Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1994)
BESSIE U OF ORE W E T 2 E L L Swanson, Brownfield, city of lone receive award Y.’ S P A F E R i « e M r n a Q The city of lone has been presented an Oregon Tourism Division award for their work during Cycle Oregon. lone hosted 2,000 bicyclists and another 200-300 support peo ple with Cycle Oregon VI. With local workers, the town of lone swelled from a population of 250 to around 2,500 people. Representatives from the Tourism Division said, in presen ting the award, that hosting Cy cle Oregon involved “ every member” of the lone Communi ty, “ from students and teachers to local ranchers and business people.” “ But most of all,” continued the presenter, “ they wove the spirit and warmth and enthusiasm of their tiny community into the hearts and memories of the cyclists during the year Oregon celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail.” Joe D’Nessandro, director of the Oregon Tourism Division, said “ The Oregon Tourism Divi 1 1 HEPPNER sion commends the lone com munity residents, and in par ticular, Nancy Brownfield and Jim Swanson, for creating a warm, hospitable and memorable experience for the Cycle Oregon VI riders. Your enthusiasm, spirit and hard work are exactly what make Oregon a special place for our visitors. Thank you for do ing such a fantastic jo b .” Paula Fasano o f Galford Group, Inc., the producers of Cy cle Oregon for the past three years, was the person who nom inated Swanson and Brownfield. She also had nothing but praise for the individuals and the town. “ In the three years that our company produced Cycle Oregon and the more than 45 communities through which we passed over those three years, 1 have been impressed with the level of organization and dedica tion that O regonians have demonstrated to promote their community and welcome tourists. However, Nancy Brownfield and Jim Swanson did so to such an outstanding degree, sharing their humor and their charisma with thousands of people.” “ Many cyclists, and staff,” continued Fasano, “ will remember lone and new-found friends and feel with pride that they have somehow become a part of lone, if even for a day. Jim and Nancy embody the spirit of rural Oregon-the hospitality and warmth that make us proud of our state.” According to Swanson, they received notification that they had been nominated for the tourism award, but then heard nothing more about it. Neither Swanson or Brownfield were notified that they had won the award and were not present for the ceremony. Just by coincidence, John Edmundson of Heppner happened to be in at tendance at the state banquet and stepped in to receive the award. The award was then presented to Swanson during the lone Fourth of July celebration. Heppner council approves health district lines VOL. 113 NO. 30 6 Pages Wednesday, July 13, 1994 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon All county cities opt in county wide medical district An ad hoc committee recom mended, at a public hearing con cerning medical districts July 6, that the Morrow County Court create a county-wide medical district* by resolution. As of presstime Tuesday, all the cities o f Morrow County, Boardman, Irrigon, Heppner. lone and Lex ington, have agreed to opt in the county-wide resolution medical district plan. The July 6 hearing was a con tinuation of hearings on a Board- man medical district and a separate county-wide district, both of which were proposed by petition. The Boardman district proposal was created to “ re d re ss” grievances on behalf of Board- man residents who say they are not getting their fair share of medical services. As proposed, the Boardman medical district would have included tax income from the PGE Coal Fired Plant, the proposed Coyote Springs Co- Gen Plant and Port of Morrow. A second petition was created by Heppner area petitioners to form a county-wide medical district in response to the Board- man medical district proposal. Heppner area petitioners for a county-wide district feared that the Boardman district would take funding away from south Mor row County medical services. But, cities were required to opt in the county-wide district and the city of Boardman took no action. The cities of Heppner, lone, Lex ington and Irrigon opted in the county-wide medical district pro posed by petition. However, as submitted, the boundaries of the two proposed districts overlap and. according to state regulations, districts of fering the same services cannot overlap. If both the Boardman and the county-wide district pro posals created by petition were approved by voters, the districts would be subject to lawsuit. A suggestion that both districts be withdrawn may also be illegal and open to litigation. Therefore, the ad hoc commit tee, which consists of Ed Glenn and Art Kegler, Boardman, and Larry Mills and George