County commissioners hear investment proposal
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VO L 120_______ NO 48
8 Pages
M J 3
Wednesday, November28,2001
MorrowCounty, Heppner, Oregon
By Doris Brosnan
Representatives o f McGee
Financial and county budget officer,
Lisanne Currin, presented an
investment proposal for the county
retirement plan at the Morrow
County Commissioners meeting on
Nov. 14.
Cumn explained that the pension
attorney for the county recommends
that an investment manager be
responsible for managing the equity
portion o f the retirement fund, not
the county commissioners. Such a
shift in fiduciary responsibility would
change the role o f the McGee
investment advisors from broker
to investor/broker and would increase
the cost of the contract. Currin
I urthcr explained that the court would
continue to hold the legal obligation
of authorization on the movement
of money.
Discussion continued on the
details of such a plan's setup and
operation, the drawing up of a
contract and some proposed
investments. The court approved
the recommended transactions.
McGee Financial will hold a group
employee meeting, probably in
January.
Also at that meeting, Children
and Families director Barbara Flayes
described the new "Healthy Start"
program, for which funding was
anticipated and included in the
department budget. The court agreed
to sign a letter of intent but also
agreed to further study the details
of the program.
Judge Terry Tallman reported
that the fiscal administrative arm
of the Legislative Emergency Board
is recommending that Morrow
County not get one million dollars
lone hosts exchange students from England, Argentina
Ashley Roberts
lone
High
School
exchange student Ashley Roberts
is the type o f kid who would
succeed just about anywhere he
chose to live, but lucky for us, he
has a "thing" about America.
"Ever since I was young
I had this thing about America. I
wanted to go to school in
America," said Ashley, 16, who
hails
from South Hampton,
England, known as the port the
Titanic set sail from."I love my
home,” said Ashley,
"but
America fascinates me. I just
wanted to experience it."
Ashley, who looks very
much like an "all-American
boy," is not only enamored with
America, but the American sport
o f basketball. He was the only
kid in his school who played
basketball. He learned to play it
well, so well, in fact, that he was
selected to play in the English
National League. He played for
his country when he was 15, but
discovered that he missed too
much school.
Ashley says he never got
into soccer, which is one of
England's national pastimes. "I
looked for another sport," said
Ashley. "I don't know how I got
into basketball, because no one
ever played it."
He
started
playing
basketball when he was seven
years old and later played for the
Thames Valley Tigers, a London
team, and was named their most
valuable player. He was also
named captain of the Hampshire
Schools area team, which would
be like a district team here. The
England national squad was
selected from the area teams.
Sports teams in England
are not connected to schools as
they are in the U.S There, sports
are a year-round activity through
various clubs and most athletes
stick with one sport.
Since he started school
in lone, Ashley has tried his hand
at football for the very first time
and did pretty well for never
having played before. By the end
of the year, he had improved to
the point where he played
starting offense and defense.
Ashley had his first taste
of American life when he
traveled to Indiana on a
basketball tour. His team was
hosted by families of students in
a 2A school. "I liked the
community where everyone was
close and everyone was proud to
go to the school, " said Ashley. "I
liked the whole idea of everyone
being close."
Obviously, when he
came to lone, known for its
close-knit community, staunch
supporters of its schools and
athletic teams, he came to the
right place.
He says that in England,
there aren't any public schools
that have fewer than 200 people.
There, he says, because of the
large size of the schools, most
people don't hang out with kids
outside their school class.
Also, in England, Ashley
says, "You don't ever really get
out of the city." England is as big
as Oregon, he says, but they have
15 million people, compared to
Oregon, which has around three
and a half million.
Ashley says that while he
was a little shocked at the size
and remoteness o f lone, it
"wasn't a problem." "You can
find something to do anywhere,"
he says. "It's up to you. You can
make your own fun."
People are a lot more
friendly here,"
he added.
"Everyone knows everyone else.
People make the effort and
support the community. People
go out of their way to make
people feel welcome."
Driving long distances
doesn't seem to bother him
either, but the roads are another
matter. "They look dangerous to
me," says Ashley, who adds that
the roads are very well
maintained in England. People
in England don't drive as much
as they do in the U.S., he says
partly because of the distances
involved here, and partly because
of the high cost o f "petrol" in the
UK.
A junior at lone High
School. Ashley lives with his
host parents, Dave and Debbie
Radie and their son, Mike, 16,
also a junior at IHS. "I get along
great with my family," he says.
"Mike and I are like friends We
have a lot of fun. I like Dave and
Debbie, too. It's a real good
family."
Back home in England,
Ashley lives with his dad, Kevin,
a graphic designer who produces
magazines, mom, Kan. a special
education
teacher.
brother
Samuel, 12, and sister Caitlyn.
10.
Ashley says that since he
has been in the U.S. awhile, his
friends in England tell him he
speaks with an American accent.
