City considers social gambling ordinance
By David Sykes
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Bessie Wetzel I Newspaper Library
University o f Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
The city o f Hepp-
ner is discussing a social
gam bling ordinance that
would regulate card games,
and possibly other games
o f chance, at local taverns
and bars.
At its March 9 meet
ing city attorney Anne Spicer
went over dift'erent ways the
o rd in an ce m ight control
games such as black jack,
loo and poker.
The ordinance would
require dealers to get back-
ground checks and the es
tablishment be licensed to
host the games. "The estab
lishment has to be licensed
and must have background
checks on anyone who is
involved with (running) the
game,” Spicer told the coun-
cil. She said enforcem ent
could be through the justice
court and there would be
an annual license renewal.
She said private clubs such
as the Elks would be under
the same license procedure.
"Right now it is illegal to
do card g a m e s,” S p icer
said. “You can only legally
do private games at homes.
That is a state statute.” Ever
since the state lottery came
in the rules have changed.
Establishments can’t put up
the money, pay the dealers
or take a profit from the
game, Spicer said.
Q u e s tio n s w e re
raised by the council w heth
er the ordinance would ap
ply to dice and even board
games such as those used
w ith sp o rtin g ev en ts. If
a card game in a tavern
requires the deal to shift
around the table, the coun
cil w anted to know if each
person would be required
to have a background check.
S h e riff’s D eputy Randy
Rayburn, who was attending
the meeting, said he would
get back to the council on
the exact cost of background
checks.
The council is look
ing at the ordinance at the re
quest o f Nancy Gochnauer,
owner o f Bucknum’s Tavern
in H eppner, who w ished
to know what games were
allowed. The council took
no action at its meeting, but
agreed to have Spicer come
back later with a proposed
ordinance.
In other business the
council agreed to re-sign
a contract with the M or
row County Sheriff’s De
partment to provide police
coverage in the city. The
contract is the same as last
year except the cost will
go up $12,884 per year to
$176,376.
The co u n cil also
heard in the sheriff’s report
that the seatbelt blitz was
very active in Heppner for
February. There was a total
o f 29 traffic stops w ith 23
verbal w arnings and six
citations. One vehicle was
impounded.
D ep u ties also re
sponded to Pioneer Memo
rial Hospital for an intoxi
cated subject who ran out
o f the emergency room w ith
an IV still attached. It was
reported that the subject
might have consumed some
brake fluid. The subject later
returned to the hospital tor
treatment.
The council heard
in the city m anager’s re
port that the city has been
aw arded $5,000 in grant
money from the Ford Fam
ily Foundation to be used to
ward the gravel parking lot
and utilities to be installed
in the proposed restrooms
at Hager Park.
Transportation improvement
project starts in Heppner
VOL. 128
NO. 11
8 Pages
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
lo n e School D istrict to m ake over $183,000 in
budget cuts; offers early retirem ent packages
The Oregon Depart
ment o f T ran sp o rtatio n 's
contractor Knife River Con
struction o f Bend, Oregon,
has begun work on a $2.17
million highway project that
will repair the Court Street
B ridge, rebuild sections
o f Court Street / Oregon
Highway 74 in town and
construct sidewalk and bike
lanes improvements in the
area. The project includes
$1.018 million in federal
stim ulus dollars that will
be used to resurface 19.5
miles of OR 74 with a chip
seal from Heppner to mile
point 66. T rav elers w ill
experience minor delays in
town throughout the sum
mer months and are adv ised
to use alternate routes if
available. During the chip
seal w ork that w ill take
place later this year, motor
ists can expect single lane
travel with flaggers and pilot
cars, plus loose rock on the
roadway.
"We realize this proj
ect will create some incon
veniences for travelers and
local residence, but the end
result will be a smoother,
safer transportation system
for cars, bicycles and pedes
trians," said ODOT Public
Inform ation O fficer Tom
Strandberg.
A separate chip seal
- a p p o in te d T im
Holtz and Tucker Rice to
The lo n e S chool
the budget committee.
