Local woman wants farm er’s market in Heppner
Bessie VVet/ell Newspaper Library
l niversity of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
By David Sykes
Local woman Mar
garet Flaherty wants to start
a farmer’s market in Hep-
pner for people to sell their
produce and products.
Flaherty came to
the Heppner City Council
Monday night asking about
holding the farmer’s market
in the city park, probably
starting next year.
C ontacted T ues
day, Flaherty said she en
visioned a market where
people would first be selling
produce from their garden,
flowers and items they have
made for sale. She said she
would be going to Pendleton
and Hermiston in the next
couple of weeks to talk to
people who run farmer’s
markets in those cities to
get ideas on how to organize
and put on the markets. She
was not sure if it would be
held weekly, every other
week, or monthly.
On Monday Fla
herty asked the city council
about holding the market
in the city park, and what
problems there would be.
City Manager Steve Bogart
said he has served in cities
which go “both ways” with
farmer’s markets. One city
he was in had a hands-off
policy, and the other went
to the other extreme and
required a license, separate
electrical metering and other
control features. The city at
torney said if there prepared
foods were not sold, then
a food handler’s license
would not be needed. “I like
the idea, but there would be
issues,” city attorney Ann
Spicer said, adding that li
ability insurance would also
be a question.
Most members of
the city council seemed to
be receptive to the idea, but
agreed the proposal, and the
city's involvement needed to
be studied further. "1 think
it’s a good idea,” said Mayor
Les Paustian.
Flaherty said the
market would run through
the summer and end in Sep
tember, so it was probably
too late to start this year, but
said she would be forming a
group to study how to set up
the market for next year. She
urged anyone with ideas or
wanting to help to contact
her.
Vandalism case
solved
In other business
the council heard from
Morrow County Deputy
John Bowles, who said he
had solved the vandalism
case at the Farm Museum
in Heppner. He said five
juveniles, all elementary
age, confessed to damaging
two pieces of antique farm
equipment at the museum
last week.
B ow les said he
wanted to solve the case and
started asking kids about it.
The 10th one he talked to got
a funny look on his face and
then said he did it, Bow les
said “And then it just went
from there and we wrapped
it up today." He said the
kids who were responsible
received community service
as punishment but added
that “they are being disci
plined more by their parents
than what we (the justice
system) gave them."
Bowles is also a
member of the city council
and normally does not give
reports to the council. A dep
uty is usually at the monthly
meetings to give the reports,
however a deputy was not
in attendance so Bowles
agreed to give the monthly
police report.
-Continued on Page FIVE
Morrow County students lead pack of
area schools reaching benchmarks
VOL. 127
NO. 37
8 Pages
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
lone School District to put bond before voters
A bond measure will
go before the lone School
District voters on Tuesday,
November 4.
If approved, the
measure would provide
funds to finance construc
tion, renovation and repair
at the lone School. Improve
ments include: construction
of two new classrooms at the
elementary school; repair
and improvements the pool
and pool deck; replacement
of the high school gym
floor; replacement of the
high school roof including
gym and cafeteria; replace
the high school air-quality
systems and windows; mod
ernize classrooms with new
technology; and pay fees
associated with issuing and
administering the bonds.
Morgan successful as
first-time bow hunter
Autumn Morgan took this five-point bull on Saturday, Sep
tember 6. This was her first year bow hunting. Pictured with
Autumn is her husband, Troy. -Contributed Photo
The Heppner Gazette-Times wants to see pictures o f your trophy
animals from this hunting season. Stop by to have your picture
taken, drop o ff photos, or email them to editorCa raptdserve net
ALL NEWS AND
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DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT
5:00 P.M.
If approved, this
measure would cost property
owners an estimated average
of $2.43 cents per $1,000
of assessed value per year.
For example, owners of a
$50,000 home would pay
$121.50 per year; owners of
a $ 100,000 home would pay
$243 per year; owners of a
$150,000 home would pay
$364.50 per year, etc.
Levy to be
placed before
MC Health
District voters
A levy will be placed
before Morrow County
Health District voters on
Tuesday, November 4.
If approved, the
Morrow County Health Dis
trict will continue a $.39 per
$1,000 assessed property
value for continued opera
tions for five years begin
ning in 2009. For example,
owners of a $50,000 home
would pay $19.50 per year,
owners of a $100,00 home
would pay $39 per year,
owners of a $ 150,000 home
would pay $58.50 per year.
The Morrow County
Health District will use the
tax revenue from this mea
sure to help maintain and
improve the present level
of serv ices. The levy is the
same rate approved by the
voters for fiscal years 2005-
2006 through 2007-2008.
Increased unfunded care,
increased supply and labor
costs, and the need for full
time EMS/Ambulance staff
indicate that the permanent
rate will be insufficient to
continue to fund district op
erations at current levels.
The estimated tax
cost for this measure is
based on the information
available from the county
assessor at the time of es
timate. The proposed rate
will raise approximately
$357,800 per year in fiscal
years 2009-2010 through
2012-2013 and $381,200 in
fiscal year2013-2014, fora
total of $1,812,400.
