Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 19, 1995)
Park District hears lone imes VOL. 114 NO. 31 6 Pages Wednesday, July 19, 1995, So far 60 petitions have been filed at the Morrow County Courthouse by property own ers who want out of the Willow Creek Park District. Many of those on hand at a meeting in lone Monday night were ready to tell the park district board of directors why. Dick McElligott, who farms near lone, said that since the planned swimming pool and completed RV park are located in or near the city of Heppner the park district has given no service to him or many other property owners, and he call ed for another election on the park district, this time ex cluding Heppner voters. "The fairest way to resolve this problem would be to es tablish a boundary containing all of the Willow Creek Park District's physical assets in cluding the day park and the income producing RV cam pground plus the city of Hepp ner and any contiguous proper ty which the owners might wish to have included. An elec tion of all areas outside the boundary should then be held to see if they wished to withdraw," he said. Previous elections have been held to establish the park district, which includes Hepp ner, lone and Lexington as well as outlying farmland, and to issue bonds and levy taxes to build and operate a swimming Morrow County Heppner, Oregon pool in Heppner and a RV park at Willow Creek lake. Property owners who have filed petitions to with draw from the district say they gain no benefit from these projects, and therefore should not have to pay. Voters in the lone precinct in March overwhelm David Green buys local disposal service ingly voted against both the new pool construction bonds and the operating levy, how ever, both passed with support from the Heppner area. Park district board members said lone was approached be fore the election about possible projects to be funded through the district, but no interest was shown from the area. Morrow County School Superintendent Chuck Stan- had earlier pointed out that the lone swimming pool, which is owned and maintained by the school district, is in need of repairs and that the school district had no money to make those improvements. Stan said that according to engineer's reports the repairs could cost around $324,000. Some at the meeting Monday said the park district wasn't needed to make the repairs and that the money could be rais ed from the lone community. Further complicating the withdrawal petitions is the fact that $975,000 in bonds to con struct the swimming pool have already been sold, and even if property owners are with drawn from the park district, they may be liable to repay those bonds. Monow County Assessor Greg Sweek said that taxes to pay for the pool project and all of the park operations would total $81 per year for each $100,000 of assessed valuation. Sweek said that because of measure 5, the property tax law, Heppner taxpayers would not see an increase in taxes to pay for the three year, $36,000 per year operating levy. lone and Lexington taxpayers would see an increase for operating funds, because they have not yet reached their taxing limit. Heppner taxpayers, however will have to pay additional taxes for the pool construction levy, which does not come under ballot measure 5. The Morrow County Court has the authority to grant withdrawal requests, but after two public hearings on the mat ter has taken no action. A third hearing is planned. The court is bound by Oregon law which describes when propety owners may be released from a taxing district. Park District chairman Ken ny Turner asked the crowd Monday to give the district 60 days to further examine the lone pool situation. "If we can get a couple of people to par ticipate from lone and listen to the engineer's report, then if you want to go to court and get out of the park district then let it b e ," Turner said. McElligott said earlier he had already consulted an attorney. Don Bristow said that even though the community was ap proached before the last elec tion about projects to be fund ed, he saw the offers as no more than a carrot to get the levy passed. "W e're getting frustrated because we're not getting ours," he said of Lex ington and lone. "W e haven't seen any sharing and it's get ting frustrating." Board member Skip Math ews said he was afraid that if the county court grants the withdrawal petitions it could lead to other withdrawals in other districts. "W hat's next? The library, the rural fire district or maybe the medical district." Summer Youth Program underway - ‘ L-R: Greg Smith, David Green, Cliff Green. David Green of Heppner has purchased the Heppner Gar bage Disposal Service from his father, Cliff Green, with the help of a $40,000 Regional Strategies loan. The Heppner Garbage Disposal Service is a family- owned business that has been serving Heppner, Lexington and surrounding areas for over 44 years, spanning three gen erations. David's grandfather, Her man Green, bought the bus iness in 1951 from Roger Con ner and turned it into a regular pick-up and delivery route. He started our with a 1942 Ford truck with a plywood bed. Then then moved to a manu factured side-loader and then eventually went to a side-load ing packer unit. David's father, Cliff Green, bought the business in 1973. He later upgraded the truck to a rear-load packer. In 1989 he started hauling to Finley Buttes Landfill and then went to a larger rear packer with a diesel engine. Cliff says that he paid $2,500 for his first truck and $31,000 for his last one, which was used. "There has been lots of change," said Cliff. "There us ed to be a lot of salvage, but not any more." Cliff says that they used to be able to salvage scrap iron and