City of Heppner proposes water rate increase
B E S S I E ' AFT?
U OF ORE
\ v S P A r f R L i r
EVIENE o h 9 7 4
The city of Heppner is
proposing to increase water rates
to provide for the cost of
operating and maintaining the
water system.
Presently, there are not
sufficient funds to adequately
maintain and upgrade the old
deteriorating system, according
to Heppner City manager Jerry
Breazeale.
The city proposes to raise the
charge for usage in excess of
1.000 gallons. The base rate of
$11.75 would remain. Currently
the city charges 50 cents per
1.000 gallons for the first 2,000
gallons over the first 1,000. The
next 5,000 gallons is charged
at.25 cents per 1,000 gallons.
Any usage above 5,000 gallons
is charged at 40 cents per 1,000
gallons.
As proposed, water usage
above the minimum 1,000
gallons would be billed at a rate
of
80 cents per thousand
gallons. For a customer with a
summer usage o f21,000 gallons,
the bill would increase by $8.55.
According to Breazeale, the
rate increase is needed to cover
the costs of operating and
repainng the water system. The
water system is currently
operating at capacity during the
summer
months
and
improvements to the system are
needed. Raising the rates for
excess usage should help to
promote water conservation
which will help delay the need
to increase supply, Breazeale
said. The additional funds
received will be used to upgrade
the quality of the current system.
The city has not raised water
rates since 1994, despite
increased costs due to inflation,
he said. A survey of water rates
in the area indicates that the
average rate for water usage in
excess of the base 1,000 gallons,
is 82 cents per 1,000 gallons.
The city council will consider
the rate increase at their May 10
1999 council meeting to be held
at 7 p.m. at city hall at 188 NW
Willow.
Bike-a-thon to raise funds for St. Jude
VOL. 118
NO. 16
8 Pages
Wednesday, April 21,1999______Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Wright Chevrolet celebrates 40 years in business
This year, on March 25, 1999,
Wright ChevTolet celebrated 40
years as a Chevrolet-Oldsmobile
dealer in Fossil.
Following is a story by owner
Herb Charles Wright about his
life at Fossil, Kinzua and
Heppner and the early days of the
Wright Chevrolet dealership..
Bom on a ranch within five
miles of Fossil, August 28, 1918,
I lived on ranches within six
miles of Fossil until 1934, when
I got a job in a family-owned saw
mill six miles from our ranch. In
fact, as kids, our family each year
after harvest would go camping
for a week at a Boy Scout camp
on the exact site where Kinzua
Pine Mills lumber mill would be
built. The creek was full of fish
and beautiful big pine trees
everywhere-and these were big
trees.
Back (left to right): H.C. Wright, Bill Maclnnes, Bill Maclnnes, Jr.;
After working three weeks for
Front: Pat Maclnnes.
the sawmill, they told me I was
too young and I had to go home beer in Kinzua. The mill owners Oldsmobile cars and pickups. At
and grow older for a year and also built a railroad spur to that time there were two other
then come back. This was Condon to haul the finished new car dealers in town plus five
because of the new U.S. child product to market. They also service stations-all in Fossil.
labor laws. So, I went home for a built 40-50 miles of logging road Misener Motors was owned by a
year and then went back and got in the forest to haul the logs into family of five men. At that time
my job back at the same sawmill. the sawmill where the logs were the dealership was at least 25
In fact it was the only place in cut into lumber of all sizes. They years old. I can remember the
the area where there were any dried the lumber in big steam first new pickup sold-a four-
jobs to get. I was then 16 or 17 'driers and in the factory cut the speed with rear bumper, heat,
years old. 1 think the job paid 32 dried lumber into all shapes and well equipped, for about $1,100.
or 33 cents per hour and you sizes.
Also in 1959, there were 12
worked hard and no breaks,
After operating the service new car dealers within a radius
either.
station for two or three years, I of 60 miles around the Fossil
I lived in a company-owned talked the owners into selling me area. Now Wright Chevrolet,
bunk house. Lots of times after the service station inventory, "The Wright Place to Buy", is the
working on the night shift about which they did. The company only one left. In 1958, I sold
1 a.m., I would walk home about office let me send all the charges nearly as many new Fords and
two miles, part of the walk of the mill workers at the station the Chevrolet dealer sold in
through the woods.
for collection at no charge to me. Fossil, so I got the idea of buying
After working in the sawmill This really made it nice. I can the Fossil dealership from the
factory part of the sawmill until remember one time I sold a Misener family. General Motors
1941,1 had a chance to move to worker a full set of four tires had to be convinced I could
Heppner 60 miles from Fossil installed on his car. I sent the operate the dealership because I
where I rented a brand new charges through the Kinzua had no previous training in this
Richfield service station. I was office for collection. After a few type of business. I did not have
newly
married
and
self days, the office called me and enough education (eight years),
employed. It was scary. I ran the told me the man was quitting in a not
enough
car
dealer
Heppner station for just over one few days and did not have background and hardly enough
year. When the Japanese bombed enough money coming to pay for money to assure I could meet all
Pearl Harbor, I could not get tires the tires. I got in my car, drove to the wages and bills to continue to
and gas because of the shortages. where the fellow worked, found exist.
So, in April of 1942, the sawmill his car with the keys in it
One young man went to work
owners of Kinzua Pine Mills, (nobody took the keys out of for me in March 1959, within a
called to know if I wanted to their cars in those days), drove week after I went into business,
come back to Kinzua and run the his car to my station and put his and retired two years ago.
service station for them. Kinzua old tires back on and took the car Another young man got out of
owned many thousands of acres back, he never said a word to me. the U.S. Army and, in 1962,
of prime forest land with big Nor did I see him again.
came to me for a job. He wanted
beautiful trees everywhere.
While running the Kinzua to learn how to be a mechanic, so
It was a company owned town- station, starting in 1954,1 began I hired him and my lead
the houses, general store, post buying new Ford cars and mechanic taught him all about
office, a church and the big pickups wholesale from Clarence (it), which, in the 1960s, was
recreation hall, which included a Rosewall, the Ford dealer in pretty simple. He has grown up
dance hall, restaurant, skating Heppner. I would drive to with all the new electronic phase
rink and movie theatre, which I Heppner early in the morning or of cars as well as the new
ran for about three or four years. late in the evening and pick up computer era pertaining to the
I ran the old projectors. The hall the new Fords. I had to pay Mr. repair of the new and complex
also had a busy saloon-bar, Rosewall when I picked up a new automobile. He tells me he plans
recreation room and a barber car or pickup. I ran the Kinzua to retire in three years or so. His
shop plus the only service station station, working 12 to 14 hours a knowledge will be really missed
in town plus an eight-year school day, six days a week, until March
Also about 1962, a young man
house. The town had a population 25, 1959, when I purchased moved into the Condon Air Base.
of 500-600 people.
Misener Motors in Fossil. They
There was a lot of home-brewed sold new
Chevrolet
and continued on page 2
The annual St. Jude Bike-a-
Thon is scheduled for this
Sunday,
Apnl
25, with
registration to begin at noon near
the lone Fire Hall.
Two courses are available. A
one-mile circuit route within the
city limits of lone is designed
for younger riders or those
wishing to walk or rollerblade.
The 22-mile scenic trip
between Ruggs and lone is set
up for older bikers who are up to
a more challenging ride.
Participants may register at
either site. Transportation to
Ruggs will be available for bikes
and riders and will leave lone at
approximately 12:30 p.m. The
ride will start at 1 p.m. at both
locations.
All riders are reminded that
helmets are required gear for this
or any other bike ride.
Parents and volunteers will
monitor and provide support to
riders on the Ruggs route.
Walkers and bike riders will
monitor the group in town.
Volunteer helpers are welcome
and very much appreciated, said
Anne Morter, ride coordinator.
All riders will finish at the lone
City Park where photographs
will be taken and refreshments
Old Time
Fiddlers plan
Irrigon show
The 12th annual Blue Moun
tain Old-Time Fiddle Show will be
held in Irrigon on Saturday, Apnl
24 at Stokes Landing Senior Cen
ter, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
A variety of old time music will
be presented, and refreshments
will be available. Everyone is in
vited to attend.
For more information, call (541)
922-4399.
Lions hold
rifle raffle
served. Hot dogs will be sold at
the conclusion of the race with
proceeds going to St. Jude
Hospital.
Collection envelopes may be
picked up at the conclusion of
the ride. Riders are reminded
that those collecting $35 or more
in pledges earn a special edition
T-shirt. Those collecting $75 or
more earn a sports bag and T-
shirt or a sweatshirt. The rider
collecting the most pledge
money over $100 wins a dual
cassette jam box.
