Ghosts and ghouls,
oh my!
11 1 1 1 ■ 1 ■ 111 ...... 11 1 • • 11
1 1 1 11 1
1
1
I
Bessie Wet/ell Newspaper Libran.
University of Oregon
Lugene. OR l>7403
A happy scarecrow sit oblivious to the scutiny it gets from a dubious ghost on Main Street in
Heppner. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo -More pictures on PAGE TEN
County hears concerns
about Bombing Range
VOL. 131
N 0 .4 2
10 Pages
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Liu joins Heppner
mayoral race
Alvin J. Liu has joined
the race for Heppner City
Mayor, running as a write-
in candidate. Liu is running
against Joe Perry for the
position soon to be vacated
by Mayor Les Paustian.
Liu was bom in Taiwan
but first came to Heppner
in 1996; he has been a
full-time Heppner resident
since 2001. He holds a
Bachelor of Science degree
in arts and multimedia from
Eastern Oregon University.
He has served as student
ambassador for EOU, past
board member and current
member o f the Heppner
Cham ber o f Commerce,
m em ber o f the O regon
Community Foundation, vision and new initiatives
and community ambassador for growth. If a person is
for the Ford Family Foun without vision, he or she
dation. He and his wife, is most likely not going to
Lynda Liu, also op
act in favor of posi
erate businesses in
tive mindset. When
Heppner.
challenges occur,
Liu say s he
the answer tends to
believes the great
be ‘Oh well, it’s not
est problem facing
my problem.’
Heppner is lack of
“We must reen
vision and initia Alvin J. Liu
ergize the positive
tive.
emotion of the rea
“Most people would son why we choose to live
say the biggest challenge here and to call Heppner
for Heppner is employment, home,” Liu adds. “We, as
specifically family-wage citizens of this community,
jobs,” says Liu. “I agree; do have responsibilities for
however, I believe the core its sustainability and future
issue is, rather, the lack of growth.”
Husband, wife team turns
neglect to investment
Couple s hard work and attention to costs turns
rundown Heppner home into nice rental unit
By David Sykes
Find a g o od-priced
home in need o f repair,
throw in a lot of hard work
and a reasonable amount
o f money and, to Val and
Charlotte Skvortsov, you
have not only a good rental
unit, but also a solid addi
tion to their investment and
retirem ent strategy. The
couple recently added to
that portfolio by rehabbing
an older double-wide mo
bile home in Heppner.
The couple bought a
bank repossessed 1975 dou
ble-wide mobile home at
233 Linden Way in Heppner
with the plan of remodel
ing the dilapidated two
bedroom, two bath home
and then renting it out for
income.
The couple’s plan was
to make a nice rental unit
people would want to live
in, but also control costs
so the investment paid off
financially.
“We think it is part of
a good investment strategy
to purchase a real asset,”
says Charlotte, who plans
out the home purchases and
jobs, while her husband Val
does much of the remodel
ing work.
“Val and I work to
gether as a team. He is not
afraid to work,” says Char
lotte of her husband, who
will tackle almost any job,
but also knows when to call
in the pros.
For instance, when the
couple put up the sheetrock,
they did all the hanging
and taping, but then hired a
local contractor to come in
and apply the texture.
“He had the tools and
we thought that would just
work out better,” says Char
lotte.
Contractors also did
some other small jobs dur
ing the remodel process
but, overall, “ We did it
ourselves,” she says.
To make it pay, “You
have to do everything you
can yourself, but also know
your limits,” she says.
T his in clu d ed new
kitchen and bath, new cab
inets and laminate floor
ing, and new interior doors
throughout the house. They
did not have to replace
the windows, as the home
already had new double-
paned windows installed.
O u tsid e, they com
pletely redid the yard, in
cluding $180 for sod (“We
only needed $ 150 of that so
we gave the rest away to the
neighbors,” said Charlotte),
-See NEGLECT TO INVEST-
MENT/PAGE TEN
Increased Navy restrictions could lower
revenue fo r landowners, county
The Morrow County
Court met in Boardman on
Oct. 10 with Judge Tallman
and Commissioners Grieb
and Rea in attendance.
