Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 30, 2014)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 30,2014 - -SEVEN Letters to the Editor ~ Ihc Heppner Cia/ette I imes will print all letters to the hditor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to ha\e the name of the sender along with a legible signature We are also requesting that you proside your address and a phone number where sou can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used lor verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters mas not be libelous, fhe GT reserves the right to edit, fhe ( i f is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under " la rd o f I hanks" at a cost o f $10. Vote Grieb for county Don't take health commissioner services for granted To the editor: I have been to two county candidate forums for county commissioner. Com m issioner Grieb has been falsely represented as not devoting enough time to our county. We have known Ken for several years and have seen him put in countless hours o f community service above and beyond his duties as commissioner. Ken and his wife have volunteered many hours to our county's youth. Ken is very devoted to our communities throughout Morrow County. He has always been accessible to answer any questions and concerns we have had about our county. Ken Grieb is clearly the only ethical choice. Please join us in supporting Ken Grieb for Morrow County Commissioner. Respectfully submitted by, Raymond and Tanya Akers, Boardman Grieb will ‘fairly support’ the county To the Editor: After reading some o f the endorsem ents for the other candidate for Morrow County Commissioner, I felt compelled to provide the other side o f the issue. First 1 question the numbers o f missed meetings. According to my research he has attended well over 90 percent o f the meetings over the last seven plus years. Never has he missed a meeting without prior notification to the other commissioners and staff. The meetings missed were to spend time with his family, i.e., spring break, special activities with his young children, etc. Other tim es were so he could provide community services for the young people o f our county, i.e., special auctions, announcing sporting events, etc. Is there anyone out there that can condemn an individual for spending quality time with their family or making contributions to the youth of our county? As a member o f an organization that Ken Grieb represents as a commissioner, 1 can tell you that while he had not attended all o f our meetings, he has stated many times that if there is an issue, “just give him a call.” Recently, the need for his assistance has arisen and. as promised, he has been there to assist our organization though the trying times. From my observation Ken Grieb is here to fairly support the entire county, and does not have any special interests other than what is best for all o f Morrow County. Please join me in re-electing Com m issioner Ken Grieb for Morrow County Commissioner. If we are sick, injured, or need medical assistance, our ambulances, clinics, trained staff and hospital are always there and ready for us. We assume that the medical services we need will be ready, properly equipped and close by to assist. They alway s have been. And we are fortunate to have them In this election our medical district is asking for the continuation o f a tax levy that w ill help bring us these quality and responsive medical services. I would urge you to vote yes on the health district levy, and not take the health-care services we count on and use, for granted. David Sykes, Chairman, Tote Yes For Medical Services Committee, A April Sykes. Heppner WCVEDG ‘in full support’ of health district levy To the Editor: The Willow Creek Valley Economic Development Group (WCVEDG) Board is in full support of passing the upcoming ballot levy for the Morrow County Health District (MCIID). MCHD provides local services and is an important and critical economic driver for each o f our communities in Morrow County. They currently employ 78 employ ees county-wide and pay out wages of $4,650,000 annually. There w ill not be additional cost to the taxpayers, as the levy will be a continuation ofthe previous levy, which is $.39 per $1,000 property valuation. The length of levy is five years and will help to: -Maintain and improve access to quality care; -Purchase o f new ambulances for Boardman and Heppner; -Implement electronic health record in clinics, home health and hospice; -Upgrade cardiac m onitoring system at Pioneer Memorial and Emergency room. Please join us in supporting this levy and keeping and improving the services offered by Morrow County Health District. Sincerely WCVEDG board members: Ed Rollins, Nancy Snider. Jeff Bailey, Kim Cal forth, Marcia Kemp, David Sykes and Shervll Bates, Project Coordinator Respectfully, Arletha Brannon. Heppner Follow the G-T on Face hook! Greg Walden fights hard on behalf of Oregon’s farmers and ranchers against overreaching regulations by the EPA and other federal agencies. That’s why I’m supporting Greg Walden." U - Barry Bushue President, Oregon Farm Bureau Support for Don Russell To the Editor: I am writing this letter today to support Don Russell as a candidate for Morrow County Commissioner. 