Town and Country Awards winners announced
The H ep p n er
C ham ber o f Com m erce
Town and Country Com
m unity A w ards ev en t,
spbnsored by CenturyLink,
was held in the pavilion
at the M orrow C ounty
Fairgrounds on Thursday,
January 13. This y e a r’s
theme was “Heppner - A
little town, where big hearts
abound... in every direc
tion.” This year the follow-
Bessie
UnlVerS0R
Eugene OR 9°403
*
HEPPNER
imes
VOL. 130
NO. 3
8 Pages
Wednesday, January 19,2011
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
School district names Dirksen proposed
superintendent successor, Mendoza, assistant
T h e M o r r o w where he worked at Virgie Junior/Senior High School
C o u n ty S choo l B oard R o b in so n E le m e n ta ry vice-principal, on a software
v o te d on Ja n u a ry 11, School. M endoza, who program that he created to
u p o n S u p e r in te n d e n t has around 10 years o f improve student attendance
e x p e r ie n c e
and discipline by
M ark B u rro w s’
as a school
tracking attendance
recommendation,
administrator,
and re fe rra ls ,
to h ire c u rre n t
p ro v id in g quick
has created
R iv e rsid e H igh
a p a re n t
r e s p o n s e s to
School Principal
meeting
incidents, resulting
Dirk D irksen as
program for
in i m p r o v e d
s u p e rin te n d e n t,
Spanish-
c o m m u n ic a tio n
replacing Burrows
with parents and
who has announced Dirk Dirksen s p e a k i n g George
fa m ilie s at Mendoza
teachers. Matz also
his retirement at the
R iv e r s i d e .
created a program
end of the school
to display school-
year. The board plans to He has said that
schedule a series of public supporting the d istrict’s related in form ation on
meetings throughout the teachers and increasing digital screens at IJSHS.
district prior to finalizing p a r tn e r s h ip s b e tw e e n Matz said that the new
businesses and families, system has “ b a sic a lly
Dirksen’s hire.
The board, also upon with the desire to offer eliminated tardiness.”
The
board
Burrow’s recommendation, equitable and consistent
approved the hiring o f education for all students, su b se q u e n tly re le a se d
c o p y rig h t, tra d e m a rk
current R iverside High are goals for him.
At the m eeting, and patent interest in the
Assistant Principal George
M en d o za as a s s is ta n t Heppner Elementary School software Matz created.
A l s o at t h e
superintendent, replacing teachers Molly Rill and
Phyllis Danielson, who is Sherry Matteson reported meeting, Doreen Enz and
on ‘Parents for Parents’, the Jan Stroeber, representing
also retiring.
Dirksen has been group that they created to the U n ited M eth o d ist
at Riverside for 30 years assist parents and students. Church and “C hristm as
and has been principal for They had earlier organized a Is”, a Heppner community
the past eight years. He has health fair at the school and musical Christmas program,
indicated that he is pleased also a health jobs fair and presented $750 to Heppner
with the district’s direction plan to hold an additional music teachers Joe Lindsay
and plans to continue in one later during this school and M ichelle Stone to
e n h an c e th e H ep p n er
the path Burrows has taken year.
The b o ard also
with the district.
Mendoza came to viewed a presentation by -See M.C. SCHOOL DIS-
TRICT/Page EIGHT
the district from Pasco, WA, M atthew M atz, Irrigon
Morrow County School District announces
meetings for superintendent candidate
A fter review ing
superintendent ap plica
tions last week the Mor
row County School Board
announced they were con
sidering promoting Dirk
Dirksen, Riverside princi
pal, to the superintendent
position. They directed cur
rent superintendent, Mark
Burrows, who is retiring
June 30,2011 to set up pub
lic meetings for Dirksen to
address patrons and receive
their input.
Burrow s reports
the meetings will occur as
follows:
-Tuesday, February
1,6 p.m. - Irrigon Elemen-
Heppner G-T Trophy Corner
tary School library
-Thursday, Febru
ary 3, 6 p.m. - Heppner
Elementary School library
(Dirksen will also be pres
ent at Heppner Chamber
meeting at noon at City
Hall)
-Monday, Febru
ary 14, 6:15 p.m. - Windy
River Elementary library.
