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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 11, 2016)
HEPPNER G T 50¢ azette imes VOL. 135 NO. 19 8 Pages Wednesday, May 11, 2016 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon WCVEDG gives out $25,000 in Community Enhancement grants The Willow Creek Val- ley Economic Development Group gave out $25,000 in community enhancement grants last week. There were a total of 10 grants awarded to various groups and governments. Those receiving funds were: Heppner Chamber of Commerce – $1,750 for purchase of a copier to ac- commodate its new ofice needs. Creative Care Pre- school, Ione – $2,000 for purchase of playground upgrades. Heppner Little League (John Day River Little League) – $1,541 for purchase of 120 bags of infield conditioner/top -dressing, “Beam Clay.” Heppner FFA Chap- ter/Heppner Ag Dept. – $1,650 for construction of a new chicken coop and outside run to increase lay- ing hens. Wranglers Riding Club – $706 for purchase of an electronic sports tim- ing system. City of Heppner – $1,000 for property clean- up assistance to provide dumpsters. City of Heppner – $1,953 for Main Street beautiication with hanging baskets. City of Ione – $10,000 for purchase of a children’s play structure in the Ione City park. Morrow County Mu- seum – $1,900 to pay for -See WCVEDG GRANTS/ PAGE THREE Bellamys purchase Lexington School Public hearing Plans include pump shop, ofice space and a place for town memorabilia By David Sykes If Mary Kay Bellamy of Lexington gets nostalgic for the old days when she was back in grade school in Lexington, she now won’t have far to go to relive those old memories. She and her husband Sam Bellamy have just completed purchasing her old school house in Lexington. On Saturday they took a walk through the building and around the grounds, talking about her memories and their future plans for the newly-acquired property. “One thing I want to do is make a memorial, or museum, to the town of Lexington,” says Sam Bel- lamy, standing in the main hallway of the historic old building. He says he wants to take memorabilia like old photos and other Lexington town items and have them on display in the foyer area of the school. “I don’t think there is anything like that now about Lexington, and I would like to do something two-story school building, the adjacent gymnasium, and about two acres of land, which right now has open spaces, a basketball court and a swing set. The Lexington town council earlier approved a zone change on the proper- ty, which effectively zoned one half the property com- mercial and the other half residential. The council also vacated a section of D street, which bisected the property and has never been used, which then connected a lower school-owned lot to the main school property. The Morrow County School District used the building as its district head- quarters for many years, and then decided to sell the old school after moving out several years ago, seeing no more use or need for the property. Sam and Mary Kay Bellamy take a swing break while contem- “I am just glad to see plating their new real-estate purchase, the Lexington School someone purchase the prop- building. -Photo by David Sykes erty and put it to good like that,” he says. cial plans for the property, -See LEXINGTON SCHOOL/ PAGE EIGHT He also has commer- which includes the main planned on proposed wind farm A public hearing on the proposed Wheatridge Wind Energy Facility is planned for Thursday, May 19, at 6 p.m. at Boardman City Hall, 200 City Center Dr., Boardman The Oregon Dept. of Energy’s Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) re- ceived an application for a site certiicate from Wheat- ridge Wind Energy, LLC for the construction and opera- tion of a 292-tower facility located on 13,0697 acres of privately-owned land within Morrow and Uma- tilla counties. The EFSC released a Draft Proposed Order recommending ap- proval subject to conditions listed in the order. Public comments on the draft order will be ac- cepted now through the close of the public hearing May 19. Written comments may be submitted prior to the hearing to Sarah Ester- son, siting Analyst, Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem, OR 97301 or by email to WRW.Comments@state. or.us. Written or oral com- ments will also be accepted during the hearing. Following the hearing the council will review the Draft Proposed Order and public comments and then issue a Proposed Order to either approve or deny the application. A copy of the Draft Proposed Order is available at the Oregon Trail Library District Heppner Branch or online at https://services. oregon.gov/energy/Siting/ Pages/WRW.aspx. Summer fun begins at OHV park City council votes to increase water, sewer rates by 5% Heppner and Lexington gas tax also being considered By David Sykes The Heppner city coun- cil