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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.