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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 2016)
CREZ discusses funding priorities HEPPNER G T 50¢ azette imes VOL. 135 NO. 50 8 Pages Wednesday, December 14, 2016 Considers looking at areas most ‘impacted’ by new businesses By David Sykes The Columbia River Enterprise Zone (CREZ) held a lengthy discussion last week on how it intends to spend the approximately $1.7 million in tax exempt payments it has received and will disburse for the 2016 -17 fiscal year. In the past the board has divided the money it receives from enterprise zone businesses into four categories: housing, edu- Also moves forward with new restroom construction a formal resignation at the council meeting, but through a letter to the Hep- pner Gazette-Times and by informing council members prior to Monday’s meeting. (See story PAGE ONE, let- ter PAGE TWO). Last month Cutsforth had asked the city to lease the office next to city hall to the Foundation; however, the council decided to wait one month, advertise the space as available to the public, and then make a decision. Monday Cutsforth said the office space had been advertised and no one expressed interest, so the council decided to move forward with the lease. The foundation will pay $350 per month for the of- fice, and the lease term is for one year. The vote for approval was 6 to 1. The foundation was established in September of 2015 by the late Howard and Beth Bryant, long-time Heppner residents and active com- munity members. Also, the council voted to move forward with con- struction of a new restroom and table storage cabinet at city hall. Allstott construc- tion was sole bidder on the project, which will place a restroom in an existing storage closet off the main city meeting room, and con- struct a table storage cabinet along the wall of the main meeting room. Cost of the restroom would be $21,897, and the cabinet $7,331, for a total of $29,228. later—really, right out of high school.” “Our families had known each other forever,” she adds. She and Gerald were married 54 years, until his passing in 2013. The couple had four children, Rick, who now lives in Irrigon, Darla in Boardman, Terrell in Nevada, and Robert in Island City, OR. Right after their mar- riage, Leann and Gerald Rea moved to Heppner, where she worked off and on for the John Deere/Cat- erpillar store as a “parts man.” In 1964, they moved to Condon, where Gerald and three other men went into partnership in a John Deere store. There, she helped in the family busi- ness as a parts man and assistant bookkeeper. “Of course, in there I was also having children,” she adds. -See REA RETIRES/PAGE FOUR Boardman schools prepare for possible influx from planned housing By April Sykes Morrow County School District Superintendent Dirk Dirksen told the board, at its regular meeting Mon- day night at Irrigon Junior/ Senior High School, that he has heard that a 240- unit apartment complex is scheduled to be built in Boardman within the next six months. While he said he was not yet certain if the project would indeed move forward, if it does happen it would greatly impact the school district. He added that the dis- trict’s enrollment has in- creased by 42 students since the same time last year with the current enrollment at 2,206, compared to last- year’s enrollment of 2,164. The current enrollment report, as of December, is as follows: A.C. Hough- County road committee seeks Lexington representative Morrow County Public Works is currently look- ing to fill an opening on the Morrow County Road Committee. The opening is for a representative from the Lexington area, which will include the Town of Lexington and surround- ing area. Meetings are held roughly two times a year -See CREZ TALKS FUND- ING/PAGE FOUR or possibly more as the need arises. Members work closely with the Transporta- tion System Plan and help -See ROAD COMMITTEE/ PAGE FIVE G-T Trophy Corner Cutsforth steps down as city manager Wants to run a Heppner nonprofit By David Sykes ficial or public at that time. In a surprise move She had earlier emailed M o n d a y, K i m a letter to the edi- Cutsforth resigned tor of the Heppner her position as Hep- Gazette-Times (see pner city manager, this week’s issue), saying she wants to a n d h a d a p p a r- take on the job of ently notified the running a nonprofit city council prior to foundation in the City Manager the meeting of her community. Kim Cutsforth intentions to step The Heppner will leave her down. The council City Council met p o s i t i o n i n held an executive session following -See CITY COUNCIL/PAGE Monday night; how- February. FIVE ever, Cutsforth did -See CUTSFORTH RE- not make her resignation of- SIGNS/PAGE FIVE Rea retires from county court By Andrea Di Salvo perhaps not. The Morrow County Rea was born in