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lone School Board changes meeting
date, time
Agri N.W.
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Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
HEPPNER
imes
VOL. 129
NO. 29
8 Pages
Wednesday, July 2 1,2010
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
O r e g o n n e e d s 1 5 0 .0 0 0 jo b s to p u t p e o p le to w o r k
State Labor Commissioner says
work force getting older
By David Sykes
ranks to fill jobs,” Avakian
The Oregon La said. He said part of the rea
bor C om m issioner told son is that schools no longer
the Heppner Chamber of offer shop classes to begin
C om m erce
____
teaching stu
la st w eek
dents the skills
that younger
needed to fill
apprentice
th e s e j o u r
workers are
neyman jobs.
not moving
Later he said
up the ranks
the state is not
to be able to
lacking work
fill the jobs
ers, but instead
o f an a g
is lacking jobs.
ing Oregon
“We are lack
work force.
ing jobs. We
At the same
need 150,000
t i m e he
new jo b s to
says there
put people to
are plenty
work in this
o f w o rk e rs Brad Avakian, Commis- state,” he said.
but the state sioner ° reSon Bureau of
. . .
. ,
is “ s h o r t Labor & Industries
Avakian said
150,000 jobs.
his department
Commissioner would go to the next ses-
Brad Avakian from Portland sion of the legislature and
told the weekly chamber ask for $25 million so 10
luncheon that the average middle schools around the
age of construction workers state could reinstate wood
in Oregon is now a person and metal shop.
in their late 40s. Also as an
Heppner resi
example of an aging work dent and Chamber member
force, he said the aver Cliff Green, who was at the
age age of a Pacific Corp. luncheon, told Avakian he
electrical lineman is 53 didn’t think schools without
years old. “The people are shop classes should get all
not coming up through the the new money. “We have
shop classes here and we
don’t think a new program
should get all the resources
and money over those who
already have a program and
will get nothing,” Green
said.
Avakian also told
the Chamber that his de
partment fields over 25,000
calls per year with civil
rights complaints. He said
they have prosecuted 2,800
cases. The Labor Depart
ment covers state and fed
eral housing discrimination,
discrim ination in public
places, and investigates
civil rights complaints.
New legislation
dictates that an employer
cannot use credit history or
information when making a
decision on hiring people.
He said the law also ex
panded the discrimination
laws to cover v eteran s’
status, and made veterans
a new protected class of
workers. Avakian said the
new law says an employer
must provide the spouse of
veteran with a reasonable
amount o f time off from
the job when their spouse
is being deployed.
Recovery Act funds Morrow
County Public Works
courthouse window project
The
Oregon
Department o f Energy
announced that Morrow
County Public Works
Department will receive
$117,800.00 in federal
funds foran energy project.
The project is funded by
the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act
awarded
through
the
Energy Efficiency and
Conservation
Block
Grant. These funds are
designated for energy
efficiency and renewable
energy projects in public
buildings.
The
U.S.
Department of Energy
administers the funds,
approves the projects
and reviews the state’s
progress.
MCPWD
will
use the funds to replace
windows in the Morrow
County
Courthouse.
Bergerson
Cedar
Windows,
Inc.
was
awarded the contract for
the project.
“We are pleased
to make this award to the
Morrow County Public
Works
Department,”
said Shelli Floneywell,
manager o f the Oregon
Department o f Energy
ARRA team. “Not only
will this project save
energy, but the funds
will be used to put local
contractors to work.”
The Oregon De
partm ent o f Energy re
ceived more than 1,100
letters o f interest, repre
senting a request o f over
$2 billion in Recovery Act
funding.
AT MCGG GREEN FEED & SEER IN HEPPNER:
OFF 3 II Nursery Stock.!
Trees, Shrubs, Perennials
A L L M17ST G O !
Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed
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The lone School
B o ard m e m b er
Board, at its regular meet Lisa Rietmann later told
ing Monday night, unani the Gazette that the board
mously voted to change is not able to accommodate
its regular meeting date to everyone’s requests con
the fourth Tuesday of the cerning meeting times and
month from 3 to 5 p.m. that the UMESD staff had
Starting with the August conflicts with the previous
meeting, the board’s work meeting date and time.
session will be held from 3
Also at the meet
to 4 p.m., with the meeting ing, the board re-elected
from 4 to 5 p.m.
Joe M cElligott as board
The board had met chair and Anne Morter as
on the third Monday of the vice-chair.
month starting at 7 p.m.
The board also vot
since the district
ed to dism iss
was formed fol
a $15,000 late
lowing its split
completion pen
from the Morrow
alty for Knerr
County School
C o n stru c tio n
District in 2004
concerning the
a fte r a gro u p
district’s capital
sought to shut
im provem ent
down the lone
project because
schools as a cost
of extenuating
saving measure.
circumstances
At that time, the
Dr. Mark Mulvihill as presented by
lo n e C o m m u
project manager
nity charter school was John Eckhardt and owner
formed.
David Knerr.
The board is mov
In other business
ing its meeting date and the board:
time to accommodate the
-approved the Mid
Umatilla Morrow Educa- Columbia Bus Company
tion Service District staff pupil transportation bid,
and Dr. Mark Mulvihill, which was not divulged
UMESD superintendent, during the regular meet
who has just been hired as ing. Mulvihill said that Mid
the lone School District’s Co’s bid had not increased
superintendent. ISD had over the previous year.
previously contracted with
- a p p r o v e d th e
UMESD to provide admin 2010-2011 board meeting
istrative and educational schedule “as discussed in
services for the district, but the work session” which
following the resignation was held prior to the regular
of former principal/super- meeting.
intendent Karl Ostheiler,
-recognized Joe
opted to hire M ulvihill and Darla Vandever for
as the superintendent and their service to the district.
