Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 4, 2014)
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library University o f Oregon Eugene. OR 97403 Heppner celebrates graduation VOL. 133 NO. 20 10 Pages Wednesday, June 4, 2014 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Larry Mills resigns from health district board Murray elected board chair Sammantha Lemmon and Keenan Helfrecht wear smiles representative of the day last Saturday during Heppner High School's commencement exercises. Twenty-five Heppner seniors celebrated their graduation on May 31. -Photo by David Sykes received a 79 percent By April Sykes approval rate county-wide Long-time Morrow County Health District on their supplemental levy. The board and Board Chairman Larry CEO Dan Grigg Mills announced reluctantly his resignation accepted his from the board at resignation, its regular meeting expressed their Monday night in thanks to Mills and Heppner. Mills, the board elected 78, who has been current board a respected leader Larry Mills member John championing the health district, Murray, 50, to the board school district and other chair position. Murray, a community organizations Morrow County native and for more than two decades, pharmacist, is the owner of told the board that after 15 Murray's Drug in Heppner years on the board, it was and Murray’s Condon Pharmacy in Condon, time to step down. “I think things are along with his wife Ann. moving along nicely,” Murray has served on the said Mills. “1 think this is board for seven years. The board also elected a good time for me to step Leann Rea as secretary- aside.” replacing Mills leaves the board treasurer, following a very successful Murray. Mills’ resignation election for the district in which the health district leaves an opening on the board, which board the board approved a members hope to fill with resolution adopting an a Boardman or Irrigon $11 million budget for the resident. Mills reiterated, 2014-15 fiscal year and however, that as long imposed a tax of .6050 as board members were cents per $1,000 assessed fair, where they live valuation for operations was not as important. and .39 cents per thousand Grigg said he knew o f a assessed valuation for the Boardman resident whom local option tax, also for he thought would be good operations. In other business, in that position and told the board that with the the board approved the board’s approval he expenditure of would speak to that $23,576-$25,576 to fund improvements person. on the hospital and The board also clinics’ security learned that Dr. systems. Grigg told Betsy Anderson the board that the was elected for a two-year term as John Murray Infection Control Committee and the chief of staff for the district to replace the Safety Committee Dr. Ed Berretta, who has "identified the need for retired. Dr. Russ Nichols the ability to lock down was elected to a two-year the hospital facility in term as vice chief of staff/ emergency situations.” "This need was secretary. Also at the meeting, reconfirmed recently when Skaggs retires from Neighborhood Center directorship Economic Development Group begins dispersing real estate grants Retiring Neighborhood Center Executive Director Jan Skaggs stands next to a rack of clothing in the center’s sales shop. While Skaggs says she always viewed the Neighborhood Center as far more than a second-hand store, much of her treasured interaction with the community over the last 23 years happened in that room. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo Bv Andrea Di Salvo Those who frequent the Neighborhood Center of South Morrow County in Heppner. whether to donate, receive help or simply share a cup of coffee, will miss seeing a familiar face at the end of the month. Jan Skaggs, 76, has been the center’s executive director for 23 years, a role she first adopted in 1992. Skaggs “retired” once before, in 2000. However, when the Neighborhood Center needed someone to fill in during the summer of 2001, she accepted the task. “I told them, ‘I’ll come back for just a little bit.’ That little bit turned out to be a long bit,” she says. Skaggs d id n 't begin life in Heppner; she was bom and raised northeast o f here, in Joseph, OR. She graduated from Joseph High School in 1956 and m arried F rank Skaggs By David Sykes The W illow C reek Valley Economic D e v e lo p m e n t G ro u p , WCVEDG, announced they have begun making grants to aid people in the purchase o f residential homes in South Morrow County, the group has announced. The grants can be up to $5,000 toward the purchase of any residentially-zoned real estate in South Morrow County. Funding for the program com es from a $50,000 housing program set up by earlier by the Columbia River Enterprise Zone (see April 19 Gazette). A nyone w ishing to apply for a grant should contact WCVEDG Execut i ve Di r ect or S h ery ll B ates at 541- 676-5536 or em ail her at h e p p n e rc h a m b e r@ centurytel.net. A complete set of grant