Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2014)
SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 29, 2014 CREZ FIRE TRUCK -Continuedfrom PAGE ONE It would replace a smaller outdated truck that is 40 years old. M o st o f th e new construction at the Port is being done in the Enterprise Zone, so businesses such as Con-Agra and VA Data that are building new facilities there will be paying fees to the CREZ instead o f property taxes through the county. Those fees are destined to be used for taxing districts such as the fire district experiencing impact and “pressure” for services directly related to the new construction. •At an earlier meeting Rogelstad told the board the new type o f construction was providing a challenge for the department and its current equipment. He said the new, taller buildings at the Port are beyond the reach o f his current fire trucks and he needs the 100-foot aerial fire truck to fight potential fires. Aerial trucks have long extension ladders and hoses capable o f reaching the higher buildings. He gave as an exam ple the new 85-foot-high building at the Tillamook Cheese Plant. He also said that, with the construction of the new data centers, the electrical and HVAC services are being placed on the roofs of the buildings. This takes them away from the fire suppression systems inside a building, offering new challenges to fighting fires at these facilities. Rogelstad said Monday there have been three fires in the past several weeks, one on the roof of Oregon Potato, a fire at Con-Agra and most recently a fire at the planer mill. The new truck will cost $1.179,706 and the CREZ board voted to buy it under a seven-year lease purchase plan. Beginning in 2014 the CREZ will begin receiving payments of $950.000 from Con-Agra, which will fund the truck purchase. The payments including interest will be spread out over the seven-year lease period. O ne C R E Z b o a rd m e m b er q u e s tio n e d w h eth er the m oney is guaranteed to be coming in next November from Con-Agra and that he was “ n e rv o u s ” co m m ittin g money to a purchase that the board is not guaranteed to have funds for. “ Let me put it this way,” Rogelstad told the board in response, “every new building you throw up out there (at the Port) is making me nervous.” Later in the meeting it was detenuined that the CREZ board is guaranteed to h a v e m o n ey n ex t N ovem ber to meet the lease obligation, and the board voted unanimously to purchase the new truck. In o th e r b u s in e s s the board held a phone meeting with members of the Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corporation (GEODC), which is helping set up a housing program in Morrow County for the CREZ There is an agreed shortage of rental housing in Morrow County, and GEODC is planning to hold a housing developm ent fo ru m w ith v a r io u s members of the community on Feb. 4 to explore ways to increase the amount of rental housing available in the county. The forum w ill be held at the Port of Morrow from noon to 2 p.m . and will include public officials, members o f the banking and construction businesses, and land owners and developers. The CREZ has so far com m itted $150,000 to the program to increase housing. With the number o f new c o n s tr u c tio n projects and jobs coming into the county, the CREZ is seeking ways to have more people not only work but also live in Morrow County. At the current time only 20 to 30 percent of workers at the Port of Morrow live in the county. REMEMBRANCE WALK -Continuedfrom PAGE ONE clusters of shamrocks will be located in the Methodist church basement, on the wall at Howe's About Pizza and at the tennis courts. Shamrocks go up Friday and will be taken down Sunday; donation is $5 per name. 1 lisler also said walkers may have a chance to glim pse the runners on their more rigorous three- mile course. Though the end-of-winter, beginning- of-spring challenge tests the runner's endurance, runners may be happy to know that the high school hill was removed from their route last year, replaced with an out-and-back run to the softball field before looping through Heppner and back to the church. C o m m e m o ra tiv e wristbands will be available for all participants. Hisler says some people have asked about t-shirts, but the committee has opted not to provide those. She says the one year they provided t-shirts, it took $ 1,100 from the fund. “ We want everything we raise to stay right here in the community,” she says. __ Local pro-life people marked the 41“ anniversary of Roe v. Wade last Wednesday when they walked with signs through downtown Heppner. I he I S Supreme Court issued its landmark decision legalizing abortion on Jan. 22, 1973, and since then it is estimated there have been 55 million abortions performed in the Lnited States. About 22 people took part in the local demonstration against the ruling. Photo by David Sykes Sewer repair underway on Chase Street The City of Heppner w ill be m aking sew er repairs on Chase Street between May and Cannon beginning this week. The project will begin on Jan. 28 and should be completed before Feb. 11. Phis project will involve deep trenches with traffic and service disruption. This section of Chase will be closed to through traffic. The city is asking drivers to please avoid Chase St. and to access Cemetery Hill (South Chase Street) via South Main St. to Cannon. For additional A portion of Chase St. will be closed for a couple of weeks for sewer repairs, the City of Heppner announced this week. