TW O - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 5, 2003
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
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H eppner
G A Z E T T E -T I M E S
City Council to hold meeting to discuss
Heppner water project
U.S.P.S. 240-420
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D a v id S y k e s .................................................................................. P ub lishe r
K atie W a ll .......................................................................................... Ed itor
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Today’s students
tomorrow’s future
______ Letters to the Editor______
are
By Courtney Nelson
I know that the only thing everyone has heard about the
last couple of months is the school budget cuts, but 1 still think it
is a topic that needs to be talked about with a bit sharper tongue
in print.
Yes, all we hear about is lone wanting to secede from
the union, oops, 1 mean the Morrow County School District;
but 1 do applaud them for their efforts and 1 do believe that they
can do it. 1 think from the amount of people that they have in the
community coming to their meetings and the willingness to pay
for certain things, they can do it. Even if lone doesn’t have a
school district for very long it will be one o f those stories either
fondly remembered or chuckled about depending on how it
works out.
Personally, 1 think that the best idea for our area schools
would be to have the lone and Heppner schools combine on a
neutral campus in Lexington. But I don’t think that the schools
could afford to build another school in the next year.
Most o f us aren't worried about the schools combining
or seceding; we care about the effectiveness o f our schools and
what is good for the students. (Or at least that is what we should
be thinking about.) I have taken a little survey o f teachers and
aides in the Heppner schools and they all agree that they don’t
prefer the cuts and o f course no one would; but surprisingly
they have been suggesting things to make the recent problems
better. When 1 asked the question, “What do to you think that
the state o f Oregon should do to change the current situation?”
I just expected to hear things like, “Get a better budget,” or
“Stop sending money to a war effort,” but I can tell you I got
nothing o f the sort. Most teachers and aides told me that the
state should find a better tax base for education and other state
needs. Some even suggested to have a sales tax, which I think
is a good idea.
While doing my research, I found out other states
support their schools with a constant tax. For instance, Arizona
uses a tax on automobile owners. I think that they pay something
like 40 percent tax on their car. It sounds like a good plan but I
don’t think that Oregon residents are willing to pay that much
for a constant tax for schools.
Then there is a fact that our school district is no longer
supporting the outdoor school program. In other areas o f
Oregon, the students have lost outdoor school opportunities
completely, but here, we are lucky enough to have a supportive
community. Our Heppner Parent’s Club has now vowed that
there will be a Tupper outdoor school program whether the
school will support it or not.
The other thing is that we will lose a lot o f our learning
quality. The people on the survey agreed with me on that fact.
They agree that with larger classes and fewer opportunities for
electives it will greatly affect the students o f our small town. I
am sorry for the elementary students who may not have a chance
to have band or a music program next year. Or the library that
will not be as well kept and shelved as it is now because there
may not be even an aide in there to made sure everything is in
the right order. I am also sorry that these children can’t experiment
with art already. All kids will do in the a few years is sit in a
room and occasionally go out to the playground. They may read
about culture, but never be able to experience it. They may
have feelings that would be wonderfully expressed through art
or music that may never be discovered. Not all children succeed
through sports activ ities; students have many different gifts and
talents. As I said, I feel sorry for the children o f the elementary
school who will be hurt the most.
Then there are the students o f the high school who will
only lose opportunities for new learning. We will now learn more
through a television than from a human. Now understand, I do
think this is a wonderful opportunity but I think that if a student
has a question, it is hard to ask a camera. We have also been
lead to believe that we could get the chance to have more
electives than we have at the moment. I’ve seen the principal
asking the students o f the high school what electives we would
like to have in the school next year and the students I saw rattled
o ff about 20 different electives and Mr. Smith said that they
were all possible. Now this boggles my mind; ifw e are having
to take aides and teachers from our schools, how in the world
are more electives possible? How can we have a drama class
when we barely have a drama club?
But my largest question is, are you taking money from
younger students and giving it to older students when younger
students learn more and need more? And can the community
do anything about it? Remember today’s student is tomorrow’s
future.
