HHS seniors, German exchange student
make connection across the ocean
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The Heppner senior class with their 'Liberty Bear'
VOL. 121
NO. 11
10 Pages
Wednesday, March 13,2002
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Following defeat of city hall/library project
Council discusses city hall remodeling
The H eppner city council
Monday discussed what to do
with city hall now that a proposed
new city hall/ library complex has
been cancelled.
The council decided to not
pursue the new facility after a
survey sent out by the city found
a large number o f people in
Heppner were against it.
One of the reasons the city
wanted to build a new city hall
was because officials claimed the
current structure is not ADA
(Americans with Disabilities Act)
compliant, and that there is no
privacy in the current office
structure.
Mayor Bob Jepsen said the
Heppner City hall was one of the
worst in Eastern Oregon and
needed to be seriously remodeled.
“I’m ashamed of this office. Look
at the size of it. It is a lot worse
than other in Eastern Oregon,” he
told the council and some citizens
who had gathered to talk about
the remodeling.
“What is so bad about city
hall?” Heppner resident Randy
Lott asked. “We don’t need to
spend tens of thousands of dollars
to remodel this building.” He
urged the council to keep
spending low on the building and
estimated that the job could be
done for “under $20,000.”
The city manager and public
works director disagreed saying
ADA double doors at the senior
center alone cost $5,000. When
asked who had asked that the city
bring the building up to ADA
standards, city officials said no
one had, however that does not
mean it shouldn’t be done, said
city manager Jerry Breazeale.
“Anyone (disabled person) could
come in and say I want to use the
Merchants plan April Fool’s game
restroom. They couldn't use it.”
B reazeale said. He said the
inability of a disabled person to
use city facilities could trigger a
law against the city.
“1 think people are okay with
remodeling (city hall) is it is
reaso n ab le,” said H eppner
resident and city planning
commission member Cyde Estes.
continued page three
Four to seek
commissioner’s
spot
Four people have
registered for the Morrow County
Commissioner position now held
by Dan Brosnan of Heppner, who
is not seeking reelection.
Republicans, David L.
Barnett o f lone, Raymond W.
Grace of Heppner and Betty Gray
of lone, and Democrat Barbara
Bloodsworth, Heppner, have all
registered for the position.
Incum bent David C.
Allen has registered as the sole
candidate for the Morrow County
District Attorney's position.
Heppner Day Care
receives grant
Though Claudia Hughes may he able to hustle, she seems to come up a wee
hit “short" in her guarding of “ Howling" Bert Houweling. Hughes say*
she will concentrate on her dunk shot for the merchants' basketball game
on April Fool's Day at Heppner High School and let the taller Mainstreet
Westside players handle the guarding of Houweling and the rest of the
Mainstreet F.astside team.
H eppner
D aycare/
Preschool was awarded a $5,000
grant under the O regon
Department of Justice Children’s
Education Grant Program.
Heppner Day Care has used the
funds to purchase four computers
and age-appropriate programs.
They purchased instructional
books for the early education
library, musical tapes and CDs,
multi-cultural role-playing items,
hands on and interactive
manipulative tools. They also
added several heavy-duty outdoor
toys.
The project was
financed with settlement funds
adm inistered by the Oregon
D epartm ent o f Justice and
received in connection with the
Toys-R-Us Antitrust Litigation.
“ W ithout this program
Heppner Day Care would not
have had the resources to
purchase the computers or many
o f these items. We feel that
com puters with the proper
programs will greatly enhance the
program. This grant has given
Heppner Day Care/Preschool
opportunities it would not have
had o th erw ise,” said Kim
C utsforth o f the day care/
German
exchange
student Christian Moeller spent
a year in Heppner attending
school with the Heppner High
School junior class last year. This
year the class, now seniors, voted
to send Christian a letterman’s
jacket, complete with letters,
along with a school year book.
Christian’s mother, in turn, made
a bear to send to the class. The
bear is the symbol of freedom
for Berlin and Germany; the
torch and the crown symbolize
the Statue of Liberty-New York,
in solidarity with the citizens of
the U.S. following the Sept. 11
tragedy; and the bear holds an
‘H’ for Heppner High School.
Following is the
(slightly edited) letter Christian
wrote to his Heppner classmates:
To the Editor:
Hello Mr. Pilgrim,
Hi class o f2002 (you guys rule!)
