Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 16, 2003)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - THREE Morrow County School District board meeting decided to interview up to six c a n d id a te s fo r R a d i e ’s position on Aug. 4 at the district office and postponed a goal setting w orkshop w hich had been set for July 30 until Aug. 6 at Boardman, the date which had been e a rlie r set fo r a policies workshop. The board hoped to have the new board member on board by that time, since the goal-setting could include such important issues as whether to establish a high school in Irrigon. Since Dr. C rippen told the board that the schools’ athletic contests have already been set for the 2 0 0 3 -0 4 sc h o o l y ear, the im m ediacy o f the policies workshop, which had been set for A ug. 6, was not deem ed as crucial and the w orkshop w as postponed until a later date. The board is required to advertise the vacated board position for 20 days prior to selecting a new member. In other business, the board: -elected John Renfro, Lexington, chairman. -becam e deadlocked over electing a vice-chair with B a r n e y L in d s a y , n o r th Lexington, and Julie Weikel, B oardm an, receiving three votes each. -rejected a motion by Lindsay, five to one, to review th e d e s ig n a tio n o f b o a rd attorneys before reappointing the current attorneys, John Witty and Andrea Hungerford. - re c e iv e d a re p o rt from Jeannie Collins, chair o f the Heppner Adopt A Teacher com m ittee, relating that the g ro u p had raised $ 1 7 ,0 0 0 toward employing a half-time te a c h e r at H eppner E le m e n ta ry S c h o o l. (T h e a d d itio n a l fu n d s w o u ld increase a half-tim e teaching position to full-tim e.) The group recom m ended that the funds be used for a half-tim e th ird /fo u rth grade teacher, since the class in question is expected to have around 32 students in the afternoons. The group’s second priority would be to use the funds to increase a h a lf - tim e k in d e r g a rte n teacher at HES to a full-tim e teacher. N orth end schools opted to use their English-as- a-S econd-L anguage m onies to fu n d t h e i r f u ll- tim e kindergarten teachers. The state funds only half-tim e kindergarten. The g ro u p ’s third priority would be to hire an aide for HES, which has no educational aides, other than one-on-one ESD aides, for the coming year. A dopt a T eacher re q u e s te d th a t th e b o a rd approve additional m onies to fond the third/fourth grade teacher until the group could raise the total monies required, estim ated at around $22,000. A fter som e discussion, the board agreed to accept the funds, earmarking them for the specified position, but did not agree to commit district funds to m ake up the difference. Instead they voted to increase the third/fourth grade position to fu ll tim e o n ly fo r the sem ester, thereby allow ing A dopt a Teacher additional tim e to raise the total amount r e q u ir e d . The b o a rd commended the group for their hard work in raising the funds. -put o ff a decision to employ microphones at board m eetings, w hich had been requested by a m em ber o f the audience, until a “ feasibility study” could be undertaken. -v o te d to se ll th e Irrigon Learning Center to the Baker-Union ESD, which has e s ta b lis h e d an a lte rn a tiv e school at the site. Dr. Crippen said that the ESD provides a v a lu a b le se rv ic e w hich is d e s ira b le to re ta in in the county and the building is not useable for M CSD purposes. B o a rd m em ber Pat M cN am ee com m ented that he w ould like to see the funds from sale o f the building, a p p ra ised at $146 ,0 0 0 , be u sed to build new d istrict offices. -in related business, received an appraisal o f the L e x in g to n d is tr ic t o ffic e property o f $67,000 for the land and buildings. The board declined to put the property up for sale “at the present tim e”, voting five to one, since they had p rev io u sly d ecided to keep the office at the current b u ild in g , b e c a u s e o f th e d i f f ic u l ty of m o v in g complicated communications cabling and equipm ent and costs involved. The board had earlier determined that