TOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 1, 1995
To the Editor:
Please vote for the Morrow
County School bond levy. Your
Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
Published weekly and entered as second-class matter at the Post Of
fice at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879. Second class
postage paid at Heppner, Oregon. Office at 147 West Willow Street.
Telephone (503) 676-9228. Postmaster send address changes to the
Heppner Gazette-Times, P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836.
Subscriptions: »16 in Morrow. Wheeler. Gilliam and Grant Coun
ties: $23 elsewhere.
Joyce H u g h es....................................... Office Manager, Typesetting
April H ilton-Sykes............................................................. News Editor
Monique D evin.................................. Advertising layout A Graphics
Susan Hansen.......................................................................Distribution
Penni K eersem ak er.................................................................... Printer
D avid and April H ilto n -S y ke s, P ub lishers
Letter to the Editor
Vote yes for school bond levy
Measure 5.
Measure 5 cuts the tax rate
for schools by another $2.50 per
$1,000 in 95-%. The projected
increase in the tax rate for this
bond levy is $1.% per $1,000.
Passage of the bond levy would
still result in a net decrease of
$.54 per $1,000. With only 11
percent of the property tax in
Morrow County paid by re
sidential homeowners, this
sounds like a pretty good in
vestment in our future.
The other issues addressed
by the levy, updating tech
nology op p ortu n ities and
m eeting requ irem ents for
disabled access and asbestos
removal, are certainly impor
tant and merit approval.
However, the critical issues
relate to providing adequate
classroom space for children to
learn, staff to teach and the
maintenance of valuable pro
perty are of utmost importance
and deserve the vote of Mor
row County residents.
We often feel that local con
trol of our schools is a thing of
the past and we are the dog be
ing wagged by the tail in
Salem, but this is an opportuni
ty for Morrow County residents
to determine what kind of
education we want for our
children. Please join me in
voting yes on the bond issue to
ensure we have the best oppor
tu n ities possible for the
students of Morrow County.
(s) Mick Tolar
Boardman
Seeks information on relative
To the Editor:
I hope this letter has reach
ed the proper person. I do not
know very much about your
part of the country and I really
don't know who I should write
to.
I am working on my family
tree and one of my relatives left
Carroll County, VA. and is said
to have settled in the Heppner
area of Oregon. I would like for
you to place an article in your
newspaper asking for help in
contacting some descendant or
anyone who might have any
information about Richard Har
dy "H a rd " Smith and his wife
Mary. I would like to learn their
birth and death dates and the
name of the cemetery where
they are buried. I doubt if any
of their children are still alive
but they might have living
grandchildren.
Anything you can do for me
will be deeply appreciated.
Sincerely,
(s) Buford C. Wilson
Rt. 6 Box 50
Galax, VA .24333
BE READY!
j Lawn & I
Garden
I
GoasttoGoast !
WF. C A S H U T UH
A76-<mi
To the Editor:
Morrow County voters have
a history of sound decisions
regarding education. In the 70's
when the north end of the
county needed new schools
becau se of the econom ic
development and influx of new
families, the total county sup
ported bonds to pay for con
struction of new schools. When
Measure 5 was presented to
voters, Morrow County voted
against it.
M easure 5 and cu rren t
equaliztion policies have allow
ed Portland and the populated
areas of the Willamette Valley
to take tax money from Morrow
County, money that could have
supported construction of new
classrooms, improved access to
technology, programs impor
tant to the development of
well-rounded citizens, extra
curricular programs that ce
ment community bonds at the
same time that they allow in
dividuals to develop their
special interests, compliance
with laws for access for the
disabled, and repairs that have
had to be postponed or com
pleted by using money that
could have gone to students in
the class room.
1 urge the voters of Morrow
County, do not let tax money
to continue to go out of our
school district. Please support
the passage of the Morrow
County School District bond
levy when the ballot arrives in
the mail. Vote for a levy that
will allow the general fund to
support more district services
to students, a levy that will
support education for less
money than was paid for
schools last year. Because the
rate drops the final $2.50 under
Measure 5 this year and the
bond levy would cost less than
$2 Morrow County voters have
an opportunity to do a lot of
good for their children without
adding to the tax burden.
