Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1996)
r'u i TrO ^twawNraCf 'Mt ' **« *M W V W f l ................. I III« » « - *-* - Home Rule, county levy to go before voters -Commissioners will serve a elected at large. four-year term; Ballots are being sent out this Home Rule proponents say -No one employed by Mor week for the presidential pri that the intent is to hold row County will be eligible to mary mail-in election March 12. meetings in the evenings, so serve on the board; Ballots must be returned to the that more citizens will be able -Commissioners will have the county clerk's office by that to attend. Meetings are now power to enact ordinances and date. held in the daytime on Wed adopt administrative code; This election marks the first nesday. -Three commissioners will time that the Morrow County Those against the home rule Clerk's Office will use an auto constitute a quorum and three plan say that county govern affirmative votes are required to matic ballot counting machine. ment is already operating effi take action; Voters will be asked to fill in the ciently and equitably. They say -The board will meet at least broken arrow on the ballot next that the current method is the once a month. to the candidate of their choice most democratic because coun -Board members will receive or 'yes' or 'no'. ty positions are elected at large nominal compensation as Voters in this election will by all the voters of the county. determined by the lay members decide the fate of presidential They also argue that taking of the budget committee. candidates and two county Proponents of the home rule away the elected positions of measures. plan say that the move will assessor, treasurer, clerk and Democrats have only one surveyor will take control away presidential candidate on their eliminate county politics from from the people and place it in the clerk's, surveyor's, trea ballot, Bill Clinton, while the hands of commissioners Republicans will decide among surer's and assessor's jobs. and the county administrator nine candidates, Bob Dole, Pat They claim that an adminis who may be free to appoint trator will make county opera Buchanan, Phil Gramm, Steve tions more business-like and their friends and political allies Forbes, Lamar Alexander, say that home rule is a rational as clerk, assessor, treasurer and Robert K. Dornan, Alan L. approach to coping with surveyor. Keyes, Richard G. Lugar and The members of the Morrow growth and representation in Morry Taylor. County Home Rule Charter the county. While north Mor Voters will also decide the Committee include: chairman, fate of a $3,160,155 county op row County is more populous, Rollie Marshall, William Din erating levy outside the tax traditionally, their voter turn kins and Dan VanSchoiack of base for fiscal years 1996-97 and out is not as great as in south Heppner; Linda LaRue and adoption of a home rule form Morrow County. However, Lisa Rietmann, lone; John with continued growth in the of county government. Prag, Bill Brown and Jack According to Morrow Coun north, the voter turnout may Strege of Boardman; and Don ty officials, the operating levy eventually shift from south to Holes of Irrigon. Four were ap represents a zero increase in north. Many people in north Mor pointed by the Morrow Coun total tax asking from the ty Court, four by state repre 1995- 96 fiscal year. The levy row County say that they feel sentatives and senators from will provide funds to balance they have no representation on the area and one was ap the Morrow County operating the county court. In the past, pointed by the other eight budget for the fiscal year one county commissioner was members. 1996- 97, including the road traditionally elected from north After 22 months of work on Morrow County. However, in fund, the county school fund, drafting a proposed home rule the cities' portion of the road the last election, Don McElligott charter and three public fund, the fair and rodeo fund; of lone defeated Ed Glenn of meetings, the committee, with and the general fund. The Boardman. The other commis one opposing vote, voted to general fund provides funding sioner is Ray French of Hepp place the charter on the ballot. for the Extension Service, the ner. Operations at the Port of William Dinkins has come out Soil and Water Conservation against the charter. District, the Irrigon-Boardman Morrow and the Morrow A political action committee, Emergency Assistance Center, County School District are "Morrow Countv Deserves the Neighborhood Center of somewhat similar to the home Home Rule" (MCDHR), in South Morrow County, the rule proposal. In both, there are support of adoption of home watermaster, the Predatory elected commissioners or board rule has also been formed. The members and an administrator Animal Control, the museum, hired by the board. School directors for the committee are Justice Court and Veteran's George Koffler of Heppner, Service, as well as those ser board members are now Jerry Rietmann, lone, and Don vices required by Oregon law. elected from zones, while Port Eppenbach, Irrigon. County operating funds do not of Morrow Commissioners are include monies for the medical fund. A separate Morrow County Health District has been established to fund medi cal services in the county. If voters approve home rule The girls will take on Alsea at for Morrow County, county Both the lone Cardinal boys 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, and the government will be changed and girls basketball teams are boys will face off against North significantly. headed to the state trounament Clackamas Christian at 8:45 The assessor, county clerk, in Baker next week. p.m., also on Thursday. county treasurer, county judge, surveyor, two county commis sioner positions, sheriff and justice of the peace are now elected at large by Morrow County voters. With home rule, five commis sioners will be elected. The The girls will play Friday at Both the Heppner Mustangs county ju d ge's position, against Weston and the Fillies basketball teams 7p.m . now held by Louis Carlson, have made it into post-season McEwen. If they win that game will be eliminated. Instead, a play this year, and will be go they will play at 1:30 on county administrator will be ing to the district basketball Saturday. hired and will answer to the The