Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - THREE Chamber Chatter ! City awarded $4 million loan for water upgrade project The city o f Heppner has been awarded a $4 million low interest loan and a $250,000 grant to upgrade the city’s water system, the city council was inform ed M onday night. The loan and grant are part o f a $6 m illion project to upgrade the c ity ’s water system. The loan is at one percent interest and would be paid back o v er a 30 year tim e period. M oney to pay back the loan w ould be raised by an increase in city w ater rates. At present a typical $ 17.20 per month water bill for 7,500 gallons o f w ater w o u ld be raise d to $35 per month. The increase is part o f the requirement to get the loan, says H eppner city m anager Jerry Breazeale Breazeale said the loan, along with an additional $2 m illion needed for the total $6 m illion p r o je c t w o u ld fu n d th e replacem ent o f old, inadequate, undersized and leaking water m ains throughout the city. It w ould also pay for a new water storage tank and three more city wells. “ We are planning on m eeting with com m unity groups in the Community gift tree at Red Apple Marlene Currin with Christmas Community Gift Tree at Red Apple. The combined ministries o f H o p e L u th e ra n , V alby Lutheran and All Saints Episcopal churches decided to join with the Heppner Neighborhood Center to create a Community Gift Tree. Red Apple M arket in Heppner provided space for the set up o f the tree. T h e N e ig h b o rh o o d Center provided the 14 boys and girls and tw o seniors, w ith the possibility o f more names. C om m unity m em bers are free to take the “stars” o ff the tree, which include the gender, age, and sizes and gift ideas, to purchase and wrap a gift for that person. Gifts should be returned with the “star” to Jan Skaggs at the N eighborhood Center, who will distribute the gifts. Gift packages need to be delivered to the N eighborhood C enter by W ednesday, Dec. 18 at 5p.m. Murray Drugs joins with MC Foster Care to provide gifts future to explain the project,” Breazeale said. Skate park In other business the council heard from Randy Rayburn and public w o rk s d irector C raig C an h am w ho have been researching the possibility o f a new skate b o ard park to be constructed at the old swimming pool site in Heppner. Rayburn and Canham traveled to several area communities and Obituaries John Leonard Hanna John Leonard Hanna, 86, o f H erm iston, form erly o f H eppner, died Friday, Dec. 6, 2 0 0 2 , at G o o d S h e p h e rd Medical Center in Hermiston. A graveside service was held Sunday, Dec. 8, at Heppner Masonic Cemetery. Hanna was bom Jan. 30, 1916 at M onm outh to John and L u lu H a n n a . H e m o v e d to Heppner with his family when he was nine years old and attended Heppner schools. On M ay 12, 1945, he married Mildred Hajenga. Hanna loved being with his fam ily and attending all his k id s’ sporting events. He also a tte n d e d a b a sk e tb a ll g am e coach by his grandson, Jason Hanna, ju st three w eeks ago. He was a great hunter and loved to go to the mountains. He also enjoyed traveling. Hanna was employed at Kinzua Mill for a number o f years and also farmed the family ranch on Hinton Creek near Heppner. H a n n a a n d h is w ife m o v e d to H e r m is to n in Septem ber 2000. Survivors include his wife, Mildred ofHermiston; sons, D avid and L eonard, both o f Heppner; daughters, Nancy Hunt o f Dufur, and Judy Stachnke o f The D alles; sisters, M ildred C onnor and Jean Bennett, both o f H eppner; grandsons, Jason H anna and Jon H anna, both o f H e p p n e r, a n d o n e g r e a t- grandson. Memorial contributions m ay be m a d e to P io n e e r M emorial N ursing Hom e, P.O. Box 9, Heppner, OR 97836. S w eeny M o rtu ary o f H e p p n e r is in c h a rg e o f arrangements. OWC to hold meeting (L-R) Shannon YVicklund and Kelly Jo Keithlcy, organizers of the Christmas W ish List tree, with tree and presents all ready brought in. K elly Jo Keithley and Shannon W icklund helped to organize the Christmas Wish List tree at M urray D rugs. They received 30 names from Morrow County Foster Care, for children ranging in age from two months to 17 years. People wishing to join in th e g ift g iv in g can sto p by M urray’s