Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Electric co-op annual
meeting Nov. 5
The annual meeting of
Columbia Basin Electric
Cooperative, Inc. is planned
as a luncheon for Thursday,
Nov. 5, at the St. Patrick’s
parish hall in Heppner. Reg-
istration starts at 11:15 a.m.
with lunch served at 12 p.m.
The annual meeting
and election of directors
will follow the lunch. Mul-
tiple door prizes will be
awarded and results of the
annual fourth-grade Elec-
trical Safety Poster contest
will be announced, with
winning entries on display.
All members are wel-
come to come and learn
about their electric co-op.
Health advisory
issued for reservoir
The Oregon Health Au-
thority issued a health advi-
sory last week due to high
levels of blue-green algae-
related toxins in Willow
Creek Reservoir outside of
Heppner.
The OHA advises that
swallowing or inhaling
water droplets should be
avoided and that drinking
water directly from Willow
Creek Reservoir is especial-
ly dangerous. Skin contact
with the blue-green algae
itself can cause rashes in
people with sensitive skin.
Exposure to toxins
can produce symptoms of
numbness, tingling and
dizziness that can lead to
difficulty breathing or heart
problems, and require im-
mediate medical attention.
Symptoms of skin irrita-
tion, weakness, diarrhea,
nausea, cramps and fainting
should also receive medical
attention if they persist or
worsen. Children and pets
are at increased risk for ex-
posure because of their size
and level of activity.
The public will be ad-
vised when the concern no
longer exists.
For local information
about water quality or blue-
green algae sampling, con-
tact the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers at 541-506-4807.
DA’s Report
Morrow County Dis-
trict Attorney Justin Nelson
has released the following
report:
-Louis Anthony Men-
doza Sanchez, 24, was
convicted of Interference
with Making a Report, a
Class A Misdemeanor; of
the sentence of 180 days
jail time, execution of 170
days was suspended and the
defendant sentenced to 24
months bench probation, to
include 30 hours of commu-
nity service, no offensive
physical contact with the
victim, return of all jewelry
within 60 days, and 10 days
jail time, to run consecutive
to any previously imposed
sentences. The defendant
was additionally convicted
of Harassment, a Class B
Misdemeanor. Sentence of
90 days jail time was sus-
pended and the defendant
sentenced to 24 months
bench probation, to include
30 hours of community
service and no offensive
physical contact with the
victim. An additional count
of Assault IV – Constituting
Domestic Violence was
dismissed. Fines, fees and
assessments totaled $1,100.
-In addition, Louis
Anthony Mendoza San-
chez, 24, was convicted of
two counts of Contempt
of Court. On each count,
sentence of 90 days jail
time was suspended and
the defendant sentenced to
24 months bench proba-
tion, to include 10 hours of
community service and no
offensive physical contact
with the victim. Fines, fees
and assessments totaled
$200.
~ Letters to the Editor ~
The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name
of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The
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to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under “Card of
Thanks” at a cost of $10.
The rest of the story
I want to thank everyone who called or stopped me on
the street this week to ask more questions. It was my sole
intent to provide some information but more importantly
to provide a catalyst for thought and apparently generate
more questions.
“Is it a practical or feasible option to split the city
fire department and the rural fire district?” If you gave
it any thought or talked to any of the rural fire district
board or budget committee members, the answer should
have been no.
There are a multitude of reasons why but the main
reason is cost. The adopted operating budget for the fire
department for 2014/2015 was $135,684. The cost to the
rural district was $36,795.32 for their share by contract,
or about 27 percent of the total.
The district does not have to train and clothe person-
nel, service and maintain the equipment and apparatus,
write grants for equipment or apparatus, provide radios
and 911 contract, provide for heat and electricity of the
station, water or fuel for the apparatus, pay for mill site
storage rent for the additional equipment, pay for insur-
ance for the firefighters and apparatus, and the list goes
on. We the firefighters do it all. We will ask for help with
major repairs and purchases to replace equipment, and
the rural district has been great to kick in occasionally.
So, in short, to duplicate what is already in place
would cost the rural fire district hundreds of thousands
of dollars. Approximately two-thirds of our calls are in
the district and the remaining are in the city. Is this a
good deal for the rural district? Yes, in my opinion it is
a heck of a deal.
The other questions asked by several is “Why a new
building?” and “What is going to happen to the existing
one?” Both are good questions.
When the city hall moved to their new location several
years ago, a swap of the old Gazette-Times building and
lot was made for the old city hall building. The depart-
ment had hopes that we would be able to add on to the
existing station. We hired an architect to see what the cost
would be. Due to being in the flood zone and the proxim-
ity to the Oddfellows Building and the buildings behind
the station, it would have to be elevated for flooding and
the walls adjacent to the other buildings would have to
be fire wall constructed. The cost would have been well
over $3 million.
