B E S S I E W E T 2 E L L
U C F ORE
N E W 3 P A P Z R L I B
Artist illustrator visits lone schools
Author and illustrator, Chris
K. Soentpiet, visited lone
schools recently. While there
he talked to students about his
life and work and autographed
his recently published book,
"Around Tow n".
The 24 year old Soentpiet
was born in Seoul, South
Korea, the youngest of six
children. He was orphaned at
the age of seven. His older
brothers and sisters tried
desperately to keep the family
together, but life was very dif
ficult for them. At the same
time in Hawaii, Harriette
Soentpiet Orr was looking for
children to adopt into her fami
ly. Christmas 1978 Chris and
his sister traveled to Hawaii to
join their new family. Soon
after, this family moved to
Portland where Chris entered
fifth grade at Alameda School
and then Grant High Scool.
Chris' artistic talent soon
became evident and he entered
Katie Hams (I) gets Chris Soentpiet to autograph her copy of
‘‘Around Town” .
students about his life and
classes at Portland Art
desire to publish his own
Museum. He won an art
books. He demonstrated some
scholarship to prestigious Pratt
of the techniques he uses in
Institute in New York City,
painting and en cou raged
where he still lives and works.
students to pursue the study of
His new book is a beautifully il
art. Teachers and students
lustrated story about a girl and
agreed that his life story and art
her mother coming to New
work are interesting and in
York City and enjoying the ac
spirational, said a spokesper
tive street life of the city.
son for the school.
Soentpiet talked to lone
*
Marilyn Garcia manager of First Interstate
V0L. 114_______NO. 4_______8 Pages Wednesday, January 25, 1995,_______ Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
School board to seek transportation bids
The Morrow County School
Board, at a special meeting held
Monday, Jan. 23, in lone, voted
to seek bids for contracting
school transportation for the
1995-96 year as a possible cost
saving measure. The district
faces more cuts in the 1995-96
year as they adjust to the final
phase of ballot measure 5 and
school equalization.
The board's action followed
a presentation by represen
tatives from Mid-Columbia Bus
Company. Mid Columbia own
er Doug Flatt said that after a
survey of the Morrow County
School District's transportation
program, he believes contrac
ting busing services could be
feasible for the district. Mid
Columbia suggested numerous
transportation options that the
board may want to specify in a
transportation contract.
Sch oo l
su p erin ten d en t
Chuck Starr recommended that
the board au th orize bid
specifications to be prepared
with several stipulations:
-the specifications include the
expectation that bidders plan to
hire all existing qualified
personnel;
-that the specifications in
clude a "hold harm less" pro
vision in areas of wages and
salaries (that wages won't be
reduced);
-that the prospective bidders
not be required to maintain cur
rent benefit packages;
-that specifications include
the renting of the school district
bus facilities (garages, etc.) to
the contractors;
-that the contractors purchase
the buses outright, with a buy
back clause included;
-that the bid proposal is for
a three-year period;
-that the district prefers a
committment to buy locally.
Starr and the board stressed
that they are satisfied with the
transportation staff and are
seeking bids only to see if a
private company can provide
the service cheaper. They
reiterated that they may decide
to reject all bids.
When questioned by the
Gazette-Times if Mid Columbia
could provide cheaper trans
portation services, especially
with the specifications that
employees be hired back at the
same wages and that buses be
bought outright, Flatt said that
he didn't know at this time.
The board directed Starr to
have the specifications pre
pared for the Feb. 13 meeting.
In other business, the board
adopted a boundary change
and memorandum of under
standing between the Morrow
County School District and the
Olex School District that the
east portion of the Olex district
be merged to the Morrow
County District. Students in
the annexed area will attend
Morrow County Schools and
the Morrow County district will
receive state school funding for
those students and will receive
property and any taxing bene
fits from the area merged.
Other portions of the Olex
district will be merged to the
A rlington
and
Condon
districts.
Marilyn Garcia
Marilyn Garcia has been
named manager of the Hepp
ner branch of First Interstate
Bank. Garcia replaces Jackie
Allstott, who retired from that
positon on Sept. 30 after 25
years with the bank.
Garcia, who is also manager
of the Condon and Fossil bran
ches of First Interstate, started
her banking career at the First
National Bank in Fossil 29 years
ago as a teller and file clerk.
Garcia says she encourages
young people to look at First In
terstate as a career choice,
because "you can train and
grow " within the bank. She
says that the most important
part of her career is the people.
"A s long as I can deal with my
M C G G to display worlds
Ballot deadline nears
largest tractor at breakfast
Nelson, director; Boardman
Regular size tractor and two people are small compared to
‘‘Magnum
a normal tractor.
The world's largest display
The monster tractor will be
tractor, the Case IH 7250
displayed
during the dealer
MAGNUM tractor replica, will
sh
ip
's
open
hou se and
be displayed at the Morrow
breakfast
from
7
a.m.
to noon.
County Grain Growers in Lex
Morrow
County
Grain
Grow
ington during their annual
ers
invites
everyone
to
view
the
customer appreciation day set
newest
farm
equipment.
The
Saturday, Feb. 11.
first 25 families will have their
"This is no ordinary tractor,"
said Butch Laughlin, equip photographs taken next to the
giant tractor. The 30 foot trac
ment salesman at MCGG.
tor has been displayed in over
" T h is
in flatable
tractor
20 states and Canada. This will
measures 30 feet in height, 45
be
the first display in Oregon.
feet long and 24 feet w ide."
