TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 30, 2002
The Official Newspaper
o f the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Heppner
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Parents need to re-think priorities
To the Editor:
The last SAT scores were recently released by the Morrow County
School District as follows:
Scholastic Aptitude Ta«t (SAT)
School Year (2000-2001)
S enior Results
Verbal
Math
National
State of Oroaou
‘ Morrow County
School District
Heppner High
506
526
493
514
526
499
479
486
lone High
495
494
Riverside High
SOS
519
Percent A
Number
Taking the
SAT
•NA-
55% (19306)
48.2% ( out
of 139)
60®/» (18 out
of 29)
61% (14 out
of23)
39% (35 out
Of 87|
Total
1020
1052
988
965
988
1,025
* MCSD avenge tcore* a n aot true district average«. Since (be icheck receive the
individual and school scores, the district compute* a sehvul average to figure the
district average. A true district average could only he computed by sting individual
Korea tv compute an arerage.
The previous year’s average at Heppner High School was above
both the national and Oregon averages. It would appear that the cur
rent low average is a result of the excessive staff cuts over a period
of years that accelerated in the 2000-2001 school year. The absence
of a sequential math program up to and including calculus was partic
ularly harmful, as these courses are available at most other schools in
the state including Riverside and lone.
The drop in averages is also an indictment of the 6/6 junior high/
senior high program. High school teachers have been called upon to
use their time teaching seventh and eighth grade. This reduces curric
ulum offerings in high school and effectively locks out many students
from the courses they need to compete in college and the work place
today.
Heppner High School has developed a good technical/computer
program. They recently received a grant that will help further ad
vance this program. However, their agriculture program, which would
be significant for South Morrow, was one of the cuts, and with it went
the FFA program, which taught extremely valuable leadership and
communication skills. Heppner had too many students for the hatchet
approach applied to staff at both schools.
The 6/6 system has developed into an economic development prob
lem as well. People who would have otherwise stayed here have moved
away and others who would have liked to live here have not done so
because of the problems with the Morrow County School system.
All parents in South Morrow need to re-think their priorities so
their children benefit from the broadest educational advantages that
could be possible for them.
(s) Meg Murray
lone
Low cost solution to funding problem
To the Editor:
Education reform is a big top
ic these days. As a teacher, par
ent. and taxpayer. I’d like to add
one more (low cost) idea to the
pot: Free education as a univer
sally offered honor, not a univer
sal right.
Here’s how it would work: All
children would be guaranteed a
public education through the sixth
grade, by which time they would
(hopefully) attain basic reading,
writing, science, and math skills.
After that, the privilege of attend
ing school at taxpayers’ expense
would be contingent on student
performance and behavior. Stu
dents of all ability levels who ev
idenced care about learning, about
themselves, and about others
would be generously supported
throughout a quality high school
education.
However, students of junior
high age or older who felt school
was a waste o f their precious
time, who demonstrated little re
spect for themselves, their future,
or others, would be shown the
door. Their parents would then be
totally responsible for them and
for providing whatever education
their children were capable of
learning. At the age of 16 they
would be allowed to work full
time. If as adults they wanted to
know more about the world or
To the Editor:
To school board members
and administrators:
A different hairstyle caught
my eye the other day as an indi
vidual walked by my house on her
way back to school. Bright blue
was the color, Mohawk cut and
the sides o f the head were
shaved. Various piercings
adorned parts o f her face. It
looked great. Too bad she didn't
save it for our Fourth of July Cel
ebration.
At first I thought it was a
dress-down day at school only to
learn, no, this was the real thing.
Willamette Valley, yes, I could
understand, but Morrow County?
I made a call to the lone principal
and asked about the school’s dress
policy. Mike Stuart walked me
through the policy and enlightened
O bituary__
Lorine Toll
Letters to the Editor
State/Dütrict/Sciiool
How far do we go with circus sideshow
improve their skills, they could
pay for further education them
selves.
This is the way private
schools operate: They have the
right to exclude students who do
not appreciate being there. It
would make an unbelievable
world o f difference if public
schools were able to do the same.
(s) Lea Mathieu
lone
Births
Jazmin DeAnn Barrett-a
daughter, Jazmin DeAnn, was
bom to Krystal Baker and Chris
Barrett on January 1, 2002. The
baby weighed 8 lbs. 10 oz. and
was 21 inches long.
Grandparents are Jerry and
Sue Baker o f Lexington, Dave
and Phyllis Barrett of lone and
Michelle Rhodes of Vancouver.
