TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
SEARCH OLD COPIES OF THE HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES ON-LINE:
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/
Published weekly by Sykes Publishing, LLC and entered as periodical matter at the
Post Office at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879. Periodical postage
paid at Heppner, Oregon. Office at 188 W. Willow Street. Telephone (541) 676-
9228. Fax (541) 676-9211. E-mail: editor@rapidserve.net or david@rapidserve.
net. Web site: www.heppner.net. Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner
Gazette-Times, P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $31 in Morrow
County; $25 senior rate (in Morrow County only; 65 years or older); $37 elsewhere;
$31 student subscriptions.
David Sykes ..............................................................................................Publisher
Bobbi Gordon................................................................................................ Editor
All News and Advertising Deadline is Monday at 5 p.m.
For Advertising: advertising deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Cost for a display ad is $5.25 per
column inch. Cost for classified ad is 50¢ per word. Cost for Card of Thanks is $10 up to
100 words. Cost for a classified display ad is $6.05 per column inch.
For Public/Legal Notices: public/legal notices deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Dates for pub-
lication must be specified. Affidavits must be required at the time of submission. Affidavits
require three weeks to process after last date of publication (a sooner return date must be
specified if required).
For Obituaries: Obituaries are published in the Heppner GT at no charge and are edited to
meet news guidelines. Families wishing to include information not included in the guidelines
or who wish to have the obituary written in a certain way must purchase advertising space
for the obituary.
For Letters to the Editor: Letters to the Editor MUST be signed by the author. The Heppner
GT will not publish unsigned letters. All letters MUST include the author’s address and phone
number for use by the GT office. The GT reserves the right to edit letters. The GT is not
responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will
be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10.
Obituaries
Donald Wilson
Jones
Donald Wilson Jones
was born
D e c . 11 ,
1922 and
passed
away Apr.
29 at the
age of 95.
Donald Wilson H e w a s
Jones
buried at
National
Memorial Cemetery of
Arizona.
Jones grew up in Hep-
pner and graduated from
Heppner High school and
then the University of Or-
egon. He was in the US
Army Air Force and sta-
tioned in Arizona during
the second world war. He
worked as a photographer
for many years.
Jones has three chil-
dren, Randy, Jeff and Kris-
ten. Randy and Don were
sharing an apartment in
Scottsdale, AZ at the time
of his death. He also has one
brother, Robert A. Jones,
Heppner.
Don’s mother, Hanna
Wilson, came to Oregon
when she was thirteen from
Ireland and attended school
in Heppner, marrying Alva
Walter Jones in 1920. Han-
na passed away at the age of
54, but Alva lived to be 102.
Alva’s mother used to
say she came across the
plains when she was a little
girl and her father was cap-
tain of the wagon train. She
passed away at the age of
99. Alva’s father, Jeff Jones
was mayor of Heppner at
one time.
McLane steps down Helen M. Heideman
as Enterprise
manager
By David Sykes
Carla McLane an-
nounced her resignation as
Columbia River Enterprise
Zone, CREZ, manager last
week, saying time neces-
sary on her job as Morrow
County Planner does not
allow “enough time to be
responsible for both and do
them well.”
McLane has been the
manager of the CREZ since
its inception, helping in its
original organization and
handling day to day du-
ties and operations since.
Saying she has enjoyed the
position and working on
economic development in
Morrow County, McLane
told the board “over the
next several years, I want
to commit my time and
energy to Morrow County,
Morrow County Board of
Commissioners, Planning
Commission and Planning
Department staff to accom-
plish a variety of tasks and
projects.”
The CREZ was formed
several years ago as an in-
tergovernmental agreement
between Morrow County,
City of Boardman and the
Port of Morrow to negotiate
agreements with and handle
funds from business locat-
ing and expanding within
the enterprise zone located
near Boardman. The zone is
one of many around Oregon
set up to offer incentives for
business wishing to locate
or expand and create jobs
within the zones. The busi-
nesses make payments to
the CREZ in lieu of, and
less than regular property
taxes. The economic zone
in Morrow County has been
very successful over the
years and provides funds
for distribution around the
county. The CREZ original-
ly decided, and continues to
fund, four broad areas in the
county including education,
community enhancement,
housing and public safety.