Koffier, Heppner, recommended a third option. In the third option, the court would create a resolution to form a county-wide district and when that district is in place, the other two districts would be declared void. The resolution by the county commissioners to create a county-wide district would not require a vote of the people. Mills said that the proposal for a district created by resolution is “ workable for all citizens of the county. It is by far the best alter native," he added. John Prag, rural Boardman, said, “ I am very pleased to hear that we have an opportunity for a real county-w ide health district.” Also at the hearing on July 6, the County Court revealed the established boundaries for the proposed Boardman District, which would include approx imately the area from Bombing Range Road west along the boun dary of Bombing Range to the county line, picking up the population of the Boardman com munity, but not including the PGE Coal Fired Plant as propos ed by the Boardman District peti tioners. Because the boundaries are not as proposed, this option may also leave the decision open to litigation. The county court was to meet Wednesday, July 13, to decide whether to create a county-wide district by resolution. Hearings on the two petition-based districts were to proceed as planned unless the resolution passes. If the resolution passes, the medical district is required to have a board, initially of five members. The ad hoc committee recommends that one board member be elected from the city limits of Boardman; one from the city limits of Irrigon; one com prised of precincts 1 and 2 from outside Boardman and 5 and 6 outside Irrigon; one including lone and Lexington precincts and the area north and west of Hepp ner; and one from Heppner and the area south and east of Hepp ner. As per the ad hoc commit tee's recommendation, the direc tors must reside in and be elected from their respective district. Once established, the board may decide to create additional board positions and. using accurate cur rent population data, redraw the zones. An at-large position is also a possibility at a later date. Since the election for directors may not be held until November, and probably later to allow for establishment of districts. Mills said that there is a possibility that current medical board directors would serve until the new direc tors take office. Another possibility is that the court appoint board members to serve until the next election. The ad hoc committee recom mended that the county “ transfer all assets now used in the coun ty’s health system including cash on hand and receivables” and that the district be formed with no tax base. According to Morrow County Counsel Val Doherty, a tax base can only be put before the voters in a primary or general election which is every other year. The new district would not be able to go for a tax base until the next primary in May of 1996. However,they can go out for a one-year operating levy or a serial levy before that. To obtain tax monies, the new medical district board must attend tax compres sion meetings in December because of Ballot Measure 5 and is required to turn maps of the new district into the state depart ment of revenue by March 31. Medical services will continue to operate on the current budget un til June 30, 1995. The transfer of contracts, such as the agreements with the Drs. Berretta in Heppner and Dr. Robert Boss in Boardman, the Adventist Health Systems, which contracts for management of county medical services.and am bulance services is still unclear. The contracts may have to be renegotiated because one entity, Morrow County Medical Board, will no longer be in existence, or may simply be transferred over. Other recommendations from the ad hoc committee include: -replacement of outdated and out-moded equipment, including modern x-ray services and consultation; -modernization and enlarge ment of the Boardman clinic to include appropriate facilities; -locally based Home Health care; -assisted living facilities in cluding care for Alzheimer’s patients; -adequate and appropriate health care facilities in Irrigon; -assured continuity of existing services; -the means, timing and ad visability of expanding the board of directors from five to seven; -adequate and stable funding for health care; -advanced life support am bulance system; and -improved occupational health and safety services. Fair tab to be published Aug. 10 The Heppner Gazette-Times will publish a special Fair and Rodeo edition on Wednesday, August 10. The deadline to submit news and advertising for the fair and rodeo tab is Wednesday. August 3. At the Heppner City Council meeting Monday night, July 11, council members approved a re quest from the ad hoc medical districting committee to endorse the formation of a county-wide medical district by means of a county court