Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1994)
Ribbon cutting held for Sperry bridge HEPPNER L-R: city crewm an Jay Brown, Mayor Bob Jepsen, Jim G aven, Tim VanCleave, Gary Marks, city foreman Dave W inters, not pictured Kara Ansotegui and Roger Ehrmantraut. City officials and crew com memorated the opening of the new Sperry Street Bridge in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Fri day, Sept. 2. The bridge was totally rebuilt with new materials and ended up under budget. According to citv manager Gary Marks, $10,300 imes VOL. 113 NO. 37 6 Pages Wednesday, September 7, 1994 was budgeted for materials for the project, but only $9,000 was spent. The bridge was on the agen da for rebuilding, but work was moved up when the state bridge inspector found the bridee unstable. Don Olson with the Anderson Perry engineering firm said he was impressed with the stoutness of the new bridge, according to ci ty crew foreman Dave Winters, who headed up the project. Construction included paved approaches to the bridge. Camp Fire Girls prove their mettle Morrow County Heppner, Oregon County-wide medical district formed An on-going dispute about health care funding in Morrow County may be coming to an end, after the Morrow County Court last week signed papers forming a county-wide health district, says Morrow County Judge Louis Carlson. Two separate health district proposals, one for the north end of the county, and one for the remainder of the county, will still be on the November ballot, but approval by the court of the county-wide district will nullify’ whichever of the two districts is approved by the voters, says Carlson. The separate medical district controversy started about seven months ago, when disgruntled petitioners from the Boardman area gathered enough signatures to place a separate health district issue on the ballot. If approved, the original measure would have placed the city of Boardman, along with the Portland General Electric Coal Fired plant (a substantial property tax payer in the county) in a special medical district. Health services in the county currently are part of the county budget, although levies are often voted on separately. In response to the Boardman petition, south end residents, lead by the Heppner Chamber of Commerce, spearheaded a petition drive which successful ly placed another health district on the ballot which also includ ed the coal-fired plant. Multiple problems arose by the possible passage of both measures, and a bi-county com m ittee held multiple meetings in an effort to iron out the differences between the north and south end groups. Since the coal-fired plant could not be taxed twice for the same services, the county commis sioners were charged with the task of establishing boundaries for the two districts. The com missioners eventually placed the coal fired plant in the county-wide district, but ques tions were raised as to the legality of altered boundaries since both proposals were generated by petition. The end result of those meetings was the county-wide district signed last week by the county court. This district proposal was generated by a resolution of the county court. One agreement to come out of the negotiations was the for mation cf five zones, from which directors will be elected to adm inister the health district. Election of the medical dist rict board members will be held later, and the court is expected to ask members of the current county health board to serve until an election can be held. S tate law forces delay in pool vote A little known state law will surrounding the pool in March. force the Willow Creek Park At the conclusion of the District to delay plans to sub meeting, the Park Board adop mit bonding and funding ted a motion to begin work on measures to the voters for a a bond authorization and serial new swimming pool in Hepp levy reguest for the March ner. The district had originally election. planned to put the issue on the The board will ask voters to Nov. ballot, but now will put approve a $975,000 20-year the issue to the voters in bond for pool construction. March. Construction is expected to cost The Park Board's plans to $1.2 million, but the park submit companion bonding district board said that it is com and funding levies to the voters mitted to raising the additional in November came to a halt funds through donations, Wednesday evening, Aug. 31, grants and loans. "If there is a when the board learned that a shortfall," said Marks, "there state law, requiring a public will be elements of the pool that hearing 30 days before filing a will be scaled down." The pool serial levy, could not be met commission has recommended given the quickly approaching an outdoor zero-depth fan pool September 8 filing deadline. with four lanes, competition Although a public meeting length, with a slide and slide was held in early August and well, in addition to a small in notice of the meeting was given door therapy pool. in the Gazette-Times, the A $45,000 grant from the district's bond attorney has ad former owners of Kinzua to the vised that the meeting does not fund raising group "People for satisfy the technicalities of the the Pool" has been approved, state law in question, said Gary contingent on voter approval of Marks, volunteer pool project the pool levies. coordinator. As a result, the The Willow Creek Park Board pool measures must be delayed has made passage of the con to the March election. struction bond issue contingent "It's too bad that techni on passage of a three-year, calities will delay the election, $36,000 serial levy