County school district sees
largest graduating class to date
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 136
NO. 22 10 Pages
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
By April Sykes
The Morrow County
School Board learned from
Superintendent Dirk Dirk-
sen, Monday night at their
regular meeting at Riverside
High School in Boardman,
that he believes this year’s
graduating class is the larg-
est in MCSD history, with
22 students graduating from
Heppner High School, 64
from Irrigon High School
and 74 from Riverside in
Boardman.
He said that Morrow
County students earned
1,623 college credits this
year, 465 for Heppner stu-
dents, 529 for Irrigon stu-
dents and 629 for Riverside
students. He added that the
district has come a long
way, as 10 years ago MCSD
students were able to earn
only 100 college credits.
He attributed the increases
to “a lot of work,” not only
by the students, but by the
district, Blue Mountain
Community College, East-
ern Oregon University and
the ESD. “That’s pretty
cool,” he said, adding that
one MCSD student, Bi-
anca Gutierrez, this year
received an Associate of
Arts degree while still a
high school student.
Dirksen further said
City settles pay dispute City seeks input on plans for
with former manager mini park
Cutsforth claimed $1,882 in
unpaid vacation pay
By David Sykes
The City of Heppner
and former city manager
Kim Cutsforth have come
to agreement in a dispute
over unpaid vacation pay.
Cutsforth had filed a claim
with the Oregon Bureau
of Labor and Industries
(BOLI) saying the city
owed her $1,882 in unpaid
vacation benefits for the
period of Sept. 1, 2013 to
Feb. 28, 2017, during the
period of her employment.
Cutsforth resigned the city
manager job to be Execu-
tive Director of the Howard
& Beth Bryant Foundation
in Heppner.
“The issue has been
resolved,” Heppner Mayor
Cody High said in a one-line
statement to the Heppner
Gazette-Times Tuesday. He
said, speaking for the city,
that was all he would say
at this time. High did not
say how much the settle-
ment was for; however,
Cutsforth later agreed that
the issue was settled, and
confirmed that the amount
was $1,882, her original
claim. Details of the claim
were obtained earlier by the
Gazette-Times off the BOLI
website under the public
documents section.
At the beginning of the
dispute city attorney Bill
Kuhn said in an April 17
letter to BOLI that he had
“spent considerable time
reviewing and charting the
City of Heppner’s person-
nel records” regarding the
claim, and he wrote “My
research does not support
Ms. Cutsforth’s claim.”
Kuhn had requested ad-
ditional time from BOLI to
meet with Cutsforth and try
and resolve the issue.
On April 25 BOLI had
informed Cutsforth in a
letter that they attempted to
collect on the wage claim,
but were unsuccessful.
They advised her at the time
she would have to seek the
help of a private attorney or
small claims court. BOLI
also told Cutsforth that un-
der Oregon law she could
take action against the city
for wages plus civil penal-
ties, court costs and attor-
ney’s fees. “Civil Penalties
apply to any employer who
willfully withholds any
portion of an employee’s
A live tree had health issues and was damaging the sidewalk before removal from this mini
park in Heppner. The city now seeks ideas on space use. -Photo by David Sykes
By David Sykes
The City of Heppner
is seeking input on what to
do with the mini park on
Main Street next to the post
office. A tree that had been
planted there 12 years ago
was having health issues,
and its roots were damag-
ing the brick patio, and it
had to be removed. Monday
the council asked for the
public’s input on what to do
now with the space.
Some of the ideas
floated were to build a
-See PAY DISPUTE/ pavilion-type setting with
PAGE TEN tables, chairs and possibly
an awning. There has been
a Mexican food vendor who
sets up a food truck behind
Local youth earn
chance to compete at
world’s largest rodeo
Several local teens
have stood out from the
competition at the Oregon
High School Rodeo As-
sociation (OHSRA) Finals
in Prineville last week for
the chance to compete in
the 69 th annual National
High School Finals Rodeo
(NHSFR). Five youth from
South Morrow have earned
a shot at fame, scholar-
ships and more when they
represent the Oregon team
in Gillette, WY July 16-22.
Heading up the list are
brother and sister Kolby
and Jacee Currin, both of
Plant new tree, awning, pavilion or other?
whom received all-around
honors at the state event.
Kolby Currin, who
graduated this year from
Heppner High, won Boys
All-Around after taking
the championship in steer
wrestling and finishing first
in rifle shooting, second in
boys’ cutting, and fifth in
both tie-down roping and
team roping (heeler). He
will compete at nationals
in steer wrestling and light
rifle shooting.
