City releases 37-city comparison survey
By David Sykes
I i I i i I i i i I i mi
If you have ever
wondered how Heppner
stacks up on tax rates, gen­
eral fund expenditures and
full time employees when
compared with other cities
around the state of similar
populations and services,
the city released a survey
Monday that may answer
some of those questions.
111111I I » 11 11 1 >
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Librarv
University of Oregon
Eugene. OR 07403
HEPPNER
The survey was
conducted by M ichelle
Amberg, City Manager of
Toledo, and included re­
sponses from 37 cities with
population under 5,000
around the state of Oregon.
The survey was distributed
to the Heppner City Council
at its regular monthly meet­
ing Monday night.
A co p y o f th e
survey is printed on Page
EIGHT of this week’s Ga­
zette-Times.
The council had
held a spe­
cial meeting
on A pril 6
to appoint a
replacement
for council
member
Sandra Van
Doom, who
had earlier New council
member
resigned.
Cody High
A f­
imes
VOL. 129
NO. 14
10 Pages
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Candidates debate issues at local forum
Candidates for the upcoming election attended a forum Sunday and answered questions from
the public. Seated L-R at the table are: Tim Maloney for governor candidate Allen Alley; Rex
Watkins running for governor; Colleen MacLeod candidate for State Representative Dist. 57;
Terry Tallman and Dean Kegler, County Judge; Justin Nelson and Tom Cutsforth, District At­
torney; Earl Woods, Anne Spicer and Terry Felda, Justice of the Peace; and Ken Grieb County
Commissioner. Front right is moderator Bill Kuhn with Jack Melligan handling questions.
-Photo by David Sykes
By David Sykes
Candidates for governor, state rep­
resentative, county judge, district attorney,
justice of the peace and county commis­
sioners came before the public Sunday in
Heppner to answer questions and debate
the issues. Approximately 58 people came
to the forum, which was sponsored by the
Willow Creek Party Tea Party Patriots, and
held at the Heppner High School.
One gubernatorial candidate and
a stand in for another were the first to be
questioned. The public filled out cards
and passed them to the front where local
attorney and forum moderator Bill Kuhn
asked the questions and generally ran the
show.
Governor candidates - Allen Alley and
Rex Watkins
Many of the questions directed
to the governor candidates concerned
state spending. One question was about
the Business Energy Tax Credit, or now
known as the BETC tax credit, which has
helped many of the wind farms establish
here and avoid millions of dollars in state
taxes. “Millions of dollars has been racked
up for green energy,” Watkins, who is a
businessman from Albany, told the crowd.
“1 am not a big fan of welfare, personal
or corporate.” Tim Maloney, a campaign
worker standing in for Allen Alley who
was unable to make the forum, said Alley
believes Oregon does not have a busi­
ness friendly environment and “we need
to overhaul the tax structure and PERS
(public retirement fund).” State spending
is out of control and Alley thinks high
taxes are driving businesses out of Oregon.
“We need to tax the government,” he said
and directed people to a web site called
taxthegovemment.com for an explanation
of Alley’s position, Maloney said.
Alley’s representative also said the
federal government has run over the 10th
amendment to the constitution and state’s
rights. “Many western states are over one-
half owned by the federal government,” he
said. Watkins agreed and said 53% of the
state of Oregon is owned by the federal
government. “We have been taxed and
regulated enough,” he said.
When asked what the government
can do to create jobs, Watkins said it is not
the government’s job to create jobs. “Gov­
ernment needs to get out of the way. Private
enterprise will create jobs if government
does that,” Watkins said.
Alley’s position is that he would
appoint a person from the economic de­
velopment department to serve Eastern
Oregon specifically. He also believes busi­
nesses are taxed too high. Allen also wants
to see a repeal and defeat of measures 66
& 67, tax increase measures passed by the
legislature.”
On education, Watkins says there
is no competition in delivering education
and that the public system is not working.
“The legislature put a cap on online and
charter schools because the teacher unions
did not like it,” he said. He said he was in
favor of vouchers for private schools.
Alley said he supports school
choice and pointed out that government
spending has gone up 48% over the past 10
years, “but the government has not shown
a 48% increase in services.”