By April Sykes
The Morrow County
School District’s emphasis
on student learning has paid
off. According to figures
released by assistant super
intendent Phyllis Danielson
at the MCSD regular meet
ing Monday night in Hep
pner, MCSD lead the pack
among area schools in the
number of students passing
10lh-grade benchmarks in
reading and math.
Sixty percent of Mor
row County students passed
their 10,h-grade benchmarks
in math, surpassing Milton-
Freewater with 55 percent;
Pendleton and Hermiston,
both with 41 percent; Echo
with 35 percent; Umatilla
with 32 percent; and Stan
field with 18 percent.
Sixty-seven percent
of Morrow County students
also passed their 10,h-grade
benchmarks in reading, put
ting Morrow County ahead
of all area schools-Echo
with 65 percent; Milton-
Freewater with 60 percent;
Pendleton with 58 percent;
Hermiston with 51 percent;
Umatilla with 47 percent;
and Stanfield with 46 per
cent.
Morrow County was
third among area schools
for all students passing their
benchmarks in reading with
70 percent. Seventy-five
percent of Pendleton stu
dents in all grades passed
their reading benchmarks;
72 percent of Hermiston
students passed their read
ing benchmarks; 67 percent
passed in Milton-Freewater;
62 percent in Echo; 59 per
cent in Stanfield and 58
percent in Umatilla.
In a two-year com
parison of assessment re
sults (Oregon Assessment
of Knowledge and Skills),
all Morrow County stu
dents, except for seventh
and eighth graders, im
proved their scores in read
ing and math.
Sixty-six percent of
seventh graders passed the
math assessments in both
2006-07 and 2007-08; and
sixty-one percent of the
seventh-graders passed their
reading assessments in both
years. The eighth graders
dipped a bit in both years
with 69 percent passing their
math assessments in 06-07,
compared to 56 percent in
07-08. Sixty percent passed
in eighth-grade reading in
06-07, compared to 56 per
cent in 07-08.
The district as a
whole made gains in math
and reading, however, with
67 percent of students meet
ing or exceeding in math
in 07-08, compared to 56
percent in 06-07; and 69 per
cent meeting or exceeding in
reading in 07-08, compared
to 65 percent in 06-07.
Also at the meeting,
Kristen Marshall, engine
module leader/camp coor
dinator with the Heppner
Ranger District, and Hep
pner High School senior
Kylie Doherty reported on
the success of the pilot pro
gram to hire high school
seniors in a partnership with
Morrow County Schools. In
the program, out of 60 origi
nal applicants, 14 students
were hired to work for the
Forest Service, which ac
complished a dual benefit.
The program provided work
for the students and at the
same time educated them to
the opportunities in the For
est Service. Marshall said
that they plan to expand the
program to include Umatilla
County students as well. She
said that they are already ex
ploring new funding oppor
tunities so that they may be
able to continue the program
once the current three-year
grant expires.
In other business,
the board:
-heard a report from
A.C. Houghton Elementary
Principal John Sebastian
concerning the pilot pro
gram of using sugar-cane
biodegradable lunch trays
at ACH. Sebastian said that
the program will reduce the
amount of waste that goes
into dumpsters, which will
benefit the environment.
Sebastian also spoke of a
partnership with the city
of Irrigon concerning solid
wastes and said they are
exploring expanding the re
cyclable program w ith more
biodegradable items and
possibly a pulping system.
“We're trying to become
100 percent green at our
school,” he said. Sebastian
also said that while the pro
gram will save the school
money in some areas, waste
disposal, for example, it
could increase costs in oth
ers, such as increased costs
in sugar cane vs. Styrofoam
trays. “We're not necessar
ily spending less money,
but we're spending it differ
ently,” he said. “I, for one,
think it's the right choice,"
added board Chair Craig
Miles.
-heard from Super
intendent Mark Burrows
that the district's enrollment
appears fiat with the loss
of around 10-11 students
at Heppner Elementary
School. Each high school
was up a little, though, he
said. He said that enrollment
-Continued on page FIVE
Dickenson Chiropractic to offer massages
Tammy Smith will
be joining Dickenson Chi
ropractic to practice mas
sage therapy on Monday,
September 15.
Smith will be avail
able on Mondays, Wednes
days, and Fridays from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. Early, late
and weekend sessions are
by appointment only.
Costs for Swedish,
deep tissue, and pregnancy
massages are: $75 for 90
minutes, $55 for an hour,
and $35 for half an hour. A
hot stone massage is $90.
Smith will be offer
ing $5 off for a customer's
first massage. Special dis
counts are available for
Heppner High School ath
letes. Other specials are
available upon inquiry.
Smith is a 2002
graduate of HHS. She grad
uated in 2005 from the Or
egon School of Massage in
Portland. She is nationally
certified in massage therapy
and is licensed by the state
of Oregon.
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