CSEPP topic of county court meeting
C e sa i'
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of
O K o v i p ' " !T* f'
K U ' ; 0 3 ': t O il
VOL. 119
NO. 6
B> Doris Brosnan
ìie ts e ll
8 Pages
'ili')*
Wednesday, February 9, 2000
Morrow County, Heppner Oregon
Fire dept, receives water rescue equipment
The Heppner fire department recently received a donation of water rescue equipment from the Corps of
Engineers. Pictured above with the donated equipment are (left-right) Jerry Balcom of the Corps of
Engineers, Heppner Fire Chief Rusty Estes, along with Bob Ford and Mike Knoph both of the Corps
The donated equipment includes life rings, helmets and a shepherd's hook used to rescue people
from the water. The fire department also received donations from Linda Shaw and the Bruce Young
family of Heppner for additional equipment and training in water rescue techniques. "This equipment
and training will better equip the fire department to respond to emergencies at Willow Creek Lake and in
other water rescue situations," Estes said.
Two members of the Young family were recently rescued at Willow Creek Lake following a boating
accident, which prompted local awareness of the need for better equipment and increased training for
rescue personnel.
Tours
of
St.
Patfs
housing
available
Tours o f the St. Patrick's
Apartments, beginning on
Wednesday, Feb. 9, will
showcase the recently renovated
apartments that are available for
new residents.
Manager. Marian Murchison,
will welcome everyone to join
her after the Wednesday
luncheons for a look at the
newly-painted and carpeted
facilities and a conversation
about the plans that include
improvements throughout the
housing complex.
Eager to get the information
about the changes out, the
Heppner Housing Authority has
arranged for the tours and is
providing an opportunity for
prospective tenants to win a first
month’s free rent.
During each tour, interested
individuals may enter their
names in a drawing. Once a
month, a name will be drawn and
placed on file. If the person
whose name is drawn should
move into St. Patrick's
Apartments in the future, that
person will not have to pay the
first month's rent. This represents
a savings of over $300.
Everyone, not just prospective
tenants, is invited to tour the
apartments and hear about the
plans for this historic building.
Residents must be fifty-five
years of age or older, but the
center has become an important
site in Heppner for all ages.
With the "Wee Bit O'lreland"
Celebration just a month away,
co-chairpersons Cara Osmin and
Claudia Hughes are encouraging
all committee chairpersons and
interested persons to attend the
final meeting prior to the event.
The meeting will be held at
Kate's, upstairs on Thursday,
February 17, at 6:30 p.m.
The St. Patrick's Committee
includes the above mentioned
chairpersons and Dave Sykes,
KUMA coffee hour; Dons
Brosnan, auction; Bob Kahl.
parade; Judie Laughlm. buttons;
Hughes
and
Osmin,
entertainment,
brochure,
publicity, etc; Mary Hamilton.
sheepdog trials; Jerry and
JoyceKay Hollomon, signs and
flags; Janice Skaggs, vendors'
square; Shanny Miller, Farley
social hour; and the chairpersons
o f all additional events.
Needed are chairpersons »o
organize and activate the
leprechauns, someone to drive
the Paddy Wagon and a group
interested in hosting the Trail
Band at the school on Saturday.
New on the scene this year will
be children's activities by
Heppner Day Care in the
previous carnival site; an
opportunity for young and old to
try their skill at step-dancing
during the Ceili, fiddlers on
Friday night and The Trail Band
St.
Patrick's Celebration 2000 on
March 17, 18. and 19.
"Hope to see you at the
meeting," said Hughes and
Osmin.
St. Pat’s meeting planned Feb. 17onSaturdayni
g
ht
Mark your calendars.
Blue and Gold
Cub Scout Pack 661's annual
Blue and Gold Banquet will be
held Sunday, February 13, at 5
p.m. at the Heppner Elks lodge.
All attendees are asked
to bring a main dish and either a
salad or a dessert.
The annual father-son
cake bake auction will be held
following the potluck
The public is invited to
attend.
