TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 20,2008
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Morrow County's Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
Published weekl) and entered as periodical matter at the Post Office at Heppner,
Oregon under the Act of March 3. 1879 Periodical postage paid at Heppner,
Oregon Office at 188 Vi Willow Street. Telephone (541) 676-9228. Fax (541)
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P.O Box 337. Heppner, Oregon 97836 Subscriptions: $26 in Morrow County,
$20 senior rate (in Morrow County only; 62 years or older); $32 elsewhere, $26
student subscriptions
David Sykes
................................................................................ Publisher
Autumn Morgan
................................................................................... Editor
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GT will not publish unsigned letters All letters MUST include the author s address and phone
number for use by the GT office The GT reserves the right to edit letters The GT is not
responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will
be placed in the classifieds under "Card of Thanks" at a cost of $10.
Vote “no” on the tippage fee
referendum
~
Letters to the Editor ~
The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following
criteria met; letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name
of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you
provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The
address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be
printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the
right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in
letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under
“Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10.
Tippage in democracy?
Letter to the editor:
Recently numerous meetings and many written
words have barraged people who had no idea what tippage
fees were one year ago. By now anyone in Morrow County
paying attention knows that shortly a vote will determine
how, and more importantly who will control distribution
and use o f these ftinds. For the uninitiated few, tippage
fees (funds) are the amount paid (by contract) to Morrow
County by the operator o f Finley Buttes Landfill for ton
nage disposed there. Recently, the cities demanded they be
given control o f 75% o f these funds to spend as they see fit.
County government, after consideration determined they
should retain control over these funds. What to do?
In the beginning (according to Judge Carlson, in
office during original contract), the county attempted to
distribute these funds to the cities, giving up when the
cities failed to provide a substantial plan for distribution
and use. Subsequently, these funds became county funds
and, as state and federal funds ebbed, became a necessary
portion o f Morrow County’s budget. The ‘cushion’ these
funds provide have given commissioners ‘discretionary’
monies to assist county needs and issues not a normal part
o f the budget.
Some have attacked the county court for having a
budget surplus roughly equivalent to the current amount
o f the tippage fees, their argument being that the county
should expend every cent every year, without any carry
over. When 1 became a commissioner in January o f 2003,
that cushion was very comforting at budget time, but it
steadily decreased every year despite our best diligence.
Please tell me, what prudent businessman, farmer, or even
household spends every cent it has without a ‘cushion’
for emergency? A ‘cushion’ is one-time money. Keep it
and have it, or blow it and emergency can become catas
trophe.
As for the deciding who controls the tippage fees,
currently 40% of county residents live in the five cities, and
60% live in the county. A vote to give control to the cities
gives the elected mayors and councils o f the five cities
control o f 75% o f the funds. Although the cities have no
finalized overall plan, some are discussing an appointed
‘board’ to determine usage. That means that instead of
three commissioners, duly elected at large by 100% of
Morrow County voters, controlling the fund, five mayors
and five city councils, representing 40% o f the popula
tion, will likely appoint a committee(s) (board) who will
determine usage.
People complain when control o f their funds is
taken away from them. Even though the cities have prom
ised to distribute some o f these funds outside the city,
to my knowledge no legal mechanism exists in Oregon
for cities to expend or distribute funds outside their city
limits. So, 40% o f the population o f Morrow County will
control 75% o f the funds from tippage fees. That is a step
not lightly taken.
Some have said if the county commissioners don’t
agree to do this, they should be replaced. I find that hard
to fathom. Certainly anyone who disagrees may run for
commissioner, but if elected, that person’s responsibil
ity will suddenly be to run the business o f the county to
the best of their ability. If that person were honest, such
responsibility would likely change their viewpoint o f just
who should control the tippage fee funds.
Ray Grace
Heppner
To the Editor,
In a few weeks you will be ask to vote on whether
to allow the County Court to continue to decide one how
to distribute more that $1,000,000 o f annual tippage fee
income Morrow County receives each year from Finley
Buttes landfill or to give 75% of it, after phase in, to the
cities and allow them to spend the funds.
The County Court has been receiving tippage fees
for almost two decades and has been distributing some of
it to the cities by the needs and issues system. The County
Court has been paying for many needed social services
throughout Morrow County with part of the funds. The
remainder has been used for County services such as the
Road Department and other budget areas. The Court has
also been saving a significant portion o f the funds and
have amassed almost $1,000,000 in a reserve fund for
unspecified purposes.
While we can argue about the County Court’s han
dling o f the funds, much o f the money has been going to
needed services, capital projects in all parts o f the county
and budget categories that have benefited a great many
county citizens and taxpayers. Some people are wonder
ing w hy such a large reserve fund needs to be kept when
there are so many needs in the county.
During recent meetings with city officials, the court
didn't show' a great deal o f statesmanship in dealing with
the cities and probably forced the city officials to bring
to a vote the tippage fee controversy. This comes after
probably 18 months o f city officials from throughout the
county meeting with little or no citizen input into their
planning.
However the bottom line for me is the following:
Should we trust the County Court to manage the tippage
fee revenue or trust the cities with the majority o f it?
We know what the County Court will do with the
money. After watching the process for many years, they
have a track record you can rely on. While there certainly
can be modifications to their process, like allowing indi
vidual cities to decide on needs and issues awards, by and
large the County Court have been good and very conserva
tive stewards of the money. The cities are talking about
how they would divide the money and at least one city has
devised a plan. Despite that, the money today is being
spent on much needed county and other social services
that would have no promise o f funding if the election went
in the cities favor.
Based on all o f these issues, I urge a NO vote on
the tippage fee referendum later this month.
