TWO -
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 19, 2001
The Official Newspaper
o f the City o f Heppner and the County of Morrow
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unsigned letters. Please include your address and phone number on a ll letters for use by
theG -Tolfice The G-T reserves the right to edit. The G-T is not responsible for accuracy
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H eppner
G AZETTE-TIM ES
U S P S. 240-420
Dutch people send support, prayers
M o rro w C o u n ty ’s H o m e -O w n e d W e e k ly N e w s p a p e r
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where
David S y k e s....................................................................................................................... Publisher
April H ilton-S ykes................................................................................................................ Editor
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school board
continued from page 1
replacing Ellen Kollis; Noe
Melendez, CMS ed assistant,
replacing Maya Phipps.
-approved
transfers/
promotions
for:
Janice
Huddleston,
from part-time
special ed assistant/part-time
food service clerical to HHS full
time
special
ed assistant,
replacing Becky Evans; Ellen
Rollis, from part-time special ed
one-on-one assistant to general
ed assistant/food service clerical,
replacing Robin Jones; Robin
Jones, from ed assistant/food
service clerical to HES general
ed assistant, replacing Angie
Hanson; Adam Eldndge, from
CMS assistant football coach to
RHS assistant volleyball coach;
Sylvia Barrera, from full-time
ESL assistant to SBE office
assistant/food service clerical,
replacing Kelley Ellis.
-approved extra duty
contracts for: Mike Wetherell,
RHS *
half-time
DART
coordinator; G.Ann Thomas,
RHS
newspaper
advisor;
Virginia Grant, HHS rally
advisor; Becky Kindle, HHS
assistant volleyball coach; Judy
Daniels,
CMS
assistant
volleyball coach.
-approved an attendance
variance for two Hermiston
School District students to attend
full-day kindergarten at ACH;
and one student to finish school
at Hermiston High School.
-approved donations of
school supplies to SBE from
LaVem and Jack Bozarth from
the C&D Drive Inn; and from
Umatilla Electric Cooperative.
-approved an interim
agreement for Karen Beck to
teach math at Heppner Junior
High School from November 1
through June 10.
-heard the following
announcements: September 24-
board work session, CMS library,
5 p.m.; next board meeting-
October 8, RHS, 7:30 p.m
We a r e n o w a p h a r m a c y p ro v id er for
L ife w ise (P a id ) P r e s c r ip tio n s
anti arc currently providers for
ODS • E xpress S cripts (certain group
P acific S o u rce • Blue C ross
Les S ch w ab • SAIF
Family Care • OHP Open Card
#s)
Pharmacy Hours:
9 a .m .-6 p.m. M o n-Fri (closed I -2 p.m. for lunch)
9 a . m . - l p.m. Saturday
^
M umuj ' j
D juuj
Fast, Friendly, Hometown Service
Daughter upset by predicament
Letters to the Editor
217 North Main
Heppner • 676-9158
Serving Morrow County
Since 1959
C R O P IN SU R A N C E
M E E T IN G
W ednesday, Septem ber 26
7 p.m. at the lon e G range Hall
UPDATE ON
CROP INSURANCE FOR 2002
Pie and Coffee will be served
WHÍWLW1D
INSURANCE CENTER, INC
Meeting sponsored by Wheatland Insurance, lone
To the Editor:
(Editor's note: This is a e-mail
from a friend of Mark and Elaine
Miller of Heppner who lives in The
Netherlands and is a police officer.)
Dear Mark and Elaine,
All the way from the Netherlands
we just want to let you know that
our feelings and prayers are with
you and your country dunng these
very difficult times. We were deeply
shocked when we saw what
happened in New York and
Washington. I believe we can trust
upon God who will help the leaders
of your country to make the right
decisions when they have to react
on this senseless acts.
We hope that the Netherlands,
although a very small country, will
give all the help and support your
countiy needs. We already held three
minutes of silence throughout Europe
and I was glad to see that lots o f
Dutch people spontaneously went
to the airport to help the Amencans
who could not fly home. Lots of them
found a place to stay in a Dutch
home.
When I see the images of New
York and the people standing
together, I sometimes think that this
disaster, although terrible, brings
the people closer to each other and
helps them to find what real life
means. Standing together and trust
that God will always be there.
Greetings,
Bram, Lyann and Helene
Words can’t express
To the Editor:
When I first heard what happened
at the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon, I felt a distance to what
had happened. I saw footage of the
plane crashes several times during
the course of the day, but the realness
never seemed to sink in, I never felt
a true sorrow for what had happened.
