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Lexington teen
injured in
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Lujeno, òli
9H02
Ashley Ropp, 19, o f
Lexington was seriously injured
in an automobile accident around
6 p.m. Sunday evening, October
14.
Ropp apparently lost
control o f the pickup she was
driving near Hale Farms on
Highway 207 and the vehicle
rolled numerous times.
Although the seat belt
held her in, the driver's side door
was com pletely ripped o ff and
Ropp suffered extensive injuries.
She was transported to Good
Shepherd Hospital in Hermiston
and then life-flighted to Emanuel
Hospital in Portland with her left
arm broken in several places, a
fractured femur, three fractured
vertebra, a cracked pelvis and a
concussion.
Ropp underwent surgery
early Monday morning to repair
her arm and femur and was
scheduled to undergo surgery to
place a "halo" to immobilize her
neck. She had additional surgery
on her arm Tuesday. She has not
lost m ovem ent or sensation as a
result o f the neck injuries and is
alert. She is expected to remain
in the hospital for several weeks.
People may write to
Ropp in care o f Legacy Emanuel,
2801 N. Gantenbem, Portland,
OR 97220. She is expected to be
moved out o f intensive care
shortly.
Columbia Basin
dinner Nov. 1
Library, city hall survey delayed
Heppner city officials have
decided to delay a proposed survey
regarding a new library and city hall
until after more public meetings are
held on the subject.
Through a grant from the Oregon
Economic
and
Community
Development Department, Rural
Development Initiatives will be
employed to facilitate community
discussions on the subject This effort
is in response to questions that have •
been raised regarding a number of
subjects.
The city council says they want
to ensure that they have taken into
account all concerns that may be
raised as well as to better answer
questions and to present the facts.
A proposed new library and city
hall has been conceptualized at the
vacant lot on Main Street between
the Post Office and the Shoe Box
shoe store. This project grew from
the need o f the library to expand
beyond the confines o f the existing
building, according to a city news
release.
The Oregon Trail Libraiy District
had investigated all the existing
buildings in Heppner and found no
suitable location. The district then
approached the city o f Heppner with
the possibility o f building a new
structure to house both the library
and city hall. The city already owned
the land and costs could be reduced
if the two entities shared a facility.
The city council agreed to jointly
fund an architectural study into
building a structure that would house
both the library and a new city hall.
Boothby Architecture was
employed to prepare a conceptual
plan that would incorporate the needs
o f the library and the city into one
building on the Main Street site.
Through a senes o f meetings with
staff and officials o f both entities,
a vision of a two-story building began
to take shape. About this time, a
grant was obtained from the Oregon
Community Foundation to include
public involvem ent in the design
o f the building. Experts on energy,
histone facades and library functions
were brought in to discuss issues
and receive public comment. After
m eeting with the public, a more
defined plan emerged.
As proposed now, after including
comments from the public meeting,
a vision of a two-story building with
an histone looking facade has
emerged. "The library would be on
the first floor and readily available
to the public. The location would
be convenient next to the Post Office
and downtown shopping. Parents
could leave their children to read
at the library while they shopped
and seniors would not have to travel
far to access the library and city hall
while shopping downtown,"
according to the release. "Since the
building would be fully accessible,
persons with disabilities would be
able to utilize all the facilities."
City hall would be housed on the
second floor and accessible by
elevator or stairs. A bill paym ent
drop box would be available on the
ground floor for those wishing to
drop off payments. Accessible public
restrooms would be found on both
floors. A large community meeting
room would be included on the
second floor where city council and
other public m eetings could take
place. This room could also be used
for community functions, weddings
and other large events. Workshops
and classes could be held at the
facility, bringing much needed
outside revenue into the community.
Along with more public meeting
space, a more efficient work center
would ensure that public funds were
econom ically used, the release
maintained.
Because o f the ability o f the
library district to access grants from
private foundations and the stability
o f city funding, the joint facility
lone crowns homecoming court
appeared to officials to make sense.
