Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2012)
SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 25,2012 COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES ~ L etters to the E ditor -Continuedfrom PAGE ONE Leann Rea (C'ont.) row County Health District Board for several years. Why do you fe e l you are better qualified than your opponent to represent the people o f Morrow County as com m issioner ? I feel that I am better qualified because I have strong con nections with all five of the communities in the county, having lived or worked in each of them. I am ap proachable and enjoy learn ing new facts about a wide variety o f topics. I have the ability to disagree with an individual on one item, but can continue working with them on other issues without any animosity or hard feelings. Finally, 1 have had the honor to ful fill the duties of the county commissioner for the last three-plus years. What is the biggest prob lem facing Morrow County government in the future? In my opinion, the eco nomic uncertainty with ris ing costs of employees and their benefits will continue to be a strain for the county. There are many unknowns surrounding health care benefits, and these things may have a negative impact on employee costs. The county also has several county buildings that are in need of major repairs. What will be your first pri ority' i f you are elected as commissioner? My main priority will be to see that the Road Dept, receives adequate funding to keep the county’s roads safe and to continue working to get more of the workers at the Port of Morrow complex to reside in Morrow County. Do you fe e l the current court adequately represents Morrow County residents, bt/jff north and south? Yes, I iVel .the current court ad equately represents all of Morrow County. Person ally, 1 was raised and lived in South County for the first 23 years of my life, then 1 resided at the Finley Butte farm (half-way between Boardman and Lexington) for about 15 years, and then in the Boardman area for 26 years. I worked as the m anager/bookkeeper o f West Extension Irrigation District in Irrigon for about six years, thus developing relationships with many of the water users and business people in that community. I now live in Heppner. Judge Tallman resides in Board- man and Com m issioner Grieb lives in the Lexing ton area, which rounds out the court fairly equitably and makes a commissioner available to all county resi dents. Do you think the present distribution o f tippage fees is equitable, or should the county change the way tip- page money is distributed? I think the way the tippage fees have been distributed has been as fair as the coun ty budget would allow. Tip- page monies support Exten sion, South Neighborhood Center, Irrigon/Boardman Assistance Center, Water- master, Wildlife Services as well as county services, to name a few. I anticipate there may be changes in the use of tippage fees in our next budget. Do you think the county should change its char ter and/or the number o f elected commissioners? 1 have mixed feelings on this issue. There are times that it would be nice to have a conversation with jone of my fellow commissioners without that conversation being considered a quorum. However, with the county’s current budget issues, 1 do not see any way to justify the additional costs that would be necessary to sup port more commissioners. Also, until the population of Morrow County is con siderable higher than it is now, I think the county can be adequately represented by three totally engaged commissioners. That’s dedication! Kandy Boyd (Cont.) Morrow County residents, opponent to represent the both north and south? Yes. people o f Morrow County Some of the services and as commissioner? 1 know needs of residents in both I can bring a fresh perspec ends of the county are dif tive on the issues facing our ferent and I believe the county. I believe 1 can listen current court recognizes to concerns and make fully- that; however, they have informed, wise decisions. 1 not always been proactive know how to spend within in informing citizens of the my means and pay atten changes happening to the tion to needs versus wants. county or why those needed I will not try to bring more changes are being done. taxation to our citizens Do you think the present by adding fees in order to distribution o f tippage fees balance the budget. I am a is equitable, or should the person who would like to county change the way tip- give back to my county by page money is distributed? being a public official who The expenditures that 1 have represents the citizens. I seen from the tippage fees hear many concerns now look equitable. I believe from people who visit our the budget should always office, and it has made be a consideration for all me want to change how expenditures. We have to Morrow County treats its live within our means in citizens. To me, this is about order to stay afloat. I am whether Morrow County sure that this is a fund that wants to see a change for can be looked at every year the better. to see what can and cannot What is the biggest problem be distributed based on the facing Morrow County gov budgetary limitations. ernment in the future? 1 b e-' Do you think the county lieve it is the lack of stable should change its char and sustainable economic ter and/or the number o f growth. We have got to find elected com m issioners? ways to bring in growth to We do not currently have a our county that is viable. charter. It seems to me that Rising costs in all aspects we do not have a budget of daily living add up, and that would allow for two that is what we will always additional commissioners be facing. with salaried positions at What will be your first pri this time. We have approxi ority if you are elected as mately 12,000 residents commissioner? Learning and 4,900 electors. The the budget inside and out counties that have more so 1 know exactly where than three com m ission we stand; asking depart ers are largely-populated ments to spend only if it is counties. If we added those a need. There may be spots positions, the increase to where the budget may be our budget would be huge, tightened up a bit. As a cur based on the salaries of the rent employee, we hear lots current commissioners. As of different things regarding a taxpayer, I don’t want to the budget. Understanding see us go down a bad path exactly where we stand with dollars. We would ap will help,to make wiser parently need to have a big decisions regarding issues overhaul to adjust for that. that face the county. I will In the future, it may be a keep office hours to meet need to visit if the budget the needs of the citizens and allows and the needs are be accessible to them. there. 