1903 Heppner flood commemorated
Be93le Äetzall
U of 0 Nemapapar Lit;ary
E u ^ a a a , ÜR
9M J3
M em bers of the H eppner 1903 Flood C om m em oration C om m ittee pose in period
dress at the granite Hood memorial at the H eppner Masonic Cemetery Saturday (left
to right): front-R obin K rebs, Sharon H arrison, Doris Brosnan, John Fdm undson,
Claudia Hughes; hack-Dan Dunnett, Pat Sweeney, K athryn Hoskins and ClifT Green.
Not pictured are Pat Edm undson, Bob Jepsen and Peg Willis.
VOL. 122
NO. 25
10 Pages
Wednesday, June 18,2003
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
New city water rates start June 23
Below rates will show up on bills received in August
Minimum for 0 to 1,999 gallons
$8.75 per month
2,000 to 3749 gallons
$17.50 per month
3,750 to 5,624 gallons per month
$26.25 per month
5,625 to 7,500 gallons per month
$35.10 per month
$35.10 +. 90 per 1000 gallons over 7500
Usage over 7,500 gallons
Commercial, industrial and multifamily (3 or more dwelling units) will have a
minimum monthly charge of $35.10 for up to 7,500 gallons, plus, a minimum charge
of $8.75 for each dwelling or business unit over one. Usage over 7,500 gallons for
the first unit and 2,000 gallons for each additional unit is 90 cents per 1000 gallons.
Outside the city limits for residents, businesses and industrial services shall
be charged a right of service fee of $20 per month in addition to the charges
outlined above.
The city o f H eppner w ill
im plem ent new and higher
water rates (see table) June 23
that will show up on July bills
citizens receive die first part of
A ugust. The city council
approved the new rates at its
last monthly meeting Monday
June 9.
The new rates will pay for
a $6 m illion w ater upgrade
project for Heppner.
Som e council m em bers
expressed apprehension about
having to raise water rates, but
finally admitted there was no
o th e r w ay to pay for the
needed repairs to the city
water system . “The Dalles,
Stanfield, lone, all upped their
w ater ra te s,” said council
m em ber Tom W olff. “ O ur
rates have been low er than
normal. Now we will be higher
than normal. A nd we m ight
have to go up again,’’W olff
said. “But this rate schedule is
fair and it is something we have
to do,” he said.
“ I d o n ’t w ant to do it, but
it is som ething that has to be
d o n e ,” e c h o e d c o u n c il
member Kay Robinson.
In other business the council
learned that the city contract
w ith th e c o u n ty s h e r i f f
'sdepartm ent would increase
more than anticipated. Sheriff
V erlin D enton w as at the
meeting and said that because
of
in c r e a s e d
v e h ic le
maintenance, insurance costs
and a salary increase in the
departm ent this y e a r’s city/
sh e riff contract will be up
more than he thought last year.
T he c ity paid the s h e riff
d e p a rtm e n t $ 1 5 0 ,8 4 0 fo r
services last year and has
budged $ 171,261 for the next
year’s services.
“ I have positive feedback
from the public about our
relationship with the county
sheriff, and I recom mend we
adopt the resolution (to hire
them again for the year),”
W olff said.
M erle C o w e tt w as
appointed to fill a vacancy on
the city council. C ow ett is a
former city police officer.
Staying cool
Dan Brosnan and Sarah Barrow portray individuals who survived the 1903 Heppner
flood during the ‘Dinner at the C em etery' dinner theater Saturday. The event drew
around one hundred people who enjoyed a lamb dinner, music by the Cascadia Folk
Q uartet of Portland and a dram atic presentation which included accounts of people
who survived the flood, portrayed bv local residents.
The council discussed how
to charge
th e little
league for
water
u sa g e on
three fields
in the city.
The Hager
Street
Park uses
a b o u t
Merle Cowett
2,992,896
appointed to
gallons per
council
year and the Riverside parks
use 796,720 gallons per year
for two fields. The council
agreed that they have to work
out an agreement with the little
league about water usage and
encourage water conservation
on their playing fields.
Descendents of victims of the 1903 H eppner flood pause for a photograph following
the unveiling and dedication of the new granite m em orial m onum ent erected at the
H eppner Masonic Cem etery on Saturday, June 14. Pictured (left to right) are Katie
and Alice C urrier, whose relative, J.L. Hockett, perished in the flood, Merlin Hughes,
Heppner, whose relative, John Ayers, was a victim of the flood; Nonie Mathews-flood
victims Frank, M yrtle and T.B. Harry man; Bob and Shawn Biggs-flood victims, Mattie
Stroud Saling, William Saling and Sarah M organ; M ark Stein-flood victim John Stein;
Sharon Keithley H arrison and Tricia Keithley Sweeney-flood victim Julius Keithly
and others; and Fran Jones-flood victims, Jam es, Delitha, Amanda, Elsie, Lillie May,
Pearl, Lester and Zelma Jones.
Left to right: Philip Spicerkuhn, Paula Spicerkuhn, Bill Kuhn and Ann Spicer, Heppner,
enjoy the evening during the dinner theater, ‘Dinner at the C em etery’ comm emorating
the 1903 H eppner flood.
Nineteen-month old Gavin Hanna found a cool way to beat the 90
degree heat Tuesday with the help of his dad, Jason Hanna of
Heppner, and an inflatable wading pool
CB Sale
Uniden
Pro 510 XL
Get a
M<?GG
for only
$45
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
F*r t ™
visit our web sit* a t www.UKgg.not
This granite memorial monument unveiled at the Heppner Masonic Cem etery Saturday
lists the victims of the 1903 H eppner flood.