Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1997)
Heppner ES Site CBEC passes along savings Council meets The first Heppner Elementary/Middle School Site council meeting was held October 6. New board members introduced were Cindy Doherty, Lome Fox, Sharon Moms, and Jean Strange. Officers for the year were elected as follows: president, Kay Chinen, publicity, Kelly Boyer, distributer, Sandy Mathews, and secretary, Jean Strange. The council met again for its November 3 meeting. Topics discussed were updates on vision screening, which was completed by site council members and parent volunteers. Future discussions on levels testing will be made in the spring when state wide assessment test scores have been compiled. Tests and test grading schedules will help clarify HES student placement compared with the rest of Oregon's educational system, said a council spokesperson. The next Site Council meeting will be held the first Monday in December at 6:30 p.m. HEPPNER imes VOL. 116 N O .47 8 Pages Wednesday, November 19,1997 MorrowCounty, Heppner, Oregon "N ight Chills" to be presented at lone High School Legion, Auxiliary plan meeting American Legion and Auxil iary members will meet Monday, Nov. 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Meth odist Church basement in Hepp ner for their Thanksgiving pot- luck. Turkey will be furnished. Members are asked to bring the trimmings. Unit 87 reached their member ship goal by Oct. 15. Four new members were w elcomed into the organization. It was reported that the food sale was very successful and pro ceeds were sent to The Dalles veterans’ home. Gifts are being collected for the Christmas gift shop. People do nating gifts are asked to bring them to the potluck or leave at Clayton Sweek’s home. A poppy wreath was placed at the mini-park in memory of our veterans on Nov. 11. Many Le gion and Auxiliary members at tended the “very impressive” Veterans' Day commemoration. By Merlyn Robinson The status of electrical coop erative industries was the focus of the 53rd annual meeting of the Columbia Basin Electric Coop erative (CBEC), which was held in Condon on Nov. 6. Co-op customers also experi enced a welcome rate reduction during this past year That reduc tion became possible after Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) lowered the cost of whole sale power, hence a savings of $360,000 was passed along to all customer classes. And in spite of a past season of weather-related maintenance problems, the co-op experienced a significant profit margin this past year. The board of directors authorized a retirement of $350,000 in'capital credits to pa- trons-the largest amount to be re tired in CBEC history. But beyond CBEC’s present wholesale power rate contract with BPA that expires in 2001, the future of rural cooperatives could see drastic changes. Change in the form of deregulation is sw eeping this industry. Legislation to deregulate the industry in Oregon was defeated this past session. “But the issue isn’t going to go away,” said speaker Sandra Flicker, the pub lic affairs director for Oregon Rural Electric Cooperatives As sociation, Salem. “It’s all about money,” said Flicker. Retail electrical custom ers would be able to shop around and choose a power supplier Tax statements in the mail The 1997-98 tax statements for Morrow County are finally headed to the mail. They will be delivered to the Post Office on November 2 1. The statements are late this year due to the implementation of Measure 50. Taxpayers will have until December 15 to pay and still receive the three percent discount. Tax bills are down for most taxpayers, according to a news release from the Morrow County Assessor's Office. This is due to Measure 50, which rolled assessed values back to their 1995 value less 10 percent and reduced operating levies for most taxing districts. Measure 50 also BEO "Christmas Cash" has first taker Jeremiah McElligott, Erin Crowell and Cory Bennetto By Nova Rietmann "Night Chills", a triad of plays based on stories by Edgar Allen Poe, will be performed by the lone High School Drama Club, Saturday, November 22, at 7 p.m. The three plays are entitled: "The Fall of the House of Usher", "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Tell-Tale Heart", directed by Jim Raible, assisted by Kara Miller, Lela Gribskov and Nova Rietmann. Admission is $2 for adults $1 for students and senior citizens and children Entry forms out for Parade of An Lights entry form to enter the first Heppner Parade of Lights is included in this week's issue of the Gazette. The parade, which will be held the night of Dec.4, is open to all individuals or businesses who can decorate a vehicle and maybe win a cash prize. The Christmas decorated vehicles will drive down Heppner main street, and the parade will begin at 6p.m. There is no charge to enter the parade and anyone who is interested should contact Bob Kahl at Van Marier and Kahl Insurance in Heppner. Completed parade entry forms can be dropped off at Van Matter and Kahl, Murray Drugs, or The Heppner Gazette-Times Other activities planned for Dec. 4 include holiday snacks at local businesses, a visit from Santa Clause, lighting of the downtown Christmas trees, and Christmas singing and music. Everyone is invited to come downtown for the activités. which would be delivered by a local utility. Since the Northwest has the lowest hydro-electric power rates in the nation, the large industries could purchase this power at reduced rates. Those in favor of status quo for local co-ops over investor-owned utilities cite local personalized service, dependability and local control over rates versus more government regulations at both the distribution and transmission levels. The impact of deregulation on CBEC could reduce revenues which are used for maintenance and administrative costs should customers choose alternative power suppliers. About 50 per cent of CBEC revenue is derived from residential accounts with ir rigation, commercial and indus trial usage providing the other half. Nevertheless, an improvement to provide stability to the system will be implemented, said man ager Fred Toombs. The co-op has negotiated with BPA to obtain an additional point of delivery at the north end of the system