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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1994)
* i; ■ b ■ *m> w»-«- -è»> • ■ — I__ ■ ■ 1 ‘ .. .* * v * 1 W ... t ; ii . . ■ __________ , . • * • . 5*- FESS I E U OF ORE WE T Z E L L NEWSPAPER LID F il r r M r 07407 or * * • v v *. "■* V vn RV campsite nears completion « • • heppner ... — • - i I * 4 - * . r. : 1 J t » . - ••, -v-. V . ; .1 ’ v i “•* i* • • •* I - - f > * - * .Í . . -1 1 . ) 35c ? ' Î » ' 4., -• -.*3 -* ■ . - . • * • * * •. ; ‘ i j - • •" •••■-. L • .... I Kenny Turner stands at RV Park site. Willow Creek Lake is in the background imes VOL. 113_______ NO. 51_______ 8 Pages Wednesday. December 21, 1994_______ Morrow County Heppner, Oregon Lighting contest winners announced Glen Ward took first place in the Chamber of Commerce lighting contest for outdoor light display. He received $50 for his efforts. Other winners were: second-Larry Mills, $25, third Steve Brownfield $15, honorable mention-Chuck Moeller, Don Crompton, Alan Burkenbine, Don Kenison, Dean Con nor, Marcia Sweek. Linda Dutcher took first place for the indoor lighting contest winning $20. Gary Clark was se cond for $10. Kay Fowler owner of Hair Expression was the business winner receiving $15. It has been almost 10 years of hard work, lobbying, disap pointment and frustration, in terspersed with hope, for the Willow Creek Park District's RV campsite project. But there is finally cause for celebration. The Willow Creek Camp Site, designed for recreational vehicles, is nearing completion and is expected to have its grand opening St. Patrick's weekend. The project has certainly had its ups and downs. In 1986 the Willow Creek Park District was formed expressly to develop Willow Creek Lake. In 1988 the Willow Creek day park was developed with a dock and a boating access ramp. This por tion of the project was funded through a 50 percent cost share program. The State Parks and the Marine Board each award ed $20,000 for the project and th e rest was was funded through in-kind donations. In 1990 Willow Creek Park Board secretary Nancy (Brown field) Snider traveled to Washington, D.C. seeking funds for further development. Funds were allocated, but not appropriated. After a visit to Heppner by Senator Mark Hat field, a $100,000 federal alloca tion was dedicated to the pro ject as an Army Corps of Engineers' line item. The $100,000, however, was eaten up by a Corps of Engineers' study. In February of 1993 fun ding for the project was denied. According to Ken Turner, WCPD chair, the Corps declin ed to fund the project because they didn't think the Willow Creek Park District Board could from the Port of Morrow re come up with matching funds. volving fund. The campsite has 24 units for The Corps had estimated the RVs with water and electrical cost of the project at over $1 throughout. Eleven of the units million. "W e just couldn't cost include hookups to the city of share $600,000. The Corps Heppner sewer. The restroom wanted us to blast in rock and shower facility is constructed make 14 foot cuts and 14 foot fills. We would have been us out of textured concrete blocks ing dynamite up there until the with a metal roof and is com dam fell in. TTiat was just a plete with separate facilities for three-year waste of time,'' said men and women, hot water Turner. "We felt for a long time and heat. But perhaps the best thing we could build it for $200,000," said Turner. The board is very about the new camp site is the proud of building it within our .view. Every unit has an budget." Construction began unobstructed view of Willow this year and the project came Creek Lake. "The RVers that have come are outspoken about in at $201,746. "It's just that the funding has the site, because of the vista-the been so slow ," continued view of the lake and the unique Turner. "In hindsight, a local view looking up the valley and construction levy would have over the lake," said Turner. been wise because we would "There's not going to be one have had this in place four more aesthetic." The real benefit of the project years earlier." The Oregon Economic De will be to the community. velopment Department, with Turner says the project is pro the help of Mike Nelson, gave bably the best thing possible to the park board $20,000 for con bring tourists into the area. struction and Kinzua Corp. "P rob ably tourists come awarded another $20,000 out of through and we don't even see their community fund. The them. They go on. This is pro board also used tax monies bably the key to our tourist in since 1990 to fund construction. dustry," he said. Turner credits his fellow The RV site project is still short $50,000 for funding of the Willow Creek Board members- final phase which includes pav Bob Kahl, vice chairman; Nan ing, landscaping, a sprinkler cy Snider, secretary; John Rip system, picnic tables, signs and ple, treasurer; and Robin markers and a dump station. Baker, for making the project The board had hoped to qualify possible. "W e've had the same for Regional Strategies monies, board during this period and but, says Turner, "w e fell they've all stuck with it," said through the cracks on the first Turner. Others contributing to round of regional strategies the project were Jim McElligott, money." Turner says that the the design; Lori Seitz, survey board will borrow that $50,000 ing; PACAM, sign off on design; Jerry Gentry and Dave Allstott, construction of the restroom; park manager Vern Keithly, general contracting and roof construction; Kemp, Willow Creek Park Jamieson and Marshall, plum Board members Ken Turner bing; Roger's Electric, electrical and Bob Kahl, coach Bob work; Bill Gentry, overseeing Ployhar, Heppner Booster Club the utility design and installa members Marcia and Jon DeBo, tion as a volunteer; Guy and Riverside High School VanArsdale, finish work on the Booster Club representatives pads and loop