Ione-Boardman road development in question
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VOL. 120
NO. 14
10 Pages
Wednesday, April 4,2001
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Raymond French named 2001 Hearing set
fair & rodeo grand marshal on co-gen
He was a Morrow County air quality
Commissioner for two terms starting
Raymond French
By Sue Gibbs
Dedication, involvement and
service are words that describe this
year's grand marshal of the 2001
Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo.
This honor is one more title
Raymond "Ray" French can add
to his many accomplishments in
our community.
Ray was bom and raised on the
family ranch on Big Butter Creek.
One of his first commitments started
with the marriage to his wife.
Ray mamed his wife Norma in
1946. The couple had three
daughters, Karen, Venna and Susan.
Ray and Norma presently have nine
grandchildren who Jive in different
parts of the country with their
parents. Karen Wood lives in Tigard.
Venna Schiller, the 1967 Heppner
rodeo queen, lives in Pflugerville,
TX, and Susan Ward, the 1972
queen, lives in Heppner. Susan and
her husband, Jim Ward currently
run the family ranch.
In the 1950s and 60s Ray began
his service and dedication to Morrow
County. He served as chairman of
the Morrow County Livestock
growers and was a member of the
Heppner Soil and Water
Conservation District for 16 years
and served as chairman for 12 years.
In 1964 he was elected as Morrow
County Cattlemen of the Year. Ray
also volunteered his time and service
on the board of directors of the
Heppner Rodeo during the 60s. He
dedicated 10 years to the rodeo by
heading both the roping chutes and
flagging the timed events.
In the 80s Ray held more elected
positions in the Oregon Cattlemen's
Association. He served as first and
second vice president, and then was
elected president. He spent two years
in this position while he was also
a director of the National
Cattlemen's Association. His
dedication and service to the
livestock industry earned him an
honored award of Distinguished,
Service, Devotion and Loyalty by
Oregon State University. In 1985
he was elected as a State
Representative for District 59 and
served in this position until 1989.
The 90s brought Ray's experience
and skills back to his community.
in 1992. Other local organizations
and services Ray has committed
himself to in the past or present
include the American Legion,
Heppner Coordinating Council,
Heppner's Elk Lodge and the board
of trustees, school board, chairman
of the Columbia Blue Mountain
Resource and Conservation
Development Association, director
of the Pendleton Production Credit
Bank. Heppner's Chamber of
Commerce and St. Patnck's Church.
His dedicated service to our
community was awarded in 1997
with the Lifetime Achievement
Award presented by the Heppner
Chamber of Commerce. The 90s
concluded with Ray's retirement
in 1999.
"The Morrow County Fair and
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo is honored
to have Ray French as this year's
grand marshal," said a rodeo
spokesperson "His dedication,
service and commitment to Morrow
County have had a huge impact on
our local economy and way of life.
Ray's involvement in our community
will have a lasting impact for those
who call Morrow County home."
The Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) will
host a public hearing on Tuesday,
April 17, in Heppner to share
information and take public
comment on a proposed Title V air-
operatmg permit renewal for
Boardman-based Frontier Energy.
The permit will be used to operate
a 10 mega-watt cogeneration boiler
at the former Kinzua Resources mill
two miles north of Heppner.
The public hearing will begin
at 7 p.m. at the Bank of Eastern
Oregon, 275 Main St., Heppner.
An information meeting will be held
at the same location prior to the
hearing, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Copies of the proposed permit
can be obtained by contacting DEQ
in Pendleton at 276-4063, or in Bend
at 388-6146.
Written comments on the draft
permit will be accepted by DEQ
until 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 18.
Comments may be sent to DEQ,
Attention: Bonnie Hough, 2164 NE
Fourth St., Suite 104, Bend, OR.
97701.
DEQ will review all comments
received during the public comment
period before issuing Frontier
Energy a final Title V air-operating
permit.
By Merlyn Robinson
What could be a closer link
between the north and south ends
of Morrow County is a proposed
road through uninhabited land
between lone and Boardman.
However, that road development
is in question. The proposed route
would cross an area designated as
habitat for the supposedly
endangered Washington Ground
Squirrel.
At a public meeting in lone on
Monday, March 26, roadblocks
preventing the acquisition of an
easement for 2.5 miles for this road,
through that area were discussed.
