Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2009)
Morrow County School Board calls for pay freeze II i I i i I i i i I i I i i III i i i m II i I i m II Bessie Wetzel! Newspaper Librar. University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403 In m e etin g s w ith classified em ployee rep resen tativ es on A pril 22 and teacher representatives on A pril 28, the Morrow County School Board has asked their two largest em ployee groups to accept pay freezes. The board’s plan to keep salary and benefits at 2008-09 levels applies to all District employees and is directly related to the economic recession and the cutback in school funding in Oregon. Superintendent Mark Burrows said school funding may be reduced state-wide to $5.4 billion, a 14 percent cut. "That’s a million and a half dollars to us,” Burrows said. School Board mem ber Bill Kuhn, referring to the wage freeze said, "This is the only way we are going to keep our program s to gether for kids. The superin tendent has already stepped forw ard. The administrators are not getting raises.” Bur rows confirmed this, indicat ing that he did not accept a merit raise offered at his December evaluation and, additionally, will not accept the 2 percent increase in his contract scheduled for June 30, 2009. The District also is implementing $800,000 in budgets cuts for next year. These include less mainte nance, staffing reductions, not purchasing textbooks, and furloughing staff for tw o n o n -stu d en t contact days. The District also is seeking voter approval o f a serial levy that would raise $560,000 for each o f the next three years. "This will not fill the void o f a $1.5 million cut, but it will keep the worst wolves from the door,” Burrows said. "Even w ith the worst-case scenario from state funding, a suc cessful local levy would allow us to keep our schools open for the full calendar year.” For additional in formation regarding Mor row County School District news and the serial levy, please visit www.morrow. kl2.or.us. Community Bank to open Heppner braneh VOL. 128 NO. 16 10 Pages Wednesday, May 6, 2009 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Heavy rains breach Cutsforth Pond i - v - ' ■ . v . ,• * “¡r— ■ C om m unity Bank recently announced that it will officially open its doors at 127 North Main Street in Heppner on Monday, May 18. The bank has hired three local people to run branch operations. Meghan Bailey has been named branch m an ager. Bailey comes to Com munity Bank from the Snack Alliance in Hermiston where she worked as a purchasing agent. She grew up in Hep pner and graduated from Heppner High School. After high school she earned her degree from Eastern O r egon University, where she majored in agricultural busi ness management. Bailey's family is very involved in community affairs and she hopes to follow in their foot steps as Community Bank branch manager. Rosemary Bums has been named personal banker. Bums has lived in Heppner for over 10 years and has prior banking experience working for Klamath First Bank and Bank o f Eastern Oregon. She is a member o f the Willow Creek Country Club. Brooke Sweeney has been hired as a teller. Brooke comes to Community Bank from the Physical Therapy Center at Pioneer Memorial Hospital. She is also a life- Pictured left to right are Rosemary Burns, personal banker; Meghan Bailey, branch manager; and Brooke Sweeney, teller. -Contributed Photo long Heppner resident and graduate o f Heppner High School. Hermiston commer cial loan officer John Hays will also spend time in Hep pner. "We are very e x cited to get started in the new branch,” state Bailey. "Our main goal is to pro vide ex cellen t cu sto m er service and co m p etitiv e products. We look forward to getting to work with fa miliar faces since we are all from Heppner. Please stop in and see how we can help you achieve your financial goals.” The bank funded a major renovation o f the branch building and exterior facade, and also added an ATM to Main Street. Mem bers from Community Bank executive management will be on hand May 18 to open the branch, and a group of experienced bankers from other m arkets will be on hand for the first month to support the new staff. In re g a rd s to the branch opening, Community Bank CEO Tom Moran stat ed "The Community Bank team is excited to become a part of the Heppner commu nity, and have been encour aged by the warm w elcome. Not only are we committed to providing com petitive financial services, but we also pride ourselves on be ing an active member o f the community.” NOAA issues monthly climate summary for Heppner A ccording to pre- days with the low tempera- fall was 0.5 inches reported on the 15th. The greatest liminary data received by ture below 32 degrees. NOAA’s National Weather Precipitation totaled depth of snow on the ground Service in Pendleton, tem 1.11 inches during April, was one inch on the 15th. The outlook for May peratures at Heppner aver which was 0.29 inches be aged slightly colder than low norm al. M easurable from NOAA's Climate Pre According to Kirsti Cason at the Morrow C ounty Public Works and Park Office, unforeseen weather normal during the month of precipitation -at least .01 diction Center calls for near conditions caused a leak in the dam at the pond at Cutsforth Park, resulting in most of the water April. inch- was received on sev normal tem peratures and leaking out. C ason stated that the damage was discovered sometime last week. MC' Public Works The average tem en days with the heaviest, near normal precipitation. and Park Office has filed for permits for repairs though there is no expected date of repair as of perature was 47.5 degrees 0.42 inches reported on the Normal highs for Heppner yet. -Photo by Andrew Sykes during May are 69.1 d e which was 1.6 degrees be 15th. low normal. High tempera P rec ip ita tio n this grees and normal lows are tures averaged 59.1 degrees, year has reached 4.96 inch 43.0 degrees. The 30 year which was 2.0 degrees be es, which is 0.73 inches be normal precipitation is 1.67 low norm al. The highest low normal. Since October, inches. The National Weath was 81 degrees on the 22nd. the water year precipitation Low temperatures averaged at Heppner has been 8.58 er Service is an office o f 35.8 degrees, which was 1.3 inches, which is 1.32 inches the National Oceanic and R iv e r s i d e H ig h during the fall term o f school outstanding teachers who degrees below normal. The below normal. A tm ospheric A dm inistra School science teacher Tim were given the opportunity encourage and represent the lowest was 26 degrees, on Snowfall totaled 0.5 tion. an agency of the U.S. Beatty has been nom inat to nominate a teacher who importance of higher educa the 4th. inches. The heaviest snow- Commerce Department. ed by a former student to influenced them on their tion to their students. There w ere seven Beatty was n o m i receiv e an In sp iratio n al road to higher education and Teacher Aw ard from Eastern academic excellence. Recip nated for the award by Dan O regon U niversity in La ients include educators from Hansen, a 2008 graduate O regon, W ashington and o f Riverside High School Grande. According to Morrow County District Attorney Elizabeth Ballard, Dennis Stefani First-year honor stu Idaho. EOU presents the In and son o f Kent and Paula o f lone has entered into a diversion agreement. As part o f the agreement. Stefani must dents from EOU who main spirational Teacher Awards Hansen. abide by several conditions in exchange for the dismissal o f the charges. tained Dean’s List standings annually in recognition o f Stefani was charged with assault, harassment and interfering with making a report. Stefani is a coach at lone Community School. Riverside science teacher honored as ‘Inspirational’ Stefani entering diversion program Ballots due May 19 Ballots are due back to the Morrow' County Clerk's Office by Tuesday, May 19. If anyone has not received their ballot they should call 676-5604. ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: City council to consider gaming ordinance Heppner City Council will meet on Monday, May 11. A continuation o f the hearing on the gaming ordinance is on the agenda, as well animal permit hearings I he meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall. At t h e MCGG GREEN FEED STORE in H eppner: ÿjj MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. Mother’s Day is May 10th! now in »tock Montana (Silver 20% OFF flanging baskets planter 10% O ff M orrow Count}' Grain G row ers G reen Feed A S eed _______ 242 W. Linden Way, Heppner » 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)
