Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2001)
■ Anonymous Letter Morrow County School Board Zone Descriptions (Editor's note: The following is the anonymous letter received by the Morrow County School Board concerning official residency o f school board mem ber Bamey Lindsay. School district officials told the Gazette-Times that the letter had a Lexington postm ark.) BRUCE ANDERSON AND THE MORROW COUTNY SCHOOL BOARD I am writing this letter on behalf o f a group o f concerned citizens in Morrow County. We are troubled by the candidacy of Bamey Lindsay for the Morrow County School Board Zone 6. The policy o f the Morrow County School Board is that people must reside in the Zone that they represent. We know that the School Board had many good reasons for establishing this policy. It is common knowledge that Bamey Lindsay resides in Zone 2, and has done so for several years. It is important for the school board to be honest, creditable and accountable to the people, administrators and students o f the county. For that reason, Mr. Lindsay should truthfully answer the following simple questions without evasions and half-truths. 1. Where do you reside? 2. In the last two years, approximately how many nights have you slept in both zone 2 and zone 6? 3. Do you live with your wife and children? 4. In the last two years how many nights have your wife and children slept in zone 2 and zone 6? 5. When someone calls you, where does the phone ring? 6. Does the phone book list your address as 68062 Lindsay Road, and in what Zone is this located? 7. What is your address listed at the post office? 8. When you come hom e for dinner with your wife and children, what zone is this located? 9. Are you willing to answer all o f these questions, and that your primary residence is in zone 6 under oath? W e believe that it would be impossible for the board to determine that Mr. Lindsay lives in Zone 6 today, considering that he has lived in zone 2 for at least four years. If the school board were to allow Mr. Lindsay to serve in zone 6, they would be setting a dangerous precedent for the future. Any person living in Heppner. who used to live in Boardman, could run for election for a zone in Boardman, and use Mr., Lindsay as a precedent. You do not live in a house for four years without it becoming your primary residence. Many people in this county do not own the house they live in, but it is without question their primary residence. We believe that the School board has an obligation to dem and that its elected representatives follow the policies they have set. Leadership begins at the top. The School Board cannot demand that the students and employees o f the district follow the rules and policies o f the district, while they allow m em bers o f the school board to ignore them. The school Board should also be a role model to the students o f the county as to their honesty and integrity. How can the people o f Morrow County trust the school board to be truthful on important budgetary issues such as staff cuts, if they cannot truthfully answer such a simple question as where do you live? How can the school board not be accused o f arrogance, if they allow board members to ignore their own rules? We know that Mr. Lindsay is well liked, but that does not mean that he can ignore the guidelines o f the district, just because it is convenient to him. Finally, Oregon State election laws ‘ire clear on this issue and it is your swom obligation to enforce them. Sincerely, Some Concerned Citizens ^ u c u iiu I u i I iv p p ii v i , »jiu y u M See related school board story page (Adopted by the Morrow County School Board February 1, 1993) The Morrow County School District Board o f Directors are elected to their positions by the voters o f Morrow County. Each position on the Board o f Directors is designed to represent an approximately equal number o f citizens. The area encompassing the approximately equal numbers o f citizens is called a zone. To become a candidate for election to the Board o f Directors the candidate must live in the zone that is advertised as open. The zones are described as: ZONE 1 That area south o f the Columbia River in Morrow county which includes that area within the City o f Boardman north o f Interstate 84; that area east o f the City o f Boardman and north o f Wilson Road; that area which is up to one mile