City says ‘no’ to ownership of
three county roads
Il(llI II 111,1111111111, Il,I,,, 11
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Librar)
University o f Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
Heppner city council heard concerns about safety of Spruce Lane
m
VOL. 125
NO. 7
10 Pages
Wednesday, February 1 5 ,2 0 0 6
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Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Groundbreaking for new Boardman six
classroom addition imminent
M orrow
C ounty
School
D istrict
S u p erin ten d en t
M ark
Burrows told the board, at
their regular meeting at Sam
B oardm an
E lem entary
School Monday night, that
g ro u n d b reak in g for the
proposed six -classro o m
addition to Windy River
E lem en tary School in
Boardman will occur just as
soon as the district is able to
obtain building permits for
the project. District Assistant
Superintendent Wade Smith
said that the estimated cost
for the project is down to
$695,895 from $725,000.
Burrows also told
the board that the issues
between the district and the
city of Irrigon concerning the
sewer system hookup for the
district’s new Professional
T echnical
E ducation
b u ild in g in Irrigon and
Irrigon Elementary School
has been resolved. Burrows
said that the city of Irrigon
and the district agreed on a
$27,938 fee for the hookup,
a much lower figure than the
initial $60,000 estim ate.
Burrows said that the new
building is now ready for a
“walk through.”
The PTE building
w ill include a shop,
classroom for shop and ag
classes, a weight room and
a multipurpose room.
Borrows also told
the board that the district
plans to offer advanced
placement classes through
Blue Mountain Community
College at the school district
office in Lexington on Friday
m ornings. He said the
district will run buses to
transport students to the
program. The classes are
open to any student with a
teacher's recommendation.
B u rro w s
said that
t h
e
d is tric t
also plans
to offer
t h
e
p ro g ra m
t
o
s tu d e n ts
in the lone
School
D is tric t
also. The
Ron Anthony
d is tric t
will send inform ation to
students and parents.
Also at the meeting,
Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School
Principal Ron Anthony was
recognized for being named
principal of the year by the
O regon M iddle L evels
Association. Anthony, who
was nominated by a staff
member, will receive his
award at a presentation in
Newport on March 10.
In other business, the
board:
-postponed action
on numerous policy changes
until a work session planned
for 6 p.m., prior to the next
board m eeting M onday,
M arch 13, at the district
office.
-d iscu ssed
the
upcoming Bridges Project
com m unity
m eetings
designed to garner input
from the public as to how the
district is doing in educating
children, what the district is
doing well and suggestions
for improvement. The first
m eeting is scheduled for
Thursday, Feb. 23, beginning
at 7 p.m. in the Heppner
Elementary School library.
The d istric t is seeking
information from a broad
spectrum including parents,
educators, business people,
com m unity members and
students. A Boardman area Safety and water runoff issues voiced about road leading up to the High School in
Heppner
m eeting is scheduled for
the m eeting, the council
Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m.
The city of Heppner because he “wasn’t at any of heard from two log truck
decided Monday not to take the meetings.”
continued page two
drivers in town, Gary Ball
Spruce Lane, leading
over ow nership o f three
and James Rollis. who asked
Grace announces county roads outside the up to the high school, was to be excused from a city
the road most discussed by
limits.
ord in an ce that p ro h ib its
he won’t run for Heppner M city
orrow C ounty the council Monday. Dick large trucks from driving on
officials had told the city Sargent, who lives at the re sid en tial street'- The
re-election
bottom o f Spruce Lane,
M orrow C ounty council last month that a attended the public hearing council agreed to consider
Commissioner Ray Grace verbal agreement between and told the council he is changing the ordinance to
has announced that he will the former city manger and worried an accident is going allow trucks on residential
then mayor Bob Jepsen had
streets.
not run for re-election. (See
committed the city to taking to happen there.
