Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1995)
Zellers buy Bristow's Market in lone I City Council adopts $2 million budget The Heppner City Council donation towards a new swim adopted a 1995-96 city budget ming pool in Heppner. Follow of $2,228,518 at their meeting ing this year's voter approval of Monday night, June 12. Total a swimming pool bond meas appropriations for materials ure under the Willow Creek and services in the general fund Park District authority, that were cut by eight percent from money will complete the city's the proposed budget, which is obligation towards the new about $23,000 less than the cur pool under the terms of the Kinzua donation. rent year. City crews anticipate comple Capital project costs have declined because the sewer tion of the Elder Street bridge system improvement project reconstruction this week. The now stands at 98 percent of council approved a $54,000 bid completion and there were from Blue Mountain Paving for significant savings below pro summer street repairs. Includ jected costs of a used sludge ed are Gale Street, from the truck to haul sewer plant liquid First Interstate Bank building to wastes to fields. The current the intersection of Church budget also funded a major Street. Also included are Elder multi-street improvement pro and Aiken Streets and the pav ing of the turn-around in the ci ject in 1994. City utility costs borne by tax ty park. The hilly portion of payers are budgeted to be self- Water Street will be widened supporting. Current general for a pedestrian walkby. property tax revenues are pro The volunteer fire deparment jected to be about $158,000 after crew gave council members a compression and non-payment first-hand look at a recently ac estimates. Those property tax quired used mini-pump one receipts represent only 16.9 ton truck. The 1994 chassis pur percent of the total resources to chased by the rural fire depar support city government. ment and the cargo top have The city tax rate of approx been repainted. Volunteer imately $9.57 per $1,000 of firemen donated their time to assessed value will be cut to wire and assemble the vehicle about $5.71. Adding the bond that is now fully equipped for ed debt tax rate with the emergencies such as vehicle general property tax rates pro and farm equipment disasters, duces a total estimated city tax according to fire chief Rusty rate of $12.80 before ballot Estes. measure five compression. However, several city opera tions within the budget, such as the St. Patrick's Senior The city of Heppner Summer Center, the summer youth pro Youth Program is now taking gram, and community develop registrations for youth in ment projects are funded out terested in p articip atin g . side of property tax revenues. Registration forms may be pick Insurance costs and staff time ed up at city hall or contact Stan are primarily the main excep Hoobing or Lea Calvert. Cal tions. vert says those planning to par The city is currently experien ticipate should register or let cing some improvements de Hoobing or Calvert know so signed to enhance the Com that enough supplies will be munity. Constuction of public ordered. This year's summer restrooms is now underway at youth program will be held Ju the Main Street city park. Fun ly 10 through Aug. 3, Monday- ding for this facility is from a Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 $20,000 donation from the p.m. On field trip days the former owners of Kinzua Mill hours will be from 10 a.m. to and a small matching sum from 5:30 p.m. the city's general fund. "G oin g with the Flow in Council members approved County Morrow” is this year's the purchase of new play youth program theme. South ground equipment for the city Morrow county youth, ages park. Cost and installation of 7-13, adult leaders and teenage about $20,000 will be funded by volunteers will have an oppor a $12,000 tax settlement from tunity to visit Cutsforth Park the Union Pacific Railroad, plus with a U .S. Forest Service the ''generous and most ap ranger; learn Native American preciated support of about folklore and Irish leprechaun $7,700 in donations from in dividuals, organizations and businesses,” said city manager Gary Marks. The Morrow County Fair An appropriation within the Premium Books are now avail budget was established to able. Premium books may be d isp erse $ 4 5 ,000 pledged obtained at the Morrow Coun through last year's Kinzua ty Fair Office, Post Office or Ex- In other business: City council approved receipt ot about $5,u0u in state revenue sharing funds; Lea Calvert presented details of a four day-a-week summer youth program during July. Registrations must be com pleted by June 16 and left at ci ty hall or the Heppner Elemen tary School office. The program is free. Grants and donations are anticipated to