So. Morrow
Tournament
Fri. & Sat.
n033Ì9 " o t z o l l
u o f 0 N o 3 p 1 99 r f .l b r n r y
E o jo n e , oit 97433
VOL. 119
NO. 50
8 Pages
Wednesday, December 13,2000
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Schools to put $22 million bond to voters
The Morrow County School
Board, in a unanimous decision
Monday night, approved a $22
million bond levy for new school
construction and remodeling
which would go before county
voters in the May election.
The board added that certain
conditions must be met in order
for establishment of a new high
school in Irrigon to be
considered. The board said plans
will proceed only if no measures
or state funding formulas
adversely affect the district's
financial situation; and the
district's
esimated
growth
projections would remain on
track.
The bond levy would include:
-new elementary schools in
Irrigon and Boardman at a cost of
$5,833,879 each; an upgrade of
outside sports facilities and
additional parking at Columbia
Middle School in Irrigon, which
would essentially transform it
into a high school, at a cost of
$240,000; miscellaneous projects
in Irrigon and Boardman for
$2,314,340.
-replacement of the Heppner
Middle
School
gymnasium/cafeteria/music room
and locker rooms, for $3,404,747
with additional remodeling
projects
for an additional
$4,654,868:
-addition of elementary
classrooms to existing high
school at lone for $3,553.001,
plus an additional $737,875 in
renovations.
The board also heard a report
from County Road Department
head Burke O'Brien concerning
the department's budget crisis.
O'Brien told the board that the
recent failure of the county
operating levy will force the road
department to cut an additional
$400,000 from their budget and
perhaps several employees from
lone girl takes first in
state-wide poster contest
Miranda Hunt with plaqua for first
In statawtd# poster contest.
An lone girl, Miranda Hunt,
12, a sixth-grader at lone Middle
School, took first place in a state
wide poster contest.
Miranda depicted lone,
following
the
theme
of
"Reflections, My City, Then and
Now", as an assignment in
teacher
Dean
Robinson’s
language arts class.
Miranda was awarded a plaque
and a $500 savings bond at the
75th anniversary banquet and
annual conference of the League
of Oregon Cities in Portland on
Saturday, November 11. She also
received free lodging at the
DoubleTreeJantzen Beach Hotel.
Oregon Public Broadcasting was
co-sponsor of the award.
A high school essay contest
winner was also announced. The
entrants of both contests were
asked to research their city's
history and compare the results
to the present. The middle school
students were urged to visit
archives, go the library, speak to
senior citizens, meet with the
mayor or go to a city council
meeting and use the results to
create a poster that shows what
their city was like 75 years ago
and what it is like today.
The theme targeted civic
responsibility-Were
citizens
involved
in
community
development then and now?;
environmental stewardship-How
can youth work to protect and
develop the Northwest's natural
resources?; and leadership-What
are the qualities of a good civic
leader and how are they inspired
to get involved in their
community?
Miranda's poster featured a
portion in black and white to
decpict lone "then" and a portion
in color to depict lone "now."
Miranda is the daughter of
Becky and Gary Hunt of lone.
HEDC annual
meeting slated
their work force. As a result, the
road department may not be able
to respond as quickly nor as
thoroughly county-wide
to
weather-related road problems
this winter.
Wyden plans
Heppnar town
hall Dec. 16
Senator Ron Wyden will hold a
Morrow County Town Hall on
Saturday, Dec. 16, from 9-10:30
a.m. at the Morrow County
Courthouse in Heppner. Wyden
will meet with Morrow County
residents to answer questions
about what's been happening in
the latest Congressional session
and to hear about constituents'
concerns.
Wyden began these town halls
when he first gained the Senate
in 1996 as a means of making
himself as accessible as possible
to all Oregonians.
"It's amazing how many good
ideas I carry back to Washington
from these meetings," said
Wyden. "These town halls are
one of the most valuable tools
available for making sure
Oregonians throughout the state
get what they need."
Booster Club
selling mats
The lone Cardinal Booster
Club is in the process of funding
a project to improve the
appearance of the lone gym.
The wall mats on either end of
the gym need be replaced with 45
new wall mat panels that extend
door to door. Mats will be sold
for $75 each. A plaque will be
hung in the hallway listing the
contributors. "Donate in your
name, or in memory of
someone,"
said
a
club
spokesperson
For more information, or to
buy a mat, contact Jeri
McElligott at 422-7257 or
Monica Swanson at 422-7162.
Arts and Crafts
Club plans party
The Morrow County Arts and
Crafts Club will hold their annual
Christmas
celebration
on
The annual meeting of Thursday, Dec. 21, at GD's
Heppner Economic Development Restaurant (Cal's Restaurant).
Members and guests are
Corporation (dba Willow Creek
Valley Economic Development invited to share Christmas treats
Group) will be held on and a $10 gift exchange.
The party will start at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 8:30 a.m.
in the Heppner Ranger District with a short meeting to follow at
conference room. The public is 1:30 p.m.
Everyone is invited to attend.
invited to attend.