roads, in addi Dalarie Philipi, Dennis tion to donating his skill and Johnson, and Robin and Dana grader to finish the landscape preparation; Miller and Sons, Huxell, among others. The committee came to a con contractor for the rock and sensus that they must generate gravel distribution; and county-wide support if they are donators, Columbia Basin Elec to put the issue before the tric, Morrow County Grain Growers and Umatilla Ready voters. A group of volunteers in Enter contest now Mix. stalled the imbedded pipe and Area shoppers have until electrical conduits. Thursday afternoon to turn in After the initial opening, the their punch cards and be eligi park will operate March 15 ble for the big $650 grand prize through Nov. 15. The tentative drawing. Some lucky person will win cost to campers will be $12 a $650 in gift certificates to local night per site. Turner says that stores. Anyone who has turn the board projects income of ed in a card since the beginn $12 to 15 thousand the first ing of the contest is eligible for year, with much higher use an the grand prize. In addition six ticipated in subsequent years. $25 gift certificates will also be During the busy season, Keithly will be at the park dailv. drawn Thursday. Solutions hunted for sports funding problems Sports programs and other extracurricular activities are threatened with extinction in Morrow County Schools. Sports programs, food service, transportation, music and art programs are being considered for cuts and a pay-to-participate program has already been in stituted for sports and other activities. But, cost-saving measures may not be enough to make up for the effects of Ballot Measure 5 on the school district budget. Morrow County School District Superintendent Chuck Starr estimates cuts of $1.6 million in the district budget in the 'worst case' scenario. Even in the 'best case' scenario, in which the state legislature decides to 'hold harmless' school fun ding, Morrow County School District anticipates losing around $1 million. Starr said that if the school bond issue passes in March, the district's budget outlook would improve by $400,000 immediately. Some concerned citizens, however, are not content to sit and watch school sports and other extra-curricular activities go down the drain. A group met at the school district office Thursday, Dec. 15, to brain storm solutions to the district's funding problems. One option discussed would transfer the extracurricular fun ding to the various park districts in the county. However, committee members Thursday night reported that while the Willow Creek Park District Board indicated in terest, the Boardman and Ir- rigon park districts did not. The possibility of funding south Morrow County extracurricular activities only was also discuss ed, but Starr stressed the im portance of those activities for the entire county. Creating a special district may not be feasi ble because, by law, districts cannot overlap services. The committee also explored using the county government as an umbrella for funding. County officials would have to be persuaded to create a district by resolution or the committee would go through the process of gathering signatures for an initiative petition to get the issue on the ballot. Funding for the district would also have to be approved by the voters. Officials estimate that it would take around $380,000 to fund extra-curricular activities for the entire county. This would include sports current ly funded, both high school and junior high, in addition to cheerleaders and C-teams, which are no longer funded by the school. Funding for other govern ment entities in the county would be affected by compres sion if an additional bond issue passes. All those entities are placed under a $10 per thou sand assessed valuation cap. For example, if the bond issue passes, apportionment of the $10 would be squeezed and the city of Heppner and Morrow County would get less of the pie. Gary Marks, Heppner Ci ty manager, estimates that such a move would cost the city around $3,000 if sports and other activities funding is spread out county-wide. Cost to the city would rise substan tially if funding is limited to south Morrow County. The utilities and rural residents would help pay for the pro gram if it is funded county wide. Morrow County Assessor Greg Sweek estimated that taxes to fund a program serv ing the entire county would be around 49 cents per thousand assessed valuation. Morrow County Judge Louis Carlson told the Gazette Tuesday that it was the coun ty's goal to hold the line on tax spending, but the court was willing to look at the commit tee's proposal. It was the consensus of the committee that sports and other activities were not only important to the youth of the county but also to entire com munities and agreed to generate as much support for the proposal as possible. Other options, such as sports clubs funded by parents and other benefactors or corporate sponsorship, are not believed to be feasible because of the population and limited number of existing industries and cor porations in the county. An all volunteer coaching system was also rejected because of teacher- district contracts. Heppner Coach Greg Grant also said that a paid coaching staff is more professional and more ac countable. " I would not want to be a part of any all volunteer program,” he said. "And I don't want it to be just varsi ty.” According to Starr, all head coaches will be paid staff. Those attending the meeting besides Starr, Grant and Sweek were George Koffler, Rick M inster, Morrow County School Board Chair Marcia ‘ViVtt fc.* » l n s ^ a le d f '°ot*£n,e Morrow County Grain Growers * Lexington 989-8221 1-800-824-7185 -4. • « • M s p a rv i » * - ' .V — A V À ' - ^ , v.*rV> A A j - s A I ■ -. . ' -v O k i 'H 7: ..w * Î; - * : '*»>••.« H t a -'ïïrS ï* V . « . 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