Gift certificate
winners
announced
Twenty five dollar gift
certificate winners in the second
week of the Heppner Christmas
Punch are as follows:
Geneva Mathews won a $25 gift
certificate to Pettyjohn's Builders
Supply. Barbara Pike won a gift
certificate to Central Market.
Bill Schlaick won a certificate to
Shoe Box. Jimmy Rodgers won
a gift certificate to Green Feed,
and Max Harris won a $25 gift
certificate to Lott's Electric. The
winners can pick up their gift
certificates at the businesses.
There will be a new set of
winners
next
week,
and
remember all punch cards go into
the final grand prize drawing of
$700 in gift certificates to be
given away Dec. 29.
Anyone can enter, just pick up
your punch card whenever you
shop at any of the participating
businesses, and for every five
dollars in purchases at any
participating business, get your
card punched.
HEPPNER
e
imes
VOL. 116
NO 49
City manager disputes rates
8 Pages
Wednesday, December 3,1997
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
MC Museum
open late
Dec. 4
The Morrow County Museum
will be open Thursday, Dec.4,
from 1-8 p.m. to accommodate
shoppers, history buffs and
visitors to this year's enlarged
"Santa's Toy Shop" tableau in the
Heppner City Park, presented by
elves who work, during their off
season, in the museum.
Everyone is invited to see what's
new - and what's old - at the
museum.
Admission is free and everyone
is welcome to attend.
An article entitled, "We're
number one!" appearing in the
November 26, 1997, issue of the
Gazette-Times which states that
"Heppner taxpayers fork out
$28.13 per thousand of assessed
valuation" for property taxes, is
not entirely correct, according to
Heppner city manager Gary
Marks.
Marks said the $28.13 rate is
before Ballot Measure 5 cuts and
is obtained using a new
definition of assessed valuation
which in Heppner is about 20
percent less than actual market
value. (After compression, the
tax rate on assessed valuation is
about 24.13.) (Prior to this year's
Ballot Measure 50, a property's
assessed value was usually the
same as the market value.) Marks
said that, in simplified terms, the
effective rate of taxation when
applied to market value and. after
all tax cuts, for this year is
approximately $18 to $19 per
thousand within the city limits
(depending on the type of
property
being
taxed)
considerably lower than the
$28.13 rate which was reported
earlier by "The Oregonian".
"It is nearly impossible to use
tax rates to accurately assess
one's relative tax burden on a
statewide basis," said Marks. He
said property values for identical
properties can vary widely
throughout the state depending
on where each property is
located "As they say in the real
estate business, the key to, a
property's value is based on three
considerations
--
location,
location, location," said Marks
"Heppner's property values are
comparatively lower than say
property in Portland," said
Marks. "As a result, a Portland
taxpayer may have a lower tax
rate on a property identical to a
property in Heppner and still pay
a higher tax because the
property's value is much higher
in Portland."
"If 'The Oregonian, were to
publish a chart showing how
much an average taxpayer
actually paid in real dollar terms
in each Oregon community, I
think Heppner would prove to
have a rather moderate actual
property tax burden," Marks said.
Marks also pointed out that the
rate paid by city taxpayers not
only provides funds to the city
but also provides money to
Morrow County, the Morrow
County School District, Blue
Mountain Community College,
the Education Service District,
Port of Morrow, Unified
Recreation District, Willow
Creek Park District, Heppner
Cemetery District and the
Oregon Trail Library District.
BEO donates O TPR buckle
Brownfields donate Christmas tree Heppner businesses' open house
scheduled for December 4th
Don't forget this Thursday,
Dec. 4 is Heppner's business
open house and at 6p.m. the
Parade of Lights.
Other activities include Santa
Claus at Murray's Drug from
3:30 to 5:30 (photos available),
Office no longer
releasing
marriage info
The Morrow County Clerk's
Office has notified the Gazette-
Times that it will no longer
release
marriage
license
information to the press.
The action comes following a
new law, passed by the Oregon
Legislature which places new
restrictions on the ability to
provide access to the records,
according
to
information
supplied to the Morrow County
Clerk's Office by Alan H.
Davidson, Marion County Clerk.
Information will be provided
only to the "spouse, child, parent,
sibling or legal guardian of the
registrant,
an
authorized
representative of the spouse,
child, parent, sibling or legal
guardian of the registrant..." or
after 50 years have elapsed after
the date of the marriage.
Heppner Christmas tree donated by Steve Brownfield family
The Chamber Christmas
decoration
committee
was
getting a little bit nervous, said
Chamber
manager Claudia
Hughes,
until
the
Steve
Brownfield family came to their
rescue with the donation of the
community Christmas tree.
