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.
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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
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