Local OWGL members attend bucket brigade
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Local folks who traveled via Oregon Wheat Growers League/ Farm Bureau buses to the Klamath Falls
"Bucket Brigade" protesting the government stance against allowing farmers water for their crops
include (left to right): Debbie Sutor, Oregon Wheat Grower League office manager, Adams; Chris
Kaseberg, Sherman County President, Wasco; Karl Scronce, Klamath Falls Counts President. Merrill;
Tom McCoy. OWGL President, Wasco; Virginia Grieb. Lexington; Daren Coppock. executive vice
president of OW GL. Pendleton; Ken Klinger, Morrow County President, lone; Greg Goad. Pendleton.
VOL 120_______ NO 22______ 10 Pages
Wednesday, May 30,2001________ Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Court discusses fair and rodeo issues
Bv Doris Brosnan
At the May 23 m eeting o f the
Morrow
County
Court,
representatives o f the Rodeo
Committee and o f the Fair Board
visited with the court about some
fair and rodeo issues. Judge Terry
Tallman emphasized the need for
comrjiumcation between the
facilities and the county maintenance
staff, and he explained that these
organizations must, as do other
departments, follow a process with
contracts that requires the signature
o f the County Court. Clarified was
that the fair secretary, as a county
employee, is under the supervision
o f the county judge.
Weed control at the grounds was
discussed, as was the need for more
garbage receptacles and consistent
garbage pickup. Another issue o f
concern was inadequate parking,
for which the Rodeo Committee
has formed a subcommittee. The
court suggested that the public works
director
meet
with
that
subcom m ittee to create a plan.
The court expressed appreciation
for the improvements at the fair
grounds and for the volunteers who
work there.
Veterans
and
Special
Transportation coordinator Diana
Ball and former coordinator Barbara
Hayes spoke w ith the Court about
the programs and the part-time
position. Ball reported application
for grants for next year's operating
expenses and for a 26-passenger
bus. The Court approved the
applications. Commissioner John
W enholz explained the state's
funding methods and said that
• funding for bus buildings is tighter
now than is funding for vehicles.
Wenholz proposed separating the
coordinator's position into two part-
time positions. He explained that
too much work exists for one less-
than-half-time person. Ball offered
a list o f duties and requirements
for the special transportation
position, suggested the amount of
time needed weekly for the veterans
work, and agreed that the two
functions need more total time than
the position covers. The Court
studied the information and the
projected costs o f hiring an
additional person and agreed to
make a decision at a future meeting.
County counsel Bill Hanlon
discussed three issues with the court.
He explained the contract w ith the
Museum Foundation and the court
approved signing it, contingent upon
the foundation's securing adequate
liability insurance He reported that
O CT
some unexpected language changes
in the contract received for the Ruhl
Pit led him to preparation o f a
contract with language previously
approved by the county. The court
approved signing the agreement
prepared by Hanlon. He and County
Assessor Greg Sweek. again offered
information from records on the
road to the lone cemetery and an
easem ent on that road. Hanlon
explained the general law but noted
that the question is whether the
easem ent is for cemetery access
only or for public access. Public
W orks Director Burke O'Brien
added that the road in question is
not a county road. Commissioner
Dan Brosnan requested that Hanlon
be present at a meeting of the parties
who are discussing the road, to
explain the legal status of the issue.
Hanlon also reported that some
changes at the Umatilla County
Com munity Corrections Center
should be reviewed by ShenfTVerlm
Denton, noting a change in the
proposed county contract with the
center. He suggested to the court
that the county go out for bid on
the second phase o f the Wilkinson
Arena doors, though the project is
under the limit, and the court
appointed Andrea Denton as the
contract performance manager for
that contract. The court requested
Hanlon to prepare deeds for the Act
o f Congress parcels that the county
has under lease.
Behavioral I lealth Director Kelly
Sager reported to the court on the
status o f the Mid-Columbia Center
for Living contract. He noted that
property purchased by the county
under the contract becomes property
o f the county, and the court
reminded him o f the responsibility
for any such equipment. Sager
reported the need for two more staff
and vehicles there.
Sager told the court o f a recent
consum er satisfaction survey in
which the county's Behavioral
Health Department ranked second,
a compliment to the staff. He also
reported the department's selection
as the "DUII M ultidisciplinary
Training Task Force" for the year.
Sager described a legislative effort
to correct an imbalance in funding
between the mental health and the
alcohol and drug financing. Morrow-
County, Sager said, had been
suffering from the inequity o f the
state's formula, but he voiced
concerns over the proposed new
formula.
Sager also discussed with the
court the need for supervisors o f
clinical staff working for licensure.
