Electric car charging stations
to be installed in Heppner, Ione
HEPPNER
G T
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azette
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VOL. 135
NO. 23 10 Pages
Sandford
wins state
title, to try
for national
queen title
D e n v e r, C O — I v y
Sandford, an 11 th -grade
student at Ione Community
School, has earned a posi-
tion on the Oregon National
High School Rodeo team
and will be traveling with
her teammates to Gillette,
WY July 14-23 to compete
at the 68 th annual National
High School Finals Rodeo
(NHSFR) in the queen com-
petition. Sandford won the
title of Miss Oregon High
School Rodeo Association
in Prineville at the high
school rodeo finals last
Friday.
This is Sandford’s
second year attending the
NHSFR with her team, and
she says she
is looking
forward to
seeing old
friends and
making new
ones while
Ivy Sandford in Wyoming
for the 12-
day competition that ac-
companies the seven-day
rodeo performances. She
will compete in personal
interview, horsemanship,
impromptu questions, mod-
eling, written test, appear-
ance and speech. Last year,
she competed alongside 44
other young ladies for the
coveted title of Miss Na-
tional High School Rodeo
Association Queen, placing
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
By David Sykes
The City of Heppner
has agreed to help Colum-
bia Basin Electric Co-op
(CBEC) in its effort to
install an electric car charg-
ing station in front of the
library on Main Street. Josh
Coiner of CBEC asked the
city council at its meeting
Monday night if it would
consider contributing some
manpower and sidewalk
work in installing the char-
ger.
“We are asking for in-
kind donation of labor from
the city,” Coiner asked the
council. He said a portion
of the sidewalk in front of
Time to hit the pool...
Despite the chilly weather this week, a few hardy souls took advantage of the Heppner pool,
which opened for the season last weekend. The Ione pool opens this week (see PAGE FIVE for
more information on the Ione pool). -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo
School district to conduct
lead testing
By April Sykes
Testing for lead has
been planned for all schools
in the Morrow County
School District, MCSD
Superintendent Dirk Dirk-
sen told the board at its
regular meeting in Heppner
Monday night.
Testing will begin at 6
a.m. on Wednesday, June
22, at Heppner Elementary
and Heppner High School.
Testing for A.C. Houghton
Elementary, Irrigon, Irrigon
Elementary, Irrigon High
School, Morrow Education
Center, Irrigon, the north
See QUEEN IVY/PAGE
THREE district ofice building, Sam
Boardman Elementary,
Windy River Elementary,
Boardman, and Riverside
High School, Boardman,
will get underway Thurs-
day, June 23, beginning at
6 a.m.
Dirksen said that re-
sults should be available a
week to 10 days following
testing. Results will deter-
mine the action to be taken,
if any.
Awareness of lead con-
tamination was initially
prompted by news stories
of lead contamination in
Michigan. The Oregon De-
partment of Education and
the Oregon Health Author-
ity, responding to Governor
Kate Brown’s directive,
recently recommended that
all school districts and child
care programs test drinking
water this summer as part of
a statewide plan to reduce
student exposure to lead.
Also at the meeting,
the board, following a
budget hearing, adopted
a $39,312,210 2016-17
budget and made appropria-
tions. Details are as follows:
General Fund: Instruc-
tion-$15,163,964, Sup-
-See SCHOOL DISTRICT/
PAGE FOUR
New practitioner at Heppner clinic
By Andrea Di Salvo
The Morrow County
Health District has a new
doctor—though not an MD.
Family nurse practitioner
Betty Hamill holds, among
other accreditations, a Doc-
tor of Nursing Practice
degree (DNP), as well as
being a certiied nurse prac-
titioner (FNP-C) and a reg-
istered nurse (APRN).
Hamill, 57, was hired
by the health district in
April to begin work at
MCHD clinics June 1; she
will help ill the gaps left by
the departure of Dr. Betsy
Anderson last year and
the impending retirement
of physician’s assistant
Sheridan Tarnasky. Hamill
says she will work mainly
at Pioneer Memorial Clinic
in Heppner, with the under-
standing that she will ill in
at Ione and Irrigon clinics
as needed.
“I haven’t visited the
other clinics yet,” she says,
“but I’d like to. I’d like to
meet the other practitio-
ners.”
She also says that, after
some recertification and
additional training, she will teen working with nurse
most likely cover some on- practitioners, most notably
call duties for the Pioneer on the Navajo and Hopi
Memorial Hospital
reservation near
emergency room.
Tuba City. In 1979,
Among some of
at the age of 20, she
her areas of exper-
earned her associ-
tise are learning and
ates degree as an
evaluating research.
