Centennial students learn readin\ writin’
and ropin’ during annual city-country exchange
Co3î I a t r o t a e l l
U o f J Kowapaper L i b r a r y
L u g a n o , OH 9 / ‘l ' 3
Centennial Middle School students (left to right) Janelle Davis, coordinating Centennial teacher Bruce
Collins. Michael Horner, Rick Craft. Mike Miller. Chelsie Morrison and Katie Hilt.
VQL 120______ NO. 18______ 10 Pages
Wednesday, May 2,2001
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Volunteers save Willow Creek Field
Volunteers clear the Willow Creek Little League field.
County budget situation better
than anticipated
The Morrow County Budget
Committee met on April 24- 26 to
pull together the county budget for
the 2001-2002 fiscal year. The
enterprise seemed daunting in the
wake of the failure of a 1.5 million
dollar levy that the county proposed
last November. There were several
reasons that expectations were
changed.
One of the most, significant was
the receipt in April o f an almost
SI .4 million payment on previously
levied, but uncollected (delinquent)
taxes. The county's share of this
unexpected back tax payment
exceeded $380.000.
Another new source of revenue
is over S113.000 which the county
will impose next year in
administrative cost reimbursements
from several departments who
receive funding from outside
sources, such as grants from the
State or Federal government In the
past, these departments have not
been assessed any portion of these
costs, leaving the general fund to
pick up the tab. However, starting
with the 20101-2002 fiscal year,
the county w ill begin collecting for
these "indirect costs". This is
possible because of study w hich
the county commissioned this fiscal
year to determine what amount could
be allocated to each department
based on demand for sen ices from
the county. The resulting plan is
in the process o f being approved
by our federal fiscal agent at this
time.
Because of the expected budget
shortfall, the C ounty Court met with
every county department last
December to carve out almost
$700.0(H) from the budget. This
preliminary preparation also helped
the budget process go more
smoothly, according to the budget
committee members.
As a result of both the unexpected
additional revenues, and the
preparatory budget cuts, the budget
w eek ended on a high note. "The
county did have to reduce
expenditures again this year but not
to the extent w e had anticipated just
a few short months ago," said
County Judge Terry Tallman. "We
are relieved, but not out of the
woods yet l hc coming years still
promise to be very trying and will
demand every ounce of fiscal
resourcefulness we can muster."
Sign up for Babe
Ruth by Mav 10
Anyone between the ages of 13-
15 years old and interested in
playing Babe Ruth baseball this
summer should contact Rick
Johnston. 676-5562. or Rick Paullus.
676*8779,by rhunday. M l) 10
A hard working group of
volunteers saved the Willow
Creek Field in Heppner for
today's Little Leaguers and
players o f the future. "The field
was contaminated with puncture
weed." said organizer Dave
Pranger. "It was like sliding into
a thistle patch."
Pranger said that Little
League opening day had been
planned for the Willow' Creek
Field that day. but it had to be
moved because the field was
unplayable because of safety
concerns.
Pranger said that the
volunteers, which included Jerry
Gentry,
Jay
Coil,
Brian
Thompson and other Little
League Board members, started
about six a.m. Saturday, April
14, removing the top four inches
o f soil. They scooped the dirt
into trucks donated by Miller
Excavating and Roger Britt and
then
transported
the
contaminated soil to Carl
Thorpe's place. Thorpe helped
dispose of the contaminated soil
and then donated new soil which
was spread out and measured.
ITie group was finally able to set
the new bases about 5:30 that
evening.
"The main idea is
everyone in town needs to work
on this problem, added Pranger.
w ho is the Morrow County Weed
Control supervisor. "It's a safety
issue as far as kids go."
lone Topic Club
holds senior tea
lone Topic members honored
12 lone High School senior girls
and their mothers at the annual tea
on April 25 at the social room of
the lone United Church of Christ.
Seniors present were Adrienne
Swanson. Shelby Krebs. Molly
Barrow, Ann Shear, Ashley
Carmack. Chanssa Gates. Nonnee
Walters. Samantha Wilhelm.
Jeanette Brantley, Allison 1 lalvorsen
and Jennifer Ibompson Katie Bacon
w ill be graduating w ith the group,
but was not able to attend the tea.
Each girl told of her plans for
further education.
Landscaping Railroad Tie s
0 ]* T S A l x E !
$ 9 .5 0 e a c h
Sale good through
May 5th
Morrow C ounly (¿rain G row ers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 t*tytf^yiew,wt
n»« «m.wcgwi
Well, it looks like the
Centennial and Heppner Junior
High eighth graders survived
another
exchange, although
perhaps some were a little worse
for the wear, considering the
number o f injuries, mostly
minor, that occurred both in
Heppner and at Centennial.
Following are Centennial
students' observations on the
week.