-See CANDIDATE S FORUM/Page SEVEN
2010 Walk MS to be held April 17
Join the Walk MS
community move and be
moved to end the devastat­
ing effects of MS. The 12th
year of Walk MS Heppner
will be held on April 17 at
9 a.m. with more than 100
people will be walking for
a cure.
“Last year I felt
like my MS was winning
the fight so my doctor «put
me on a new disease modi­
fying drug and today I am
much better” said a past
walker. It is because o f
generous supporters, walk­
ers, and volunteers of Walk
MS H eppner that these
drugs are available to those
with MS.
In Gilliam, Wheel­
er, and Morrow County
there are at least 12 people
who have MS, which means
that 12 fam ilies in area
communities are faced w ith
the challenges of this dis­
ease every day. “I'm asking
for your support again this
year" said a walk coordina­
tor. “Your donations con­
tinue to make a difference
in the lives of many people
with MS.”
Walk MS is the
single largest fundraising
event for the National MS
Society- Oregon Chapter.
te r in te rs
viewing two candidates
the council voted in secret
ballot to appoint Cody High
to fill out the remaining
two years of Van Doom’s
position.
High is 25 years
old, single and works at
Bucknum’s Tavern in Hep­
pner. He lived here previ­
ously in 2003 when his
father worked for the US
Forest Service and he was
a senior in high school.
High left to attend Oregon
Technical Institute and then
left school and returned to
Heppner.
He told the council
his biggest desire for Hep­
pner was to make it a good
place to raise a family.
When asked by the Gazette
how he felt about serving
on the council High said
he was “looking forward
to it.”
The council also
interv iewed Tim Collins for
the position, but in the end
voted four to one in favor
of High.
In other action at
the meeting the council
gave City Manager Dave
De Mayo the go-ahead
to contact local contrac­
tors about renovating the
upstairs o f city hall. De
Mayo said he w anted to find
out if there was a contrac­
tor that would take on the
expense of the project for
future revenue from tenants
that might locate there. De
Mayo said it was not being
used now and the upstairs
might make good office
space to rent out.
The council heard
from council m em ber,
and sheriff’s deputy John
Bowles, who gave a report
on police activity around
the city the past month.
Bowles said there
was seven traffic citations
issued in March. There
were three people arrested
for Driving Under the In­
fluence of Intoxicants. A
parked vehicle was struck
at Gale and Center streets
by another vehicle which
fled the scene. The driver
of the fleeing vehicle was
arrested for hit and run-
property damage and initi­
ating a false report.
In other incidents
flags were reported being
removed from a private
residence and harassing
notes being left behind.
Eggs were also thrown at
houses and someone had
written in fresh concrete.
The police reported
that there were nine animal
complaints, two of which
were barking dogs. Nine
dogs were transported to
Pet Rescue. Two citations
were issued for maintaining
a dog as a public nuisance. A
dog trap was set to capture
a dog getting into garbage.
Also a citizen reported
fraud on a credit card, and
a rifle was reported stolen
from a vehicle.
In the city in March
the police also arrested one
person for unlawful pos­
session of a firearm, issued
11 Minor in Possession/
Consumption o f alcohol
citations. And the police re­
ported investigating threat­
ening text messages being
sent.
In other business
the city crew reported start­
ing work on the “lover’s
lane” bridge behind the
bowling alley. The bridge
is closed while the decking
and some structural beams
are replaced or repaired.
The city learned
that Kirk Street alleyway
has shrunk. Edward Haugs-
var recently purchased a
lot adjoining the alley and
had it surv eyed. The surv ey
shows that boundary actu­
ally closes off the alleyway.
De M ayo said the new
owner is willing to work
with the city to resolve the
issue.
The council heard
that the “Oregon is Indian
Country” display will be
arriving at city hall soon.
The display will be there
about a month. The city
manager invited the public
to come to city hall and
view the display. He said
the schools had also been
invited to send children to
see the display, but so far he
had not heard a response to
the inv itation.
Morrow County School Board approves
graduation requirement changes
By April Sykes
The Morrow Coun­
ty School District Board
approved the first reading
of changes to the district’s
graduation requirements at
their Monday night meeting
at Windy River Elementary
School in Boardman.