voted Monday to raise water and sewer rates by ive percent beginning in July. The additional money, estimated to be around $30,000 per year, will be collected as a franchise fee and will be used for fund- ing street repairs, the ire department and police pay- ments. All council mem- bers voted in favor of the increase except for Corey Sweeney, who voted no. There was little dis- cussion about the rate in- crease during the meeting; however, after the council session City Manager Kim Cutsforth told the Gazette she decided on a franchise fee instead of a straight rate increase so that the money could be used in depart- ments other than water and sewer. Normally franchise fees are paid by private companies using the city right of ways, such as elec- tric and phone companies. The new charge would be the irst time the city used the franchise method to collect money on its own water billings. In preparation for the new fees at its April 21 meeting the utility commis- sion had voted to recom- mend the city adopt a lat $3 fee on each monthly water bill. However, Cutsforth said Monday she decided to use the franchise method instead after consulting with the city auditors. Audi- tors told her the franchise method would allow for the newly-collected funds to be used in departments other than water and sewer. She also changed the lat charge to a ive percent fee, which she says will work out to an average $2.55 addi- tional cost per user and raise $30,000 per year. The city has about 700 water and sewer users on the system. In other tax issues Cutsforth told the utility commission at its April meeting that the city needs more revenue for streets and suggested that “a gas tax may be a way to do this. The city would only be able to collect taxes on fuel sold within the city limits. The city would not be able to collect taxes from schools or some commercial haul- Above: Riders at the Off Highway Vehicle park have some dirty fun in the new “mud pit” at the OHV park near Heppner. Below: Riders line up to register and get ready for the poker run at the OHV park Saturday. -Contributed photos -See HEPPNER CITY COUNCIL/PAGE FOUR MCSD board tours new Riverside lab at regular meeting By April Sykes The Morrow County School Board toured the new Riverside High School welding and 3-D printing lab prior to its May 9 meet- ing at RHS. Following the tour and dinner, the board: -received the follow- ing attendance report for May: A.C. Houghton El- ementary, Irrigon-275; Sam Boardman Elementary, Boardman-331; Heppner Elementary-181; Irrigon Elementary-189; Windy River Elementary, Board- man-216; Heppner Jr./Sr. High School-160; Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School-371; Riverside Jr./Sr. High School, Boardman-396; Morrow Education Center, Irrigon-49; total-2,168. -approved the follow- ing recommendations to rehire classiied/coniden- tial personnel for 2016- 17 (Heppner listed only): Ballots due next Tuesday Morrow County voters are reminded that ballots for the primary election are due by 8 p.m. Election Day, Tuesday, May 17. Ballots must be received, not simply postmarked, on that day. For voter conve- nience, 24-hour drop boxes are located throughout the county. Locations are as follows: Heppner: Courthouse parking lot (24 hours) or the Morrow County Clerk’s Ofice, Room 102 inside the courthouse. Open 8 a.m. to noon and 1-5 p.m., M-F and Election Day (May 17) from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Lexington: 365 West Hwy 74 (Public Works Parking lot). Turn off Hwy. 74 onto Tom Street and left into the public works park- ing lot. 24 hours. Ione: Spring St. (in front of the turn to 3 rd Street). 24 hours. Boardman: NW Boardman Ave. (24 hours). Irrigon: 205 NE 3 rd St. (Irrigon Annex). 24 hours. People wasted no time getting into the swing of summer this weekend, ill- ing up the local Off High- way Vehicle park on its opening day. The fun in- cluded a poker run and trying out the new mud pit. “There were 265 reg- istered riders, but many more that just rode along, and others came up to just -See MCSD MEETING/PAGE EIGHT enjoy a beautiful day out Heppner Elementary: ed assistants-Jackie Alleman, Lorna Botefuhr, Rita Britt, Rebecca Evans, Tami Lien, Janet Wilson, ed assistant/li- brary tech-Debra Campbell, head cook-Kim Carlson, assistant custodian-Kathy Cutsforth, Linda Workman, facilities coordinator-Kelly Fox, head secretary-Brandi on the trails,” said a park spokesperson. “And a few more that even ventured into the new mud pit,” she added. There were more than 300 people at the park on Saturday, it was estimated. There were also others that made reservations and came up just for the prime rib dinner served at The Landing Saturday. SPECIAL OFFERS GOING ON NOW! CALL JASON FOR MORE INFORMATION 541-989-8221 Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 For farm equipment, visit our web site at www.mcgg.net