other metals, but now they can't. He says that now appliances can no longer be salvaged and repaired. Cliff also notes the increase in plastic and paper packaging. The big gest change, however, is the huge increase in transportation and disposal costs. "It used to be next to nothing," said Cliff, This business not only pro "but now it's a major part of the operation." Part of the ex vides a service to the local com pense is driving 35 miles to munity but it also helps the North Central Oregon Regional Finley Buttes to dispose of the Strategies Board achieve its garbage. "Heppner is a special place strategy of developing busines to live," adds Cliff. "I'v e ap ses based upon environmental preciated the opportunity to services," said Greg Smith, serve my customers over the loan officer for the Greater last 25 years. I thank them for Eastern Oregon Development their patronage." Cliff, 52, con Corporation (GEODC). The loan is part of a larger tinues to operate the Coast to Coast store in Heppner he pur project financed by the Bank of Eastern Oregon and GEODC. chased in 1984. David Green began working The Regional Strategies Loan part-time for the Heppner Gar Program was created by the bage Disposal Service while he North Central Oregon Regional was still in high school. After Strategies board to assist small receiving his associate degree in to medium sized businesses business management from with their fixed asset financing Blue Mountain Community needs. This program, partner College, he returned home and ship with local financing in began working full time. "It's stitutes, serves the counties of a privilege to live and work in Morrow, Gilliam, Grant, Sher Heppner," said David."For a man, Wasco and Wheeler. lot of people it's just not possi With the change of owner ship, customers should now ble." David has been operating the send their correspondence and business for about the last five payments to: Fieppner Gar years. "H e's virtually been do bage Disposal Service, Attn: ing it all," says Cliff. "H e's David Green, P.O. Box 782, well versed in the operation." H eppner, O regon 97836. "I'm looking forward to ser Customers may contact David ving the residents of Heppner directly at 676-5364. Payments and Lexington in their waste and messages may also be left transportation needs," said at the Coast to Coast store in David. "The only thing that's Heppner. going to change is where you send your payment." When you talk about David's purchase of the business, you can't leave out his partner. The annual Morrow County David is faithfully accompanied potluck picnic will be held at on his rounds by Mandy, his Mt. Tabor Park, S.E. 60th and dog. Mandy, now 11, is a Salmon, Portland, on Sunday, "Heinz 5 7 ", a border collie, August 6. dingo and Carter dog mix. Anyone now living in, or The loan approval came from who has lived Morrow Coun the Greater Eastern Oregon ty is invited to attend the pic Development Corporation's nic from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. loan committee. Site chosen for M.C. picnic The Summer Youth Prograi is underway in Heppner, wit activities and field trips youth, 7-13, through August! ' 1 he program is held Monda through Thursday from 10 a.n to 2 p.m. On field trip days, th day is extended. On the first day of this year program, American Heritag Day, 109 kids and adults lean ed what it was like to e: perience life "in the olden days". Some of the activi included washing clothes v a wash tub and scrub bo< ironing with an old fashioi iron, playing jacks, shoo! marbles, sewing quilts, rep ing shoes and of course, en ing fresh butter, fresh-squee lemonade and homemade cream. The second day the gr< went to Pendleton to visit sights and sounds of Pendleton Underground Wednesday and Thursday c the first week, the childre: learned first hand about Nativ American folklore and culture from Native Americans Ji Jones, Jr., chief of Umapima, and Mildrei Quaempts who encamped a the junior high school grounds. Other activities throughout the program include visiting Cutsforth Park, seeing an ac tual courtroom case, swimm ing, a behind the-scenes peek Mildred Quaempts encamped at the Heppner Junior High School grounds. at a television station, a visit to a commercial airport, kick ball and bowling, among many other activities, j h e Rev Stan Hoobing is coordinator of the program. Wheat harvest begins with average yields The wheat harvest is just starting to get underway, with "average” yields expected. John Ripple, grain depart ment manager for the Morrow County Grain Growers, said that most of the people who have already started harvest ex perienced hail damage from the storm that swept through parts of the area Sunday, July 9. While the hail missed the Heppner area, some growers in lone, Condon and in the north Lex area, especially along the Bombing Range Road, were devastated. "It's going to be an average to slightly above average harvest, running 35 to 40 bushels an acre," said Ripple. Ripple said that while there was plenty of rain this spring some farmers had to reseed because it was so dry last fall. Ripple added that cheat grass and disease also figured in the projected yield. Ripple said that harvest should be well underway by the end of the week. Harvest Hours Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat. 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Wasco Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Morrow County Crain Growers Lexington 989-8221 1-800-452-7396 4 » ; * ( ¡ 's v i - ìì ' i m. : '* - ;1 ^ * \ * I* .1 -, ' •- , l • ' « K • - v > ? . • . • - f 1 l ' .. . '■• '•■ ■« . . v. - 1 «. jfc» ’ I , 4 » . « I • „■; ■ - _ .. »♦ * * i ] ,-l V , ,» • * , *. // t *;v- • V ■ • •• » 4 * » I- « _ ' j 1
