Bridge failure leaves Heppner senior stranded
Eon 3 i n r a t e a l i
U o f 0 f-.3 33pa •>?’.' L i b r a r y
E u s a n o , Oil 9 7 i J i
Betty Curnutt by collapsed bridge that had provided the only access to her property.
e
imes
VOL. 120_______NO. 38______ 10 Pages
Wednesday, September 19,2001
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
6X6 bagged bow hunting
Most people have heard
the expression "up the creek
without a paddle." That just
about sums up the situation for a
Heppner woman who is basically
up the creek without a bridge.
Betty Curnutt, 71, was in
her home on South Main Street
Sunday when she heard what
sounded like a rifle shot. That
was followed by what Betty
describes as a "groan." No, it
wasn't neighborhood violence.
The bridge that provides the only
access to her home had given
way.
Curnutt called a local
police officer who, in tum spoke
to the Heppner City crew.
According to Curnutt, the officer
said that the city told him that it
was not a city bridge and it
wasn't their problem.
"1 have no access to my
property except for down into the
(creek) channel and then
climbing the bank on the other
side," said Curnutt. "They say I
can use the alley in the back, but
there aren't any steps and I
would have to climb a 20-30 foot
bank."
"Last year I had a heart
attack and 1 hurt my back," she
said. "Before, I bought Round-
Up and sprayed (the area around
the former city swimming pool).
After that I was unable to, but
now I've decided I'm not going to
do that anymore. They have a
policy if you don't keep your
yard up, they'll do it for you and
bill you. I think it should apply to
Doug Smith (right), Mulino, shows off the 6x6 elk he bagged bow hunting in the John Day area. With
Smith is his brother, Greg, Heppner.
School district shows small student growth; most schools decrease
The Morrow County
School Board, at their September
10 regular meeting, heard a
school attendance report that
indicates an increase of 23
students county-wide.
As of September 10,
there were 2278 students
attending
Morrow
County
schools, including alternative
schools, compared to 2255
students on September 11 of last
year.
S am
Boardman
Elementary School (kindergarten
through fifth grade) in Boardman
showed the most growth, an
increase of 25 students from last
year. SBE had 476 students on
September
10 this
year,
compared to 451 last year. A.C.
Houghton Elementary School
(K-five) in Irrigon increased 13
students over last year, with 409
students this year, compared to
396 last year.
All other schools showed
decreases. Heppner Elementary
School (K-six) lost the most
students with 16. HES went from
226 last year to 210 this year.
Heppner High School (seven-12)
and Riverside High School (nine-
12) in Boardman were not far
behind with a 15-student loss
each. HHS went from 207 last
year to 192 this year, only seven
students away from a 1A
classification, according to
Principal Dick Allen. RHS went
from 452 to 437.
Columbia Middle School
(six-eight) in Irrigon lost four
students, from 367 to 363, and
lone Schools (K-12) lost three,
from 156 to 153.
Superintendent Bruce
Anderson said that the growth in
the north end is compounded by
the large number of English-as-a-
second-language students.
Thirty-eight alternative
students were added to the total
report. Last year alternative ed
students were included in the
individual school reports.
Two
parents
with
Heppner Elementary School
students spoke to the board
concerning the loss of a
kindergarten teacher at HES prior
to the first day of school. A
teacher was transferred from
HES to SBE because of declining
student population at HES and an
increasing student population at
SBE. The transfer left HES with
23 students to one teacher and
SBE with 88 students to five
teachers (approximately 1-16).
In other business, the
board:
-heard a request from
Diane Kilkenny to clarify the
school
construction
bond
measure title as to whether a
proposal to locate the new gym
in Heppner at the high school
rather than at the elementary
school and to leave the old gym
at the middle school standing
would be allowed under law. The
board declined to take a stand on
the issue, saying the Heppner
community must decide.
-heard a curriculum
report from Heppner High
School teacher Lea Mathieu on
an advanced placement language
arts course at HHS;
-heard a report from
Superintendent Bruce Anderson
on the status of small school
funding. The district, which took
the initiative in organizing a
consortium of small schools for
lobbying the state legislature,
received a $50,000 grant, which
would fund approximately one
additional teacher for the district.
Anderson declined to say where
an additional teacher would be
placed. Only Heppner High
School and lone fall into the
small school category. Anderson
reported that some district's plan
to challenge increases in small
school funding.
-heard a report on
student testing results from
Assistant Superintendent Mike
Keown, which generally shows a
gradual increase in student test
scores.