Columbia Basin Electric cut and
set the tree and Tom Rawlins,
Heppner T.V., is adding the
fights and finishing touches.
Citizens of all ages are invited
to add an ornament and gather
'round the tree on Thursday,
December 4, for cocoa, carols
and
the
luxury
vacation
accommodation drawing.
The give-away accommodation
package was donated by the
Chamber of Commerce in
appreciation of people who
shopped locally during the Main
Street project.
Lighting contest, Saturday, Dec. 20
Everyone is invited to
participate in the annual Heppner
Chamber lighting contest
Saturday,
December
20,
Chamber of Commerce elves will
judge residential and business
lighting. All lighted residences
and businesses within the
Heppner City limits will be
eligible. First and second prizes
will be awarded for best outdoor
display and indoor display as
viewed from the street. Special
recognition will be given for the
most festive business lighting
display.
MCCCF to hold meeting Dec. 8
The monthly meeting of the
Morrow County Commission on
Children & Families will be held
on December 8 at the Morrow
County Family Service Center,
120 South Main, Heppner, from
7-9 p.m.
The public is invited to attend
and participate in the discussion.
For more information call 676-
9675.
Rudy Murgo
named presiding
udge
Judge Rudy M. Murgo has
been appointed presiding judge
of the sixth judicial district,
which includes the state courts in
both Umatilla and Morrow
counties.
Judge Murgo was appointed by
Oregon Supreme Court, Chief
Justice Wallace P. Carson. Judge
Murgo's
term
begins
on
December 1 and runs through
December 31.
He replaces
retiring Judge Jack F. Olsen as
the presiding judge.
Business After
Hours, Dec. 8
Heppner Chamber of
"Business After
" will be held Monday/
8, at 6 p.m. at the
western Motel in Heppner.
e event will be hosted by
and Bonnie Bunch,
¡hments will be served and
r
nri7<* offered
public decoration of the city
Christmas Tree at 4:30 p.m. and
at 6.30 following the parade a
Christmas
tree
lighting
celebration. There will also be
snacks available in many of the
businesses, and live Christmas
music on the street.
Hanlon to run for
Sherman Co. DA
____
1998 Morrow County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Queen
Maci Childers, second from right, receives a belt buckle from past
princesses (from left) Tricia Coe, Shelly Ashbeck and Amy
Kollman, all employees of the Bank of Eastern Oregon Heppner
Branch.
The bank, a buckle sponsor for a number of years, donated the
Montana Silver belt buckle to Queen Maci.
The 1998 court is selling raffle tickets for a ring to help with
travel expenses and extra outfits. They will participate in the Dec.
4 Heppner light parade and will make their first official appearance
at the Town and Country Banquet in Heppner on January 15.
The OTPR still has VIP seating available for the 1998 rodeo. For
tickets or more information, contact Nicole Mahoney, 676-5157.
Champion Blue Grass band to perform
Bill Hanlon
Former Morrow County
District
Attorney
pro-tem
William "Bill" Hanlon has filed
as a candidate for district
attorney for Sherman County up
for election at the May 1998
primary election.
Hanlon was appointed to the
Morrow County position by
Governor John Kitzhaber when
Morrow
County
District
Attorney Earl R. Woods, Jr., was
called into active duty in Bosnia
with his National Guard Unit.
Woods returned to his position
with Morrow County on Oct. 1
after eight months in Bosnia.
Since Woods' return, Hanlon
has served as Morrow County
Counsel.
Hanlon was district attorney in
Jefferson county from 1988-
1995. He has 21 years experience
as
an
attorney,
working
exclusively in Eastern Oregon.
World Champion Blue Grass band String 'Em Up with Nolan Murray
(far left) will perform at the Heppner Elks Club
The world champion Bluegrass
band, "String 'Em Up", headed
up by Nolan Murray, who has
ties to the Heppner-Ione-
Lexington area, will perform in
Heppner at the Elks Club on
Saturday, Nov. 13, from 8-10
p.m.
Advance tickets will be
available at Murray Drugs or the
Elks or at the door at $10 per
person or 15 for a couple.
WCPD meeting date changed
The Willow Creek Park
District meeting date has been
changed
to
Wednesday,
December 10, at 7 p.m. at the
Lexington City Hall.
SA N TA SAYS SAVE $ $ $ $
DURING MCGG’s BIG HOLIDAY ^
GIFT SALE through Dec. 24
MORROW COUNTY CRAIN GROWERS
Lexington 989-8221
1 -800-452-7396