a move w o u ld not re s u lt in c o st- savings for the district and in June rejected a m otion to move the district office, despite a request by Dr. C rippen to m ove to the north end. “W hy would we sell a building w e’re using?” asked Lindsay at the Monday night meeting. -after som e debate, chose W in d y R iv e r Elementary as the name for the newly-constructed Boardman e le m e n ta r y s c h o o l, b u t deadlocked at three and three for tw o proposed nam es for the new Irrigon elem entary school. The board could not d e c id e b e tw e e n Irr ig o n E le m e n ta r y a n d S to k e s Landing Elementary. The issue will be revisited at a later date. SPEIDEL WATCHES with Speidel Watch Bands continued from page one -attended to 2003-04 annual organizational details, appointing superintendent/ clerk, director o f program s, d e p u ty c le r k /b u s ir ie s s m anager, b oard se cre ta ry / personnel director, custodian o f funds and m aking other designations. -review ed the 2002- 03 board goals, w hich the district generally achieved, said Dr. Crippen. - re c e iv e d a re p o rt fro m N an H all o f H e e ry International which stated that the Boardm an, H eppner and lo n e b o n d c o n s tr u c tio n b u ild in g s a re e s s e n tia lly com pleted and nearly ready for occupation -learned that the old lone School is scheduled for demolition on July 21. -h ea rd co n c ern s about pooling o f w ater at the n e w B o a rd m a n s c h o o l c o n s tru c tio n , w h ic h H all attributed to overw atering o f new grass. -heard from Hall that no problems with flooding are a n tic ip a te d at th e Irrig o n sc h o o l c o n s tru c tio n a fte r installation o f the b u ilding’s drainage system. - h e a r d th a t th e renovation o f the locker room at Heppner High School m ay not be completed this summer. T he bid for the HHS locker room cam e in $25,000 over budget and the bid deadline was extended. -heard the follow ing district project report from Howard Sheets: replacem ent o f ex terio r doors at A C H , installation o f a rain gutter at lo n e a n d i n s ta lla tio n o f m agnetic door-hold opens at H ES, HH S and SB E have been completed. Installation o f carpet in five room s at CM S, a tennis court dryw ell and wainscoting at lone, asbestos floor tile rem oval at HES, installation o f metal siding and w in d o w s a t H H S a n d installation o f carpet in tw o rooms at RHS are in progress. Asbestos floor tile removal at HHS is scheduled to begin July 18 and asb esto s flo o r tile removal at ACH is scheduled for July 22. Bids for w indow replacem ent at lone are due July 18. -set a district-wide in- service day in Boardm an for M onday, A ugust 25, the first day o f w ork for teachers and selected B arney Lindsay to r e p r e s e n t th e b o a rd in addressing the assembly. - a c c e p te d th e f o llo w in g r e s i g n a ti o n s / retirem ents: Bob D avidson, retirin g from his teach in g position at R iverside High S c h o o l; C h r is B o n n e y , r e s ig n in g fro m h is S am Boardman Elementary School teaching position; Wally Greer from his C olum bia M iddle School technology education teaching position; L indsay H arle, resig n in g from her H eppner Elem entary School special ed teaching position; Val Campbell resigning from her H eppner H igh School language arts/Spanish teaching position; and Randy Vosberg, re s ig n in g fro m h is lo n e / Heppner Elementary assistant custodian position. -ap p ro v e d th e following employment: Mark R ouska, R H S basic skills teacher; Joyce Hesla, A.C. Houghton Elementary School, T itle I r e a d in g te a c h e r; M a ria n n e A n thony, A C H second grade teacher; Angela D ix o n , SB E fo u rth -g rad e teacher; and Brooke Spencer, SBE fourth grade teacher. -ap p ro v e d th e following extra duty contracts: M ark Rouska, RHS assistant soccer coach; D ieter Waite, HHS assistant boys’ basketball coach; M olly Rhea, Heppner J u n io r H ig h h e a d g i r l s ’ basketball coach. -ap p ro v e d a reso lu tio n auth o rizin g the M orrow County Treasurer to invest school district funds. -received a request to bring names for nominations to the budget com m ittee