Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1994)
U OF OKE N E A S P A P E R L I B p »• f. • •; r 3 r 9 7 4 O "* GEODC holds annual meeting G reater E astern O regon D evelopm ent C orporation (GEODC) celebrated a year of expansion and recognized outgo ing president Dale Courtney for a decade of service at its annual meeting in Heppner on Friday, Jan. 28. Bonny Parker and Steve Anderson updated members on the water system plans for the city of Umatilla and Fraser Hawley of Cascade Specialties Inc. spoke on the process of locating an onion dehydration plant in Morrow County. GEODC is a private non-profit corporation that operates a five county economic development district. This includes the ad ministration of a business revolv ing loan fund and assistance to local com m unity economic development efforts. GEODC also serves as an eight county cer tified development corporation affiliated with the Small Business Administration for the operation of a long term, low interest, fix ed asset loan program. Two of the highlights of the least 12 months were noted at the meeting. GEODC has been selected to administer the regional lone Cards headed to district By Anne Morter VOL. 113 NO. 7 14 Pages Wednesday, February 16, 1994 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon Bond refinancing will save money Refinancing the city of Hepp- ner’s water bonds could save tax payers money, City Manager Gary Marks said Monday, Feb. 14. Marks says that in addition to obtaining a slightly lower interest rate, refinancing the city’s FmHA bonds with a private market bond over a shorter time period could save $161,000 in interest. The 40-year FmHA bonds, obtained in 1982, would have matured in 2022. The 15-year private market bond will mature in 2009. Marks said that “ the timing is right” because the current in terest rate is low. between 4.8 and 4.9, and because the 1974 water bond matures this year. The 1974 water bond was assess ed at $1.17 per thousand. The tax rate for the new private market bond is estimated around 47 cents per thousand. The change would result in a combined reduction of around 70 cents per thousand. Cost to a taxpayer with a $50.000 home would be around $23.50. That would amount to a $300 sav ings over 15 years, Marks said. He added that an emergency reserve fund of around $30,000 required by FmHA could then be used for repairs and im provements to the water system. In other business, the council: -adopted a resolution suppor ting the formation of an Extension Service district. Extension agent Bill Broderick told the council that if they did not indicate sup port of the district, “ 4-H would not exist in Heppner.” Broderick said that because Extension is not a mandated service it could be dropped by the county in the event of a levy failure and budget cuts. Broderick said that staffing will remain the same. -heard a request from Morrow County Judge Louis Carlson for a recommendation concerning a possible utility easement or water corridor on the abandoned Hepp ner railroad line. Carlson discuss ed the possibility of farmers’ use of irrigation water from Willow Creek Lake using the corridor and said that a possible designa tion of the Bull Nose Trout as an endangered species could affect that irrigation. Carlson said that the railroad is expected to begin pulling track around July 1. -approved a recommendation concerning a special historic building assessment classification for the Gilliam and Bisbee Building in H eppner. The designation would freeze taxes on the building, which is owned by Dick and Lynnea Sargent. -adopted a resolution concern ing elimination of bid and perfor mance bonds for small contracts for the Heppner firehall improve ment project. -heard a report on the progress of the wastewater system im provement project. Allen Rieke of Anderson Perry engineering firm said that as of the end of January the project was 20 per cent complete. Rieke said that the golf course portion of the project will be completed by the March 1 deadline required by Willow Creek Country-Club. 4 ■' -heard a report from Marks concerning landscaping plans for the mini park in Heppner. A con test was proposed to name the park. -approved a request for authorization to advertise for a hearing to amend the zoning or dinance to allow public and semi public uses as conditional uses in R-l zones. The request was in connection with plans to construct an emergency operations center at the emergency management /sheriffs offices. The center would be a two-story structure which would contain a five-day supply of food and water, cots and space for emergency shelter, an emergency operations center and meeting room. -adopted a resolution which would establish a zero-tolerance policy toward gang activity within the city. MCGG feeds breakfast to big crowd Gary Munkers flips pancakes Saturday at the annual Morrow County Grain Growers ap preciation breakfast. The grain growers staff members served pancakes, eggs, ham, coffee and hot chocolate to a very large appreciative crowd, along with handing out 300 carnations to the ladies. The lone Cardinals tuned up for the district tournament with two wins last weekend, downing Wheeler and Echo. Finishing league play at 10-0 and the regular season at 13-7, the Cards advance to the Big Sky Tourna ment as the number one seed from the east side of the con ference. They take on Wasco County, the number one team from the west side, at approx imately 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18 at the Hermiston High School gym. The winner of that game advances to the state tournament in Baker City as the Big Sky champion. The loser plays the w inner of the Helix-Dufur game for the number two spot in the