Maybe it is because when we watch
television we are accustomed to
fiction, and when something this
extreme happens, something that
would seem so far fetched, even in
a movie, can be hard to comprehend.
This has affected everyone in
America.
Whether they are
infuriated or overcome by sorrow,
or simply distant, it has made an
impact in all our lives. For a few
days afterward, I tried to forget what
I had heard, what had happened,
but in the days that have passed, I
have found myself turning back to
the news, unable to ignore it
anymore.
The noble acts of heroism have
been so profound, I find m yself
feeling guilty for my selfish
ignorance, for thinking that I am
not a part of this. When I saw the
footage of the firefighters, policemen
and everyone else that is involved,
even the people that lined up for
blocks' to give blood, doing
everything they can to help, it makes
me think o f how great our nation
really is. How in a time of such crisis,
people-with ill regard for their own
safety-will jump to the grisly task
to aid the lives of others. The stories
of the people that came to aid the
victims who were trapped, and those
who died trying, are more moving
then anything else I have ever heard
o f or seen.
Those who committed this terrible
act did it for reasons I cannot
comprehend. The blatant disregard
for human life they have shown, the
illogical cruelty that they have set
upon us, makes me feel no sadness
for what retaliation they will receive.
In a rural community like this,
I feel safe, but sometimes we can
let that safety cloud the harsh truth,
or make it appear fictional. I urge
everyone to do what ever you can
to help, whether it is the donation
of blood or a simple prayer; it will
pull our great nation together. I wrote
this to try and express the way I feel
about this catastrophe, but sadly I
think my words don't begin to
encompass the thoughts going
through my head.
(s) Billy Ross
lone
Son of Heppner
resident receives
call to active duty
FLY program
offered for
county’s youth
To the Editor:
To the community o f
Heppner:
Sunday
afternoon,
September 16,1 received a phone
call from my mother. She was
calling to let me know that the
bridge that connects her to the
outside world had just collapsed.
Being the independent woman
she has always been, she
proceeded to tell me o f her plans
to make a better path down the
creek bank, across the channel
and start improving the one on
the other side. 1 know my mother
and I know she will get this done.
She hiked herself down,
across and up yesterday morning
to get to her car to go to city hall
to see what could be done about
the situation. The city manager
was out o f the office at the time
and the clerk backed away from
the counter, refusing to even look
at pictures my mother had with
her to provide evidence o f the
problem at hand. She had even
taken with her photos from years
before o f bridges that had been
destroyed by floods.
Now, as I do not live
close, I began making phone
calls
to
the
emergency
departments, to alert them of
mother's unique situation. Mr.
Mike Sweek o f the police
department was my first contact.
He assured me that he would call
the city maintenance crew and
alert them o f the situation and
then go check on Mom. This he
did, and was told by the city
employee taking his call that this
was "not the city's problem."
After he had been to check on
Mom, to reassure her that he
would be there if she needed
him, both professionally and
personally, my mother called me
again with the city's response.
Remember that this was, after all,
a Sunday afternoon, early
evening.
My next call was to Mr.
Rusty Estes, who is the fire chief,
and who was, at the time, also in
charge o f the emergency unit. In
between fire calls and an
ambulance call, he also went to
personally check on my mother,
the situation, and reassure her
that he would be available to
meet
her
needs,
both
professionally and personqjly.
Also on Sunday evening,
I left messages with city hall and
various
other
heads
of
community departments. Some
Heppner resident, Sherry
Morrow County youth 10 of those messages have yet to be
Ewing, has received word that to 18 years old are invited to a
returned.
her
son,
Mark
Bickham, new program, FLY (Friday Life -
Monday, I began another
Spokane, has been called into Youth), to be held on non-school
round
o
f calls. To the city
active duty in the aftermath o f Fridays from 1-5:30 p.m. at Sam
manager, who did go along with
the attack on the World Trade Boardman Elementary School.
the acting police chief to meet
Center and the Pentagon.
The program will include with my mother and assess the
Bickham, 31, previously an open gym, basketball, drawing
damage. His proposal was that
on active duty with the Navy, is a and painting classes, kick boxing,
Mom would request that her
member o f the reserves. He is dance and drill team. Snacks will
neighbors find other ways of
married and has three children, be provided.
parking so she could park across
three, eight and nine, and is
Students
in
south
employed with the U.S. Postal Morrow County who wish to
Service in Spokane.
attend may catch the bus at
While on active duty he Heppner Elementary at 11:30
helped direct aircraft on ships. In a.m. or at the school district
the reserves he works in building in Lexington at 11:45
surveillance.
a.m. A bus will also be available
The
condition
of
According to Ewing, in Irrigon at Columbia Middle
Callahan
Crossley,
seven-year-
Bickham believes he will be School at 12:35 p.m.
old daughter o f Shane and
stationed somewhere in the
The program is free.
