S ix
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 22, 2002
County Court news
\t the County Court meeting of
May 15. Judge Terry Tallman
opened the eontinuation of the
public hearing on the BAIC land-
use appeal, noting the submission
b\ Joel Peterson of a summary
ot his previous testim ony.
Planning Director Tamra Mabbott
review ed her redraft o f the
• Hidings, with some changes. She
cad comments emailed by Steve
H ultburg, attorney for the
applicant, and responses to those
b\ the coun ty ’s consulting
attorney. Larry Epstein. The
ipplicant agreed to proposed
menage in the corrected findings
and to some further language
changes
proposed
by
( ommissioner Dan Brosnan. The
hearing ended.
M abbott
handed
the
commissioners a draft of minutes
from the May 2 public hearing on
the speedway and discussed with
them the hearing that was to
follow the next day in Irrigon. The
commissioners then discussed
some of the questions they would
be seeking answers to at the
hearing.
Judge Tallman reported on his
meeting with Health Department
staff and w ork on that
department’s budget. The Court
discussed
the
possible
m anagem ent o f both health
departments by the director of
Behav loral Health. Later in the
m eeting. Behavioral Health
Director Kelly Sager agreed that
such a combining of departments
could work, as some other
counties are operating in this
manner, and suggested need for
further discussion o f the
m anagem ent
structure.
Discussion ensued, with a general
agreem ent that defining the
mission ofthe Health Department
is in order.
Sager updated the Court on
department issues, beginning with
a copy of an editorial noting that
Morrow County is “among the top
five in motivating adults to stay in
treatment for alcohol and other
drug abuse." He noted that the
department is in full compliance
according to the Office of Drug
and Alcohol Abuse.
Sager reported continued
recruiting efforts for a new
director in Grant County, with
plans to screen nine applicants
and schedule interviews. Sager
noted the hiring of a new clinician
for Grant County, explaining that
the hiring creates a full staff.
Sager then discussed HB 3024,
w hich has created a quandary for
the Mental Health Association,
and which some directors see as
an unfunded mandate. The Court
agreed with Sager that he not
attempt to write a plan or pay to
have a preliminary plan written for
submittal under HB 3024.
Sager reported a loss o f some
alcohol and drug funding and
noted that he will not be signing
an alcohol and drug funding
amendment because he does not
agree with it.
Sager also reported that the
Extension Agent’s office will be
moving from the Gilliam and
Bisbce Building on May 22, a
move to which Behavioral Health
contributed some funds. Sager
requested permission to move into
some vacated space and noted
the need for some new
equipment. He reminded the
Court that an architect had looked
at the remodeling prospects at the
Boardman Annex, and Sager
proposed seeking a community
development block grant for the
project. I le ended his appearance
with comments on a broad-band
video conferencing project of
1 astern Oregon Eluman Services
Consortium.
Surveyor Ron McKinnis reported
to the Court on a private
sun eying job he is performing for
a subdivision, in which he found
that deeds did not match his
surveying findings. He discovered
that the county had once paid
landow ners for a right of way but
had not marked it completely with
pins. The Court informed him that
he should, as county surveyor, set
the remaining pins.
I
Public Works Director Burke
O'Brien reported that the crew
had finished patching County Line
Road, Kunze, 8th Street, Pole
Line, and Homestead, and they
were to finish McNab on that day.
O ’Brien said that the hydraulic
upgrade on the chip spreader is
complete, and the crusher jaw unit
would be ready by the end of the
week for crushing operations the
following week. Rock screening
was to be completed on May 16.
O ’Brien also observed that
having two people working on
weed spraying has made an
excellent difference.
Other actions ofthe Court include
the following:
- agreement to the extension of
90 days for a resolution to a
property owner w orking on
getting an agreem ent with a
neighbor over a piece of Act of
Congress land;
- approval of a day of work on
softw are by the personnel
consultant;
- review of Joel Peterson’s letter
for the record on the BAIC land
use appeal and agreement with his
recommendation to add language
to the Transportation System
Plan;
- approval of allowing Boardman
Parks two loads of reject rock;
- approval of agreements for the
Juniper Canyon Road realignment
project and the Rhea Creek
Brenner Bridge project.
May 1 county court news.
Continued from last week’s paper
Public Works Office Specialist
Karen Wolff reported that the
Parks Committee is considering
a new fee for partial power and
water hookup at the county parks.
She said that Public Works
Director Burke O'Brien proposes
a sewer-dump fee and restriction
of that use to campers only. Wolff
reported that last year, campers
also wanted to pull into the parks
to fill water tanks before going on
to other cam psites, so the
committee is considering a fee for
water. Brosnan observed that he
would p refer w ater free to
campers but not sold to other
people, and Tallman agreed.
