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
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M ARC H 7TH-13TH2011
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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
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