Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1994)
P F S S I E U OF WET ZELL ORS N E Y.' 3 V A P E R !. t P, ä 7 r School board considers 4-day week 3 The Morrow County School Board will meet Monday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the district of fice in Lexington. The board will consider adop ting a four-day school week for students in the district as a money saving m easure. D istrict Superintendent Chuck Starr sub mitted a proposal to the budget committee April 11 outlining budget cuts to cope with funding reductions caused by Ballot Measure 5. Changing to a four-day week is estimated to pare at least $125 thousand from the annual budget. Starr said that the number of in structional hours in a four-day student week would not be reduc ed greatly. He also said that the longer days may be more advan tageous instructional^, in that it would allow for block schedul ing, and integration of subject matters. He also said that the four-day week has also been shown to cut absenteeism in both students and teachers. The number of instructional hours lost because of athletics would also be decrease. According to district figures, $1,272,781 in cuts are recom mended to balance the 1994-95 general fund and around $1,400,250 additional cuts are recommended to balance the 1995-96 general fund. In addition to the four-day school week, the following pro- gram changes have been propos ed: a pay-to-play sports program for 1994-95; complete elimina tion of sports and extra-curricular activities, elementary music, elem entary art, elem entary physical education, home economics and field trips for 1995-%. In addition to Heppner Middle School and High School staff reductions because of a pro posed seventh through 12th grade school in Heppner, Starr is recommending a wage freeze for teachers and classified employees for the 1995-% school year. Cur rently, salaries and benefits ac count for 76.9 percent of the 1994-95 Morrow County School District budget expenditures. Heppner city has good and bad news The Heppner city council heard a mixed report from city manager Gary Marks at the meeting held Monday, April 11. Marks told the council that property taxes dedicated to water system debt would be lower next year but water rates would be higher. The council passed a resolution increasing city water rates, effec tive with the July 1994 billing period. The city’s basic rate will be increased by $2.75 a month from $9 to $11.75. Recognizing that sewer rates had been increased three years ago as part of the Wastewater Im provement Project Marks stress ed to the council that “ although people receive a single bill, there is a difference between water rates and sewer rates. Water rates are used to pay for operation of the water system, while sewer rates are used in the sewer fund to pay for the sewer system.” By Anne Morter When Thomas Voegeding returns to his native Germany in July, pickups and Wranglers will be just two of the new things he can tell his friends about. But after spending the better part of a year living in lone and attending lone High School, those two od dities will be just the tip of the iceberg. Thomas, age 16, hails from Idstein, Germany, a city of about 2O,O0O. Frankftirt, at nearly a million in population, is only 40 miles away. Thomas is the youngest of three children. His 26 year old sister is a flight attendant and his 23 year old brother is stu dying at a university. His mother, Anne, (pronounced Anna) who plans to visit in May, makes and sells quilts. His" father lives in Lima, Peru, where he is the director of South American operations for a large chemical company. Thomas doesn’t remember any startling revelation that drove him to be an exchange student but he says that he heard from friends it was a great opportunity. In the fall of 1992, he decided to sign up for the program but it was the fall of 1993 before he was assign ed a host family in the U.S. And even then, he was practically get ting on the plane before he learn ed his destination and some bare facts about his host family. He said he knew very little about Oregon. "1 heard it’s a pretty landscape and that its between California and Washington,” he said. He was braced for a small town but admitted that he was still shocked at first (and he must have been wondering about the pretty landscape). Says Thomas of his new surroundings. “ I missed the big city stuff a little (at first), but it’s all right.” Acting as host family for Thomas is the Jim Swanson fami ly of lone, Jim, Monica, Luke and Adrienne. The Swansons were just getting over lone’s Cy cle Oregon adventure, of which Jim was a co-chair, when they made the final decision to host a student. Thomas found his hosts in a semi-exhausted state when