r
T
N c - p a p e - Utaary
Courthouse renovations begin
The Morrow County
Courthouse in Heppner is
in the early stages o f its
face ‘lift.’ After careful
evaluation by engineers,
it was determined that the
bell tower of the courthouse
has deteriorated and needs
to be repaired in the near
future. The original bid was
Eugene.
HEPPNER
imes
VOL. 132
N 0 . 27
8 Pages
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Summer school program
gives kids academic boost
By Andrea Di Salvo
Students recently got
a boost in their academ
ics thanks to the summer
school programs at Hep
pner schools.
The program s have
been in operation for sever
al years at Heppner schools;
this year they ran fr,om
8-11 a.m. June 19-27 at
both Heppner Elementary
School and Heppner Jr./Sr.
High School. Reasons for
summer school attendance
ranged from credit retriev
al—making up necessary
classes that were failed or
missed for some reason—to
a little extra tutoring to meet
rigorous state benchmarks
or prepare for the next grade
level.
According to Heppner
principal Matt Combe, par
ticipation in summer school
for a helicopter to lift the
bell tower but, after care
ful review, the helicopter
companies were concerned
that the structure .would
disintegrate in the prop
wash.” A second bid was
released for a crane to lift
the bell tower.
Northwest Crane Ser
vice was the successful
bidder for the crane op
eration, with a bid amount
of $13,720 for lifting the
bell tower and replacing
the bell tower. They will
bring in a 225-ton crane,
which will be set up in the
lower parking lot behind the
courthouse.
The target date for the
actual lift will be during
the week of July 22-26. A
more specific date will be
selected in the next week,
subject to weather.
Preliminary work has
begun in the clock tower.
The clock is being dis
mantled and removed. Resi
dents may notice in the near
future that the bell will not
be striking on the hour.
Preparations of the pad
in the lower parking lot will
begin, still allowing for ac
cess to the courthouse for
those with DMV Disabled
Parking Permits.
The estimated cost to
hire a crane and remove
the clock tower, prepare for
the crane, repair the clock
tower, and then replace the
bell tower is over $300,000
and will require closing the
courthouse for at least one
The long-anticipated lift that will begin the renovation of the
Morrow County Courthouse clock tower (pictured in detail
below ) is scheduled for the middle of this month, with a date
to be release later. -Contributedphotos
day for the lift and one day
for the replacement.
The dome, which is es
timated to weigh over 7,000
pounds, will be lifted by
crane and placed on a trailer
and will be taken off-site for
renovations.
The courthouse bell,
which weighs over 3,000
pounds, will be removed
in a second ‘lift’ and taken
off-site for renovations as
well. After renovations are
complete, the process will
be reversed.
While it will be nec
essary to close the court
house for the safety of the
employees, the public and
the contractor, the closures
will be kept to a minimum
in order to provide services
to the public.
Safety zones will be es
tablished around the court
house and will be enforced.
The public is encouraged
to watch the process from
a safe distance. There are
many places in town that
will provide a good view
o f the action while also
being outside of the safety
zones.
As updates becom e
available, they will be pro
vided in the Heppner Ga
zette-Times, on the Morrow
County website at http://
morrowcountyoregon.com/
clock-tower-updates/, and
on the new ‘Morrow Coun
ty Clock Tower Renovation’
Facebook page.
M orrow C ounty assessor
announces retirem ent
HF.S teacher Melissa Coiner,'a main coordinator for the sum
mer school program at the elementary school, tutors a pair
of first-graders during this year’s session. Photo by Andrea
Di Salvo
was not an open invitation ta—that is, different strands
to all students, but was of learning in different sub-
based on need. School staff
-See SUMMER SCHOOL/
PAGE FIVE
looked at certain strand da-
G-T closed for Fourth of July
The Gazette-Times of- day, July 4, in observance everyone a happy and safe
fice will be closed on Thurs- o f the holiday. We wish Independence Day
lone Red, White & Blues 2013i
Wednesday, July 3
Golf Tournament— Willow Creek Country Club...9 a.m.
Topic Club Book Sale— lone Legion H all...9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Blast Zone Paintball—Stefani Lot (concessions on site)... 10 a.m.-dark
Talent Show— lone City Park...6 p.m.
Music by Frank Carlson—lone City Park...Following
Thursday, July 4
Fireman’s Breakfast— lone Fire Hall...7 a.m.-lO a.m.
5k Walk/Run— Lady Cardinal Basketball/Wounded Warrior project, $10 fee...7
a.m.
