Governor declares county
in ‘drought emergency’
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
5<K
HEPPNER
azette
imes
VOL. 132
N O . 34
8 Pages
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The wheat crop was one area affected by low moisture and high temperatures this year. The
dry conditions have made Morrow County one of several counties in Oregon to be declared
in a state of drought emergency. -File photo
Oregon governor John
Kitzhaber last week signed
an executive order declaring
Morrow County in a “state
of drought emergency” due
to “drought and low water
conditions.”
In executive order
13-10, which Kitzhaber
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon signed last Wednesday,
the governor said he found
that “ ...ongoing drought
and low water conditions
and weather patterns have
caused local adverse natural
and economic disaster
conditions in M orrow
County. Projected climatic
patterns are not expected to
significantly alleviate these
conditions and drought
conditions will continue.
These co n d itio n s are
expected to have significant
econom ic im pact, on
M o rro w C o u n ty ’s
agricultural, livestock, and
It’s back to school Monday
for Morrow County
natural resources.”
In the order, Kitzhaber
added that current conditions
are being addressed by state
agencies, including the
Department of Agriculture,
the Department of Water
Resources, and Oregon
O ffice o f Em ergency
Management.
The directives in the
governor’s order were as
follows:
“ 1. The O re g o n
Department of Agriculture
is directed to coordinate
and provide assistance in
seeking federal resources
a v ailab le to m itig ate
co n d itio n s and affect
agricultural recovery in
Morrow County.
“2. The Department of
Water Resources is directed
to coordinate and provide
assistance and regulation
in Morrow County as it
determines is necessary
in accordance with ORS
536.700 to 536.784.
“ 3. The O ffice of
Emergency Management
is directed to coordinate
and assist as needed with
assessment and mitigation
activities to address current
and projected conditions in
Morrow County.
“ 4. A l l
other
departments are directed to
coordinate with the above
agencies and to provide
appropriate state resources
as determined essential
to assist affected political
subdivisions in Morrow
County.”
Morrow County is one
of several states for which
Kitzhaber has declared
drought states of emergency
this year. Others include
Klamath, Baker, Gilliam
and Malheur.
Lexington native returns
to help steer Irrigon school
Bv Andrea Di Salvo
A Lexington native is
back on—or at least near—
her old stomping ground
as assistant principal of
Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School.
Tina Joyce, 35, is
the daughter of Gary and
Marcia Kemp. She was bom
and raised in the Lexington
area, living much of her life
in a house at North Lex.
After graduating from
Heppner High School in
1996, she attended Eastern
Oregon University in La
Grande, graduating with a
Bachelor of Science degree
Students line up after leaving lunch at Heppner Elementary School. -File photo
in multidisciplinary studies
' It’s time to go back Heppner High School and will all begin classes next in 2000. From there, she
to s c h o o l; H e p p n e r lone Community School Monday, Aug. 26.
took a job in Ontario, OR.
E le m e n ta ry S c h o o l,
working as eighth-grade instruction and assessment
math teacher and Ontario in 2005. She then went on
Middle School math coach to obtain a second master’s
before being promoted to degree in 2010, this time
Ontario School District in educational leadership,
math coach. She was later from Northwest Nazarene
made instructional coach University in Nampa, ID.
and Dean of Students at
She wasn’t on her own
Ontario Middle School; all that time, though. She
she also served as summer met her husband, Philip
school principal
Joyce, in college at
there for three years.
EOU. They were
married in October
While working,
she was also busy
of 2000. Philip also
works in the north
f u r th e r in g h er
e d u c a tio n . She
end, as a sixth-grade
took classes from
teacher at Windy
River Elementary
Walden University Tina Joyce
in Boardman. Their
in M in n e s o ta ,
graduating with a master’s
-See IRRIGON ASSISTANT
PRINCIPAL/PAGE SIX
degree in curriculum
Health advisory lifted for City council hears several
reports
at
Aug.
12
meeting
Willow Creek Reservoir
A health advisory for
Willow Creek Reservoir
was lifted last week by the
Oregon Health Authority.
The advisory was issued
June 18 because of high
levels of blue-green algae
in the lake.
Water monitoring has
confirmed the blue-green
algae cells present in the
lake are below health
advisory guideline values
for the cyanotoxins they can
produce. Although a bloom
is still present, the species
of blue-green algae in the
bloom does not produce
toxins.
Oregon health officials
advise people who use
Oregon water bodies for
recreation to always be alert
to signs of algae blooms.
People and their pets should
avoid contact if the water is
foamy, scummy, thick like
paint, pea-green, blue-green
or brownish red in color, or
if a mat of algae is visible
in the water.
For local information.
contact U.S. Army Corps
o f E n g in ee rs’ W illow
Creek Natural Resource
M anagem ent office at
541-676-9009. For health
information, contact the
Harmful Algae Bloom
S u rv eillan c e (H A BS)
program at 971-673-0400.
To find out if an
advisory has been issued
or lifted for a specific
water body, visit www.
healthoregon.org/hab call
toll-free at 1-877-290-6767.
County volunteers plan to
build Boardman pavilion
Morrow County
participants of the Ford
Institute Leadership
Program have selected
to build a pavilion on a
popular Boardman beach.
The Ford Leadership
Program ’s is based on
the belief that vital rural
communi t i es develop
from a broad base o f
knowledgeable, skilled and
motivated leaders. Morrow
County’s cohort has more
than 15 individuals from
Boardman, Irrigon and
Heppner.
The Ford Leadership
Program allows participants
to select a project to benefit
their community. In April,
the group el ect ed to
construct a pavilion and two
shade pergolas in Boardman
at Marker 40, a popular
sandy beach located on
the Columbia River in the
Port of Morrow. The beach
-See BOARDMAN PAVIL
ION/PAGE TWO
At the Aug. 12 meeting
o f the H eppner C ity
Council, Bret Moore of
Anderson-Perry Associates.
La Grande, presented an
update on the Wastewater
Facility Plan. Several
years ago the council
requested an update to the
Wastewater Facilities Plan
to evaluate the needs and
existing condition of the
city’s wastewater treatment
facility. Grant funds were
awarded from the Oregon
Business Development
Department (OBDD). The
study has taken more time
since the Oregon state
rules have changed during
r
jy
process. The plan has been
submitted to the Department
of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) for review.
DEQ is requesting
a plan from the city for
ammonia abatement on
Willow Creek and has
provided a limit on the
amount of ammonia the
city is allowed to dump
in the creek, but now has
informed Anderson-Perry
that a new temperature
lim it may be pending.
DEQ is now attempting to
determine how to provide a
solid limit.
DEQ is holding a
meeting in La Grande to
give clear information, and
although it does not have
all the answers, the final
document will allow the
city to plan ahead for the
future of its waste treatment
facility.
The pumps at the lift
station at the plant are the
first items that need to be
addressed once the plan is
completed.
In other business. Fire
Chief Rusty Estes reported
the following calls for the
month of July:
-O ne i n s t a n c e of
securing the landing zone
See HEPPNER CITY COUN-
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