“I have been parking
letters to the editor.) Grace
He related a story of
ow nership o f portions of
my
truck
in front o f my
has served as Commissioner
Riverside. Fuller Canyon and watching a school bus slide house for 31 years.” Rollis
since 2002.
all o f Spruce Lane. down the hill on an icy day. said. “The school (grade
“The road is not w ide
school near his hom e)
Burns to run for Subsequently the city voted enough,”
he told the council.
to hold a public hearing on
furnace makes more noise
Commissioner
assuming ownership of the “There is no safety with the than my truck.”
guard rail. A bus came back
Loyal Burns, Jr., of streets.
“We are just trying to
down
there backwards one
County Judge Terry
lo n e, has filed for the
make a living," Ball told the
and
Road time. It scared me to death council.
position of Morrow County T allm an
Commissioner Position #2, D epartm ent boss Burke when that happened.”
The issue came to
Sargent said the
said Morrow County Clerk O ’B rien cam e to last
the council because o f a
Bobbi Childers. The primary month’s council meeting and asphalt on Spruce Lane is complaint from a neighbor.
said th ere was a verbal wasting away and there is a
will be held May 16.
The co u n cil also
agreement for the city to water problem coming down d iscu ssed the to u g h e r
take over these roads in the hill. A culvert at the top enforcement of traffic laws
Heppner teams
ex ch an g e for w ork the of the hill that had diverted now going on in the city.
head to district
county did on R iverside water across the road and M ore m oving v eh icle
T he
H eppner during the city's recent water down the opposite hill has citations such as running
been intentionally plugged
Mustang varsity boys and renovation project.
stop signs have been issued
girls will be playing in the
Monday night both up and the water is running recently and some residents
district tournament held in Jerry Breazeale, former city down the side of Spruce have complained.
Pendleton, Friday, Feb. 17. a d m in istra to r, and Bob Lane cau sin g ero sio n
"I am glad there is a
Both teams placed fifth in the Jep sen , fo rm er M ayor, problems, he said.
step up in activity," said
City Attorney Anne
Columbia Basin Conference. attended the council meeting
co u n cil m em ber G lenn
Spicer
told
the council that
The girls will play at 6 p.m. and said they did not recall
Baker, who has been pushing
and the boys will play at 7:30 any such agreement. Jepsen Spruce Lane is “ scary "; for stricter enforcem ent.
p.m. If they win. they will said he did not attend any of saying she herself has slid Baker wrote a letter to the
play the following day, with the m eetings w ere the down the road.
G a ze tte -T im es several
A fter
m uch
the girls at I p.m. and the agreement was suppose to
w eeks ago p o in tin g out
boys at 2:30 p.m.
have taken place, and discussion counci I member d an g ero u s d riv in g in
Breazeale said that he had George Koffler offered a residential streets around
lone teams head not
agreed the city should com prom ise and made a Heppner.
take ownership of all three motion for the city to accept
In other business, the
to district
ownership of the three roads
streets
in
exchange
for
the
council
accepted a bill for
The lone Cardinals
with a deed restriction for
county's
work
on
Riverside.
$8,(XX)
to
repair the roof .it
varsity boys and girls will be
the county to do all
City
council
member
the St. P a tric k ’s S en io r
p lay in g in the Big Sky
maintenance over $2,500.
Glenn
Baker
asked
the
two:
Center.
The bid was lower
C o n feren ce
d istric t
“Did either of you indicate That motion went down with than the city had expected
tournament held in Umatilla.
a 2-4 no vote. The council
Thursday, Feb. 16. The girls the city’s intention to take on then voted 4-2 in favor of and much lower that two
o th e r bids w hich w ere
will play at 3 p.m. and the these roads.” Breazeale said d eclin in g
to
accep
t
boys will play at 4:30 p.m. he had agreed only to some ow nership of the roads from received.
maintenance duties and that
The co u n cil also
the city take over ownership the county.
heard that there are now live
“There has always
o f R iv ersid e if it w ere
v a can cies at the S en io r
been
that
question. Did we
brought up to city standards.
C en ter and that Kat hy
Jepsen said he was upset agree or not," said Mayor Turner had been hired as the
over what was being said Tim VanCleave.
new manager.
o f l
In other action at
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