Wolff also reported the fee and
refundable cleaning deposit that
the committee is considering for
use o f the 4-H building at
Cutsforth Park. The building,
Wolff reported, is rented at least
one weekend a month.
Wolff announced that the next
m eeting o f the com m ittee
w orking on an ATV park is
scheduled for Saturday, May 18.
She shared the agenda and the
letter to the Oregon State Parks
ATV A llocation C om m ittee
regarding its visit.
O ther actions o f the Court
included the following:
- decision to advertise in the local
paper that foreclosed property in
Heppner is available for purchase:
- approval o f a perm it from
CenturyTel for a buried line by
Columbia Avenue and a permit for
an underground line on Morter
Lane;
- approval o f a perm it to a
landowner for an approach onto
Paul Smith Road;
- approval of a grant agreement,
subject to county counsel
approval, for an OYCC parks
project;
- approval of agreements with
Judy Horton and Carolyn Paris for
hosting at the county parks, which
will open by May 10, with the
stocking of ponds with fish on
May 13;
- approval of extending by 70
hours the Commission on Children
and Families contract with Laura
Avilos for safety net work;
- approval of a new contract with
the O ffice o f Energy for
emergency-response planning;
- approval of new contracts with
local agencies for CSEPP funding
for support to participate in
CSEPP programs;
- approval o f a resolution
declaring a continuing state of
drought emergency, supported by
a USDA/Farm Service Agency/
Morrow County Em ergency
Board report that estimates 60-
80% yield losses in cereal crops
and non-irrigated forage.
k
Willow Creek area
received award to
hire Water Quality
Coordinator
^
Look Into Our Past
The Oregon Watershed
Enhancement Board awarded
$58,448 on May 16 to the
M alheur Soil and Water
Conservation District for the
purpose of hiring a water quality
project coordinator to work with
the Willow Creek Working Group.
The 27,000-acre lower Willow
Creek area has been a focus of
w ater quality im provem ent
projects for some time and has
active participation from many
local landow ners.
The
coordinator will develop and
monitor three dem onstration
projects in order to inform local
landow ners
about
best
management practices, and how
they can implement them and
maintain the positive impact on
econom ic developm ent and
workforce activity in the valley.
One of the main reasons
this project was funded is because
o f its proactive approach to
improving water quality and From the Editor: The Gazette-
Times
welcomes
your
reducing runoff, said a news
submissions
to
our
new
feature,
release. The Malheur Watershed
“A Look into Our Past". Take
Council is currently monitoring 12
a few minutes this week and
sites in Willow Creek for E. Coli look through your old photo
and sediment. This project will albums and attics for pictures
enable the data collected, as well featuring Morrow County
as any solutions to the water history. Please include as much
quality issues to be distributed to information as possible,
the landowners. The coordinator including ( if known) the
w ill help to inform local photographer, approximate
landowners about the issues, date taken and the history
solutions and implementation and behind the photo with your
submission. All subm itted
benefits of the solutions.
pictures
and information will be
The Oregon Watershed
returned.
Enhancement Board (OWEB)
was created in 1999, and is
Here is a group
charged with funding local celebrating Heppner High School
voluntary efforts to improve water graduation week as well, the class
quality and quantity, enhance of 1899. Recognize anyone you
habitat for critical fish runs, and know?
restore watersheds to support
First row: Elsie Ayers,
local economies. Funding comes
Anna McBride, Miss Anne J.
from many sources, including a
Balsinger (teacher), Professor
• voter-approved 7.5 percent from
W.L. Howard, Lulu Hager,
lottery proceeds for the purpose
Jennie Kirk. Second Row: Pearl
o f watershed restoration and
Wells, Vira Haft, Lena Glassock,
protection.
Horace Matlock, Stella Rhea,
Bertha Adkins, Anna Smith,
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Howard. Third
Row: Gertrude Bishop, Heppner
Blackm an, N ellie P hillips,
Charlotte Shipley, Louis Balsinger.
The 2002 M orrow
Lillie Monay, Hanson Hughes.
County School District Spelling
Contest was held May 16 at
Heppner High School. Many
students from the county
participated.
Division I winner was
Kara Clay, lone Elementary
School. Division II winner was
Amy Jepsen, Heppner Junior
Morrow County Grain
High School. Division III winner G row ers and the M orrow
was Zach Baker, Riverside High County Extension Office will
School.
offer a two day tractor training
Division I winners:
workshop beginning on Friday,
second place: Tiana June 14. Youth ages 14-17 who
C am arillo, IES; third place: plan to seek summer farm jobs
Nathan Bennett, A.C. Houghton involving the operation of power-
Elementary School; fourth place: driven farm machinery need to
M aggie A rm ato, H eppner complete the Tractor Training
Elementary School; fifth place: and Safety Workshop to be
Nick Dyer, Sam Boardman
eligible for employment. The
Elementary School; sixth place: workshop will include class time,
Jessica Hughs, HES; seventh practical exercises, and lots of
place tie: Mikey Raible, IES, “hands-on” activities. Safe
Ethan Ellis, SBES; eighth place: tractor operation will be the main
Derek Horsfall. ACH; ninth place: em phasis o f this workshop.
