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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 4, 2001)
School board vacates two positions E c 3 3 l O " C 1 3 © 11 i! o ' 0 Ila v3pa o s r Library or V O l 120_______NO. 27______ 8 Pages w-x Wednesday, July 4,2001 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Summ er reading program delights youngsters The Morrow County School Board last Thursday, June 28, voted 5-1 to vacate the board positions currently held by Barney Lindsay and Keith Lewis. Lewis voted against vacating the positions and Lindsay abstained from voting. Board members Dwayne Carroll. Julie Weikel. Pat M cNamee, Gary Frederickson and John Rietmann voted in favor, stressing following the law concerning district zoning. Lindsay and Lewis have said they would fight the board's decision in court. The board's action came after Lindsay and Lewis' residencies came under scrutiny following an anonymous letter to the board. An independent retired judge, Warner Wasley, hired by the district, returned with a decision in favor o f the district- that Lindsay did not live at his residence on Feedlot Road within school district Zone 6, but instead at a residence on Lindsay Lane, within Zone 2, and Lewis did not reside within Zone 4, from which he was elected, but within Zone 6. An opinion several years earlier by Bill Kuhn, then school district attorney, determined that Lindsay lived in Zone 6. Lewis has lived at the same address, 440 Terrace Drive in Heppner, since prior to his election, however, the district recently determined that the residence wasn't in Zone 4. According to Lewis, the district had previously told him that he resided in Zone 4. Lindsay has served on the board six years, Lewis, two. Following the board's action. Lewis and Lindsay retired to the audience. They were invited to attend the board's executive session Thursday, however, Lewis left prior to the executive session for personal reasons and Lindsay left during the executive session. The session was crucial for the board and for Superintendent Bruce Anderson, whose performance and contract were under review Lewis and Lindsay have been critical o f Anderson since the board voted to cut teachers in south-end schools to balance an ailing budget and subsequently teachers were hired for north-end schools. The board's action resulted in an increase in the student-teacher ratio in south end schools, which had seen a general downward trend in student population, and a reduction in the ratio for north- end schools, which had seen an increase in student population. The June 28 executive session was the last for board member Dwayne Carroll. Imgon, who, along with Weikel and Frederickson. both Boardman. and McNamee, Imgon. have been more sympathetic toward Anderson. The review had been earlier planned for July 9. at which time board member John Renfro, Lexington, would have assumed his position on the board and Carroll, who lost to Renfro, would have been off the board. Several Imgon residents testified at the June 28 meeting that they were satisfied with Anderson and the board's performance. "The bottom line is you're out for blood for Mr. Anderson," commented Sarnie J. Griffin, Imgon. The following day, June 29, Anderson announced in a fax to the Gazette-Times his plans to retire as superintendent in the summer of 2002. The majority of the board had indicated that they were hesitant to change leadership just as the $22 million Local man arrested for attack on police officer Mr. Bob (aka BobAlbano) delight» children with music and hubbies during the Heppner Library's summer reading program held June 29 at the St. Patrick's Senior Center. The event was sponsored by the Craig Berkman Family, Wells Fargo Foundation. Oregon Public Broadcasting and the Oregon Trail Library District. Soccer club plans meeting By Debbie Harper Willow Creek Soccer Club will hold a public meeting Tuesday, July 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bank of Eastern Oregon conference room in Heppner, to determine if there is enough support for a soccer league in south Morrow County. Anyone from Heppner, Lexington or lone with children ages four through nine who want to play soccer are invited to attend the meeting. People unable to attend but who have children wanting to play should contact organizer Tina Edwards beforehand to register. Edwards says there are 32 enthusiastic kids signed up for this year, but that isn't quite enough to lone Council meeting changed The lone City Council meeting has been changed to July 17, instead o f July 10. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Advertising Deadline 12 noon T u e sd a y adequately field the three teams. Teams are broken down into U6 (ages4-5), U 8(ages6-7)and U10 (ages 8-9). "Ideally teams should have 12 or more kids on each roster," Edwards said. "Five kids are fielded for a team at each time. They play four, seven-minute quarters wnh a two-minute break between each quarter." South Morrow County teams will be co-ed, but they will play against all-boy teams, with the exception o f the U6 team, which always plays as co-ed. Costs are $31 for the first child, and $28 for each additional child in the family. Uniforms, consisting o f jerseys, shorts and socks, are included in the registration fees. Practices will be held in Heppner, but all games will be played at the soccer field in Hermiston. Practice will begin in August, with games beginning August 25 and continuing through the end of October. There would be an average of one game a week, "usually on Saturdays, but there will be a few week night games, probably on Thursday nights," said Edwards. For more information or to register, contact Edwards or Darnell Raver at 676-8710. a firearm at him. Peck was also charged with resisting arrest when Cowett and Trooper Andrew McCool. Oregon State Police, attempted to take Peck into custody. Peck was ultimately transported to the Umatilla County Jail. Peck, appearing from the Umatilla County Jail, was arraigned July 2 in Morrow County Circuit Court via video hook-up with Clrcuit Court Judge Daniel Hill. Peck