near Ar lington. This will increase elec trical dependability in the event that the current point of delivery near Boardman should fail. Directors re-elected to the board for three year terms were Bill Jaegar, Condon, and Herb Wright, Fossil. Jim Hayes, Hepp ner, was also re-elected for a one year term. Entertainment and door prizes highlighted the din ner meeting. are free. In the "Fall of the House of Usher", Rodrick Usher (Cory Bennetto) is watching his sister Madeline (Enn Crowell) die and, being sick himself, begins to feel the need to settle his estate and calls on his friend Andrew (Jeremiah McElligott) to come and help him. Madeline unfortunately falls to her death and the house of Usher is slowly fading away. Other members of the cast include Nikki McElligott, Brandi Brantley and Katie Bacon. In "Murders in the Rue Morgue" Madame L'Espanye (Niki Sullivan) and her daughter Camille (Sybil Krebs) are brutally murdered in their created permanent tax rates for all taxing districts. In the future, operating taxes for a district will be calculated by multiplying their permanent rate by the district's assessed value. Taxpayers within the city of Heppner will see an increase on their tax statements. Heppner tax bills increased due to a general increase in real market value of all types of property. Unlike the rest of the county, Heppner is still under Measure 5 compression for local government taxes. This means that the $10 local government tax rate limit, times the real market value, determines the operating taxes for the property, said the MCAO. Total tax bills for properties located within the state fire district may be higher. This is due to the increase in the fire patrol assessment portion of the tax statement, which is certified by the state. The property tax portion of the statement is lower. The appeal deadline has been extended to 46 days past December 15, which would be January 30, 1998. Taxpayers concerned about their values or how their taxes were computed should contact the Morrow County Assessor's Office. Appeal forms are available from the Morrow' County Clerk.. apartment. Chief Detective Monsieur Dupin (Nathan Rietmann) and his assistant Robert Roche (Kory Morgan) try to solve the case. Others include Kara Miller, Camie Burnght, Ryan Bennetto and Cory Bennetto. The "Tale-Tell Heart" features two traveling hardware sales women Jess and Loma (Nova Rietmann and Chanssa Gates) who have been asked to stay the Faith Healy. Heppner. the first person to take advantage of the It's time for the annual night at a locals home. Jess finds Christmas Cash program offered through the Bank of Eastern Oregon, Christmas punch. gold in the cellar of the house prepares to spend a little bit of that cash at Lott's Electric. Shopper s can now pick up their and plans to kill the owner punch cards at participating (Miranda McElligott). Others Symphony to perform Saturday businesses, have their cards include Allison Halvorsen, punched when they shop, and The concert will be held at the Shelby Krebs and Cory Bennetto. The Arts Council of Morrow then enter to win SI400 in gift newly-constructed acoustical Because of content, the play County will present the Oregon certificates to be given away. shell. may not be suitable for young East Symphony and Chorale There will be five lucky $25 Admission is free. "Vistas, Visons and Voices" on children to watch. winners week until The concert is funded by the Christmas, each Saturday, November 22, at 7:30 and all entries p.m. at the Heppner old middle Morrow' County Unified will be included in card the grand Recreation District. All Saints hosts Thanksgiving dinner school gymnasium. prize drawing for $700 in gift like to bring something, it would Greens Workshop to be held Dec. 6 certificates to be given away to All Saints Episcopal Church is be one extra lucky person on Dec. welcomed, but it is not again hosting a traditional necessary 29. for them to do so in Heppner Garden Club will designs. Thanksgiving dinner on order to participate, said the Pick up your punch cards at offer their annual holiday greens Wire rings, wrapping wire, Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, spokesperson these participating businesses: November 27, at the church "There is no charge and all are workshop Saturday, December 6. ribbon bows and miscellaneous Gardner's, Coast to Coast, Les from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the decorations will also be available Schwab, Peterson's parish hall. welcome to come share in Morrow county Fair annex at low cost, said a club Yaw's Restaurant, Lott's Jewelers, Dinner will be served at 1 p.m. thankfulness Electric, for God's building. spokesperson but the hosts invite guests to blessings," they said. Those who Shoe Box, Central Market, Green The club supplies free greens Those wishing to purchase Feed, Pettyjohn's, MCGG, come early and stay late for plan on attending are asked to and cones to anyone wanting to wreaths or swags made by Bucknum's Tavem. Court Street visiting and companionship. call 676-5376 or 676-9970. make wreaths, swags or other garden club members should There will be games for all those designs. Club members will help place their order by calling 676- Market, Murray Drugs and who are interested and T.V. for to show how to make these 9446 by Saturday, November 22. Country Rose. those who want to watch the Artifactory football game. The annual Christmas "This is truly a community Artifactory crafts sale, sponsored event with many from the by Soroptimist International of community contributing food and Heppner, be held early this time," said a church year The will Artifactory 'Jhutedcuf,, ftouembe/i 27tit will be spokesperson. November 22, The Bank of Eastern Oregon held Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the cJ/aae a has furnished the turkeys for the from Morrow County Fairgrounds and last seven years. Members of All Saints and other congregations will feature 40 tables of crafts, items, handmade bring salads, desserts, etc. If wood those who come as guests would ornaments baked goods and Lexington 989-8221 1-800-452-7396 furniture. Christmas Punch starts this week W ill Be Cl&Led doù day,/ RROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS
