Employment expected to start at 60
Wheat straw particleboard
plant to locate at Kinzua site
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Heppner got a little bit of winter Tuesday, when snow dusted the hills around town but didn't stay on the
ground long.
School district in the red;
board to discuss proposed cuts
The Morrow County School
District will be over $1 million in
the red for the current 1999-2000
year, according to information
released by Superintendent Bruce
Anderson at the regular board
meeting Monday, January 10, at
Heppner Elementary School.
Anderson said that if cuts are
not made the district will
continue to lose money at the
tune of $943,000 in 2000-01;
overSl.l million in 2001-02; and
over $1.2 million in 2002-03.
"This is where we are headed if
we
continue
the
current
programs," said Anderson. "We
cannot spend more money than
we have."
Proposed cuts in district
expenses would pare the
projected losses down to $71
thousand in 2000-01; $218
thousand in 20001-02; and $296
thousand in 2002-03. Cuts would
include a reduction in personnel
amounting to $992,789 for the
next school year.
In either case, Anderson
projected a 2.7 percent increase
in revenue from 2000-2003, a
three percent increase in general
fund expenditures and a cash
balance of $1 million at the end
of each year.
According to school district
figures, expenses took a $2
million jump from $13.2 million
to $15.4 million between the
1998-99 school year and the
current one, partly due to a
retroactive raise for the district's
teachers.
However,
said
Anderson. "Even with that, our
teachers are still below (other
districts).
The board discussed putting a
local option before the county
voters which would bring in
more money for the district. The
Oregon State Legislature recently
passed a law which would allow
the district to levy taxes up to the
Measure 5 level, which could
amount to an additional $500,000
for the Morrow County School
District.
A special board budget
workshop has been scheduled for
this Thursday, January 13, at 2
p.m. at the Riverside High
School Library The board will
hold an open meeting from 2-4
p.m., with an executive session
planned from 4-5 p.m. to discuss
possible cuts.
A meeting has also been
planned for Tuesday, January 18,
at 7:30 p.m. at Sam Boardman
Elementary School to discuss
district-wide facilities.
The Heppner Chamber of
Commerce
is
organizing
transportation so that south
Morrow County residents may
attend the Jan. 18 meeting. Those
who wish transportation to the
meeting should meet at the
Klamath First Federal parking lot
in Heppner at 6:15 p.m. For more
information, call the chamber
office, 676-5536.
The meeting will include
discussion of needs at Heppner
Elementary School, Heppner
Jumor/Semor High School, lone
Schools and the north end
schools, including possible
construction of a new school in
Imgon, as well as plans for the
old Heppner Junior High
building and gym.
District-wide public input is
being sought at this meeting,
which
will
include
a
Julie Weikol
brainstorming session.
The Matrix Group, educational
facility
planning
and
management consultants from
Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, who are in
the process of studying the
Morrow County School District
facilities, will be present at the
January 18 meeting. The Matrix
Group assisted in the planning of
Umatilla's new school.
Another open meeting with the
Matrix Group concerning district
facilities has been scheduled for
Tuesday, February 15, at the lone
School at 7:30 p.m.
In other business:
-newly-appointed school board
member,
Julie
Weikel,
Boardman, was sworn in.
Weikel, 53, was appointed to fill
out the term of former board
member Scott Bauska who
resigned when he moved out of
the district. She will be up for re-
election in March of 2001.
continued page 2
Efforts by the Port of Morrow
to land a business at the old
Kinzua mill site near Heppner
have apparently been successful,
port officials announced last
week.
Advanced Composite, Inc. has
indicated plans to set up a
manufacturing plant making
composite panel materials made
from agricultural by-products at
the old mill site.
The plant could be up and
running as soon as August and
will initially employee 60 people
making panel products mainly
from wheat straw.
Officials of the company were
at the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce Tuesday, and said the
company would use a minimum
of 34,000 tons of wheat straw per
year to make the particle board.
They said the company would
make every effort to hire local
people, and wages would range
around $10 per hour and higher
for more skilled workers.
Equipment is expected to be
installed to produce 30 million
square feet of panel products per
year at the 120 acre former
Kinzua site.
The product is "An
environmentally friendly 4 X 8
panel product made from
agricultural fiber waste, and is
identical
to
wood based
particleboard in both strength
and machinability," according to
a press release from the
company. "Finished panels are
used in the building construction
industry as well as in the
manufacture of furniture.