1 made my decision based on questions 1 have asked Don in his present position as a commissioner o f the Port o f Morrow. Over the last three years we have had numerous discussions about some o f the laws governing and decisions made in the area o f enterprise zones, the CREZ program and the general need for livable wage paying jobs in Morrow County. During the process o f my fact-finding, it has been my experience that Don has always taken the time to answer my questions completely, and with honesty. One o f his best qualities has been that if he did not immediately know the answer he would assure me that he w ould check it out and get back to me in a timely manner, and he always has. I have always thought it was refreshing that he has never used the usual political rhetoric when answering questions. After Don filed to declare him self a candidate, his statement to me was that he would put in the effort, the work ethics and the time to fulfill his duties to the best o f his ability. With that pledge, his experience, and his present contributions to Morrow County, I gladly, and encourage others to, support candidate Don Russell as Morrow County Commissioner. Howard L. Mullins, lone ‘Don’t vote for Grieb’ To the Editor: Do not vote for Ken Grieb for Morrow County Commissioner. In Ken's seven years as a commissioner, he has been absent from 38 of the weekly county court meetings. (You can confirm this yourself by looking at the minutes o f the Morrow County Court meetings, which are public record.) Ken seldom, if ever, attends the comm ittee meetings he is assigned, training, or extra county court meetings. From my viewpoint it appears that Ken’s only interest in serving as a Morrow County Commissioner is the $35.000-per-year salary and health insurance valued at over $ 1,600 per month. T hank you, John Wenholz, Irrigon Former Morrow County Commissioner CANDIDATE FORUM -Continuedfrom PAGE ONE Ken G rieb spoke, saying w o u ld re sig n from the that during his seven Port if elected to and half years as a the county court, c o m m issio n e r he Russell said that he has g o tte n a lo n g would. He said he well with the other w ould rem ain on commissioners and the Boardman Rural w o rk e d h a rd to F ire P r o te c t io n iron out problem s Don Russell D is tric t B o a rd , t h r o u g h o u t th e however, saying he county. As an exam ple, did not see that as a conflict. G rieb re la te d on D is tr ic t A tto rn e y instance where he candidate J u s tin Nelson sat down with local is running unopposed for He s a y s he d o e s n 't th ink the p ilo t John B oyer reelection but came to the a n d w o rk e d out forum because he felt it government should p ro b le m s B o y e r is important for voters to be concerned with a n d th e c o u n ty hear from th eir elected “ w hat p e o p le do were having about officials. He thanked the in their bedroom s” th e o p e ra tio n o f Tea Party for sponsoring a n d s h o u ld n o t Ken (¿rich the a ir p o r t, th u s the forum . Som e o f the be involved w ith gay m arriage issues. He avoiding a legal battle. improvements and positive a lso d o e s n 't th in k the “I have no agenda and c h a n g e s im p le m e n te d governm ent should be in will serve all o f the since his election the business o f spying on county,” he said. are the setting up their citizens' phones and C om m issioner o f a new internet emails. King also said he c a n d i d a t e Don case m anagem ent feels the governm ent is Russell spoke about s y s t e m , w h ic h wasteful with taxpayers’ h is b a c k g r o u n d a ll o w s h im s e lf as a l o n g - t im e money. o r o th e rs in h is F or U .S . H ouse o f county resident and Justin Nelson o f fic e to a c c e s s Representatives, running businessm an, and c a se in fo rm a tio n against Greg Walden (who his experience and successes wherever they are. He also w as not in a tte n d a n c e ) as a board member on the pointed to his opening an is D ennis L in th ic u m o f Port o f Morrow. Russell office in Boardman, staffed Klamath Falls. Linthicum hit incum bent G rreb on by h is d e p u ty d is tr ic t h a s b e e n a c o u n t y the issue of not attending attorney, as offering more commissioner for 30 years m o re c o u n t y - r e l a t e d service to the people of m e e tin g s , o th e r Morrow County. and says the federal g o v e rn m e n t h a s th an th e re g u la r Morrow County Health “ gorged its e lf on weekly commission District CEO Dan G rigg power." He says the meetings. also took tim e to speak federal government “They advertise a b o u t the d is tr ic t's tax has in cre ase d its this as a half time levy, saying that our local power by creating j o b . I b e l i e v e com m unities should feel you have to p ut fortunate to have the good $17.5 trillion in debt Dennis and used it to fund l i n t h i c u m in m ore than ju st medical services we do. He th e m e e tin g s on pointed out that the levy is fe d e ra l a g e n c ie s that dictate and control the Wednesday.” Russell said. not an increase in taxes but American people. H e s a id t h a t i f a a continuation of a previous Linthicum, a computer com m issioner only goes levy. He said the levy would program m er and analyst, to c o u n ty c o m m is s io n be used to m aintain and is in fa v o r o f lim ite d meetings on Wednesdays, improve access to quality governm ent, term lim its, w ith th e s a la r y c a re , p u rch a se legal immigration, school received he would new a m b u la n c e s c h o i c e a n d S e c o n d begetting paid $300 for Boardman and Amendment rights. per hour. Heppner. implement He attacked Walden, “ Y ou n e e d e le c tro n ic h e a lth saying he is part o f the to sh o w up fo r records in clinics, Washington status quo and m o re th a n j u s t home health is “ doing n othing m ore th e c o m m is s io n D a n G r ig g and h o sp ic e , and than the bidding of house m eetings,” Russell u p g ra d e c a rd ia c speaker John Boehner." sa id , p ro m isin g th at if m o n ito rin g s y s te m s at M o r r o w C o u n t y elected he would do more. Pioneer Memorial Hospital C om m issioner candidate W hen a s k e d i f he and the emergency room. K ing is running for the U.S. Senate, and he said it d o e s n 't m atter if you elect either a Democrat or Republican; you will get the sam e result because both parties only care about one thing. “ T hey do w h a te v e r they can to win the election and stay in power,” King said.
