HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
Lock-out at elementary
school ends without
incident
Parents of Heppner El-
ementary School students
were notified of a “lock-
out” that occurred at the
school related to a police
incident Monday morning.
According to informa-
tion released by the school,
an incident in which police
officers were involved oc-
curred in the HES back
parking lot. The Morrow
County Sheriff ’s Office
requested that Heppner Heppner Elementary underwent a “lock-out” Monday morn-
-See HES LOCK-OUT/PAGE ing due to a police incident in the school’s back parking lot.
EIGHT –Contributed photo
VOL. 134
NO. 5
8 Pages
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Bedortha appointed to Heppner
City Council
By David Sykes
Teresa Bedortha was
appointed Monday to the
Heppner City Council, fill-
ing out the term of Skip
Matthews, who moved up
to the mayoral position fol-
lowing his election to that
spot in November.
Bedortha, who was
born and raised in Heppner
and has spent the past 34
years here, works as a loan
processor for the Bank of
Eastern Oregon.
“Being raised in Hep-
pner I would like to help
keep Heppner up and going
as a strong community to
live in,” she said in her ap-
plication for the position.
“I would like to help find
ways to bring more people
to Heppner,” she added.
As qualifications for
the position, she pointed
to her history in Heppner
and the community and her
financial knowledge from
working in the banking and
title business.
Bedortha’s was the
Teresa Bedortha is sworn into office by Heppner Mayor Skip
Matthews. –Contributed photo
only application received
from the public for consid-
eration for the position.
In other business, the
council heard from Rich-
ard Stoddard of Barnett &
Moro CPAs about the com-
pleted 2014 financial audit.
Overall the city received
high marks and a clean
bill of health; however, the
auditors did raise two areas
of “concern.” Stoddard
said the bond taken out to
finance the city’s water
project in 2005 requires net
water revenues equal to at
least 110 percent of yearly
debt service.
“The city’s 2014-15
budget appears to not com-
ply with this covenant…We
recommend that city review
its costs to operate the wa-
ter and sewer systems, cut
costs if possible, and raise
rates if necessary,” Stod-
dard wrote in his audit letter
to the city.
In another area of city
accounting Stoddard said
“The functions of handling
cash and the recording of
financial transactions are
not adequately separated.”
He said, however, that in
smaller cities such as Hep-
pner this is not uncommon,
since there is limited staff
to handle financial transac-
tions.
In other business, the
council reviewed the goals
adopted for 2015:
1) Assist the city fire
department with the plan-
ning and construction of a
new fire hall.
2) Update the Master
Water Plan—to aide in pri-
oritizing water projects and
to seek funding.
3) Update the Trans-
portation System Plan—to
aide in prioritizing street
improvements.
-See CITY COUNCIL/PAGE
SIX
OSU economist to
speak at WCVEDG
annual meeting
The Willow Creek Val- policy options for state and
ley Economic Development local government agencies
and organizations
Group (WCVEDG)
on topics as varied
will hold its annual
as globalization, a
luncheon Thursday,
bottled-water plant,
Feb. 19, from 11:30
affordable housing,
a.m. – 1 p.m. in the
tourism, alternative
St. Patrick’s Senior
energy, local foods
Center dining room.
to schools, the vi-
T h e g u e s t Bruce Sorte
ability of small or
speaker will be Or-
egon State University Ex- adaptive farms, and grazing
tension Service Economist on public lands. One of his
Bruce Sorte, who will give current projects is estimat-
a presentation on “Rural ing the economic impacts of
agriculture and food in the
Economics.”
Sorte received his bach- five western states.
Sorte has published nu-
elor’s and master’s degrees
30 years apart at Oregon merous reports and articles,
State University. He worked and he is a regular presenter
in banking, manufacturing at service clubs and work-
and retail prior to returning shops. He also served as a
to OSU. He now analyzes
-See WCVEDG MEETING/
the economic impacts of
PAGE SIX
14 th annual Cruz-In
set for March 14
Next school year to have Aug. 31 start
date in county district schools
School board gives Dirksen high marks on evaluation
By April Sykes
Also at the meeting, the
The Morrow County board approved option 1
School Board, at its regular for the 2015-16 school cal-
meeting in Irrigon
endar with school
Monday night, gave
beginning before
Superintendent Dirk
Labor Day, on Aug.
Dirksen high marks
31. Option 1 was
on his annual per-
the overwhelming
formance evalua-
choice of site coun-
tion. Board Chair
cil members, teach-
Thad Killingbeck
ers and administra-
said that Dirksen re- Dirk Dirksen tors. With this op-
ceived all excellent
tion, staff in-service
or outstanding marks in all will be held Aug. 24-27,
categories, and commended with students beginning
him for his “outstanding” Aug. 31 and the students’
work.
last day June 9. Christmas
F ind
the
S hamrock !