Great-grandparents are Dennis
and Doris McLaren of Pilot Rock
and Dale Baker, Lexington. Great-
great-grandmother is Virginia
Groshens of Hermiston.
Emmanuel Barrera-a son,
Emmanuel, was bom to Graciela
and Santos Barrera of Boardman
on January 20, 2002, at Good
Shepherd M edical Center in
Hermiston. The baby weighed 7
lbs. !4oz.
Lorine Toll, 73, formerly of
the Heppner-Lexington area, died
Friday, January 18, 2002, in
Woodbum.
A memorial service will be
held in Heppner at a later date.
She was bom January 16.
1929, at the VanWinkle farm in
Lexington. After graduating from
Heppner High School in 1947, she
married John Ledbetter. They had
three children: Jeanette Sunseri
(deceased), June Bennett of Dal
las, Texas and Judy Lathrom of
Portland.
In 1975, she married Leonard
Toll; he had three children: Toni
Chitty of Heppner, Tami Johlke of
Pendleton and Terry Toll o f
Prineville.
Mrs. Toll is also survived by
seven grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
She enjoyed traveling, gar
dening, raising roses, playing
cards and visiting casinos with her
husband. She will be greatly
missed by her family and friends.
The family asks that in lieu
of flowers, memorial contribu
tions may be made to the Ameri
can Cancer Society.
M ildred I. Hurtt
Mildred Irene Hurtt, 69, of
Heppner, died Saturday, January
26,2002, at Pioneer Memorial
Nursing Home in Heppner.
A graveside memorial service
will be held Saturday, February 2,
2002, at 1 p.m. at Riverside Cem
etery in Siletz.
She was bom April 22, 1932,
at Talmage, Saskatchewan. Can
ada, to James and Amy Orr
Spires. The family later moved to
Woodstock, Iowa, where she at
tended school, graduating in 1950
from Woodstock High School.
On September 3, 1950, she
married Thomas Merle Hurtt, at
Woodstock. The couple moved
back and forth between Iowa and
Oregon numerous times before
settling in the Lincoln County area
of Oregon in 1974.
She was baptized at the
Church of Christ in Toledo, Ore
gon, where she was a member.
Mr. Hurtt died in 1986. and in
1988 Mrs. Hurtt moved to
Heppner.
She enjoyed gardening, sew
ing, crafts, reading, cooking and
volunteering at the senior meal
site.
Survivors include sons. James
Hurtt and Thomas Hurtt, Jr., both
of Lakeside, Oregon: daughters.
Shelley Fultz of Lafayette. Ore
gon, and C herrie Clark of
Heppner; brothers, Lester Spires
o f Zepherhills, Florida, and
Charles Spires of Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma; sisters, Evelyn Larson
of Mitchellville, Iowa and Eleanor
Williams of Woodstock, Iowa; and
grandchildren, Jeremy Clark,
Joshua Clark, Jerrod Clark, Jo
seph Fultz and Everett Peoney.
Besides her husband, she was
preceded in death by an infant
daughter, Thearesa; brothers.
Irvine Spires, Ralph Spires and
Maurice Spires; and her parents.
Memorial contributions may
be made to Pioneer Memorial
Home Health or Pioneer Memo
rial Nursing Home, both at P.O.
Box 9, Heppner, Oregon 97836.
or the American Cancer Society,
0330 SW Curry, Portland, Ore
gon 97201.
Sweeney M ortuary o f
Heppner is in charge of arrange
ments.
. .
me on the different court cases
where schools have lost cases try
ing to enforce dress codes. I was
informed this hairstyle and color
did meet the dress code, so in
school she stays.
1 guess my question is how
far will parents go to let their chil
dren express their individuality?
How far will the school board and
administrators go in letting stu
dents create a circus-like side
show. versus the learning institu
tion I thought our schools repre
sented. Yes, schools are being
sued and yes it costs the district
to fight these suits. But what are
the alternatives? Do we just throw
in the towel and lose all local con
trol of our school? I hope not.
(s) Terry Mewhinney
lone
Frontier Energy
fined by DEQ
According to a state of Ore
gon Department of Environmen
tal Quality news release, Frontier
Energy, LLC, in Heppner was
penalized $7,800 for illegal dis
charge of wastewater in Willow
Creek from the Heppner Power
Plant ($3,600 fine); and violating
air contaminant permit by failing
to operate its monitoring system
from June II through Sept. 11,
2001 ($4,200 penalty) by the Or
egon Dept, of Environmental
Quality in December.