HHS tenth-grader
the park several days a
week, and the area has
become popular as a lunch
area. It was also suggested
that perhaps a permanent-
type information stand or
booth be installed. During
fair and rodeo and St. Pat-
rick’s Day, an information
booth is generally set up in
that location.
The annual Christmas
tree lighting has been held
at the park in the past as the
large tree was decorated for
Christmas. It was suggested
that a new tree be planted
there, or possibly move the
lighting to another location.
“A lot of people think a
tree is going back in there,”
said councilmember John
Bowles.
Mayor Cody High said
the city was having trouble
finding the “right” tree for
that spot. “But it was tear-
ing up the sidewalk,” he
pointed out.
The council and city
administration then asked
for the public input on the
park, and said the sugges-
tions may be made at city
hall or by contacting the
mayor or a councilperson.
In other action the
council voted to approve
seven animal permits, in-
cluding five for pig and
-See CITY COUNCIL/
PAGE TEN
Critical injury accident on
Hwy 207 overpass
-See OHSRA FINALS/
PAGE FOUR
G-T Trophy Corner
A 13-year-old was Life Flighted to Kadlec after a collision on the Hwy. 207 overpass Mon-
day. -Photo courtesy of Oregon State Police
that MCSD students earned
over a million dollars in
scholarships, with Heppner
students receiving $195,850
in scholarships, Riverside
students, $346,952, and
Irrigon students, $647,710.
Also at the meeting, the
board adopted a $37 million
budget for 2017-18.
The budget includes
$16,121,480 for instruction
(salaries) out of the general
fund, $10,193,757 for sup-
port services, $177,000 for
debt service, $840,000 in
transfers and no money for
contingencies for a total of
$27,332,237.
The special revenue
fund shows $2,844,259,
also for instruction,
$1,001,373 for support ser-
vices, $1,214,427 for “en-
terprise and community,”
$200,000 for transfers and
$920,925 for contingency
for a total of $6,180,984.
The debt service fund
equals $2,833,425 and the
capital projects fund shows
$300,000 for support ser-
vices and $440,000 for
facilities acquisition for
$740,000.
All combined equal
$37,086,646 in appropria-
tions and another $224,842
in unappropriated and re-
serve amounts, for the
total adopted budget of
$37,311,488.
The resolution also im-
posed a tax of $4.0342 per
$1,000 of assessed value
for the permanent tax rate
and $1,900,00 for debt ser-
vice on general obligation
bonds.
MCSD Superintendent
Dirk Dirksen said that be-
cause the Oregon Legisla-
ture has indicated that it will
allot around $8.2 billion for
schools, the district will
be able to “meet and final-
ize” its contract with the
Morrow County Education
Association and the Oregon
School Employees Asso-
ciation. They have a special
board meeting scheduled
for June 26 at 7 p.m. at Hep-
pner Elementary.
Also at the meeting,
the board viewed presenta-
tions by Cade Burnette on
Umatilla-Morrow Head
Start-early learning. He re-
ported significant increases
in learning in preschool
students from the beginning
of the program to the end.
Dirksen said the district will
expand the preschool pro-
gram to full time next year.
Dirksen said that the
preschool children will
be more prepared for kin-
dergarten and thus, more
prepared to be able to read
by grade three, a signifi-
cant marker for academic
success.
The board also heard
a presentation by RJSHS
students on the “National
Kidwind Challenge,” con-
cerning a wind turbine stu-
dent competition, and from
RJSHS counselor Elizabeth
Rosen on academic coun-
seling.
The district also an-
nounced that it is enhancing
the district’s online and at-
home learning for the 2017-
18 school year. “The School
at Home learning program
vehicle operated by Glen
Two people, one a juve- traveling northbound.
The Pontiac sideswiped Sharp, 53, of Umatilla,
nile, were injured in a crash
that shut down Hwy. 207 at the truck and spun, striking
-See HWY 207 CRASH/
-See MCSD/PAGE FIVE
PAGE FOUR
the I-84 overpass Monday another commercial motor
morning.
The incident occurred
about 10:30 a.m. Oregon
State Police stated that a
silver Pontiac, operated
by Markus Smith, 20, and
a 13-year-old male pas-
senger, both of Boardman,
was stopped at the stop sign
at the top of exit 182 from
Interstate 84 eastbound.
MORROW COUNTY
The Pontiac pulled onto
GRAIN
GROWERS
Hwy. 207 into the path of a
2887500
350
MAIN
STREET
350
MAIN
STREET
commercial motor vehicle,
LEXINGTON, OR
LEXINGTON
OR
operated by Kevin Helzer,
Faith Futter, 11, of Heppner caught this 24-inch trout at Weaver 56, of Hermiston, who was
Pond in Wallowa recently. -Contributed photo
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