MCSD S u p erin ­
tendent Mark Burrows told
the board that the district’s
changes in graduation re­
quirements were in response
to state mandates. “It's not
something we have a lot of
choice about,” he said.
“We want all kids
who are capable to get
the Oregon diploma,” said
Burrows. “We will work
very hard to get everyone
over that bar.” He noted
that only students who re­
ceive the regular Oregon
diploma may be recipients
o f student aid and other
benefits. He added that one
way of accomplishing that
goal would be through work
samples, which are allowed.
He said that before the next
board meeting administra­
tors will hammer out what
those work samples will
be.
U pon final a p ­
proval, in order to receive
a regular Oregon diploma,
district graduation policies
are as follows:
*2010 and 2011
graduates are required to
have 24 credits to graduate:
four in English, including
one unit in written compre­
hension, three in math, two
in science, three in social
studies, one in health, one
in PE, one in career techni­
cal education, the arts or a
second language and nine
electives.
*2012 and 2013
graduates are also required
to have 24 credits: four in
English, including one unit
in written comprehension,
three in math, three in sci­
ence (up from two) three in
social studies, one in health,
one in PE, three in career
technical education, the arts
o f a second language (up
from one) and six electives
(down from nine). The 2012
graduates must be enrolled
in grade nine during the
2008-09 school year and
must be able to read and
comprehend a variety of
text. The 2013 graduates
must be enrolled in grade
nine during the 2009-10
school year and be able
to read and comprehend a
variety of text, write clearly
and accurately.
*2014 and beyond
graduates are required to
have 24 credits: four in
English, including one unit
in written comprehension,
three in math at the algebra
I level and higher, three
in science, three in social
studies, one in health, one in
PE, three in career technical
ed, the arts or a second lan­
guage and six electives. The
2014 graduates must be en­
rolled in grade nine during
the 2010-11 school year and
be able to read and com­
prehend a variety of text,
write clearly and accurately
and apply math. The 2015
graduates (and subsequent
years) must be enrolled
in grade nine during the
2011-12 (and subsequent)
school year and be able
to read and comprehend a
variety of text, write clearly
and accurately, apply math
and any additional essential
skills adopted by the state
board of education.
Other requirements
include: developing an edu­
cation plan and building an
education profile; demon­
strating extended applica­
tion through a collection of
evidence and participating
in career related learning
experiences.
The district may
award a diploma to a stu­
dent who does not satisfy
the above math and English
requirements if the student
has exceeded the academic
content standards or dis­
plays proficiency in math or
English, as demonstrated on
Oregon state assessments.
The bo ard also
approved a modified di­
ploma for students who
have demonstrated the in­
ability to meet the full set
o f academ ic for a high
school diploma even with
reasonable accom m oda­
tions. A modified diploma
-See SCHOOL DISTRICT/
In 2009, 80 cents of every
Page SEVEN
dollar donated to Walk MS
went to the Oregon Chap­
ter to support research and
more services for people
Heppner and lone Schools will hold their proms on Saturday, April 17. Hep­
with MS in our area. Re­ pner High School will hold their prom from 8-12 on Saturday night at the Morrow
search is moving forward County Fairgrounds. lone School will hold their prom from 8-12 on Saturday night at
at a fast pace. A new oral the Port of Morrow.
medication could be avail­
able this spring which im­
Y o ur Choicel M eguiar*s H o t S h in e T ire C o atin g (2 4
proves walking in people
oz. T rigger S p ra y o r 16 oz. A ero so l)
1
with all kinds of MS.
Participants can
1 M e g u ia r’s H ot R im s A ll- 1
W h e e l C le a n e r (2 4 o z .)
register online at www.
mswalkoregon.com or by
M e g u ia fs D e e p C rystal
calling 503-445-8342. For
C a r W a s h (6 4 o z .)
more information contact
Merilee McDowell at 541 -
M o rro w C o u n ty G rain G ro w ers
676-5238.
Le xin gto n 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
Heppner, lone proms to be held Saturday
$4.99
w
April Super Car >
Care Specials!
P a r fa r m « j u l p m .n t v isit n r m b s it* a t w w w a c ( f a c t
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