Maureen (Healy) Crossley of
Pacific Northwest, but does not
Students who wish to
Hermiston, has improved and she
expect to find out until later in attend may
call program
has been discharged from the
the week.
organizer Jesus Rome, 541-481- hospital.
2911.
The little girl was
The
program
is
We Make POSTERS
diagnosed with an E. coli
Heppner Gazette-Times sponsored by the Morrow County infection and was admitted to
Commission on Children and Doembecher Children’s Hospital
Families,
Morrow
County in Portland on September 9. She
Juvenile Department, Morrow had previously been listed in
County Behavioral Health and critical condition and had
the Morrow County School received kidney dialysis and
District.
blood transfusions.
Condition of girl
stricken with E.
coli improves
GRAND OPENING
Friday, September 28
at two of Heppner's newest businesses:
I
TEEN
HOMECOMING
DINNER
COLUMBIA BASIN ESCROW, L.L.C.
Friday, September 21st
and
Steak & Prawns
Complimentary Sparkling Cider
and Carnation
for couples $12.95 (each)
COPPOCK SURVEYING
Located at 315 NE Chase Street, Heppner
Join us for refreshments all day!
Reservations Appreciated
£ofin*5 Of Aar Place
Main Street, Jjeppner • 6 76-50 / 7
the bridge at the south end of
Main St. and climb down into her
yard from that point. The area
that he referred to is an old piece
o f walkway left from the last
flood and is badly eroded
underneath. My mother started a
flower garden there years ago to
keep kids in the neighborhood
from going over the edge with
bicycles and such.
I made a call, as well, to
State Representative Mr. Greg
Smith to find other resources if
possible, and was given names of
persons he thought might be able
to help. Neither o f them have
responded to my messages as of
this time. Today is Tuesday,
September 18. However, Greg
was at my mother's door less
than 10 minutes from the time
that I called to see what he might
do from his perspective and to
reassure mother that he was there
if needed.
My mother received a
call from the city manager this
morning wanting to know, "What
the purpose was in stirring the
whole community up?" over a
matter that he thought had been
quite
nicely
resolved
to
everyone’s satisfaction. And I am
quite sure he truly thought the
matter was resolved.
Mother's situation is, and
has been so unique, due to the
location o f her property, that for
years she has had all county taxes
reduced because she is not
appropriately or adequately
accessible to county services.
Now, at 71, she has no
appropriate access to anything.
Not fire protection, not police
protection, and certainly not
medical access. Nor does she
have adequate garbage service.
She was told at city hall
yesterday that the fire hoses
would reach if they had to and
how the ambulance crew got in
was their problem.
I am issuing a plea to all
whom know my mother, Betty
Cumutt, to stand beside her,
while I cannot, and fight for her
on this one. She may think she
can climb down, across and up
on a daily basis to get to town for
groceries, mail and medications,
to doctor's appointments. And,
knowing her as I do, she will try
to do just that. I also issue just a
small challenge to any o f you
who might not think this is not a
big deal. Take just a moment and
try going down, across and up to
see things as they really are. And,
until
there
is appropriate
resolution o f this matter, I ask
that all o f you who know her and
love her for her strength and
independent way o f life, please
keep her safe for me.
(s)K aren
Cum utt-
McMurry, R.N.
Beaverton
School board
recall petitions
filed
Petitions to recall three
Morrow County School District
Board members were turned into
the Morrow County Clerk's
office by the September 12
deadline, according to Bobbi
Childers o f that office.
Childers
said
that
petitioners turned in 98 pages of
signatures at 4:45 p.m. that day.
The clerk's office has 10
days from the date the petitions
were filed to verify the signatures
on the petitions.
Board members named
in the recall effort were John
Rietmann, lone, Pat McNamee,
Im gon, and Gary Frederickson,
Boardman. The positions o f two
other board members, Bamey
Lindsay, Lexington, and Keith
Lewis, Heppner, were vacated by
the board following an inquiry
concerning their residency. The
board was prevented by law from
filling those two positions until
the residency issue is decided in
court.
That leaves only two
board members whose positions
are not in question, Julie Weikel,
Boardman, who is protected by
law from recall because she has
not been in office long enough,
and John Renfro, Lexington, who
recently took office.
Petitioners previously
indicated that they were not only
angered by the vacation o f the
two south Morrow County board
members' positions, but also by
the board's earlier decision to cut
teaching positions, especially
from the south county area, when
faced with a severe budget
shortfall.