Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Libran
University of Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
lone celebrates graduation
imes
VOL. 133
NO. 21
10 Pages
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Paving Rock Street a ‘business
decision’ says city manager
lone seniors (L-R) Emily Holland, August Peterson and Charlette Burghard beam with pride
during the lone Community School graduation June 6. Eighteen graduates participated in
commencement ceremonies at the school last Friday. -Photo by David Sykes
New two-inch overlay draws attention
By David Sykes
G iving Rock Street
a new tw o-inch asphalt
overlay was a good business
decision that will ultimately
save the city money, even
though the street was not
high on the priority repair
list. City M anager Kim
Cutsforth told the Heppner
City Council Monday night.
C u tsfo rth ad m itted
there are other streets in
town in worse shape, but
said the Rock Street deal
was just too good to pass
up. She said even though
the city had to come up with
$24,000 now, the decision
in the long run saved “over
$25,000.”
“ It was a b u sin ess
decision, not a political
one,” she twice told the
council.
Rock Street is located
on the east side of Heppner
up on the hill, and dead
ends on both ends. Earlier
Columbia Basin Electric
Co-op (CBEC) had done
w ork under the street,
which left a strip down the
middle o f the pavement
that eventually needed
repair, which CBEC had
committed $13,000 to do.
“After discussing
-See PAVING ROCK
STREET/PAGE TEN
Courthouse dome,
clock tower set to return
lone selects new superintendent
I O N E — T h e l o n e has contracted with the
Community School Board InterMountain Education
o f D irecto rs has
S erv ice Di st ri ct
s e le c te d Phil
for superintendent
Starkey as its new
s e r v ic e s . The
superintendent.
I ME S D and its
S tark ey , who
superintendent. Dr.
currently serves as
Mark Mulvihi ll,
superintendent in
opted not to renew
the Spray School
the superintendent
District, will begin Phil Starkey
services contract
his new duties in
with lone after the
lone on July 1.
current school year, so the
For the past four years, lone board conducted a
the lone School District search for a superintendent.
This superintendent role
will be a part-time position
in lone.
“ The superintendent
and principal positions are
very different, and it is
difficult for a small school
district like lone to afford
tw o sep arate full-time
positions,” said lone School
Board Chair Bill Jepsen.
“Four years ago our board
decided to try something
new by using a part-time
superi nt endent serv ice
Fire endangers rural lone home
through Mark Mulvihill
and the InterMountain
ESD. The model that Mark
provided worked so well
that we decided to continue
it, even though the ESD was
no longer able to implement
it. We are truly going to miss
Mark and the expertise he
provided for us. However,
we are excited to bring Phil
Starkey on board for that
position. His credentials and
-See IONE SUPERINTEN
DENT/PAGE FOUR
The Morrow County Courthouse has seemed barren to area
residents used to seeing the familiar dome. The dome, bell
and clock faces are set to return later this month. -Photo by
Andrea Di Salvo
The Morrow County
Courthouse in Heppner is
in the final phases of its
“facelift.”
The c o u r th o u s e
clock t ower and dome
were removed from the
courthouse July 23,2013 in
order to make safety repairs
to the structure. Now,
nearly a year later, the area
landmarks are scheduled to
-See COURTHOUSE
DO ME/PAGE TEN
Area troopers selected
trucks from Heppner and fo r OSP honor
Station 7.
Hundreds o f acres burn in brush fire on Morter Lane
Fire crews from lone, Heppner and Butter Creek worked
for around three hours to control a fire on Morter Lane
outside lone last week; an estimated 300-400 acres burned.
-Contributed photo
By Andrea Di Salvo
Fire crews from lone,
Heppner and Boardman’s
Station 7 responded to a
brush fire on Morter Lane
outside of lone last Tuesday.
lone Fire Chief Virgil
Morgan said it was a busy
day for the fire crew s;
Heppner and lone crews
were already en route to
a motor vehicle accident
on Hwy. 207 when he
received the call regarding
the Morter Lane fire.
Nine lone crew
members responded to the
Fire, which started about
half a mile to the east of
Perry Morter’s house. Their
tender and three brush rigs
were joined later by several
“Lots o f fuel, lots of
smoke, wind at 20 or 30
miles an hour,” Morgan
recalled.