he arrived just four days after Cy cle Oregon, but the match seems to be a good one. “ He is so easy going,” commented host father, Jim Swanson. “ He has made it possible for us to go on with our normal hectic lives,” he adds. Jim says Thomas and the Swan son kids hit it off immediately, making the home life easy. “ He’s just one of those flexible kids.” comments Jim. Monica Swanson. Thomas’ host mother, agrees that Thomas has been an easy keeper. She notes that he is willing to try anything and also has been Marks said that water rates were last increased nine years ago and since that time water system expenses had increased on average by a “ modest two per cent a year” even though infla tion for water systems nationwide had averaged five to six percent a year. “ It would be difficult to find another public or private utility that can say they haven’t increased rates in nine years and show the kind of slow growth we’ve shown,” Marks said. “ However, even with slow growth, time has a way of even tually catching up with you.” Marks also reported that due to the payoff of the city’s 1974 water bond, the water rate in creases would be offset for many residents by lower property tax bills. “ The owner of a $50,000 home who uses an average amount of water each month will see virtually no change in their overall support of the city v. system,” Marks said. A report was also made that the recent refinancing of the city’s 1982 water bond has resulted in a long-term savings of $158,000 to city property taxpayers. Following are Heppner’s new water rates compared to other area cities, basic rate and average monthly use, 7,200 gallons: Con don, $16, $19.15; Stanfield $13, $13; Fossil $12.50, $15.10; Echo $12.50 $15.02; Heppner $11.75, $13.80. In other business, Marks reported that the city sewer pro ject continues to progress on schedule. He also reported that engineers were nearing comple tion of plans and specifications for the street repair and resurfac ing project. Marks said he ex pects to ask the council to award a bid for the street project at the May council meeting. Chamber to discuss tourism at meeting A public meeting on tourism will be held in conjunction with the regular chamber luncheon on Tuesday, April 19, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Elks, in Heppner. The purpose of the program is to discuss the costs, benefits and potential of tourism development in south Morrow County. The meeting will be facilitated by Mike Wetter of Michael Wetter & Associates, an economic development consulting firm. The preliminary results of an assessment of the tourism poten- Photo by Joyce Hughes Thomas Voegeding, the number one ranked tennis player in lone practices his serves. helpful around the house. “ We get along well,” she says. The Swansons are becoming quite ex perienced in the host family business. Before Thomas, they hosted a Japanese boy two sum mers ago and they have already signed up to host a French boy from the Reunion Islands next year. (In case you’re having trou ble finding the Reunion Islands, they are east of the large island of Madagascar, which is off the east coast of Africa). Thomas is a member of lone’s senior class but when he returns to Germany, he has three more years of schooling before he will be ready to go on to the univer sity. Attending lone has been a considerable downsize for him - his school at home has 1,300 students in grades 7-13. After completing 13 grades, the boys in Germany must do a one year stint in the military. After Thomas puts his time in there, he plans to study at the university in the “ propaganda” field (communica tions) with the eventual goal of making commercials. Thomas says he has enjoyed his school year so far and he has par ticipated in many events, in cluding football, basketball and tennis. When both basketball teams made the trip to the state tournament. Thomas donned the Cardinal outfit to lead the crowd in cheering. He asked for the job because he didn't think the former Cardinal had been danc ing nearly enough. The stifling gym in Baker City made the job a challenge but Thomas said it was still enjoyable. “ It was hot, but it was fun,” he said. He now looks forward to the senior trip to the beach and to the prom, an tial of south Morrow County will be presented. The assessment describes the kinds of tourism that appear to have the most potential for the area and what the impacts might be. The project is spon sored by the Heppner Coor dinating Council and funded by the Heppner Chamber of Com merce and Heppner Economic D evelopm ent C orporation through the Tourism Division of Oregon Economic Development Department and Rural Develop ment Initiatives, INc. (RDI). There will be opportunities for comments, questions