Back to school!
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Bessie Wetzel 1 Newspaper Library
University o f Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
Brian Rill (left) and C.J. Kindle, both seven years old and in the second grade at Heppner
Elementary School, have fun during noon recess Tuesday.
VOL. 124
NO. 35
8 Pages
Wednesday, August 31,2005
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
It was back to school
time Monday, August 29, for
Morrow County and lone
students.
The lone School
District (K -12) reported 161
students in attendance on the
first day of school.
The Morrow County
School District had a total of
2148 students in attendance
Recall election set for Lex. mayor Edwards, councilwoman Taylor
R ecall p e titio n s
against Lexington M ayor
John
E dw ards
and
Lexington Council member
Luella Taylor were filed at
L ex in g to n C ity H all by
Lexington resident Charlie
Sumner on Monday, August
22, and were sent to the
Morrow County Clerk for
signature verification. Sixty-
one recall signatures were
subm itted for Taylor; 57
were determined to be valid
by the clerk . Six'ty-tw o
signatures were submitted
for E d w ard s; 58 w ere
d e term in e d to be valid.
Eighteen valid signatures
were required.
Once the signatures
were verified by the clerk,
then Edwards and Taylor
had to either resign or submit
a statement or justification.
B oth have su b m itted
statem e n ts ra th e r than
resign, which set a recall
e lec tio n
in
m otion.
A cco rd in g to M orrow
C ounty
C lerk
Bobbi
Childers, the recall election
w ill be held T uesday,
September 27. Ballots will
be mailed Friday, September
9. T he last day any
L ex in g to n re sid e n t can
re g is te r to vote in that
election will be Wednesday,
September 7. Ballots must
be returned to the clerk's
o ffice
by
T uesday,
Septem ber 27, at 8 p.m.
Ballots may be dropped of
at the clerk's office or mailed
to arrive at the clerk’s office
by 8 p.m. that day (Sept. 27).
The clerk’s office will not
accep t b allo ts that are
postmarked September 27,
but arrive after that day.
The Gazette-Times
has received copies of the
recall petitions that Sumner
filed w ith the Town o f
Lexington against Lexington
Mayor Edwards and Council
member Taylor and has also
obtained copies of rebuttal
statem ents from Edwards
and Taylor filed with the
clerk’s office.
A cco rd in g to the
re c all p e titio n , S um ner
stated that “John Edwards
fails to follow public meeting
laws and the town charter.
Meetings under his direction
become derailed because he
allo w s c itiz e n s to be
disrespectful during council
m eetin g s. He v erb ally
harasses and demeans other
council members and town
employees during council
m eetin g s and at o th er
community contacts.
“ John
E dw ards
shows no interest in pursuing
items brought up by certain
council m em bers for the
improvements of the town.
He fails to follow council’s
d ire c tio n s on c ertain
projects. He directed the city
recorder to write a letter
tu rn in g
dow n
an
approximately $96,000 loan
at fo u r p ercen t in te re st
w ith o u t the co n sen t or
knowledge of the council.
“John
E dw ards
re fu se s
to re co g n ize
petitions or questionnaires
signed by the citizens (even
a majority of voters) for the
improvements or ideas for
the town. He has said, ‘If the
people in this town were that
concerned then they should
be at the council meetings’
and ‘I don’t care what the
people in this town want.’
“John Edwards does
not represent the town in an
a p p ro p ria te m anner at
meetings or functions he has
attended in or out of town
for a person in the Mayor
position.’’
In Mayor Edward’s
statem ent filed w ith the
M orrow C ounty C le rk ’s
Office, he said, “How do I
violate the town charter; our
current charter has NEVER
been signed by town officials
and is doubtful if it is really
legal. I don’t believe you
could elect a council person
legally according to it.
“If someone is over
21 years of age, they should
act a cco rd in g ly . There
should not be the need to
baby-sit at council meetings.
“Everyone council
person in town shows little
interest in other people’s
projects. I only get to vote
in a tie. All council business
should go through City Hall.
“To use a loan one
should have plan on how to
spend the money, BEFORE
they get it. Not after. The
town has been reprimanded
before for trying to hold
elections. Secretary of State
L etter dated 11-01-1999
applies; you accept letters of
intent not petitions.
“ P lease give the
people the dates and places
these functions took place,
that you were at and know
this for the truth! We have
w aited over three years,
Charlie, for your list of all the
good things you were going
to list about a previous town
mayor.
“ I was elected to
guide the tow n fo r the
benefit of the majority and
not the chosen few.” (signed)
John Edwards.
Mayor Edwards told
the Gazette Tuesday that he
did not b eliev e that the
petition had 63 signatures as
stated last week in the East
Oregonian and believed that
“more than a few of them”
were invalid. “I know the
council meetings get loud,”
said Edwards, “but I think
the community has the right
to respond, because, after all,
they are the ones who pay
the bills. The citizens elected
me and they will have to un
elect me. The process will go
through one way or another.
