Nearly 2000 cyclists flood Heppner
.
Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
mi
». «
Tents were set up ut the Heppner football Held. Heritage Park and school grounds for the nearly
2000 cyclists who came through Heppner on Sunday, Sept. 10 as part of Cycle Oregon.
New road
revisions made
for high school
traffic
VOL. 125
NO. 37
10 Pages
Wednesday, September 13. 2006
As o f Sept. 28,
Spruce Lane will become a
one-way street going uphill
to Heppner High School and
Morgan Street will become
a o n e-w ay street going
downhill. This plan was
reviewed and approved by
the Morrow County Court
on Aug. 16.
Spruce Lane will be
outfitted with new guardrails
and with a new bike/
pedestrian lane. Morgan
Street, w hich originally was
a one-way uphill road, will
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon be redirected as a one-way
downhill street.
The change in the
roads comes after bus drives
said they felt it was safer to
go up Spruce Lane and
down Morgan Street.
Signs directing the Victor Vander Dues helps man the information booth set up for
traffic will be installed by cyclists who came through Heppner as part of Cycle Oregon.
Sept. 28.
Toxic algae found in Willow Creek Lake
School board hears plans for new
H eppner H igh vo-ag program
Fish taken from the lake should, at a minimum, have the organs and skin rem o\ed and
discarded prior to cooking
High levels of a toxic
form of blue-green algae
were recently discovered in
Willow Creek Lake, near
Heppner, the U.S. Army
C orps
of
E ngineers
announced Sept. 11.
C orps
officials
notified county and state
health officials of the results.
Morrow County will not be
issuing a public health
advisory. The algae were
confirmed to be Microcystis
aeruginosa.
Water co n tain in g
visible algae blooms should
be avoided; however, boat-
and land-based recreation
should not be impacted.
High concentrations of the
toxin producing algae appear
as floating green, or blue to
blue-green colored surface
scum and can wash up on the
shoreline. Do not use the
w ater for sw im m ing,
c lean in g , coo k in g or
drinking and do not let your
pets drink or access the
water. Fish taken from the
lake should, at a minimum.
have the organs and skin
removed and discarded prior
to cooking. Studies have
shown that toxins mainly
accumulate in the liver and
viscera o f fish, although
m icro cy stin has been
detected in the fillet.
Warnings are posted
around the lake advising the
public of the potential risks
and ways to avoid contact
with the algae. When the
toxins are present they can
be absorbed if affected w ater
is swallowed or inhaled as
droplets or spray in the air.
Blue-green algae are
plants that occur naturally in
lakes and are often
associated with increased
w ater tem p e ratu res and
nutrients in lake water. Algal
blooms are rapid buildups of
algae that are often found
near the shore due to wind
and waves and are visible as
masses of green, yellow or
bluish-green slime.
Sym ptom s
of
ingestion
of
high
concentrations of the toxin
produced by Microcystis
aeru g in o sa algae could
include abdominal pain,
vom iting, diarrhea, sore
throat, blistering o f the
mouth and pneum onia,
dizziness and fainting. Pets
and other animals are more
likely to ingest a fatal dose
from the areas of high algae
concentrations. Symptoms
reported in cattle include
g en eralized w eakness,
h y p erth erm ia, anorexia,
d iarrh ea, pale m ucous
m em branes,
mental
d eran g em en t.
muscle
tremors, coma and death
w ithin a few days.
M on ito rin g will
continue in the reservoir until
toxic algae decline to safe
levels. C heck for news
releases and updates on the
Corps of Engineers, Portland
D istric t's Web site at
www.nwp.usace.army.mil.
For
more
information, visit the Oregon
D epartm ent o f Human
S ervices
w ebsite
at
www.oregon.gov/DHS/, or
contact them at (971) 673-
4444.
MCGG BULK OIL SALE
55 gallon drums
TMS 15-40 only $425 • Quicklift only $405
Sale good through 9/1 /06-9/15/06
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
For farm equipment, visit our web rite at w w w m<qj> not
H eppner
High
School's newly-hired vo-ag
teach er Beth D ickenson
presented an ambitious plan
to revitalize the school’s vo-
ag program at the Morrow
C ounty School Board
meeting at HHS Monday
night.
An
e n th u siastic
Dickenson said she would
like to get the community
involved in the program
which was reinstated by the
board this year after many
years of absence.
D ic k e n so n 's plan
included short-term and
long-term goals:
-a
h o rticu ltu re
program , w hich would
include
re fu rb ish in g ,
rewiring and providing heat
and irrigation for the
school’s greenhouse with the
goal of creating a production
greenhouse with the ability
to produce bedding plants,
vegetables and flowers to the
community;
-a
livestock
program , w hich would
include refurbishing the
sch o o l's barn, including
piping in water to the barn
and providing irrigation to a
surrounding field so that
students who don't have the
ability to raise animals at
home may be able to do so
at school;
-an “active" land lab.
a secondary greenhouse, an
active FFA Chapter, a fund
raising program, an FFA
alumni association, service
learning in the community, a
c o m m u n ity garden, a
recruitment and retention
program, development of
research
c a p a b ilitie s.
possibly
through
a
p artn ersh ip
with
the
E xtension service, an
advisory com m ittee and
plans for an open house.
Dickenson thanked
the board for bringing back
the program and also the
Morrow C ounty Grain
Growers for labor and the
donation of a propane tank.
Also at the meeting
MCSD superintendent Mark
Burrows said that he and
assistant superintendent
Wade Smith have been
meeting with Morrow
C ounty and the city of
Heppner to resolve problems
concerning Heppner High
S c h o o l's access roads.
Spruce Lane will be a one
way street going to the high
school and Morgan w ill he a
one-way street leaving the
high school. Plans include a
bike/pedestrian path and
guard rails on Spruce Lane.
Changes will be effective
Sept. 28.
In other business, the
board:
-approved the first
reading of a policy regulating
equipment vendors, such as
those who provide musical
instruments to students and
their parents. Building
principals w ill maintain a list
of equipment vendors, w ho
must, in turn, “maintain a
record of good service,
quality
product
and
competitive prices" to keep
their listed status. Schools
may issue a “request for
continued page two
Council says no' to horses
in the citv
city lot was appropriate for
The Heppner City
Council Monday said no to
a request for an animal
permit to keep two horses
in L o tt’s add itio n on
Canyon Road.
Robin C obb had
recently purchased a home
and adjoining lot on Canyon
and wished to keep two
horses on the property.
Several of her neighbors
were at the council meeting
and expressed opposition to
the city allow ing the
animals. According to city
o rd in an ce, anim als are
allowed on properly within
city limits, blit only after
approval by the city council.
Darcy Bergstrom
lives in the area and told the
council she didn’t think a
horses. Rita Woolsey said
she didn't have anything
against horses; she just didn't
want one "parked across the
street: more less two."
The council voted to
deny the permit; however,
they allow ed C obh two
w e e k s to remove a horse that
was already there.
In other business, the
council discussed the recent
decision by Morrow County
to turn Spruce Lane into a
on e-w ay street. A fter a
meeting with the county and
the school district (Spruce
Lane runs up to Heppner
High School ) it was decided
to make Spruce one way
going up and Morgan Street
one wav going down. It was
continued page two
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
M O N D A Y S AT 5:00 P.M .