Heppner loses
population in latest
census
The
population
of
Heppner is now down to 1.395,
according to data released by the
2000 Census.
The current population is down
from 1,465 in 1994, 1,412 in
1990, 1,498 in 1980, 1.429 in
1970 and
1661
in
1960,
accordihg
to
inform ation
obtained from the 1995-96
Oregon Blue Book.
July 2000 Census figures
list Boardman as having 2.910
residents. According to the 1995-
96 Blue Book. Boardman had
2.145 residents in 1994. 1,387 in
1990. 1,261 in 1980. 192 in 1970
and 153 in 1960.
Irrigon now has alm ost
doubled, with 1,740 residents,
according to the Census. In 1994
it had 890 residents, in 1990-737.
in 1980- 700. in 1970-261 and in
1960-232.
lone currently has 325
residents, up from 250 in 1994.
In 1990 it had 255 residents, 345
in 1980, 355 in 1970 and 350 in
1960.
Lexington currently nas
265 residents, compared to285 in
1994, 286 in 1990, 307 in 1980,
230 in 1970 and 240 in 1960.
M orrow County has
grown in num bers, with 11,100
people as o f July 1, 2000; 8,600
Bosilo Setzoll
U o f O M c n a papar Library
E ugene,
OU
9 /1 4 3
in 1994, 7,625 in 1990, 7,519 in
1980,4,465 in 1970 and 4,871 in
1960.
APR 1 8 2001
autographed photos o f Smith and
the group was recognized during
the game.
lone Youth Group m em bers
attending the game were Adrienne
Swanson, Allison Halvorsen,
RichardCampbell. Korey Morgan,
Ashley Carmack, Adam McCabe,
Derek Cam pbell, Adam Neiffer,
Salli M cElligott. Tracy Griffith,
Karl Morgan. Diana M cElligott,
Jaysi Bennetto, Natalie McElligott.
Jeff Hunt, Tim Doherty, Paul
Neiffer, Billy G ates and Johnny
Collin. Others making the trip were
Becky Hunt. Virgil Morgan, Frank
Halvorsen, Cathy Halvorsen. Jim
Swanson. Jen McElligott and Jason
Snow.
School bond ballots to be mailed April 27
Ballots for the upcoming
special M orrow County School
District election will be mailed
by the Morrow County Clerk's
Office on Friday, April 27.
Ballots must be received by
Tuesday, May 15, at 8 p.m.
Ballot boxes will be
located at the clerk's office in
Heppner; the M orrow County
Public
W orks
Office
in
Lexington; at the Bank o f
Eastern Oregon in lone until 4
p.m. and then at the lone City
Hall from 4-8 p.m.; at the
Morrow County Annex Building
in Im gon; and the Docken
Building in Boardman.
The last day to register to
vote in the May 15 election is
Tuesday, April 24.
In the special election.
M orrow County voters will
decide the fate o f a $22 million
school district bond issue.
The monies will be used to:
-construct,
equip
and
furnish two new elementary
schools in Boardman and Im gon
with classrooms for 200 students
each and infrastructure to
accom m odate 500 students in
each school;
-replace aging elementary
facilities,
renovate
existing
facilities to improve energy
c o n s e rv a tio n ,
u p g ra d e
technology
capabilities
and
"protect
the
community's
investment in existing facilities";
The improvem ents will:
-upgrade electrical wiring
and connect schools with a high
speed network to
improve
student access to technology and
Ryan, 5, and Coby, 9 months, Dougherty meet the Easter Bunny during
the annual Heppner Easter egg hunt Saturday at the city park.
Judge reports on Salem meetings
lone youth group attends Blazer game
lone Youth Group leader Cathy
Halvorsen obtained free tickets to
a Portland TrailBlazer game for the
youth group for the second year in
arow. The tickets, donated by player
Steve Smith, were given to the group
in recognition o f their community
involvem ent for the past year.
