Veteran's Day commemorated in Heppner
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Father Gerry Condon delivers the invocation while veterans look on.
VOL 119______NO. 46_____ 8 Pages
Wednesday, November 15,2000
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
School board hears bond issue cost report
The Morrow County School
Board, at their Nov. 13 meeting
in lone, heard a report from J.
Michael Patano, an architect
representing the Matrix Group, a
firm hired to assist the district in
preparing the proposed school
bond measure to go before the
voters.
Patano presented estimated
costs of bond issue projects
recommended by the district's
advisory committees.
The district-wide combined
list of first and second priority
projects
totals
around
$27,000,000 which is "where we
were before," said Patano,
referring to the cost projects
listed in a prior proposal.
Current projects recommended
by
the
Boardman/Irrigon
Advisory
Committee
total
$13,516,315 without a high
school
built
in
Irrigon.
Construction of an Irrigon high
school would add an additional
$2,159,500 for a total of
$15,675,815.
The north-end
proposal includes "intermediate
grade" elementary schools in
Irrigon and Boardman at
$5,823,879 each.
If the board decides to have
high school in both Irrigon and
Boardman,
the
advisory
committee recommends building
a shop facility at Columbia
Middle School at a cost of
$769,500; a gymnasium with
locker rooms big enough for
secondary use at the new
elementary buildings in Irrigon
and Boardman at $1 million; an
upgrade of the outside sports
facilities at CMS at $300,000;
and additional parking at CMS
beyond the completion of the
current parking lot at $90,000.
Other
north-end
recommendations
include
roofing projects, electrical and
heating-air
conditioning
upgrades, window replacement,
classroom remodels, restroom
upgrades, carpeting, pavement,
tiling seal coating, fencing,
bleachers, a soccer field, football
lights and asbestos removal.
The Ione-Lexington Advisory
Committee
recommendation
includes a new elementary school
additjon to the existing lone High
School, with modernization of
the high school included at a cost
of $4,088,052.
Their second option consists
of upgrades only to the existing
high school at a cost of $737,875.
Upgrades include correcting
health and safety issues, kitchen
remodeling, floor covering,
energy efficient, addition of a
boiler, windows, an electrical
update, remodeling showers and
locker rooms, replacement of
gym ventilation system, new
office space and wainscoting
The primary list for the
Heppner-Lexington
Advisory
Committee lists replacing the
middle school gymnasium/
cafeteria, music room and locker
rooms at a cost of $3,404,747.
Their priority list also includes
new roofs at HHS. HJH and
HES, energy efficient windows,
replacement of floor tile, siding,
removing and replacing gym
floor,
heating
and
air
conditioning, a new darkroom
and repairing shower rooms in
both girls' and boys' locker
rooms, all at HHS, at a cost of
$4,934,542.
Their secondary list includes a
new practice gym at HHS,
power, water and repair at the
HHS greenhouse, seal coating
existing parking lots at HHS and
HES,
new
intercom/clock
system, ceiling tile, storage and
bookshelves, sidewalk and step
replacements, gym area parking
lot pavement, baseball field road
pavement and construction of
retaining wall at baseball field at
HHS at a cost of $1,780,874.
Patano also supplied levy rate
projections for a new bond issue.
According to projections:
-a $20 million bond would
cost the taxpayer $1.51 per
thousand assessed valuation for a
20 year bond; $1.31-$1.23
(declining the first three years)
for a 30 year bond.
For example, at $1.51 per
thousand assessed valuation the
owner of a $75,000 home would
pay $113.25 a year for the
duration of the bond; the owner
of a $500,000 business would
pay $755 a year.
-a $21 million bond, $1.59
per thousand for 20 years; $1.37-
1.29 for 30 years.
-a $22 million bond, $1.67
per thousand for 20 years; $ 1.44-
$1.36 for 30 years.
-a $23 million bond, $1.74 per
thousand for 20 years; $1.50-
$1.42 for 30 years.
In a separate matter, board
member Keith Lewis protested
the district's proposed policy
concerning use of district
vehicles, saying he had received
complaints about employee use
of the vehicles.
"Why should the district
furnish vehicles for everyone to
drive back and forth," said
Lewis. He added that he did not
believe district superintendent
Bruce Anderson had the
authority
to
approve
an
administrator's use of a district
vehicle for commuting to and
from work in another town
within
the
district,
even
considering the administrator's
"involuntary" transfer.
The policy now states that
district vehicles are available at
each school for use by employees
to attend workshops, take small
groups of students on educational
trips, transport ill students home
and by administrators to attend
meetings in an out of district.
Employees currently are
prohibited from using district
vehicles for personal purposes
other than commuting or
minimal personal use such as
stopping to take care of a
personal matter on the way to a
meeting or between business
delivery.
Currently district vehicles may
be provided for designated
employees as a part of their
compensation or required for on
call personnel. On call personnel
are those working in designated
district level maintenance and
technology positions.