Following her resigna-
Carla McLane
As members of her established their families
family circled her bed near Helen and Butch.
and prayed with the Hos- Along with farming and
pice Chaplin, Helen
working for Battelle
Heideman passed
at the coal fire plant
away on Friday,
near Boardman, they
May 11 at her home
owned Ione Hard-
in Hermiston. They
ware store for five
shared the moment
years.
of her death and re-
She was active
joiced in her release Helen M.
in the Ione Commu-
from earthly pain Heideman
nity church, the Ione
and suffering know-
Cardinal Booster
ing she would be joining Club and all things sports.
her beloved husband and She and Butch were always
family members who had in attendance at Ione school
passed before her.
sports and Helen kept books
Helen was born Feb. for the school basketball
3, 1929 in Cheney, WA to games. Helen supported
parents LeRoy and Vera the annual church auc-
Woody, joining siblings tion through her exquisite
Lyle, Loren and Letha. quilt making, and became
She was brought home to known throughout the Ione
the family farm outside of community as the “go-to”
Connell, WA where she grandma for making dozens
was raised, went to school of pies each week to be sold
and met her high school at the concession stand and
sweetheart and the love of for local fundraisers.
her life, Robert ‘Butch”
Helen was preceded in
Heideman. Helen played death by her parents, hus-
saxophone in the school band, her three siblings and
band and sang in the glee one great-granddaughter.
club, graduating from CHS She is survived by her four
in June 1946.
children Loren Heideman
Helen and Butch were (Della), Loa Heideman,
married on Feb. 22, 1948 Dana Heideman and Deb-
and celebrated their life bie Morgan (Virgil), nine
through love and faith and grandchildren and 24 great-
community involvement. grandchildren.
Together they raised their
A funeral service will
four children, Loren, Loa, be held at Thursday, May
Dana and Debbie in Con- 17 at 10:30 a.m. at the
nell where Helen worked Ione Community church
as a bookkeeper, a librarian followed by internment at
and school secretary.
the High View Cemetery
Helen continued play- in Ione. A luncheon will
ing saxophone for dances be provided by the Good
and community functions, Neighbor Club at the Ione
gardened, taught swimming Community church after-
lessons and served as a wards.
Girl Scout leader. She was
Donations can be made
active for years in the Con- in her memory to the Ione
nell Grange, Jayceettes and Cardinal Booster Club, PO
Gideon Lutheran church.
Box 4, Ione, OR 97843
Along with their sons, or to the Ione Community
Helen and Butch purchased Church, PO Box 346, Ione,
farm land near Ione in 1976 OR 97843.
and began a life of farming
Sweeney Mortuary of
for generations to come. As Heppner is in care of ar-
years passed, their daugh- rangements.
ters moved to the area and
tion McLane proposed the
board consider hiring re-
tired county assessor Greg
Sweek as the new zone
manager. Sweek has also
been involved with the
CREZ since its inception
and is very familiar with
its rules and operations.
Sweek has also been part
of the CREZ board of direc-
tors representing Morrow
County since its inception.
In other business at
the meeting, the board
discussed and approved a
tax abatement agreement
with Three Mile Farms.
Three Mile owns a com-
pany called Threemile Proj-
ect LLC which intends
to invest $27 million in a
methane gas conditioning
facility and associated pipe-
line. The gas is produced
from the farm’s large dairy
operation located in the
enterprise zone near Board-
man. The company will
receive tax reduction on the
project but agrees to pay on
any future bonded levies. It
may be able to offset some
of its tax payments when
money is donated to certain
community groups within
the county.
The CREZ board also
approved an agreement
with the Morrow County
Grain Growers providing
tax relief for a grain trans-
fer facility planned in the
enterprise zone. The facility
is expected to cost around
$8.8 million. Payments to
community organizations
will be also be offset against
Willow Creek Baptist volunteers will serve lunch on
their tax payments and they Wednesday, May 23 at St. Patrick’s Senior Center. Lunch
also are expected to pay will be beef and broccoli, stir fried rice, carrot salad,
future bonded debt.
sliced tomatoes, spring rolls and ice cream and fortune
cookies for dessert.
Milk is served at each meal. Suggested donation is
$3.50 per meal. Menu is subject to change.
Community lunch menu
No pay to play fees
scheduled for next
year
The Morrow County
School Board Monday
night heard a presenta-
tion from nine graduating
seniors at Riverside Jr./Sr.
High School. All nine of
the seniors will not only
graduate with honors from
RJSHS, but at the same
time will earn their Associ-
ate of Arts Transfer degrees
from Blue Mountain Com-
munity College.
School Superintendent
Dirk Dirksen expressed his
pride of the students and
commented that he had
said that if a student were
able to achieve this goal
while he was superinten-
dent, it was time for him to
retire, which, he added, is
expected to come sometime
in the near future.
Dirksen also said that
the district, which budgeted
for 2,200 students last year,
is seeing an 80-student
increase, which, he added,
“makes budgeting a lot
easier.” He said that the dis-
trict is anticipating adding
an additional classroom for
kindergarten through grade
six children struggling with
behavior problems in the
north end of the district, in
partnership with Commu-
nity Counseling Solutions.
The district is also adding
a teacher at Sam Boardman
Elementary and Windy Riv-
er Elementary, a half-time
teacher at Riverside High
School, all in Boardman,
where the majority of the
student increase is expect-
ed, a teacher at Heppner
Elementary for a “pull-out”
class for students struggling
with reading, and an on-line
secondary teacher.
Dirksen commented
that he was pleased to an-
nounce that, thanks to Mor-
row County Unified Rec-
reation District taxpayers,
there will be no pay-to-play
fees for students next year.
