Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 10, 2013)
"I City water tank may need fixing Divers Bessie Wetze« Newspaper Ubrarv University of Oregon ^ Eugene, OR 97403 fin d corrosion By David Sykes Divers inspecting Hep- pner’s water tanks used for the city’s drinking water found corrosion inside and outside of one of the tanks, which will require reha bilitation work done, public works director Chad Do herty told the city council Monday night. Doherty said the divers went into tank number three and found corrosion on the inside that needs to be fixed. He estimated the cost will be around $120,000 to fix the problem, but added that it did not need to be done immediately but maybe in the next two to three years. Doherty said a new tank would cost around $350,000 and an alternate would also have to be used if there is a replacement. “Reservoir three has a sizable corrosion problem, and it is going to have to be done,” Doherty told the council. He said the water is fine, however. “As long as the water samples are okay, we can keep using it.” A company from Kla math Falls came in last month and inspected and cleaned all the city water tanks and found the prob lem on tank number three. Divers actually went into the tanks and, in addition to inspections, used vacuum equipment to suck up about one eighth of an inch of Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon 5(K VOL. 132 NO. 28 10 Pages Wednesday, July 10, 2013 tleppner's water tank may need some major rehabilitation. -Contributed photos sediment off the bottom of the tanks. In other business, the council heard a report from City Manager Kim Cutsforth, who told the council thaj the Lovers’ Lane bridge is getting clos er to opening, with railings needing to be installed. She also said the handrails on the stairs on Water Street should be installed by the end of July. Cutsforth said she had met with construction com pany JAL to discuss the Elder, Quaid, Center and Hager Street projects. The council also dis cussed the recent decision to change how late fees are assessed on water and sew er bills. The city is changing to a flat $5 late fee, from a percentage, if paid after the tenth of the month. Some council members were con cerned that people would not get their Social Security checks or other paychecks until after the tenth, when the bills are due. Cutsforth said if people come in and talk to the city, special ar rangements can be made. She said, on average, ap proximately 200 people out -See CITY HATER TANK/ PAGE SEVEN Methodists welcome new pastor Hintz fills in at Opening the doors of the church, for the Sharma family, in cludes opening the doors of their family beyond blood relations. Back (L-R): Sharma’s stepfather, Thomas Gould; her mother. Rev. Carol Carter; pastor Kike Sharma; her husband, Aditya Sharma; and “adopted" family member Thomas Mcllhargey. Front: Another adopted family member. Merle Asido from the Philippines, and Ashw in Sharma. Photo by Andrea Di Salvo By Andrea Di Salvo pulpit this week. The Heppner United Pastor Elke Sharma, M ethodist Church w el 39, is taking over the posi comes a new pastor in the tion as the church’s pastor following the departure of previous pastor Jonathan Enz and wife Doreen for a new post in western Or egon. Her first service at the church was this past Sunday, July 7. This is Sharma’s third pastoral post; she comes most recently from a joint service to Brooklyn Unit ed Methodist Church and Jacksonville United Meth odist Deaf Faith Commu nity Church in Jacksonville, IL. Sharma, who likes to be< referred to as Pastor Elke, or Elke (pronounced Elka), was bom in San Francisco but, after the age of eight, lived the life of a pastor’s kid, living in a variety of com m unities where her mother ministered. Even before that, she said, she was familiar with being part of a pastor’s family, since her grandfather was also a pastor. “I’ve been to a lot of places and met a lot of inter esting people,” she says. After high school, she says she wanted to be an English teacher. To that end, she attended Gallau- det University in Wash ington, D.C., graduating with honors in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a specializa tion in writing. She went on to obtain her Master of Arts degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages from California State University in Sacra- part in a day of advocacy organized by human rights agency International Justice Mission (IJM). Participants met with more than 210 congressional offices to build support for strong U.S. policies to combat traf ficking and slavery at home