Board, at their regular meet
-approved architec
ing Monday night, voted to
tural
design
plans for the
authorize Superintendent/
new school remodeling proj
Principal Karl O sth eller
ect as presented.
to make cuts in the 2009-
-accepted the 2009-
10 school budget by over
10
school
calendar Option
$183,000 in response to a
1,
which
calls
for staff in-
projected funding shortfall.
service from August 25-27;
Current recommen
a pre-Labor Day school start
datio n s are to elim in ate
on Monday, August 31; a
one teaching position at
two-week Christmas break
$60,000; one classified aide
from December 21 -January
position at $25,000 and oth
1, w ith school resum ing
er items as follows: technol
Road work has begun on Court Street. -Photo Andrew Sykes
Monday, Jan. 4; the last stu
ogy hardware-$40,000; high
dent day on Tuesday, June 8,
school math textbook adop
project will extend an addi through all work areas. Our
w ith the last staff work day
tio n ^ 12,000; student field
tional
17 miles on OR 74 to contractors and crews are
falling between June 8-10,
trips-$7,000; high school
Nye
Junction
and resurface w orking to create better and
depending on scheduled
general education, other
several
sections
o f US 395 safer roads for you.”
staff work/in-service days.
tuition, textbooks instruc
betw een Pilot Rock and
T rav elers are e n
Ostheller said that his staff
tional service-$8,000; staff
Fox.
couraged
to visit TripCheck.
preferred Option 1.
professional development-
“
It
is
going
to
be
com
on
the
Web for current
Option 2 called for
$4,000; staff professional
a
very
busy
construction
highw
ay
co
n d itio n s and
s ta ff in-service S ep tem
growth-$6,000; educational
season
with
over
60
high
construction
information,
or
ber 1-3; a post-Labor Day
m edia-library books and
way work zones throughout call 511 or 800-977-ODOT
school start on September
periodicals-$4,000; super
eastern
Oregon,” Strandberg for an automated road con
8; a two-week Christm as
intendent tuition reimburse
said.
“
Please
be patient and ditions report.
break from Dec., 2 1-Jan. 1;
m e n t ^ , 500; board member
drive
w
ith
extra
caution
and school ending on June
out-of-district travel-$3,000;
16, w ith the last staff work
transfer custodial services
License suspensions in effect for ticketed M IPs
day from June 16-18.
from the Educational Service
Option 3 called for
District to Ione-$8,000; drop
According to Judge Charlotte Gray o f the Heppner Justice Court, by Oregon
staff in-service Aug. 26, 27 state law' anyone who is issued an MIP will be subject to a one year driver's license
extra duty contracts, such as
and 31; a pre-Labor Day suspension.
Read-n-Play, SMART, TAG
school start W ednesday,
coordinator, concessions-
Sept. 2 with a week and
$6,900.
h a lf o f C hristm as break
The proposal would
from Dec. 23-Jan. 1, the last
student day on June 8, with
the last staff w ork day from
June 8-10.
-received the fo l
lowing administrative report
from Ostheller: student en
rollment is at 164 with 70 in
kindergarten through grade
five, 29 in grades six-eight
and 64 in grades nine-12; the
architectural firm presented
a preliminary drawing o f the
addition to the elementary
building; the budget process
has been begun with reduc
tions o f $180.000 recom
mended; the septic system
was pumped, since it had
been four years since the last
pumping; student sports are
Conner Brosnan follow, in hi, family', foot,tep, a, a leprechaun- underway with 27 students
Bv April Sykes
still preserve $5,000 for
on-line learning opportuni
ties (books and tuition) and
$11,500 for staff pro fes
sional growth.
The board also voted
to offer a $10,000 early
retirement bonus for up to
two teachers as a way to
cut costs, since hiring new
teachers is less expensive
than retaining long-tim e
te ac h e rs. The board set
March 3 1 as the deadline to
enroll in the early retirement
option.
The board received
a report from Ostheller con
cerning a rash o f th efts
from student lockers and
bags, m ostly small items
such as pencils, hair ties
and socks, he said, but also
some cash and several Apple
iPods. He said that someone
came forward to identify the
perpetrator and the school
has been working with the
Morrow' County S h eriff’s
Office in connection with
the thefts.
He a lso re p o rte d
som e discip lin ary issues
involving disagreem ents
and minor altercations, one
at the high school and two at
the elementary school.
In other business,
the board:
Leprechaun-in-training
in-training. M ore St. Patrick', Celebration picture, can he found
on Page FOl'R. -Photo by Andrew Sykes
-Continued on Page FIVE
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