To the Editor:
Next Monday evening
the City Council will hold a
public hearing to hear input on
the proposed Water System
Project for Heppner. After the
hearing, the Council is expected
to take action on whether to
proceed w ith the project and
related loans and water rate
increases. I believe the project
is sorely needed. I believe the
water system infrastructure in
H ep p n er is in d ep lo rab le
condition. Stop by City Hall and
examine the various chunks o f
pipe taken from repairs made
in various parts o f our city. I
believe the financing package
the City has arranged is as
good a “ d e a l” as we can
possible get. The majority of the
value will be a loan at one
p erce n t in terest. A $1.25
million grant and a $900,000
standard R.U.S. loan will round
out the package. If we are
going to do the project, I
believe this is the best way to
pay for it. The big question is
“do we do the project?” On the
down side, the grants and low
interest loans require that we
increase our water rates to a
level acceptable to some state
agency. For most people, this
will double, to almost triple, the
water portion o f their current
city utility cost (for sure during
the summer months). (The city
has promised that all revenues
generated by the increase will
be earmarked for project debt
re tire m e n t.) G ratis w ater
provided to churches, ball fields
and other taxing districts will
have to stop. Every service will
have to be on a meter. The City
Council has discussed ways to
continue to provide gratis water
to our ball fields, and some
arrangement will probably be
reached. The low cost financing
also requires some minor ADA
upgrades be installed at City
Hall itself. It is easy to ignore
the improvements needed when
one turns on their faucet and
pure, clean, water spouts forth.
I believe our water system is a
house o f cards waiting to fall. I
urge the residents o f Heppner
to visit City Hall and inspect the
pipe sections there. Read the
project flyer received in your
mail on last Friday. Consider
the costs o f not fixing the
problem s with inexpensive
money, and waiting until the
main lines collapse entirely.
Consider the impact on your
personal budget by doubled
w a te r ra te s. C om e to an
informed opinion. Call your
C ity Councilors and discuss the
project with them. This is our
city. We need to maintain it, and
we must also be able to afford
to live here.
(s) Tom Wolff
Heppner City Councilperson
Help lone on its way out
To the Editor:
Since my early high
school years I’ve becom e
acquainted with many folk in
the lone community. They are
a quality of people who I would
have to give a “ 10.” When they
get together to get something
done, they do a first rate job.
The people o f lone
have decided to leave the
M o rro w C o u n ty S ch o o l
District and form a district o f
their own. On the back page
o f the Feb. 26 issue o f the
Heppner Gazette-Times is the
story. Read it for yourself and
see w hat you think. Read
Senate Bill 372. It’s all right
th e re . N o o n e n eed s a
California attorney to figure it
out.
Self-determination is
ab o u t lo n e ’s p aren ts and
community deciding what is
best for lone’s children. These
people represent credibility,
integrity and are honest, fair and
trustworthy. They would not
take one penny that belonged
to someone else. They only
want to get out and start a new
district as soon as possible.
They have been pushed into
this and they have decided to
get out.
I am a sk in g th e
M o rro w C o u n ty S ch o o l
District and School Board to
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help them on their way. You
pushed them, and quit poking
around with a sharp stick trying
to be big shots. Bury the
hatchet in the ground, not in
y o u r n e ig h b o r ’s sk u ll;
u n d erstan d and try to be
decent.
There is a moral to this
story and I just love morals,
“It’s impossible to plug a round
hole with a square peg no
matter how big the hammer.”
(s) Mel Piper
Chief consultant and executive
director o f Fuller Canyon
Former Heppner
couple leaves
bequest to local
Elks Lodge
T he H ep p n er Elks
Lodge recently received a
bequest o f about $59,000 from
form er H eppner residents
Conley and Violet Lanham.
The Lanhams designated the
Heppner Elks Lodge as one of
the b e n e fic ia rie s o f th eir
c o m b in e d
e s ta te , and
re q u e s te d the fu n d s be
m anaged
to
p ro v id e
scholarships for area high
school seniors. The lodge
tru s te e s and s c h o la rs h ip
co m m itte e m em bers w ill
manage the funds.
Vi Lanham, a former
te a c h e r and c o u n c ilo r at
Heppner High School, died in
early 2002. She was involved
with the local Soroptimist Club.
Conley, a past Exalted Ruler of
the local lodge, owned and
operated the Western Auto
Hardware store in Heppner for
many years and later owned a
ranch in the lone area. He had
died earlier. The Lanham s
named many beneficiaries in
their wills, including former
co lleg es and professional
organizations.
Expertise adds to success of St. Pat’s
Senior Center
Volunteers who lend their time and energy to activities
at St. Patrick’s Senior Center in Heppner have been described
in previous issues. There are also several key persons whose
expertise adds to the success and friendly atmosphere o f the
center.
Mike Amato is the Case Manager for the use o f grant
monies allocated to M orrow County through CAPECO
(Community Action Programs o f East Central Oregon). He is a
paid employee o f the agency. At the center, he primarily oversees
the smooth running o f the Wednesday lunches - menu planning,
working with the cooks, delivery o f Meals on Wheels, working
with the maintenance personnel for the kitchen and dining room,
and being the liaison between the Board o f Directors o f St.
Patrick’s Center and CAPECO.