1 would want to see Do you fe e l the current the whole picture and how it court adequately represents would impact the county. Three amigos r ■ ■ / I I «4 Don't Forget about our dedicated Nurses! | Mother's Day Baskets Now Available! e can build you a custom Mother's Day basket A mihistmtive P m r s m m u D ay S k o a l !! C arnatio n , vase AND MYLAR BALLOON o n ly v A biii $ i o 15ml The lone Minors Baseball team, sponsored by IRT, kicked off its season last Tuesday in a game against Heppner. Teammates (L-R) Hunter Padberg, Matt Orem and Jake Heideman led the two teams in the Little League pledge before the game. IRT plays in South Wasco on April 26 and in Arlington April 27. The team is coached by Eric Orem and assisted by Deacon Heideman and Jeff Eynetich. -Photo by Erin Heideman ODFW public meeting The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) invites all interested people to a public meeting on Wednesday, May 3, from 6-8 p.m. at the ODFW office in Heppner. The ODFW office is located in the old Kinzua mill office at 54173 Hwy. 74 in Heppner. Agenda items for the meeting include proposed tag numbers for the 2012 big game seasons and proposed season structure changes, including a change to the Co lumbia Basin archery closure for the 2013 season. Delivery not available_______________________ Wedding Tabh f e s & B renda G leason Shower: April 27, 2 0 1 2 Wedding: June l(), 2 0 1 2 M umuj ' j Dfllf 217 North Mam St, Heppner • Phone 676-9158 • Floral 676-9426 Serving Morrow, Wheeler & Gilliam counties Since 1959 ; Oregon seems to mirror our federal government in so many ways, especially in following a failing policy that has plagued all of us for the past 11 years and maybe longer...tax and spend. That wagon train has just about run us all into the poor house and needs to be changed. The money fountain that used to have no end, the billions in special interests and many more billions being doled out in tax breaks by both Oregon State and the federal government under misleading premises is running out of steam. Too many political heads have misused their power and often become career politicians, feathering their own nests, while this nation falls deeper and deeper in debt to foreign countries. Do you really believe that more back scratching in Salem is going to solve this state’s financial woes? Is it really important that our state leaders be part of the “good ole boys club” to be a good leader in Salem? It is time for a ‘proven and successful business leader’ to step into a senatorial position, backed with the skills and knowledge to face small business’ many issues throughout the state. The core of small business today deals with all the people issues this state wants to solve... jobs, benefits, medical care, taxes and labor relations, as well as the whole bucket of those environmental issues. We need less government, less control, less time spent writing new laws, less squabbling about nothing and more “paying attention to business.” Business leaders know what I am saying, and that is why I believe Maryl Gray- beal Featherstone is the right vote and the right person to represent the 29th district in Salem. I urge you to give her your support also. Norm Kralman Milton Freewater, OR Searching for family, history I have just been sent an article from 1980 about a pioneer picnic at the Morrow County Fairgrounds. The event was hosted by Darrel and Sue Vinson. Is this annual picnic still taking place? My mother was a Vinson and I have been trying to research my great-grandfather. Thomas Henry Vinson. I am curious about the possibility that he may be related to Darrel and Sue. Thomas Henry first turned up in Pierce Co., WA in 1870. He married Lucinda Warfield. Lucinda appar ently died in the mid 1870s, as Thomas Vinson married my great-grandmother, Josephine Teeters, in 1877. My mother’s side of the family doesn’t seem to know very much about him. I traced him from Pierce Co. to Sprague River in Lake Co. (now in Klamath Co.), OR in 1880. From there he went to Shasta Co., CA. in 1886, 1892 and 1896. Josephine is recorded as a widow in the 1900 census and she was living in Siskiyou Co., Ca. with a family by the name of Turpin. Any information that might help me with my research or family connections would be helpful. Thank you. Rod Hanley Molalla, OR The seventh annual youth fishing derby will be held at Cutsforth Park on May 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. This a free event sponsored by the Oregon De partment of Fish and Wildlife and Morrow County Parks for children 14 years old and younger. Cutsforth Park is located at 58430 Willow Creek Rd., Heppner, OR. For more information, contact Betty Gray at the Morrow County Public Works Office, 541 - 989-8214. SWCD to meet The Mor r ow SWCD will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m. at the Ag Ser vice Center, 430 W Linden Way in Heppner. Congratulations to Brandon Wedding, DRINK C aramel T offee L atte $3.25 SPECIALS W atermelon S pritzer $2.25 Kyle C arlson Experience in politics vs. business Youth fishing derby planned lone Community School teachers Diana McElligott, Jordan Bemrose and Tone Dowdy (pictured) braved the wind and rain to watch students play in the baseball opener and cheer IRT to its first victory last week. -Photo by Erin Heideman Nay 6th is Nurses Day! rhe Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached, rhe address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under "C ardofThanks"atacostof$10. * • U f r r r C m li tr a in C r ta tr u . We are proud to have Brandon as an employee at MCGG. He has been with MCGG since June of 2009 where he has worked in the propane department. Brandon demonstrates an incredible way of communicating with customers and fellow employees. Brandon goes above and beyond what is expected of any employee. Good Job BrandonJJ L e x in g t o n 9 8 9 -8 2 2 1 • 1 -8 0 0 -4 5 2 -7 3 9 6 i Agenda items in clude approval of previous minutes, treasurer’s report. Morrow County Budget Committee update, OWEB grant applications submit ted, habitat projects update, office building improve ment discussion and partner reports. Meetings o f Mor row SWCD are open to the public. For special atten dance requirements, contact Janet Greenup at 541-676- 5452. ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT! DEADLINE: M ONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