"While the projected cost of $ 1.4
million seems high for such a small
community, when factoring in that
about $1 million o f that cost would
come from private sector grants, the
project looked all the more
attractive," the release said. "That
would be $1 million spent in our
community,
mostly
from
organizations outside the area." In
order to move the project forward,
the community would need to raise
$300,000 through a low interest loan
and obtain another $ 100,000 from
other sources such as local corporate
donations or grants. To date the
project has received grant
com m itm ents for $70,000.
City and library officials are
hopeful o f getting "good solid
information" out to local citizens,
so that they will have adequate
opportunity to make informed
decisions when they are asked to
vote.
Heppner City Council has
promised that it will not raise taxes
or fees to pay for the project without
a vote o f the people. In addition to
the public meetings proposed, the
library and city will attempt to
answer questions on the project in
the newspaper. Questions regarding
the proposed project may be
submitted to Heppner City Hall. 188
W. W illow Street, P.O. Box 756.
Inquiries received will be answered
in the Heppner Gazette- Times
newspaper over the next few weeks.
St. Pat’s
meeting set
A St. Patrick's Celebration
meeting will be held Tuesday, Oct.
22, at 6:15 p.m. at GD's Restaurant
in Heppner.
Participants will preview the
schedule for 2002 which will soon
go to pnnt. Organizations that wish
to be included in the schedule should
respond right away.
The annual dinner m eeting o f
the Colum bia Basin Electric
Cooperative, Inc., is planned for
Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Morrow
County Fairgrounds in Heppner.
Registration starts at 5 p.m. with
dinner served at 6 p.m.
The annual meeting and elecnon
o f directors for zones 2, 5, 6 and
8 will follow the dinner.
"Entertainment and fun for the
whole family is in store for the
evening," said a CBEC news release.
Multiple door prizes will be awarded
and results of the annual fourth grade
electrical safety poster contest will
be announced with winning posters
on display.
Columbia Basin
to conduct testing
Columbia Basin Electric Co-op
and their subcontractors will be
conducting their annual pole testing
operation throughout parts o f the
service territory during the next three
weeks.
Periodic testing o f poles is
required by REA and RUS, and helps
reduce failure rates and power
outages, according to a CBEC news
release.
Crews visually inspect each pole
unit for damage and bore a test hole
in the pole to inspect for soundness.
All poles in the service territory are
inspected on a 10-year rotation basis.
A.ny comments, concerns or
questions about the inspection crews
or program may be made to Slater
M itchell
at
676-9146
or
cbecsdm @ oregonvos.net.
Heppner chamber
attend program
Heppner Chamber of Commerce
members Larry Mills, Ed Baker,
Robert and Sharon Hamson, Darrel
Raver, Claudia Hughes, Wilbur and
Dorothy Jackson, Tim Van Cleave,
and Archie and Jeanette Padberg
attended a Hermiston Chamber
luncheon on Oct. 16 to hear the
Oregon Water Coalition program
presented by citizens from Klamath
Falls. The group then toured
Colum bia River Processing and
watched a video o f the dairy
operation.
The video from the Oregon Water
Coalition will be shared with the
Heppner Cham ber o f Commerce
at a later date.
New lone teacher brings two
teacher of year awards
Linda Neiffer
The only new teacher at
lone Schools this year comes to
the school complete with teacher
o f the year awards—two o f them.
Linda Neiffer, who is not new to
M orrow County, but is new to
lone Schools as a combined
second and third grade teacher,
was the recipient o f the 2000
Boardman teacher o f the year
award and the 2001 Wal-Mart
teacher o f the year award.
Neiffer received those
honors in part for the work she
did with a young Boardman
student who sadly passed away.
Neiffer worked to set up
a video communication system
between her first grade class and
Doembecher Children's Hospital
where SBE first grader Juan
Cam pos was hospitalized with
cancer.
"We had a camera set up
so he could see us and we could
see him," said Neiffer. "The class
read him stories, talked to him
and showed him different
projects they had done."
N eiffer said that Juan
was able to spend his last few’
days in the classroom. Her class
and the students in the class next
door, who also becam e close to
Juan, planted a flowering pear
tree at the school in his memory.
"It was a hard
experience. It was hard on all o f
us, but it was really rewarding
because Juan was a really special
guy. He was always smiling. It
think it really helped him feel
like a part o f the class. He was
able to visit with friends. That
class will always be special to
me because o f it."
