TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday. June 12, 2002
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow'
H eppner
G A Z E T T E -T IM E S
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
Published weekly and entered as periodical matter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon
under the Act o f March 3, 1870, Periodical postage paid at Heppner, Oregon. Office at 147
Willow Street Telephone(5411676-9228 Fax (541)6"76-9211. E-ntail: gt it heppner ne(
or gt u raptdserve ne( W eb site: www.heppner.net. Postmaster send address changes to
the Heppner Gazette-Times. P.O.. Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 47836. Subscriptions: $24 in
Morrow County, $18 senior rale (in Morrow County only; 62 years or older); $30 else
where.
David Sykes ................................................................................................................ Publisher
Sarah Coller..................................................................................................................... Editor
News deadline is Monday at 5 p m.
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must be specified Affidavits must be required at the time of submission Affidavits require three
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Long time worker retires from
Heppner Post Office
M
m
a
Jeri W ight helps one of her last customers at the Heppner Post Office
Jeri Wight’s co-workers
were really surprised to hear
about her retirement from the
Heppner Post Office, but maybe
no one was more surprised than
Jeri. She had been working to
process the paperwork for some
time, but when she heard last
Thursday, June 6, that her last day
was the very next day, she went
into a state o f shock. It was
happy shock, mind you, but the
prospect of immediate retirement
was still a little overwhelming for
the 28-yt^ar postal veteran.
Jeri, 54. started with the
Post Office in Spray in 1974. She
transferred to the Heppner office
in March of 1990. “That was a
big step, but 1 had the advantage
of know ing quite a few people
when I came,” said Jeri, whose
brother and sister had also
worked in Heppner. Jeri came to
Heppner originally as a part-time
worker and then went to full time
in July of 1992 when both Ken
Naims, w ho was postmaster, and
Floss Watkins, long time postal
worker, retired from the Heppner
office.
I t’s been a very
interesting and rewarding time
here,” says the petite strawberry
blonde, w ho greets each customer
with a cheerful, freckle-faced
smile. “I’m going to miss my
customers. It’s been fun getting
to know everybody and learning
to be part of the community."
After 28 years with the
Post Office, Jeri has had her
share o f both am using and
frustrating experiences, but one
that comes to mind involves a
somewhat bizarre parcel. “The
one that stands out is when Dick
Temple (a local veterinarian)
came in to mail a dead cat to
some laboratory for testing,”
laughs Jeri.
Jeri says she plans to sit on her
deck for a while, but also hopes
to travel w ith Gary, her husband
of 39 years. “My first priority is
to go to Mississippi to see my
brother that I haven’t seen in 10
years,” says Jeri. Retirement will
also give her more time to spend
with her mother-in-law, Velma
Wight, who is “like a mother” to
her, her son, John, his wife. Shelly,
who Jeri says is the “daughter we
never had” and their children,
Adam, 16, and Riley, 14, all of
Heppner.
Jeri and her husband
were both born and raised in
Spray. She and Gary married
young, but she was determined to
stay in school and graduated from
Spray High School in 1966.
H eppner Postm aster
Sally Larson and co-worker Barb
Watkins are at once happy for Jeri
and yet sorry to see her go. While
someone will be hired to fill the
spot, the position may be vacant
for some time.
Food Handler’s class
Blue Mountain Community
College and the State Health
D ivision will offer a Food
Handler's class on Tuesday, June
25. from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the
Heppner High School cafeteria.
This class offers an opportunity
for those planning to work at
sum m er festivals or fairs to
acquire a Food Handler’s card.
A Food Handler’s card is required
by the State of Oregon for all
employees who handle or prepare
food in food service facilities in
O regon.
This
includes
dishwashers, waiters, staff and
businesspersons. Additionally, the
card is now required of all day
care workers.
A $10 licensing fee, payable
to the State Health Department,
will be charged after successful
completion of the written test.
Registration will be done at class.
For further inform ation,
contact Anne Morter, BMCC
South
M orrow
County
Coordinator, at 422-7040.