Morrow County patrons may
have differences of opinion at
times, but they have a history
of supporting education for
children. I urge a yes vote on
the bond levy as further
evidence of the priority this
county places on education.
Sincerely,
(s) Linda Shaw
Invest in the future
To the Editor:
Much has been written about
school bond levies such as the
one Morrow County voters will
consid er March 28, 1995.
Educational leaders threaten
more cuts in programs, others
warn about the future impacts
on society, should school fun
ding be reduced any further.
And, all of us are concerned
about how much in taxes we
pay for schools and other
government services. What
seems to be missing here is
recognizing just where our
priorities really are.
Remember the education, in- j
eluding extra curricular ac
tivities, we were fortunate
enough to receive 30 or more
years ago? Was a well-rounded
education valued more highly
back then? The answer is yes,
as indicated by the with
holding of our tax dollars from
education measured after infla-
tion in recent years?
Our priorities must include
investing in not just our future,
but that of our children and
their children as well. The best
way we can do that is to
prepare them for the world
they will face tomorrow. This
in clu d es
th eir
learning
necessary skills, knowing how
our society came to be where it
is today, and what they must
do to make tomorrow even bet
ter. This is what schools and
education is all about.
I ask each of you in Morrow
County to remember what your
education was like. Then com
pare that to what we provide
our children now. Then vote
yes on the bond levy March 28
to make education better today,
so they can help make a better
tomorrow.
Very truly yours,
(s) Berry L. Scruggs
Boardman
right, my weak brain can't han
dle the scare tactics that seem
to be floating around before the
upcoming ballot m easures
again.
Isn't it time we get our
priorities in the right order?
Please think about our kids
and where the monies in all our
communities should be chan
nelled. Listen to the kids, hear
what they are saying. Some I
see on the streets are really
hanging out, and not in too
great a way.
Thanks for your time. Please
support the pool and try to help
in some way the people on this
committee.
Sincerely,
(s) Cork Norene
Jim Norene
To the Editor:
I would like to say I could not
agree more with Meg Murray's
letter in last week's paper in
support of the pool.
Along with that, the other
letters on our school issues,
etc., leave me with some mix
ed emotions to say the least.
We seem to be able to come up
with some grandiose ideas for
spending for improvements to
the fairgrounds with more to be
added. A new museum com
plex. Ah, so we tell ourselves,
we can get lottery monies and
matching grant funds from
Heaven only knows where.
And here are our young peo
ple in sore need of just being
assured of a decent education,
starting with the three R's.
If what comes across to me is
Education should be high priority
To the Editor:
On March 28, 1995 Morrow
County voters will decided a
bond levy that will benefit all
children in Morrow County.
Building classrooms in the
north end to house Morrow
County students currently in
school there with money from
the bond levy will enable Mor
row County School District to
continue more programs paid
for out of the general fund
budget.
After spending 29 years as a
coach, teacher and parent it
gives me an opportunity to
reflect back on all the positive
rewards during that time and
remind ourselves that educa
tion should be a high priority:
(1) parental committment; (2)
sports teams that have excell
ed at a very high level; (3) quali
ty instruction and dedicated
classified staff; (4) outstanding
student achievement.
In spite of the effots by the
state legislature the voters have
a choice to continue quality
education in Morrow County
schools. Vote yes in March.
(s) Jerry Martin
730 W Highland
Hermiston
Vote yes for students' future
To the Editor:
I would encourage all citizens
of Morrow County to give
serious consideration to the im
portance of passing the Mor
row County School District
bond. The bond proposal was
drafted to allow for construc
tion of new classrooms to
reduce the over crowded con
ditions that currently exist, to
make needed repairs and to im
prove technology education
throughout the district.