cover pro jected costs of around $7,000, used mainly for food and trans portation. Adult volunteers are needed, Calvert said. Average attendance last year was about 45 youngsters, ranging in age from kindergarten through high school teen assistants. Engineering estimates to con vert the former Heppner swim ming pool site into a communi ty center with outdoor basket ball courts is estimated at $195,000. Community block grants and rural development funds may be available to fund this project, Marks said. Installation of a new water telemetry system may be de layed until fall as the company has exceeded bonding limita tions until they finish a large project. An additional $3,200 was ap proved from the sewer fund to access sewer lines for the new restroom facility at the city park. Register now for summer program culture; participate in an actual courtroom case; enjoy the water at the lone swimming pool; take a peek at the behind- the-scenes activities at a televi sion station; see what it is like to work at a commercial airport, and see farming technology at work at a local wheat ranch. Activities also include a make-your-own-lunch walk through Heppner, exploring the sight and sounds of early Morrow County history, and playing kickball, bowling and demonstrating one's artistic talents. The program will be possible if adults and teenages willing to volunteer time, talents and skills step forward. Applica tions are available at the Hepp ner city hall. "H elp make this summer a unique experience for the youth of south Morrow County,” said the Reverend Stan Hoobing, program coor dinator. Fair Premium books now available tension Office in Heppner, M orrow C ou nty G rain Growers in Lexington, the Post Office in lone,’ and the city halls in Boardman and Irrigon. By April Sykes Norm and Barb Zeller have some big shoes to fill as new owners of the lone Market, formerly Bristow's Market. But it looks as if the couple, who became owners of the grocery store June 1, are starting off on the right foot. The Bristows had kept the market in their family since 1914 when Edmund John Bris tow took it over. His son, Ed mund Wade Bristow took over the store in 1944 and John became owner in 1979. Don Bristow had worked at the market all of his life. "W e're really busy,” said Barb. "W e've got a lot to learn,” added Norm. "T h e Bristows have been really good with helping us get started. They've been great.” Both Zellers say that they enjoy w orking with the public. "T h at's the best part,” said Barb. "W e both like people and this gives us the opportunity to continue to work with people.” Norm Zeller recently retired after 22 years and nine months as an Oregon State Patrolman. He started out as a patrolman in Tillamook in October of 1973. He worked in the patrol divi sion for five years and in 1978 was assigned to the Fish and Wildlife Division. In 1986 he came to Heppner where he continued to work in that divi sion. The last several years he was in special investigations and worked outside the area. 'I 'l l miss the department,” said Norm. "Bu t, I came to eligibility for retirement and wanted a career change. I never thought I'd get into the grocery business, but the opportunity came along. I'd always wanted photo by April Sykes L-R: Norm and Barbara Zeller and Mandi Gutierrez to own my own business.” Barb has owned her own hair styling shop, "A t The Top", for the last four years. She has been a hair stylist since 1976. Although she has had her own business, she says that the market "is a lot different, and on a lot bigger scale." She laughingly adds that people have asked her if she could put in a beauty shop in lone. Barb is an lone native, growing up on a ranch on Rhea Creek and graduating from lone High School. "lo n e 's a great com munity,” she says. "T he peo ple are wonderful." The Zellers say they don't plan on changing things at the store. "W e're going to main tain the same type of service, ” says Norm. " T h e y (the Bristows) were very successful. If it isn't broke, why fix it?" The couple, who live in Heppner, plan on moving to lone. "W e want to get down here as soon as possible," said Barb. Accompanying the couple will be their two children, Man di and Brian Gutierrez, who will both help out at the store. " Mandi's been really great help. She's catching on really fast,” added Barb. Mandi, a 15 year-old sophomore at Hepp ner High School, is already working as a store clerk. "W e had to buy the store," jokes Norm, "to give Mandi a sum mer job. It's quite an ex perience," Mandi says. " It's really different. I'm learning a lot. It's a lot of fu n ." Barb says that Brian, 10, will be their can boy, sorting cans and bagging ice. Norm has two other children, Lea, 27, who works at a bank in Portland and is married to a city policman, and Ty, 24, who is