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TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times. Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 21, 2001 Letters to the Editor Editor's note Letters to the Editor must be signed The Gazette- Times w ill not publish unsigned letters Please include your address and phone number on all letters lor use by theG-T office The C-T reserves the right to edit TheG-T is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters <Any letters expressing thanks w ill be placed in the classifieds under “Cardof Thanks'at a cost o f $5.) Hopes Cupid shoots race track proposal straight through the heart To the Editor, After attending the town hall m eeting last night in Boardman, I came home with a sickened feeling. 1 could see all the reasons I live in rural America being ripped away, driven out by the smell o f money. 1 saw the fear in my neighbors' eyes when they talked about 160,000 people exiting the speedway for 12 hours after a race, the skies being filled with com m ercial airliners landing on the new airstrip, the thunder o f revv ing engines and the exhaust blowing in the Columbia wind. We love our quaint lifestyle. Our days are filled with Little League, 4-H, fishing, school and community activities. My son rides his bike to practice and friends’ houses. We see five people we know at the post office and there's no line. The grocery store owners actually live in town and we know them. I have to wonder, what on earth could our com m unity leaders be thinking. They talked about our property values increasing, which is good if you want to sell, but maybe you like it here; besides someone has to live here. Our own mayor commented on his experience with race tracks. He said," We could rent our houses out for $2000 a weekend and leave town." And our com m unity leaders call this progress? Very few answers were given to how 160,000 drunken people were going to be accommodated in a town where you can't buy a pair o f socks. M aybe ruining our family's Valentine's Day with a town hall m eeting wasn't so bad after all. Standing up for our values and loved ones on this day was kind o f fitting. We can hope Cupid will shoot this preposterous proposal straight through the heart. (s) Kelly Doherty Boardman Letter a hoax Editor's note'. The G azette-Tim es has learned that a letter to the editor in the February 7 new spaper signed "The Rev. Don M cElligott" and postm arked St. Paul, M innesota, was a hoax. The letter was not written by Don M cElligott o f lone. The Gazette screens its letters to the editor to prevent such an occurance, but occasionally a fraudulent letter is overlooked. We regret the oversight. Vote for John Renfro To the Editor: This letter is an endorsem ent o f John Renfro for a position on th e M o rro w C o u n ty S c h o o l Boand. His qualifications: - Former elected mem ber o f the Oregon City School Board. - Form er elected C lackam as County Sheriff. - Possesses a m aster’s degree in education and served part-tim e as an instru ctor at C lackam as Community College. After serving in the Army, John w o rk e d fu ll-tim e fo r the Clackamas County S h e riff s O f fice while also attending Portland State University full-time. After graduation, he w orked for the Clackamas Juvenile Court system until elected sheriff. During his years as a counselor for the court, he had extensive experience with teenagers. He would bring understanding o f adm inistrative po licies to a school board position. He realizes the differing procedures govern ing public and private entities. He also understands the viewpoints of both students and teachers. I believe he would bring ac countability to our school system. Please vote for John Renfro. (s) Jahe Rawlins 'H eppner Stop the special deals To the Editor: To The Honorable Congressman Greg Walden, US House o f Representatives Dear Congressm an Walden: As I am sure you are aware, Oregon electric cooperatives (co ops) purchase the majority o f their power from the Bonneville Power Adm inistration (BPA) as public preference customers. BPA has proposed rate increases for some o f our members as high as 250 percent or more, beginning October 1 , 2001 . These rate increases would adversely impact 250,000 consumers - m any o f whom are your constituents - served by our 17 member systems throughout rural Oregon. There is a way you can help increase power supply and help stabilize rates. This rate increase can be directly attributed to BPA over-subscribing by 3500 megawatts to other non- preference customers, such as direct service industries (DSIs). This has forced BPA to augment its supply for preference custom ers, like electric co-ops, by purchasing power on the open m arket at exorbitant rates. To add insult to injury, the DSIs remarketed this power back to BPA at a profit o f $1 .8 billion this past year. It is totally unconscionable to think that electric co-op customers would be subjected to enormous increases in their electricity bill so that DSIs can resell this federal power at a profit. The original purpose o f public preference is to ensure the output o f the federal Columbia River Hydro System is for custom ers o f not-for-profit utilities. Federal power was never intended to be used as a "get rich quick" scheme. We strongly encourage you to stop the "special deals” for the DSIs by not allowing remarketing rights. This action will at least eliminate one contributing factor to this unacceptable rate increase. (s) Sandy Flicker, Executive Director Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Wheat Commission plans meeting A regular meeting o f the Oregon W heat Com m ission will be held on M onday, Feb. 26, at the Best Western, 112 West 2nd Street, The Dalles, at 1 p.m. The Oregon Wheat Commission will hold a research review meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, 5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles, at 8:30 a.m. The commission m eetings are open to the public. SPRING WHEAT SEED CLEANED , TREATED and READY TO LOAD. ALPOW A PENEW AW A W IN S O M