-heard a report from
Anderson on the school bond
account activity.
-awarded bids to low
bidder for the RHS football field
lights; for electrical upgrades at
schools; and for a walk-in freezer
at SBE.
-employed the NW
Leadership
Associates
as
consultant for the superintendent
search. Anderson had previously
indicated that he plans to retire in
2002 .
-approvedsupenntendent
goals for 2001-02 to improve
student performance, community
relations and finance.
-appointed
John
Rietmann and Pat McNamee to
the board's licensed bargaining
team.
-accepted resignations/
retirement for: Kevin Toms, RHS
head custodian; Maya Phipps,
CMS educational assistant;
Becky Evans, HHS special ed
assistant; Kelley Ellis, SBE
office assistant/food service
clerical
assistant;
Adam
Eldridge, CMS assistant football
coach; Gary Hunt, lone Schools
Talented and Gifted Program
coordinator;
George Riedel,
CMS assistant football coach;
Karen Beck, Heppner Junior
High School math teacher,
effective November 1. (She will
finish the 2001-02 year with an
interim agreement.)
-approved employment
for: Patricia Rill, HES ed
assistant, replacing Pam Piper;
Paul Beagle, CMS science
teacher, replacing Sally Walker;
Hilda Velazquez, SBE ESL
assistant; Becky Seewer, ACH
Title I ed assistant, replacing
Amanda
Gnbble;
Shauna
Holwegner, ACH one-on-one
special ed assistant; Renee
Couchman, CMS part-time
assistant cook replacing Jean
Neufeld; Tom Taylor, CMS
assistant custodian, replacing
Richard Smith; Anne Bedortha,
HHS special ed assistant,
replacing Janice Huddleston;
Kathi Dickenson, HHS one-on-
one special
ed assistant,
replacing Tiffame Greenup;
Renee Yocom, HHS part-time
one-on-one special ed assistant,
continued page 2
manager. "I'm trying to find out
them too. If they've got money to if there's someone to put some
build a $1 million city hall, steps in. Her daughter was
they've got money to build a concerned about how she was
bridge."
going to get out. Looking the
Curnutt said that her situation over, our emergency
home is located on the only personnel says that they won't
property in the county that has no have a problem getting her out,
access. "I'm worried about the fire department would be able
getting oil delivered," said to access her property and the
Curnutt. "And there's not access police would be able to get
for fire or ambulance." Cumutt's there." Representatives from all
daughter,
Karen
Cumutt- those agencies have visited the
McMurry
who
lives
in property, along with Oregon
Beaverton, is plenty worried, too. State Representative Greg Smith,
and upset over the city's Heppner.
response.
"The bridge just wasn't
Cumutt's property has a maintained," added Breazeale. "It
history of floods and washed out fell from old age. The neighbors
bridges. According to Curnutt, put it in and quit using it. They
the area was flooded in 1969 and have access from the back."
then again in 1971. She says that
Breazeale
told
the
prior to 1971 the creek channel in Gazette Tuesday that he didn't
front of her home was 12-20 feet have any idea how much it would
wide and a city sidewalk existed cost to build a bridge, adding that
which allowed access. After the it depended on the size of the
1971 flood, Curnutt says the bridge and materials used.
Corps of Engineers dug the
Curnutt said that she was
channel out to more than 60 feet told by her insurance agent that
wide and 20-40 feet deep. The the bridge would not be covered
city sidewalk, which allowed unless it was mentioned
Curnutt to walk out of her specifically in the policy and
property was mostly washed even then, it would be only
away. In late 1971 or early 1972, covered for fire.
she says that the Red Cross came
Breazeale says that he
in and built a bridge to believes Curnutt could have
accommodate Cumutt's and her access in the front of her
next-door neighbor's property. property from limited frontage to
That bridge went bad in the early Main Street if steps were
1980s and then Cumutt's installed. Curnutt maintains that
neighbor built the current bridge access is on to the sidewalk that
around 1989-90.
had been previously washed out
"As far as I can tell, it's and is badly deteriorated with a
totally their responsibility," said section of it hanging.
Jerry Breazeale, Heppner City
For now there is no easy
answer to the situation.
United we stand
A line of flags down Heppner's Main Street this week shows
solidarity and sympathy for the victims of the September 11 attack on
the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in
Washington, D.C.
LAST CHANCE FOR THE
DANNER BOOT SALE!
Sale ends this weekend, September 22.
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
t - lam
mn MT «W « • it **w meg mi