resolution. According to ad hoc commit tee members, George Koffier, Heppner, and Art Kegler, Board- man, who addressed the council, all the petitioners of the two pro posed medical district petitions have signed this proposal. In order for the county court to take action, all five Morrow County towns must also approve that plan. “ There’s no foot dragging that we know of,“ Kegler said. Boardman and lone have already agreed. Lexington and Irrigon ci ty council meetings, held this week, are also expected to add their approval. Providing there is known as the “ 1903 Memorial no opposition, the county court Park.” -Skip Mathews, chairman of />lans to take action this week. the exploratory swimming pool F.ormation of a county-wide commission, requested that the medical district by county court city explore options for use of the resolution is anticipated to pre city’s former pool site. Mathews, empt the two medical district peti council member Dave Pranger tions that have already been fil and city manager Gary Marks ed which would otherwise be pla- volunteered study proposals and ed on the November ballot. remodeling costs to renovate the Funding for medical services site. Because grant money was under the current medical levy, about $500.000 will continue used for the former city pool, that through July, 1995. If the medical site must be used for some type district is formed. Koffier said a of recreation such as a ball court. The city granted a request for levy for the following fiscal year an easement permitting First In would probably be voted on in terstate Bank to install an March. 1995. A tax base cannot underground flow meter to be put before the voters except monitor seepage content. Accor during a general election. ding to First Interstate, the base In other business: ment of the bank building is -Marsha DeBo was seated as a receiving petroleum infiltration in new council member by appoint ment to fill a vacancy on the city seepage water presumed to be caused by the rupture of an council -Rose Moe was presented a underground gasoline tank during plaque as the winner of the the construction of the Forest Ser ’’name the park” contest. The vice building that is directly mini-park at the confluence of across the street. -City street repaving is under Hinton and Willow Creek, now way this week. Contractors for under development, will be the wastewater system are in the Rose Moe (r) receives plaque from Mayor Bob Jepsen SWCD seeking director nominations The Morrow County Soil and Water Conservation District will have four director positions open ing this year. “ The district is looking for directors who are conservation minded and com mitted to conserving and protec ting the natural resources of Mor row County for the economic and environmental benefit of the citizens of the county.“ said a spokesperson. The Morrow County SWCD Board also acts as the County Weed Control Board. Directors must live in the district and zone for which they are elected. The zones up for election this year are zone 1-Boardman area; Zone 3-Ione area south and west to Gilliam County line; Zone 4-Lexington area south to Hardman; and Zone 5-Heppner area east to Umatilla County line. The duties o f the board members include the identifica tion of local conservation needs, the supervising of paid staff ot the district, and cooperation with state and federal agencies at mon thly meetings. “ If you are concerned with the wise use of our renewable natural resources and are interested in be ing involved with a grass roots organization that can influence state and federal laws affecting those resources,“ said the spokesperson, “ please contact the district office at 676-5452.” Directors are elected on a nonpar tisan ballot at the general election to be held Tuesday. November 8. & m ** Marsha DeBo process of repairing sewer lines. Sections of Main Street will be temporarily blocked off during construction, which will cause some inconvenience, engineer Don Olsen said. Olsen also reported that the sewer system project is on track and should be finished next month. Repairs at the plant are underway. The golf course is now being irrigated with fresh water that has been pumped into the effluent holding tank near the golf course. Regional strategies to meet South Morrow County project leaders will meet on Monday. Ju ly 18, at 7. p.m. in the Colum bia Basin Conference Room to discuss the Regional Economic Development Strategies (REDS) program. The meeting will be for the purpose o f explaining the timelines, procedures, funds, priorities and key industries for round four of the REDS program. The public is welcome to attend. HARVEST HOURS Lexington M on.-Fri. 7 a.m .-6 p.m. Sat. 7 a.m .-5 p.m. W asco Parts O utlet M on.-Fr. 7 a.m .-6 p.m . Sat. 8 a.m .-3 p.m. H a rro w County C ra in C row ers L exing to n 989-8221 1-800-824-7185