He says that he hasn't had any
tro u b le
u n d e rs ta n d in g
Americans, partly because he had
American coaches, but says
sometimes Americans have a
little
more
difficulty
understanding him. In England,
he says, people speak faster and
use a lot o f abbreviations. Here
he has learned to speak more
slowly and pronounce words
more carefully.
While Ashley is in
America, he is actually missing
his first year o f college, since
students in England finish high
school earlier than they do in the
U.S. He is not yet sure about his
college plans, but they may even
entail a return trip to the U.S. As
to the future, Ashley is thinking
perhaps a career in real estate.
jWRkx-, y<'
Macarena Esposito
There's no other way to
describe Macarena Esposito, lone
High School's exchange student
from Argentina, but in a very
American way-petite and perky.
Macarena the tiny 16-
year-old native of Argentina, is
spending this school year with
the Joe and Anita Orem family of
lone. The Orem family includes
Marc, 22, Caitlin, 16 and Zac,
eight, son. Eric, 27, who also
lives in lone, and daughter,
Heidi, who lives in Metolius.
Macarena says that she
has acquired "a lot o f moms” in
her new home. "I like the people
a lot I like the sports and I love
my teachers, but the place is a
little boring." says Macarena.
who is used to a much larger
city.
Macarena comes from
San Martin, a city o f around
200,000
in
mid-western
Argentina, where she lives with
her father, Aldo, a doctor, her
mother, Monica, a teacher, and
her sister. Carolina, 17. Her
brother. Gonzalo, 20, attends
school at a university.
Speaking
a
mile-a-
minute in English. Macarena has
a list o f "loves" a mile long. She
says she likes to read and loves
horses, but doesn't jump like she
used to before she fell off her
horse and
couldn't move
temporarily. "I love economics,"
she adds. "I have a very good
teacher. I love my teacher. I TA
kindergarten and 1 love them and
they love me. Sometimes I go (to
the kindergarten class) and they
miss me and they hug me."
Macarena
also loves
traveling and says that she and
her dad will often take off for the
weekend to the seashore, which
is around four hours away, to
another state in Argentina or to
another country. "When we have
long weekends," she says, "my
dad says, 'Let's go to Chile.’"
Macarena has been to the U.S.
before, traveling to Disneyworld
in Florida.
This year at lone,
Macarena tried her hand at
volleyball, which she had played
a little in Argentina, and also
plans to go out for basketball. "I
don't know anything about the
rules in basketball," admits
Macarena, "but I do my best."
In Argentina students
play sports in school, but don't
compete against teams from
other schools.
Macarena says that in
Argentina they don't play
baseball, American football and
not much basketball, but instead
play "futbol", what we in
America call soccer. "Soccer is
the thing," says Macarena.
"Everyone has a team. Argentina
is always winning. They are
pretty good-all South America
is."
Since her arrival in
America, however, Macarena has
traveled with the volleyball team
and attended almost all the lone
football games, both home and
away. "I love football," she says,
laughing. "I love my boys."
Macarena, who has
Spanish and Italian ancestry, says
that Italian food is her favorite,
especially spaghetti, pizza and
macaroni and cheese. "My dad is
a doctor,"she says, "so we don’t
eat eggs and don't use so much
salt” as American families. "We
eat meat," she adds. "We have
very good meat."
Macarena says that
students in Argentina "always
have"
math,
literature,
Continued page 2
from the state's sale o f the north-
county property to Offutt. The
commissioners noted that on the
previous day. Representative Mark
Simmons had assured them that the
funding was perfunctory and would
pass without a problem. The
commissioners agreed that Tallman
should attend the hearing scheduled
for the following day and that they
should call the governor's office and
Representative Greg Smith.
At the November 21 meeting.
Morrow
County
School
Superintendent Bruce Anderson,
board member Gary Fredenckson.
and planning director Tamra Mabbott
discussed with the commissioners
the development of First Street in
Imgon for the proposed new high
school. The court and Mabbott
reaffirmed the policy explained to
the school district in 1999, included
as a condition of their land-use
approval by the planning
commission, which requires all
developers to build required roads
as part of their developments.
Mabbott also discussed with the
court the proposed notice to
surrounding-property owners for
pending land-use changes in
industrial zones and space-age zones.
County building inspector Brett
Cook reported to the court that Offutt
has appealed the county's required
building permit for the dairies.
The court discussed with
economic development specialist
Martin Davis the one million dollars
meant for Morrow County from the
land sale to Offutt but not provided
for by the emergency board.
The Court heard, from an Imgon
Fire Hall representative, about the
improvements planned for the hall
with the tippage fees awarded the
project.