The group attended the Blazers
vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game
on April 1. They each received
Easter Bunny makes annual visit
expanded learning opportunities;
-replace outdated heating
cooling,
ventilation
and
plum bing sysems and make
health and safety improvements;
-rep lace
elem entary
building in lone and the
elem entary gym and band room
in Heppner;
-replace
unserviceable
roofing on identified facilities;
-improve athletic fields and
parking at Columbia Middle
School to accom m odate grades
seven-12.
To be passed, the measure
must have at least a 50 percent
voter turnout
The bonds will mature in
20 years or less from the date o f
issuance.
The tax rate is $1.38 per
thousand. A hom eowner with an
$85,000 home, for example, will
pay about $117.30 per year or
$9.78 per month.
Wheat Foundation golf tournament
The fifth Annual Oregon Wheat
Foundation G olf Tournament has
been set for Wednesday. May 23.
at the Willow Creek G olf Course
in Heppner. Last year's event drew
72 golfers to play.
Everyone is invited to attend this
year's event. Individuals without
teams o f four will be matched up
with other individuals to form teams.
Non-golfers are also welcome to
attend. Those who would like to
attend, but do not golf are welcome
to come and help out.
Registration m aterials are
available from the OWGL office.
276-7330, and are also available
on the OW GL website at
http://w w w .ow gl.org.
Fhe tournament is an annual fund
raising event for the Oregon Wheat
Foundation's many programs.
Anson Wright opens April 28,
Cutsforth delayed
Morrow County Public Works
has announced that Anson Wright
Park will open Saturday. April 28.
The park is available for
overnight camping as well as day-
use picnicking and fishing.
Eight new camping spots were
added at the end o f last year's
camping season, all o f which are
ADA accessible Anson Wnght Park
is located 2ft miles south o f Heppner
on Highway 207.
The opening o f Cutsforth Park
will be delayed this year until
Saturday, May 12, due to park
maintenance and weather conditions.
Cutsforth Park is also available
for overnight camping as well as
day-use picnicking and fishing
Cutsforth Park is 28 miles south
o f Heppner on the Blue Mountain
Scenic Byway, going toward Ukiah
For additional information about
these parks, contact Morrow County
Public W orks at 989-9500.
By Doris Brosnan
At the April 11 meeting o f the
Morrow County Court, Judge Terry
Tallman reported on m eetings he
had attended on the previous day
in Salem. Leadership ofboth houses,
Tallman said, are in favor o f channel
deepening in the Columbia River,
but the National M arine Fishery’
Service and Corps o f Engineers need
to approve the plan. Tallman said
that this would only impact about
a 50-mile stretch o f the river and
that Governor Kitzhaber is
supportive.
While in Salem, Tallman attended
a telecommunications meeting and
learned that three entities are
requesting another state study be
completed. Brosnan reported that
the Morrow County School District
is m oving ahead with their new
system, planning to have it in by
June 30.
Also. Tallm an spoke to
Representative Greg Smith, to
Senator Ben Westland and to Katie
Coba o f the Governor's Office about
the "Ione-Boardm an Road," and
reiterated the court's request for
m itigation from the governor's
office. He reported to the court that
the Governor has requested another
m eeting o f the buyer and the
environmental groups to address
the issue o f a road easement in the
land-sale agreem ent now under
consideration.
Com m issioner Dan Brosnan
reported that at the Heppner
Coordinating Council meeting the
previous day, the Oregon director
o f the Nature Conservancy
committed to putting in writing their
agreem ent to keeping the PGE-
aecess road open. In a related matter.
Judge Tallman noted that the county
will have to purchase from the
Nature Conservancy about two or
three acres in order to straighten
out the Juniper Canyon Road.
County Counsel Bill Hanlon
reported to the court that he has
reviewed one party's attorney’s
written explanation o f legal issues
involved in the land sale and "Ione-
Boardman Road" relationship. He *
and County Planning Director Tamra
Mabbott both voiced some concerns
and observations and agreed with
Judge Tallman that a meeting for
them
with
the
governor's
representative would be helpful.
Tallman will try to set up such a
meeting.