The last months were
quite busy for me, because I had
half-term exam s in seven
different courses. Than meant
that I really had to work to get
good grades, but now it is over
and I can relax, kick back and
go out to bars and discos. Some
friends and I hung out all
weekend. It was great! But now
we have to go back to school and
get into learning again.
Hmmmmm...! Oh right, still
congratulations to the football
team, the semi-finals, that’s so
awesome. I thought our team last
year was good but that’s just
fantastic. I bet whole Heppner
was proud of the team. 1 wish 1
could have been there, because
I really miss, not just you, but also
American Football. Here in
Germany we don’t receive any
inform ation about any U.S.
sports. That really sucks. I hope
that the next b-ball season and
baseball or golf season is going
to be the same, incredible. Sorry,
also softball! Well we are talking
about sports so I could mention
that I quit soccer. I guess Mr.
Grant was right when he told me
that soccer is a “girl” sport.
Right now the weather
turned so bad. When I was in
Heppner, it was my biggest wish
that it would rain, just once. In
Germany it didn't stop raining
the last two days, the sky is gray
and everything is really
depressive. (You can’t imagine
how that sucks). The weather is
not the only thing that sucks; I
didn’t eat a good hamburger or
macaroni and cheese for months.
Now I'm going to
explain the present. The thing is
called the “Liberty-Bear”. My
Mum did it for you as a lucky
charm, so that all of you have a
good graduation and a great start
at college. Oh yeah! The
Liberty-Bear represents N Y. or
U.S.A. and the bear is the
emblem for Berlin and for
Germany. Both are symbols for
freedom.
Also in this big box are
some pictures. If you take a look
at them you see that I’m now a
100 percent “American Bad”.
Thanks again, it is so awesome.
All my friends are so jealous of
me. Take care all of you. C Ya.
Peace out.
(s) Christian Moeller
Germany
Dream comes true
for local girl
Sheena Christman
Christian Moeller with new
Heppner Letterman’s jacket
lone plans
Donkey
Basketball game
The lone Booster Club is
sponsoring Donkey Basketball,
which will take place on March
14 at 7 p.m. in the lone High
School Gymnasium. The game
will feature the lone school staff
and Rural Fire Department versus
the lone student body.
Tickets may be purchased at
the gate at a cost of $6 for adults,
$5 for students seven-12 and $4
for children kindergarten-six.
Tickets may also be purchased
from any lone Middle School
student for a reduced price-$5 for
adults, $4 for students and $3 for
children. All proceeds and
donations will go to help support
the lone Booster Club.
For more information contact
Dean Robinson at 422-7131 ext.
2717 or 676-9249.
School district math
contest April 11
The annual Morrow County
School District Math Contest is
set for April 11 at A.C. Houghton
Elementary in Irrigon. The
qualifying tests will be given on
Tuesday. March 14, at Heppner
Elementary School.
Home school students are
invited to go to HES on April 19
to take the qualifying test.
Students wishing to take the test
should report to Mrs. Dowdy's
classroom at 12:45 p.m.
This summer a dream will
be fulfilled for Sheena Christman
of lone. Sheena, a junior at lone
High School, has always been
interested in helping the
underprivileged girls of India who
are often treated cruelly and with
disrespect. On June 5, Sheen’s
dream comes true. She will leave
Portland en route to New Delhi,
India. There she will meet with
Dr. P.P. Job and stay with him and
his wife the first night before
hopping on another plane to
Coimbatore, which is in the state
of Tamil Nadu, with a population
of about 1.2 million.
Sheena began planning
her trip almost two years ago. She
started out by writing letters
looking for a contact that could
help her get in touch with
organizations that would benefit
from her help. She finally heard
back from one after several
months saying that they could use
her help in an orphanage called
“Zion Child Care”.
Zion Child Care is an
orphanage specifically designed
to help girls in India. Some of
these girls are survivors of the
tsunami and earthquake that
recently devastated parts of the
county. Others are victims of
India's northern border wars,
while others are saved from life
on the streets and prostitution.
Approximately 70 girls and five
teachers reside at the orphanage/
school.
At the orphanage,
Sheena will help with the daily
chores, such as cleaning, washing
laundry (by hand) and kitchen
duties. She will also be involved
in helping teach the girls English
and offer other assistance.
Sheena will remain in
India until August 2.
“ I know that it will be a
challenging experience,” says
Sheena. “but I hope to use my
stay in India to gain knowledge
that I can use in my future.” She
says she hopes that it will be a
rew arding experience that she will
never forget.
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