state playoffs. Both weekend opponents gave the lone lady Cardinals a run for their money but the lone team came out on top, finishing league play with an unblemished 10-0 record and showing a 17-3 regular season mark. They now advance to the Big Sky Con ference District Tournament as the number one seed from the east side of the conference. The lady Cards take on the number one team from the west side of the Big Sky League. Wasco County, Friday night, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Her miston High School gym. The winner of that game will advance to the state tournament in Baker City, as the number one team from the Big Sky Conference. The loser will play the winner of the Condon-Dufur game on Saturday, Feb. 19, for the Big Sky’s second spot in the state tournam ent. The C ardinals district tournament games will be broadcast on KOHU. FM 99.3 from Hermiston. Britts o ffer septic service "1 *1 strategy program for the north central Oregon counties of Mor row, Grant, Gilliam, Wheeler, Sherman and Wasco. GEODC saw its dollar base of authorized SBA “ 504” loans increase 90 percent as they added three loans to their portfolio for a new loan dollar base of $2.8 million. Newly elected officers for the year are president John Grace; vice president Allen Anderson; secretary-treasure John Prag. Other members of the executive committee are Jim Tindle, Elizabeth Carroll, Bill Deist and Dale Courtney. Scholarship trust receives donation The South Morrow County Scholarship Trust has received a $4,000 donation from the Lex ington Community Coordinating Committee from a portion of the Lexington Tippage Fees from the Finley Butte's Landfill project. The South Morrow County Scholarship Trust will award one $500 scholarship each year for any child whose parents reside in the voting precinct of Lexington and who has completed one year of education after high school. Additional weight will be given to students whose parents live outside the city of Lexington ci ty limits, but inside the voting precinct of Lexington. Applicants may pick up their application forms on or after March 2 at the school district of fice in Lexington or at Heppner or lone High Schools. Deadline for applications at the school district office in Lexington is 5 p.m. March 23. An applicant requesting further information may contact a South Morrow County Scholarship Trust board member. Court seeks pennant bearers Photo by Joyce Hughes Roger Britt shows off his septic truck, now open for business. Roger and Rita Britt have an nounced the opening of the Roger Britt Septic Service in Heppner. The service offers 24-hour pumping of residential and com mercial septic tanks in Morrow and Gilliam counties and surroun ding areas. Meeting set for shelter plans An orientation meeting for planning an emergency shelter at Heppner High School will be held Feb. 24 from 7-9 p.m. and repeated on Feb. 25 from 9-11 a.m. at the St. Patrick's Senior Center dining room. Anyone wishing to assist with the plans is encouraged to attend. In the event of an accident at the chemical stockpile at the Umatilla Army Depot evacuees will be cared for at the emergen cy shelter as one part of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Plan (CSEPP). This will involve local volunteers who wish to help to prepare the shelter and operate it until the Red Cross arrives to carry on with its management. The purpose of this meeting is to inform volunteers about the overall emergency preparedness plan and the key functions of an emergency shelter. It will also determine which individuals will work on key functions such as: registration, feeding, dormitory, client services and others. Ade quate time is scheduled for answering volunteers' questions. The Emergency Shelter Com mittee chose these alternate dates to make it convenient for people to attend. “ We need more volunteers, so we urge anyone who can to help us.” said a spokesperson For more informa tion call 676-9435. they are licensed and bonded and DEQ approved. Call 676-5096 for service. The 1994 Morrow County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Court is seeking children in terested in being flag bearers for the 1994 rodeo season. Boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16 may apply by sending a brief letter about themselves and their interests to Julie Ashbeck, HC70. Box 411, Echo OR 97826. Find The Hidden Shamrock Win Silver Medallions The St. Patrick's Day treasure hunt is back again. Each week until M arch 16 a clue for the treasure hunt will be printed in the G azette-Tim es. If followed these clues will guide treasure hunters to green plastic shamrock hidden somewhere in the city limits o f H eppner. The first person to find the hidden shamrock w ill win a set o f pure silver O regon Trail com m orative medallions, worth nearly $90. The coins are donated by the Bank o f Eastern O regon and are on display at the bank. Find This Shamrock... and win These Silver Coins RULES: 1. A new set of clues to guide you to the hidden shamrock will appear in each edition of the Heppner Gazette-Times. 2. A total of five clues will be given up to March 16. 3. The hidden shamrock is not on private property and no digg ing or moving of objects, dirt or other material is necessary to find the shamrock. 4 The first person to find the shamrock should bring it to the Heppner Gazette-Times office to claim the commemorative silver medallions. Clue Number One Where there’s contests for the young Below a hydro project done On a fodder lane look west From this point you’ll start your quest Follow the clues and may the luck of the Irish be with you. This con test is sponsored by the Bank of Eastern Oregon and the Heppner Gazette-Times.