The St. Jude Bike-a-Thon
raises funds for the St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital in
Memphis, TN. St. Jude is the
largest
childhood
cancer
research and treatment center in
the country in terms of the
number of patients treated and
treatment success. The hospital
was founded in 1962 by Danny
Thomas and operates primarily
from public support. Treatments
is provided at no cost to the
family and all findings are
shared freely with doctors and
hospitals all over the world,
according to a news release.
Pledge sheets are still
available at local businesses.
For more information, contact
Anne Morter, 422-7429.
NAFTA could benefit
laid off Kinzua workers
The U.S. Department of Labor
has certified approximately 165
workers from Kinzua Resources,
L.L.C., Heppner mill, as eligible
to apply for assistance and
benefits under the Trade Act of
1974 and under the North
American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) transitional adjustment
assistance program (TAA),
according to a U.S. Department
of Labor news release.
The certifications cover the
period from January 28, 1998, to
April 4, 2001, and could provide
extra benefits to approximately
165 workers if they are laid off or
reduced to part-time work. One
hundred-forty-five workers have
been laid off so far.
The affected workers
manufactured dimension lumber.
The Labor Department found the
company's customers have
increased their reliance on
imports of dimension lumber and
this has adversely impacted sales,
production and employment at
Kinzua Resources Heppner mill.
According to the Labor
Department's certifications, the
workers are eligible to apply for
TAA
and
NAFTA-TAA
assistance if they are laid oft
between January 28, 1998, and
April 4, 2001.
The transitional adjustment
assistance program is authorized
by the North American Free
Trade
Agreement
Implementation
Act.
The
program became effective Jan. 1,
1994, and covers workers laid off
or forced to work part-time
because of increased imports
from Mexico or Canada or shifts
in production to those countries.
Under the program, a group of
three or more employees who
believe they are affected by
imports from Mexico or Canada
can petition the governor of their
state for assistance. A union or
company
official
or
an
authorized
community-based
organization can also petition on
behalf of a firm's workers.
Petitions are available from
state employment service offices
or other officials designated by
the governor. Based on the
petitions, the Labor Department
investigates to confirm whether
workers were adversely affected
by increased Mexican or
Canadian imports or by transfer
of production to those countries.
After they are certified eligible,
workers may apply for benefits at
a state employment service
office. They may receive a broad
range of re-employment and re
training services, including
career counseling, job placement
assistance, job search and
relocation allowances, income
support during long-term training
and support services such as
child care and transportation
assistance.
Benefits are administered by
the Employment Department,
State of Oregon, with funds
provided
by
the
federal
government.
Heppner High prom Saturday
The Heppner High School
Junior-Senior prom will be held
this Saturday, April 24, from 9
p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Heppner
Junior High School gym.
The theme is "Enchantment
Under the Sea."
Public viewing and crowning
of the king and queen will be at
Jim Wishart holds the Ruger
M77R Mark II rifle being
raffled off by the Heppner
Lions Club.
The .300 magnum nfle comes
with a 3-9 x 40 mm Leopold
scope all with a value of $600.
Only 350 tickets will be sold,
and the drawing will be held
July 6. Anyone wishing to enter
can contact Steve Rhea or
David Sykes for tickets.
Tickets are $5 each or five
for $20.
10 p.m.
The 1999 prom court includes:
Jill Barber, Brooke Boyer,
Janelle Healy, Jaci Hughes,
Amber Peck, Bobbie Rankin,
Brooke Sweeney and Julie
Watkins; David Bates, Jared
Eckman, Tim Dickenson, Casey
Evans, Derek Gunderson. Shane
Matheny and Elliott Strouse.
Winters makes hole-in-one
Travis Winters, a senior at
Heppner High School, made a
hole in one at the Willow Creek
Country Club during a high
school golf meet on April 13.
According to Luvilla
Sonstegard of WCCC, Winters
made the hole in one, his first, on
hole number 14.
Teams participating in the
meet, besides Heppner, included
Boardman,
Blue Mountain
Christian Academy and Grant
Union. John Day.
Advertising Deadline
12 noon Tuesday
HI QUAL POLY WATER TROUGHS
15% OFF
5 5 ga llon
•
lO O ga llon
•
155 ga llon
•
300 ga llon
Sale through April 30th
M orrow C ounty G rain G rowers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1 -800-452-7396
For farm equipment, visit our web site at www mcgg.net