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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