As you are aware, our region
has shown a significant popula
tion increase in the last few
years. This has caused over
crowded conditions in many of
our schools. If we expect to
continue to be competitive in
attracting quality business and
industry, our schools must
meet the same expectations as
other assets of our region.
The em ploym ent oppor
tunities for our students in the
future will depend upon
technology skills developed to
day. Improvement of tech
nology education across our
district is essential for our
graduates to be employable. It
is our responsibility to provide
our students with skills and op
portunities for success.
Please join me in voting yes
for the future of our students
and communities.
Sincerely,
(s) Barbara L. Wetherell
President,
Sam Boardman Elementary
Parent-Teacher club
Save community education system
SU
Heppner
support is needed.
(s) Bill Brown
Mayor of Boardman
Boardman
Approve the bond levy
U S P S 240-420
To the Editor:
Ballots being mailed within
the next w eek w ill give
residents an opportunity to
help determine the future of
education in Morrow County.
This third bond levy proposal
has been cut drastically from
the previous two. For example,
even though there is a need for
a second gym at Riverside High
School, it has been eliminated
in order to reach the smaller
$13,290,000 bond levy figure.
Having recently retired as an
educator in Morrow County
School District after 34 years, I
have experienced the steady
growth of the district and the
accompanying need for class
rooms. Education suffers when
teachers are forced to share a
class room because of limited
space as is now the practice at
some schools in the district.
Schools in Boardman and Ir-
rigon are not too far away from
the conditions of the late 70's
when the lack of class room
space resulted in as many as 42
students in one elementary
classroom.
Passage of the bond levy
would allow some much need
ed maintenance projects such
as the roof repair at Columbia
Junior High, to occur without
having to come from the
regular budget. In turn, this
would allow the retention of
some of the teachers slated to
be cut because of lack of fun
ding in the district budget
which is limited as a result of
Get priorities in right order
Support school bond levy
The Official Newspaper of the
City of Heppner and the
County of Morrow
To the Editor:
It is great to see the number
of people becoming involved
with the education of our
children in Morrow County.
T hank you for stepping
forward.
Now is the time to pull
together and work to save the
educational system in our com
munities. The first step will be
to pass the Morrow County
School District capital bond
levy, which will be a mail-in
election on March 28, 1995. If
the bond fails, the loss of pro
grams to our children will be
devastating. Call me if you
have concerns, I would love to
talk to you.
Next, the Unified Park and
Recreation District is working
hard to put a measure on the
ballot in May. As you have pro
bably read, co-curricular ac
tivities will be cut at the budget
committee level. Can you im
agine what our small com
munities will be like without
any athletics. I don't know
about you, but to my family a
night out is to load up and go
to the football or basketball
games. So beyond the effect
these co-curricular activities
have on students, we need to
think about our communities
also. One of the issues that has
come up about the four-day
week is students' activities out
side of school. Without any co-
curricular programs, just think
what could happen to our
children and communities?
If you have any questions
about the rec. district, call one
of the people involved. Greg
G ran t, C yde E stes, Rick
Minster, George Koffler or Jim
Swanson are some of the local
people working hard to get this
project going.
These are only the bandaids.
the real problem and the real
solution is at the state level. We
have lost control of financing
our schools. The state tells us
the amount that we can use to
educate students in Morrow
County. We have to convince
ou r leg islato rs to make
changes, and we can do that.
Write your legislators. Let them
know tha Morrow County is in
trouble. School funding must
M March 2nd: Ladies. PER and Old Timer’s Nite
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^
Jean Ann’s BBQ chicken 6 p.m.
PER and Old Timer Recognition 8 p.m.
Ladies Bingo 8 p.m.
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March 4th:
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O LC C Service Permit
Training Course 10 a.m.
Sign up with Linda at the Lounge
:J:)
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be changed at the state level,
but to do that, we must con
vince our lawmakers. A letter
writing campaign is in pro
gress. For more information
contact Rick Minster in lone or
Sonja McCabe in Heppner.
Sincerely,
(s) Molly Anne Rill
|
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Go Cardinals
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at the State Basketball Tournam ent
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