plead not guilty and w as held in jail with $15,000 bail. His next scheduled court appearance is July 5. Betty Mills honored for Centurvtel offers work on ag museum DSL to south Morrow County To meet the growing need for high speed data transmission, CenturyTel "continues its commitment to offer broadband services to its customers in rural areas and smaller cities" by adding 19 Oregon locations to its Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) deployment schedule. The company began offering DSL service this month to the following communities throughout the state: in Eastern Oregon-Heppner. lone. Lexington, Boardman, Echo, Pilot Rock. Long C reek. Fossil. John Day. Bums. Lakeview. Bonanza. Merrill, Malm, Bly and Paisley; and in Western Oregon - Yoncalla, Drain and Glide. CenturyTel's DSL service is available to residential and business customers in locations where physical facilities meet DSL specifications. "The initial offering will accommodate customers who live within 18,000 feet of the local switching centers," explained CenturyTel's Oregon general continued page 2 JU LY 5 M onday th ro u g h F rid ay, 7 a.m . - 6 p.m . S atu rd ay, 7 a.m . • 5 p.m . or row C ounty Crain C ro w e r s Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 Richard Glover Peck, 65. 990 E. Fairview Drive. Heppner, was arrested on June 29 on charges of assaulting a public safety officer, resisting arrest, menacing and pointing a firearm at another, according to Morrow County District Attorney David C.Allen. The incident allegedly occurred after police officers responded to a domestic disturbance 911 call Friday morning at the Peck residence. The charges allege Peck caused physical injury to Assistant Chief Merle Cowett by slamming his arm in a door and then pointed Betty Mills (right) receives a plaque from Sharon Harrison, representing the Morrow County Creative Arts and Crafts Club and the Farm Foundation, honoring Mills for her "many hours dedicated to the planning and completion of the Robert Thomas Mural" at the newly-opened Agricultural Museum in Heppner. Nazarene Church to have speaker Dr. Norman D. Stueckle will speak in Heppner at the Church of the Nazarene at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 13, and Saturday, July 14. at at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 15. Dr. Stueckle received his doctor of ministry degree in 1986 at the San Francisco Theological Seminary He also has a master o f ministry from the Nazrene rheological Seminary, a bachelor o f theology from Northwest Nazarene University and a bachelor o f arts w ith a major in philosphy and a minor in pschology from Northwest Nazrene. He is a member o f the American Association of Christian Counselors has received instruction in counseling. He was ordained w ith the Church of the Nazarene in 1959 and had ministries in Yrcka. CA. Pomeroy. WA and Wenatchee. WA. 1 bond project swings into high gear. The project includes new elementary schools in Boardman and Imgon, a new' gym at Heppner Elementary School, a new elementary school at lone to replace the existing facility and repairs and improvements district-wide Also at the June 28 meeting, Mike Armato, Lewis' son-in-law, accused north-end board members of holding illegal meetings while traveling together in vehicles to district meetings. Armato claims that Frederickson admitted as such while testifying under oath at the residency hearing held June 19 and presided over by Judge Wasley. The school district advertised for applicants for the two vacant board positions in the classified section of this week's this week's Gazette-Times and in the East Oregonian and the Hermiston Herald. Superintendent to retire in summer 2002 Morrow County School District Superintendent Bruce Anderson has announced his intent to retire next summer. In a letter to the board June 29, the day after the school board continuance, Anderson said, "This letter is to announce my retirement in the summer o f 2002. After weighing all the factors I believe it is in the district's and my best interest to retire. It is my hope that by making this announcement the district can focus its energy on the important educational issues at hand. Facilitating the process to plan and construct new facilities and continuing to hold student achievement, as the highest priority will be my focus this next year. I appreciate the support of the Board and look forward to a very productive and positive year in 2001 02 - ." Still time to sign up for golf tournev There is still time to sign up for the fifth annual Heppner High School Alumni GolfToumament. which will be held July 7-8 at Willow Creek Country Club. Play begins at 9 a.m. both days w ith a shotgun start and will feature a scramble format. Cost of the tournament is $40 per person and includes 18 holes of golf each day as well as a steak dinner at the club house Saturday night. Participants can golf w ith whomev er they choose and can put together their own five-member teams if they like. Tournament proceeds have helped many local youth-related causes including sports programs, a Campus Life program, coach and releree training, the Heppner band program and others. The winning team members w ill have their names and a photo placed on the tournament trophy, which is displayed in the trophy case at the high school. The tournament is open to all HHS alumni and their spouses as well as past and present HHS faculty. Non-alumni interested in playing, as well as alumni who did not receive an entry form, can contact Steve and Molly Rhea at 676-9922 or Ken Eckman at 676- 5531 or 989-8498 lone declares tobacco free week The city o f lone, in conjuction with Morrow County Tobacco Prev ention, has declared the week of July 9-14 as tobacco free and has scheduled activities in conjunction with the lone Fourth of July festival. Activities include free swimming at the pool and Bingo for all ages at Beecher's Restaurant. The city challenges any city or town in the state to proclaim a tobacco free-day or week. For more information, contact lone City Hall. 422-7414. Monday through Friday, 7 a m. to 3:30 p.m.