RN from Northern
“Research is be-
Arizona University.
ing done and it’s Betty Hamill
“I wasn’t able to
taking sometimes
go in bars and buy
as long as 17 years
a drink, but I could
to be used. My job is to in- give IV morphine to pa-
tegrate research faster,” she tients,” she recalls. “I don’t
says, though she adds that have a habit of spending
some research, while look- time in bars, but I always
ing good on paper, turns out thought that was funny.”
not to be practical for real-
She then moved to Du-
life application, something rango, CO, where, among
she also has to consider.
other things, she worked
She also says she works with members of the Ute
with evidence-based medi- tribe. She then spent some
cine, “Why are we doing time back in Arizona help-
this? Is there a better way?” ing out family before going
she explains.
on to attend Southern Or-
Hamill is used to wear- egon University in Ashland.
ing many hats. She comes
“My husband and I
to Morrow County most took turns going to school,”
recently from Eugene, OR, she says of that time. She
but has a history of work spent some time working
and training throughout at Rogue Valley Medical
the western United States. Center, mainly in different
She was raised in Arizona, intensive care units, and
where she spent time as a obtained her bachelor’s
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
the museum and library car owners’ smart-phone
would have to
applications, and
be excavated and
on the Travel Or-
re-poured to ac-
egon and Oregon
commodate the
Tourism web-
charger.
sites, so those
In a letter to
who own electric
the city CBEC
cars will know
General Manager
where they can
Thomas Wolff
recharge. After
said four of the
hearing the pro-
units will be in-
posal, the council
stalled in the co-
voted to assist in
op service area
the placement of
including one
the car charging
each in Condon,
stations.
Fossil, Heppner
In other
and Ione. He
business the
said each unit
council learned
will cost about
it needed to set
$13,700 to pur-
a second public
chase and install;
hearing on the
however, after an
city budget, as a
Oregon energy
portion of the last
tax credit appli-
published budget
cation, that cost
was left out and
drops to about
therefore incor-
$9,590 per unit,
rect. The council
and according
will meet next
to the co-op that
Monday, June
cost will drop
20, at 5:30 p.m.
even more.
at city hall for the
“The cost of Electric car charg- public hearing on
the car chargers ing stations like this the 2016-2017
will ultimately are set to be installed city budget.
be lower than not only in Heppner
In other busi-
stated due to in- and Ione, but also in ness the coun-
kind and cash Condon and Fossil. cil heard that
c o n t r i b u t i o n s -Contributed photo
the Chase Street
from city, county,
paving project
and chamber entities,” ac- will be moving forward.
cording to a co-op spokes- An exact date has not been
person.
set; however, residents of
“CBEC is asking the Chase will be notiied when
city council for inancial as- the paving is going to take
sistance in putting this unit place and asked not to use
into place. We understand the street on that day.
the city is on a very tight
The council also passed
inancial budget. Could the a motion accepting a three-
city contribute in-kind labor year contract with Barnett
services? A short trench and and Moro, PC to audit the
re-pouring of a short section city’s inancial statements.
of sidewalk will need to be The price will be $10,600
accomplished,” Wolff said. per year, with adjustments
“CBEC would provide all made each year for in-
materials,” he said.
creases in the consumer
Coiner told the council price index.
there are no ChargePoint
The council also heard
brand charging stations for from City Attorney Bill
electric cars between The Kuhn, who praised the city
Dalles and Boise; however, staff for their good job in
there are other brands of helping Community Coun-
chargers available for use seling Solution locate their
between these two points. new facility on Sperry St.
He said it takes between in Heppner.
four and six hours to charge
“This is a $2 million
a car and the cars normally building that could have
have a range of 170 to 200 been located outside of
miles.
Heppner. I think it speaks
Wolff said the loca- highly of the city admin-
tions of the charges will -See CITY COUNCIL/PAGE
be published in all electric
THREE
Lankford promoted
to EUC engineering
manager
degree in 1988. The couple
then moved to Portland so
Hamill’s husband could in-
ish his own master’s degree.
Over the years she says
she got a variety of experi-
ence, working not only
in hospitals, but also at
Washington County Jail,
in community health and
in home health. She also
took some time to raise her
sons before returning to
school at the University of
Portland. Not only did she
spend ive years completing
the doctorate program there
and doing clinical rotations
for school, she also worked
part time and then went
through a divorce, having to
transition to life as a single
parent.
“It was a very busy
time,” she says. “It was
Joshua Lankford of elor’s degree in electrical
Lexington has been pro- and computer engineering
moted to Manager of Engi- from Portland State Univer-
neering at Umatilla
sity, and a Master of
Electric Coopera-
Engineering degree
tive (UEC).
in transmission and
Lankford over-
distribution from
sees a staff of 10
Gonzaga University.
providing engi-
In May 2016, he
neering and related
completed the Na-
services for UEC’s
tional Rural Electric
2,300-mile trans- Joshua
Cooperative Associ-
mission and distri- Lankford
ation’s Management
bution system.
Internship Program
The utility is expanding at the University of Wis-
and rebuilding its system as consin. He is a registered
power sales have increased professional engineer in
70 percent in the last ive Oregon.
years. UEC completed its
Lankford is a Heppner
30 th substation, located at High School graduate. He
the Port of Morrow, in and his wife, Kaley, live
2015. Planning for its 31 st near Lexington.
substation, in east Hermis-
Lankford succeeds
ton, is underway.
Robert Echenrode, who
Lankford joined UEC began his new duties as
-See NEW PRACTITIONER/ as a distribution engineer UEC’s general manager and
PAGE FIVE in 2009. He has a bach- CEO in March 2016.
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