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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 1994)
3LS5 U C F 1 E Kinzua Resources owner takes active interest in mill WET OR E N E V. S P A I * £ R t. I f ti a » c u r 9 7 OR Greg Demers, one of the prin cipal ow ners o f Kinzua Resources, is now at work at Kin zua three days a week. Demers, who is involved in purchasing timber for the mill, says that the owners plan to “ go full steam ahead to get the mill as competitive as possible, so we can compete and survive. It’s got to produce and be a better mill than those around it,” Demers told the Gazette-Times in an in terview last week. He says that m otivating the staff and upgrading Kinzua, which was not “ state of the art” as many were lead to believe, will help the mill compete. Kinzua Resources recently hired Rick Rea as general manager, replacing Frank Pear son, who resigned from that posi tion to continue his job with Kin zua, Corp. former owners of the mill. Rea was general manager for the Seneca sawmill, which, Demers says is one of the best sawmills in the state, “ on the edge of technology” . “ He brings a lot of expertise and knowledge to stay com petitive,” said Demers, “ which is basically what’s going to happen here if it (Kinzua Resources) is going to stay long.” Demers is actively involved in overseeing operations and acquir ing additional tim ber and timberlands to keep the mill operating. Demers says that another of the principal owners, Mel McDougal, is also actively involved in the mill’s operation, unlike the former owners of Kin zua Corp. The company Demers owns, ATR Services, one of the principal owners of Kinzua Resources, is mainly into timber acquisition, although Demers says his joint ventures have in cluded development property and cattle ranches. Demers, 34, moved to Veneta with his parents in 1963 from Long Beach, CA. He first became involved in the timber business when he logged on his parents land during the summers. He attended Portland State University, majoring in account ing. Demers lives in Veneta with his wife, Peggy, and their five children, all under eight years old. The company has a plane and a pilot, but Demers also has a pilot’s license and is able to fly home from Heppner in the evenings. Demers, commenting on the negative press that his company received before they announced they planned to keep the mill open, says that the members of his corporation had “ limited ac cess and limited knowledge” of the operation of the mill before they purchased it. He said that they were not able to make their decision as to whether to keep the mill open until after they had been in Heppner a couple of weeks. “ We didn’t buy the mill to give the Kinzua employees a job,” he said. “ We’ve got an upbeat outlook or we would never had done it. It’s up to the workforce to see that it stays competitive.” Employees are now working four 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday. Fire Department responds to PMH fire VOL. 113 NO. 27 6 Pages Wednesday. June 22, 1994 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon Teachers, district sign contract The Morrow County School District and the Morrow County Education Association, repre sented by Lisa Nelson, signed the teachers’ contract for the 1994-95 school year. According to Superintendent Chuck Starr, the teachers will receive a 6.75 percent salary in crease, but will drop the six per cent PERS pickup. There will be no increase in insurance costs, which arc capped at *425 per month per employee. Starr said that before budget cuts, increases would have amounted to a 2.95 percent in crease. But because of $600,000 in cuts in in the general fund, necessitated by Ballot Measure 5, the total salaries and benefits for 1994-95 are less than the previous year. Starr said that negotiations went very smoothly and com mended the teachers and the board for their cooperation, especially considering the finan cial limitations imposed on the district . “ It has been extremely positive,” said Starr. Some extracurricular activities, extra duty contracts for teachers and coaches and other areas were cut to balance the budget. This fall the board will institute a four- day student week which is intend ed to save costs associated with busing, food service, utilities and substitute teachers. Teachers, however, will still be employed five days a week. The teachers’ salary schedule for 1994-95 ranges from $22,169 for a first year teacher with a bachelor's degree to $40,119 for a teacher with a master’s degree plus 30 hours of additional educa tion or a bachelor’s with 95 hours. The figures do not include extra duty or extended day con tracts. Extended day