and abroad. -See FAIR MANAGER/PAGE TWO -See HUMAN TRAFFICK ING ADVOCATE/PAGE Half of the I.IM lobby group in front of the Capitol before the SEVEN lobby meetings began. Local advocate Sarah Stillman (circled) is in the hack holding the Oregon sign. Contributed photo Planning commission turns down appeal on Boardman truck stop operates 290 truck stops and facilities nationwide, is seeking to build a multi million dollar facility five miles west o f Boardman at the Tower Road inter change. The truck stop was originally proposed in 2009, and Devin’s has fought a legal battle since, saying the site is not appropriate for such a facility, and that both Love’s and the county have made numerous errors in applying for and granting the permits to build the 49- acre travel center. In 2010 the planning commission gave approval for the city of Boardman to split off the 49-acre parcel from a larger 456 acres Names will he given to new' businesses in Enterprise Zone over 15, it was announced at Monday’s meeting of the CREZ board of directors. Enterprise zone man ager Carla McLane read a list o f about 15 names of organizations that have contacted hpr to be included the city owns near Tower Road, and sell it to Love’s for the planned tuck stop, which would also include a restaurant, gas station and convenience store. Devin appealed that decision to the Land Use Board o f Appeals (LUBA), which then sent the approval back to the county over proce- -See TRUCK STOP DE- BATE/PAGE FOUR CREZ developing list of charitable organizations By David Sykes The list o f names o f charitable organizations to be given to new businesses locating in the Columbia River E nterprise Zone, CREZ, in hopes of receiv ing funding, has grown to through the county’s cen tennial fair before board ing a plane for New York Aug. 21. Hintz is a 2012 gradu ate of Heppner High School. He delayed college a year after graduation, choosing instead to fulfill obligations Queen Krysten pounds the pavement for Morrow County Advocates for victims o f human trafficking at U.S. Capitol By David Sykes The Morrow County Planning Cofnmission on June 25 denied an appeal by Devin Oil Co. seeking to stop construction o f a large truck stop and travel center on Interstate 84 near Boardman. Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, which /.ech Mint/ is temporary manager for the Morrow County Fair. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo Fair-goers will see a new but familiar friendly face in the Morrow County Fair office this year. -See NEW PASTOR/PAGE Zech Hintz, 19, has FIVE been hired as fair manager until the county hires a per manent replacement for previous manager Ren’ee Yocom. He took over the position June 5 and will see Lexington resident joins international justice mission Lexington resident Sar ah Stillman, senior at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, returned home late Wednesday eve ning, June 12, from Wash ington, D.C. after meet ings with Sen. Wyden’s, Sen. M erkley’s and Rep. W alden’s congressional delegation. Stillman was am ong 250 individuals from 40 states who took fair office on the list. The names will be given to new businesses planning on locating in the zone who wish to make charitable contributions in Morrow County. -See CREZ MAKES A LIST/ PAGE FIVE Above: Morrow County Fair anil Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Queen Krysten Powell waves to spectators during the Red. W hite and Blues parade in lone last Thursday, followed by pen nant bearers Alissa Mashos and Katelyn Taylor. Summer may have just started, hut Queen Krysten has been hard at work making appearances all over the state representing the annual fair and rodeo. Queen Kry sten has traveled to Rosehurg. Bend and Madras attending queen coronations. She also participated in the Adams, Arlington and Spray parades and grand entries. Along w ith pennant bearers Mashos and Lay lor. both of Board- man, Queen Krysten attended the Fourth of July parades in Boardman and lone. With only two hours between the start time of both parades, the girls proved to he efficient and pro fessional. making both parades with plenty of time to spare. Future appearances for Queen Krysten during the month of July inelude Caledonian Days in Athena, the Flgin Stampede and the Fort Dalles Days pro rodeo. Contributed photo 30 % all in ITÄWNMOWER SALE! behind MTD Mowers "Bedding p A LL Models 1 0 % OFF AS Planters "Color bow M o rro w C ounty G ra in G ro w ers G reen F e e d St S e e d 242 W Linden Way, Heppner » 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office) L J i i !