The release also stated that
on December 27, DEQ levied
$13,400 in civil penalties against
Union Pacific Railroad for failure
to comply with state hazardous
waste management regulations at
its Hinkle railroad maintenance
facility, located at 77879
Hermiston-Hinkle Road near
Hermiston. Union Pacific has
appealed the penalty.
According to the news
release, DEQ assessed a $5,400
penalty for failing to determine
whether various residues of un
known wasters produced at the
facility (used solvent filters, used
oil filters, parts-washer sludge
and several waste drums) were
hazardous wastes. The released
said that the railroad received a
$6,000 penalty for failing to im
mediately clean up spills or releas
es including used oil from a leak
ing solid waste dumpster, and
multiple releases of used oil and
diesel fuel from open containers.
DEQ assessed a $2,000 penalty
for improper labeling of contain
ers of used oil and failing to en
sure that the containers were
closed, covered or located under
cover, according to the release.
DEQ said that the agen
cy had noted that “there was a
history of similar violations occur
ring at the Hinkle facility and/or
at other Union Pacific facilities in
Oregon.”
Justice Court
Report
The Justice Court office at
the courthouse in Heppner re
ports handling the following busi
ness: Craig Scott. 18, Heppner-
Possession of Firecracker, $157
fine; Charles Delmer Treon, 33,
lone-illegal U-turn, $87 fine;
M arie E. H enrichs, 48,
Hermiston-No O perator’s Li
cense, Defective Equipment,
$118 fine; Gary Lee Nolan, 52,
Lexington-Violation of the Basic
Rule, 80 mph in a 55 mph zone,
$132 fine; Steven J. Doyle. 35,
Condon-Driving while License
Suspended Infraction. Driving
Uninsured. $474 fine; Dennis
Duane Dima, 18, Heppner-Op-
erating Without Required Light
ing (License Plate Light), $77
fine;
Bill J. Eubanks, 79, Arling-
ton-No Big Game Tag. $ 157 fine;
LaRoy L. Cline, 43, Lexing-
ton-DUII, 180 days in jail, or 45
days electronic surveillance, 160
days suspended. 36 months pro
bation w ith no further violation of
law, complete alcohol education
program, complete electronic sur
veillance, $2798 fine plus court
appointed attorney, $1000 sus
pended; Driving while License
Suspended Misdemeanor, 36
months probation with no further
violation of law, complete alco
hol education program, 10 days
in jail to run concurrently with
DUII sentence. $1131 fine, $500
suspended; Driving while License
Suspended Misdemeanor, Giving
False Information to a Police Of
ficer. $431 fine.
County court discusses
tobacco law enforcement
At the January 23 meeting of the
Morrow County Court, Morrow
County Public Health director,
Laura McEUigott. asked the Court
for thoughts on the tobacco-re
lated legislation, which makes lo
cal public health agencies respon
sible for enforcement. She de
scribed the enforcement process
and said she shared the Court’s
concerns about "policing” respon
sibilities and responsibilities added
to an already busy department.
She suggested the code-enforce
ment officer as possibly a better
choice. Com m issioner Dan
Brosnan added that unless the
state provides training and other
funding; it is another unfunded
mandate from the state. Judge
Terry Tallman explained that the
Court was issuing a directive that
that staff not conduct enforce
ment activities.
McEUigott also described
to the Court a grant received and
another for which she plans to ap
ply for use in filling gaps in public
health. She explained the pending
grant requirements and identified
the money as being for a wide
variety of things.
County assessor, Greg
Sweek, brought to the Court’s at
tention an easement for a sewer
line granted by the city o f
Heppner in August 2000 across a
piece of county property obtained
through a foreclosure, property
not ever owned by the city. Sweek
described the property and line
location, and its lack of effect on
future use of the property. The
court agreed to an easement for
the sewer line.
Sweek also submitted the
appraisal report on the above-
mentioned property. The Court
then set a minimum bid for the
sheriff’s sale and agreed to find
out if the city wants to buy the
property instead.
The Court discussed two
Irrigon issues with economic de
velopm ent specialist M artin
Davis. They agreed that Commis
sioner John Wenholz will speak to
the representative of the Irrigon
Fire District to clarify the need for
no further delay in use of tippage
fee funding awarded for use in the
rebuilding of its fire hall. Davis
also reported on the status of the
multi-agency building plans, indi
cating that the county’s need for
space could be accommodated in
the building also.
