Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1994)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, November 2, 1994 - THREE Candidates Forum County Commissioners Three people, Jackie Bergstrom, incumbent Ray French, and Art Kegler, will vie for one four-year position as Morrow County Commis sioner. changes, we need to look close ly at "Preferred Providerships" with various HMO's (health management organizations) in order to meet the needs of more of the people, not just a select few ." Special Projects, Programs, Changes: " I have addressed a few of my goals and interests in this article already. I do feel, however, that we should look into forming a law enforcement district and take the county sheriff's department out of the general fund. We need the fine officers that we have at the time and I feel that in order to retain them we need to offer them more job security that they presently have. If the general fund is voted down, their jobs are in jeopardy and we cannot afford to lose them. We need to assure them of positions and also we need to be able to at tract more of the qualified of ficers available in the state to come to our county. The largest population is definitely in the north county, however, with the rapid changing of times, the south county needs to have the knowledge that they are also protected at all times." Issues/Challenges: "Being elected in the first place. I have not actively sought contribu tions. I don't want to seem to be beholden to any particular group or persons. My cam paign has suffered in this respect, i.e., lack of profes sional signs and posters. The people in all of the county need to be aware that I would repre sent each and every one of them. A goal of mine is to make more of the general population more aware of the issues con stantly facing the county and getting more of their opinions on how they want their coun ty operated." Jacqueline Bergstrom Jacqueline Bergstrom, 57, of lone, has lived in Morrow County since 1974 when the family moved to the area to ranch on Gooseberry Road. She and her husband, Rudy, have three children, two grown sons and a 19 year-old daughter. In addition to being co-owner of the family wheat ranch, Bergstrom is a part-time statisti cian with Oregon Agriculture Statistics Service, associated with the National Dept, of Agriculture. Bergstrom was chairman of the Morrow County Medical Board from 1987 to 1992. She is a past member of Soroptimist International Club of Heppner and the Valby Lutheran Church Council. Following are Bergstrom's thoughts on county issues: Role as County Commis sioner: " I see my role as com missioner as a representative of the whole county, all of the people, not just the area where I happen to live. I think that special consideration for the needs of Boardman and Irrigon would be one of my main responsibilities. In this day of computers and modems, I can be readily available to anyone in the county, via FAX, telephone or mail. I feel that during my term on the Medical Board, I addressed the needs of the North County as much as, if not more than the rest of the county.” "Growth in the north coun ty is an ongoing process, with the fantastic work that Gary Raymond French Neal and his people are doing Ray French, 67, Heppner, a with the Port of Morrow. I feel lifelong resident of Morrow that by working closely with County, has been a livestock Gary that some of the economic rancher for 40 years. He and his development could also be wife, Norma, have three grown directed towards the south daughters. French is a graduate county. The completion of the of Heppner High School and Ione-Boardman road is a must attended the Montana School to facilitate any kind of growth of Mines and Colorado College. betw een those two com Incumbent French has been munities. Stress has to be put county commissioner since on all of our county com 1991 and was a state represen munities to work together to at tative from 1985 to 1989. He is tract com m ercial, retail, a former member of the school agriculture and any other board and has been a member businesses to our county. We of the Soil and Water Conser have many diverse attractions vation District for the past 16 in Morrow County, and only years, serving 12 of those years by working together and as chairman. He is currently a especially having a strong, member of the the National open line of communication Association of Counties Public with all of the popluation of the Lands Committee. He has been county, can this county resolve a member of the Board of any of its differences. I feel that Equalization and served with the "Rivalry” is more of a the U.S. Navy. media term and not an accurate French is a member of the one at that. Too much stress Heppner, Boardman and Ir has been placed on this ter rigon Chambers of Commerce minology in the past. We need and the lone Community Agri- to ignore the term and proceed Business Organization. He is a forward with the matters at member of the Heppner Elks hand." Lodge, where he currently Home Rule: "Hiring a bus serves on the board of trustees, iness administrator to run the and the St. Patrick Catholic financial services of the coun Church. He is a member of the ty and having five commis Morrow County Livestock sioners, one each elected from Growers and the Oregon Cat each of the communities would tlemen's Association of which be a tremendous help in taking he was president from 1980-81. " P o litic s " out of county ► Role as County Commis government. "Politics" is one sioner: "From past experience of the coun ty's largest as both a county commisioner drawbacks at the moment and and state legislator, I find it is a matter that needs to be ad necessary to represent the dressed immediately." whole county. Any divisive Medical Services: "W e have ness will be perceived by out a trem endous reputation siders as a definite weakness to throughout the state of Oregon be exploited. As a state legis because of our excellent lator I was able to represent a medical services in our county. These services need to