Jerry Archer as the on-site
-approved the fol
principal only, rather than lowing annual designations:
as a principal/superinten- Mulvihill as the superinten
dent.
dent clerk and executive
When the Gazette- officer, custodian of funds
Times asked about working and budget officer; Beth
parents who may not be O ’Hanlon, UMESD, as the
able to attend the daytime chief financial office/busi-
meetings. Vice Chair Anne ness manager; Mulvihill
Morter waved toward the and O’Hanlon as authorized
Monday night crowd, indi signers for the district’s
cating that the meeting was checks; authorized facsim
not well attended by parents. ile signatures; approved the
The crowd consisted of one short-term borrowing limit
teacher, one UMESD staff for the custodian of funds
member and the reporter at $200,000; approved fi
from the Gazette-Times, delity bond am ounts o f
.although meetings during $ 100,000 each for Mulvihill
the regular school year are and O’Hanlon; named Fife
generally well attended.
and Cockbum, LLP, as of
Four out o f five ficial auditor; named Corey,
o f the board m em bers, Byler, Rew, Lorenzen and
Joe McElligott, Lisa Ri Hojem as legal counsel;
etmann, Anne Morter and named the Bank of Eastern
Bill Jepsen, operate family Oregon and a government
farms. Board member Bink investment pool as depos
Ramos is employed with itories o f funds; named
the East Oregonian and
Gazette-Times as official
newspapers; established the
per diem lodging employee
reimbursement for lodging
at $35 per day and the per
mile amount at .505 cents
per mile as per IRS recom
mendations; established the
substitute teacher rate at
$159.47 per day or $19.^3
per hour for up to 10 days
and $ 187 per day or $23.38
per hour for more than 10
days, as mandated by the
state; designated M arla
Royal, Michael Lasher and
Collette Blakely with UM
ESD as confidential em
ployees.
-authorized inter
fund loans.
-authorized Mor
row County investments.
-estab lish ed the
lone School Board as the lo
cal contract review board.
-ap p o in ted Bill
Jepsen and Joe McElligott
as members of the Build
ings and Grounds Com
mittee.
-reappointed Anne
Morter and Lisa Rietmann
as members of the Negotia
tions Committee.
-discussed setting
a date for a barbecue and
celebration of completion
of the construction project.
-discussed what to
do with some student body
accounts that still contain
various amounts of money
that have not been used in
some time. Mulvihill said
the accounts will be exam
ined and he will report back
to the board.
-voted to offer the
long-term substitute teacher
position to Diana McEl
ligott.
-heard a report on
a drain that had not been
operating correctly. Archer
told the board that the drain
had been examined and
found to be com pletely
blocked. He said the situ
ation will be exam ined
further.
-learned from Mul
vihill that the district made
a mandatory payment of
$8,000 to a consortium
concerning the education
o f special education stu
dents. He told the board that
$4,000 is still remaining to
be paid.
-announced that the
August board meeting will
be held on Tuesday, August
24, with the regular meeting
set to begin at 4 p.m.
Oregon Public Health issues advisory for
Willow Creek Reservoir
High algae levels found in Morrow County Willow
Creek Reservoir
A health advisory
prompted by high algae lev
els found in Willow Creek
Reservoir located near Hep
pner has been issued by
Oregon Public Health.
Water monitoring
confirmed the presence of
blue-green algae that can
produce toxins harmful to
humans and animals. These
algae levels are likely to
be associated with danger
ous toxin concentrations
in the water, according to
World Health Organization
guidelines.
S w a llo w in g or
inhaling w ater droplets
should be avoided, as well
as skin contact with water
by humans or animals.
D rin k in g w ater
from Willow Creek Res
ervoir is especially danger
ous. Oregon Public Health
officials advise campers
and other Willow Creek
Reservoir visitors that tox
ins cannot be removed by
boiling, filtering or treating
the water with camping
style filters.
People who draw
in-home water directly from
Willow Creek Reservoir are
advised to use an altema-
weakness, diarrhea, nausea,
cramps and fainting should
also receive medical atten
tion if they persist or wors
en. Children and pets are
particularly susceptible.
The public will be
advised when the concern
no longer exists.
With proper pre
cautions to avoid water
contact, people are encour
aged to visit Willow Creek
Reservoir and enjoy ac
tivities such as camping,
hiking, biking, picnicking,
catch and release fishing
and bird watching, said
the Oregon Public Health
news release. Boating is
safe as long as speeds do
not create excessive water
spray, which could lead to
inhalation risk.
For local in fo r
mation contact the Corps’
Willow Creek Natural Re
source Management Office
at 541-676-9009.
For health informa
tion, contact the Harmful
Algae Bloom Surveillance
program at 971-673-0400
or www.healthoregon.org/
hab; also contact the Or
egon Public Health toll-free
information line at 1-877-
290-6767.
tive water source because
private treatment systems
are not proven effective
in removing algae toxins.
However, public drinking
water systems can reduce
algae toxins through proper
filtration and disinfection. If
people on public water sys
tems have questions about
treatment and testing, they
should contact their water
supplier.
O reg o n P u b lic
Health recommends that
people who choose to eat
fish from w aters where
algae blooms are present
should remove all fat, skin
and organs before cooking
since toxins are more likely
to collect in these tissues.
Additionally, pub
lic health officials advise
that people should not eat
crayfish or freshwater shell
fish harvested from Willow
Creek Reservoir while this
advisory is in effect.
Exposure to toxins
can produce symptoms of
num bness, tingling and
dizziness that can lead to
difficulty breathing or heart
problems and require im
mediate medical attention.
Symptoms of skin irritation.
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