The people knew who I was
w hen they elected m e.”
Edwards also disputed the
legality of the recall, but said
that he believes that ORS
rules are not enforced.
THE HEPPNER G-T WILL BE CLOSED
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th FOR LABOR DAY
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
THIS FRIDAY, SEPT. 2nd
AT 5:00 P.M.
In the recall petition
ag ain st Taylor, Sum ner
stated , “ L u ella T aylor
v erb ally h arasses and
demeans council members
and town employees during
council m eetings and at
other community contacts.
She d isp lay s a negative
attitude while working with
other council members due
to p erso n ality co n flicts.
(Example: Improvements of
the Town water system) On
one
o ccasio n
L u ella
threatened to run over a
council member with her
care because they did not
agree with her.
“On more than one
occasion Luella Taylor has
th re a ten e d to fire town
em p lo y ees w ithout the
c o u n c il’s co n sen t or
knowledge. She has at times
tried to control who town
employees could speak with,
at the expense of their jobs.
“Luella Taylor only
follows public meeting laws
and the Town Charter when
it suits her needs. She does
not co n d u ct h e rse lf in
professional manner which
her position requires. Many
times Luella does not gather
all the facts or consider all
the angles before making
important decisions. Luella
is close m inded about
decisio n s that affect the
Town today and for the
future.”
In
T a y lo r’s
statement, which she filed
with the Town of Lexington
Monday, she said, “These
allegations are false, libelous
and the outcome of gossip
and disagreem ent. I have
never harassed or demeaned
any c o u n c ilo r or town
employee. I have defended
myself as a private citizen
against a councilor, and then
only after I was threatened.
I did not try or say I would
run over a councilor with my
car. I have told employees
that they should stand up for
themselves and not bellyache
their complaints and then do
nothing. I did not threaten
termination.
“ I have w orked
within the council, made no
unauthorized contracts or
agreements and have never
cost the town money, by my
individual actions. I support
the town water project, but
not by taking out another
loan, when grants have not
been
ad d ressed
or
considered. If I disagree with
an issue, I say so.
"M y pro fessio n al
manner and knowledge base
equals that o f any other
councilor. I have supported
L exington at the state,
county and city level. I
support the fu tu re of
Lexington, and do not want
to see it ban k ru p t and
in so lv en t because of
excessive dept.” (signed)
Luella Taylor.
Taylor reiterated her
statem ent published in a
letter to the editor to the
Gazette-Times Wednesday,
August 24. Taylor said, “I
have d ev o ted my tim e,
efforts, money and even my
health to the town. In return,
I have had my property
v an d alized , trash ed and
egged. I have received hang
up phone calls, threats, false
allegations and even been
physically assaulted. Last
November. I was reelected
for another four years and
have done n o th in g to
warrant these actions.
“In conclusion, there
is no basis for these
allegations, as they are false,
malicious and libelous. I will
not resign nor will any of my
votes be c o n tro lle d by
individuals or by the local
Lexington cult."
on the first day of school.
Heppner Elementary (grades
K -6) had 190 stu d en ts;
H eppner High (g rad es
se v e n -12) had 232; Sam
Boardman Elementary (K-
fo u r)-4 1 0 ; W indy R iver
E lem entary, B oardm an
(five-six) 148; Riverside
High School, B oardm an
(s e v e n -12 )-435;
A.C.
H oughton E lem entary,
Irrigon
( K -fo u r)-3 2 0 ;
Irrigon Elementary (five-
six )-1 3 3 ; Irrig o n H igh
School (s e v e n -11 )-272;
M orrow
E ducation
students-eight.
The
first
day
attendance records were
slightly below the unofficial
enrollm ent figures which
show
2284
stu d en ts
enrolled. MCSD Executive
Secretary Julie Ashbeck said
that m ore stu d en ts are
ex p ected
to
atten d ,
especially at the Morrow
Education Center.
Last year 2291
students were enrolled on
the first day in M orrow
County Schools.
TV members
say yes to
merger
Heppner TV members
voted 57 to 5 last Tuesday
night to be taken over by
Windwave Communications
o f B oardm an.
It was
estimated that the merger
would take place in 30 to 60
days.
Board members said the
tak eo v er was n ecessary
because Heppner TV was
going broke. The company
lost $ 18,000 last year, mostly
because of people dropping
cable for satellite TV.
Under the arrangement
Windwave will acquire all of
H eppner TVs assets and
assume the delivery of TV
signal to the 403 current
subscribers. No money will
change hands in the deal and
it is expected that Windwave
will keep H eppner TV
continued page two
We utiii he cimed fHtmday, Sepl. 5lk
Have a
gteal£aht Day!
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
For farm «q uipm .nt, »(fit our w ab w tt at w w w m e m not