Heppner gazette-times., February 25, 2004, Page FOUR, Image 4

FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 25, 2004
city land swap
continueJfrom page l
option.” Several m em bers o f
the tire department were at the
m eeting and spoke in favor o f
the proposal.
C ity M a n g e r Je rry
B reazeale said it appears the
city could purchase the bank
b u ild in g w ith o u t any new
m oney and would not require
a bond issue. There has been
e n o u g h m o n e y se t a s id e
through the budget for city hall
im provem ents that is in the
reserve account to m ake the
loan paym ents. The Bank o f
Eastern O regon is oBering to
loan the m oney to the city at
an interest rate o f 4.9 percent.
T here is also a tenant in the
K lam ath First building that
w ould generate incom e to the
city through rentals.
Council member Tom
W o lff s a id he h a s h e a rd
negative com m ents about the
project but “ I do n 't know o f a
better com bination o f events
to happen at the sam e tim e.
C o u n c il m e m b e r J u d y
B u schke sa id m ost o f the
comm ents she has heard from
the public have been positive,
h o w e v e r , th e r e a re s till
q u e stio n s from the public
a b o u t t a k in g th e b a n k
property o ffth e tax rolls.
In other city business
the council heard a report from
B reazeale that a proposal to
include property w est o f the
city limits in the urban growth
boundary had m et w ith mixed
feelings from landowners. He
said som e landowners want to
be included in the UG B, but
others did not because o f fears
their taxes w ould increase.
“ M any people feel this is the
first step tow ards annexing
their property into the city.”
Breazeale said he explained to
p ro p e rty o w n e rs th a t th e
council had no desire to annex
the property included in the
U G B u n le s s th e o w n e r s
w anted to put city sew er and
w ater on their property, and
at th a t tim e th e p ro p e rty
would have to be annexed into
the city. He pointed out that
these properties are already
getting police service.
lone School District hires first
im m ediate repair list. A llen
superintendent
T h e lo n e S c h o o l
District Board, at their regular
meeting Feb. 17, unanimously
h ire d 2 8 - y e a r - o l d B ry n
B ro w n in g a s th e f ir s t
superintendent/principal ofthe
fledgling 150-student school
district.
B row ning, w ho has
been
w o r k in g
a s an
adm inistrative intern o f th e
22,0 0 0 -stu d en t V ancouver,
WA School D istrict, is the
d a u g h te r o f a c tin g 1SD
s u p e r i n te n d e n t G e o r g e
M urdock, superintendent o f
the U m atilla-M orrow ESD.
F o r th e p a s t s ix y e a r s
B row ning has w orked as an
intern, teacher and reading
specialist at the Hazel Dell
E le m e n ta r y S c h o o l in
V ancouver. (S ee ad jo in in g
story.)
A ls o
at
th e
Wednesday night meeting, the
b o a rd a p p ro v e d tw o -y e a r
contract extensions for the
2005-06 and 2006-07 school
y e a rs for all the d is tr ic t’s
teachers: Barbara Collin, Dale
Holland 11, Duane Neiffer, Jim
Raible, Ryan Rudolf, Thomas
Shear, Lindsay O rem , Karen
Holland, Linda Neiffer, Dean
Robinson and Steve Schaber.
In other business the
board:
- a p p o in te d
L is a
Rietm ann, Bink Ram os, Joel
Peterson, Howard Mullins and
L in d a L a R u e to th e IS D
Budget Committee.
-approved a contract
with Um atilla-M orrow ESD,
w hich agreed to provide the
sam e level o f serv ices for the
com ing year as in the past.
- a p p r o v e d s e llin g
non-nutritious food items, such
as ju ic e and fruit roll-ups, to
the students. Principal Dick
A llen told the board that the
ite m s a re o f f e r e d to th e
students after lunch. The board
also heard that the students are
enjoying lunch m ore and are
g e ttin g m o re to e a t th a n
previously.
-learned that the lone
Schools counselor has taken
a position at W indy R iver
E le m e n ta r y S c h o o l in
B oardm an. H ow ever, A llen
said that the position might be
s o o n fille d w ith an lo n e
resident.
-heard a report from
Allen concerning the district’s
reported on num erous repairs
th at h a v e been m ad e, but
added that som e rem ain and
problem s continue w ith the
heating system in the cafeteria.