The Morrow County Court
toured the renovated Emergency
Management offices during a
recess in the court's Feb. 2
meeting.
After the tour, the court
discussed some CSEPP issues
with Major Jerry Russell of the
Oregon State Police
Russell explained that he is to
be the "eyes and ears" for the
OSP superintendent. Russell said
that his job was to find out what
is going on in the communities
and cooperate with the
independent investigation of
CSEPP. not to interfere with that
independent review. Russell
reported that he will not be
involved in the review and a
news report was incorrect in
stating that he would be
conducting the review. To collect
information, he has met with and
will continue to meet with the
many agency heads involved.
Commissioner Wenholz
voiced his belief that some
information has not been
"making it up the chain of
command." Russell said that he
will not color anything or cover
anything up and has no fear of
making a candid and honest
review of the situation.
The court shared the perspective
that a breakdown in management
and a breakdown on the technical
side pose two basic problems
and that decisions made at the
beginning have not been
followed through with.
Commissioner Brosnan noted
that he would like to see two
results: establishment of a
baseline "of where we are and
where we need to go" and a
change-agreed to by the counties,
the state, and FEMA-to a
different management model.
Russell said that he would add
lack of public confidence as
another basic problem and is
seeking some kind of business
plan, baseline operations, and/or
benchmarks for this program.
Russell said that he agreed with
the court that the safety o f the
citizens is the primary concern.
Emergency Management
Director Casey Beard explained
to Russell about the CSEPP
situation.
Russell noted that he needs to
create a picture of what is
happening with individuals on
the front line of this situation. He
offered the example of the
volunteer fire fighters, who are
available for training on evenings
and weekends, and the federal
regulations that require training
to take place between 8 a.m.-5
p.m , Monday to Friday.
Discussion continued, focusing
on OEM's role in the situation,
accountability, budget issues,
d ela ys
in
revenue
reimbursement, definitions of
"protection," and the difference
between "stakeholders" and
"players."
Russell told the court that his
initial
report
to
the
superintendent will include lack
of trust and teamwork among
agencies, lack of free-flowing
information and interference with
progress by personality conflicts.
Sandy Lowry and her son Burt
of Option 1 appeared to discuss
with the court the status o f the
county's computer programming.
As to the court's concern over
programs that are not working
and doubts that some of the
programs will ever be adequate,
Lowry responded that she would
be comfortable providing the
county all programming, except
that for assessment and taxation
if that is what is decided.
In response to the observation
that several important deadlines
have been missed and the request
for assurance that other deadlines
can be met, Lowry said that
offices can be functional in a
week or two. Questioned about
when the programming will
actually be complete, Lowry
noted that a new system
continues to evolve, that
"tweaking" the program may take
as long as a year and Burt added
that there are always little
adjustments to be made. Asking
when programming will be
complete enough to perform
necessary work, the court heard
several dates for the several
departments. Cost of the work
will, Lowry said, be that agreed
upon almost three years ago.
In other court business. Public
Works Director Guy Van Arsdale
reported the following: Pine City
and Gooseberry bridges have
been completed and the Big
Buttercreek bridge guardrails arc
being worked on. Brush cutting
in Imgon nears completion, and
the crew is preparing for work on
Highway 730. The crusher will
move to the Clarks Canyon or
Carlson pit from the Hellberg pit.
After discussion with Van
Arsdale of a property owner's
road vacation request, the court
set a March 1 public hearing on
that request.
Van Arsdale informed the court
that a yearly inspection of the
Lexington Airport lists as one of
its deficiencies a four-foot rise in
fenced terrain off the departure
end of the runway, where there is
supposed to be a 150 by 300-foot
Workshop set on
starting a business
Many people have dreams of
owning their own businesses.
Many people have identified
"niches" that they think small
businesses could fill in Heppner.
Lexington and lone But many of
these people have many
questions about starting a
business.
For these entrepreneurial
thinkers, the Heppner Economic
Development Corporation is
sponsoring a free workshop on
Tuesday, F eb .15.