"Because of its positive value
to the environment, our panel
products are in good demand to
Western U.S. and Pacific Rim
users," the company said. "In
addition, State and Federal
Government
agencies
are
required
to
give
buying
preference
to
building
components and furniture which
uses wheat straw as its raw
material."
Officials of the company were
well received by the Heppner
Chamber Tuesday, with the
announcement of the new facility
coming almost one year after
Kinzua said it was closing its
lumber mill in Heppner.
Gary Neal, manager of the Port
of Morrow, as well as Port
Commissioners Jerry Healy and
Marvin Padberg have been
working to find a new tenant for
the facility. Pioneer Resources,
which owned the mill site, agreed
earlier to give the site to the port
to be used for development.
"Because we are located in the
middle of wheat country (the
source of its raw materials) we
feel this is a good place,” Bob
Eckard of Advanced Composite
told the chamber. He said there
was a few more details to be
worked out with the port, but he
expected everything to move
ahead with a starting time
around August.
Mark Maxon, chief execute
officer of the company was also
on hand. Maxon is a chemist who
has worked for many major
companies that make various
wood based particle board. He
holds the patent on the resin
which binds the fiber together.
Eckard said although
employment would probably
start at around 60. it could go as
high as 100 with a possible
expansion. Kinzua employed
around 130 when the mill shut
down last year.
Eckard said it would take
between 12 and 13 thousand
acres of w heat to provide the raw
material to run the plant. He said
the plant would operate 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
A leader in resin applications
research. Advanced Composite,
Inc. is the exclusive owner of
Bob Eckard (loft) and Mark Maxon (right) of Advanced Composite, Inc.
confer with Port of Morrow Manger Gary Neal Tuesday. The three were
in Heppner Tuesday to announce the opening of a particleboard plant at
the Port of Morrow site (formerly Kinzua) near Heppner.
several variants
of resin
technology used in Ag panel
production, the company said.
"By forming a relationship with
the Port of Morrow, (the second
largest West Coast inland Port
Authority), to provide local
guidance and expertise, ACI has
insured for the continuing
success of wheat straw particle
board manufacture in eastern
Oregon.”
The company, which will be
named the Willow Creek
Wheatboard Plant, will be in a
recently formed enterprise zone,
which provides tax incentives for
companies that locate within the
zone and create jobs. As part of
its agreement ACI will pass on 5
percent of its profits to the port.
Wolff sworn as council member
Tom Wolff (left) was sworn in as a Heppner City Council member by
Mayor Bob Jtpsen at the council's regular meeting January 10. Wolff
replaces Mike McGuire who moved from the area. WolfFs term will
be up for re-election in November of this year.
Former residents connected with
Hermiston double homicide
A 17-year-old, Travis Ray
Powell,
Hermiston,
was
arraigned on Monday, January
10, on two counts of aggravated
murder in connection with a
double homicide in Hermiston on
December 13.
Julie Ann Wilde. 28, and
Victor Hugo Torres, 19, both
Hermiston. were found shot to
death in a vehicle near the
intersection of Southeast 10th
and East Columbia Boulevard in
Hermiston
shortly
before
midnight. Wilde, formerly of the
Heppner area, was three months'
pregnant at the time of her death.
Powell and Rashan Sarad
Brown, 19, also of Hermiston,
were arrested over the weekend
in connection with the deaths.
Penny Lea Anderson, 22,
Powell's girlfriend, was taken
into custody along with Powell,
but was released from the
Umatilla County Jail on Monday.
No charges have been filed
against Anderson, who is also
formerly from Heppner.
Little League plans meeting
Heppner Little League will
have a business meeting on
Thursday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. at
Cal's Restaurant.
Included on the agenda will be
the upcoming season and how
the league can improve it.
Getting and keeping qualified
umpires w ill also be discussed.
Board members for the upcoming
year are John Murray, president,
Shawn Kempas, vice president,
Gayle Gutierrez, treasurer and
Cmdi Doherty, secretary. Other
board member are Wayne Seitz,
Steve Lankford and Jay Coil.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Town & Country sold out
Tickets are sold out for the an
nual T owti and Country Chamber
Awards Banquet to be held
Thursday, Jan. 13. The Heppner
Chamber of Commerce requests
that if someone is unable to use
their ticket to contact the cham
ber as their is a ticket waiting list.
Call 676-5536
Rodeo court plans can drive
The Morrow County Fair and
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Court
has planned a pop can drive this
Sunday, January 16. from 10
a m. to 2:30 p.m.
They will provide pick-up or
people may drop cans off behind
Central Market in Heppner
during those times.
Call 676-9748 to make
donations.
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5 p.m. Monday
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