City looks at “pooper scooper law
VOL. 123
NO. 11
10 Pages
T he city o f H eppner is
lo o k in g in to e n a c tin g a
“p ooper scooper” law that
B 2 3 3 i 8 iïGtsall
would require dog ow ners to
U o f 0 Ne ïspapar Library.
clean up after their pets while
Eujana, OR 97403
w alking them on city streets
and sidewalks.
The council heard a request
from Les and Janice Paustian
at its last council m eeting
M arch 8 that asked a law
being enacted to “clean up our
community.”
“ In an effort to clean
up our community, and project
an appealing atm osphere for
v isito rs , I p ro p o se th at a
change to the current law be
im p o s e d w h e re a s it be
m andatory for pet ow ners
w alking their pets to carry
appropriate item s to dispose
o f their p e t’s w aste or face a
fine if turned in, or caught,” the
Paustians said in a letter to the
council.
M e m b e rs o f th e
council were generally in favor
o f such a law. “ You have to
watch w ere you are stepping
n o w ,” s a id T om W o lff.
H o w e v e r,
W o lff a ls o
questioned how the law would
be e n fo r c e d . D o w e a sk
police to look out for it? Do
we accost people on the street
a n d a s k th e m f o r th e ir
baggie?” asked Wolff. “I want
to see research done on it,” he
said.
In other business at
th e m e e tin g , th e c o u n c il
r e je c te d a r e q u e s t fro m
H eppner TV to w aive the
Wednesday, March 17,2004
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon co m pany’s yearly franchise
fee. Heppner TV wrote a letter
to the council requesting the
fe e be d r o p p e d c itin g
increased com petition from
s a te llite T V as the m ajor
reason.
Heppner TV pays the
city 3 percent o f gross sales
w hich cam e to $4,879 last
year. The city also charges
Colum bia Basin Electric and
H eppner G arbage Disposal a
Ewe-Do-Bingo winner
franchise fee to operate within
the city.
“The
s a te l li te
industry’s penetration into the
Heppner area, within the past
couple of years is beginning to
show
s tr e s s
on
our
corporation. Satellite dishes
can be installed, on private
property, free o f charge. The
satellite companies are waiving
setup fees, installation fees,
m o n th ly f e e s a n d th e y
advertise on the stations we
tr a n s m it o v e r o u r c a b le
n e tw o r k ,” H e p p n e r T V
president Jacqueline Allstott
w rote to the board in asking
for the fee reduction.
Heppner TV went on
to say that it plans to upgrade
the current system this spring
and sum m er. “ B an d w id th
gained will be available to add
additional channels, a digital
video tier, and possibly other
digital services if econom ics
p e r m i t,” H e p p n e r T V
technician Tom Rawlins wrote.
D espite these upgrades the
company lost almost $ 17,000
in subscription money last year
because o f people dropping
the cable service in place o f
satell ite TV. At the end o f 2002
the TV C om pany had 556
subscribers for an incom e of
$ 199,446. In 2003 there was
a d ro p o f 66 s u b s c rib e rs
bringing yearly incom e to
$180,571.
H eppner
C ity
Manager Jerry Breazeale said
that norm ally the city w ould
ask for an increase at this time
to 5 percent franchise fee for
the cable com pany. “That is
what Columbia Basin Electric
is paying,” he said.
The council was not
fa v o ra b le to w a iv in g the
franchise fee and took no
action on the request. At the
s a m e tim e H e p p n e r T V
announced to the council that
the basic service rate w ould
increase by $3 per m onth to
$31.50 effective Feb. 1,2004.
It said the rate for prem ium
channel HBO will not change.
Heppner TV provides service
to an average 490 subscribers
each month. The company also
said it was discussing lowering
the new subscriber fee for
people coming into town from
the current $ 100, however, it
gave no indication what that
lower fee w ould be.
In o th er action the
council:
-Voted to increase city
em ployee com pensation an
average o f 2.5 percent the
coming fiscal year.
- D is c u s s e d le tte rs
fro m D e v in O il an d th e
M o rro w C o u n ty G ra in
G r o w e r s a b o u t m a k in g
im provem ents to Riverside
Street. Both businesses are
located on the street which has
se e n q u ite a b it o f
deterioration.
-H eard from the city
manager who gave figures that
showed the city could afford
the proposed purchase o f the
form er K lam ath First bank
building for use as a new city
hall using currently budget
figures. As part o f the deal the
Heppner G azette has offered
to p u rc h a s e c ity hall fo r
$ 4 0 ,0 0 0 in c a sh an d the
Gazette-Tim es property. The
Heppner fire departm ent has
indicated the need to expand
it facilities and would use the
Gazette-Times property which
is next to the fire departm ent
for that expansion.
