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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 19, 2017)
FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 19, 2017 New invasive weed found in county Plumeless thistle, a state listed noxious weed, was recently found in South Morrow County by an ob- servant landowner who was spraying other thistles at the time and saw something that stood out as just a little different. Its previously known range in the state in- cluded Grant County, with a few small spots in Wallowa and Klamath Counties. Plumeless thistle has a branching growth form with spiny wings on the stems that extend to the flowers. The weed grows to more than four feet tall. Plumeless thistle Rosettes form on a stout fleshy taproot. Leaves grow 4-8 inches long and have wavy margins with yellow spines along the edges. Flowers are rose to purple atop globe-shaped heads measuring 1-2 inches in diameter. Bracts of the flowerhead are tipped with yellow spines. The plant blooms May to July, with seeds developing by late summer. Plumeless thistle may look like Scotch or musk thistle from a distance, but up close it is distinctively different. Once established, plumeless thistle degrades the quality of range and pas- ture land and, if allowed to expand, will crowd out de- sirable forage and exclude livestock from grazing. If you suspect you have found a thistle that looks a little different than the ones you’re used to seeing, or any other suspect weed, please contact the county weed control office to report it to confirm identifica- tion. Early detection and rapid response is critical to controlling and eradicating new invaders before they become established. WIND FARM -Continued from PAGE ONE is a program to get some man, and is cooperating have SIP agreements with “We have a new work- force training center,” com- missioner Jim Doherty told Hochmuth. “We would like to see you train local people for local jobs and hope you talk to them and see if there local people to access these high paying jobs.” Doherty was referring to the new Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) work- force training center that recently opened in Board- 2 OLD HAGS PIZZA OPEN TUESDAY- SUNDAY 11am - 8 pm Dine in or Carry out!! See Our Menu on facebook NEW EXPANDED SEATING AREA! 111 N.Court Street Heppner, Oregon Call (541) 676-1010 https://www.facebook.com/TwoOldHagsPizza with businesses at the Port of Morrow to train local workers for the many jobs at the Port. Hochmuth said in North Dakota, where NextEra operates wind farms and is building more, the com- munity college has train- ing programs to train local workers. “Eighty percent of our workers come from the training program. We want to use local vendors and resources,” she said. Commission chair Me- lissa Lindsay wanted to make sure it was under- stood what she means by “local.” “Local to us is not The Dalles, but Morrow County,” she told Hoch- muth. “This project was sold as a local project,” she said about Wheatridge, the original developers based in Ione. “A lot of the county backed off opposing this project because they were told it was a local project,” she said, in urging NextEra to hire locally. Commissioner Don Russell agreed, saying lo- cal people will also be bet- ter for the company. “Local people make better em- ployees because they aren’t going to be moving away,” he said. “They live here so they are going to stay here.” Hochmuth said there will initially be “hundreds” of construction jobs, but it is understood those are specialized workers most likely coming from outside the area who then leave once the project is com- pleted. The commissioners also discussed the upcom- ing Strategic Investment Program (SIP) negotiations NexEra will be starting with the county. The SIP is available to new companies locating in the county, and lowers the company’s prop- erty taxes as an incentive to locate here. Currently the other wind farms and the re- cently completed Portland General Electric Carty Gas- Fired plant at Boardman the county, and NextEra will begin negotiating its own SIP soon. Hochmuth says her company wants to have an agreement in place by the end of August. The construction timetable for the new windfarm is to start at the end of 2018 and have the wind farm completed and producing energy by the end of 2019 or first of 2020, she said. With that in mind the commission voted to ap- point county assessor Mike Gorman, county admin- istrator Jerry Sorte, com- missioner Jim Doherty and the county’s attorney to the negotiating team. Com- missioner Don Russell will serve as an alternate mem- ber. NextEra will need to have a separate SIP agree- ment covering that portion of the project located in Umatilla County. On other issues, the commission and Hoch- muth discussed transmis- sion of the electricity once it is generated by the wind turbines. There is now an ongoing dispute concerning “wheeling,” or sending the generated power out to the grid once the wind farm is in operation. Columbia Basin Elec- tric Cooperative and Uma- tilla Electric Cooperative are presently in a dispute about who might end up building and owning a transmission line to get the power out. Columbia Basin filed a complaint in Janu- ary with the Oregon Public Utility Commission accus- ing Umatilla Electric of en- croaching on its exclusive service territory. Hochmuth said NextEra will only be owning transmission lines between the two groups of wind turbines in Mor- row and Umatilla counties, and will not be involved in wheeling. “The outward transmis- sion line will not be part of this project,” she