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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
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Morrow County Grain Growers *
Lexington 989-8221
1-800-824-7185
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