Allen estimated that the heating
problem s in the cafeteria are
expected to be resolved in
around tw o weeks.
- le a r n e d t h a t th e
school received a “ stro n g ”
state report card. W hile the
sc h o o l re c e iv e d th e sam e
report as the previous year,
m ore students are m eeting or
exceeding state standards.
- le a r n e d t h a t th e
d istrict expects to have an
e n d in g b a la n c e o f a ro u n d
$200,000. M urdock told the
board that despite problem s
w ith the school’s boiler system
a n d th e d e fe a t o f B a llo t
M easur6 30, w hich Would
have raised additional state
monies for schools, he expects
the district to have adequate
funding for the com ing year.
He said the district w ould go
b a c k to th e $ 4 .8 b illio n
statew ide funding level upon
w hich the ISD budget w as
originally built.
-set a budget/election
calendar as follow s: Feb. 9-
b oard o f d ire c to r vacancy
notice published by county
clerk; M arch 17-teacher/staff
2004-05 budget requests due
to superintendent; M arch 19-
filing deadline for school board
can d id ates; M arch 22-first
notice o f budget com m ittee
m eeting published; A pril 5-
s e c o n d n o tic e o f b u d g e t
comm ittee meeting; April 13-
budget co m m ittee m eeting
w ith e le c tio n o f o ffic e rs ,
p r e s e n t a t io n o f b u d g e t
m essage
and
budget
docum ent, citizen input and
review o f budget docum ent;
M ay 18-board o f d ire c to r
election; June 7-final meeting
ta r g e t d a te fo r b u d g e t
committee approval o f budget;
June 14-publication o f notice
o f b u d g e t h e a r in g a n d
summary o f budget and funds;
June 2 1 -b u d g et h earing, 6
p.m ., regular board m eeting,
a d o p tio n o f b u d g e t, m ake
appropriation and levy tax.
-approved a change in
m eeting dates from M arch 15
to 16, w ith a budget w ork
session set at p.m . and the
regular m eeting to begin at 7
p.m.
Prescription Printouts
Available On Request
For Tax Purposes,
lone superintendent continued from page î
in M arch o f 1998.
In Vancouver, she has
been integrally involved with
school improvement planning
and evaluation, curriculum
design and implementation, K-
12 literacy integration and
training, along with community
a n d p a r e n t i n v o lv e m e n t
program s. M ost recently, she
serv ed as chair o f the H azel
D e ll E le m e n ta r y S c h o o l
B uild in g core team w hich
oversaw the construction o f a
new $7.5 m illion elem entary
school. The school opened in
the Fall o f 2003.
A s part o f her duties
at H azel Dell she has been
active in a variety o f events,
w hich are designed to create
a p a rtn e rsh ip b e tw e en the
parents, the com m unity and
the school.
Browning, a native o f
W alla W alla, WA, is a 1993
graduate o f Walla Walla High
School. A t W alla W alla, she
p a rtic ip a te d in v o lle y b a ll,
basketball, and softball. She
w a s s e c r e ta r y a n d v ic e -
president o f the W alla W alla
FFA C hapter and com peted
at both the state and national
level in the M arketing and
S a le s
and
S e r v ic e
c o m p e t it io n s . S h e is a
recipient o f the State Farm er
Degree.
P r io r to le a v in g
Eastern Washington University
a n d e n te rin g th e te a c h in g
profession, she was employed
by K & F H arvesting as a pea
c o m b in e d riv e r. S he a ls o
drove wheat combine for both
Joe Frazier Farm s and Bill
F ra z ie r F a rm s as w e ll as
driv ing a grass seed com bine
for Sandpiper Farms.
Brow ning is m arried
to Josh Browning, a graduate
o f K ennew ick H igh School,
E a s te r n
W a s h in g to n
University, and a teacher and
coach at Alki M iddle School
in Vancouver. She has tw o
children, Leslie, age three, and
M organ, nine months.
r
The
new
superintendent and her family
plan to m ove to lone as soon
as possible after finishing their
duties in Vancouv er.
In talking about her
new assignm ent. B row ning
said, “This is incredible. After
th e in te rv ie w p r o c e s s , it
becom e perfectly clear that
the lone School D istrict is a
community endeavor to which
everyone is com m itted. It is a
w o n d e r f u l p r o f e s s io n a l
o p p o rtu n ity for m e a n d a
trem endous place to raise a
family.