said, and it is up to the two co-ops to figure that part out. COMMUNITY COUNSELING -Continued from PAGE ONE new head offices on Sperry opmental disability, and alcohol and drug abuse treatment services for Mor- row County residents over the next two years. CCS has been provid- ing these services for some time and has received high praise not only from the commissioners, but from mental health organizations state-wide. The contract was an extension of one al- ready in place with several minor changes. Earlier the commission had wrestled with how to provide adequate oversight of CCS as required by the State of Oregon. State fund- ing for CCS flows through the county, and along with the money comes a mandate for the county to provide “oversight” of the organi- zation. At an earlier meeting, the county decided a finan- cial audit was the best way to provide that oversight, and therefore requested that CCS be required to turn over all of its finan- cial audit information as part of their contract with the county. However, CCS auditors balked at this, say- ing they provide services in five different counties, and therefore did not want to give all of their information to Morrow County. They instead only wanted to give the county what are called “disclosure statements.” At the July 5 meeting Morrow County Finance Director Kate Knop said county auditors would not accept disclosure state- ments, but she said there would be a way around the issue. Knop said full audits and tax returns for CCS can be obtained from the Federal Audit Clear- ing House website, so the county can get the infor- mation there. The Clearing House receives this infor- mation for any organization receiving over $750,000 in federal funds. With this issue cleared up, the com- missioners moved forward and voted unanimously to approve the new two-year agreement with CCS. CCS in currently in the process of constructing Parks subcommittee to meet The Morrow County Parks Plan subcommittee will hold a regular meet- ing at 1:30 p.m. on Mon- day, July 24, at the Mor- row County Bartholomew Building, 110 Court Street, Heppner. The meeting will be “ Our Roots Run Deep in Morrow County” August 19-20, 2017 Fair Admission: Ages 8 & Up $4 daily or $10 week 7 & under FREE (must be with Adult) Rodeo Admission: 13 & up $10 7-12 yrs. $6 6 & under FREE Fair: www.co.morrow.or.us/fair Wednesday 16 th The Reptile Man Kid Fun Zone Scarecrow Contest The Junebugs Ice Cream Social 4-H Food Contest 4-H/FFA Small Animal Showmanship 4-H Fashion Revue RDO Tractor Pull Cory Peterson Band Thursday 17 th The Reptile Man Kid Fun Zone Old Time Fiddlers Talent Show FFA Floral Design Murray’s Wine Tasting Featuring: Joe Lindsay Nate Botsford Friday 18 th The Reptile Man Kid Fun Zone 4-H/FFA Showmanship Ballet Performances 4-7 yrs. Master Showmanship Adult Showmanship Greased Pig Contest OTPR/NPRA Rodeo Street in Heppner. The or- ganization offers a wide variety of behavioral health services to four counties, including individual, fam- ily, and group therapy, gam- bling counseling, alcohol and drug treatment, 24/7 crisis intervention services, psychiatric consultation, and medication manage- ment, in addition to coop- eration with various other organizations including residential and acute psy- chiatric services and school programs. CCS also offers case management for devel- opmental disabilities in five counties. In other business at the July 5 meeting the com- mission voted to look into the parks department to purchase two metal build- ing for storing equipment and machinery. The county missed an earlier oppor- tunity to buy some used buildings for $12,000 when they were sold to someone else. Commissioner Jim Doherty asked the board to look into purchasing differ- ent buildings for the parks department. The commission also heard a report on the effort to reorganize the structure of the Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo (OTPR). Apparently, the group plans to recom- mend that the county board of commissioners create a board-appointed rodeo board to oversee year-round use of the rodeo facilities. The OTPR plans to cre- ate nonprofit agencies to manage the annual rodeo. It was said there would be the public meetings later to further discuss the proposed change. It was reported that Mary Corp, the Oregon State University Regional Administrator has put out a proposal to create tax- ing districts in Morrow and Umatilla counties to fund extension services and programs. The new tax rate proposed has been .033 per thousand. No decision has been made but she plans on meeting with the board in the future to further discuss the plan. Saturday 19 th The Reptile Man Kid Fun Zone Parade FFA Awards Buyers Luncheon Livestock Auction OTPR/NPRA Rodeo to discuss and work on the Morrow County Parks Mas- ter Plan sections regard- ing recreation, projections, tourism and the review of the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Park. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or for other ac- commodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting to the Morrow County Parks De- partment at 541-989-9500. For more information please contact the Morrow County Parks Department Office at 541-989-9500 or by email at mcparks@ co.morrow.or.us. WE PRINT! INESS CAR BUS TERHE DS AD L ET BROCHURES F LY E R S AND MORE! Thank you to ALL our Sponsors! OTPR NPRA Slack Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/oregontrailprorodeo www.facebook.com/morrowcountyfairheppneroregon Sunday 20 th All Exhibits Released Morrow County Rodeo The Heppner Gazette-Times 188 W. Willow Call Dave Today (541) 676-9228