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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2016)
SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 13, 2016 COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES Navy announces decision on -Continued from PAGE ONE -LEANN REA County; and The Loop – -JIM DOHERTY where in this region and you are—like as not—to strike a member of my extended family. Prior government ex- perience: I was both a board member and chair of Jeffer- son County SWCD, chair of the Trout Creek Watershed Council and past board member of the Morrow County SWCD. Why are you running for commissioner? What began as a love for the people and places of Mor- row County has grown over the years, becoming an irrepressible desire to go to work for the same. I feel a synergy building that will move Morrow County to the forefront in both liv- ability and commerce. To do this, is going to require someone who is approach- able, open and has some vision or foresight, coupled with an abundance of com- mon sense. What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing Morrow County? First and foremost, I believe that brighter days and better tomorrows far outweigh the difficulties that face us. That said, if you ask 10 different people this question, you are likely to get 10 different answers. The reason behind this is that the biggest challenge is the real and/or perceived geographic and municipal inequities in the county. For those who feel disenfran- chised, be it north, south, urban or rural they need a chance to be heard. Not just heard, but listened to. How would you ad- dress it as a member of the Morrow County Court? My wife, son and I have built a livestock business that fits more easily into the outskirts of our county. We have done so amidst the hum and rush of Oregon’s most successful enterprise zone. Born and raised as far from civilization as one can get in this county, I understand and sympathize with the challenges of our most rural sector. From the farmer who feels threat- ened with the inevitable ad- vance of renewable conduit to those who feel fortune about to blow their way, I will lend an ear. Only with reasoned, balanced input will I govern. my mother passed in June of 2015 at the age of 94. I have one son, Rick Rea, living in the county, and the other three children reside outside of the area. Other county family members in- clude my brother and sister- in-law, Marv and Tanna Padberg and their children. I also have a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Keith and Judy Rea, and two of their children residing in the Ione area, and a sister-in-law, Katherine Martin, living in the Lexington area. Prior government ex- perience: Prior to being elected County Commis- sioner in 2008, I served on the Morrow County Budget Committee for 10 years. I also sat on the Morrow County Planning Commis- sion for 13-plus years, serv- ing as the chair for several years. I served on the Mor- row County Health District Board before my election to the County Court and continue to serve in that position. While I resided in Boardman, I was a mem- ber of the Umatilla Basin Watershed Council, but when I moved to Heppner I was no longer eligible to serve in that position. I currently serve or represent the county court on the fol- lowing boards and commit- tees: chair of the CAPECO Board; Association of Or- egon Counties Committees on Water Policy, Forestry, and Economic Develop- ment; Columbia River En- terprise Zone II Board; Governor’s Advisory Board on Energy & Agriculture; Oregon Consortium Board; Morrow County Economic Task Force Committee; Work Force Investment Board; Morrow County Fair Board; Neighborhood Center of South Morrow MARTIN CONVICTED -Continued from PAGE ONE ever, the prison terms are slaughter, assault and crimi- nal mistreatment on June 1, 2015. He originally pled not guilty to the counts but later changed his plea to guilty. Circuit Court Judge Cristopher Brauer sen- tenced Martin to ten years in prison for first-degree manslaughter. He also sen- tenced Martin to 14 months in prison for third-degree assault and 30 months pris- on time for the criminal mistreatment count. How- G erbera D aisies S pring B ouquet S pecialS S tarting at $21.95! l otS of colorS to chooSe from i t ' S almoSt p rom t ime !! OrDer earLY! ♥ Morrow County Transpor- tation. Why are you running for commissioner? With Judge Terry Tallman re- tiring and Commissioner Don Russell having only a year and a half of experi- ence, I feel that my seven and a half years of expe- rience is very important for a smooth transition as the county changes from a judge and two part-time commissioners, to three part-time commissioners and a county administrator form of government. I be- lieve I still have many new ideas on how the county can continue to move forward and grow. What do you feel is the biggest challenge fac- ing Morrow County? The largest challenge for the county at this time is the development of a strong and secure source of fund- ing for the road department. Since property taxes can no longer be used to fund the building and maintenance of our bridges and approxi- mately 900 miles of county roads, a large problem has been created. How would you ad- dress it as a member of