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo inform ation please call Heppner City Hall. No fire needed during ski club’s outing to Kelly Prairie Locals catch up over coffee and snacks at the H eppner Methodist Church before the 2013 Remembrance Walk/5k Run last St. Pat’s weekend. -Filephoto P re -re g is tra tio n is encouraged, since it helps the com mittee members prepare better and relieves the chaos at the registration tables the morning of the event. Friends H elping Friends is again asking for a $5 donation. Children accompanied by adults are free. Committee members are Patty Matheny, Susan Hisler, Peggy Fishburn, Jan S tro e b e r, J a n e lle Ellis, Kathi D ickenson, B arb W atk in s, S an d y M atthews, Kelly Boyer, M ary Ann E lg u ezab al, Shelley McCabe and Mary Haguewood. For more information on the walk or shamrocks, contact Hisler at 541-676- 5878. For questions on the run, contact Janelle Ellis at 541-676-5240 or origanelle@hotmail.com. D o n a tio n s can be mailed to Friends Helping Friends, c/o Susan Hisler, 56504 Little Butter Creek Road, Heppner, OR 97836. Those wishing to have a personalized shamrock can also mail their photo and honoree to Hisler at the same address. Sheriff's Report November 18: Morrow County Sheriff's Office received report of garbage in the middle o f the road on Bombing Range Rd., B oardm an. The c a lle r removed sheet metal and plastic boxes out of the road so it was no longer a hazard. -MCSO received report from an Irrigon man that three subjects in a green Ford Ranger went to his re sid e n c e lo o k in g for scrap metal. The man gave MCSO the license plate number. A deputy checked the area, but was unable to locate anything. -MCSO received report from an Irrigon female that her checkbook, with two checks written to a local oil products company, was stolen out o f Hermiston. She said that the Hermiston officer told her to call MCSO. They advised her to close her account. -MCSO received report from an Irrigon subject that she lives on the edge o f the turkey shoots and a bronco got an SUV stuck and was Locals mark anniversary of Roe v Wade “running north”. -MCSO received report from an Irrigon woman that two boxer dogs that live next to her mail boxes can almost jump the fence and she was not able to get her mail. MCSO responded and the dog owner said he would figure out how to keep the dogs away from that section of the fence. -MCSO, Irrigon Ambulance received request for an ambulance for a two-and-a half week old baby who vomited, started gasping for air and then the baby’s lips turned blue. The baby was breathing and acting normal. MCSO and Irrigon A m bulance responded. The situation was cleared with the subject refusing transport. -MCSO Undersheriff re p o rte d cow s out on Wilson Lane and Skoubo Rd., Boardm an. MCSO responded, located the cows and contacted the owner. -MCSO, Irrigon Ambulance received report from an Irrigon woman that earlier that day at Irrigon High School, a sophomore grabbed her 14-year-old daughter's arm and injured in. M CSO re sp o n d e d , co n tacted both p arties and determined there was nothing crim inal at the time. The ambulance was cleared with the subject refusing transport. -MCSO received report from an Irrigon woman that she had caught another cat and wanted it transported to Pet Rescue. -M C SO , B oardm an Ambulance received report from Frontier Dispatch of a suicidal woman driving a Ford 150 with Washington plates threatening to drive into the river. The vehicle was reported near milepost 142 eastbound on 1-84. M CSO resp o n d ed and receiv ed an ad d itio n al report that the vehicle was pulled over at m ilepost 171. The ambulance was canceled before responding. -MCSO received re p o rt t hat P e n d le to n Police Department arrested The Nordic ski club saw a low turnout this last weekend as they sought out flat terrain to make the most of the hard, f a s t snow s u r f a c e in the mountains. Members decided Kelly Prairie was ideal for those conditions; they said the surface was hard but it made for quick travel, so they were able to ski the whole prairie and then up into some of the lingers, ending up at one point near the southwest end of spur 210. Temperatures were in the high 20s when they arrived and 50s when they left for home. 'No lunchtime fire was needed, they said, as the sun was with them all day. Pictured (L-R) are lerry Harper, Misty Bennett, Bill Ewing and Molly Rhea. -Contributedphoto Local student named to EWU dean’s list T e ru o C h in e n o f H eppner was named to d e a n ’s list for the fall the fall 2013 dean's list term was Laura Montes of at E astern W ashington Irrigon. University, the university An u n d e rg ra d u a te announced last week. quality hours and receives a GPA of 3.5 or better is placed on the dean’s list for the quarter. DA’s Report Morrow County D istrict Attorney Justin N elson has released the following report: -Adolfo Martin M endez-Lopez, 32, was convicted o f one count o f Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, a Class A misdemeanor. The defendant’s driver's licen se was suspended for 90 days and he was sentenced to 180 days jail time; however, 165 days jail time was suspended and the defendant was sentenced to 24 months bench probation. Mendez-Lopez was further convicted o f one count o f R eckless D riving, a Class A misdemeanor. The defendant’s driver’s license Holly Rebekah Lodge will be hosting its February card party this Saturday, Feb. 1, starting at 7 p.m. The price for an evening of fun, visiting with friends and snacks is still $5. This will be held at the lodge hall in Lexington and is open to the public. Jason Michael Francisco G a r z a on a Mo r r o w County Local Supervisory Authority warrant for four counts o f Possession o f a Controlled Substance- methamphetamine. He was lodged at Umatilla County Jail. -lone Emergency Services received report of a male who had slid off was suspended for 90 days and he was sentenced to 180 days jail time; however, all jail time was suspended and the defendant sentenced to 24 months bench probation. Fines, fees and assessments totaled $593. Justice Court Report Morrow County Justice of the Peace Ann Spicer has released the following Justice Court report: -A juvenile male, Heppner, pled guilty to Possession of Less than One Ounce of Marijuana, a Class A violation. He was fined $700. Rebekah lodge plans card party his bed. -MCSO received report from a Boardman woman that someone was trying to steal her hay. -Continued on PAGE EIGHT i