-H eard a com plaint
from M ark A ndrew s o f 190
Q u a id w h o a s k e d th a t
som ething be done about the
excessive speed on Q uaid
Street. He said cars com e
around the corner at a high
rate o f speed.
Still no plea entry
in embezzlement
case
A g ain st the s ta te ’s
strong objection, according to
M o rro w C o u n ty D is tric t
Attorney David Allen, Judge
Ron Pahl granted Sonja Rae
M cC abe a co n tin u an ce in
entering her plea at a hearing
held at the M orrow County
C ourthouse in H eppner on
March 11. The new court date
has been set for April 8 at 4
p.m. in Heppner, in w hich a
plea is expected to be entered.
M cC abe, 40, of
Heppner, has been charged
with 221 counts o f Aggravated
T h e ft, T h e ft in th e F irs t
D egree, Theft in the Second
D egree, Forgery in the First
D e g re e
and
O f f ic ia l
Misconduct in connection with
alleged embezzlement o f funds
from several local entities.
The defense explained
they w anted an extension in
the plea entry so that they
could have tim e to enter pre
trial m o tio n s. O ne o f the
motions discussed, but not yet
e n te re d , w as a c h a n g e o f
venue.
Although Judge Pahl
did not recuse him self at this
hearing, Allen said that all four
local judges will be recusing
themselves before April 8 and
a visiting judge will be brought
in to p r e s id e o v e r th e
proceedings.
At the April 8 hearing,
(Back L-R>: Troy Simmons, Merle Cowett and Bruce Nelson; (Fronl
it is unlikely that a trial date will
L-R): Brian Harmon and Boh Jepsen.
be
se t. b u t d e a d lin e s fo r
green lam p posts in Heritage
m otion entries will be set,
T he H e p p n e r C ity
on Riverside Drive.
Crew , along w ith H eppner
W ithin the next few w hich will h elp m ove the
M a y o r B o b J e p s e n a n d weeks, the sprinkler systems proceedings along, said Allen.
McCabe is still out on
electrician Roger Schoonover w j]| ^ approVed and sod will
worked Monday to install four ^ ,aid said M ayor Jepsen
her release agreement.
City continues work on Heritage Park
Sixth grader. Tori Lovgren follows her little ewe around the grid in the HHS cheerleaders’ Ewe-Do-
c o n te s t s p o n so re d by the
Pat W right Anderson, the A rlington area, w as the H e p p n e r H ig h S c h o o l
form erly o f Heppner, now o f w inner o f the Ew e-D o-Bingo cheerleaders.
Bingo contest.
2004 Great Green Parade winner
l Heppner Day Care won the Non-profit Irish group award.
T he w inners o f the
1 2004 G reat G reen Parade,
h e ld S a tu rd a y , M a rc h 13
during the 22™' annual Wee Bit
O ’ Ireland, St. P atrick’s Day
celebrations were:
I ris h
F lo a t,
Commercial: Hermiston Glass;
Irish Float, N on-Profit: St.
P a t r i c k ’s C h u r c h ; Iris h
Character, Junior (U nder 12):
M a k e n z i H u g h e s ; Iris h Day C are; Irish O pen C lass
Character, Senior (O ver 12): (Misc.): Heppner High School
Rose and Jack G undy; Irish P/U ; P arade/Special Event
Bicycle: M ayci Garrett; Irish C a r: I r is h K id s ; an d
M o rro w
G o lf C a rt: B a rb O rw ic k ; S w e e p s ta k e s :
C u s to m V e h ic le : F ra n k County Fair and OTPR Court.
Skaggs; Bands and M usical
G roups: H eppner Jr/Sr High Pot O ’ Gold winners
Band; D ance/D rill G roups:
Tw o locals and one
Round-Up City Cloggers; Irish
out-of-tow ner w on the $ 100
G roup, Non-Profit: Heppner
“Pot O ’ Gold” prizes for 2004,
d uring the 22nd annual St.
Patrick’s Day celebration. The
H eppner Elem entary r e p r e s e n ta tiv e s fro m th e
w
inners w ere Val H ow ser o f
School is holding a Safety Fair p o |jce fire and am bulance
A s h la n d ,
and
D oug
for K-3 grades on T hursday, services. A m usical with the
G underson and G ary Jones,
M a rc h 18 a t 1 2 :3 0 p .m . fourth graders will be held at
both of Heppner.
P r e s e n te r s
w ill
be 2p .m .
HES to hold Safety Fair
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEM ENT DEADLINE:
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