the Morrow County Court? As a commissioner I would continue working with oth- ers to change the state gas funding formula to create a more equitable way to calculate distributions to the rural counties that have a large number of road miles to maintain while having a lower population and vehicle registration. I would also continue to explore other options, such as additional dollars from the tippage fees, Strategic Investment Program (SIP) agreements, or funding from the Enterprise Zone. ♥ ♥ ! BRACELETS NOW IN STOCK W e H ave F irst C ommunion and C onFirmation G iFts & C ards 217 North Main St., Heppner • Phone 676-9158 • Floral 676-9426 Serving Morrow, Wheeler & Gilliam counties Since 1959 to run concurrently, and Martin will receive credit for time served. Martin will also be subject to three years of post-prison super- vision; conditions will in- clude an anger management and parenting program. The felony charges are Measure 11 offenses and subject to a mandatory minimum sen- tence, which means Martin will not receive any reduc- tion in sentencing such as time off for good behavior. Martin will also have to pay $600 in ines. In his closing state- ment, Justice Brauer echoed the sentiments of the vic- tim’s family when he said no amount of rehabilitation could correct the results of Martin’s choices and no court decision could make sense of the child’s death. Boardman facility SILVERDALE, WA— The U.S. Navy, in coop- eration with the National Guard Bureau and Oregon National Guard, has an- nounced its decision to implement its Preferred Al- ternative, Alternative 2, to support and conduct ongo- ing and proposed military readiness activities within Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility (NWSTF) Boardman and associated airspace. According to a press release, the Navy made its decision after “carefully considering the potential impacts that training and testing activities may have on the human, natural and cultural environment as well as considering com- ments on the proposal and environmental analysis re- ceived from government agencies, American Indian tribes and nations, and the public.” Implementation of the Preferred Alternative, as described in the Final En- vironmental Impact State- ment (EIS), is intended to directly support military readiness and promote the continued vitality of NW- STF Boardman as an es- sential training resource. The Proposed Action includes measures to ensure The U.S. Navy is moving forward with new plans for its Board- man training facility. -Contributed photo critical military readiness requirements are met. The Navy and Oregon National Guard proposed to increase the types and the number of certain training activi- ties conducted at NWSTF Boardman; develop and enhance training facilities at NWSTF Boardman; and create additional special use airspace. The Navy says the proposed action is needed to enhance the training environment at NWSTF Boardman—including ranges, training areas and instrumentation—to better support current and future unit and personnel training requirements. The Record of Decision and completion of the Final EIS follow several years of research, analysis and public involvement. The Navy held two public scop- ing meetings in October 2010 and two public meet- ings in September 2012 to provide information and receive comments. The Fi- nal EIS includes responses from the Navy and the Oregon National Guard to the comments received on the Draft EIS. In the Record of Decision, the Navy also considered and responded to comments received after publishing the Final EIS on December 18, 2015. The Record of Deci- sion, Final EIS and support- ing documents can be found online at www.NWSTF- BoardmanEIS.com, and at several local public librar- ies, including Oregon Trail Library District’s Heppner and Boardman branches. BMCC, AARP offer driver safety courses Blue Mountain Com- munity College and AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) have teamed up to offer two driver safety courses in Morrow County in the next couple of months. The irst session will be on Monday, March 14, at the Boardman BMCC loca- tion, 300 NE Front Street. The next session will be on Friday, April 22, in Ione at the Ione Community Church. Both classes begin at 8:45 a.m. and wrap up at approximately 4 p.m. Cost is $20 for non-members of AARP and $15 for AARP members. The AARP Driver Safe- ty Program is the nation’s irst and largest course for drivers age 50 and older. The course teaches attend- ees defensive driving skills and offers a refresher of the rules of the road. Once the course is completed, participants may be eligible for a discount on their auto insurance. Those interested in at- tending are asked to reserve a space in the class. Contact BMCC Morrow County at 541-481-2099 or email at amorter@bluecc.edu, enrollment must be met or contact the instructor to hold this class so pre- directly—Lou Bisson at registration is required. 541-989-8141. Minimum New FFA member takes second with ‘riveting’ exhibit Daniel Eubanks, a new member of Ione FFA Chapter, earned second place at the State FFA Convention for his art exhibit depicting “Rosy the Riveter.” Daniel also participated in the FFA job interview career development event this year. -Photo by Erin Heideman
