C ity’s water system back on automatic
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Bessie We, z e li Newspaper Library
University o f Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
VOL. 127
NO. 34
8 Pages
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
By David Sykes
H ep p n er’s baekup
water system worked well
during recent problems with
the well com m unications
system, public works direc
tor Brian Harmon said in
a report to the city council
last week.
The city water sys
tem, which is a combination
o f wells and storage tanks
will automatically keep full
by the telemetry system that
measures the tanks and then
fills them from the wells
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
MC Hazardous Waste and AG
Pesticide Collection Event scheduled
M o rro w C o u n ty
Hazardous Waste and AG
Pesticide Collection Event
for businesses will be held
Friday, Septem ber 19, by
appointment, from 2-5 p.m.
at the North Morrow Trans
fer Station in Boardman.
Businesses who gen
erate less than 220 pounds
per month and who do not
accumulate more than 2,200
pounds o f hazardous wastes
annually (i.e. m ost small
businesses, offices, stores,
farm s ra n c h es, sch o o ls,
churches, m edical/dental
clinics, auto shops, city,
county, and federal, etc.)
will be able to participate.
Aerosols, antifreeze,
oil filters, batteries, co r
rosives, fluorescent tubes,
mercury, oil-based paints,
pesticides, poisons, reac
tives, etc. (typically: $0.85-
3.10 per p o und) can be
brought in. Non-hazardous
waste, explosives, radioac
tive wastes, infectious medi
cal w astes, very reactive
wastes and compressed gas
cylinders cannot be dropped
w hen necessary. The system
w ent dow n at the first o f the
month and city crews have
been running the system
manually, turning on and off
the pumps and making sure
the city had plenty o f water,
Harmon reported.
The city had tech
nicians w orking with the
phone company to find the
problem, which was finally
tracked down to the tele
phone system and fixed.
Harmon also said a
pump on well one had gone
out and the Lexington Pump
pulled the pump and motor
and found that a bearing
had gone out. There was no
way to make repairs so a
new pump and motor were
installed. A new soft start
system that save 35 percent
on power was installed at
the same time. Harmon said
total cost o f repairs was
around $15,000. He said
the city crew also started up
well number five, to comply
with the city w ater right,
and it should produce about
150gpm.
In other w ater re
ports the crews fixed a major
water leak on Cannon St.
Cannon was not part o f the
recent city w ater system
upgrade.
Harmon also report
ed that the city sewer system
is operating well, although
the city expects to receive
a fine from the Department
o f Environmental Quality
for an earlier overflow at
the golf course that allowed
3,000 gallons to flow into
the creek without de-chlo
rination. It was caused by
a malfunctioning automatic
valve that came open when
it should not have. The
amount o f the fine has not
yet been determined.
In other public works
news the repair job to Mor
gan St. is expected to go out
to bid this month, and the
paving started in October.
In o th e r b u sin ess
City Manager Steve Bogart
said bid opening for the St.
Patrick's apartment remodel
job will be on August 21.
The architect w ill review the
bids and make a recommen
dation the following week.
Bogart said the construction
business is “ ch allen g ed ”
right now so the city should
receive some good bids. He
said if all goes well the bid
could be aw arded on August
26 or 27.
It was also reported
that election packets are
available at city hall for
anyone that wants to run for
one o f the open positions.
Nominations are open for
mayor (two year term); city
councilor position one (four
year); position two (four
year); position three (four
year) and position four (two
year term). To be eligible
to hold one o f the offices a
person must be a registered
voter and have resided in
the city o f Heppner for one
year immediately preceding
the election. N om ination
petitions must be tiled at
city hall no later than 5 p.m.
August 26.
B o g a rt a ls o a n
nounced that he will be on
vacation to visit relatives
October 1 6 - 2 1 . He also
said city m anager David
DeMayo had been asked to
serve another tour in Iraq
with the Army Guard, but
declined and will be return
ing to work in Heppner. His
exact date back at work as
Heppner city manager was
not announced.
In o th e r b u sin ess
the council voted to accept
an Oregon Department o f
Transportation funding o f
the Sperry Street Bridge in
Heppner. Total cost o f the
project is $807,000 o f which
the city will have to pay
$82,879. Federal funding
will pay for $724,121 o f the
project which is scheduled
to be done in 2012.
Scenes from MC
Fair & OTPR
o ff
For more informa
tion on wastes or costs con
tact Clean Harbors at 1 -800-
819-.5912 or by emailing
benedict.kevin@ cleanhar-
bors.com or contact Sandi
Putman at Morrow County
P u b lic W orks at
989.9500 or DEQ at 541-
388-6146 (ext. 229).
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Pheasant’s Forever to hold
Ringneck Youth Clay Shoot
The Columbia Pla
teau Chapter o f Pheasant’s
Forever will be holding a
Ringneck Youth Clay Shoot
and barbecue on Sunday,
August 24, at 9:30 a.m. at
“Rolling Hills Hunting Pre
serve” on Hanna Arbuckle
Road in Heppner.
The event is open
to any youth ages 17 and
under. There will be a free
hamburger and hotdog bar
becue lunch afterwards.
This will be an in
formal shoot for the follow
ing age groups: 15 and up,
13-14, 11-12 and 10 and
Gentry an All-Around Cowboy
under.
Prizes include Troy
Ounce Silver Coins, Sports
man’s Warehouse Gift Cards
as well as door prizes and
a raffle for a shotgun. Raf
fle tickets are free for any
current Ringneck member
or any new members that
signs up. Pheasant’s Forever
Youth Memberships are $5
( 15 years and under).
Shotguns and safety
gear will be available for any
one that needs them or bring
your own. A Safety meeting
will be held before the shoot
for all participants.
Signup will be the
day o f the shoot. Com e
on out and have some fun.
Call D ennis N ew m an at
676-5452 or Mike Bennett
at 676-5798 for more infor
mation.
Parade winners
announced
Tate Gentry wins M O C O All-Around Cowboy. Photo by Sandy
Matthews
The 2008 Morrow
County Fair& Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo parade winners
were: Court & Royalty
Eastern Oregon Livestock
Show Rodeo; Riders - An
nie and Coco; Community
Floats - Morrow County Ag
Museum; and Commercial
Float - Bank o f Eastern
Oregon.
R i b b o n s c an be
picked up at the chamber
office next week.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
More scenes from the Morrow
County Fair and Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo can be seen on Pag
es KOI K and F IV E . -Top Photo
by Sandy Matthews Bottom Pho
to by David Sykes
Please send list of
w inners for events at
the Morrow County
Fair and O TPR to
editor# rapidserve.
net, fax to 676-9211.
or call 676-9228.