Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 5, 2018 -- FOUR
COMMUNITY
PRIDE
Continued from PAGE ONE
every youth, adult and senior
to eliminate poverty and pro-
mote independence through
education, employment, and
the sharing of resources that
move individuals from surviv-
ing to thriving.” County Com-
missioner Melissa Lindsay is
a board member of CAPE-
CO and also helped organize
the large community meet-
ing in August. She chaired
last week’s community pride
meeting by encouraging dis-
cussion and writing ideas on
large sheets of paper as people
spoke. Former Heppner res-
ident George Koffler is also
involved with CAPECO as it’s
vice-chair.
Although CAPECO offers
a host of services, including
many for low income people,
some in the audience who had
experience with the agency
said they were very hard to
deal with. One person said the
agency is “hard to get ahold
of and extremely difficult to
work with.” It was suggested
that perhaps CAPECO might
establish an office in Heppner.
It is based in Pendleton and
serves Umatilla, Gilliam, Mor-
row and Wheeler counties.
The State employment
office was also discussed with
some wondering if they might
set up a branch office here in-
stead of people having to trav-
el 45 miles to the Hermiston.
One person’s opinion was that
people move to Heppner be-
cause there is no employment
office and they don’t have to
look for work and still receive
benefits. They said people live
here for a reason when they
are unemployed, adding that
most non-working people that
are here, are unemployed by
choice. Others said that if peo-
ple want jobs in Heppner there
is no central place to look and
it is difficult to know what jobs
are available. It was suggested
that some way be developed
to let people know what the
community has to offer.
On the schools place in
the community it was brought
out that 16 years ago 25 per-
cent of the students were on
free and reduced lunches. Now
that amount is 40 percent,
so the demographics of the
county has changed. Parenting
classes have been offered to
help families, but it was said
that many of the parents that
need help don’t think they do.
It was discussed that pos-
sibly a program could be set up
where community members
could volunteer to be on call
and if a student was being a
behavioral problem or needed
academic help, the volunteer
could be called to come to the
school and help them. It was
pointed out that coaching was
a good way for volunteer to
become involved in kids lives
and make a positive difference.
The lack of good housing
in Heppner was also discussed
and it was mentioned that there
is currently no person doing
property management. If a
community member took up
this job it would make it easier
for investors to purchase and
rent out homes in Heppner.
Heppner couple joins Columbia
River Christmas Boat Light Parade
Annual Tom and Jerry party
Friday December 7th
Prime rib dinner $20 6 pm
(Regular menu also available)
Live music by
Frank Carlson 7-11 pm
FREE Tom and Jerry's
5 p.m. to 7 pm
COME JOIN US FOR
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
good friends - good food -
good music
Elks members and out of town guests only
HEPPNER ELKS 358
"WHERE FRIENDS MEET"
541-676-9181 142 N MAIN ST
Ashli and John Gould
of Heppner, pictured above
on their boat, the Lilly May,
participated in the Clover
Island Yacht Club Christ-
mas Boat Light Parade this
year. They decorated their
boat with Christmas lights
and paraded along with
21 other boats Friday and
Saturday, November 30 and
December 1, starting at the
Clover Island Yacht Club
in Kennewick. The boat pa-
rade went 10 miles up past
Columbia Park, passing the
Richland Marina and all
the hotels along the way.
Then they came back down,
doing another spin by the
Crow’s Nest Restaurant in
Kennewick.
“The shore was crowd-
ed with people and cars,”
said Ashli. “It was such a
blast. There were bonfires,
music and markets. And it
was all free to the public.”
“I cannot believe the people
and cars,” she added. “They
were cheering, waving their
phone lights and flashing
their brights for all of the
boats. It was amazing.”
Ashli says that they had
hoped to do a live feed, but
it was hard connecting on
the water.
“We cannot wait for
next year, as it was a huge
success,” she exclaimed.
Commission queries treasurer on
county investments
By David Sykes
At its October 3 meet-
ing the Morrow County
Commissioners discussed
the process by which coun-
ty funds are invested. A re-
cent $1 million investment
made without commission-
ers’ knowledge, brought
the subject to the forefront.
Friction between Treasurer
Gayle Gutierrez and the
commission over handling
of county funds has been
going on for some time
now, and the $1 million
investment, apparently un-
known to the commission-
ers, put the issue back on
the agenda. Commissioners
felt they should have known
about the investment, and
in addition wanted to know
why no one in the county
administration, other than
Gutierrez, had access to
some of the county’s ac-
counts.
The million-dollar
investment first came to
commissioner’s attention
at an earlier September
5 meeting, at which time
Commissioner Melissa
Lindsay used the opportu-
nity to question the entire
county investment process.
Gutierrez did not attend that
meeting but had submitted
a written report. Lindsay,
who has experience in the
banking industry prior to
being elected to the com-
mission, has been looking
at, and making changes
to, the county’s money
handling procedures since
her election. One question
she asked was if Finance
Director Kate Knop knew
the source of the $1 million
that had been invested by
Gutierrez? Knop said she
did not know the money had
been invested until she read
Gutierrez’s report.
At the Oct 3 meeting,
Gutierrez was in atten-
dance, and reminded the
Commissioners that each
year they vote to autho-
rize her office to invest the
county’s funds, and pointed
out they did this in June of
this year. Gutierrez, whose
job as treasurer is an elected
position and as such she is
not a staff member, also said
that County Clerk Bobbi
Childers has full access to
the State Treasury Pool in
which the county has over
$13 million invested.