The third annual South
Morrow County Basketball
Tournament will be held in
Heppner this Fnday and
Saturday, Dec. 15-16.
Participating teams are the
girls' and boys' varsity squads of
Helix, Joseph, lone and Heppner.
Action begins Fnday afternoon
at 3 p.m. as the Heppner Mustang
girls take on the Helix Grizzlies,
as will the Heppner boys at 4:45
p.m. lone Cardinals will meet the
Joseph
Eagle
girls
at
approximately 6:30 p.m. with the
Cardinal boys to face the Eagle
boys at 8:15 p.m.
Saturday's action begins at 1
p.m. with the losers of the Friday
games pairing off in girls' play
followed by a boys' contest at
2:45 p.m. The winners of
Fnday's girls' games will meet at
4:30 p.m. with the championship
boys' contest at approximately
6:15 p.m.
Admission to the contests is $3
for adults and $2 for non-
Heppner High School/Heppner
Junior High School students.
Admission to one game per day
is good for all games.
There will be a benefit
spaghetti feed and raffle on
Fnday from 4:30-7:30 p.m. in the
high school cafeteria. Cost is $5
for adults, $2.50 for children
eight and under, or $15 per
family.
On Saturday night the senior
parents are conducting a pizza,
desert and drink meal for $3 per
person from noon until 7 p.m. in
the home ec. room.
Gary Neal Oregon economic
development leader of 2000
Gary Neal (left) receives plaque from Port of Morrow Board of
Directors President Jerry Healy.
Port of Morrow general
manager Gary Neal was awarded
the 2000 Governor's Economic
Development Leader of the Year
award.
Neal, who was nominated by
the Eastern Region's team from
the
Oregon
Economic
Development
Department,
received the award in a ceremony
at the Portland Jantzen Beach
DoubleTree Inn on October 27.
Bill Scott, manager of the
Oregon Economic Development
Department, presented the award.
A surprise party in celebration
of Neal's award was held at the
Riverfront Center in Boardman
on December 4.
As Port of Morrow manager,
Neal has been instrumental in
siting new businesses and
bringing millions of dollars of
expansion to Morrow County.
The port vied against 36 other
communities
in
Oregon,
Washington,
Idaho
and
California in its successful bid to
site the the Tillamook Cheese
plant in the county.
HES project brings in
469 pounds of food
Santa and
reindeer to
visit Heppner
A special visitor will be in
Heppner this Sunday, Dec. 17.
Santa Claus, along with his
reindeer, will be at Central
Market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pictures with Santa and his
reindeer will be available for $5
each.
Lexington's
mammoth tusk
under study
The city of Lexington's
newsletter has informed the
town's residents that a mammoth
tusk discovered in Lexington has
been taken for study by Blue
Mountain Community College.
According to the newsletter,
Professor
Stan
Prowant
transported the four-foot, 350-
pound tusk to the college.
Prowant, A1 Brazell and LaRoy
Cline began the dig on
November 10. The tusk, carefully
uncovered, was found to be in a
crumbling condition. Plastic was
placed over the tusk and a
plastering process began. The
plaster hardened overnight and
the tusk was rolled onto a pallet
to continue the plastering and
removal.
Prowants classes will continue
the tusk’s preservation will
determine its identification.
The tusk will eventually be
returned
to
the
town.
Photographs were taken and will
be displayed at town hall.
Lexington
lighting contest
The Lexington Christmas
lighting contest will be held on
the
evening
of Monday,
December 18.
Out of town judges will
determine winners in the
following categories: residential-
best theme, best use of lights and
judge's choice; and commercial-
judge's choice.
Prizes will be awarded by
Columbia Basin Electric Coop
and the Lexington Town Council.
HES teacher Cara Osmin and her class with 469 pounds of food
donated by students to the Neighborhood Center.
A project at Heppner
Elementary School was not only
an exercise in math, but also in
the spirit of giving.
Students at HES competed to
see which class could brtng in the
most food items to donate to the
Heppner Neighborhood Center.
Each day the children added up
the net weight totals of the food,
calculating from ounces to
pounds.
The students brought in 469
pounds of food. Jannie Allen’s
class was first with 93 pounds;
Osmin's class was second with
63 pounds; and Karen Smith-
Gnffith's class was third with 57
pounds.
Heppner High School to
present Wizard of OZ
The cast of Heppner High
School's (HHS) May 2001
production of "The Wizard of
Oz" has been announced.
Leads include Julie Proctor as
Dorothy; Kelly Paullus, Whitney
Sherritt and Nick Anthony as
Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow;
Kelli Bates as the Wicked Witch;
Krista Adams as Glenda the
Good Witch; and Jody Maddem
as the Wizard.
Supporting actors include a
cyclone, crows, magic trees,
flying monkeys, Ozians and
Winkles. Kindergarten students
will be the Munchkins. Myma
Van Cleave will be the pianist.
The HHS production, directed
by language arts teacher Lea
Mathieu, will follow the MGM
musical script, by permission
from Tams-Witmark Music
Library.
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