About 93,000 acres of land were
leased by the State of Oregon to
Boeing in the 1960s. Pnor to World
War II, a country road did exist
between lone and Boardman. That
road was closed and the area became
off-limits when the bombing range
was created. Currently rezoned for
exclusive farm use, that land is now
for sale. Private ownership of this
land would add it to the county tax
rolls with approximately 23,000
acres of this area deemed squirrel
habitat.
"These squirrels have been
machine-gunned, bombed, drove
and grazed over and roasted by range
fires, but they are still there," said
Port of Morrow Commissioner
Marvin Padberg. He added that the
Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife "is driving this thing."
Mandated by state statues, the
Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife was required to map the
squirrel habitat after environmental
groups litigated for squirrel
protection, said Bob Krein, Heppner,
ofODFW.
A state listing was done in hopes
of precluding a listing by the federal
government that could include
private property. Presently the
department has been informed that
there will be no public hunting on
this ground under new ownership,
Krein said.
Currently PGE coal fire plant
workers drive 13 miles over a
limited-access road from lone to
their workplace- -only those workers
have keys to a locked gate. If that
road were permanently closed, the
drive from lone to the coal fire plant
would be 53 miles. A parallel north-
south route for a proposed road
through that area is platted farther
west, but still crosses 2.5 miles ot
squirrel habitat area. PGE is opposed
to a road that crosses coal-fire plant
property.
According to local farmers and
residents, this road proposal isn't
solely to beneft those coal fire
workers who choose to live in the
Willow Creek Valley. Road
advocates claim this shorter route
would beneft the entire county. An
estimated 1200 new jobs are
anticipated in the north due to the
forthcoming dairies, the cheese
plant, an additional coal fire plant,
a proposed racecar development
and other industries. A shortcut road
would allow direct access to that
job market, therefore allowing
families the option of living in the
south end of the county. This road
would also provide a shorter
transport of crops to port facilities.
Another strong argument presented
at this meeting is that it would boost
south end school enrollment thus
offering some relief to crowding
in north end schools, while helping
small south-end schools and towns
to remain viable.
"It's social outrage to not have
access to those jobs." said farmer
Eric Anderson. "It smells worse
and worse." As a community, we
should continue to fight and hope
that common sense prevails, he said.
A consensus of people at this
meeting vowed to continue the fight
by making trips to the State
Legislature. Jerry Rietmann, who
has met with different involved
entities and has made trips to Salem,
said that Morrow County
Commissioners failed to notify lone
representatives of a meeting
concerning the land sale and road
issue that was held in Salem last
week although the county court had
received advance notification of
this meeting.
The rodeo schedule is as follows:
Friday, April 20-cow cutting
contest at the Wilkinson Arena, 6
p.m. (this is a double-header event).
Saturday, April 21-performance
beginning at 9 p.m. at the rodeo
arena, will a dance at 9 p.m. at the
fairgrounds.
The dance will be put on by the
fair committee and is open to the
public.
Sunday. April 22-slack at 8 a.m..
with performance at 1 p.m.
Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for
children 12 and under.
The event will be hosted by the
Columbia Basin High School Rodeo
Club, which has members from
Morrow, Gilliam and Sherman
counties.
The women of the Heppner
United Methodist Church invite the
community to one of the "most
riveting evenings you may ever
experience."
Holocaust survivor Alice Kern
will speak about her experiences
at Auschwitz Concentration Camp
on Monday, April 23, at St. Patnck's
Parish Hall in Heppner.
A salad buffet will be served at
6:30 p.m. in the parish hall, with
Kem speaking after.
Kem, who now lives m Portland,
wTOte a book on her experiences,
"Tapestry of Hope," which will be
available for those who wish to
purchase it.
There is no admission charge
Interested persons are asked to
RSVP by Sunday, April 15, to 676-
9408 or 676-9278.
Auschwitz survivor to speak
Grains meeting
A meeting of the
Oregon Grains Commission will
be held this Fnday, Apnl 6, from
8:30 a m. to 4 p.m at the Crop &
Soil Science Building, Room
119 OSu, Corvallis.
Health district
plans meeting
The regular meeting of
the Morrow County Health
District will be held at the
Boardman Ambulance Hall on
Monday, April 9, beginning at 7
p.m.