and input about whether there is support for tourism development in south Morrow County. The input will assist the sponsoring organiza tions in determining how they can best meet the development needs of this area. All interested persons are in vited to attend the luncheon. Coordinating Mini-College June 13-16 at OSU Council to meet event they d o n ’t have in “ Mini-College is a little bit of Germany. heaven,” says Carol Michael On the culinary front, Thomas Bennett, Morrow County Exten has found some new foods to en sion agent. No cooking, just joy but he is missing the German eating. No cleaning, just bread. Our type of fluffy balloon laughing. Learning with no pop bread is no substitute for heavy quizzes. Enjoying lush lawns you and hearty Germany bread, he don’t have to mow. says. And he wouldn’t mind some Mini-College will be held on Camembert cheese to go with it. the Oregon State University cam But he is not shy about trying new pus in Corvallis June 13-16. The things and has discovered the theme “ Celebrating Families” wonders of red licorice and recognizes the 1994 International microwave popcorn, and he even Year of the Family. likes oysters. “ Thomas tries Classes range from stir fry, everything,” commented Jim. massage techniques, families in Thomas has enjoyed a good China, writing within the family number of activities during the and Oregon wildflowers to sav year, including trips to Mt. ings and investments. A class for Bachelor, Seattle and Corvallis photographers, “ Point to Shoot” for an OSU football game with will be taught be Michael- the Swansons and a trip to Bennett. Participants will learn southern California with a group how to “ take good photos and of exchange students from around * store them wisely.” There will be th country. He says that 80 kids made the trip and 50 were Ger campus walking tours of the mans. “ I could speak German buildings honoring women and again. At first it was tough,” he OSU trees. One of the three general ses said. The exchange students sions will feature Kid Konnec- visited Sea World, Disneyland, tion, a 4-H circus. Another Universal Studios and other general session will feature Mary points of LA, San Diego and San Sorber as pioneer “ Rebecca” . Francisco. She will recount her family’s ear Thomas made the trip through ly years in Oregon. Last year, ASSE, originally founded by the “ Rebecca” shared stories of Swedish government as the American Scandinavian Student Exchange to provide student ex changes between the U.S. and Scandinavia. ASSE has since ex panded in size and scope to cover many other countries. ASSE is always looking for host families. Interested people should contact the regional ASSE office at 1-800-733-2773 or call local representative Cathy Halvorsen 422-7107. Lexington, traveling the Oregon Trail, her clothes turning to dirty tatters, her shoes wearing out and her pregnancy. Evening hands-on handicraft classes, the banquet, sing-a-longs and a fund raiser silent auction of gifts round out the mini-college experience. Look for mini college brochures in the Morrow County Extension office or call 676-9642 or 1-800-342-3664 for a registration brochure. VA office closed Veterans Service Officer, Rita Hedman will be attending a con ference in Wilsonville April 19-22. The Heppner office will be closed Thursday, April 21. Market Report Compliment» ol Ih» M om » County Gf»«i Grower? Tuesday, April 12, 1994 Soft White April *3.57/*3.59 May *3.61 /*3.63 June *3.63/*3.62 July *3.59/*3.56 Aug.-Sept. *3.52 Bariev April-June *98 July-Sept. *97 The Heppner Coordinating Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday. April 19 at 7:30 a.m. at the GEODC office. The purpose of the meeting will be to continue work on updating the Heppner Strategic Plan. The council has agreed on seven overall goals for the plan: create opportunities for business development resulting in full time living wage jobs; retain existing em ploym ent; identify and develop infrastructure necessary to attract new employment and residents; increase and improve housing; increase and improve lodging accom m odations; develop and maintain accurate community information; enhance community appearance. The next step in the plan update process is the determination of the strategies and specification plans designed to implement the com munity strategic plan. The next regular meeting of the Heppner Coordinating Council will be on April 26 at 7:30 a.m. in the GEODC office. The agen da will include discussion of Heppner city projects, the Hepp ner Fact Book and the antique farm implement museum project. SNAPPER BLACK HAWK See it now at your local SNAPPER DEALER N a rro w C o u n ty G ra in G ro w ers OR • 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