Mike "Scope" Miller a
14-year-old Centennial exchange
student
from
Portland,
experienced one o f those minor
injuries first-hand when the
scope on the 30-06 he was
shooting hit him in the forehead.
Miller seemed to take the
injury with a grain o f salt and it
didn't prevent him from having
fun.
Miller, who stayed with
the Jay and Kelly Jo Keithley
family in Heppner, liked the fact
that "everything was in walking
distance" in Heppner. "It's safe to
walk here," he said. "The
hospital," however, "can't handle
anything big," he added.
Besides the Heppner
school being a lot smaller. Miller
said that there was more one-on-
one with teachers here. "If you
have* questions you can get them
answered better, especially when
there are only 22 kids in the
class," he said, adding that there
are usually 30-31 kids per class
at Centennial.
At home Mike lives with
his parents, Val, a lab tech at a
hospital, and Dan. an accountant,
and his 10-year-old brother
Kevin.
Michael Horner. 14 of
Gresham, also got a little target
shooting with a .22 during his
stay at the Dean and Debbie
Wright place at Ruggs.
Homer said he found
kids pretty much the same in the
country as in the city and they
dress pretty similar too.
Homer said the best
thing about the exchange was
meeting new friends, adding that
he hasn’t gotten bored away from
the city. He, too, had some
misadventures,
commenting
about an emu getting loose and a
car getting stuck.
Back home in Gresham.
Michael lives with his parents,
Michelle, who works for an
assisted living center and dad.
Scott, who works at the
Freightliner parts plant, and his
two brothers, Tyler. 11. and
Riley, four. At home he enjoys
playing baseball, football and
hanging out with his friends.
The highlight of Katie
Hilt's week was being able to
drive a team of horses. Katie,
who stayed with Jack and Renee
Yocom and their family, got to
drive
Jack's
dad
Joe's
team. She also enjoyed getting
to know people from the
Heppner area and also getting to
know the people from Centennial
better, since their school has
around 1.000 students in just two
grades.
Katie is no stranger to
the country, however, since she
lives in Boring with her parents.
Vem,
a
paramedic
in
communications and training,
and Lora, a Centennial school
bus driver, and 11 -year-old
sister, Kimberli.
At home she enjoys
singing, playing volleyball and
track. While she misses her
friends, she doesn't miss the mall
and the movies back home
Katie says that "You can
Lacev Matteson (right) and Ashlev ward show a Centennial student
how to tie a goat as part of the Centennial eighth grade exchange
program on Thursday, April 26.
Centennial students Jerel Cohbs and Amy Fulkerson trv their hand
at roping.
tell that they (the Heppner kids)
are Western. They're really
Western families. There's a little
difference in the way they dress.
A lot of them wear jeans and
people in the city wear nice pants
and shirts."
Janelle Davis. 14. also
commented that it was nice to
meet Heppner kids, but it was
also nice to get to know many
Centennial kids she didn't know
before
"School's a lot smaller
and a lot less crowded," said
Janelle. "At home you have to
elbow your w av through."
She found she did miss
her parents and "bugging mv
little brother."
In
Heppner Janelle
stayed with the Michael and
Robin Jones and their tamilv In
Portland she lives with her
parents. Lee. who works tor
Stanley Hydraulic, and l ammv.
who works for a business called
Canterbury I ane, and brother
Eric. 11. At home she enjov s
playing
soccer.
basketball,
reading and Bible quizzing
Chelsie Morrison. 14. of
(iresham. went along on a trip to
the In-Cities with her host
family Kathv and Rusty Britt and
family of I exington
"Tn-Cities was really
fun." says Chelsie "I liked the
R&W Drive In. too."
" rhere's not anything
much to do here," adds Chelsie
"We go downtown, hang out at
the house and play basketball in
the yard."
"I'm
not
really
homesick." adds Chelsie."but I
kind of miss my parents." At
home Chelsie lives with her
parents. Dexter, who works with
computer parts and Mikell. who
works in human resources at
Pope and Talbot, and 10-year-old
brother. Dexter. Jr
Chelsie
notices
the
difference in clothing styles
between the two towns. "Here
guys kind of wear flannel shirts
and cowboy boots At Centennial
we wear shirts sometimes and
nice clothes, like capris and
sandals. Here they just wear
jeans.”
" I he teachers are stricter
here and can keep their eyes on
you."
said
Chelsie.
"At
Centennial, if you stand out as a
troublemaker, then they know
you. It's more laid back at
Centennial."
Rick Craft. 14 of
Boring, got a sampling of
activities in the Heppner area
with his hosts. Bob and Pam
Worden and family. Craft went
bowling at Shamrock Lancs,
"went out to eat a couple times,
went to the (Morrow County Fair
and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo)
coronation dance and went to
Murray's a couple times "
"It's a lot less crowded
and stuff than in Portland or
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