lives in Hermiston and works at Simplot. He and his wife, the former Stacy Toll, have a son, Kurtis, two. The Zellers plan a grand opening in the near future. First reading of annexation approved By April Sykes The Boardman City Council, at a public hearing Tuesday night June 13, unanimously voted to pass the first reading of an annexation to the city of Boardman. The board also ap proved continuation of the hearing until June 27. If the annexation is approv ed, the city of Boardman will add Port of Morrow property, which includes Boardman Farms, Lamb-Weston, Oregon Potato Company, Simplot and the Portland General Electric Coyote Springs Co-Gen Plant. According to Ed Glenn, a pro perty owner within the propos ed annexation and initiator of the annexation proposal, an nexation would "m ore than double" the assessed valuation of the city of Boardman. The ci ty currently has a total valua tion of $30,415,090. Glenn and other supporters of the plan, including Oregon Potato Company and Lamb- Weston, two of Boardman's main employers, say that their major concern is water, which is facing strict regulations con cerning its uses. They also said they wanted to be "good dustrial wastes and the city of neighbors", willing to pay Boardman also proposes in more taxes to help provide ser dustrial wastewater service. vices for their employees and The port, PGE and Morrow contribute to the infrastructure. County also opposed the move The area proposed for annex because they said they were not ation is in the Boardman Urban given enough time to study the Growth Area. matter. A PGE attorney also According to a city staff contended that PGE's approval report, under the proposal the is required for the annexation. city shall provide w ater, Len Gunderson, PGE project sanitary sewer and industrial manager said that the city of wastewater service and full ser Boardman had earlier pledged vice roadways to those within 2.000 gallons of water a minute the annexed areas. If the pro for the project. He added that posal is passed, the city will in he had not heard if the city had volve annexed property own withdrawn the offer, but if it ers in the utility rate structur does withdraw the offer, PGE ing processes which have any would have to reconsider the direct impact on them. second phase of the Coyote Portland General Electric and Springs Co-gen plant. The the PGE Co-Gen plant and the plant needs 4,000 gallons a Port of Morrow went on record minute, he said. He also said as opposing the annexation. that the port had also pledged PGE said that the move would 2.000 gallons a minute. single out PGE to bear much of The Boardman City Council the burden. is aiming at a June annexation Port of Morrow officials ex for taxing purposes. The fiscal pressed concern that the move year ends June 30. The city also could ultimately leave the port indicated that they want to •unable to meet its bonded in complete restructuring of the debted obligations. The Port Urban Renewal Agency by has recently constructed an ef August 15 and complete and fluent plant to deal with in adopt an urban renewal plan within three months of annex ation or by October 15, 1995, whichever is earlier. Under the proposal for an nexation, the city said that it would not levy ad valorem real p rop erty taxes, including street, park or other public general tax levies, bonded in place unless accompanied by a debtedness and other forms of parent, guardian or other per taxation against annexed ter son 21 or older with parental ritory in excess of certain authorization. An exception to percentages—zero percent the the rule includes minors engag first year, 1995-%, 20 percent ed in a school activity or employment which makes it the second, 30 percent the third, and 10 percent each suc necessary for them to be out cessive year until it reaches 100 during the curfew times. percent by the year 2004-5. M inors who violate the The annexation proposal also curfew may be taken into tem asks that the territory be porary custody and parents removed from Boardman Rural may be subject to a fine for violation of a class C civil Fire Protection District and the M orrow C ounty U nified infraction. Recreation District. Police Chief Doug Rathbun reminds of curfew hours Heppner City Police Chief Doug Rathbun reminds parents and •’heir minor children of the city curfew regulations. According to city regulations, minors under the age of 14 and not attending high school have a curfew of 9:15 p.m. on school nights and 10:15 on weekends. The curfew for minors 14 to 18 is 11 p.m. school nights and midnight on weekends. The curfew is in effect until 6 a .m . the following morning. The regulations prohibit any minor under 18 to be on the S Sumitta ÿum I5(fc (irai 24tk Morrow County Grain Growers _____ Lexington 989-8221 1-800-452-7396_______