costs range from $116.68 a day for the first step, to $211.16 a day for the last. The extra duty salary schedule ranges over 10 steps in six categories from $1,884 to $2,993 for high school coaches, (foot ball, basketball, volleyball) men tor teachers; from $1,330 to $2,439 for high school head coaches, (track, baseball, FFA, wrestling) high school athletic director; $1,108 to $2.217 for high school head coaches (golf, tennis, softball) high school assis tant coaches, (all sports except golf, tennis and softball), junior high head coaches (football, baseball, basketball, tack, volleyball, w restling) head teacher; $887 to $1.995 for junior high athletic director, coordinator of talented and gifted music, band, rally squad and computer coordinator; $776 to $1,330 for junior high assistant coaches (football, basketball, tack, baseball, volleyball, wrestling) high school assistant coaches (golf, tennis and softball) music, chorus and dance team advisor; $554 to $1,164 for annual drama (three act play) advisor and newspaper advisor. The scale also includes $250 per year for outdoor education advisors (Tupper). In other business, the board: -approved a bond election notice and resolution for a $15,585,000 bond levy up to the voters in September for construc tion and remodeling at county schools. -approved a policy for fund raising activités; -adopted learning goals; -adopted the language arts cur riculum, language arts textbook and request for a waiver on language arts adoption for kindergarten; -approved a request for a waiver on hours per day to ac commodate a four-day week; -rejected a proposal from Bob Krein to establish a cross coun try program at Heppner High School. The program would in itially involve only one student; -approved a request from Bob Ployhar to raise funds for a coaching position for C-team basketball in Heppner; -adopted and appropriated a $13,997,034 budget for 1994-95; -levied ad valorem taxes in the amount of $9,004,340; -approved changing the school board meeting date from the third Monday to the second Monday; -approved hiring Duane Yecha as principal at Riverside High School, replacing Dave Young- bluth, who resigned. -approved extra duty contracts. Extra duty contracts for the Heppner-Ione area are as follows: Heppner Elementary/Middle School: Dave Gunderson, head boys’ basketball, head football; Jess Osmin, assistant football; Greg Grant, assistant boys’ basketball; Pam Dowdy, head volleyball, head girls’ basketball; Vicki Broden, assistant volley ball; Ron Brisbois, assistant girls’ basketball; Susie Hisler head track; Heppner High: Greg Grant, head football and head golf; Les Payne, assistant football; Terri Gentry head volleyball; Lee Padberg, head boys’ basketball; Bob Ployhar, assistant boys’ basketball; Mark Dowdy, head girls’ basketball; Dana Reid, assistant girls' basketball; Rick Johnston, head baseball; Robin Graff, assistant baseball; Dale Conklin, head track, athletic director; Steve Brownfield, assis tant track; Bill Umbarger, FFA; Linda Dutcher, TAG, annual; band and chorus-open. lone Schools: Gregg Rietmann, head football; Robin Graff, assis tant football; Greg Likens, head volleyball, assistant track; Anne Bedortha, assistant volleyball; Del LaRue, head boys’ basket ball, head track, athletic director; Dean Robinson, assistant boys’ basketball, head football-IMS, head track-IMS; Dana Heideman, head girls’ basketball; Kelley Swarat. assistant girls’ basketball; Jim Raible, head tennis, drama; Barb Collin, head volleyball- Heppner volunteer firemen Jeff Maben (front) and Terry Chinen help put out grass fire. IMS; Dale Holland, head boys’ A ccording to a hospital fire, only to have it flare up later. Heppner Fire Department basketball-IMS; Steve Schaber- responded to a fire at Pioneer spokesperson, hospital staff had Hospital staff had the fire head girls’ basketball-IMS; Bet Memorial Hospital Tuesday been burning weeds and other “ pretty much under control” by ty Rietmann, head teacher; Diana evening June 21. This was the debris. The fire was believed to the time the fire department Kincaid, TAG; Sarah Rucker, an first trip out for the new truck, be out and the workers left the arrived. nual; Geneva Mathews, music said fire chief Forrie Burkenbine. (shared HES). -approved resignations for: Shane Fritz, extra duty TAG coordinator RHS; Robert Hensel, extra duty head wrestling coach, The Morrow County School Yecha and his wife have two RHS; Bob Sagely, extra duty District has hired two new prin sons. assistant volleyball coach, HHS; cipals to replace administrators at John Sebastian, Connell, WA, Jim Hankins, two-hour custodian, A.C. Houghton Elementary and will begin work as principal at Paul