be main district composed of a vast sec tained and expanded upon as tion of eastern Oregon and ap much as possible. With the proximately 45,000 people. ongoing health insurance From this experience I learned to deal with individual pro blems facing any group of peo ple or area of Morrow Coun ty ” Home Rule: "The Morrow County Court has appointed a committee to study home rule and is presently awaiting its recommendations. When these recommendations are for thcoming, the court will hold public hearings and prepare to present the issue to the voters of Morrow County for their decision." Medical Services: "Morrow County Court has formed a medical district by decree in dependent of county govern ment. This was done at the re quest of the petitioners of two proposed medical districts. A board of directors will be elected at the Nov. 8 election to manage the new district. Issues/Challenges: "It will be necessary for county govern ment to be involved in main taining and improving the in frastructure of Morrow Coun ty and also maintain the quali ty of life for all citizens of Mor row County. Presently I am serving on a committee to study the possibility of a regional jail. We can no longer depend on out-of-county facilities to house county prisoners as in the past. With a regional jail, county law breakers could be forced to serve their sentences without early release because of a lack of space. With continuing growth it is necessary criminals be made to realize their ac tivities will not be tolerated in Morrow County. During the last session of the Oregon Legislature a bill was introduc ed to completely eliminate justice court judges in the state of Oregon. With the help of other eastern Oregon counties I was instrumental in defeating this bill. A justice court judge is the only judicial judge residing in Morrow County." "Legislative issues will con tinué to be bf concern tod, and I expect to be involved on behalf of Morrow County in supporting legislation that is to our benefit and helping defeat bills that may be detrimental to the citizens of our county." Art Kegler Art Kegler, no age given, Boardman, has been self employed, first as a grocer and then as a realtor since 1983. He and his wife, Roseann, have three sons and a daughter. Kegler, who moved to Mor row County in 1983, is a former Boardman mayor, city council member and planning commis sion member. He is a member of the Community Church, the Chamber of Commerce and trade organizations. Role of County Commis sioner: "Presently the county has county-wide elections for the commissioners' positions. This has presented a problem at the present time, because, as I have previously stated, the county is split by our geography and not by choice." "This natural fact is then multiplied as a problem in the minds of the residents when there is no representation from one of the areas. It doesn't make any difference which area is not represented. Either area would not feel fairly treated without a representative. It is particularly im portant to recognize this fact now con sidering the changes occurring in our county." "To balance this situation and respond to the growth in the north and continue to pro vide the necessary services to the southern portion of our county there needs to be a blend on the county court of representatives from each area. It is not up to any one in dividual to represent all the county, it is the blend of representation that will be the most effective for all the coun ty. This blend will reduce the conflicts and division within our county. It is the blend of ex perience by the different com missioners that will create a balance for the good of the county. I would not expect total agreement between the com missioners representing the dif ference areas. It is then their responsibility to find the best course for all. Home Rule: " I do support home rule-five commissioners and a manager elected by area or population districts and non partisan." Medical Services: "I served on the committee to develop a county-wide health district, avoiding the north/south split. The health care is now the responsibility of the district, not the county." Special Projects: "There are areas needing attention and a long term goal. First of all this past year has seen more asphalt being put in the north end of the county than in many of the recent years. There is still some work to be done in this area. This can only be done in turn with other needs as funds are available, however there is some heavy traffic on roads around the Port of Morrow that need repair." "A goal that needs attention is the stability of industry and jobs in the Heppner-Lexington- Ione area. The restart of the Kinzua mill has been a god send, but the continual opera tion is not a given. We cannot sit around waiting for the other shoe to drop, we need to ag gressively seek industry and economic stability in the area. In the past I have served on economic development com mittees for the Columbia Basin and that experience is available it ’elected." Issues/Challenges: "To get elected." County Health Dist. Directors Two people, Tom McElligott, Heppner, and Cara Osmin, Heppner area, will vie for one position as zone 5 director of the newly established Morrow county Health District 25-10 Zone 5 is comprised of the area including precincts 10 and 11 and all of Heppner. C ara Osmin Cara Osmin, 46, is a third grade teacher at Heppner Elementary School. She has a bachelor of science degree from Western Michigan University and has over 60 hours above this degree in graduate credits. Osmin and her husband, Frank, together have two sons, both 20, and a daughter, 25. Osmin, who was mayor of Heppner from 1984 to 1991, is a member of the Heppner Chamber of Commerce, a member and lay leader of the Heppner United Methodist Church and chair of the Hepp ner Elementary School site council. She has also worked on the Heppner St. Patrick's celebration and Morrow Coun ty Fair and Rodeo as well as other community activities. Role as Morrow County Health District Director: "I feel I can