Lindsay said it was her
understanding an account at
US Bank had been opened
for the purpose of county
investments, but this infor-
mation had not come up in
Gutierrez’s reports. Lindsay
also wanted to know who
reconciles the US Bank
account? Knop said her
department does not have
access to or reconcile all
of the county’s accounts,
a duty she thought should
be part of the Finance De-
partment to ensure a proper
separation of duties when
handling funds.
At the September meet-
DURING THIS SPECIAL
TIME OF YEAR
ENCOURAGE YOUR
LOVED ONES WHO
HAVE SERVED IN THE
MILITARY TO MAKE
AN APPOINTMENT TO
REVIEW THEIR FEDERAL
AND STATE BENEFITS .
They may be eligible for VA Health
Care, Compensation, Pension, Ed-
ucation, or Home loan benefits.
Call today! 541-922-6420
Morrow County
Veterans Services
ing Lindsay said she was
very concerned about how
the county’s investments
were being reported, saying
it was “not acceptable that
only one person is aware
when a million dollars has
been moved.” At the Oct 3
meeting when commission-
ers questioned Gutierrez on
who in the county admin-
istration could also have
access to county investment
accounts, Gutierrez said
anyone can come to her
office at any time and she
would show them what
they wanted to see. As far
as reconciling she added
that she didn’t care which
department did that, as long
as it was done in a “timely
manner.”
About the June vote
authorizing the treasurer
to invest, Lindsay said she
did in fact vote in favor, but
only with the understanding
that an as-yet unwritten
investment policy would
guide these investments.
Lindsay said she wouldn’t
have voted for the approval
without the understanding
an investment policy was
going to be written, and
a committee formed to
guide investment activity
such as the recent mil-
lion-dollar action. Lindsay
was concerned that neither
approval of an investment
policy, nor the formation
of an investment commit-
tee has as-yet taken place.
Commissioner Jim Doherty
seemed to believe the com-
missioners where at an
impasse with the Treasur-
er regarding the invest-
ment policy and asked that
Lindsay work with County
Counsel to find a way be-
yond it. Commissioner Don
Russell added that someone
such as the Administrator,
Finance Director or Board
Chair should to be notified
when a large amount such
as one million dollars is
being invested.
Approves “enhanced
law enforcement” con-
tract with Corps
At the October 10
meeting the commission-
ers approved an “enhanced”
law enforcement contract
between the sheriff depart-
ment and the Army Corps
of Engineers for added
patrols in certain areas be-
longing to the Corps in the
county. The Corps will
pay the county $11,999 to
add 150 patrols between
April and October of next
year at the Willow Creek
office building and com-
pound, fishing access, wild-
life management area and
Willow Creek Dam. Also,
to see more coverage is
Quesnel Park at Threemile
Canyon, Paterson Ferry
Landing and in the Irrigon
area Columbia River front-
age between the Irrigon
Marina west to the Irrigon
Fish Hatchery.
Also at the meeting the
commissioners approved
signing a letter of support
for Sandi Pointer, Public
Works Management Assis-
tant to apply for a grant to
build a new hanger at the
Lexington Airport. Point-
er explained the current
hangar has a long-standing
waiting list and there is in-
terest in constructing a new
54’x204’ hangar to house
seven more units. The esti-
mated cost is approximately
$350,000 and she said she
is in the process of applying
for a $150,000 grant from
the Oregon Department of
Aviation. She said she also
applied to the Wildhorse
Foundation for a $15,000
grant.
Hears juvenile report
including three school
shooting threats
The commission heard
a report from, Juvenile Di-
rector Tom Meier who said
between July and Septem-
ber there were 51 referrals
to his department associ-
ated with 22 juveniles. Of
those, 27 were for one juve-
nile running away multiple
times. Meier also said there
were three separate school
shooting threats during
the months of September
and October. Two of the
three juveniles behind those
threats were detained at
Northern Oregon Regional
Correctional Facility.
In other discussion at
the meeting Commission
Chair Russell said he was
contacted by Senator Ron
Wyden’s office about the
recent fire on the Bombing
Range. Russell said he later
received a call from the
Commander at Naval Air
Station Whidbey Island,
which operates the Bomb-
ing Range who told Russell
the Navy is looking into
reimbursing for the Board-
man Rural Fire Protection
District for expenses it
incurred fighting the fire.
Payment for fighting fires
at the Bombing Range has
long been bone of conten-
tion with the fire district,
because the Navy refuses
to pay reimbursement for
firefighting on its property.
Russell also discussed his
trip to Washington, D.C. at
the invitation of the White
House Office of Intergov-
ernmental Affairs, which
serves as a liaison between
the White House and state
and local elected officials.
He said the day started with
a tour of the White House,
followed by lunch. The
speakers in the afternoon
included Vice President
Mike Pence, Secretary of
the Interior Ryan Zinke and
White House Counselor to
the President, Kellyanne
Conway. He said local of-
ficials were given the op-
portunity to ask questions
of federal agency personnel
in order to help them cut
through the bureaucratic
red tape.
1st Annual 4-County Women's
Veteran Holiday Party
December 8th 12 to 2 p.m.
at the Irrigon Library
490 East Main Street , Irrigon Oregon
For any woman in Morrow, Sherman, Gilliam and
Wheeler County who served in the US Military
Come meet the Oregon Women's Veterans
Coordinator and Oregon Department
of Veterans Affairs staff.
Hosted by Morrow County VSO and ODVA
To RSVP call 541-922-6420