planning Commission.
Commission on Children and
Besides three children, the Families.
Riehls have four grandchildren.
C ham ber announces m an, w om an, educator and business
o f the year aw ards at Tow n and Country
John Edmundson
Corrine Lindsay
A familiar face in so many
aspects of Morrow County life,
John Edmundson, 1993 Chamber
of Commerce Man of the Year,
is always there behind the scenes.
John was principal at the lone
Schools before he served as assis
tant superintendent for the Mor
row County School District.
After retirement, he worked for
the U.S. Forest Service.
Edmunson’s list of volunteer
service is extensive, to say the
least. He is a past president of the
Heppner Lions Club and has
served as secretary. He is past
president and is still an active
volunteer for the Willow Creek
Country Club. He was a member
of the Morrow County Juvenile
Services Commission. He has
been a member of the Heppner ci
ty budget committee for the past
five years and served as chairman
for two of those years. He is a
member and past chairman of the
Morrow County Tourism Com
mittee. He is currently on the
board of the Eastern Oregon
Visitors Association and is the
Heppner Chamber of Commerce
second vice president. Edmund
son is also on the Heppner City
Planning Comm ission sub
committee to study the city’s ur
ban growth boundary and is
secretary for the Heppner Coor
dinating Council.
In his ‘spare’ time. Edmundson
is a golf instructor through Blue
Mountain Community College.
He has taught skiing at Spout
Springs and was an active moun
tain climber as a member of the
Hood River Crag Rats. He is also
a member of All Saints Episcopal
Church and has set up and mann
ed the local booth at the Oregon
State Fair.
And. as if that wasn't enough,
Edmundson has some projects in
the fire. He is working on obtain
ing a city map sign to orient out-
of-towners to the area and is in
the early stages of organizing a
local Volkssports Club for walk
ing, biking and cross country
skiing.
Edmundson and his wife, Pat,
a retired school teacher, have
three children, Vicki Brookshire,
Kristi Smalley and Jeff Edmund
son, and six grandchildren.
Corrine Lindsay, whose talents
are multi-faceted, is not only a
wife and mother of a large fami
ly, but is also involved in the
fam ily business and the
community.
Lindsay is the manager of the
Lindsay Ranch Feedlot through
which over 8,000 calves pass
through in preparation for
finishing feedlots. A University
of Portland degree in chemistry
helps Lindsay formulate special
feed rations for the cattle, using
a mixture of grains, silage and
hay. She also keeps detailed com
puterized performance records to
help cattle owners upgrade their
herds.
In addition to home and
business, Lindsay stays active in
community affairs. She has serv
ed as the chairperson of the Mor
row County Juvenile Services
Commission for the past three
years. The commission has
helped provide funding for the
Heppner Day Care Center,
Hands-On-Science classes and
Head Start.
Lindsay was a 4-H leader for
around 10 years, while her
children were involved in 4-H
and FFA. For 20 years she was
a religious education leader and
coordinator of high school youth
programs. She is a member and
past president of the St. Patrick
Catholic Church Altar Society.
Lindsay has also coordinated a
family musical group which has
played Irish music for St.
Dave Gunderson
Patrick’s Day for the past 15
years.
Lindsay’s concern for others is
even more far reaching than her
immediate community. In 1975,
she and her husband, Larry,
sponsored 30 V ietnam ese
refugees. The Lindsays provided
the refugees with housing, farm
jobs, English classes and training
at their ranch.
Lindsay was bom in Water-
tow n, South D akota. She
graduated from high school at St.
Mary’s Academy in Portland and
was valedictorian for the class of
1961 at the U niversity o f
Portland. She attended the
University of Cologne, Germany,
on a Fullbright Scholarship and
was a chemistry instructor at the
University of Portland. The Lind
says had nine children, Ann Mur
ray, Cathy Pedro, Alex, Theresa,
Barney, Danny, Joe. John Paul
and Claire Michelle. John Paul
and Claire Michelle died earlier.
The Lindsays also have six
grandchildren.
Citizen Educator of the Year,
Dave Gunderson, has shown a
deep involvement with area kids.
Gunderson took over director
ship of the Colt Basketball pro
gram, which teaches basketball
fundamentals for kids in fourth
through sixth grades, in 1984. He
has also been active in the Little
League and T-Ball programs for
the past seven years.
Gunderson was elected to the
Heppner Elem entary/M iddle
School Site Base Council this past
fall and has been a volunteer on
the school improvement team
since 1991. He is a member of the
M orrow County Education
Association has been a teacher-
organizer of the sixth grade Out
door School at Tupper.
Currently in his 13th year of
teaching at Heppner Middle
Helen and Tom Riehl
School, Gunderson also taught
five years at Roseburg. In addi
tion to teaching at HMS, he also
coaches at the middle school and
the high school.
Mr. ‘G’, as he is affectionate
ly known by his students,
graduated from Heppner High
School in 1971. He graduated
from Oregon State University in
1976 and participated in a
University of Oregon intern pro
gram from 1976-77.
Gunderson and his wife,
Tricia, have two sons, Brent and
Derek.
Tom and Helen Riehl, owners
of the R & W Drive-In in Hepp
ner were the recipients of the
Chamber of Commerce Business
of the Year award.
The Riehls came to the Hepp
ner commmunity 13 years ago
when they bought the drive-in. In
addition to raising their three
sons, Rick, Bob and T.R., and
putting in many long hours at the
drive-in. the Riehls have nurtured
budding readers in the communi
ty through a special program.
Eight years ago the Riehls sug
gested a system of rewards to
create incentives for children to
develop the reading habit.
The program challenges
students to meet goals and share
information about the books they
Ione City Council reviews plan to replace roof
The lone City council review
ed the plan for replacement of the
lone reservoir roof. The roof will
be replaced by the city using
volunteer labor. The city has been
unable to get grant money
because the roof is a replacement
and lone water quality has been
good. The council hopes to keep
the costs at or less than $25,000.
Ten thousand dollars will be from
the Finley Butte grant reviewed
by the city.
The Emert addition was also
discussed. The first home in the
addition is in place and the water
line will be activated soon. All
work done by the city will be bill
ed at the rate set for out-of-city-
limits work. Work will be in
spected by Tenneson Engineering
of The Dalles.
The council elected Cleo
Childers as council chairman for
1994 and committees were
appointed.
The city received a special ci
ty street allotment from the state
of Oregon, Department of
Transportation, for $25,000. The
allotment will be used for im
provement of Main Street from
Spring Street to ‘A’ Street.