2013 Craft Fair—lone Legion Hall...9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Food Vendors, Information Booths/Raffle Tickets— lone City Park
Park Entertainment by Local Artists
Blues Cruise Car Show— lone City Park... 10:30 a.m.
Fish Pond, Frog Jump, Bike Raffle— lone Fire Hall/City Park... 11 a.m.
Altar Society Pie Sale— lone Fire Hall... 11 a.m.
Red, White & Blues Parade—Grand Marshals Jim & Monica Swanson... 1 p.m.
Park Activities Begin... 1 p.m.
Ken Turner Memorial Horseshoe Tournament—Horseshoe Pits
Petting Zoo— lone City Park
Blast Zone Paintball—Stefani Lot (concessions on site)... 10 a.m.-dark
American Legion Bingo— lone Legion H all...2 p.m.
Music by Corey Peterson— On Stage...after parade until 3 p.m.
Blues Bands—On Stage/Ione Amphitheater...3-10 p.m.
Hi Fi Mojo...3-4:15 p.m. Billy D and the Hoodoos...4:45-6p.m.
Tommy Tutone...6:30-8p.m.
The Sonny Hess & Vicki Stevens Band. .8:30-10p.m.
Legion Auxiliary Baskets (silent auction @ lone Deli)...4:30 p.m.
Boat Trip Auction—On Stage/Ione Amphitheater. ..6:15 p.m.
Raffle Drawings—On Stage/Ione Amphitheater.. .6:30 p.m.
Fireworks Display...dusk (about 10 p.m.)
Friday, July 5
Whispering Pines Equestrian Patriot Trail Ride—Three miles north ofOHV Park...
Sign-up begins at 10 a.m. for three-day event
lone’s Fourth of July celebration is sponsored in part by Morrow County U ni-'
fied Recreation District.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
y
At the June 26 meet
ing of the Morrow County
Court, Greg Sweek, county
assessor and tax collec
tor, announced that he has
decided to retire effective
September 3 of this year.
He said it was “ ...a
bittersw eet moment for
me. 1 am very much look
ing forward to retirement,
but 1 am going to miss
those people I have worked
closely with.”
Greg has worked in
the assessor’s office since
July 11, 1977 and was ap
pointed as assessor in 1979.
There have been many lows the decision by an
changes in the assessor’s other long-term assessor’s
office since then.
office employee,
The assessor’s of
B ecky D oherty,
fice and the tax col
who has announced
lector’s office were
her retirement.
merged in 2001 as
With the pros
a cost-saving mea
pect of losing two
sure. Technology
people with a great
also has changed
deal of knowledge
dramatically dur Greg Sweek
about assessment
ing G reg’s tenure
and tax, the court
with the county; there have moved forward with ap
been several hardware and pointing a replacement as
softw are im provem ents sessor, Mike Gorman. Mike
over the years, each with has worked in the asses
their own challenges.
sor’s office since August
Greg’s retirement fol- o f 2002.
lone School District receives
$118,000 in local grants
By April Sykes
The lone School Board
learned at their June 25
regular meeting that the dis
trict has received $ 118,000
in local grants.
lone School Principal
Jerry Archer announced
that the district received
$1 18,000 from ICABO
(lone Community Agri-
Business Organization) and
the lone Education Founda
tion to fund projects and
increased programs at the
lone School.
lone Education, through
ICABO, gave the district
$49,000 for 80 iPads to be
used by virtually all the
students at the school.
The lone Education
Foundation grant, through
ICABO, paid for the iPads,
at $479 each, along with
Otterbox Defender Series at
$90 each, Lightspeed at $20
each and apps at $1,880.
According to Archer,
the purchase of 80 iPads
would expand the program
to include each middle-
school student, as well as
high-school students, and
would allow a lab in each
elementary school class
room.
The breakdown would
include 16 to go with the
16 the district is already
using with seniors for the
projected 32 ninth-graders;
36 to go with the six they
already have for grades
six-eight; 22 to go with
-See /ONE SCHOOL
GRANTS/PAGE EIGHT
Heppner remembers
Three local ladies traveled to New York last week and placed
a rock at the Tree or Life (above), the only surviving tree of
the 9/11 attack, at Ground Zero. The rock will remain there
for a short period and then he place in the museum currently
being built at (¡round Zero. Contributed photo
30% ÔfN.
all in stock./)
ITAWNMOWER SALE!
behind MTD Mowers
ALL Models
10% OFF
Bedding
/
V
" p la n ts
"P la n te rs
"C o lo r bowls
M orrow County Grain Growers Green Feed A S eed
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