Davis presented the Court a re
vised agreement with the Port of
Morrow for attorney’s fees for the
speedway project, requesting a
cap on the projected cost. After
discussion, the Court approved the
revised agreement and Davis
agreed to speak to the port about
negotiating any additional fees,
should any arise.
Davis also agreed to check on
possible coordination of his sched
ule and the monthly business
meeting dates of the Heppner
Chamber of Commerce.
At a public hearing on the county
supplemental budget, accounting
budget officer, Lisanne Currin,
provided a detailed account of
budget adjustments to the various
funds. Hearing no comments,
Judge Tallman closed the hearing.
The Court adopted the supple
mental budget. Currin read a reso
lution for additional funds in three
departments' budgets, to add grant
moneys, and the Court approved
the resolution.
Currin also explained two
intrafund line-item transfers, one
i n the bui ldi ng perm it fund and one
in the fair fund. The Court ap
proved the transfers.
Currin presented the audit report,
in which no material weaknesses
were noted. The management let
ter suggested improvement in
three areas, but Currin reported
that two had already been ad
dressed and the third deals with
one department's collection of bad
debt, which will be examined with
an eye to improvement. The au
dit report she described as
“clean," an unqualified opinion.
Currin shared with the Court some
concern about the indirect-cost
study, regarding need for federal
approval or only state approval.
Currin and the Court discussed
aspects of a biennial budget com
pared to those of a yearly budget,
with members of the Court ex
pressing more confidence in the
yearly approach, and Currin ex
plaining some benefits of the bi
ennial perspective. She will report
to the Court on an upcoming
meeting about biennial budgeting.
Executive secretary, Andrea
Denton, reported the accounting
supervisor’s observation that the
Court needs to handle the tippage
fee award to the Heritage Trail in
the same manner as for other
tippage fee awards, requiring in
voices before release of funds.
Assistant public works director.
Bob Naims, reported that grad
ing had been completed on Nolan
and Campbell Roads and Lindsey
Feedlot Lane. The crew has
burned weeds on Gus Road and
Kincaid Lane and has plowed
snow and sanded on Willow
Creek, North Fork o f Willow
Creek, Sunflower Flat, Upper and
Lower Rhea Creek, Dee Cox,
lone-Gooseberry, and Dry Fork
Roads. They finished culvert in
stallations on Bunker Hill Lane.
Naims said that the pickup spray
unit is prepared. Carolyn
Proebstal has completed required
training and will assist Dave
Pranger with the weed spraying.
Naims briefly reported on a meet
ing to discuss the Boardman
Transportation Plan and on a
meeting regarding the Irrigon
school.
Other actions of the Court in
cluded the following:
-appointment ofCorrine Lindsay
as chair and Andrea Denton as
vice chair of the Commission on
Children and Families;
- appointment of Wayne Downey,
Leann Rea, Travis Harrison. Bev
Bridgewater, Dave Pranger. Jim
Van Winkle, Steve Rhea. Bob
Krein (advisory), Lee Palmer.
Mark Rietmann, Dick Wilkinson,
Joe McEUigott, Chris Rauch. Bill
Broderick (advisory), Larry
Lutcher (advisory), and Commis
sioner Dan Brosnan (ex officio),
as recommended by the Morrow
Soil and Water Conservation Dis
trict, to the local Willow Creek
Watershed Advisory Committee;
- acceptance of a S50 donation to
the Special Transportation Fund
from the Heppner Elks organiza
tion in thanks for the use of the
bus shed as they prepared their
first-place-prize winning float for
the light parade;
- approval of the subscription
agreem ent with the Oregon
Teamster Employers Trust for
health insurance for the Sheriff’s
Association.
Garden Club plans
meeting
The Heppner Garden Club
will hold a meeting on Monday,
Feb. 4, at the St. Patrick’s Senior
Center at 7 p.m.
A Valentine party in honor of
“Yard of the Month” recipients is
planned. Hosts will be Verna
Brinda and Dorothy Jackson.
Suzanne Jepsen will also
present a proclamation that the
month of February is designated
as honoring the Heppner Garden
Club.
The program for the evening
will be “Culture of Roses”, pre
sented by Mary Goheen.
Everyone is invited to attend.
40th
BIRTHDAY!
Janice I. H uddlesto n
January 31st
ML.
( 9 *
9
In h e r m e m o ry ,
p le a s e c o m e an d
h e lp us c e le b r a te
t h é passing o f h e r
y o u th o n S a tu rd a y ,
F e b ru a ry 2n d a t
B u c k n u m ’s T a v e rn
a f t e r t h e b a s k e t
b all g a m e s .