Thursday, Feb. 21 -
(s) George Koffler
p.m. (closed 12-1)
Heppner
Monday, Feb. 25 -
p.m. (closed 12:30-1)
Tuesday, Feb. 26 -
p.m.
(closed
12:30-1)
m. y
y -
Thursday, Feb. 28 -
uff' 6 7 6 - 9 1 8 1 "W here Friends Meet” 1 4 2 N orth M a in
p.m. (closed 12-1)
Morrow County Health
Department calendar
HEPPNER ELKS 358
T h e 111th E lk s A n n u a l
1 Saturday.
February 13rd
Hawaiian Luaut
L adies Tea and Social at 2:30 p.m.
EfJi
Lodge at 3:00 p.m.
Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
(Roasted pork loin S10)
Music and Dancing to follow
4*
Be sure to wear Hawaiian attire!
Boardman Clinic 9 a.m.-4:30
Boardman Clinic 9 a.m.-4:30
Heppner Clinic 8:30 a.m.-4:30
Valby Lutheran Church will be changing the time
o f Sunday morning worship to 10 a.m. for the months of
March, April, and May.
From 9 to 10 am, there will be opportunities for
Bible study, music rehearsal, and fellowship. The time
o f worship will return to 9 a.m. for the summer months.
During the season o f Lent, everyone is invited on Monday
nights for soup at 6 p.m. and worship at 6:30 p.m. All are
welcome.
For more information, call Katy Anderson, Intern
Pastor, at 989-8174.
$ 1405.00
Morrow County Grain Growers
*1
Heppner Clinic 8:30 a.m.-4:30
Valby Lutheran Church announces
time changes for worship
Guidance LEDs • 4 . 3 ” Color Display
Duilt-ln G P S Receiver • Freeform Guidance Pattern
Easy to Operate Right Out o f the dox!
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
Wind Farm project manager
speaker at WCVEDG meeting
r*r fu n «qiipiiiMt. M t * v w«b du at www.aea.Mt
Pat Pilz of the Shepherds Flat Windfarm project was
the featured speaker at the Willow Creek Valley Eco
nomic Development Group annual meeting last week.
Pilz told o f the economic benefit the wind generation
project would bring to the area. She said about 250
construction workers would be on the project once it
got going. The windfarm is located on the Krebs prop
erty on the Gilliam-Morrow County line.
Coordinated efforts
apprehend theft suspect
On February 13 at
approxim ately 3:35 p.m.,
the Morrow County Sher
iff’s Office received a report
that a welding trailer with
a large amount o f welding
equipm ent had ju st been
stolen from Western Empire
Farm s on Paterson Ferry
Road. A farm representa
tive followed the white Ford
pick-up that had taken the
trailer while he called 911
from his cellu lar phone.
Multiple units from Morrow
County, Boardman PD, Um
atilla PD and Oregon State
Police began to converge on
the area. The suspect was
able to evade the farm rep
resentative who lost site of
the pick-up and trailer near
Interstate 84.
D eputy B ill W il
liamson with the Morrow
C o u n ty S h e riff’s O ffice
drove down Gun Club Lane
and located the suspect ve
hicle p arked in front o f
75772 Gun Club Lane. He
observed a Hispanic male
w alking near the vehicle.
W hen he challenged the
man, he im m ediately ran
aw ay th ro u g h som e v e
hicles and around a house.
Deputy Williamson called
for back-up and stayed with
the vehicle. Morrow County
S h e riff’s O ffice, Oregon
State Police and Umatilla
Chem ical Depot Security
personnel converged on the
area.
A passing motorist
called 911 and stated that
just prior to the patrol cars
arriving, a man ran out onto
Chamber Luncheon
meetings announced
The weekly Heppner Chamber Luncheon will be
held Thursday, February 21, at John’s Other Place. Nathan
and Kristen Van Cleave will be sharing information on
their recent trip to Rwanda.
Next week’s meeting will be held on Thursday,
February 28. Tom Mafera from the Heppner Ranger
District will be sharing a video o f Umatilla Fire and Fuel
Career Camp. This luncheon will also be held at John’s
Other Place.
COFFEE HOUR for
LAR R Y SAM PLE
Candidate for Morrow County Sheriff
Thursday, February 21 st
John's Place, Heppner
starting at 6 p.m.
Hosted by Louis and Betty Carlson
t
the freew ay and flagged
down a passing van. The
subject got into the van and
the vehicle continued east
on 1-84.
The same motorist
stayed on the line and fol
lowed the vehicle while he
directed officers to the van.
Sr. Trooper Noel Salinas
with the Oregon State Police
stopped the van on 1-82 at
4:21 p.m. The suspect was
taken into custody without
incident. The people in the
van were not involved in
the incident and were simply
giving the subject a ride.
They were released from the
scene o f the traffic stop.
R a m o n J a im e s -
Galvez, 26, o f Irrigon was
lodged at Umatilla County
Jail on charges o f Theft-
1, C rim in al T resp a ss-II,
and Attem pt to Elude on
foot. The stolen trailer and
equipm ent were returned
to Western Empire Farms
and the towed vehicle was
impounded.
“The key factor in
the rapid apprehension o f
th is su sp ect and the re
turn o f the property to the
victim lies in the fact that
we had a Good Samaritan
that was willing to get in
volved,” said Undersheriff
Steve Myren. “His phone
call was the key to locating
the suspect. In addition, the
continued cooperation that
we enjoy between agencies
in our area is unparalleled.
As I have said before, law
enforcement is very much a
team effort.”
Senior Center Menu
H eppner C hristian
Church m em bers will be
serving lunch on Wednes
day, February 27. The menu
will roast, tilapia, rice pilaf,
peas and carrots, fruit juice
and hot rolls.