The proposed change in the
district regulations Would permit
on-call personnel to "use
qualified non-personal use vans
and pickups. Employees who do
not use non-personal use
vehicles, will be subject to
federal and state taxes for the
home to work benefit when
vehicles are routinely driven
home. In this event, the IRS
Commuting Rule will apply,
which is a rate of $ 1.50 per one
way community (that is from
home to work or work to home)
for
each
employee
who
commutes in the vehicle."
Lewis agreed to head a
committee to research other
districts' handling of the issue.
In other business, the
district:
-heard an engineer's report
from
Froelich
Consulting
Engineers, Inc., on Heppner
Elementary
facilities.
The
engineering firm concluded that
the junior high school building
was structurally sound, although
they expressed concern about the
exterior masonry walls in the
event of an earthquake.
The engineers reported
damage to the junior high gym,
greatly reducing the building's
structural
capacity,
and
recommended replacement of the
facility's concrete walls. But,
they further questioned the
economic feasibility of repair of
the building.
In other business, the board:
-heard a report on 1999-2000
testing data;
-heard a report on small schools
funding;
-heard a report on election
results;
-accepted resignations for
Melissa Metz, lone one-on-one ’
special education assistant; Chris
Gardner,
AC.
Houghton
Elementary assistant custodian;
Coral Flores, ACH ed assistant
-approved employment for:
Jane Brosseau. Sam Boardman
Elementary English-as-a-second-
continued page 2
The Kyle and Darcy Robinson family attends the Veteran's Day Ceremony in Heppner Saturday Kyle's
father, Don, spoke during the Nov. 11 event.
Amid bright blue skies and
crisp fall weather, around 100
veterans, their families and
friends gathered for an emotional
ceremony
commemorating
Veteran's Day at the Heppner
mini-park
on
Saturday,
November 11, at 11 a.m. The
morning event was culminated
with a fly-over.
Veteran Don Robinson gave an
account of his experiences as a
member of the Airborne Division
in Europe during World War II
and veteran Deane Seeger spoke
of the Korean War.
Rita Hedman read a reflection
on the Vietnam memorial wall
and master of ceremonies Louis
Carlson read the names of
Morrow County veterans who
lost their lives in service to their
country.
The American Legion
presented the color guard; Father
Gerry Condon delivered the
invocation; Bob Taylor ot the
VFW raised the flag; Sonja
McCabe sang the National
Anthem; Darren Van Cleave
played Taps and Pastor Dick
Metz delivered the benediction.
A reception was held following
the ceremony at Cal's Restaurant.
Community Christmas
Pageant scheduled
Community theater has come
again to the Willow Creek
Valley.
Dates for the play "The Best
Christmas Pageant Ever" have
been set for Friday. Dec. 15. at 7
p.m. in Heppner at St. Patrick’s
Catholic Church Parish Hall and
Saturday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.nv in
lone at the Willow Creek Grange
Hall.
This production, based on the
book by Barbara Robinson, has
also been made into a film and a
television special.
Co-directors are Craig Strobel
and Jennifer Waldrep. both of
w'hom have theater backgrounds.
Members of the cast of 17
children, seven women and three
men come from Heppner.
Lexington and lone.
Rehearsals are being lield at
St. Patrick's Parish Hall and the
lone Grange Hall.
Both humor and pathos come
from six children of the Herdraan
family, played by Drion Donner.
Aubree Just, Bryan Holland,
Shannon Clay. Rachel Alford and
Kendra Hendricks. They have not
heard of the Christmas story and
are described by the narrator.
Don Robinson tells of his
experiences in WWII.
played by Sarah Barrow, as "the
worst kids in the whole history of
the world. They lied and stole
and smoked cigars, even the
girls, and talked dirty and cussed
their teachers and took the name
of the Lord in vain and set fire to
Fred Shoemaker's old broken
down tool house. They went
through the Woodrow Wilson
School
like
those
South
\mencan fish that strip your
bones clean. They went around
town the same way—stealing
things and tearing things up and
whamming kids... so it was hard
to get away from them "
Tickets will be $3 for ages 15
and above and $1.50 for children
six to 14 years old.
Donations arc being accepted
to help to cover the cost of this
first production.
Arts & Crafts
Club to meet
The Morrow County Arts and
Crafts Club will get together on
Thursday, Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. at
DG's Restaurant (Cal 's) for their
monthly meeting
Garden Club to
hold workshop
The Heppner Garden Club will
have their Greens Workshop for
making Christmas wreaths start
ing Monday, Nov. 27.
Those w ishing to call in orders
may phone Ida Farra at 676-9446.
The cutoff date to order is Satur
day, Nov. 26. Ihose ordering may
pick up wreaths anytime between
Nov. 27 and Dec. 2.
Free greenery' to make your
ow n wreaths will be furnished by
the Garden Club on Saturday. Dec.
2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Ranger District
to close
Nov. 23-24
The Heppner Ranger District
w ill be closed Thursday. Nov. 23.
Thanksgiving Day. and Friday.
Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiv -
mg.
Christmas tree and firewood
permits will be available at the
Heppner Chevron station
1 0% OFF
SH O P W ORK
Parts a n d Labor through February 28th
M
orrow
C
ounty
G
r a in
G
rowers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 t w m t i * w b »*