to the n ex t b o ard m eeting. F our budget com m ittee positions are open; budget com m ittee positions are for three-year terms and members may serve multiple terms. -p u t o f f d e c id in g about flood and earthquake c o v e ra g e u n til m o re inform ation is received on rates, d e d u c tib le s and the am ount o f coverage needed, or if coverage is needed at all. -heard the next board meeting is Monday, August 11, at A C H at 7: 30 p.m. Local farmers help each other with fire Thursday, July 10, a s m a ll f ir e s ta r te d n e a r Lexington on the road side o f Lee W agenblast’s property. T h e f ir e , s ta r te d by an unknown source, was quickly put out and only burned about a 20-foot area. Then on Friday, due to the hot weather conditions, a boy who had com e to mow the W agenblast’s yard, saw sm oke com ing from the area that had been burning the day before. No one was home and so he w ent up to M orrow County Grain Growers to tell them the fire had restarted. Tom Pointer, local farm ers and the Rural Fire Department, came to help put the fire out. Pointer took his tractor and plowed around the fire, to h elp keep it from spreading. However, this time the fire m anaged to bum up along the hillside and cover a 40-acre area. A ccording to Steve W agenblast, 40 acres was nothing compared to what it could have been had no one spotted it and took immediate action. A f te r w a r d s , th e farm ers took the chance to visit and catch up w ith each other and turn a bad situation into something good. Order Magnetic Door Signs HERE Heppner Gazette-Time M.C.C.6. Water Resistant Morrow County [Grain Growon L E X IN G T O N , O R E G O N 1 - 800 - 452-7396 • 989-8221 W A SC O , O R E G O N 1 - 800 - 824-7185 Quartz Movement www.m cgg.net SUPPORTING YOUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING: * PROPANE SALES AND SERVICE * FARM EQ U IPM E N T SALES. PARTS AND SERVICE of A morte«. Inc Ö / Peterson's n j s Jewelers/ Heppner * ATV SALES, PARTS AND SERVICE * FERTILIZER AND FARM C H EM IC A L SERVICE * FARM SU PPLIES AND LIVESTO CK E Q U IPM E N T * D IESEL AND GAS SALES 676-9200 Ì City puts water project on hold continuedfrom page one free up the $70,000 per year set-aside. He said inflation and increased costs to maintain the water system could necessitate the need for rate increases in the future. W olff w as adam ant about the need to rethink the water system and how it is paid for. “ I have just become very gun- shy o f the project,” he told the council. “Talking with a cross- section o f the com m unity I have heard that they do not w ant this size o f project and they d o n ’t w ant to pay for it. We erred w hen we approved the project, he said o f the council’s action. W olff proposed that instead o f th e $6 m illio n p ro je c t requiring $4,750,000 in 30- year debt, that the city should instead look at paring back the cost and adopting a “pay- as-you-go” philosophy. W olff also proposed the tw o new w ells and the new 750,000-gallon water storage tank be elim inated from the p ro je c t. H e p ro p o se d the $ 1 4 3 ,0 0 0 in new rev en u e raised each year from the recently approved w ater fee increases be used every year to pay for the project over a 10-13 year tim e period. He said the city crew could do the work by hiring seasonal help, le a s in g e q u ip m e n t a n d completing the jo b over a 10- 13 year tim e period. A t that point he said, “The city would not be in debt. I cannot do this to the city. I cannot incur this debt on the city,” W olff reiterated. C o u n c il m e m b e r Ju d y B ushke agreed saying she th o u g h t people w ould cut b ack on w a te r usage and revenue w ould probably go down in the future, leaving the city unable to pay its debt w ithout once again raising w ater rates. C o u n c il m em b e r K ay R obinson said she thought people w ould m ove out o f Heppner when the water rates got so high people co u ld n ’t m ak e th e p a y m e n ts . She suggested maybe the city hold an election to see if the voters wanted the new debt. M ayor Bob Jepsen said he has been hearing the opposite from people. “ I w ould be tickled to death to double my paym ents to get a new water system