The Shamrock Hunt is back! After a long hiatus, the St. Patrick’s
Day shamrock treasure hunt is back. The first person to find the
hidden shamrock will win a 2014 Silver Eagle donated by the
Bank of Eastern Oregon, which is on display at the Heppner
branch. The Silver Eagle is valued around $50.
-RULES- 1. A new set of clues to guide you to the
hidden shamrock will appear in each edition of the Heppner
Gazette-Times.
2. A total of five clues beginning with the Feb. 11 edition will
be published each week on the front page.
3. The hidden shamrock is not on private property and no
digging or moving of objects, dirt or other materials is neces-
sary to find the shamrock.
4. The first person to find the shamrock and bring it to the
Heppner Gazette-Times office will claim their prize.
CLUE #1
A chatty stone is just the Rx
To contemplate here about beginning your quest
Listen close to what it says
And you may just end up out there ahead
3 Numerals on this clue reside
Add them up - don’t be shy
Keep this integer in your mind
So in your search you don’t fall far behind
Sponsored by Bank of Eastern Oregon and
The Heppner Gazette-Times
break will be from Dec.
18 to Jan. 3 with school
resuming on Jan. 4. Spring
break is the week of March
21-25. Also, when Monday
is a holiday, school will be
held on Friday.
Calendar option 2 also
called for staff in-service
Aug. 24-27 and students
beginning Aug. 31. How-
ever, with this option there
would be no school on
Friday when Monday is a
holiday, so the last day of
school would have been
June 16. Option 3 called
for an early start date, with
staff in-service Aug. 17-
18 and Aug. 24-25 and
students beginning Aug.
26 with students’ last day
June 7. Option 4 had staff
in-service Aug. 17-18 and
24-25, students beginning
Aug. 26 and students’ last
day June 15. With this op-
tion there would have been
no school on Fridays when
Monday is a holiday.
The board also touched
briefly on a “lock out”
at Heppner Elementary
School on the morning of
Feb. 9. HES Principal Matt
Combe said the Morrow
County Sheriff contacted
him and advised him to
institute a lock-out at the
school because of an in-
cident with a suspect in
the school parking lot. He
said the person in question
was arrested and then the
lock-out was discontinued
without incident.
Dirksen commended
teachers, administration,
parents and students con-
cerning the news that the
district’s graduation rates
for all three high schools
far exceed the state aver-
age. Heppner High School
had a 96.3 percent four-year
graduation rate, “nearly 25
percent higher than the state
average.” Riverside High
School in Boardman had
an 83.1 percent four-year
graduation rate and Irri-
gon High School had a 79
percent rate. The district’s
average was 83.23 percent,
compared to the state aver-
age of 71.98 percent.
Concerning school en-
rollment, Dirksen said that
enrollment was still up
around 67 students district-
wide.
In other business, the
board:
-adopted new gradua-
tion requirements.
-adopted new bidding
requirements.
-approved a resolu-
tion on open enrollment.
The board will accept no
non-resident students for
the 2015-16 school year,
based on current enrollment
projections, staffing and
available resources.
-received the follow-
ing enrollment report:
A.C. Houghton Elemen-
tary, Irrigon-288; Sam
Boardman Elementary,
Boardman-354; Heppner
Elementary-180; Irrigon
Elementary-168; Windy
River Elementary, Board-
The annual Cruz-In, set this year for March 14, shows off
classic cars ranging from vehicles like this oldie-but-goodie to
modern street rods. -File photo
On March 14, the 14 th
annual St. Paddy’s Cruz-In
will be held during the 33 rd
annual St. Patrick’s Cel-
ebration in Heppner.
The car show area
will be on Willow Street,
between Heppner Family
Foods and St. Patrick’s Se-
nior Center, from 9 a.m. to
3 p.m. For anyone who has
a classic vehicle and wants
to join the show, registra-
tion will start at 9 a.m. The
entry fee is $20 per vehicle.
Awards this year will in-
clude Leprechaun’s Choice,
Mustang’s Choice, Best
Convertible, Best 1910s –
1920s Car or Pickup, Best
Street Rod, Best Paint,
Best Restomod Car, Best
of Show, and more. Also,
there will be a Participant’s
Choice award to be voted
on by the car owners them-
selves. Judging will begin
at 10 a.m. The awards will
-See CRUZ-IN COMING/
PAGE EIGHT
Heppner planning
commission to hold
hearing on medical
marijuana zoning
The Heppner Planning Commission has announced
it will conduct a public hearing at 7 p.m. on March 2 at
Heppner City Hall regarding proposed amendments to
the zoning ordinance.
The proposed amendments are regarding land use
regulations in response to medical marijuana dispensary
legislation.
The commission says it is considering either com-
mercial or industrial zones for any medical marijuana
-See MCSD MEETING/ facility, grow site or laboratory, though both would require
PAGE EIGHT a conditional use permit.
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