If the bond passes for the new station, the city has
agreed to a significant amount of site work, drainage and
conduit for utilities, water and sewer connections, etc.
The city would then use the old station for housing of the
equipment and vehicles parked outside year-round at the
sewer plant. It would give public works a heated building
to house and perform maintenance for the sludge truck,
sewer truck, backhoe and other equipment.
In my opinion, the best choice for everyone is build a
new station. Don’t split the city fire department and rural
fire district. It works now and it will continue to work in
the future. Vote yes for the bond; it is the “right choice.”
Steve Rhea, Assistant Fire Chief and Training Of-
ficer, Heppner
Sheriff’s Report
September 5 (cont.):
-A caller at Bakes Restau-
rant in Irrigon advised a
kid was in a car by himself;
the dad went in to gamble
and left the child in the car.
While advising the deputy,
the caller advised the dad
returned to the vehicle and
took off. MCSO was unable
to locate the vehicle.
-MCSO received report
of young girls drinking
and fighting at a location
in Boardman, verbal only.
Boardman PD responded
and determined the kids
were playing hide and seek.
-MCSO was advised of
a 13-year-old female in Irri-
gon, conscious and breath-
ing, with unknown injuries.
Irrigon fire and Irrigon am-
bulance responded. MCSO
cited Arnulfo Noe Nunez,
20, for Failure to Obey a
Traffic Control Device.
September 6: -A wom-
an in Irrigon advised Mor-
row County Sheriff’s Office
that she heard a man and
a woman fighting, looked
out her window, and saw a
Decisions made
locally.
man knock a woman to the
ground and pull her hair.
The caller also heard gun-
shots. MCSO and Board-
man Police responded.
-A woman in Irrigon
reported that a older model,
dark station wagon with a
male in his late forties and a
female in her thirties drove
way down her driveway
and the female asked if she
could have some pears,
picked tomatoes and cu-
cumbers. The caller advised
they were going to come
back that day at 3 p.m.; she
did not know the people
and was worried they were
going to return. MCSO re-
sponded and the subject did
not show back up.
Vote yes on fire hall
bond
To The Editor,
As Mayor of Heppner, I am encouraging you to vote
yes on the bonding for the new fire hall. The citizens of
Heppner and the Rural Fire Protection District have been
served well by one of the best volunteer fire departments
of any small town in the state. In order to facilitate that
excellent service, a new fire hall is now necessary. The
current fire hall has been our best effort to meet the needs
of the fire equipment and fire personnel, but its time has
come. It is no longer a safe or adequate facility. It is too
small to house the equipment we have, its location is
problematic for maneuvering equipment in and out during
an emergency situation and there is not enough auxiliary
space for office functions and trainings. As a member of
the fire hall committee I feel we have come up with the
least-cost option that will be sufficient to meet the needs
of space, safety, training and serviceability well into the
future. If you have any question or concern I invite you
to come down to city hall or contact a committee member
to get those questions answered. Please join me in voting
yes on the fire hall bond measure.
Skip Matthews, Heppner City Mayor
Support firefighters by
supporting bond
Dear Voters,
As a member of the Heppner City Council and ap-
pointed Fire Commissioner for the city, I am urging both
rural and in-town voters to take the time to cast their vote
and pass the fire hall bond measure.
Our firefighters might be called “volunteer” fire-
fighters, but they are really certified firefighters with the
same credentials, the same training, and the same status
as those getting paid as professional firefighters in other
cities. They volunteer and risk their safety because they
care about your home, your property and the community
as a whole. It is now time to return the favor and say yes,
I support you and the future volunteer firefighters we so
desperately need.
Thank You,
Corey Sweeney, Heppner
Now is the time to
finance replacement
fire hall
Fellow Taxpayers:
I believe now is the time to finance a replacement
fire hall. I don’t like paying property taxes any more than
the next person, but with municipal bond interest rates
as low as I have ever seen, now is the time to finance a
much-needed replacement Fire Hall. The plan is for a
15-year bond, not the normal 25- or 30-year issue. Low
municipal bond interest rates make this possible, and
saves huge dollars by cutting the payback period shorter
by 10 to 15 years. It is an opportunity we should not pass
by. The project has been reduced from an original $1.4
million to the current $975,000. Please join with me in
supporting the most inexpensive avenue to a much-needed
replacement fire hall.
Thomas Wolff, CPA, Heppner
MARIJUANA
CONVICTION
-Continued from PAGE ONE that steal legally possessed
In addition to his prison
time, Bailey will have one
year of post-prison supervi-
sion, as well as having to
pay state fines of $200 and
restitution of $1,500.
“While I do not sup-
port the legalization of
marijuana in Oregon, I will
prosecute those offenders
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marijuana from others,”
said Nelson of the convic-
tion. “I viewed this case
like any other theft. The
defendant trespassed onto
the victim’s property and
stole items of value from
that victim. The defendant
was held accountable for
those actions.”
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