for operation but the law is the law," said of the pool. The outdoor pool Marks. would be operated for three Board members discussed months in the summer, while the fact that the delay would the indoor pool could be have the positive effect of mov operated year-round. The ing the pool measures off the therapy pool could be used for already crowded November classes, seniors and physical ballot, thereby allowing voters therapy, which would create a to more fully focus on issues wider base of usage and may make the project more likely to qualify for grants, say Pool Commission members. At its regularly scheduled meeting August 24, the Mor row County Court determined to give its non-union employees a 1.5 percent cost- of-living increase. "Well below the established 2.7 percent ac tual rise in the cost of living," said Judge Louis Carlson. "The budget committee was very explicit about its desire for cost containment in personal services," said Judge Carlson. In other changes, the court decided to restructure the health insurance benefits to a more efficient plan. "There have been many discussions over the past couple of years about the rising costs of health insurance," the judge said "so we began several months ago exploring changes." The coun ty's health insurance was put out for bid and it was ultimately recommended that the best way to achieve savings was to increase up front costs such as the deductibles and co-pay ments. The result is markedly reduced premium costs to both the employee and the county, said Carlson. "T he county rannon Brittni MadDerg, TyLynn Smith, Sheena Shank, Paula „ SpicerKuhn, Tara Ozm ent, Cindy Kennedy, Shelbi Padberg. Some Heppner youngsters leaders at first assumed that the but not so big that they could have proved themselves true fire was just a slash pile burn be harmed. No full size trees Camp Fire Girls. Not only did ing because someone was log were involved, just the trunks. they spot a forest fire, but they ging in the area. But, after a "T h e girls wanted to do put it out-all by themselves. hike to the park, the group something to help," said Bran looked up the draw and notic non. "And Paula SpicerKuhn The girls, Tara Ozment, TyLynn Smith, Paula Spicer ed that the smoke had become made it clear that we couldn't thicker. Brannon and Kennedy just leave the fire burning. We Kuhn, Brittni and Shelby Padberg, Aleshia Geer, Sheena told the girls that they would had to do something." So Brannon and Kennedy got Shank, Abby Kahl and Sally walk them up to the fire later the girls rounded up with Calvert, were on a one-night in the day. shovels and buckets and they campout with their leaders, Right before dark fell, the set to work. By this time it had girls and their leaders took a Merry Brannon and Cindy Kennedy. Brannon and Ken walk up the hill. When they ar gotten pretty dark, so some nedy had taken the girls to Bob rived at the fire, they could tell held flashlights for those who and Aloha DeSpain's cabin right away that it wasn't a con were putting out the fire. "They worked fast and they near Anson Wright Park to get trolled burn because it wasn't them prepared for a week-long in a place where anyone would worked hard,” said Brannon. " I had never seen so many lit stay at the Camp Fire Camp, start a fire. The fire was about 100 yards tle bodies move like these kids Camp Da Kon Ya. When the girls arrived at the long and 15 feet wide, big did. Falling down in the pond, cabin, they spotted a fire across enough to get the girls excited, which is nearby, or tripping on the ground, a log or a rock was the road and up the draw. The no big deal. The important thing was to get the fire out." Brannon said that the girls would get one stump put out and then move to another area court is committed to balancing tion. "It's taking money out of that needed attention just to its responsibility to the tax one pocket and putting it in then turn around and see a payers with the need to treat another,” acknowledged Car- small spark of fire that had to our employees fairly," said son, "but the court ultimately be put out again. Brannon had nothing but Commissioner Raymond decided that it must honor the French. commitment made to our praise for the girls. "These girls The court also decided that it employees by a previous were very cautious and brave in their actions," she said. "We will no longer pay the em administration." are very proud of our girls. ployee contribution toward the "Upon implementation of county's retirement plan. This these changes, sone of the non They remembered what they decision, however, is in direct union employees will see a were taught and did it on their contradiction to a decision decrease in their take home own. These girls are real made by a previous court many pay" says county accountant troopers and are truly Camp years ago, said Carlson. In Lisanne Currin, "and others Fire Girls." Brannon and Kennedy are order to mitigate the effects of will see a minor increase." reversing that obligation, These decisions apply only to not alone in their appreciation Carlson said the amount that the county's non-union em of the girls' efforts, the girls was budgeted for that purpose ployees. The union employees were given commendation will be rolled over into the are in the process of negotiating lapel pins from the Heppner employees salary for them to a contract on these and other Forest Service for their brave efforts. use in paying their contribu issues. See Us For All Your Tires And Batteries Auto - Truck -Farm Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 1-800-824-7185 vJ