Though the fire started
only a ha l f mile from
M orters’, Morgan said it
was Darren Padberg’s home
that was threatened as the
fire was fueled by ample
brush and strong winds
that drove the flames right
toward the house.
Padbergs brought out a
-See MORTER LANE FIRE/
PAGE TWO
MCSD approves $30 million-plus budget
for upcoming year
OSP Fish & Wildlife Division s
Columbia Basin Team selected
as Team o f the Year ”for 2013
“
The Oregon State Police
(OSP) Fish and Wildlife
Division recognized
the outstanding work o f
troopers from the Columbia
Basin Team based out of the
Pendleton Area Command
office when Captain Jeff
Samuels announced last
week that the team was the
recipient of the Division's
“Team of the Year” award
-See AREA TROOPERS
HONORED PAGE TWO
Ann Murray meets
with Senator Wyden
Board hears update on Lexington property
By April Sykes
told the school board,
M o r r o w C o u n ty at their regular meeting
School District Business Monday night at Heppner
M anager Andy Fletcher Elementary School, that
the district has completed asbestos-free.
the asbestos abatement at
The d istrict is now
the Lexington School. He looking for a buyer for the
said that the building is now property, but if no buyer is
found, the district says they
“may be forced to look at
dem olition” considering
the
“significant amount of Local woman Ann Murray met with Sen. Wyden in Condon
June 13, 20/4
structural work that needs recently to discuss pharmacy issues. -Contributedphoto
9 a.m. - close: Merchant Sidewalk Sale - make sure to check inside for special sales
to be com pleted on the
E ditor's note Local at Murray Drug pharmacy
All Day : Free cup of Hometown Coffee - Heppner Family Foods
property."
pharm
acist Ann Murray, in Condon, OR. Storeowner
9 a.m. - close: Community Flea Market and Craft Fair on Main Street (see list below)
Fletcher
said
that
in
a
1987
O regon S ta te and O SU C o lle g e of
9 a.m.- 3 p.m.: Special treat from Murray’s Espresso Bar - Murray’s Drug
that event, the d istric t U n iv e r s ity C o lleg e o f Pharm acy alum na Ann
11 a.m.- 3 p.m.: Mini Carnival for kids and a prize wheel for adults-Community Bank
would try to salvage as Pharmacy graduate, was M urray ( ’87) had the
11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.: Community barbecue sponsored by Bank of Eastern Oregon -
much as “econom ically fea tu red in the college's opportunity to talk one-
AmeriTitle parking lot
possible
from the building.” a l u m n i p u b l i c a t i o n , on-one with Senator Ron
12-5 p.m.: Heppner Library will be open; stop by and sign up for summer reading
He
also
said th a t the BEAVERx, after meeting Wyden. Senator Wyden
program.
d
istrict
w
ill w ork w ith with Sen. Wyden in Condon had called Ann and asked
1-5 p.m.: Morrow County Heritage and Agricultural Museums open
the
city
o
f
Lexington.to Following is a reprint o f the to meet as he came through
All Children s Games and Small Dog Races will be at the City Park
1:30 p.m.: Children’s Games
-See MCSD BUDGET/PAGE article.
-See MURRAY MEETS
Tricycle race: 3-5 years old
FIVE
April 16th was a big day
WYDEN/PAGE TWO
Water Balloon Toss: 6-10 & 11-18 years old
Egg Toss: 6-10 & 11-18 years old
2:30 p.m.: Small dog races at City Park
Vendors: Community Flea Market/Craft Falr/Fundraisers:
Beth Dickenson/Not 2 Shabby: Craft, vintage, upcycle - home décor, furniture and
gifts - located inside Dickenson Chiropractic Clinic
Heppner FFA: Bake Sale Fundraiser - in front of Heppner Family Foods
Nancy Gochnauer: Video sale - in front of John’s Place
Carolyn Right: Jewelery, Shawls and Children’s Quilts - in front of the tree by the
Post Office
Carol Klein: Rings and Things (Jewelry VTie dyed shirts, bandanas - in front of Heritage
Land Co.
M orrow County Grain Growers Green F eed & S eed
Petra Payne: Scentsy products - in front of Willow Creek Realty
242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCOG main office)
Celebrate Heppner Event Schedule
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