J he workshop will begin at 10
a.m. in the conference room at
the Forest Service Building in
Heppner. Helping to provide
information will be GEODC
(Greater Eastern Oregon
Development
Corporation)
resource personnel from its
Small Business Center. Also on
hand will be individuals whose
areas of expertise can help
individuals find answers to
questions
ranging
from
identification of markets and
creation o f business plans, to
location and facility needs, to
financing and marketing
products, among other topics.
The morning session will be
devoted to the "how to" of
developing a business plan. John
Fletcher, the Small Business
Development Center director,
will cover that material.
At 1 p.m. some local
entrepreneurs will share their
start-up stories.
Then participants will received
information on financing and end
the workshop with individual
counseling opportunities with the
small business experts and
representatives of lending
institutions.
HEDC's invitation is extended
to everyone who has ever
wondered about becoming a
business owner. Participants will
have opportunities in the
afternoon to speak individually
to the resource people about their
ideas and ask questions specific
to their hopes.
safety area Van Arsdale
suggested talking to the
landowner about moving the
fence and then leveling the area
He will prepare an estimate of
the cost for the court.
The court approved purchase
for
the
GIS/Computer
Department o f a second
processor for GIS/Application
server, which will also serve the
Justice Court. The court also
approved a software and license
agreement between Behavioral
Health and Anasazi Software,
Inc.
The court approved the election
o f Corrine Lindsay as chair and
Andrea Denton as vice chair of
the Commission on Children and
Families.
The court also reviewed and
approved a resolution in support
of a bond for Columbia River
Processing They discussed the
requirement by auditors that the
justice courts in Imgon and
Heppner reconcile each other's
bank accounts and agreed that
time must be found for
complying.
Administrative assistant
Andrea Denton spoke to the
court about the need to sign the
Docken Building in Boardman as
the "Morrow County Courthouse
Annex" and reported that
Extension is trying to create
signage for that building in
conformance
with
the
courthouse. The court briefly
discussed
that building's
potential.
St. Pat’s schedule
on the Internet
The 2000 St. Patrick's
schedule will be available on the
Internet at www.heppner.net.
Gazette to
publish e-mail
directory
The Heppner Gazette-Times
is preparing to publish the
Willow Creek Valley e-mail
directory soon.
The directory will include e-
mail address of business and
individuals in the Heppner,
Lexington and lone area.
If you would like to have your
business or individual e-mail
address included in the directory
please stop by the Gazette and
fill out a form, or send an e-mail
to the Gazette (gt@heppner.net)
with directory in the subject line
and your e-mail address in the
body o f the message, or you can
log onto the Heppner web site
(www heppner.net) and fill out
the on-line form.
The directory is for the people
o f Heppner, lone and Lexington
to better communicate, and will
not be published on the Internet
or used for any advertising
purposes.
Deadline
for
submitting your e-mail address
is Feb. 29.
MCGG
customer
appreciation
day this Sat.
The Morrow County Grain
Growers will hold their annual
customer appreciation day this
Saturday, Feb. 12 at the main
offices in Lexington
The day starts off with a free
pancake breakfast starting at
8a.m. and will last until 12 noon
Factory representatives from
many companies will be on hand
for product displays.
There will also be many door
The Heppner Post Office will prizes, free knife sharpening, free
have a new postmaster, Debbie carnations to the first 300 ladies
Rutherford, as of February 14.
and a tricycle obstacle course for
children eight and under.
At the convenience store there
Advertising Deadline
will be door prizes and free
12 noon T uesday
coffee and cookies.
Everyone is invited to attend
New postmaster
for Heppner
15% OFF
MCGC Customer
Appreciation Day
Pancake Breakfast
S a le th ro u g h S a t. Feb. 12
Set fo r Saturday, Feb. 12
8 a.m .-noon
Season-Ending SALE
Insulated Bibs & Coveralls
M
orrow
Lexington 9 8 9 - 8 2 2 1
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