Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2002)
School board to cut only one teaching position B e a a i e ¿ota«*!! U o í 0 I*8*apap3r L i b r a r v E u g en e, OR 9 / 4 J 3 The M orrow County School Board, at a June 27 meeting, voted to cut only one teaching position from the 2002- 03 budget. The board voted four- to-three, basically along geographical lines, to go against the recommendation of out-going district Superintendent Bruce A nderson. A nderson recommended that five teaching positions be cut in order to cope with dwindling state funding and increasing costs he has projected over the next several years. Board members Larry Mills, Heppner; Burke O’Brien, Heppner; John Renfro, Lexington; and John Rietmann, lone; all voted in favor of the proposal to cut only one teacher, saying that they w anted to m aintain existing programs and “put education over finances” . Board Chair Julie Weikel, Boardman, and members Gary Frederickson, Boardman, and Pat McNamee, Irrigon, voted against the proposal to cut only one teacher, favoring instead the recom m endation to cut five teaching positions. The dissenting minority maintained that the five cuts are necessary to prevent financial ruin down the road. The HEPPNER Local women take grant-writing class By Sarah Coller ímes VOL. 121 NO. 27 8 Pages Wednesday, July 3,2002 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Crews begin demolishing Heppner’s school .......................................................... . '1 Heppner Elementary School students form a “human chain” in this picture taken in the early 1980s. As part of a “Say No to Drugs and Alcohol” campaign, the chain signified the schools' united stand against drug abuse. Crews have begun demolition of the Heppner Elementary school building. HARVEST HOURS Storting Monday, July 8th: M onday through Friday: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. orrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 equipment mit our web site at www mcgg net ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. Kim Armato and Sally Walker, both of Heppner, were sent on a mission this past May by the W illow Creek Valley Economic Development Group. Their assignment was to attend a grant writing workshop sponsored by W alla W alla C om m unity College and to learn techniques for effective grant writing. “When the opportunity came to take the class, I jumped at it,” said Walker, “ I enjoy working with words.” The class, taught by Terry Edvalson of La Grande, was geared tow ard teaching potential grant writers how to organize information and be able to present it concisely and effectively. “The basic thought of the class,” said Armato, “was that if you get material organized, it will apply to any grant.” Armato w ent on to say that the WCVEDC sponsored them to take this class so that they could gain know ledge of how to write effective grants for obtaining money for the community. A rm ato has w ritten grants in the past for local groups such as Heppner Daycare and Colt Sports. “There is lots of money out there and the only way to get it is to write a letter and ask for it,” said Armato. She was surprised to learn, after looking over past grants received, that over $85,000 had come from grants to fund various Heppner Daycare expenses. “It has made a huge impact on the program,” she said. W alker, a retired language arts teacher and board member o f the assisted living facility, took the class to gain the know ledge needed to write grants for the facility as well as other community projects. “We learned to look at some o f the bigger grants out there and then part them out as needed in the community," said Walker. Walker was surprised to learn that those who w rite grants for our community are competing with professional grant writers. She talked about some o f the important steps to preparing a grant: professional packaging, keeping in contact with the foundation advertising the grant, and justifying the need for the grant. One thing that Walker said she w ill do now that she has learned a few tricks to effective grant writing is to w rite a letter to the Ford Foundation in effort to obtain some funds for the assisted living facility . “1 plan to share this information with others," she stated. “ I want to continue to practice what I'm learning." Fish and Wildlife mov ed The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has moved their office. The new office is located in the old Kinzua office building with the OSU Extension Service at 54173 Highway 74. Fhe community is invited to stop by and see the new office and anyone w ith questions can call 676-5230. cut in a teaching position was by attrition—retirement. Several in the audience, including Mike Armato, a member o f the school district budget com m ittee, m aintain that Anderson's projections are just that, projections. Armato says that Anderson mislead the board and the public by under-estimating cash carry over, even alter audited financial statem ents were available. "In 2000-01 Anderson predicted that the carry over would be static, even after eliminating 17 teaching positions,” said Armato. "The audited financial statements show that rather than remaining static, the carry over increased by $1.2 million to $2-1/2 million." The carryover for 2001-02 is estimated at over $2.6 million, according to district figures. A nderson earlier predicted that the district would lose money, even if the board had approved five cuts, because of reductions in state funding and increased expenses. He estimated that during 2002-03, even if the board had cut five teaching positions, the district would have revenues o f $15,187,000, (not including beginning cash) compared to expenses of $ 16,151,751 —a loss of $964,751. If the district had retained all five teaching positions, Anderson estimated that the district would have revenues (w ithout beginning cash) o f $15,187,000 and expenses o f $16,476,751—a $1,289,751 loss. The board’s action to cut only one teacher reduces the district’s 2002-03 ending fund balance by $374,655 to $635,345. The district may end the year with more than a $635,345 carry over, but is required by law to have at least that much in carryover. Cutting one teaching position, probably from Heppner Elementary School, subtracts $64,808 from the budget. Also included in the amendment to the budget is a $230,000 cut—a four- percent reduction in teacher costs resulting from the district offering the teachers a two-percent raise, rather than a six-percent raise offered earlier. The board also approved a resolution adopting a $446,222.419 budget for the 2002- 03 year. Anderson's last day was Friday, June 28. New superintendent Jack Crippen was on board at the district office starting Monday, July 1. The catch of the day Scott Maker, 14, of Heppner caught this bass at Willow Creek Lake earlier this week. The fish weighed six pounds. Economic group appoints new board members At its June 19 meeting The Willow Creek Valley Economic D evelopm ent Group (WC'VEDG) appointed David Sykes and Howard Mullins to the board of directors. Mullins, w ho lives in lone, will replace Cindy Doherty, and David Sykes o f Heppner w ill replace Tom Wolff, both o f whom have resigned. Mullins has a background in m anufacturing and business ownership and Sykes is publisher of the Heppner Gazette-Times new spaper as well as a real estate agent with Heritage Land Co. in Heppner. In other business at the meeting the board heard a report from Jerry Breazeale who said that a "spec” building at the South Morrow Industrial Park would cost approximately $80.000 or about $20 per square foot. W CVEDG is investigating building a shop type structure at the park in an effort to attract some type of business there. The group has a $ 100.000 grant from the Baker Morrow Partnership for improvements at the industrial park. Breazeale also reported that he had been in contact with Americlnn. a Minnesota based motel chain that builds motels in “underdeveloped" areas. The business offers franchises and also has plans for investors. WCVEDG has been working on ways to bring more visitor accommodations to Heppner. A recently a study done by the group Community Oregon suggested a new motel facility w ould need 2.5 acres of land to locate in Heppner and would be best located on Main Street. Discussion focused on possible locations, including near the golf course. The state of Oregon does not like that location and B reazeale said he had contacted the Departm ent o f Land C onservation and Development to inform them of A m ericln n ’s interest in the Heppner area and DLCD's help. Sykes passed out a letter which was to be sent to business brokers in several western states inquiring about possible businesses for sale. WCVEDG is conducting a "buy a business" plan for the industrial park and investigating the feasibility of purchasing a business and moving it to the H eppner area. The business would stimulate the local economy and prov ide needed employ ment in the area. Sykes also reported on talks WCVEDG has been hav ing with an emu farmer from the Gaston area. The fanner has been in the area twice looking at possible sites for the farm and meeting with WCVEDG members. Water park closed July 4lh The W illow Creek Water Park w ill be closed on July 4lh to observe Independence Day. The pool w ill reopen at the regularly scheduled time on Friday .