The court approved his contracting
with the Center for Human
Development in Union County for
this service. He also reported the
unresolved issue o f office space
in Fossil, and he told the court about
an organizational study that he
expects useful results from in
September.
The court also discussed some
items with Director o f Planning
Tamra Mabbott. In response to a
question about power plants,
Mabbott reported that the Governor
has signed a bill that would change
some o f the generating plant
requirements. She said that she has
not yet applied for a transportation
grant for which the timing is not
yet nght. She submitted a consent-
to-participate agreement with
Morrow Power, which the court
signed.
Public W orks Director O'Brien
reported the following: the crew
has com pleted crack sealing on
Willow Creek Road and finishing
the same on Bombing Range Road.
continued page 2
Funds sought for attorney's fees
A committee has been formed
to raise funds for Morrow County
School Board members Keith Lewis
and Barney Lindsay. This fund is
intended to help defray attorney
fees for the two.
At the last board meeting. Chair
Gary Frederickson brought forth
questions
regarding
the
qualifications o f the two to serve
as board members Failure by Iewis
and Lindsay to successfully fight
these charges could result in their
being replaced by appointees of the
remaining
board
members.
According to opponents o f that
action, this would invalidate the
results o f the elections.
Contributions to the fund may
be made by mailing checks or
pledges to: The Lewis/Lindsay
Defense Fund, P O. Box 570,
Heppner, OR 97836. Contact Kim
or Mike Armato for further details
by calling 676-9777.
A special board meeting will be
held at 7 p.m. on June 6 at the
district offices in Lexington where
a determination is to be made about
the status o f these members.
Interested community members are
invited to attend
S A L E
^ O
ALL H i Q ual
F le x P a n e ls
W
!
Sale through Saturday, June 9th
M orrow C o u n ty G rain G r o w e r s
^ ^ L e x in g to n ^ 8 9 -8 2 2 1
»
From the OWGL Newsletter
Several Oregon Wheat Growers
League members and staff joined
13,000 people May 7 at the "Bucket
Brigade" in Klam ath Falls. The
crowd assembled in peaceful protest
o f the US Bureau o f Reclamation
term inating all deliveries o f
irrigation water to Klamath Basin
fanners, instead reserving all o f the
water for protection o f endangered
sucker fish in Upper Klamath lake
and coho salmon in the Klamath
River.
An array o f politicians and local
families addressed the crowd, which
then moved to the main street in
Klamath Falls and filled the 1.5 mile
stretch from Veterans M emorial
Park to the "A" diversion canal near
Klamath Union High School.
Descendants o f the original
hom esteaders dipped 50 buckets
o f water - one for each state - from
the lake near the park, which were
then passed hand-to-hand down the
street and poured into the lmgation
canal.
In contrast to recent
dem onstrations in Seattle and
Quebec, there were virtually no
confrontations and no dam aged
property in this peaceful protest.
One speaker testified that this
gathering was the largest protest
in Oregon history for any issue.
Farmers from all over Oregon,
as well as fanners from California
and Washington, came to Klamath
Falls to support the local farmers
in their quest to share the water.
As those w ho came from the north
drove into town, they drove by an
U pper Klamath Lake that is
brimming w ith water. One o f the
pools that flow s under the roadway
from the lake is within inches o f
exceeding its banks and spilling
onto nearby farmland. And yet there
is supposedly not enough water for
the farmers to get even a bucket-lull.
In the eyes o f this writer, the
federal decision to save every drop
o f water for the fish - particularly
with the lake swelling its banks -
is a clear and egregious abuse o f
the Endangered Species Act. The
federal agencies involved (Bureau
o f Reclamation. Fish and Wildlife
Service and National M arine
Fisheries Service) have clearly
displayed their belief that fish are
more important than people or the
local economy, and that even with
a lake completely full o f water, the
farmers will still receive no w ater.
Congressman Greg Walden and
his predecessor. Bob Smith, urged
participants in the rally to flood
W ashington, D.C. with their
opinions and recommendations on
the issue. In particular. President
Bush(presidentiawhitehousegov)
and Vice President Cheney
(viccpresident(a whitehouse.gov)
need to be contacted, as do members
o f Congress from the Northeast -
both Democrat and Republican -
who have not experienced the
business end of E ndangered Species
Act enforcement in their districts
Congressman W alden’s office
is working on a list. Walden also
announced that House Resources
Committec Chairman Jim Hansen
(R-UT) has agreed to hold a field
hearing in Klamath Falls soon on
the situation
SHAME! SHAME!
U.S. BUREAU OF
RECLAMATION
UMATILLA COUNTY FARMS
I.
Ken Klinger, lone
Klinger passes a bucket down the line
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