“ The
in te r v ie w
p ro c e s s w as d e s ig n e d to
provide a firsthand look at the
com m unity, the classroom s,
the relationship betw een the
schools and the com m unity,
and the vision o f the Board. In
short, it w as ju st an exciting
p ro ce ss an d our fam ily is
thrilled to be making this move.
“I was impressed with
the faculty and the commitment
they have made to creating this
district. I w as also im pressed
with how much they care about
m a k in g lo n e a s p e c ia l
experience for their students.
“ In putting together a
new entity, the Board has had
the courage to depart from the
norm in term s o f creating a
new model for how O regon’s
sm all, rural districts should
operate in the future. In fact, I
believe the Board itself has a
firm b e lie f that m any other
O regon districts will w ant to
emulate what lone is doing.
“ I m et a lot o f people
w ho cam e to the interv iew
process and w as surprised to
learn that w hile there w ere
certainly parents there, there
w ere also lots o f com m unity
m em bers w ho just care about
w hat happens in the schools.
This kind o f com m itm ent is
critical to the future o f public
education.
p
“ I am grateful to the
Board for their confidence. I
in te n d to p ro v e th a t th e ir
in v e s tm e n t
w as
v e ry
worthwhile.”
IUCC to hold 30-hour
famine
lone collecting canned food
Eleven teens at lone
U nited C hurch o f C hrist are
looking forw ard to m issing
m e a ls th is S a tu rd a y a n d
Sunday, Feb. 28 and 29. They
will be participating in World
V ision’s 30-H our F am ine, a
program to raise awareness o f
world hunger in young people
w hile raising m oney to help
o th ers in p o v e rty -stric k e n
areas o f the w orld.
The teens, who will go
without food for 30 hours, are
s e e k in g
p le d g e s
and
donations from family, friends,
and church m em bers for the
time that they fast. The money
raised is sent to World Vision,
a Christian relief organization
th a t h a s b e e n h e lp in g in
c o m m u n itie s a fflic te d by
poverty, drought, famine, and
disaster for 50 years. T hey
provide clean w ater, food,
m edical care, and education
to children and fam ilies that
w ould otherwise do without.
The group will also
provide service to the local
com m unity during their fast.
They will go door to door in
fo r
th e
H eppner
N e ig h b o rh o o d C e n te r on
Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m.
O ther activities d u ring the
Fam ine will include bowling,
Bible study, w orship, gam es
and an overnight at the church.
The teens will break their fast
with communion, followed by
a meal, Sunday afternoon.
P a rtic ip a n ts in the
F a m in e in c lu d e T ia n a
C a m a r illo , K a ra C la y ,
Shannon
C la y ,
B eka
D e s B o u illo n s ,
B r itn e e
D esB ouillons, Tori H eagy,
S to rm y K e n d ric k , B ren n a
R ietm ann, A shley S jurset,
L ynzee S ju rset and M issy
Baker. To help the group with
th e ir e ffo rts , c o n ta c t an y
participant or their m anager,
Terri Clay.
Farm Foundation
meeting
rescheduled
The Farm Foundation
a n n u a l m e e tin g h a s b e e n
re s c h e d u le d fo r T u e sd a y ,
M arch 2, at 7:30 p.m ., at the
Museum.
Blakes Ranch
exposed gravel and are
dow n to a dirt surface.
5. I fo u n d n u m e r o u s
instances where the road
w as in need o f repair or
m aintenance, to include
m any potholes and ruts.
This condition was found
along the length o f the
road from the beginning
to the end.
6. T here are a num ber o f
cattle guards on the road.
It is unclear to me why the
road requires a number o f
cattle guards. This leads
to additional questions
and concerns.
7. The road has a number o f
sharp, blind comers along
a very narrow roadbed
( s in g le la n e ) . A c a r
tr a v e li n g fro m th e
opposite direction at a
m oderate or fast rate o f
speed could easily lose
control o f their vehicle
w ith v e ry s e r io u s
consequences.
8. It is still not clear to me
what the condition o f the
r o a d is d u r in g th e
w intertim e. 1 have been
inform ed that during ice
and snowy conditions that
it is f r e q u e n tly n o t
p o ssib le to d riv e th is
route.
“At this time, I cannot
approve an extension beyond
the highway intersection with
the turn-off road. I will allow
a cluster point for a num ber
o f boxes to be established at
this location.”