Title & ELL
Family Night
Out to be held
Interested in tast
ing free international des
serts? Heppner Elemen
tary School’s Title and ELL
Family Night Out will be an
evening of cooking dem
onstrations, samples, and
recipes. Dean Antonucci,
Dora Collins, and Alvin
Liu will demonstrate their
cooking expertise on Sun
day, January 23, at 4:30 in
the Heppner Elementary
School cafeteria.
For more informa
tion, contact Mary Ann
Amber Fritz »hot this »pike * 3 (there'» a kicker off the hack Elguezabal or Mary Hague-
side) during the »econd season elk hunt of 2010. -Contributed wood at 541 -676-9128.
Photo
ing awards were given out:
Youth Recognition, Brett
Harrison; Business of the
Year, The Stable of Youth;
Woman of the Year, San
dy Matthews; Man of the
Year, Ken Grieb; Lifetime
Achievement, Larry Lind
say; and Citizen-Educator
of the Year, Beth Dicken
son.
The 2010 Youth
Recognition Award recipi
ent is Brett
Ha r r i s on.
Harrison,
a senior
at H e p p
n e r Hi g h
S chool, is
involved
wi t h s t u Brett
dent coun Harrison
cil, National
Honor Society, Spanish
Club, 4-H, sports, youth
'group, and FFA. He has also
received numerous Student
of the Month awards. He
has also helped with hang
ing Christmas lights down
town, cutting firewood for
those in need, helping to
run the annual Veteran’s
Day Celebration, organized
homecoming and FFA week
activities, Mustang Mop-
Up, helping with numerous
canned food drives, and
even help glean sweet com
in a field in Maryland for
local food shelters. All in
all, he has logged more than
400 hours o f community
services.
This year’s Busi
ness of the Year is The Sta
ble ofYouth.
Opening ap
proximately
five years
ago, the goal
of the busi-
n e s s wa s
to provide
a place the Bobbette
youth of the Lovgren
community
to go and
feel safe. The Stable, owned
by Bobbette Lovgren is
currently located in the
old bowling alley. The res
taurant not only serves
customers but helps pro
vide meals for grieving
families or those who have
been down on their luck.
Along with bowling, there
are many other activities
for youth and children to
enjoy. “In these difficult
economic times, (Bobbette)
has remained dedicated to
the children of our commu
nity, knowing financially it
will only be a break even
endeavor on its best day,”
said Sheryll Bates. “Still,
she feels God wants her to
provide this safe environ
ment and she has shown
great faith and dedication
to keep pressing on.”
This year’s Woman
of the Year is Sandy Mat
thews. Born and raised
in Heppner,
Matthews is
famous for
her desserts
and taking
pictures at
every imag
inable event
H e p p n e r Sandy
has to offer. Matthews
“She has to
hold the record for most
pictures taken in Hepp
ner,” stated Kim Cutsforth.
“It would be easier to list
things she may not have
taken a picture of. I can’t
imagine a person in town
that has not been touched
by one of her photos.”
The 2010 Man of
the Year is Ken Grieb. In
addition to _________
being a Mor
row County
Commis
sioner, Grieb
donates his
time as an
auctioneer
for various
Ken Grieb
projects and
fundraiser.
He also volunteers his time
with many programs includ
ing the HEROES Reading
Program, Parent Teacher
Club, Booster Club, and
Colt Youth Sports.