in two years,” Jepsen said. “T om ’s proposal is not in the best interests o f the city. The public says they w ant a w ater system in a couple o f years,” he added. C ouncil m em ber Tim Van Cleave said he was still unsure and “not ready to ju m p into this (refusing the loans and cutting back the scope o f the project). C ity M a n g e r J e rry Breazeale said the city should understand that it w ould not save any debt money unless it is able to cut the project by m ore than $ 1,250,000. That is the am ount o f grant money in the $6 m illion project that must be cut before any savings would show up on the project. The rest o f the $4,750,000 is a one percent interest loan to be paid back over 30 years. B r e a z e a le s a id th a t a lth o u g h h e c o u ld n o t gu aran tee that w ater rates w o u ld n o t h a v e to be increased in the future, he did say that initially the $ 143,000 r a is e d th ro u g h r e c e n tly enacted w ater fee increases w ould not be enough to pay the $203,000 annual payment on the debt. He said a reserve fund o f $70,000 set aside for water repairs could be used to supplement the $ 143,000 and make the annual payment. W o lff said the $70,000 m ight not be available on a yearly basis. He also said that the $ 143,000 figure is based on the past history o f w ater usage in the city. The am ount o f water used may not remain th e s a m e , a n d th a t w ith increased rates people m ight cut b ack on w a te r u sag e, w hich w ould result in low er revenue coming in to the city. B reazeale said if the city does aw ay with the storage tank and makes other changes to the new w ater system plan it could impact the availability o f grant and loan funds. He pointed out that there are also health issues involved. “If we eliminate the reservoir that is a critical part o f the system . Funding cam e to us in part because o f health issues.” He said the city w ater system is very complicated and if correct w a te r p r e s s u r e is n o t maintained and there is leakage in the pipes it could cause health problem s for residents o f the city. He said if the city crew s w ere to do the project over W olff’s proposed 10-13 y e a r tim e span, the g ran t m oney for the project m ight “go away”. The current $6 million water up-grade plan calls for outside contractors to do the work and be done in tw o years. W olff said contractors usually put in about 30 percent profit on projects, and that if the city crew s w ere to do the project local contractors m ight get some o f the work. “We might be able to keep som e o f that money at home,” W olff said. City attorney Bill Kuhn said if the city does the work itself th e re w o u ld p ro b a b ly be increased administrative costs tacked on to the project. W olff’s m otion asked the council to: 1. R e s c in d o u r p rio r approval for the city to re c e iv e an d sp e n d R U S a n d O re g o n lo a n s , g r a n ts a n d m o n ie s fo r th e implementation o f our w ater system m aster plan, 2. That the city manager be instructed to return any borrow ed funds, o r g r a n t m o n ie s c o n tin g e n t on borrow ed funds that the city has received or will receive, for the water project. 3. T hat w e delete the p ro p o s e d w a te r r e s e r v o ir • a n d th e proposed water wells, from our water system project. 4. That we proceed with th e w a te r s y s te m m aster plan program (as am ended), using b u d g e te d re v e n u e raised annually, using n ew , le a s e d equipm ent and city e m p lo y e e s to complete the work. 5. T h a t n o d e b t be taken-on for the water project. We will pay- as-we-go. The council did not pass the motion, however, it did decide to put the project on hold while city staff study the feasibility o f adopting Wolff’s plan. Death Notice Charles A. “Bud” Lundell C h a rle s A. “ B u d ” Lundell, 88, o f Heppner, died S u n d a y , J u ly 13, a t h is re s id e n c e at St. P a tric k ’s Senior Center, in Heppner. A graveside service will be held Saturday, July 19, at the Valby C em etery, in lone. A com plete obituary will appear in next w e e k ’s Gazette-Times. Sw eeney M ortuary, H e p p n e r, is in c h a rg e o f arrangements. »
