#1 ranked lady Cardinals first
in district, head to state
Basali Eatsalt
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Uu’ e n o , üit 974 J3
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HEPPNER
imes
The number-one ranked lone
Lady Cardinals trounced South
Wasco County, 56-34, in the
Big Sky championship on
Friday, Feb. 18, in Hermiston.
Nikki McElligott scored 24
points
and
grabbed
21
rebounds in the melee against
the Big Sky Western Division
champion.
The Lady Cardinals now
advance to the 1A state
tournament at Baker City High
School on Wednesday, March
1, vs. the Umpqua Valley
Christians at 7 p.m. The lone
girls, 19-4 overall, will go in
as the number-one seed from
the Big Sky Conference.
The Condon Blue Devils
beat
out
South
Wasco
Saturday, Feb. 19, 38-34, to
advance to state as the
number-two seed from the Big
Sky Conference.
(A complete district
championship
story
will
appear in next week's Gazette-
Times.)
New post master on the job in Heppner
VOL. 119
NO. 8
8 Pages
Wednesday, February 23,2000
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
♦
Two accidents occur within minutes Monday
A pickup collided with a power
pole in a one-vehicle accident on
Highway 74 around 4:27 p.m.
Monday, breaking off the pole
and seriously injuring the sole
occupant of the vehicle. Another
single vehicle accident occurred
outside Lexington on Highway
207 just two minutes later,
according to the Morrow County
Sheriffs Office. The driver of the
second vehicle was apparently
Baker and Morrow County
partnership described as “first
By Dean Brickey
The Record Courier, Baker City, Oregon
«V
.V
>
Baker County’s new economic development partnership with
Morrow County is a “first” in state government and Brian Cole is
proud of that.
Cole, chairman of the Baker County Board of Commissioners, is
excited about this new partnership he helped to forge with Terry
Tallman, his counterpart in Morrow County.
“It’s completely different than anything that’s been done in terms
of a multicounty partnership in the state,” Cole said.
Before the three Baker County commissioners met with the three
Morrow County commissioners for the first time Dec. 22 in LaGrande,
Cole prepared sort of a prenuptial agreement, listing 18 things he
thought would result in “the perfect marriage.” So as not to influence
the other commissioners’ thinking, he prepared the list in a multiple-
choice format and he kept his opinions to himself.
“Without exception, all six commissioners agreed to all 18 of
these,” Cole said, refemng to his list, which included definitions about
philosophy and programming scope.
This partnership is unusual, he said, not only because the two coun-
ties^are separated by more than 100 miles, but because of the meth
ods employed to develop it.
For example, most organizations begin with “practice” first, such
as who’s on the board, when and where it meets and so on. Once the
board is established, it decides what to do and how. Instead, this part
nership began by defining its purpose and its principles, Cole said.
He doesn’t believe the success of the Baker-Morrow partnership
will be measured by which county got the most of the $898,228 that’s
available from two state economic development funds during 1999-
not seriously injured.
The occupant in the first
accident was trapped in the
vehicle and bleeding badly,
according to reports.
lone
EMTs, lone Fire Department,
Heppner Ambulance, Heppner
Fire
Department,
Morrow
County Sheriffs deputies, ODOT
and
Columbia
Basin
all
responded and the victim was
transported to Pioneer Memorial
Hospital in Heppner.
According to Morrow County
Sheriffs Office, the accident,
which appeared to be alcohol
related, was handled by the
Oregon State Police. No further
information was available at
press time.
The accident reported at 4:29
p.m. also appeared to be alcohol-
related, according to sheriffs
reports. The Morrow County
Sheriffs Department arrested
David Boltz, 46, for driving
under the influence of intoxicants
in connection with the second
incident. The vehicle ended up in
the ditch.
Heppner has a new permanent
post master. Debbte Rutherford.
Hermiston, took over in that
official capacity on February 12.
Rutherford, 44, has lived in
Hermiston since 1976 and has
been with the Post Office for the
last 15 years. She started out as a
rural relief carrier, then moved
into a clerk's position, then
became a city carrier and finally
an assistant supervisor and city
mail carrier.
Rutherford, who was raised in
Tigard, is active as a barrel racer.
She and her husband, Dan, a
team roper, are both with the
National Senior Pro Rodeo
Association. She started barrel
racing when she was 23 years old
with the Greater Columbia Barrel
Racing
Association
in
Hermiston. Dan is also in
business as a farrier.