This year’s Life
time Achievement Award
was presented to Larry
Lindsay. At 23 he took over
the family ranch and over
the years developed a cus
tom feedlot that holds 5,000
head of cattle. Over the years
Lindsay has been a Mor
row County Grain Grow
e rs b oa r d
member
and Far m
Bureau sec
retary, the
S t. P a t -
ric k ’s Par
ish Council
member and
Larry
l o n g - t i me Lindsay
parish high
school cat
echism teacher, St. Patrick’s
Day Parade grand marshal,
and a prior Cattleman of
the Year. He currently is
a member of the Oregon
Cattlemen’s Association,
Oregon Wheat Growers,
Knights of Columbus, and
Morrow County Cham
ber of Commerce. He also
served as Port Commis
sioner for the Port of Mor
row for over 44 years. Lind
say has been honored by the
Oregon Historical Society
for preserving a portion
o f the Oregon Trail that
runs through the feedlot. In
1975 he sponsored over 40
members of a Vietnamese
family that escaped Saigon
by providing jobs, housing
and English classes.
The 2010 Citizen-
Educator of the Year is Beth
Dickenson. She was hired
six y e a r s
ago and
since then
has worked
to resurrect
the FFA/AG
program
at H e p p
n e r Hi g h Beth
School.
Dickenson
Since com
ing to HHS,
Dickenson has revived the
land lab and started an FFA
alumni association. Since
taking over the FFA pro
gram, Heppner FFA now
has a 35 percent member
ship total within the student
body. Dickenson also makes
sure her students have ac
cess to service learning and
is involved with the Cham
ber of Commerce, Elks, and
Garden Club.
Speaker indicted on sex charges
Morrow
in the Third Degree,
and Furnishing Sex
Co u n t y Di st r i ct
Attorney Justin W.
ually Explicit Mate
rial to a Child. The
N elson on T ues
charges span from
day announced the
December 1, 2010
indictment and ar
to D ecem ber 13,
raignment of James
2010 and involve
Wayne Speaker, 29,
four separate vic
from Hermiston on James
tims.
charges of Sexual Wayne
Speaker
Speaker
Abuse in the First
was arraigned on
Degree, Rape in the
Third Degree, Sexual Abuse the indictment on January
18, 2011 by Judge Eva
Temple. The court kept bail
at $150,000. The courts
set a release hearing for
January 21 at the Morrow
County Circuit Court.
The case is being
investigated by the Morrow
County Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone with information
should call the sheriff’s of
fice at 541-676-6317.
City puts $2 sewer increase on hold
By David Sykes
The city of Hepp
ner has decided not to move
forward with a planned
sewer rate increase “for the
time being”, City Manager
Dave DeMayo told the city
council last Monday night.
DeMayo did not
give a reason for withdraw
ing a planned $2 per month
increase, even though the
city utilities commission
had earlier voted in favor
of the increase at its Dec. 16
meeting. The commission
was told monthly sewer
fees were not covering the
cost of operating the sewer
system. DeMayo told the
utility com m ission that
although the sewer plant
is now operating more ef
ficiently because o f im
provements, the sewer fund
was still facing a $3,500
shortfall by mid-year. He
said if the rate increase
were to bring in excess
funds they would be put
into a reserve account. In
details handed out at the
city council meeting last
week, DeMayo said income
from sewer fees so far this
fiscal year is $ 100,000 with
expenses of $ 120,000, for a
deficit of $20,000, w hich he
said was made up from cash
carryover funds.
Mayor Les Paus-
tian said the city can con
tinue with the deficit, and
not raise fees, “but if funds
have to be borrowed in the
future (to operate the sewer
system), this w ill add to the
debt and, with interest, the
amount will double by the
time it is paid off." Council
members Joanne Burleson
and John Bowles agreed
with the mayor, saying the
rates should be raised.
At the utility com
mission meeting, Bowles
said he recommended the
rates be raised by $2 per
month now, and then pos
sibly again in two years by
25 cents if necessary.
In other business
at the January meeting the
council:
-Signed a one-year
extension o f a lease w ith
Tim Dickenson of Dicken
son Chiropractic for office
space in the back part of the
city hall building. Terms
of the lease are $450 per
month.
- Received the fol
lowing police report from
the sh eriff departm ent.
-See CITY COUNCIL/
Page FOUR
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•Insulated Coveralls
•Jackets
ALL WINTER
PAC BOOTS
15% OFF
Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed
_
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