and choose a wish list tag, or a single item o ff a wish list. Once the gift is purchased, presents should be wrapped and returned to M urray’s by Dec. 16, with the wish list tag num ber on the present. M orrow County Foster Care will supply gifts for those wish lists not filled by community members. IGLER 4 JEANS T h e O re g o n W h e a t Com m ission will hold a special meeting on M onday, Dec. 16 in the Riverfront Center located at 2 M arine Drive, Boardman, at 1 p.m. The m eeting will include commission business concerning statute modernization. C om m ission m eetings are open to the p u b lic , and anyone wishing to participate is encouraged to do so. Persons w ishing to participate in the conference call should contact the commission office in advance on the m eeting to obtain to the appropriate information. The meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the hearing impaired should be made at least 48 hours in advance o f the m eeting to the com m ission office at (503)229-6665 or TTY (503) 986-4762. looked at skate parks there. They show ed a video ofH erm isto n , A thena, M ilton-Freew ater and Walla Walla parks. Rayburn said he is planning on holding several public meetings to talk about the project and a n s w e r p u b lic q u e s tio n s . Breazeale said the way the skate park is constructed could help lim it any increased liability insurance costs to the city. New city sewer line policy The city council also passed a new city sewer policy that will have the city take care o f lateral sewer lines on city property and right o f w ays from the mainline to a hom e or business ow ners property line. In the past property owners were responsible for the entire lateral line, or line that run from the main to their hom es or businesses. “ We want to better serve the public,” Breazeale said about the change in policy. Tree Auction and Christmas at the Courthouse held Attendees at “Christmas A t T h e C o u r th o u s e ” w e re g r e e te d at th e d o o r by em ployees and mem bers o f the C e n te n n ia l c o m m itte e w ho shared history, pointed them toward the array o f cookies and handed out programs listing the variety o f trees to be auctioned at the end o f the evening. Guests strolled about choosing the tree for the People’s C hoice award and selecting their favorite to bid on during the Heppner Chamber o f Com m erce first tree auction. Following the music prov ided by the W illow Creek Sym phony Strings, attendees moved to the C ourtroom for the auction o f trees. Ken Grieb, with assistance from Chris Rauch, did auctioneer honors. The W h e a tla n d Insurance silver snowflake winter w onderland tree by Kim Bach w as purchased by Jerry and M a rc ia B reazeale. D an and Doris Brosnan were high bidders on the gold, green and m aroon V ic to rian tree d e c o ra te d by S h a ro n H a rriso n and T rish Sweeney. A nother tum -of-the- century tree highlighted w ith tiny Victorian gowttS vvasdesigrted by * Babette Wall and sponsored by the B ank o f Eastern O regon. Logan G rieb and mom Carrie purchased this tree. B eaded f ru it, cranberries, pasta and red apples graced the tree sponsored by C entral Red Apple M arket and decorated by Kim Houw eling. N ancy Snider was high bidder. B u c k n u m ’s/John G och n au er claim ed the green and white bit o ’ Ireland tree, sponsored by The C ountry Rose and created by Pam Worden and Tarina Foster. M o rro w C o u n ty C ourthouse sponsored a fiber­ optic Victorian tree, decked out w ith g la s s a n d p o r c e la in ornaments, including children’s g ifts and stockings beneath. M arlene Gray, bidder by proxy, w as the recipient o f the tree by Men’s breakfast planned T he C h ristia n M e n ’s B reakfast will be held at the H e p p n e r C h u rc h o f th e N azarene, located at 545 NE Pioneer Dr., on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 8 a.m. All men are invited for breakfast and fellowship. We P r in t C o m p u te r Form s H ep p n er G a zette-T im es t • “O ’ Glory,” sponsored by Morrow C o u n ty G r a in C r o w e r s an d decorated by Bonni Ball. Lisanne Currin and Judy Eckman was the largest tree. P e o p le ’s C h o ic e “ W h e a t and Tumbleweed” tree created by Nancy Gochnauer, Suzanne Jepsen and Pat Edmundson. Andrea