The Rutherfords have two
grown children—a daughter who
lives in Reno, Nevada, and a son
in Orlando. Florida-and five
grandchildren.
Rutherford plans to commute to
Heppner.
Karen Hermanns, who has
served at the Heppner Post
Office since October 14 as
officer-in-charge
since
the
St. Patrick’s Committee
seeks donations
1999-2001 Regional Investment Funds
1999-2001 Rural Investment Funds
resignation of Post Master Mike
McGuire, will return to her
previous position at Umatilla.
Hermanns has been with the
post office for 16 years, starting
out as a part-time clerk in
Umatilla. She became a regular
clerk in 1995.
Hermanns was raised and
graduated from high school in
Waitsburg, Washington. She and
her husband, Charles, who is
self-employed repairing farm
equipment, moved to Irngon in
1980.
The Hermanns have two
children, Beth, who was a
princess for the Morrow County
Fair and Rodeo Court in 1996,
and Andrew, both of whom live
in Irngon. Both the Hermanns
children were active in 4-H
projects, Beth in cooking, sewing
and steers, and Andrew in steers.
Beth works at Beef Northwest in
Hermiston and Andrew is
employed with Marlatt Homes,
Hermiston.
New Extension agent for
Umatilla, Morrow counties
Alice Voluntad is the new
Extension family and community
development agent, formerly
known as home economics.
Voluntad, who is new to the
area, says she is looking forward
to learning more about the
community and to strengthen
community links. She says she is
especially looking forward to
collaborating with those who are
interested in such issues as diet,
nutrition.
health,
family
development
and
resource
management and leadership and
2001.
“There’s no border,” he said. “This is one region and we should be
looking for the best return on our investments.”
And besides, the total pot of money is not that great, according to
Cole. He pointed out that $900,000 wouldn’t make the payroll of the
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest’s employees in Baker County in
one month.
“We need to think in terms of leveraging the money," he said.
Now that the two-county partnership is formed, the next step is for
the six commissioners to determine their funding priorities, accord
ing to Cole. First, each county will develop its own list then the two
boards of commissioners will meet to develop regional priorities.
In Baker County, a public meeting will be scheduled to identify
the county’s strategy. Peter Dobert of Bend, a regional partnership
facilitator, will moderate the meeting. He also will travel to Morrow
County to facilitate strategy meetings there, according to Cole.
Dobert will be paid to facilitate the meetings and write an agree
ment between the partnership and the state with part of a $25,000
grant the partnership has received, Cole said.
After the counties have identified their economic development
priorities, the six commissioners will appoint a 10-member board of
directors with four lay members and one commissioner from each
county. Cole expected Baker County commissioners to make their
appointments by Feb. 16. Once the board is selected. Cole said he
hopes the remainder of the $25,000 grant can be used to conduct a
board retreat in early March.
Debbie Rutherford (left), Karen Hermanns
community development.
Voluntad says her mam goal is
"working with the community in
order to address the unmet needs
of our local families.”
Those who are interested in
learning more about any of the
aforementioned program areas or
have ideas or information they
would like to share are asked to
contact Voluntad at the OSU
Extension Office. Umatilla
County
1-800-871-1313 or
Morrow County, 676-9642 or 1-
800-342-3664 ‘
Little League sign-ups March 1-2
A leprechaun and helper (alias Cara Osmin and Pam Wunderlich)
drum up some St. Patrick's Celebration spirit and a few donations to
the auction. Anyone wishing to donate to the St. Patrick's Auction
Committee may call Diana Ball, Tom Sly. Ann Spicer. Osmin or
Wunderlich.
MCURD meeting
cancelled
The Morrow County Unified
Recreation District will not hold
a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 24,
as there is no business before the
district.
The next meeting of the district
will be held Thursday, March 30,
at 7 p.m at the Morrow County
Annex in Irngon.
Signups for the Heppner Little
League program will be held
Wednesday and Thursday, March
1-2, from 5-7 p.m. at the
Heppner Neighborhood Center.
People interested in coaching
may also sign up at that time
Ages are as follows. Baseball:
wiffle ball-four and five year
olds, T-ball- six-eight years;
boys' minor league- seven-12
years; boys' major league-nme-
12 years; Softball: girls' minor
league-seven-12 years; girls'
majors-mne-12 years; and girls'
junior league- 13-15 years.
Cost is $25 per child with a $50
maximum per family. Fee
waivers are available
Birth certificates are mandatory
at sign-up, if not already on file
Those who cannot make the
sign-up date, should contact
Cindy Doherty, 676-5628.
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