The agenda includes:
bond resolution, budget
meetings, audit bids, critical
access, nursing staffing policies
and procedures, nursing respite
are policies and procedures,
health future leadership
conference,
new
board
members, CEO report and
executive session.
Memorial donations good for health district
individuals in need of them.
Money donated toward the
nursing home has been used to
purchase specialized equipment
for residents who would
otherwise be unable to afford it.
Furniture, paint, curtains, as well
as some remodeling, has been
accomplished with these funds,
all of which have helped improve
the physical environment and
atmosphere.
South Morrow County EMT
Association has been able to buy
pagers and two-way radios. They
have replaced dysfunctional
ambulance gumeys and have
purchased teddy bears that are
given to youngsters when they
are transported by ambulance or
are involved in an emergency.
The hospital in general has
used donations to help
accomplish a variety of projects.
Memorials have provided
equipment throughout the
facility, recently to include a
portable suction machine for an
emergency crash cart, as well as
remodeling of the patient rooms
and the visitor’s waiting area.
The nursing staff is looking
forward to having the upstairs
nurses’ station remodeled soon -
all with donated money.
The items mentioned are only a
fraction of w hat donations have
provided to Morrow County’s
health care system. These
improvements or upgrades were
made possible because people
have reached into their own
pockets to ensure our local health
care not only survives, but is able
to provide comfortable, quality
care to the residents and visitors
of Morrow County.
First-ever high school rodeo
set in Heppner April 20-22
Oregon High School Rodeo
kicked off the spring season at
Corvallis on March 30-31
Heppner's Ryan Matteson took
second in steer wrestling with 12.07.
Jend Penturf, Heppner, placed sixth
in the bareback riding with a 58 ride.
lone was represented by Katie
Bacon, who placed second in barrel
racing with a 15.266 and Ann Shear
with a 22.916 pole bending time,
which was good for seventh.
Condon's Marne Wilkins took ninth
in goat tying with a 11.92.
The first annual Morrow County
High School Rodeo will be held
on April 20-22. The action will
feature high school-aged competitors
from throughout Oregon, who will
be accompanied by their parents.
If R.D. Offutt Co., a large out-of-
state corporation, is successful in
an attempt to purchase this land,
the squirrel habitat area will be
managed by the Nature
Conservancy. After meeting with
Nature Conservancy representatives,
Rietmann said their people were
worried about being sued by
environmental groups if a road
easement was granted and they are
also of the opinion that the squirrel
area should be protected, "no matter
what." Presently there are six
lawsuits pending against Offutt by
different environmental groups in
an effort to limit other land
developments.
The final decision is up to the
State Ways and Means Committee,
Rietmann said. Freshman State
Representative Greg Smith has
determinedly vowed to try every
means to prevent that committee
from signing off on this sale unless
it includes a road easement.
"We need to stick by our guns
and hammer them," as it's the only
leverage we have said lone resident
Don Bristow. Others agreed that
the only alternative now is to try
to block this sale if their conditions
aren't met. So far, efforts to solicit
help from both Governor Kitzhaber
and Senator Ted Femoli have fallen
on deaf ears.
Shari Stahl (center), who was injured in a motorcycle accident, was
benefited by equipment donated to Home Health.
Most generally the moneys are
By Molly Rhea
Someone recently asked me, used to purchase equipment. The
“What does the health district do Home Health department has
with the money they receive for purchased pulse oximeters,
memorials?” Since the person I which enable the RNs to measure
blood
oxygen
was visiting with was somewhat patient’s
surprised by the answer, I saturation, as well as equipment
thought others may also be to be used in the home to
enhance the patients’ safety or
wondering.
First of all, when donations are comfort. Donated funds have
received, the money is deposited also been utilized to pay for
in a restricted account, and ! continuing education and hospice
earmarked for the area intended. start-up costs.
Unless the funds were designated Home Health also accepts used
State Representative
toward a specific project, such as durable medical equipment such
the recently purchased CAT as walkers and wheelchairs. The Greg Smith will spek at Willows
scanner, funds are utilized as agency stores the items and is Grange in lone on Sunday. April
then able to place the items w ith 8, beginning at 1 p.m.
needs arise.
Smith to speak
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