For
more information, con
The replica serves as a goodwill
tact
MCGG
manager Larry
ambassador and is approx
Mills,
989-8221.
imately three times the size of
Thursday, January 26, is the
deadline to subm it ballot
measures and candidates for
the March 28 election.
Morrow County Clerk Bar
bara Bloodsworth says that
there will be a voter's pamphlet
for the election. Deadline for
submission of the explanation
of the measures by the various
districts for the pamphlet is also
Jan. 26. Deadline for submis
sion of an argument for or
against a ballot measure is
Monday, January 30.
There is no cost to submit an
explanation, says Bloodsworth,
but the cost for submitting an
argument for or against is $25.
D eadline for candidates
wishing to be in the voter's
pamphlet is Thursday, Feb. 9.
Cost for candidates is $10 for
unpaid positions.
The paperwork for entries in
the pamphlet is available at the
clerk's office.
Bloodsworth says that the
pam phlets will be mailed
before the ballots which, "in all
likelihood," will go out March
10 .
Following are candidates
who have filed for office as of
noon Tuesday, Jan. 24: Irrigon
Park District-Mildred K. Shade,
Orville J. Buchanan; lone-
Lexington Cemetery District-
Don Ball, director; lone Rural
Fire D istrict-K en n eth E.
Park D istrict-Ju lie A.M .
Beemer, Raymond D. Michael,
Dçug Pope; Boardman Rural
Fire District-Delmer A. Hug,
Mike Allison, directors; Mor
row County School District-
John Rietmann, director Zone
3, Scott A. Johnson, director,
Zone 5, Rollie M arshall,
Heppner-Lexington Advisory
Board no. 5; George Miller,
lone-Lexington Advisory board
no. 5; Oregon Trail Library
District-Barbara Hayes, Shan
non Meyers, directors; Port of
Morrow-John L. Bristow, posi
tion no. 4, four year term, John
M. Grace and Deane Seeger
position no. 1, two year term,
James H. Hankins, position un
named at presstime, Jerry M.
Mealy, position no. 3, two year
term, Larry Lindsay, position
no. 5, four year term; Willow
C reek Park D istrict-K en
Turner, position no. 2, John
Ripple, position no. 3.
customers," she said. "I would
hate to have an inside job
where I wouldn't deal with my
customers. I like people."
Garcia was named manager
of the Fossil branch of First In
terstate eight years ago and
manager of the Condon branch
five years ago.
Garcia says the Heppner
branch is trying to build their
agri-business area up. "W e
want people to become aware
of all the things we offer." Gar
cia credits her staff in assisting
her in managing three banks in
three different towns. " I have
a really good support staff,
cross trained and real knowled
geable of their communities."
Garcia says she generally
spends two days in Heppner,
two in Fossil and one in Con
don, but adds that her schedule
is flexible and she goes where
she is needed.
Garcia, 55, was born in Kin-
zua. The family moved around
and she eventually left the area
for a while, but returned to
Fossil in 1962. She has a grown
daughter who lives in Culver
City.
People for pool hold meeting
The annual meeting of Peo
ple for the Pool will be held
Monday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. at
the Columbia Basin Electric Co
op conference room. Officers
will be elected for the new year
and the financial report will be
given.
People for the Pool is a non
profit organization dedicated to
raising funds for a pool in south
Morrow County.
Ideas will be gathered on
how to campaign for the up
coming pool levy. Plans are for
in terested in dividu als to
establish a publicity group.
"People for the Pool desperate
ly needs help from all who are
interested in promoting a
pool," said a spokesperson for
the group. "Please come to this
meeting and find out how to
help your swimming pool."
St. Patrick's auction seeks donations
The St. Patrick's Day Auction
Committee will be conducting
a "Donation Day" in Heppner
on Thursday, February 16.
Volunteers will be asking local
businesses and neighborhoods
to contribute items that can be
auctioned to support the St.
Patrick's Day celebration. The
yearly auction provides the
main financial support for this
community event.
"N ow that Christmas is over
and we've all acquired new
"treasures", it's a good time to
sort through your crowded
house, make some room, and
part with a few of your old
treasures for a good cau se,"
said a St. Patrick's committee
spokesperson.
In addition to the donation
day effort, volunteers will also
pick up large items at your
home or business. Call Steve
Rhea, 676-9113; Mike Mills
676-9141 or John Murray
676-9158 days and 676-9631
evenings to arrange for pick up
service. Small items may be left
at the Kuhn, Spicer and Mills
office on Main Street or at Doris
Brosnan's house.
Meeting set for 7-12 configuration
The second com m unity
meeting concerning the Hepp
ner Junior High move to the
high school has been schedul
ed for Thursday, Jan. 26, from
7 to 8:30 p.m. at the junior high
auditorium.
Heppner Elementary/Middle
School Principal Bill Karwacki
and Heppner High School
Principal Steve Dickenson will
discuss how the transition to a
7-12 configuration will be
made.
Customer Appreciation Day
Friday, Feb. 10 - Chemical Clinic
Sat. Feb. 11 - Free breakfast • Trade Show
Door prizes • Knife Sharpening
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221
1-800-452-7396