Students will be able to play
sports without contributing
a fee. This year, according
to a district school em-
ployee, the pay-to-play fee
was $50 per sport for a high
school student and $25 for a
junior-high student with the
fees maxing out at $100 for
a family.
Dirksen announced
that the InterMountain
Education Service Dis-
trict awarded 2018 Crys-
tal Apple Excellence in
Education awards to Tra-
cie Bunch, Heppner Jr./Sr.
High School department
secretary, who is retiring
this year; Sarah Christy,
SBE first grade teacher,
Betsy Shane, RJSHS math
teacher and Amy Stringer,
ACH/Irrigon Elementary
school counselor.
Also receiving Crystal
Apple awards in Morrow
County were Tom Gates,
Ione Community School
custodian, and Chelsea
Matheny, Ione Community
School third-grade teacher.
In other business, the
board:
-approved moving for-
ward on setting a policy for
medical examinations and
drug testing for new district
employees.
-adopted rescinded,
new or revised polices on
compliance and report-
ing on standards; staff-
student-parent relations;
prohibited use, distribution
or sale of tobacco products
and inhalant delivery sys-
tems; relations with home-
schooled students; teaching
about religion; religion
and schools; recognition
of religious beliefs and
customs; interscholastic
and co-curricular activities
program; interscholastic
activities; instructional re-
sources-instructional ma-
terials; instructional me-
dia selection; graduation
requirements; and trauma
informed schools.
-adopted new, revised
or rescinded administrative
rules on public comment at
board meetings; recogni-
tion of religious beliefs and
customs; interscholastic ac-
tivities program structures
and emphasis; instructional
materials-programs adop-
tion procedure; challenge of
instruction materials; chal-
lenge request for instruc-
tional materials; handling
of questioned or challenged
materials; and graduation
requirements.
-adopted resolutions
accepting and appropriat-
ing unanticipated revenues:
$10,000 to Heppner Jr./Sr.
High School from Willow
Creek Valley Economic De-
velopment Group, $1,000
from ASB Athletics to Hep-
pner Jr./Sr. High School for
Camps for Kids; $1,000 to
Sam Boardman Elemen-
tary from Kiwanis Club
of Boardman; $1,000 to
Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School
ASB Football from Morrow
County Health Department.
-received the follow-
ing enrollment report for
May: A.C. Houghton El-
ementary, Irrigon-282; Sam
Boardman Elementary,
Boardman-353; Heppner
Elementary-169; Irrigon
Elementary-209; Windy
River Elementary, Board-
man-259; Heppner Jr./Sr.
High School-171; Irrigon
Jr./Sr. High School-340;
Riverside Jr./Sr. High
School, Boardman-414;
Morrow Education Cen-
ter-83; Total-2,280.
-approved the follow-
ing employment action for
May: resignations/non-re-
newals-Brooke Anderson,
WRE special ed teacher,
Craig Bensen, MEC prin-
cipal, Jessa Bigsby, WRE
sixth-grade teacher, Franca
Drake, ACH first grade
teacher, Julia Finch, SBE
third grade teacher, Robert
Jody Saunders, IJSHS PE/
Health and all coaching po-
sitions, Jeff Searles, IJSHS
band/computer teacher (all
end of school year); Paul
Keefer, IJSHS boys’ soccer
coach, Dolores Nunnery,
IJSHS assistant cheerlead-
ing coach, Gina Patterson,
RJSHS ed assistant, Cheri
Snodgrass, IJSHS ed assis-
tant, Brandi Verley, IJSHS
head cheerleading coach,
Dieter Waite, HJSHS junior
high head wrestling coach.
-approved the follow-
ing non-renewal/termina-
tions-PJ Keefer, RJSHS ju-
nior high assistant football
-See NO PAY TO PLAY/
PAGE FIVE
PROPERTY FOR SALE
Organized by the City of Heppner
FREE DUMPSTER for garbage collection available
at the City yard on Riverside Ave.
Thursday May 17th through Monday May 28th.
There will also be a spot to leave yard debris and
burnable material.
The City will not accept tires, hazardous waste or
household chemicals.
City of Heppner residents only
Please contact the City of Heppner for more
information 541-676-9618.
Please Join Us for a
Meet & Greet Open House welcoming
Caroline Jackson, New Director of Pioneer
Memorial Home Health & Hospice
Thursday, May 24 th , 4 to 6 p.m.
Main St. Office, Heppner
63808 CLARKS CANYON RD, LEXINGTON OR RMLS# 18032875
Custom built home with vaulted ceilings, wrap around
porch, oak cabinets, surround sound, lighted brick pil-
lars, vinyl fencing, 36X72 barn, 12x24 loft, 30x72 shop,
hot walker, security lights, LOP tags, airport w/in 2 miles.
260.57 Total acres. Property is 187.09 CRP until 9/2020,
63.5 irrigated acres. Additional water rights available.
Debora Wood
Universal Realty
Ph: 541-567-8303
Ph: 541-571-0922