Bessie Wet/ell Newspaper I.ibrar\
University of Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
Spring is in the air
HEPPNER
ette
imes
VOL. 133
NO. 17 10 Pages
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Tree blossoms and budding (lowers on Heppner's Main Street announce (hat spring is slowly
but surely coming to South Morrow County. Photo by Mallorie Jones
A city manager’s road from
Heppner to Lebanon
Bv Alex Paul, reprinted
from the Albany Democrat-
Herald
LEBANON, OR
The ink was barely dry on
City Manager Gary Marks'
contract when Mayor Paul
Aziz announced a budget
cut of $500,000 and the loss
of 10 staff positions.
Marks already knew
the city had been trying
to fill its police chief's
position for several years
and his predecessor in the
city manager’s job lasted
less than six months.
But none of those
issues scared him away,
and he turned down
M a rk s, 5 0,
the city manager’s
is proud to be a
fifth-generation
job in Ellensburg.
O regonian who
Wash.
“The reason
grew up in the
1 went into this
P o rtla n d a re a ,
profession in the
making him a bit
first place was Gary Marks unlikely to be a
small-town fit.
because 1 thought
1 could make a
But for the
difference,” Marks said. last 23 years, Marks has
“There already is a great lived and worked in small
foundation among the staff communities in Oregon,
and they need a strong Montana and Idaho.
His involvement in
manager. 1 didn't come here
w ith a list of changes I was community politics began
going to make. I'm going to while he was living in
listen first and then address Tualatin and attending
issues.”
George Fox University in
m
Newberg.
“A Subway restaurant
in Tualatin was having
problems about a sign
and 1 figured out the only
way 1 could do something
about it was to run for
city council,” Marks said.
“I knocked on more than
5,000 doors, nearly every
door in the city, and beat an
incumbent.”
M arks m ajored in
human relations at George
Fox, noting that the program
had a heavy emphasis on
“people skills.”
-See HEPPNER TO LEBA
County scores a bargain on
‘new’ furniture
Heppner residents may
have noticed a flurry of
activity around the Gilliam
& Bisbee Building in
Heppner last week, as truck
after truck pulled up and
unloaded office furniture...
lots of office furniture.
The deliveries, intended
largely for use in the new
county adm inistrative
building currently being
planned, were the result
of a bargain the county
received through Oregon
State Surplus Property
Program, Morrow County
Court Executive Secretary/
Personnel Director Karen
Wolff said. The state surplus
program “exists to provide
a central distribution point
for surplus, seized and\or
recovered public property
for State Agencies and
political subdivisions,”
according to the Oregon
State w ebsite. W hile
some property is sold to
the general public, most,
as with the recent county
purchase, is sold at reduced
Candidate forum
planned in Heppner
NON/PAGE TEN
Easter Bunny makes
annual appearance
The Easter Bunny made its annual appearance at Heppner City
Park last Saturday for the traditional Easter egg hunt. Here
it takes a moment to pose for the camera w ith (L^R) Nickolas,
Andrew and Hailey Wenberg of Heppner. -Contributedphoto
good-quality, sturdy Knoll
office furniture. The cost
to Morrow County was
$ 10 , 000 .
Wolff said she first
learned of the bargain
through an email from
the state surplus program
in early March. A federal
agency was moving to a
smaller office space, and
the old furniture wouldn’t
all fit.
“They were offering
this deal, but it was all or
nothing,” she said. “We
couldn't just take the fridge
in the comer. We had to take
it all.”
W olff was able to
contact the Morrow County
Court that day, and received
approval to go for it. When
she called, she learned she
would be third on the list,
with two counties already
having responded. She put
Morrow County on the
list anyway. That was a
Wednesday.
“Friday they called and
said. ‘You got it if you still
want it,’” she said.
W o lff w en t and
inspected the furniture and
supplies the first part of
April. They told her, she
said, that it would take four
semi trucks to transport it.
They ended up with six
semis and three moving
District Attorney—Justin
Nelson.
For U.S. House of
Representatives—Dennis
Linthium.
For U.S. Senate—
Timothy Crawley, Karl
King, Jo Rae Perkins.
Oregon State
Governor — Dennis
Richardson (via video) and
Bruce Cuff.
The public is invited
to attend the forum and
find out more about these
candidates and where they
stand on issues important to
Morrow County.
