Smith says tax increase vote helps district
By David Sykes
R e p r e s e n t a t i ve
Greg Sm ith, one o f only
two Republicans to cast a
yes vote in favor o f a new
state tax increase, defended
his vote last week by saying
it was for the good o f his
voting district.
Smith, who resides
in Heppner, told the Hep-
pner C h am b er o f Com -
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VOL. 128
NO. 24
10 Pages
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
M. C. District Attorney Ballard and Attorney General
Kroger announce aggravated murder indictment
M o rro w C o u n ty
District Attorney Elizabeth
A. B allard and A ttorney
General John Kroger re
cently announced that a
grand ju ry has indicted
Araceli Velasquez Espain
on multiple counts for the
death o f her infant son.
Espain faces charg
es of aggravated murder,
first-degree manslaughter,
second-degree manslaugh
ter, first-degree crim inal
mistreatment and abandon
ment of a child.
All persons charged
are presumed innocent un
der our Constitution until
proven g u ilty beyond a
reasonable doubt in a court
o f law.
The indictment ac
cused Espain o f intention
ally killing her baby on
June 6.
Espain was sched
uled to be a rra ig n e d in
M orrow C ounty C ircu it
Court at 1:15 p.m., Tuesday,
June 16.
The case is being
investigated by the Major
C rim es Team, which in
cludes the Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office, Boardman
P olice D ep artm en t, O r
egon State Police, Umatilla
County S h e riff’s O ffice,
Hermiston Police Depart
ment, Pendleton Police De
partment, Milton Freewater
Police Department, Morrow
County District Attorney’s
Office and Umatilla County
District Attorney’s Office.
S en io r A ssista n t
A tto rn ey G en eral Scott
Jackson o f the Oregon De
partment o f Justice is as
sisting in the case at the
request of District Attorney
Ballard.
Attorney General
John Kroger leads the Or
egon Department of Justice.
The departm ent’s mission
is to fight crime and fraud,
protect the environm ent,
improve child welfare, and
defend the rights o f all Or
egonians.
Port of Morrow celebrates 50th anniversary
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merce by conference call tem to benefit agricultural
last Thursday that his deci extension centers and the
sion to vote in favor o f the ranger resources program.
$472 million tax
He a ls o a sk e d
increase w ould se
for support for
cure over $18 mil
extending a tax
lion in state spend
break on logging
ing to come out
equipment.
o f the Democrat
“ My job
controlled house
is to roll up my
into his district.
sleeves and do the
Before
job for the people
his yes vote Smith Rep. Greg Smith back home, and I
received a letter
am not ashamed
last Tuesday from Demo o f th a t,’ Sm ith told the
crat House Speaker Dave Chamber, the same day a
Hunt and Ways and Means front page article about the
co-chair Dem ocrat Peter trade o ff appeared in the
Buckley, promising benefits Portland Oregonian.
including:
“Our communities
$8 million in lot are dying and I am doing
tery money for Blue Moun what 1 can to support our
tain Community College.
comm unities,” Smith told
$8 million in lot the Chamber. “And every
tery money for Eastern Or item (that was promised)
egon University Library
has merit.”
$2.3 million in
S m ith and B ob
state bonds for Port of Mor Jensen of Pendleton were
row Education Center.
the only two Republicans
Limiting cuts in to vote for a tax increase
the Oregon University Sys
on individuals making more
than $125,000 annually, or
families making more than
$250,000.
Also on Thursday
o f last w eek R epublican
party Chairman Bob Tier-
nan filed an ethics com
plain t a g ain st H unt and
Buckley for violating the
public trust in the trade
off deal. Tuesday Andrew
Over, the state party’s ex
ecutive d irector told the
Heppner Gazette-Times the
ethics committee responded
that the com plaint would
not be investigated because
it was not in their jurisdic
tion. “We still believe there
is merit to our complaint,”
said Over.
A s for S m ith he
told the Chamber o f Com
merce: “1 have to come back
and explain what each of
these (projects) will mean.
People are going to tell me
what they think at the bal
lot box.”
lone School Board adopts budget
By April Sykes
The lone School
D istrict B oard M onday
night adopted a 2009-2010
budget with $5,703,204 in
appropriated funds and an
additional $370,000 in un
appropriated funds. They
also imposed a tax rate of
$4.0342 per $1,000 o f as
sessed value for operations
and $243,626 for bonds.
Also at the meeting
they approved a transporta
tion contract with Mid-Co
and approved the purchase
of an $11,300 Kubota lawn
m ower over a three-year
contract.
In other business,
the board:
-heard the follow
ing report from Superin-
tendent/Principal Karl Os-
theller:
"“stu d e n t e n ro ll
ment is unchanged from last
month w ith 164 students in
kindergarten through 12lh
grade.
"“tea c h e r e v a lu a
tions have been com plet
ed;
"“tw o classroom s
are alm ost ready for the
floor abatement process.