Neiffer said she was also
able to travel to the Ronald
M cDonald House in Portland to
deliver items donated by the staff
at Sam Boardman Elementary.
"It was really sobering," said
Neiffer. "We just think how
lucky we are to have healthy
kids."
Neiffer and her husband,
Duane, also a teacher at lone,
have three children, Jacob, a
sophomore at Oregon State
University at Corvallis, Adam, a
senior at lone High School, and
Paul, a sophomore at IHS.
Neiffer, 43, is originally
from Edina, Minnesota. She
graduated from Edina High
School
and
attended
the
University
of
Minnesota,
receiving an associate's degree in
natural resources and forestry. In
1979 she was hired by the U.S.
Forest Service in the Heppner
Ranger District and came out
West. She worked on the timber
crew, fought fires and manned
the Madison Butte Lookout
Station for several years. She
also met her husband, who was
also working for the Forest
Service. They were married in
1980 in Minnesota.
In 1986 they moved to
Summerville, near Imbler and
LaGrande, where she returned to
school and obtained her teaching
degree. She received a bachelor
o f science degree in elementary
education at Eastern Oregon
University in LaGrande in 1989.
In August o f that year she was
hired
at
Sam
Boardman
Elementary. At SBE she taught
first grade and first and second-
grade combined and was also a
reading specialist.
Her husband taught
science, chemistry and physics at
Heppner High School for 14
years. During that time they lived
in the city o f Heppner and out on
Rhea Creek. Duane Neiffer also
taught special education in
Hermiston for two years and has
been teaching science at lone
High School for four years.
The family also runs
cows and has a farm in
Boardman as well as one in lone.
They keep the cows in Boardman
in the summer and bring them to
their lone place in the winter.
Neiffer enjoys reading,
camping and spending time with
her family.
"It's nice to be back in
the south end o f the county," says
Neiffer.
Chamber litter pickup effective
The Heppner Cham ber o f
C om m erce has com pleted a
"successful year" o f highway litter
pick-up work.
Last W ednesday, Chamber
volunteers, students and staff from
Heppner High and a representative
from the Morrow County employees
union did a thorough pick-up job
on the state highways through town
and on the entries to town.
"Hopefully, the Halloween tnck
or treaters will put their candy
wrappers in trash receptacles later
this month and help to keep our town
looking good," said a spokesperson.
"Many visitors to the community
comment on how "neat" the town
looks to them O f course, this does
not happen by itself. It takes the
concerted effort o f the residents and
businesses along the state highway
routes,
several
cooperating
organizations and individuals who
value the Heppner community and
its good appearance," said the
spokesperson
The next scheduled and organized
litter pick-up activity will be in early
March in preparation for the annual
St. Patrick's Celebration.
Chamber o f Commerce/Oregon
Department ofTransportation Adopt-
a-Highway Litter Pick-up Program
coordinator John Edmundson said,
"Hats off to everyone who helps to
keep Heppnefs highways and streets
litter free and looking good "
Legion Auxiliary plans meeting
The American legion Auxiliary
will meet Monday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m.
at the United Methodist Church
basement.
The Heppner Auxiliary has
reached their goal in membership
District Six President Rita Hedman
reported that District Six is first in
the state in membership She plans
to attend a DEC meeting at Reedsport
on Oct. 20.
flnipro" AMIPRO LIQUID CATTLE SUPPLEMENTS
and
photo by Debbie Redie
The lone High School homecoming court was crowned at the football game Friday night, October 12,
versus Echo. The IHS football team beat Echo, 38-0. Salli McElligott was crowned queen and Adam
McCabe was crowned king. Court members are (left to right): Senior Queen Salli McElligott, Senior
Prince Adam Neiffer, Senior Princess Rhonda Wilhelm, Senior King Adam McCabe, Senior Princess
Amellia Peck. Senior Prince Derek Campbell; Junior Princess Jamie VandenBrink, Junior Prince Brian
Gutierrez, Sophomore Princess Brittanny Day, Sophomore Prince Billy Ross; Freshman Princess Katie
Hams and Freshman Prince Tyler Raible; front-crown bearers, Julianne Carlson and Austin Gutierrez.
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