represent the entire coun ty as a health district director. In my past capacity as mayor of Heppner I have made many contacts with those around the county and state. I believe the rural health issue is a growing concern for our area and one which needs to be addressed continuously. One of my strengths which I have developed over the past years in my political and professional life is that I am a consensus builder. With a new district for mation, this skill is needed." Special Projects, Programs, Changes: "Since this is a new medical district being formed, I would go into it wanting an assessment of the present facilities, contracts, contacts be ing made, and an overview of specific needs of the county prior to any changes taking place. Only with this knowledge, can an evaluation be made and goals set for future development. Issues/Challeges: "O ne of the biggest issues and challenges which I believe is facing us is the increase in the Hispanic population at the north end of the county and creating as well as maintaining the health care needed. We need to expand and become a more bilingual community in order to meet the needs of all people in the county." "Another challenge which faces Morrow County is being able to keep the current medical facility and personnel in the south end of the county, which is more remote than the north end. This is not to say that the north end does not need health care facilities it currently has in place, however, being on 1-84 does give the Boardman and Ir rigon communities faster access to large hospitals, which is limited in the south end of the county." tual implementation and for mation of the bylaws and rules of the district. This will be more important than any other issue facing the first board." Lexington City Council Voters will select two coun cil members from three can didates, Pat Baker, Shirley McCarl and John Ripple, run ning for Lexington City Coun cil Persons. Shirley McCarl Shirley McCarl, 59, is a ■Mor row County native, graduating from high school locally. She has been the chief deputy for the Morrow County Clerk's Of fice for the past eight years and has served 12 years on the Lex ington City Council. She and her husband, Morris, have three grown children. Why do you want to be elected to this office? Why would a voter select you over your opponent?: "I am current ly on the city council, so I bring experience to this position. I believe in being honest and fair to all citizens of the city of Lex ington." (Baker and Ripple did not respond to a G-T questionnaire.) lone City Counil Position Four people are on the ballot for three four-year terms as lone City Council Persons, Harvey Childers, Gale Gray, Dennis Stefani and Dennis Thompson. Harvey Childers, 36, has liv ed 34 years in Morrow Coun ty, with 24 of those in the city of lone. He is a graduate of lone High School and attended two years at Bates Vo-Tech. He has Tom McElligott been a mechanic for 16 years. Tom McElligott, 43, Hepp Childers and his wife, Bobbi, ner, has owned Morrow Coun have three children, 15,14, and ty Title and Abstract for the last 12 . Childers has served on the ci 14 years. He graduated from lone High School and received ty council for eight years. He is bachelor's and m aster's a Morrow County EMT and is degrees in business administra a member of the Morrow tion from Gonzaga University County Gun Club and the Her- at Spokane, WA. He and his miston Rod and Gun Club. Issues/Challenges: "All the wife, Laura, have five sons, 17, 16, 14, 7 and 5, and a daughter, state and federal laws coming down to city level," and "keep 2 . McElligott is a member of the ing the city operating in the local Trauma Board No. 9, black." Dennis Thompson, 35, has which is comprised of Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Baker, lived 20 years in the city of Wallowa and Malheur coun lone. A graduate of lone High ties. He has been a volunteer School, Thompson has been a ambulance driver for the past truck driver for the past 15 10 years and is a member of the years. He and his wife, Janet, Heppner Elks Club, Willow have a daughter, 11, and a son, Creek Country Club and St. eight, and are expecting a third child in Feb. He has been on Patrick's Catholic Church. Role as Morrow County the lone City Council for two Health District Director: "The years and is a 10 year member function of the Morrow Coun of the lone Volunteer Fire ty Medical District is to serve Department. He is a member of the needs of the Morrow Coun the lone Booster Club and for ty area, not necessarily just the 10 years has done lawn wants of any individual or maintenance for the lone group of individuals within the United Church of Christ. Special Projects, Programs, county. The board should be a Changes: " I would really like positive influence, looking and to see the water system up planning for the future as it dated. I would also like to see relates to the changing outside influences on the local, regional the lone Community Agri- O rganization and national medical environ Business ment. I feel that with the enact (ICABO) project on the Emert ment of the tax base there will addition grow and improve be sufficient resources to care and be annexed into the city." Issues/Challenge: "Financing for all of Morrow County's medical needs. As certain and building a water storage segments of the medical ser system for lone." Why do you want to be vices generate profits, these elected to this office? "T o do profits can be applied to pro whatever I can to improve jects and services that attention things." Why would a voter to promote long term con select you over your oppo tinued quality service to the nent?: "Hopefully they would people of Morrow County. We feel I would do the best job should try to retain as much possible.” money within the county as (Gray and Stefani did not res possible, so that local persons pond to the G-T questionnaire.) benefit from our tax dollars. Issues/Challenges: "The big gest initial issues will be the ac 1 r. -,y * ' . . . ... r -- 1 •• 4 • ; -v '.T S V v . . .r V v
