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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2016)
HEPPNER G T 50¢ azette imes VOL. 135 NO. 2 8 Pages Getting to know your exchange students Umedali Rajabaliev Age 17, Senior, Ione Where are you from? Dushanbe, Tajikistan— the capital city, with a population of nearly 800,000. Umedali Rajabaliev H o s t Family: Mark and Taranna Patton What do you think of Ione and Morrow County? “Small town. Smaller than where we live. It’s more fun when you play some sports.” How has the experi- ence been for you? “It was good. My goal was making friends, sharing cultures. It was also good to try some- thing new like sports— football, basketball, we don’t have these games in my country.” What was the most dif- icult thing about this ex- perience? “The language. It was difficult, scary to talk to them. The irst few weeks was dificult in class because I didn’t know any- one. The food was different. In America, there is a lot of pork.” (Editor’s note: As a Muslim, Umedali does not eat pork.) What did you like best? “Spending holidays with my family. It was a new ex- perience. Fishing. I’d been ishing but not like this, in a boat. We caught some re- ally big ish. The best was making new friends, learn- ing about them and their culture. And I hope I can learn more.” Did you have the chance to attend any spe- cial events? What did you think of that experience? “Most of them were Ameri- can holidays—Halloween, Christmas. It was my irst experience with them. I liked it. And celebrating my birthday in America for the irst time.” Anything else? “I am a FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange Program) stu- dent. It was the irst great goal in my life. It gave me a chance to experience other cultures. I really ap- preciate the people running this program for giving me the chance. I want to say thank you to my teachers, my friends, my host fam- ily—they really gave me a chance to be part of their family.” Editor’s note: ASSE’s Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program provides youth from the former Sovi- et Union the opportunity to live and study in the United States. Wednesday, January 13, 2016 City, ire district seal ire hall construction deal By David Sykes The City of Heppner and the Heppner Rural Fire Protection District have inked an intergovernmen- tal agreement to guide the upcoming financing and construction of the new $975,000 ire hall approved by voters in November. Both the city council and ire district board approved the deal at their respective Monday night meetings. The agreement puts the city in charge of construc- tion and payments during the building process, but requires the city to make monthly reports to the rural fire district about prog- ress. The new ire hall will be built on land donated by Morrow County Grain Growers on Riverside at the edge of town. The Bank of Eastern Oregon has been awarded sale of the close to $1 mil- lion in general obligation bonds for construction, with the funds being placed into a new account to be dis- bursed during construction. As spelled out in the bond issue approved by voters last November, the city is funding 60 percent of the Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Chamber of Commerce holds annual meeting, elects oficers Cutsforth named 2016 president The Heppner Chamber of Commerce held its an- nual meeting last Thursday and elected Heppner City Manager Kim Cutsforth as 2016 president. She will replace outgoing President Les Schwab Manager John Gould. Pictured right are (L- R) Heppner Principal Matt Combe, First Vice Presi- dent; Wheatland Insur- ance owner Nancy Snider, Director; Owner Murray’s Drug Anne Murray, Direc- tor; Morrow County Grain Growers Human Resource Director Tawny Miles, Treasurer/Director; Kim Cutsforth, President; and Heppner Les Schwab Man- ager John Gould, Director. Administering the oath of ofice is Bank of Eastern Oregon Heppner Branch Manager Tricia Rollins. Not pictured are Bank of Eastern Oregon President and CEO Jeff Bailey, Di- rector, and Heppner Fam- ily Food owner Bert Hou- weling, Director. In a special award Heppner Chamber of Com- merce Executive Director Sheryll Bates recognized Doris Brosnan for her help with chamber projects. “Doris Brosnan has always been involved in whatever events or activi- ties that I am working on. She serves on several com- mittees and does her part to bring success,” said Bates. “She helped with the Parade of Lights to make sure everyone was lined up and ready to go. She construction cost and the rural district 40 percent. Also included with the agreement is the contract spelling out how the city provides protection to resi- dents and property located in the rural fire district. The protection contract is one that has been in place since the 1980s, and previously renewed every ive years with sometimes minor changes. As part of the current intergov- ernmental agreement the protection contract