south o f Wilson Road that is east o f Eastregaard Road and west o f Bombing Range Road; that area north o f Highway 730 which extends from Bombing Range Road to Fourth Street, west o f Im gon. ZONE 2 That area which includes the Town o f Lexington and which also includes that area not contiguous with the Town o f Lexington w hich includes that area east o f a N-S line extending Paul Smith Road (lone Road) in Boardman, which extends from the Boardman Canal at the north and to a E-W line one mile south o f Township 1 S at the south end, and which is bounded by Highway 207 and the Bombing Range Road to the Finley Buttes Road on the east and which extends east on Finley Buttes Road (extended) to the U m atilla County line and north to Interstate 84. The eastern boundary extends north along the western boundary o f the Umatilla Ordinance Depot and north o f the Depot on Division Street to County Road and west on County Road to 1st Street and north on 1st Street to Utah Street and west on Utah Street to Second Street and north on Second Street to Highway 730 and southwest on Highway 730 to the Bombing Range Road and south on Bombing Range Road two miles and northwest on a line where Eastregaard Road intersects with the Boardman Canal and westerly along the Canal to the beginning N-S line that extends Paul Smith Road. ZONE 3 That area in Morrow County which is west o f a N-S line extending Paul Smith Road (lone Road) in Boardman, which extends from the Columbia River at the north to the W heeler County line at the south. ZONE 4 That area within the Heppner City limits except that area east of Cowins Street, Court Street and Highway 74, north and east from its junction with Court Street. ZONE 5 That area south o f the Columbia River in Morrow County which extends from the Umatilla County line on the east to Interstate 84 on the south and extends north along the Umatilla Ordinance Depot western boundary and north o f the Depot on Division Street to County Road and west on County Road to 1st street and north on 1st Street to Utah Street and west on Utah Street to Second Street and north on Second Street to Highway 730 and north on Fourth Street to the Colum bia River. ZONE 6 That area in M orrow County east o f a N-S line extending Paul Smith Road (lone Road) in Boardman, which extends from the Wheeler County line to a E-W line one mile south o f Township 1 S, east on that E-W line to Highway 207 and northeast on Highway 207 to Bombing Range Road and north on Bombing Range Road to Finley Buttes Road to the Umatilla County line, except for that area detailed in Zone 4. ZONE 7 ' H 1 ru arrant/ ;ti to wA ' That area Cast of Paul Smith Road (lone Road); north of the Boardman Canal; west o f Eastregaard Rbad; south o f W ilson Road! which is east o f the City o f Boardman; and that area within the City o f Boardman which is south o f Interstate 84. Barney Lindsay's Statement The law protects the people's choice to select individuals that will represent them in government by lim iting the pow er o f political entities, and the bureaucracies that staff them, to rem ove elected officials from office. Only the voters may elect and, unless otherwise specifically provided for by law, only the voters or the courts may remove, elected officials. An elected official can only be removed from office by a District School Board as is proscribed by the law. Under Oregon law, the District's Counsel and the Morrow County District School Board do not have the legal right or power to vacate the office an elected District official in these circumstances. Rather then putting the matter to rest, as was originally the case in the scheduled June 6 Board meeting; the District Counsel and the School Board have delayed the resolution o f this matter, for w hatever reason. The change in procedures comes at the cost o f the violation of the constitutional rights o f Mr. Lewis and myself, and our financial and personal expense, as well as that o f the expense o f our community. The community has given us their support. Now at the community's own financial expense, there is an attempt by some to cause the District School Board to remove us and undermine the will o f the people. All that Mr. Lewis and I wish is that the District School Board recognize that Oregon law places in the hands o f the courts the question o f rem oving an elected official from