Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2011)
Co-Gen start-up date still unclear Would start burning wood waste then switch to ag products By David Sykes il i i i i „ , l , U l l ....... ¿essie Wetzell Newspaper Library University ot Oregon Eugene. OR 1)7403 The man behind the planned start-up of the cogeneration plant in Hep- pner said last week there is still is no firm date as to when the plant will start production. Kurt Christensen, of Renewable Ag Energy, Inc., was the featured speak er at the annual Willow Creek Economic Develop ment Group annual meet ing last Thursday, and he told the gathered luncheon group that financing is the big problem at this time. Renewable Ag Energy has been given several options and extensions to purchase the co-generation plant at the old Kinzua Mill site in Heppner, but so far has not been able to come up with the funding to complete the transaction. The plant, as well as is the entire indus trial site, is owned by the Port of Morrow. “This is the most difficult financial climate in the last 30 years,” Chris tensen said. He said inves tors and businesses have money but they are so un sure of the direction of the Kurt Christensen of Renewable Ag Energy which plans to start up the co-gen plant at the old Kinzua Mill site near Heppner was the featured speaker at last week’s Willow Creek Valley Economic Development Group annual meeting. -Photo by David Sykes federal governm ent and are not investing. “Nobody knows what the government is going to do,” he said. C hristensen said so far his company has received “zero” financing from the government and does not intend to use fund ing from the government as a long tern business plan. “Any business that counts on government subsidies in the long run is going to fail,” he said. “They can help you get established but you have to make it on your own. “The Port of Mor- Cow has been very coop- -See CO-GEN PLANT/Page TEN PGE still highest single taxpayer in Morrow County VOL. 130 NO. 7 10 Pages Wednesday, February 23, 2011 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Morrow County School District assets, revenues up for 2009-10 over previous year District spends over $13 million on instruction The Portland General Electric Coal Fire Plant is still the highest single taxpayer in Morrow County, according to 2009-10 audit figures released by the Morrow County School District for the year ending June 30. According to the MCSD audit, completed by Oster Professional Group, John Day and Bums, for public utilities, PGE, with an assessed valuation of $246,061,000, comprises 18.56 percent of the total county value. Under a plan ad opted by Oregon’s Envi P r in c ip a l T a x p a y e r s in M o r r o w C o u n ty , O r e g o n Percent of Total County ronmental Quality Com Assessed Value V aluation m ission, the PGE Coal P r iv T a h te r e E e n m te ile rp r C is a e n s y o n F a rm s , L L C $ 1 1 5 ,7 4 7 ,1 9 0 8 .7 3 % Fired Plant will close by L a m b -W e s to n , Inc 3 5 ,9 5 1 ,1 7 0 2 .7 1 % C o lu m b ia R iv e r P ro c e s s in g 2 6 .9 8 4 ,0 4 0 2 .0 4 % December 31, 2020. F a rm C r e d it L e a s in g S e r v ic e s 1 8 .8 6 9 .1 5 0 1.42% The second highest T h r e e m ile C a n y o n , L L C 2 0 ,9 8 5 ,8 2 0 1.58% valuation for public utilities P u b lic U tilitie s is Avista Corporation, with P o r tla n d G e n e r a l E le c tric 2 4 6 ,0 6 1 ,0 0 0 18.56% A v is ta C o r p o r a tio n 1 0 7 ,5 3 4 ,0 0 0 8 .1 1 % an assessed valuation of P o w e r R e s o u r c e s C o o p e r a tiv e 2 .4 7 % 3 2 ,6 8 9 ,3 0 0 $107,534,000. It comprises Id ah o P o w er C o m p an y 1 9 ,8 9 4 .9 0 0 1.50% G a s T r a n s m is s io n N o rth w e s t 3 .6 0 % 4 7 .6 7 0 ,6 0 0 8.11 percent of the county’s 4 9 .2 7 % A ll o th e r 6 5 3 ,0 9 4 ,1 6 0 valuation. T o ta l ta x a b le a s s e s s e d v a lu e o f M o rro w C o u n ty S 1 ,3 2 5 ,4 8 1 ,3 3 0 1 00.00% T hreem ile C an yon Farm s, LLC, with an assessed valuation of $ 115,747,190 has the highest assessed valuation for private enterprises, making up 8.73 of the total county value. Lamb Weston is second with $35,951,170 for 2.71 percent of the county value. All other taxpayers combined have an assessed valuation of $653,094,160 for 49.27 percent of the total county value. The total taxable assessed value of Morrow County is $1,325,481,330. (See chart.) $1,177,828 for debt service and $698,006 for deprecia tion. T o tal fo r g o v ernm ent a c tiv ities was $23,060,861. On the revenue side, the district received $5,049,185 in property taxes levied for general services and $1,320,231 in property taxes levied for debt services; $12,054,885 from the state school fund; $ 178,416 from the common school fund; $183,927 in other unrestricted funds; $57,748 in unrestricted investment earnings; and $33,039 from the sale of capital asset, plus $667,292 in miscellaneous revenues for a total of $19,544,723 Public invited to participate in discussion on wolves, in total general revenues, compared to $19,015,593 grazing and state budget effects on rural Oregon in total general revenues An expert on issues get and how it will impact cational organization that last fiscal year. focuses on state and local facing rural Oregonians rural Oregon. will be the featured speaker Edwards, an expert issues in Oregon. at an open town hall Cascade’s mission in these and many meeting in Heppner other issues facing is to develop and promote Chamber hears program on creativity and innovation Wednesday, March rural Oregon, will public policy alternatives By David Sykes said. 2, at 7 p.m. at Hep take questions from that foster individual lib Dr. Carmelo A. Di H e pner Ci t y Hall. the audience fol