will last -See HEPPNER CITY COUNCIL/PAGE SIX Getting to know your exchange students Pablo Ramos Age 15, Sophomore, Ione Where are you from? Madrid, Spain—the capi- tal of Spain and the third largest city in the Euro- pean Union, with a metro population Pablo Ramos of around 6.5 million. Host Family: Mark and Taranna Patton What do you think of Ione and Morrow County? “I thought it would be bor- Above: Heppner Chamber of Commerce elected oficers at its annual meeting recently. (See ing. Now it’s not too bor- story for names and titles.) Below: The Heppner High School choir, under the direction of ing.” Rick Drake, entertained chamber members at the meeting. -Photos by David Sykes How has the experience been for you? “Good. The irst few weeks were hard. When I need help, they help me. When I need it, they help me to be part of the family.” What was the most dif- icult thing about this expe- rience? “The language. You don’t know if you ask well. The schedule—in Spain we eat later than here and go to sleep later.” What did you like best? was a lot of help this year with “New experiences, like to our Christmas event; she helped go ishing. New food like to arrange for elves, she helped elk or deer. The people from set up, helped during the event here are different from the and helped to clean up after the people in Spain, and I like Christmas event. it.” “I can always can count on Did you have the Doris Brosnan to come to my res- chance to attend any spe- cue,” Bates said. cial events? What did you think of that experience? Right: Doris Brosnan (left) received “Halloween. It was my irst special recognition from chamber ex- ecutive director Sheryll Bates for her time having that experi- contributions to the chamber’s work. ence. I went with friends to -Photo by David Sykes trick or treat. Christmas—in Spain we don’t put (out) presents before 25 th of De- cember. Here they put pres- ents before the 25 th .” Anything else? “I thought it would be harder (than it is) to be one year for each school, CAD/CAM be up and running fall of welding and manufacturing here. Thank you to all the software, teacher training 2016,” he said. facilities will include the people who helped me.” and curriculum develop- Fowler said that the Heppner High School agri- ment, and will also support four career and techni- culture program, headed up gram directed by Fowler; the local chapters of FFA cal education programs by teacher Beth Dickenson, -See MCSD BOOSTS CTE PROGRAM/PAGE EIGHT and TSA. He said that the of study that utilize the the manufacturing pro- end result will be to build stronger career and techni- cal programs, preparing students for the next steps, such as “Mechatronics” at Blue Mountain Community College, apprenticeships Willow Creek Valley corn bread will be hosted by attending is asked to RSVP or other post-secondary Economic Development WCVEDG and prepared by to heppnerchamber@centu- education. rytel.net by Friday, Jan. 22. He said that the grant Group (WCVEDG) will Alvin Liu. Guest speaker Bruce Anyone who would cycle runs from this January hold its annual luncheon to June of 2017, with bids Wednesday, Jan. 27, from Sorte will provide an up- like to become a member to be let and scheduling noon to 1 p.m. at the Gate- date on business retention of WCVEDG may contact and expansion projects as Sheryll Bates at 541-676- of electrical and ventila- way Café in Heppner. The meal of barbecued selected by the WCVEDG 5536 or David Sykes at tion work happening this 541-676-9228. winter. He said that order- ribs, grilled chicken, slow- board. Anyone interested in ing of equipment and sup- cooked beans, coleslaw and plies will be ongoing, with professional development occurring this spring and summer. “Everything should School district announces career and technical programs grant By April Sykes The Morrow County School Board, at its Jan. 11 meeting in Boardman, learned that the district has received a $390,745 grant for upgrades to the school district’s welding and fabricating facilities and equipment. Project man- ager/Heppner High School teacher Dave Fowler said that the upgrades were very much needed, since the metal shops at Heppner and Riverside were built in the 1970s with no sig- niicant upgrades since and the Irrigon facility was not fully equipped when it was completed. The funds will pur- chase electrical and ven- tilation facility upgrades, computer-controlled plas- ma cutting, welding and fabricating machinery and virtual welding simulators G-T will be open next Monday The Heppner Gazette- day, Jan. 18, and will not be The deadline for next Times will maintain normal closed for the Martin Luther week’s issue will remain at business hours next Mon- King, Jr. holiday. Monday at 5 p.m. WCVEDG plans annual luncheon WINTER CLOTHING SALE! INSULATED COVERALLS COATS & JACKETS 20 % OFF Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed 242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main ofice)