office; such that if no one actually chooses to initiate those removal proceedings, we may go on with our lives in peace and work for the betterment o f schools in our community. That resolution, however, will not occur in any proceedings before this Board. I will not vote on whether to hire an outsider to make recommendations on whether Mr. Lewis and I are validly members o f the District Board - first, because he and I are the subjects o f this proceeding and I am not comfortable participating in that proceeding; and second, because I do not believe this expenditure to accomplish anything. I will therefore abstain from this vote. Thank you. Fair & Rodeo Court holds raffle The 2001 Morrow County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Court are selling raffle tickets for a three minute/$300 shopping spree at the Heppner Red Apple grocery store The court will sell tickets throughout the summer, with the drawing to be held at the Sunday performance of the rodeo in August Tickets are $5 each or 5 for S20 OTPR Queen Tammy Booth can be reached at 481-2007. Princess Kelsey Greenup at 676-5822, and pennant bearers Megan McCabe at 989-8553 and I.acey Davis at 676- 9807 to purchase tickets. Morrow County School Board Zones , , , .Gary Fredsricksim.was elected from Zone 1: Dwayne Carroll and newly-elected John Renfro. Zone 2; John Rietmann, Zone 3; Keith Lewis, Zone 4; Pat NcNamee. Zone 5; Barney Lindsay, Zone 6: and Julie Weikel, Zone 7. Heppner summer reading program to begin The Heppner Library presents Summer Reading 2001. "Read a Wild Tale." Programs will begin Friday, June 15 and run through Friday, July 20. The schedule of events is as follows: Friday, June 15,11 a.m.-"Howdy Partners, Yippi Ki Yi Ya." Friday, June 22,11 a.m.-"Diggmg for Gold." Friday, June 29, 2 p.m.-"Mr. Bob's Music Party." Friday, July 6.11 a.m.-"Saddles and Artifacts." Friday. July 13, 11 a m.-"The Trail o f the Ranger." Friday. July 20, 11 a .m - "Rendezvous/Party in the Park. "We encourage you to read a variety o f books that m atch your interests. Preschoolers and early readers may eount the books read to them by another person. If you read a book to someone else, it counts, too. Come join us for crafts, gam es treats and prizes," said librarian Barb Orwick. Book logs will be kept at the library for all participants. Each time a book is finished, participants will need to enter the title in their book log and will receive a sticker. Participants who reach a goal o f 10 books will receive a separate certificate from the state superintendent ofpublic instruction. Heppner library has been awarded a Summer Reading Program Grant for the second year. This will enable a special perform er to come to Heppner. "Mr Bob's Musie Party" will be at the St Patrick's Senior Center at 2 p.m. for the Friday, June 29, story hour. The public is also invited to attend. The annual "Party in the Park" to end the Summer Reading Program w ill be held Friday. July 20. at the city park. Participants will each Ladies Night - Babbette Wall and crew will be serving a salad buffet and more. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. Flag Day Cer emony with the Boy Scouts presenting flags, American Legion presenting the colors and the Methodist Church Choir providing music. The ceremony will be gin at 8 p.m. with Lodge following. HEPPNER ELKS 358 " W h e n F r.e n * M eet" 142 North Main Beecher's Restaurant, 3 5 0 H ig h w a y 74, lo n e w ill be c lo se d SUNDAYS a n d MONDAYS. If y o u w is h to h a v e a p riv a te party o n th e se d ays, p le a se co n ta c t B etty Gray at 4 2 2 -7 0 3 8 . Beecher’s Restaurant & Lounge 350 H ig h w a y 74 • lone • 422-7038 receive a certificate of participation, and prizes will be given out. All participants will have a chance to win something special in different drawings held that day. Z T § 8 8 t) » 0 B 0 Wedding Tables « « 8 1 Shelly Sieler & Michael Van Arsdale I Wedding: July 28, 2 0 0 1 ,4 p.m. at the M o rro w C o u n ty F airg ro u n d s, H e p p n e r 217 North Main • Heppner • 676-9158 Serving Heppner, Lexington & lone "Cuti* ï"jCV ViC.V V5Z5" DAD WOULD LOVE... Fishing Tackle Camping Gear A Ck or maybe something for 8^ yard work HEPPNER HARDWARE g ÌL i ë ^ Miuuuj'i D juuj June 14th ~ Thursday 676-9181 vvcuucduoy, Jhu&i/aÿue.. 106 May Street • Heppner, OR 97836 Phone (541) 676-9961 • Fax (541) 676-5496