In resp o n se to the
post office findings, M orrow
C o u n ty P u b lic W o rk s
D ir e c to r B u rk e O ’B rie n
w rote the follow ing to local
postm aster Sally Larsen: “ I
recently read a letter refusing
m ail delivery to the B lake
Ranch addition. It seem s the
s u b s ta n c e o f th e le t te r
referred to the B lake Ranch
road as unim proved. I beg to
differ w ith this ppinion. The
B la k e R a n c h ro a d is an
•m proved graveled county
road. It is m aintained on a
routine basis to a level that
allows school bus operations.
T he inference that this road
n eed s to be a paved road
seem s to be the one area that
I c a n n o t a rg u e . T h ere
currently are no plans to pave
th is r o a d . I a ls o w o u ld
question if the Postal Service
does not deliver mail on other
ro ad s in M orrow C ounty,
which are only gravel. If that
is the case why does this road
need to be p aved?”
Richard Ramso, who
has lived at B lakes for eight
years, said that both UPS and
Fed EX as w ell as school
buses deliver to the entrance
to Blakes Ranch and he can’t
,
^ M umuj ’ j D juuj
Serving Heppner Lexington & lone
t
676-9158
l
understand w hy the post office
will not. “It seems that Mr. Ellis
does not w ant to change his
original ruling, and since we
have proved him wrong about
the condition o f th e Blakes
Ranch R oad, he is trying to
find other excuses to deny us
mail service,” Ramso wrote in
a letter to US Senator Ron
Wyden.
B o th W y d e n a n d
Sm ith w rote letters to Keck
asking that the Post O ffice
e x te n d s e rv ic e to B lak es
Ranch. A representative from
W yden’s office also visited
th e r o a d to in s p e c t its
condition.
K e c k to ld R a m so
o th e r r e a s o n s fo r n o t
e x te n d in g s e rv ic e to the
e n tran ce to B lakes. “ It is
im p o rta n t fo r th e P o sta l
Service to see and understand
not only w hat customers want
at the m om ent in the w ay o f
m ail service, but also what
future potential issues we may
have to face when w e extend
deliveries. C ustom ers may
demand a level o f service that
w ould be inappropriate for a
c a r r ie r to p r o v id e . Tw o
situations that w ould require
our employees to drive on the
side roads in the subdivision
w ould be if m ail is too large
for the mail receptacle or if a
c u sto m e r has acco u n tab le
mail that requires a signature,
thus requiring door delivery if
the hom e is w ithin o n e-h alf
m ile o f the m ail box. The
private roads on the ranch
le a d in g to h o m e s n o t
sufficiently maintained.”
R am so said 23 full
tim e residents and 50 part
time live at Blakes Ranch and
they m ust travel to H eppner
w here they rent boxes that
cost anyw here from $36 to
$60 a year. R am so also said
that, “ It is my understanding
that the person the Postal
Service has hired to do their
rural mail delivery refuses to
m ake the four-mile trip from
W illow C reek Road to Blake
Ranch. “Rural carriers do not
m ake decisions about w here
mailboxes are to be placed or
their lines o f trav el,” Ellis
w rote in a letter to Ram os.
“That is the function o f postal
management.”
“You are not required
to pay for mail service as long i
as you h a v e a v a ila b le an
a lte rn a tiv e fo rm o f m ail
delivery,” Ellis added. “ You
have the right to place a mail
box on the line o f travel o f the
carrier, which is at the Blakes
Ranch Junction. Should you
decide to elect to have this
form o f mail delivery, you will
n e e d to c o n ta c t th e
Postmaster in Heppner.”
...........
S’O ôfüon
C
su m ô c a
POOL CALCUTTA BENEFIT
for RON SCHWARTZ
Saturday, February 28th
at GO'S Restaurant in Heppner
Starting w ith an A u ctio n at 4 p.m. at GD's
(The Calcutta will begin after the Auction)
Sign up for the Calcutta
at GO'S Restaurant
4
Jeweler« of Amortea. Inc.
Petersons
T
F o r m ore in fo rm a tio n
217 North Main
Heppner
mail continued from page l
Heppner
call Pat a t 676-9048
Proceeds to go towards
medical and travel expenses
I
• o * e »o «o «e «e * o * e * o «e «o «o «e «e «o *
itti