boys play at 3p.m. Friday tournament starting Friday at commissioners. The assessor, the Convention Center in against Umatilla, and if they win will play Saturday at 3p.m. treasurer, surveyor and coun Pendleton. Cost for the games is $5 for ty clerk will no longer be The girls defeated Sherman elected, but instead will be Saturday to lock up third place adults and $4 for students. hired positions and will answer in the Columbia Basing Con School will be let out for 9-12 to the administrator and com ference and a place at the tour and 7-8 Friday if 50 percent of missioners. The present assess nament, and the boys defeated students arrange for pre or, clerk, treasurer and survey Stanfield in a playoff game release. Otherwise there will be or will serve out their current Monday night to capture fourth classes as usual with pre terms. The sheriff and justice of place and a spot in the action. arranged release students hav the peace will remain as elected ing assignments to make up. positions. The election of the district attorney and judicial positions will be provided as by state law. The Home Rule Charter also The Morrow County Health light the signs of depression includes the following specifi District will air two communi in older adults, ways friends cations: -The county seat will remain ty health education programs and family can help and effec on Tuesday, Feb. 27, beginning tive treatments. The second at Heppner; -The chairman of the board of at 7 p.m. The half-hour pro provides in-depth information commissioners will be elected grams, "The Bright Side of about high blood pressure and by and from the board which Depression" and "Keeping how it can be treated with and will be elected by the people of Your Blood Pressure in without medication. Both pro Check," will be shown on grams are produced by the the county; -County commissioners must Heppner TV's public access University of Wisconsin Hospi tal and Clinics. be a resident of the county for channel 3. The first program will high- at least a year; B y A p ril H ilt o n - S y k e s B F S S U C F I F WETZ E L L ORE N E WS P A P E R LIS E U G E N E 9 7 4 0 3 OR VOL. 115________ NO. 8________ 10 Pages Wednesday, February 21, 1996,________ Morrow County Heppner, Oregon Heppner home destroyed by fire Cards, Lady Cards make state playoffs at Baker F ir e c o m p le te ly d e s tro y e d th is H e p p n e r h o m e B y A p ril H ilt o n - S y k e s A home in Heppner was completely destroyed by fire and an adjacent home damag ed shortly after midnight Mon day, Feb.-19. The house across from Mil ler's Mini Mart, at 135 Center Street, rented by Bob Lancaster and owned by Don Erickson of Scappoose, was totalled in the fire. The house behind the R&W Drive In "sustained a lot of damage," said Heppner Fire Chief Rusty Estes. Estes said that the Heppner Volunteer Fire Department ar rived at the scene within two minutes of the call and had water on the fire within three minutes, but the house was ful ly involved by the time the fire fighters came on the scene. Fourteen fire fighters respond ed with four major trucks and "every piece of equipment," said Estes. Estes said that the problems were compounded by burning power lines that dropped from the homes and fell to the ground. He said that Columbia Basin Electric responded im mediately and turned off the power. Estes said that the home behind the R&W sustained fire, smoke and water damage. The R&W and the home behind it were recently purchased by Alex and Patty Rystedt of the Bend area. Fire burned through the attic and roof of the kitchen and one bedroom of their home. Estes said that no one was in jured in the blaze. However, Lancaster and a woman living in the totalled home escaped with only the clothes they had on. Estes said that Lancaster been destroyed by fire since the went back into the house to first of the year, one Jan. 15 rescue his pet bird, but the owned by Ron and Bette For- flames were too severe when rar, Hermiston, formerly of he tried to return a second time Heppner, and one Feb. 5 own- to rescue the family's cat. e£i by the Henderson family. However, they left the door who recently moved to the area open in hopes that the cat from Sweet Home. Fire des- would be able to escape, said troyed a fourth home, owned Estes. by John and Diane Kilkenny, No cause has yet been deter- on Feb. 16. The Kilkennys' mined for the blaze, which is home was around 9 miles east believed to have started on the ° f Heppner and was located back porch. outside of the fire district, so Two other homes in Hepp- there was no response to the ner, both on Chase Street, have blaze. 2.9 earthquake hits Lexington quake activity in the area. Beard that there is seismic B y A p ril H ilt o n - S y k e s equipment located in Willow There's a whole lot of shak Creek Dam, but the Feb. 13 ing going on near Lexington. Lexington quake was not A 2.9 magnitude earthquake, centered between the Cutsforth significant enough to be record and Tad Miller ranches, south ed there. Beard added that "It of the North Lex Elevator near would take a very major event the Boardman interchange, oc (to harm Willow Creek Dam), curred about 12:48 p.m. on but even then, it wouldn't cause catastrophic damage to Tuesday, Feb. 13. Morrow County Emergency the dam ." He said if officials thought Management Director Casey Beard said that his office receiv there was structural damage to ed a call from the U.S. Geo the dam, they would plan for evacuation and a draw down of logical Survey associated with the water in the dam. the University of Washington informing him of the quake. Beard said that there was a Beard said that no one from major quake located near the the area reported feeling move Army Depot area in the 1880s ment from the quake, but add or 1890s and one occurred in ed- that an earthquake would the Lone Rock area near Con probably have to register about don on Dec. 16, 1993. Ap 5 on the scale before significant parently some people felt a lit movement would be felt. tle bit of shaking, but nothing Beard said that a current very significant, during the study is reevaluating earth Lone Rock quake. Mustangs, Fillies head to district tournament MCHD health programs upcoming GOOD j CUCK Catidwb, Lady Condò, Wiwioiujd, FiMw Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 1-800-452-7396