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)