"“th e c u s to d i a l/
g ro u n d sk e e p e r p o sitio n
has been reopened to create
a larger pool o f applicants.
Four applications and one
verbal com m itm ent have
been received.
"“s p e c ia l e d u c a
tion interviews have been
scheduled for June 18. The
district had a pool of 10 ap
plicants and four would be
interviewed.
"“construction proj
ects should be starting soon
with the gym floor work
beginning around June 17.
Pool work should be mostly
complete with the excep
tion o f hooking up the chlo
rination system which is
expected to get underway
later this week. The pre-bid
meeting for the roof project,
construction m eeting for
the gym floor and a pre-bid
m eeting for w indow re
placement will be held this
week. A facilities meeting
will also be held to review
the bids for two classroom
additions.
"“the International
Club will hold a dinner dur
ing the Fourth o f July cel
ebration and speech debate
students will be assisting in
a variety o f activities.
-received the fol
low ing financial update
from C hief Financial Of
ficer Beth O ’Hanlon with
the Umatilla-Morrow ESD
as o f May 31:
"“the d is tric t r e
ceived basic school support
totaling $71,938 and school
stabilization money totaling
$48,681. The general fund
collected $2,851 in property
taxes.
"“the d is tric t r e
ceived an update for the
2009-10 funding estimate
which includes $14,717 in
additional common school
funds.
"“the interm ediate
program , operations and
maintenance and transpor
tation remain over budget.
"“b o n d p ro c e e d s
earned $3,203 in interest
for the district.
"“individual special
revenue funds continue to
carry deficit fund balances.
The district ordered money
to cover the deficit balances
in state and federal title
funds," said O ’Hanlon. "All
but the pool fund will be
made whole by the end of
the year. If the general fund
has funds available to trans
fer at the end o f the year,
“she said. "We would like to
propose using a portion o f
the capital projects transfer
to cover the pool.”
"“larger or unusual
payments in May include
the following: Carruth Con
sulting for the annual fee
to m aintain 403 (B) plan
documents as required by
the IRS; M id C olum bia
Bus for transportation; U.S.
Bank for adm inistration
fees as trustee for the bond;
Willamette ESD for bond
project services; Umatilla-
Morrow ESD for custodial
services.
-learned from board
member Anne Morter that
graduating seniors earned
over $18,500 in scholar
ships from local sources.
-rescinded a m o
tion to authorize the Um
atilla-Morrow ESD as the
recipient for SIP funds. The
district learned that it is not
authorized to do so.
-heard the follow
ing announcements: a spe
cial meeting will me held
Monday, June 22, at 7 p.m.;
no m eeting will be held
in July; the August board
meeting will be held Mon
day, August 17.
-held an executive
session to discuss nego
tiations and perform ance
evaluations.
Congressman Greg Walden to visit Heppner
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The Port of Morrow is celebrated its 50th anniversary with a public luau last Friday
from 4-7 p.m. at the new transload building at 71401 Kail Loop Drive in Boardman. The
celebration was an informal affair that included a roasted pork dinner and tours of the
new 55,000 square-foot building. Although there was no formal ceremony a slide show of
the port’s progress was presented. The transload building, the newest port improvement,
will be a warehouse distribution nexus, with rail, truck and barge transportation options.
-Photo by David Sykes
Alumni football game cancelled
Due to the lack of participation, the alumni football game scheduled for this
year has been cancelled.
Celebrate Heppner photos can be
found on Page THREE
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT
DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Congressman Greg
Walden will be in Heppner
on Tuesday, June 30, to
give a congressional up
date, covering topics such
as economy, forestry and
health care.
To accom m odate
this, the cham ber lunch
m eetin g w ill be m oved
from Thursday, July 2, to
be provided at $9 per person
and RSVP’s are required to
allow for sufficient seating
and meals.
Please RSV Ptothe
Heppner Chamber o f Com-
merce no later than Mon
day, June 29, if you w ill be
attending so accom m oda
tions can be made.
Tuesday, June 30, and the
“all entities reports” will
be moved to Thursday, July
9. The meeting w ill be held
in the Senior Center Dining
Room from 11:45 a.m. -
1:30 p.m.
A n y i n te r e s te d
com m unity m em bers are
invited to attend this meet
ing. A "no host" lunch w ill
Annual Red White & Blues Texas Hold
‘em Poker Tournament to be held
The 4,h annual Red
White & Blues Texas Hold
‘em Poker Tournament w ill
be held Saturday, June 20,
2009, at lone Legion Hall.
Sign up begins at
6 p.m. with a $40 buy in. able. B everages w ill be
Play w ill begin at 6:30 p ro v id e d by T a y l o r ’s.
p.m. There will be no late For more information call
M arvin Padberg at 422-
sign-ups.
7276.
A sa n d w ich and
salad bar w ill be avail-
M a te s
a great
Q y
E v e rc ra ft 6 - Pc. S c re w d riv e r set
# 776-0501
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