rules, map of eligible area and application form is av ailab le upon request. Applications will be considered on a first- come basis; if the receiver sells the home within three years the money must be repaid. Following are the rules of the grant program: W C V E D G R e v o ca b le R esidential Real Estate G rant Program: Goal: Provide incentive to acquisition and development of residential real estate in our service area. (Defined as townships adjacent to Willow Creek and south to the Morrow County border.) This need has been identified in each o f the three incorporated cities' strategic plans as well as the consolidated Willow Creek Valley strategic plan. WCVEDG will grant funds on a first-com e, first-served basis to any person (persons), or entity authorized to do business in Oregon that is acquiring residentially-zoned real we participated in a table- $13,960 for a hospital top community disaster access control system drill,” Grigg said. with emergency He said that lock-down buttons; some of the external $2,112 for an doors at the hospital intercom system were locked with audio/video manually and and remote unlock; some others were $2,672 for a lock on a timer which Dr. Betsy and badge reader made it “virtually Anderson for the Irrigon impossible to Medical Clinic; quickly lock down the $4,830, with up to $2,000 facility when needed.” in additional funds for Grigg had earlier two additional doors, if proposed a security necessary, for a lock and makeover, but the initial badge reader for Pioneer proposal did not include Memorial Clinic. the entire facility, so Grigg said that board members asked $5,264 from the Hospital him to revisit the issue to Preparedness Program include all facilities. He Healthcare Preparedness recommended that the Grant has been secured to board approve the entire offset some of the costs for package for the safety of the system, but those funds the district’s staff. must be used by June 30 of The board accepted this year. Another $3.000 is a proposal from Moon -See HEALTH DISTRICT/ PAGE FOUR Security as follows: estate in our service area. G rant proceeds are restricted to the lesser of ten percent ( 10 percent) of acquisition or documented c o n s tru c tio n c o s ts or $5,000. In the case of purchases that require development, 50 percent of the available proceeds will be provided at closing of the purchase tr a n s a c tio n w ith th e other 50 percent m ade av ailab le upon rece ip t of a qualified occupancy certificate. Construction and the co rresp o n d in g occupancy certificate must be delivered w ithin 18 months of acquisition or the remaining commitment is void and the funds are returned to the pool. The funds w ill be furnished in conjunction w ith a grant rdcapture agreem ent executed at closing and recorded at the county co u rth o u se affecting the deed that Warm, dry May could set tone for June May was warm and dry in Heppner, according to the National Weather Service in Pendleton, and those co n d itio n s could continue into June. The average te m p e ra tu re w as 57.7 degrees, which was 1.6 degrees above normal. H igh te m p e ra tu re s averaged 71.3 degrees, w hich was 2.6 degrees -See SKAGGS RETIRES/ above normal. The highest PAGE FIVE was 87 degrees on the 16,h. Low temperatures averaged 44.2 degrees, which was 0.6 degrees above normal. The lowest was 35 degrees on the 12th. Precipitation totaled lone High School’s commencement ceremony will 0.61 inches during May, w hich was 1.05 inches be held this Friday. June 6, beginning at 7 p.m. below normal. Measurable precipitation of at least .01 inch was received on nine days with the heaviest, 0.23 inches, reported on the 19th. Precipitation this year has reached 6.30 inches, which is 0.98 inches below normal. Since October, the water year precipitation at Heppner has been 8.67 inches, which is 2.67 inches below normal. The outlook for June from N O A A ’s C lim ate Prediction Center calls for above-normal temperatures and near- to below-normal lone graduation this Friday I I J will require repayment on sale if the ownership of the property is transferred within 36 months. Grant funds recaptured will be made available if another re s id e n tia l real estate purchase in our service area is consummated within the original 36 month period. Any person or entity is eligible and WCVEDG encourages you to consult with qualified income tax professionals regarding the reporting of receipt of these funds. WCVEDG will make av ailab le any proceeds returned from an early sale through this same program and hopes that recurring funding w ill occur but makes no representations as to the duration or amount of funding available for this purpose. Grant amounts, program param eters and availability are subject to change. I 4 I precipitation. Normal highs for Fleppner rise from 73 d egrees at the start of June to 81 degrees at the end o f June. Normal lows rise from 47 degrees to 51 degrees. The 30-year normal precipitation is 1.38 inches.