Chandelle Arner, SBES; 10th Participants will learn how to
place: Corbin Tegner, ACH.
start and stop a tractor, and they
Division II winners:
will learn about safe driving
second place; Luis techniques.
Tractor
C havarin, C olum bia M iddle maintenance will be discussed
School; third place: Laurie
and identification of tractor fluids
Murray, HJHS; fourth place:
and mechanical components will
Brendan McElligott, HJHS; fifth also be on the agenda.
place: Kayla LaRue, lone Middle
Participants will have
School; sixth place: Cullen an opportunity to operate
Martin, CMS; seventh place:
tractors,
with
attached
Amanda Walker, CMS; eighth implements, a swather, and a
place: Emily Rietmann, IMS; front-end loader. First-aid
ninth place: Justin Archer, IMS
techniques, fire safety, and
Division III winners:
electrical hazards will also be
second place tie: Til discussed and demonstrated.
Tullis, lone High School, Elliott The course will conclude with a
Bratton, RHS; third place: Jesse written examination, which must
Gutierrez, Heppner High School; be passed with a score of 70%
fourth place: Jami Moore, RHS; or higher. Call the Morrow
fifth place: Daniel Jepsen, HHS; County Extension Office at 676-
sixth place: Adam Neiffer, IHS; 9642 or 1-800-342-3664 if you
seventh place: Taylor McElligott, need further inform ation or
IHS; eighth place: Brooke Rust. would like to register for the
HHS; ninth place: Jeremy Hall. class. R egistration, which
RHS.
includes a $5 fee, is required and
must be completed by Friday,
June 7.
District spelling
contest winners
Tractor Training
and Safety
workshop
scheduled
Fundraiser for Water Park
Jar candles from Home Interiors
and Gifts are for sale through
Sarah Coller as a fundraiser for
the Willow Creek Water Park.
Please call Sarah Coller at
676-8033 to order. Orders will be
taken until June 15 and will be
delivered by June 28. “This is a
great way to start your holiday gift
shopping while helping to fund our
Water Park," says Coller.
Engagements
Anderson-Palmateer
Mandy Anderson and Treve Palmatecr
The families of Mandy Anderson and Treve Palmateer announce
the engagement and forthcoming marriage of the couple.
The bride-elect is a 2001 graduate of Condon High School and is
currently working toward a degree in Early Childhood Education at
Blue Mountain Community College.
Palmateer attended Heppner High School and is currently working
on his grandmother’s ranch in Echo.
The couple’s wedding date is set for June 29, 2002, at the Vey
Ranch in Echo. The couple welcomes all their family members and
friends to join them in the celebration. There will be a barbecue
immediately following the ceremony.
Dunaway-Price
The parents of Sheila Marie Dunaway and Brian Lee Price
announce the engagement of their children.
The bride-elect is the daughter of Harlan and Linda Dunaway of
Heppner. She is a 1992 graduate of Heppner High School, attended
two years at BMCC, is a graduate of DPSST., and was employed at
TRCI until Sept. 2001 when she moved to Bend. She is currently
between jobs and is working as a nanny in Bend.
The groom-elect is the son of Charlotte Price and the late Thomas
Price of Bend. He is a 1980 graduate of Taft High School in Lincoln
City. He also attended two years at BMCC. He is employed at Plateau
Wood Works in Bend.
The couple will be married Saturday, July 13, at McKay Park in
Pendleton at 1 p.m.
Country Club ladies play golf
Willow Creek Country Club ladies held Thursday evening league
play on May 9. Results are as follows:
Low gross of the field-Dana Reid. Low net of the field-Shan
Stahl and Luvilla Sonstegard. Least putts of the field-Mary Kinkaid.
Blind man best ball-Sandi Hanna and Dana Reid, and Luvilla
Sonstegard and Shari Stahl. Special cvents-par on # I. Virginia Grant;
two-putt on #9, Virginia Grant.
Evening play was also held May 16. Results are as follows:
Low gross of the field-Shari Stahl. Low net of the field-Mary
Kinkaid. Least putts of the field-Linda Schultz.
Chip in-Linda Schultz. Birdic-Linda Schultz. Blind man best ball-
Shari Stahl and Virginia Grant. Special plays-Dana Reid. Della
Heideman.