Denton. Artisan Village donated a liv e tree w ith all natural decorations including baskets and wreaths by Bonnie Wenberg. Merlin Hughes was high bidder. “O ’ G lory,” sponsored by M o rro w C o u n ty G ra in C ro w e rs a n d d e c o ra te d by Bonni Ball, Lisanne Currin and Judy Eckm an was the largest tree. It w as graced with red, w hite and blue ornam ents and Santa clim bing up a ladder to reach the top. The tree will belong to Lisanne Currin, high telephone bidder. T he P e o p le ’s C hoice Aw ard went to the John's Other Place tree. N ancy G ochnauer, S u z a n n e J e p s e n a n d P at Edmundson created this work o f art from w heat and tumbleweeds. Jerry Breazeale took this favorite home. Proceeds o f $670 will go to w a rd o n g o in g C h a m b e r p r o je c ts su c h as w r e a th s , banners, baskets and Tow n and Country aw ards.______ By Claudia Hughes, Exec. Dir. W h e re is th e s u n ? | Where is the snow? This icy fog has got to go! The down side is | that it has a tendency to zap | people’s energy; the up side is the ; opportunity to get your shopping done right here in Heppner. It’s j a short distance hom e w here J presents can be wrapped early, ■ baking can be done, cards written and C h ristm as p re p a ra tio n s j completed w ithout the chaos o f » fog, bad roads and too m any j people! How about som e gun j raffle tickets for stockings o f avid j hunters? Slippers from The Shoe ; Box; clothes from G ardner’s; > classes or fabric from A rtisan j Gallery; gift certificates for dining j out; jew elry from Peterson’s; ! H e p p n e r H a rd w a re fo r the ; hom e-front needs; and check | th o se lists at M u rra y ’s and J Country Rose w ith som ething for ev eryone, or Morrow County Grain Growers? If we d on't use it, we lose it. Have a relaxed hometown holiday season! Small tow ns keep us in focus and give us a quality o f life not found elsew here, but we all need to come together to surv ive Oregon's economic crunch. That is th e r e a s o n th e r e is an opportunity during each Tuesday m eeting to address com m unity and legislativ e concerns. Schools are at the forefront ju st now, because educating our children and grandchildren is crucial to our future and the future o f our elderly. Your Chamber will do its best to keep people inform ed and facilitate positiv e change. Next week will be Third Tuesday with the focus being on b u s in e s s e s . M e rc h a n ts are especially encouraged to attend. P ro g ra m s g e a re d to w a rd custom er service, em ployees, etc. w ill be the focus w ith planning put in place for the mystery shopper program. N o m inations are due T uesday, D ec. 17 fo r Mfrn, W oman. Business, Youth, and Educator o f the Year awards, w h ic h are p rese n ted by the Chamber at the annual T owti and Country Banquet on Jan. 16. If you d id n 't have the opportunity to see the beautiful trees donated to the tree auction at the courthouse, some will be th e r e th ro u g h th is w e e k .1 Victorian, Irish, tum blew eed, patriotic, exquisite and all natural g raced the ro o m s as p eo p le m ingled over refreshm ents and voted for their favorite during “Christmas At The Courthouse” this past Saturday evening. The Morrow County Courthouse has provided a year o f celebration o f their 100th anniv ersary and the C h a m b e r a p p r e c ia te d th e opportunity to be a part o f the activities. A round o f applause for all who lit up trees, hung wreaths, m ade Stroll H eppner and the L ig h t p a ra d e , p ic tu re s w ith Santa, music and Christm as At T he C o u rth o u se possible. It takes an abundance o f tim e for these events to happen. It's about volunteers and the gift o f time; it's about energy, even in the fog! It’s about community. Enjoy the Adv ent season a n d th e s p irit o f g i vi ng o f yourselves for others. Taking Care of Business We're in the business of taking care of business. Cowboy Cut* leans GARDNER’S MEN’S WEAR HOLIDAY HOURS December 8th, 15th, 22nd: Open 12-4 p.m. December 24th: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free Gift Wrapping • Layaway For Chriatmas Gardners Men\ Wear (541 ) 676-9218 • 193 N. Main Street • Heppner Member FDIC Bank of Eastern Oregon H O M E T O W N C O M M U N I T Y S P IR IT H O M ETO W N C O M M U N IT Y PRIDE