Obituaries
Jerry M. Dougherty
Jerry M. Dougherty, 64,
of Heppner died Tuesday, June 4,
2002, at his home.
Recitation of the Rosary was held
June 6 at the St. Patrick Catholic
Church
in
H eppner and
memorial mass
was June 7.
M r .
Dougherty was
born to C liff
and Roberta
Dougherty on
D
ecem ber 8,
J e r ry M.
1937,
at
Dougherty
Heppner. He
attended Heppner schools and
graduated from Heppner High
School.
He m arried Patricia
Steagall on September 8, 1958, at
Heppner. He worked on the
family farm went he graduated,
raising wheat and cattle. He lived
there with his family all his life.
Mr. Dougherty loved to
hunt, fish and spend time with his
family. He especially liked to
watch
his
grandchildren
participate in their various
activities.
He served as a Morrow
County Rodeo Committee board
member for several years and
was a member of the Heppner
Elks Lodge for 43 years. He was
a member of St. Patrick Church
and enjoyed cooking at the annual
Valentine’s Day breakfast and
volunteering at the St. Patrick’s
Day celebration.
Fie was survived by his
wife, Pat; daughter, Cindy Leasy
o f Pilot Rock; sons C liff
Dougherty o f Heppner, Scott
Dougherty o f Lexington and
Jason Dougherty of Portland; and
six grandchildren. He was
preceded in death by his sister,
Yvonne Lovgren and his parents.
Memorial contributions
may be made to the Heppner Elks
358 Foundation. P.O. Box 494,
Heppner, OR 97836; Pioneer
Memorial Home Health Care,
P.O. Box 9, Heppner or a charity
of choice.
Sweeney Mortuary of
H eppner is in charge o f
arrangements.
Memorial service
to be held
A memorial service for
Douglas R. Carey who passed
away in January will be held on
Saturday, June 22, at 11 a.m., at
the park south of the McNary
Lock and Dam in Umatilla. A
potluck will be included in this
celebration o f D oug’s life.
Participants are asked to bring a
favorite dish and any photographs
and memories of Doug. For more
inform ation, please contact
DeAnna Reade at 541-278-3493
(home) or 541 -969-1469 (cell).
Death notice
Helen L. Currin
Helen L. Currin, 90, of
Heppner died June 9 at Pioneer
Memorial Hospital. Recitation of
the Rosary is Thursday, June 13
at St. P atrick ’s Church in
Heppner. Funeral Mass will be
held Friday, June 14, at 11 a.m. at
St. Patrick's. Concluding service
and interment will be at Heppner
Masonic Cemetery. A complete
obituary will be published in the
Gazette-Times next week.
Correction
The Lexington town yard
sale will be held Saturday, June
29 only. Sales will begin at
various times.
Births
Casey Trey Fletcher
A son, Casey Trey
Fletcher, was bom to Andrea and
Andy Fletcher of Boise, ID on
May 16, 2002, at St. Luke’s
Regional Medical Center, Boise.
G randparents are Archie and
Diana Ball of Heppner, Carolyn
Fletcher of Pendleton and the late
Bill Fletcher.
continued from page one
because of seniority and that
could affect several schools in the
district.
The Heppner community
also expressed concern that
Heppner High School is losing its
business teacher through
retirement and thus much of its
business program. Some business
classes, such as keyboarding, will
be absorbed by other teachers.
An accounting class is scheduled
The Justice Court office at to be offered at HHS through a
V-tel program.
the courthouse in Heppner reports
Board m ember Gary
handling the following business:
Frederickson,
Boardm an,
-Shirley Elaine Happ Wamock,
adm onished the delegations
54, Heppner; Endangering the opposing teacher cuts, saying that
Welfare o f a Minor, $100 fine.
the teacher to student ratios
-Zachary Dillingham, 22, Lyons; throughout the county are “not
Unlawful Taking of a Deer, $631
even close to equitable,” with
fine.
north end schools having greater
student to teacher ratios. “I think
-Betty Gray, 62, lone; Criminal
we’d better wake up or we might
T re s p a s s II, $257 fin e;
have to close some schools,” he
Telephonic Harassment, $157
fine.
warned. South end community
-Bonney Jo Hill, 22, Heppner;
members are concerned that their
Careless Driving w/ MVA, $210
schools, experiencing lower
fine.
enrollment, are losing electives
-W illiam Joseph K uhn, 51,
and will have difficulty attracting
H e p p n e r; F a ilu re to W ear teachers and retaining students.
