Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2013)
Public comment on new wind generation project due by April 15 Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library University o f Oregon Eugene. OR 97403 Umatilla County Map showing proposed Wheatridge wind generation project 300 windmills proposed near Heppner VOL. 132 NO. 13 8 Pages Wednesday, March 27, 2013 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Nelson family suffers double hardship; bank fund established The John and Alita Nel son Family of Heppner is in need of assistance fol lowing the auto accident of their daughter Kellie, 17, and John’s diagnosis of a life-threatening illness. Kellie, a senior at Hep pner High School, was in a near head-on collision on March 17 on the Umatilla River Road. According to Shannon Boor, a family friend, Kellie was trans ported to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Flerm- iston with a fracture of her left femur in two places, a fracture of a vertebrae and a shattered knee cap with tendons, ligam ents and muscles in the knee dam aged. Kellie has undergone surgery. Kellie was transferred from Good Shepherd to Kadlec Medical Center in Photo of Kellie Nelson's vehicle after the accident Richland, WA, on March 23, so that she could get the physical therapy she needs. According to Boor, the doc tors at Kadlec believe she now has an infection and is likely to have to undergo more surgery. The fam ily also re cently found out that John Nelson has a bone marrow disease and will require a bone marrow transplant to survive. According to Boor, John’s siblings are being contacted in hopes of finding a donor within the family. After they find a donor, it is expected that John will be off work for a year during the process. A nyone who would like to help the family out may donate to them through a medical fund that has been set up at the Bank of East A Sunrise Service will ern Oregon under “Nelson be held Sunday at 7 a.m. in Medical Fund.” the grandstands at the Mor row County Fairgrounds. The service is open to the According to a legal description of the project, the land comes to within 2 miles of the Willow Creek Country Club golf course. From the top of Dee Cox Canyon Rd. it is about one mile to the project’s nearest property line. As the crow flies, the property comes to within about 2.5 miles of Lexington. The northern most piece of the Wheat ridge West component lies along the south border of the U.S. Naval bombing range. Wheatridge East is approxim ately 16 miles northeast of Heppner, cross ing the Umatilla County line. The number and size o f turbines has not been determ ined but, accord ing to a notice filed by the Oregon Department of En ergy, there could be as many as 300 1.7 - 3.0 megawatt turbines. Included in the plan is a number of supporting facilities including a col lection system; collector substation; com m unica tion system ; operations and maintenance building; perm anent m eteorologi cal tower; access roads, a temporary concrete batch plant and rock quarry and a temporary staging area. More information about the project is available on line at: www.oregon.gov/ energy/S it i ng/Pages/W R W. aspx or at the Oregon Trail Library, Heppner. Public comments are due by April 15 and must be submitted in writing by mail, e-mail, hand delivery or fax. Please send com ments to: Andrea Goodwin, Siting Analyst, Oregon De partment of Energy, 395 E. Highland Ave., Hermiston, OR 97838. E-mail: andrea. goodwin@state.or.us. Sunrise Easter service at fairgrounds Jerry Archer retires as lone school principal The lone School board support that ICABO and the reluctantly accepted the Education Foundation has resignation o f Principal given the lone Community Jerry Archer at their March School, as well as to me, 19 meeting. has been outstanding as we The much-loved prin wouldn't have been able to cipal, who has been with move forward so quickly the lone district for the without their generosity. past three years, said, “It “You have a district that is tim e,” in his resigna you should be extremely tion letter to the board. “I proud of and I am honored know myself well enough that I was able to be a part to know when it’s of it. Thanks for the time to make a great memories.” personal change.” “You just came Archer had been and fit in so well,” officially retired r e s p o n d e d 1SD prior to his stint Board Chair Anne with lone. Morter. “Jerry, you Archer com were just what the mended his staff Jerry Archer doctor ordered.” for their hard work An official letter and the lone community for from the district noted that its support, saying, “It takes Archer had received his a team to make this happen. third very favorable review I’m going to look back on at the February board meet these last three years ex ing and commented that tremely fondly.” He com “Jerry has been a consum mented that the “lone board mate professional whose was the most visionary experience and passion leadership team I had the significantly moved the pleasure of working with lone School District for in my career. It has been ward.” The letter credited truly rewarding to see what Archer with an increase can happen when everyone in student achievem ent really works together in based on district goals, supporting the needs o f completion of an extensive students.” bond project and facility “I can honestly say that upgrades, completion of working with lone staff, district compliance in state parents and com m unity and federal programs and members has truly been the establishment of com one o f the highlights. The munity networks to obtain As many as 300 new windmills could grace the skyline north of Heppner if the Oregon Department of Energy approves a plan submitted by Wheatridge Wind Energy, LLC. W heatridge filed a Notice of Intent with the state for a 500 megawatt wind generation facility on March 13 and residents are encouraged to comment on the proposed plan before an April 15 deadline. The proposed p ro j ect has three components: Wheatridge West, Wheat ridge East and an “intrac onnection” corridor con necting the two. In all, the development would cover approximately 50,000 acres of private land. Wheatridge West will be located entirely in Mor row County and will lie approximately seven miles northwest of Heppner. outside funding for one-to- one computing project. The letter also com m ended A rcher for his “ strong work ethic and ability to forge positive relationships” thereby cre ating a “students first” cul ture within the district and his “even-handed and high energy leadership which pulled the staff, students and community back to gether and put the lone School District back on the right track.” The d istrict is also facing the retirements or resignation o f three oth ers. Long time employee Vickie Wagenblast will be retiring after 18 years with the district, and Dale Hol land and Mike Garrett have announced that they will resign as coaches. In other business the board: -heard a positive finan cial update from Super intendent Mark Mulvihill who reported that the cur rent state funding projection is a healthy $6.55 billion for kindergarten through 12lh grade schools. Oregon schools are currently fund ed at $5.7 billion. Mulvihill said that the rosy projec tion does not even include -Continued on PAGE SEVEN public and is sponsored by the South Morrow County M inisterial Assoc. Naz arene Pastor Norm Lee will present the sermon with participation by other members of the clergy. A good-will offering will be taken for the Ecumenical Ministerial Fund. Easter egg hunts set for Saturday The annual Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Heppner Elk’s Lodge, will be held on Saturday at the City Park in Heppner. Pre school and kindergarten age children will begin at 10 a.m. and first and second grade students will follow at 10:30 a.m. Third and fourth grade students will begin at 11 a.m. The Easter Bunny will be on hand dur ing the festivities. lone’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt will also held Sat urday at 10 a.m. in the lone City Park. Children up to the fourth grade are invited to participate. Cal Sherman delivered the Easter Bunny to Heppner. File Photo ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