The City and Citizen
Comment period for Irrigon
was opened, with no one
in attendance. Later in the
meeting, Jerry Breazeale,
Irrigon City Manager, re
quested the county’s co
operation and support of a
grant request for a Source
Water Protection Project
G rant. The project will
conduct well tests on ap
proxim ately 20 wells in
the UGB area o f Irrigon.
A November meeting will
be held to help inform the
residents how they can
help improve water qual
ity issues. The city will
reimburse the county with
grant funds for staff time
to conduct research and
develop mailing lists.
The court reviewed and
approved the September
retirement taxes and the
account payables in the
amount o f $ 113,062.52.
The court also reviewed
the General Fund cash bal
ance activity for the week
of Oct. 8 through Oct. 14,
2012. The remaining cash
balance was $273,552.32,
which is $ 131,917.81 ahead
of the same point last year.
The projected General Fund
expenses for the next week
will leave a balance o f
approxim ately $75,000.
There was a discussion
regarding the possibility
of a short-term inter-fund
loan from Finley Buttes Li
cense Fee Fund to the Gen
eral Fund. Finance Director
Rick Worden w ill prepare a
resolution for the loan to be
considered at next week’s
meeting.
New Business: Jerry
Rietmann discussed is
sues regarding the Navy
Bombing Range and how
the Navy’s new plans are
impacting wind projects in
the area. Rietmann stated
that in 2008 they met with
the Navy regarding where
the Navy would allow tur
bine development. It now
appears they have leased
approximately 8,000 acres
in an area where the Navy
now wants to restrict devel
opment. This action could
reduce payments to local
-See COUNTY COURT
NEWS/PAGE FOUR
Local boys headed for
big-time with podcast
By Andrea Di Salvo
Aaron “Dogbite” Har
ris and friends will hold a
CD release party for their
compilation album, “Live
from the Trailer: Volume I”
this Saturday, Oct. 27. at 9
p.m. at Bucknum’s Tavern
in Heppner.
rhe release of an album
is a big accomplishment for
any musician, but “Live
from the Trailer” is only
part of the story’ for this up-
and-coming musician.
Harris, 28, and his part-
ner-in crime, Jody “Black
Water" Maddem, also 28,
are long-time best friends
and both Heppner boys.
Their fame has been spread
ing far beyond the Heppner
city limits, though; they're
now gamering attention at
the national level.
Much of that attention
comes from their podcast—
an internet-based, down-
Aaron “ Dogbite” Harris (left) and Jody Maddern (right) are
the voices behind the increasinglv-popular podcast. Dog Water
Radio. The duo will host a release party fora CD based on the
show this Saturday at Bucknum's. -Contributedphoto
loadable radio program—
Dog Water Radio.
“ It’s simply all DIY
and fly-by-the-seat-of-our-
pants; the playlist is the
part that takes us the longest
out o f everything,” says
Harris.
Above left: Val and Charlotte Skvortsov outside their newly-remodeled rental unit in Heppner.
Above right: The home on Linden Way before the remodeling project.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
I
landowners by $1 million
and would also result in
a loss to the county’s tax
base. Rietmann estimates
the Navy’s actions could
result in a 20 percent to 30
percent reduction in their
project.
Craig Reeder presented
information regarding the
economics of the Columbia
Basin’s irrigated agricul
ture. Reeder provided a
map showing that in the
last 20 years, Washington
has added 48,000 acres of
irrigated agriculture while
Oregon has only added
10,500 acres of irrigated ag
riculture. Reeder provided
the following income infor
mation. 125 acres of sweet
com with a field value of
$120,000 then through the
processing to a retail value
of $3.2 million dollars, 125
acres of carrots with a field
value of $475,000 to a retail
value of $8.6 million and
125 acres of potatoes with a
field value of $750,000 to a
retail value of $24.5 million
dollars. This information
shows the region’s potential
«
“There is also no script;
whatever comes into my
head comes right out, usu-
ally with no filter on it,”
adds Maddem.
The two of them also
-See PODC ASTFAME/PAGE
FIVE