E H A R D W H I T E S P R I N G Are we moving toward fascism To the Editor: The 2000 elections have led some to see that our democracy may be moving in the direction o f fascism. The fascist philosophy o f governm ent comes "typically through the merging o f state and business leadership". American voters have been aware for at least 20 years that our political campaigns have been increasingly financed by big business and other special interests to elect legislators and other top officials who will protect their interests. This is one reason why many voters are "turned o f f ' (we have the lowest percentage o f voters o f the other democracies). We've heard people say,"Why vote? Big business controls Congress. They're all corrupt." In the 2000 election, campaign funding rose to three billion dollars, with 71 m illion on the New York senator race alone. Thus, we already have a merging o f business and state leadership. Our president and vice- president come from CEOs in the oil business, and immediately after the Supreme Court stopped the ballot-counting in Florida, they called a huddle behind closed doors in Texas o f the CEOs o f the largest corporations in the U.S. At the sam e time, we see the merging o f large corporations, increasing their power and profit while lim iting com petition (example: W al-m art vs. small business in our area) which may lead later to higher prices for consumers. The large com m unications corporations are also merging (CNN with TimeWamer, and then Time- Wamer and AOL). Those spending night and day with CNN during the campaign could easily recognize their preference for Bush, Jr. The pharmaceuticals openly sponsored their segment "Campaign 2000". This was accom panied with a plethora o f ads for tobacco (showing the compassionate philanthropy o f Phillip Morris) and pharmaceutical corporations claiming their research to be on the edge o f cures for major dread diseases (when in reality, most breakthroughs have come from individual scientists and medical schools). The question to ponder: what happens to democracy if the media is increasingly controlled by big business and special interests? In fascism the media is controlled by the governm ent party. Are we moving in that direction? A larm ing is the fact that both Democrat and Republican parties are equally guilty. Even more alarming is that they may both be merging into one party (an essential to fascism). Two senators becam e aware o f the growing danger o f the merging o f state and business. Senators McCain (Republican) and Feingold (Democrat) co-sponsored a bill that would curb campaign financing by special interests. For five years Leader Lott, a far-right conservative, has prevented that bill from coming to the senate floor. Believing in his cause so deeply, McCain then ran for president in the prim aries. Saying, "The Republican Party has lost its way," he prophesied that nothing can be more important to America's future than getting the money o f special interests out o f politics. Far outspending him, Bush, Jr. defeated McCain with dirty tricks and lies in South Carolina and went on to the presidency with overwhelming special interest funding. Now, the election past, McCain and Feingold have the strength o f character, vision and courage to pursue their effort to bring their bill to a vote. Lott again blocked it in the first two weeks even though there was not other legislation requested for that period. But these two prophets are not giving up and are gaining some recognition, promising to take this issue to town meetings throughout the country. Thus, Eisenhower is joined by two prophets today, seeking to warn against the lost o f our precious democracy. What as the people can we do? (s) Jane Rawlins Heppner Renfro for school board position To the Editor: Are you worried that the Morrow C ounty School Board and administrafionhas stopped listening to parent’s concerns? Does it bother you that the educational needs o f M orrow C ounty students are not being addressed and m et by the policies o f the current school board and adm inistration? In February o f 2000 one o f the largest crowds to ever assemble at a school board meeting pleaded with the school board at Boardman not to implement the program developed by the superintendent w hich cut 17 teachers and stopped vocational education programs. The majority o f the board turned a d ea f ear to the crowd. Instead, over the course o f the past year, the board has adopted policies o f advancing administrative spending over that of educational program s. Adm inistrators drive to w ork in district cars and have these cars at their disposal while educational opportunities dim inish for our students. A nother direct and devastating result o f recent school district policies is the various com m unities in M orrow C ounty have stopped working together for the betterment o f all Morrow county students. If you have had enough and want a positive change, vote for John Renfro for the M orrow County School Board. John has extensive experience in education and education administration. He knows students and teachers com e first. He will listen and work with parents. He understands that by recognizing the educational needs o f students first, you can get all o f the parents or Morrow County to unite behind common goals. Rubber stamping the policies o f the adm inistration is not the answer. John has the courage and ability to ask the right questions and take the right action to m ake the adm inistration accountable to the people they were appointed to serve, the parents and students o f M orrow County. Vote for a change for the better. Vote to make the school board and administration accountable to the people they serve. Vote for meeting the educational needs o f all our students by increasing curriculum and teaching resources. Vote for John Renfro for the Morrow County School Board. (s) W illiam Kuhn and Annetta Spicer, Heppner The M orrow County Clerk's office reports issuing the following m arriage licenses: Jan. 29: Jorge Luis Lopez, 23, Boardm an; and Maria H. Zuvala, 20, Boardman. Jan. 30: Antonio Ricardo-Rivera, 29, Irrigon; and M aria Leon, 23, Irrigon. Oscar Am ador N avarro-Bnto, 31, Boardm an; and Eusebia Hernandez, 29, Boardman. Feb. 2: Jose M elchor Gamboa, III, 36, Herm iston; and Santa M artha Perez, 23, Hermiston. Feb. 7: O ctavio Estrella, 23, Boardman; and Ma. Guadalupe Lezama, 31, Boardman. G A Z E T T E -T IM E S U S P S. 240-420 Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper Published weeklv and entered as periodical matter at the Post Office at Heppner. Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879 Periodical postage paid at Heppner, Oregon. Office at 147 W Willow Street felephonef 541)676-9228. Fax (541)676-9211 E-mail: gt@heppner net or gUarapidserve net Web site: www heppner net Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner Clazette-Times, P O Box 337, Heppner. Oregon 97836 Subscriptions: $22 In Morrow County, $16 senior rate (in Morrow County only; 62 years or older); $29 else where David Sykes............................................................................................................... Publisher April Hilton-Sykes......................................................................................................... Editor N a w t d e ad line it M onday at S p.m. For Advertising advertising deadline is Tuesday at noon Cost for a display ad is $4 50 per column inch Cost for classified ad is 40« per word Cost for Card of Thanks is $5 up to 100 words Cost for a classified display ad is $5.10 per column inch. For Public/Legal Notices public/legal notices deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Dates for publication must be specified Affidavits must be required at the time of submission Affidavits require three weeks to process after last date of publication (a sooner return date must be specified if required) On the HEPPNER WEBSITE: www.heppner.net • Start or C hange a Subscription • Place a C lassified Ad • Subm it a N ew s Story • View Real Estate for Sale • City Council & Planning Minutes • Local Businesses • County Park • Willow Creek Park Reservations • Free Digital Postcards • Senior Housing • and more! lone Site Council discusses school im provem ent plan The lone Site Council, at their "Action Research Plans." February 14 meeting, discussed the The National Honor Society has lone School Im provement Plan. academ ic pins that will be Principal M ike Stuart advised distributed to those who earned that staff m embers will submit them. To receive an academic letter, reports detailing their activities in a student must take a minimum o f order to meet the goals developed. five graded classes and achieve a Stuart reviewed reports from several grade-point average o f 3.80 or teachers. higher for the semester. If a student Stuart com m ented on has already earned a letter, then a im provem ents to the gym. The pin will be awarded. Booster Club is still accepting Stuart noted that 73 percent o f donations for the gym mats. The lone m iddle schoolers achieved students in shop class have been between a 3.0- 4.0 grade point working on repairs to frames for average and 76 percent o f the 73 bracket boards. John M arick and percent had a gpa over 3.5. In the Monica Swanson were recognized high school, 85 percent o f all high for their efforts towards the project. schoolers were between 3.0 - 4.0 State testing for third, fifth, grade point average and 79 percent eighth and 10 th graders took place o f the 85 percent had between 3.5 - Feb. 5-7. Steve Schaber reported 4.0 and 40 percent o f those had a that the students took the testing 4.0. One hundred percent o f the 11 very seriously and worked very hard, graders were between 3.0-4.0 point. with some taking up to 2-1 /2 hours It was reported that Allison to com plete the test. Halverson, Cory Bennetto and Counselor M ona Hardman Shelby Krebs won Elks Club reported that 24 students are scholarships. Ashley Carm ack is m em bers o f OSSOM (Oregon one o f three finalists in the Wal-Mart Student Safety on the Move). They scholarship com petition. will elect officers at their- next The boys' basketball team won meeting. An all-night conference second place in the Big Sky District will be held Apnl 7-8 in Hood River. Tournament. Parents interested in helping with Dean Robinson was recognized this overnight trip are welcome. for being nam ed the educator o f OSSOM has in the past been the year at the Town and Country funded by licensing fees, however, Awards banquet. Duane Neiffer's due to a "constitutional technicality", wife, Linda, was also named the funding will no longer be an educator o f the year. available. The state OSSOM Billy Gates and Nick Christman organization will be looking for were profiled in "Who's W ho in alternate funding after June 30. Youth League Baseball" 2000 Babe Parents who would like to help with Ruth League All-Star Edition. this program can reach Hardman by e-m ail at hardman@ morrow.kl2.or.us. The group plans to meet with middle school students and instruct them on prevention of alcohol and drug use as well as other safety issues. The site council was pleased with lone's rating o f exceptional in the Try-outs for the 2001 Morrow school report cards issued by the County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro state.. lone received the highest Rodeo C ourt will be held this rating in the district and is one o f Sunday, Feb. 25, starting at 1 p.m. only a few in the entire state to rate at the Morrow County Fairgrounds. exceptional. These rates are based The public is invited to attend. on school improvement attendance, All applications are due in the dropout rates and test scores. Fair Office by Thursday, Feb. 22, A presentation was made on at 11 a.m. Fair & Rodeo court tryouts slated k Purchase 5 Gallons of QWIKLIFT HTB t r a c t o r h y d r a u l ic ^ f l u id For Ü J I Per Gallon w hen You Purchase 5 5 Gallons of SU PIR LU M 5 1 8 • 1SW -40 0 © (D©1 0 ® ® ® ® © ® ® 0 © (D® ®® Happy T H E C O U N T R Y 'S BBST W ARRANTY Birthday Mr. B! 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