erty, personal responsibility Salvo of Heppner teaches d e s c r i b e d Karla Kay lowing her presen and economic opportunity. business classes through creativity as E d w a r d s , r ur a l tation. The public Cascade promotes property the University of Phoenix an original or policy analyst for is invited to attend. rights, incentives, markets and he recently shared his im a g in a tiv e C a s c a d e Pol i c y Karla Kay The program is be and decentralized decision Edwards expertise with the Heppner th o u g h t and Institute, a public ing sponsored by making. Chamber of Commerce by the ability to Cascade advances policy research or the Willow Creek putting on a lunch presenta th in k up or ganization, will speak on, Tea Party Patriots. these values by sharing its tion entitled Creativity and imagine new among other things, the The Cascade Policy research with the public, Innovation for a Competi ideas or ser wolf population in Oregon, Institute, located on Scholls the media, and state and tive Advantage. vices. His ex Dr. Carmelo Di Salvo was the recent speaker changes in grazing fees and Ferry Road in Portland and local lawmakers through Most people know amples of cre at the Heppner Chamber of Commerce. He allotments, wilderness ver founded in 1991, is a non publications, educational Di Salvo as someone who ative and inno spoke on creativity and innovation. -Photo sus private land, pesticide profit, nonpartisan public programs, community fo works at Heppner Family vative people by David Sykes rules and their effects on policy research and edu rums and special events. Foods, and how he ended are Henry highly im aginative, tak farmers, and the state bud up in Heppner is a story by Ford for invent ing road less traveled, risk itself, but two weeks ago ing the moving assembly takers, very determined he told the Chamber that in line, Howard Schultz the Ed Rollins, of the secretary/ treasurer. Other ing purposes. Sykes said people, and people who are order for organizations to founder of Starbucks and board members are Executive Director Sheryll Bank of Eastern Or able to overcome obstacles. survive and prosper, they Steve Jobs for all the Apple G eorge K offler, Bates was ’nstrumental egon, was elected He said many times cre must be creative and have products he has created. Nancy Snider and in working with Work ative people are the ones in president of the Wil successful implementation force Development out of low Creek Economic Dave DeMayo. Di Salvo said the of that creativity. “1 call qualities of creative people -See CHAMBER PRO- Development Group In going Pendleton in obtaining the it creativity with feet,” he include being eccentric, GRAM/Page TEN at its annual meeting over past accom grants. WCVEDG is a non plishment Sykes last Thursday. He noted the group’s profit organization working will replace David Sykes who served Ed Ro l l i ns efforts in obtain for economic development Katie Duncan, registered the past two years as - 2011 WC- ing over $23,000 in the Heppner, Lexington radiologic technologist at president. VEDG Presi in training funds and lone area. Dues are Pioneer Memorial Hospital, dent. which were given $25 per year for anyone Also elected readies a patient for a scan in the hospital's new CT to the Mor r ow who would like to become were Michael Blauer scanner. The new equipment Co u n t y Heal t h a member. vice chairman and was purchased with a zero Marcia Kemp re-elected District for workforce train- The M orrow County School D istrict 2009-2010 audit shows over $81 more in total net assets for the district than the previous year. Total general revenues were up over $500 thousand. The audit also showed that the district spent over $13 mil lion on instruction for that fiscal year. The Morrow Coun ty School District’s 2010 audit, completed by Oster Professional Group, John Day, showed that the district had $29,733,817 in total as sets and $24,239,829 in total liabilities, plus $ 1,538,301 restricted for debt service and $444,205 unrestricted for 35,493,988 in total net assets, $81,703 more than the previous year. Total net assets for the previous year ending June 30,2009, were $5,412,285. In 2009-10 for in struction, the district spent $9,776,779 for regular pro grams, plus an additional $3,471,041 for special pro grams and $ 16,957 for sum mer school program. For support ser vices, the district spent $ 2 7 0,428 on stu d en ts, $495,637 for instructional staff, $509,985 for general administration, $1,462,209 for school administration, $3,514,671 for business services, $523,464 for cen tral support services and $174,279 for the supple m ental retirem en t p ro gram. For enterprise and community services, the district spent $960,764 for food services and $8,813 for community services. The district had u w dbycts Rural issues expert to speak in Heppner on March 2 • Local man teaches business classes Rollins elected economic development president New CT in use at Pioneer Memorial Hospital interest USDA loan through Columbia Basin Electric Co op and a $90.000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. -Contributed Photo N A P A F IL T E R S 4 0 % OFF FILTER & TOOL SALE M ARC H 7TH-13TH2011 TOOLS A N D EQUIPM ENT TO SAVE O N Editor’s Note The story in last week s edition, "Chaplain inspires hope, courage in soldiers ” was about Andrew Johnson o f Heppner Johnson is a teacher at Irrigon High School and a former pastor at Heppner Christian Church t H3 AIR COMPRESSORS • BATTERY CHARGERS • HAND TOOLS • LIFTING EQUIPMENT • AIR TOOLS • TIRE HARDWARE • SAFETY EQUIPMENT • SERVICE TOOLS • SHOP VAC • SPECIALTY TOOLS • WELDING • VISE GRIPS • MUCH MUCH MORE! 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