Sumner was elected board CJH; Mary O m berg, RHS at Riverside High School. Mick A.C. Houghton, also on August. member at the 39th annual science teacher; Tolar, long time principal at A.C. 2 . meeting of the Heppner TV board -approved request for part-time Houghton Elementary School in Sebastian has been principal at membership held Tuesday, June unpaid child care leave for Mary Irrigon will retire June 30 and Olds Junior High and migrant 14, at the Heppner TV office. Haguewood, from full time Dave Youngbluth, principal at night school director for the Sumner replaces Dan Oglesbee teacher to .56 time teacher at Riverside High School, resigned. North Franklin School District at whose term had expired and who HES for 1994-95; Duane A. Yecha, Lakeview, Connell, WA. since 1990. Prior -approved employment for will start work at Riverside High to that he was principal at Poulsbo had moved out of town. The members heard the finan Hans Magden, RHS head wrestl School August 2. Elementary from 1985 to 1990; cial report by accountant Dennis ing coach 1994-95; Dave Horn, Yecha has been principal at at Marcola School District from Barnett of Barnett & Moro, Her- SBE assistant custodian 1994-95; Lakeview High School for the 1982 to 1985; at Chenoweth Mid Sharon Morris, temporary con past five years and also principal dle School at The Dalles from miston. Barnett stressed the fact tract to teach at HES for .44 FTE at Daley Middle School in 1980 to 1982; at Royal High a raise in the basic fee is needed because of increased costs in for 1994-95; Vicki Broden, tem Lakeview for the past two years. School from 1979 to 1980. cluding ESPN fees and the micro- porary contract to add .5 FTE Prior to that he was vice-principal Before that he was assistant prin Spanish teacher at HMS to at Lakeview High School and cipal at Madras Junior High and wave charge going up early in replace home ec O.V. program before that, a woods, metals and teacher at Wilson Junior High 1994 for the four Portland sta tions. The board of directors ap 1994-95; Michelle Miller-second drafting teacher at Newberg High School in Yakima. proved the process to increase the year probationary teacher con School. His extracurricular Sebastian received a bachelor tract at CJH to continue serving assignments include seven years of arts degree in political science basic rate by $4. A brief breakdown of this increase con as Chapter I teacher, replacing as a wrestling coach with OSAA from the U niversity of temporary contract; Mark Girod, AAA state wrestling champion Washington in 1971 and a sists of $1.50 for the increase of first year probationary science ships in 1986 and 1987 and se master’s of education in school costs on channel fees; $1.50 for the loss in 93-94; and $1 for teacher at RHS. cond place in 1988. administration from Central reserve to maintain equipment. -accepted donation of equip Yecha received a bachelor of Washington University in 1973. Rate increases must go before ment, valued at $6,180.30 from arts degree in industrial education Sebastian is bilingual. the Heppner City Council to be Columbia Junior High Student with a minor in physical educa Sebastian and his wife, Rose, Council. tion from Washington State a special education teacher, have approved through the franchise -authorized board chairman University in February of 1980. three children, Marianne, a junior before implementation occurs. At the board of directors Marcia Kemp and Starr to sign a He earned a master’s of educa at the University of Washington. memorandum of understanding tion degree in educational ad Carla, who will be a junior at meeting following the annual membership meeting Greg Sweek with the classified employees ministration from WSU in 1987. Riverside High School and was elected president; Paul after they ratify their contract He attended the standard ad Rachel, who will be a freshman Sumner, vice president and Judie with the district. ministration program at Portland at RHS. Sebastian was bom and Laughlin was re-appointed State University from 1988 to raised in Yakima. WA. secretary-treasurer. 1991. Two new principals hired Sumner named to TV board Man trapped by bulldozer A 29 year old man was airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Walla Walla, WA. following an acci dent involving a “ cat” Tuesday, June 21. After arriving at St. Mary's he was transported to Emanuel Hospital in Portland. No further information was available pending notification of the man’s relatives. He was believed to be from California. « LI’L HOE Gasoline powered tiller/cultivator See it at: Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington, OR • 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