Hanlon also reported further
developm ents in the issue o f an
Estregaard Road closure, which
remains in question. Following his
recommendation, the court approved
a public hearing to consider the
status o f the public access and will
send notices to the property owners
along Estregaard.
M abbott reported that she is
requesting an impact analysis related
to the raceway plan, and is
requesting assistance from the
Oregon
Departm ent
of
Transportation for the engineering.
Public Health Director Laura
McElligott gave budget information
to the court and explained some
funding changes by the state. She
also introduced to the court the
possibility of administering a Nurse-
Family Partnership program for
Baker County. The court requested
further discussion on both topics.
Sheriff Verlin Denton advised
the court that LEDS no longer
financially supports the LEDS
computer-system upgrades, though
it does make the necessary upgrades
available. Denton reported that an
upgrade will allow five terminals,
which will help with training and
usage, and suggested that the cost
could be covered through the
departm ent'sending fund balance.
The court approved the upgrade.
Public Works Director Burke
O'Brien reported to the court: the
crew finished removing asphalt on
Columbia, are working on Second
Street, and paving is now scheduled,
to be completed in three or four
weeks. They have extended a
culvert, cleaned culverts and
installed a culvert, finished the
Morter-Bridge guardrail, patched
Kunze and Frontage roads and
chipped at Cutsforth Park. They
bladed Clark's Canyon. Fuller
Canyon, Stock Drive Road. Kenny
Road, Sunflower Flats and Hinton
Creek. Fifteen employees attended
a training in Hermiston.
O'Brien said that Cutsforth Park
w ill open May 12. Park hosts will
be Judy and Willard Horton. Host
at Anson Wright Park will be Gary
Richard. O'Brien reported that no
bid came in on the courthouse clock
tower paintm gjob. The final draft
o f the airport layout plan has been
received.
A representative of the Education
Service District addressed a problem
with installation o f the CSEPP
video-conferencing system. He
explained the costs o f putting in
a T -l line for the Irrigon and
Boardman annexes, with a
connection to the respective fire
halls or o f putting in a microwave
connection Director o f Emergency
Services Casey Beard has explained
to ESI) that FF.MA would require
the county to share the costs because
lines would also be used for non-
em ergency county business. Fhe
court will contact Beard
BARENBRUG
GRASS SEED
STOCKMASTER
Specifically
formulated for
cattle and
sheep
nowat
ITie court heard a supplemental-
insurance
presentation
by
representatives from AF l .AC ITiey
of fered some health-related and
medical statistics, explained some
features of AFLAC's plan and
quoted a premium price.
Other action o f the court:
- approval o f three approach
permits onto Bombing Range Road:
- renewal o f the contract w ith
Debbie W hite for grounds
maintenance at the Irrigon Annex:
- approval o f the contract w ith
Maben Logging to remove
dangerous trees at Cutsforth Park:
- approval o f the contract for
asphalt with Blue Mountain Asphalt:
- appointment o f Marx’ Arbogasl
to the Behavioral Health Advisory
Committee;
- approval of additional resources
and corresponding appropriations
in the Behavioral Health funds.
Small school
funding bill
passes Senate
A
state-wide
small
school funding bill, which would
give Heppner and lone schools
additional monies, has passed the
Oregon Senate, according to
Bruce Anderson, Morrow County
School District superintendent.
Anderson said that if the
bill also passes the Oregon
House o f Representatives, high
schools with 350 or fewer
students would receive an
additional $200 per student per
year. Qualifying districts could
also apply for an additional SI .5
m illion to provide enough funds
to hire additional teaching staff.
Heppner High School
currently has 121 students and
lone High School. 60.
Anderson said that the
smallest districts could receive
S4.5 million per year for the next
two years. He added that the
Oregon
Departm ent
of
Education is planning to conduct
a study on size, costs and
program needs in small high
schools in order to make
recommendations for permanent
changes so that the schools will
be able to maintain program s
over a long period o f time.
Anderson
said
that
citizens are urged to contact
Representatives Fed F em o li and
Greg Smith to indicate their
support for the bill.
V>*»**UG
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