Primary ballots to go
out next week
Voter registration due April 29
A moving company employee wheels a load of furniture into the Gilliam & Bisbee Building
in Heppner last Tuesday. The truck he was unloading was one of six semis and three smaller
trucks that delivered “new” furniture for the county. -Photo by April Sykes
rates to public offices.
And they do mean
“reduced." W olff said
the purchase contained
around $2 million worth of
The Willow Creek Tea
Party Patriots will hold
a candidates’ forum this
Sunday, April 27, from 2-4
p.m. at Heppner City Hall.
A w ide range o f
candidates contending
for offices ranging from
county commissioner to
state governor is slated to
attend.
Those planning to
participate in the forum
include:
For Morrow County
Comm is s io n e r— Don
Russell.
For Morrow County
trucks.
“1 crammed it (the
fu rn itu re) into every
warehouse 1 could find in
South Morrow County,”
she said.
The d e l i v e r y
contained the gamut of
office supplies, including
a Polycom conference
system, pictures, shredders,
a couple of refrigerators,
lots of chairs and “garbage
cans like crazy.” It also
included systems furniture,
which can be arranged into
large or small workspaces
as needed for the available
office space.
“It’s very flexible.
The furniture should be
something we can make
fit into the areas where we
are,” said Wolff.
The furniture comes
with one large string
-See FURNITURE BAR
GAIN/PAGE SEVEN
Morrow County Clerk
Bobbi Childers says all
ballots for the upcoming
primary election will go out
by Wednesday, April 30.
The last day for voters to
register to vote in the May
20 primary is next Tuesday.
A pril 29. Remember,
ballots are not forwarded.
Those who don’t receive
ballots but believe they
should have should contact
the Morrow County Clerk’s
office at 541-676-5604.
On the ballot for
M orrow Count y are
candidates Ken Grieb and
Don Russell competing
for M orrow Count y
Commissioner, and Justin
Nelson running unopposed
for reelection as M.C.
District Attorney. Rep.
Greg Smith is also running
unopposed for reelection
in the 57,h District, and
Greg Walden faces multiple
opponents for his seat in
the 2nd District for U.S.
Congress.
Also for local decision
will be a proposed renewal
of a current five-year local
option tax for general
operations for the Morrow
County Health District.
“Shall Morrow County
Health District continue
$0.39 per $ 1,000 of assessed
value for general operations
for five years beginning July
1, 2014? ‘This measure
renews current local option
taxes,”’ States the ballot
question.
If passed, according to
the ballot summary, “the
Morrow County Health
District will use the tax
revenue from this measure
to help maintain and
improve the present level
of services. The levy is
the same rate approved by
the voters for fiscal years
2009-2010 through 2013-
2014. Increased unfunded
care, increased supply and
labor costs, and the need
to implement electronic
medical records and replace
ambulances in Boardman
and Heppner indicate that
the permanent rate will be
insufficient to continue to
fund District operations at
current levels. The estimated
tax cost for this measure is
an estimate only based
on the best information
available from the county
assessor at the time of the
estimate. The proposed rate
will raise approximately
$471,662 per year in fiscal
years 2014-2015 through
2018-2019, for a total of
$2,358,310.”
El ect i on Day is
Tuesday, May 20. All
ballots are due by 8 p.m.
that day. Ballots must
be received, not simply
postmarked, on that day.
For voter convenience, 24-
hour drop boxes are located
throughout the county.
Locations are as follows:
Heppner: Courthouse
parking lot (24 hours) or
the Morrow County Clerk's
Office, Room 102 inside the
courthouse. Open 8 a.m. to
noon and 1-5 p.m., M-F and
Election Day (Nov. 5) from
7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Lexington: 365 West
Hwy 74 (Public Works
Parking lot). Turn off Hwy.
74 onto Tom Street and
left into the public works
parking lot. Open 24 hours.
lone: Spring St. (in
front of the turn to 3rd
Street). Open 24 hours.
B o a r d ma n : NW
Boardman Ave. (24 hours).
Irrigon: 205 NE 3rd
St. (Irrigon Annex). Open
24 hours.
SPRING TIME - GARDEN TIME
IX S T O C K N O W !
B E D D IN G PLA N TS - TREKS
S H R U B S - FE R T IL IZ E R S
PO T T IN G s o i l s
SE E D PO TATO ES - O NIO N
SE T S - G A R D E N SEED S
M orrow C ounty G rain G row ers G reen F eed & S eed