Armato’s total job description covers much more. His
office is shared space in the Veteran’s Affairs office, on the first
floor in the back o f Heppner Hardware. His responsibilities
include other services to assist senior citizens in all areas o f
Morrow County with heating, household labor, transportation
and other acute needs. He maintains a close cooperation with
other agencies (such as the Extension Service), merchants who
offer assistance (Red Apple frequently gives food supplies), and
other business people.
“Mine is very much a one to one, ‘hands on jo b ’ o f
helping people with everyday needs,” says Armato.
April Wilson is another paid employee, who is head
cook for the Wednesday noon meal. She works directly with
Armato on meal planning and purchasing orders. She supervises
the Meals on Wheels, which go out each week and the
preparation o f extra frozen meals for those who find meal
preparation difficult. She often circulates and visits with the
diners.
Barbara Struthers is a volunteer who is the coordinator
for the RS VP people in dining room on Wednesday. She and
Dorothy Odell work together to be sure every one signs in, as
an accurate count is needed. A personal touch she adds is
providing cards to persons who are ill, bereaved, or celebrating
an event o f note. All guests are invited to sign the card, which
she sends or delivers. Barbara is a member o f the community
welcoming committee. As such, she prepares and delivers a
basket o f fruit to each new resident in the St. Patrick’s
apartments. From observation, she can be named the gracious
hostess o f the event when many eat together on Wednesday.
She is also a resident who, with Ralph, her late husband, was,
and is an ever-present volunteer to assists in many places o f
need at the center.
Marian Murchison, resident, is also apartment manager.
She is also a member o f the Heppner City Council. In a future
issue, her job will be discussed.
A familiar group o f seniors are busy planning their annual
St. Patrick’s parade float. Be watching for them - they are a
riotous bunch.
CHAMBER CHATTER
By Claudia Hughes, Executive Director
Reality. We are up against some very big challenges
that seriously effect our way o f life, be it educating our students,
taking care o f our seniors, our safety, the economy, and the list
goes on. All this comes right in the midst o f a possible war.
Placing blame solves nothing; communicating with the legislature
and each other can help.
So, what do we do? We look at the glass half full instead
o f half empty. We count our blessings. And we continue to hope
the Willow Creek Valley, consisting o f Heppner, Lexington and
lone will continue to be the best that we can be under the present
circumstances. We respect each other as we strive for what is
best for each community. We work at being honest and above
board. We make sure facts are known and rumors squelched.
Become detectives: make sure fiction isn’t leading the parade.
Count to ten.
More than ever we need to remember that old saying,
“N ever judge another until you have walked a mile in his
moccasins.” Willow Creek Valley shares in and supports each
other’s activities, be it Town and Country, St. Pat’s, Fourth o f
July, Fair and Rodeo, or Christmas events; we work together
on trying to bring new industry and jobs to the area. We promote
each other; we attend church together; we drive from town to
town to work and for meetings. Our communities overlap in so
many ways and we are all too small to stand alone. We need to
respect each community’s wishes, working both separately and
together when appropriate. We need to squelch rumors that
arise out o f fear and share every positive story we hear. Bottom
line, we need each other, and we need to set a fine example for
the youth we are trying to help. Whatever the outcome, wherever
each community goes from here, is still unknown. But, together
we can all make the best o f tough situations and grow from the
experience.
On Tuesday, March 11, the Chamber program will be
a conference call with Representative Greg Smith and Senator
David Nelson. Legislature needs direction. They need to hear
from people who care.
And with that, may the luck o ’ the Irish shine down on
one and all during next w eek’s celebration when we all come
together for food, fttn, and shenanigans. A bit laughter is the
best medicine under any circumstances.
Highway litter pickup date announced
T he St. P a tric k ’s
Annual Celebration will be
happening in just a few days,
so it’s time to do the Chamber
o f Commerce sponsored litter
pickup on the state highways
through town.
T he d a te for the
C ham ber volunteers litter
p ic k u p a c tiv ity w ill be
Wednesday, March 12, from
DA’s Report
5-6 p.m.
C h ris to p h e r Jo n es
U se S to p O reg o n
pled guilty to Harassment-
Litter and Vandalism (SOLV)
violation. Jones was sentenced
litter bags to collect any trash
to pay $199 in fines.
or unsightly vegetation along
y o u r stre tc h o f th e state
highway. You may dispose o f
your litter yourself or put the
litter bag by a street sign for the
Chamber volunteers to collect.
Your assistance with
this effort to prepare Heppner
for the St. Patrick’s Celebration
is appreciated.
C o n ta c t
John
Edmundson, Chamber litter
pickup coordinator, 676-5177,
if you have any questions or
you need flagging to mark
hazardous material.