Seatbelt, $59 fine.
The board voted to
-Keith Thomas Hanson, Jr., 39, postpone approval of the cuts until
Heppner; Speeding/VBR 73/55, June 27, in order to have a better
picture of school funding by the
$77 fine.
state. However, said board
-D a rle n e
Sue
member Larry Mills, “There will
M a rq u a rd t, 55, A th e n a ;
be cuts. I don’t want anyone
Speeding/VBR 75/55, $77 fine.
walking away thinking there
-Kerry P. Mclain, 23,
H eppner; Passing Violation,
won’t be cuts.” The meeting will
$ 132 fine.
be held at the district office on
-Tessa R. Bailey, 20, June 27 at 6 p.m.
Heppner; M inor on Licensed
The board declined to
Premises, $ 111 fine.
reconsider a request from
m em bers o f the H eppner-
Lexington Advisory Committee to
change the height o f the stage
By Claudia Hughes
that will be built as part of the
Chamber Executive Director
H eppner Elem entary bond
“Welcome” to Grieb Land
construction
from 18 to 36 inches,
Company, our newest Chamber
their
original
request. Advisory
of Commerce member. It’s great
m
em
bers
Virginia
“G eorge”
to have a good mix o f Ag
Naims,
Mike
Armato
and chair
businesses as well as downtown
Mark
Rietmann
said
that the
businesses and individuals
additional
cost
of
the
higher
stage
enhancing
the
Cham ber
could
easily
be
accommodated
membership mission, “a non-profit
organization dedicated to creating because the HES project came in
a positive environment where at $450,000 underbid. They
business, community and people sought a higher stage so that
grade school students could be
thrive.”
Heppner’s Strategic Plan, a better seen and heard by
combination of the plans from members of the audience during
school programs.
different entities, involving
The board also declined
education, quality o f life,
a request for funds to keep the
infrastructure, business and
economic development is in the old FJeppner Junior High School
process of revision. The people gym operational another year,
who come to the table the second delaying its demolition so that
practices could continue to be
and fourth Tuesday o f every
held there until construction of the
month want this to be your plan
new
gym is complete. Board
and have planned two public
member
Larry Mills said that
meetings which they hope you will
doing
so
would be a waste of
attend. The m eetings are
money
that
could be used better
scheduled for Tuesday, June 25,
elsewhere.
Postponing
demolition
at St. Patrick's Senior Center
11:30 a.m.-l p.m. (bring a brown was estimated to cost almost
bag lunch), or you may attend the $23,000. A dvisory members
voiced the concern that students
evening meeting from 7-8:30 p.m.
Why have this plan? It and families would suffer because
simplifies the grant process for o f very early and very late
entities that wish to apply for practices that may be required in
funding for various projects; it order to work out a practice
gives the community goals and a schedule to accommodate all
focus; it helps us all to look teams during the interim period.
together in the same direction. For Advisory members had earlier told
an hour and a half, come, be heard the G azette-Tim es that they
and be involved. New faces, old planned to again ask for
construction of a double gym,
faces, come help to plan
rather than a single gym because
Heppner's future. Ask questions,
of
the underbid, but the issue did
make suggestions, share ideas.
not arise at the Monday night
The plan is yours.
meeting. They said that they had
Next week the Cham ber
program will be Molly Rhea, earlier been asked by architects
hospice program, and Rep. Greg and the district to trim the gym
project because of costs, and then
Smith.
later found that the project was
Thought for the week:
underbid.