Port- Court will bid fare- land but, aside from well to veteran com- some time her fa- missioner Leann ther spent working Rea at the end of at the shipyards in this month. Sev- the Willamette Val- enty-five-year-old ley during World Rea has served on War II, was raised the commissioner Leann Rea on the family farm for eight years. She, outside of Ione. She along with current Mor- graduated valedictorian of row County Judge Terry her class from Ione High Tallman, will leave office School in 1959. She says at the end of her current she married her husband, term, perhaps to retire—or Gerald Rea, “like four days gram, businesses can re- ceive property tax breaks for locating in the Columbia River Enterprise Zone, an approximate 12-square- mile area consisted mostly of the Port of Morrow, but recently expanded to include some areas within the city of Boardman. Boardman City Admin- istrator Karen Pettigrew, who is also a member of Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Council approves office space lease to Bryant Foundation By David Sykes The Heppner city council voted Monday to lease the former Heppner Chamber of Commerce of- fice adjacent to city hall to the newly-formed Howard and Beth Bryant Founda- tion nonprofit trust. Hep- pner City Manager Kim Cutsforth had earlier that day announced her resigna- tion from the city effective February, and said she will now take over running of the trust. Cutsforth did not make cation, public safety and community enhancement. Since 2013 it has given out $3,678,511 across the county in these four areas. At its monthly meeting last Friday several board members raised the ques- tion of altering the funding so more money goes to tax- ing districts whose services are directly impacted by the increase in business activity created by the CREZ. Under the CREZ pro- ton Elementary, Irrigon, kindergarten through third grade-268; Sam Board- man Elementary, Board- man, kindergarten through third grade-330; Heppner Elementary School, kin- dergarten through sixth grade-174; Irrigon Elemen- tary School, fourth through sixth grade-202; Windy River Elementary, Board- man, fourth through sixth grade-220; Heppner Jr./ Sr. High School, seventh through 12 th grade-158; Ir- rigon Jr./Sr. High School, s e v e n t h t h r o u g h 1 2 th grade-376; Riverside Jr./ Sr. High School, Board- man, seventh through 12 th grade-427; Morrow Edu- cation Center, Irrigon-51; total-2,206. Dirksen also comment- ed on Measure 98, which is a drop-out prevention and college readiness bill that recently passed in Oregon. The bill will give state funds to public school dis- tricts to establish or expand career and tech opportu- nities and to establish or Ione businesses plan Christmas open house The public is invited to join Ione businesses for their annual Christmas open house this week. The traditional open house will take place this Friday, Dec. 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. While out and about, shoppers are also encouraged to help the Ione office of Wheatland Insurance collect the most food donations for their annual food drive. Local donations will be delivered to the Neighborhood Center in Heppner on Dec. 19. Celebrate Heppner Christmas Thursday The annual Celebrate Heppner Christmas event will take place this Thursday, Dec. 15, starting at 6 p.m. at the Morrow County Fairgrounds. Community members are invited to bring their rewards cards and participate in this community get-together. The event will start with a dinner served by the Hep- pner Elementary Parent/Teacher Club, and pictures with Santa will be available from 6-7 p.m. for $5. Penny board and raffle items will be available; drawing for rewards cards items will begin at 7 p.m. Area pastors invited to submit Christmas messages Businesses, individuals also invited to send in Christmas greetings The Heppner Gazette- Times will publish its an- nual Christmas edition on Dec. 21. Area pas- tors are in- vited to sub- mit Christmas messages to be published in the Dec. 21 edition. The deadline is Monday, Dec. 19, at 5 p.m. Messages can be -See SCHOOL DISTRICT/ dropped off at the Gazette PAGE THREE office, emailed to editor@ rapidserve.net, or faxed to 541-676-9211. Christmas service schedules are also welcome. Any busi- nesses or in- dividuals who would like to purchase space on our special Christ- mas greeting page in the Dec. 21 Gazette should call 541-676-9228 or email megan@rapidserve.net by Monday, Dec. 19, at 5 p.m. 20 % OFF ALL MONTANA SILVER SELECT MONTANA SILVER Chris, Natalie and Andre Rauch with this season’s deer. It was Natalie’s first time hunting. She got a 3x2 on the first shot through the neck with a Marlin .256 Winchester Magnum. -Contributed photo 50% OFF Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed 242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)