Public works director Burke
O'Brien reported the Valby Road
project as ongoing, the fence building
at Cutsforth Park completed, and
the fence along Forest Sen ice 1 me
50 percent complete
The crew has been grading I loltz
Lane, Gus Road, Kinkade Lane,
Palmateer Road, Cecil Road. Ely
Canyon. Baker Lane. Stock Drive,
Fuller Canyon, Hale Ridge Road.
Buttermilk C anyon, Blackhorse and
French Road. They have burned
weeds on Gus Road and Brenner
Canyon. They are burning brush
piles at Cutsforth Park. A citizen
has offered to donate a steel gate
and labor to install it at the mam
entrance to Cutsforth.
O'Brien reported that HB2042
should mean close to one million
dollars to the county, enough to do
the Brenner Canyon and the Juniper
Canyon projects. He noted the hard
work the staflhad put in on getting
the funding.
Other actions of the court:
- approval of the contract betw een
Morrow County and the Morrow
County Commission on Children
and Families;
- approval o f a permit to
Century Tel for new cable on
Gooseberry, a permit to Morrow
Development Corporation for fiber
optics from Olsen Road to Rippee;
- approval of the motor oil and
lubricants bids, the diesel and
gasoline bid and the antifreeze bid
from Devin Oil;
- approval of Carol Michael as
coordinator of a S7500 grant received
for the Columbia River Heritage
Trail;
- approval of a desk and a fax
machine for the behavioral health
department;
- approval of S3500 from the
general fund ending balance to fund
the rest of the veterans' budget.
Farm Fair upcoming
The 28th Annual Hermiston Farm
Fair will be held at the Hermiston
Community Center, Wednesday-
Fnday, November 28-30.
Farm Fair is an agricultural forum
co-sponsored by Oregon State
University Extension Service, local
agri-businesses, and the Ag
Committee of the Greater Hermiston
Chamber o f Commerce.
rhe program on Wednesday will
include a potato production seminar
all day on the main stage. Running
concurrently in the North Conference
Room, a livestock seminar will be
held in the morning and a forage
seminar in the afternoon.
The ag issues forum on the mam
stage Thursday morning will be titled
"Sources of Help with Rules and
Regulations Affecting Umatilla River
Landowners." In the North
Conference Room, talks will be held
about grass seed issues. The onion
seminar will be held Thursday
afternoon on the main stage.
On Thursday from 1-2:30 p.m.
m the Altrusa Room a seminar will
be held on motor management.
A general session Friday morning
will cover other miscellaneous crop
and pest issues.
All sessions are free w ith no pre­
registration required. Pesticide
recertification credits and 31 CCA
credits have been applied for and
are pending, llie "Core" pesticide
program video will be offered
Thursday and Friday mornings from
8 a.m. to noon. In order to earn the
credits offered for attending any
accredited presentation it will be
necessary to be present the entire
time.
Various agriculture-related
businesses will display their wares
and services in a trade show with
booths inside and outside the
Community Center.
Hie Hermiston Farm Fair Banquet
will be held Thursday night at
Cottage Flowers Conference Center
in Hermiston with dinner catered
by Round-up City Catering. A no­
host social hour from 6-7 p.m. w ill
begin the evening. Dinner
entertainment will be provided by
Arthur Atsma. magician entertainer.
"The Farm Fair is a great
opportunity to grab a few credits
and visit with neighbors over
refreshments. Come treat yourself
to freshly prepared snack food items
courtesy of our local food processors.
Whether merchant, farmer or just
interested citizen, come on down
to the 28th Annual Hermiston Farm
Fair," said a news release.
Senior class seeks grocery receipts
The Heppner High School Class
o f 2002 has been actively raising
funds for the past three and a half
years for their senior trip after
graduation next May.
Their destination hasn't been
determined yet, but it will
alcohol/drug-free. outing with
chaperons.
A current fund raiser is
participation in the Central Market
Red Apple grocery receipt collection.
Through the program. ('entra! Market
pays the senior class one percent
of total receipts collected.
Anyone who would like to help
support the class may drop off their
Central Market receipts at the HHS
office, the Shoebox in Heppner or
at Morrow County Grain Growers
in Lexington.
For more information, call 1II IS
at 676-9138.
Register for BMCC winter term no>v
Students planning to attend
BMCC winter term 2002 now hav e
the opportunity to pre-register for
classes.
Preregistration is designed to
help students succeed in their
academic careers by making advising
available to all students, said a new s
release. Students have online access
to an up-to-date schedule of classes
on BMCC's web page at
www.bmcc.cc.or.us.
New freshmen and transfer
students who have applied for
admission will be sent information
about registration and orientation
New degree-seeking students w ill
register beginning Monday. Dec.
3, after meeting w ith an advisor and
participating in an orientation, either
online or in person. Students who
are non-degree seeking or taking
non-credit classes may register by
contacting the BMCC location
nearest them BMCC has centers
in Baker City, Boardman. I lermiston
and Milton-Frccwatcr
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