“Nothing in life just happens. You
Also at the m eeting
have to have the stamina to meet
Monday
night, Mike Armato
the obstacles and overcom e
objected
to
the amount of money
them.”
the district had earmarked as
carryover, especially during the
year that 17 teachers were laid
off. He said that according to the
district’s audit, the district had
sufficient monies to avoid the
la y o ffs. T he d is tric t had
maintained that the amount o f
carryover was necessary to avoid
financial min and keep the district
Justice Court
Report
Chamber Chatter
P fiB U R N IN G
BAN
Effective June 14, 2002, the Fire Chief
of the City of Heppner is imposing a
C LO SED SEASO N for open burning
based on local fire safety concerns.
This burning ban is for the City o f Heppner.
A reminder that open burning
also includes a “ burn barrel."
The closed season will remain in effect
until further notice this fall as per ORS 478.960.
4
School board
from having to borrow money to
meet expenses.
In other business, the
board:
-approved employment
of Lester McCormick, principal at
Heppner Elementary School and
Heppner High School;
-approved employment
o f Erin Andreason, half-time
Riverside High School health
teacher; Shirley Donovan, three-
hour Sam Boardman Elementary
assistant cook; Mike Burrows,
district office m aintenance,
replacing Ted Ost;
-accepted resignation
from C hristina Wahl, A.C.
Houghton Elementary School
English as a second language
educational assistant;
-approved installation o f-
a composite roof for new school
buildings to be constructed at
Boardman and Irrigon. Metal;
roofs were also considered, but
were more expensive and the
board determined that they may:.
not last any longer than composite"'
roofs.
-agreed to have the;,
superintendent draft a letter to the::
state legislature advocating
passage o f an income tax.
surcharge in order to increase -
school funding. Two members
voted against the proposal;
-approved $78,250 for;
asbestos
abatem ent
and
hazardous material removal at the
Heppner and lone construction ;
sites;
-approved $40,031 for a
consultant agreement for material.
testing and special inspections a t:
the Boardman. Irrigon, Heppner
and lone construction sites;
-approved a bid with
McCormack Construction for
construction o f the Heppner
Elementary School gymnasium
and cafeteria for a base bid of
$2,198,000 with the following add
ons: translucent panels in gym-
$ 11,800; concrete street benches-
$3,770; curtain at cafeteria-
$8,885; salvage brick for pavers-
$3,850; install acoustical panels-
$2,090;
-approved a bid with ;
Knerr
C onstruction
for :
construction at lone for a base bid •
of $2,216,700 with the following ;
add-ons: expand gymnasium to •'
standard size-$254.452; library ;
remodel-$l 17,677; classroom I
cabinets-$8,524; locker room
rem odel-$69,917; classroom ;
renovation-$45,220; kitchen I
renovation-$ 118,057; n o rth ;
restroom remodel-$15,014;
-heard a technology j
report from Nate Arbogast that :
the fiberoptics project is nearing •
com pletion.
The
board ;
commended Arbogast for his I
foresight and expertise in •
overseeing the project.
-approved a cooperative •
sponsorship between Heppner ;
and lone for the baseball program; !
-approved the lone High •
School International Club trip to :
Italy which uses no district funds; •
-approved
a
jo b ;
description for a special education l
teacher on special assignment; ;
-adopted the 2002-03 :
board calendar;
-approved the second ;
reading and adoption of the head '
teacher job description, which ;
would apply to the new head :
teacher position at Heppner J
Elementary School and head ;
teacher positions at new schools l
in Boardman and Irrigon;
-heard the follow ing ;
announcements: budget adoption I
meeting and next board meeting, ;
district office, 6 p.m.. June 27; :
board meeting, district office. 7:30 •
p.m., July 8.
;
W e Print
Business Cards
Heppner Gazette-Times
6 7 6 -9 2 2 8
As o f Friday, June 14, 2 0 0 2 ,
Norco service o f g a s e s and
w elding su p p lies will b e located
at Miller Manufacturing located
in th e old Kinzua sh o p at 5 4 1 7 3
tlwy. 74, Heppner, Oregon.
( 541) 6 7 6 -5 4 7 2 .