Council fires Heppner city
manager
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 138
NO. 3
8 Pages
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
New bread man takes over
Drew Brannon takes over bread route from Tim
Adams
Tim Adams
By Bobbi Gordon
Tim Adams, affection-
ately known as “Tim, the
bread man” has passed the
title to the new owner of
the bread route business,
Drew Brannon. Tim told
the Gazette that the official
transition happened at the
first of the year although
Drew has been running the
route for a while now.
Adams bought the
bread route business 33
years ago when the op-
portunity arose. He was
working at the mill and got
out just in time he said. He
said it was his plan to stay
in this area for the kids and
it just worked out.
For the first 11 years he
made the trip to Arlington
to pick up the bread, but
later ended up going to
The Dalles. The route also
ran four days a week early
on, later changing to three
days: Monday, Tuesday and
Thursday. On the trip back
there are stops in Arlington,
Ione, Lexington and finally
back to Heppner. Adams
said he also delivered to
Ruggs for a short time.
He reported, “It’s been a
wonderful job for the past
33 years. The people are
great.”
Tim lived in Kinzua
and graduated high school
in Fossil in 1975. His
parents, the late OL and
Jean Adams live at Blakes
Ranch. Tim said, “They
moved up Blakes when
there were only four or five
places up there.”
Adams has been mar-
ried to his wife Terra for
40 years and they have two
children and four grand-
kids. Tim and Terra met in
Spray, but Terra grew up in
the Scio area. Their daugh-
ter Krista Rauch. 36, lives
in McCall, ID. She has two
children, Ryker and Kalia.
Son Donald, 34, lives in
Lebanon, OR and has two
children also, Quinn and
Henry.
When asked what his
plans were for his retire-
ment he said they plan
to travel some to see the
grandkids. “We haven’t
really figured it out yet,” he
said. Terra’s family owns
a cabin in the Wallowa
area and they like to go
there. Tim built a huge tree
house and play area for the
grandkids near the cabin.
Tim enjoys building things
in his shop too and when
asked if he had other hob-
bies he said, “I just have
bad habits.”
The new owner and
now sporting the title
“Drew, the bread man” is
Drew Brannon. Drew, 24.
the son of Merry (DeSpain)
Chandler and Russ Bran-
non, was raised in Hep-
pner and graduated from
Heppner High School. He
is the grandson of Arletha
Brannon and the late Bill
Brannon and the late Bob
and Aloha DeSpain.
He married Tayllor
(Gould) Brannon, daughter
of Ashli and John Gould,
in September 2013. They
have two children, William
August Paul Brannon who
was born in July 2017, the
sixth generation William
in the family, and Wesley
Elaine Brannon, born Au-
gust 2018.
Brannon studied diag-
nostic imaging at Oregon
Institute of Technology in
Klamath Falls in 2012-13
while Tayllor was studying
small business at Mount
Hood Community Col-
lege. They were apart for
a year. “It sucked being
away from each other,”
said Drew, so he asked her
to marry him. He proposed
at Elowah Falls, that is
pronounced Aloha, like his
grandmother’s name.
Tayllor moved to Klam-
ath Falls while Drew still at-
tended OIT until 2014 when
Drew decided to pursue a
career in paramedicine in-
stead. They then moved to
Portland where he attended
paramedic school. After
graduation they stayed in
the Portland area until 2017
when they found they were
expecting their son. They
decided it was time to move
home, so Drew found a job
working at Good Shepherd.
He later became a dispatch-
er for the Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office, which he
said “was exciting.”
At that time, Tayllor
was looking for a job or an
opportunity. Ann Murray
contacted her and asked if
she would be interested in
operating the coffee shop
inside Murray’s Drug. She
jumped in and started the
Breaking Grounds coffee
shop. When she became
pregnant with their second
child, Drew decided to
leave MCSO and help out
at the coffee shop.
Drew told the Gazette
that Tim Adams approached
him and asked if he was
interested in taking over
the route. Tim knew that
Drew’s grandfather, Bob
DeSpain, spent about eight
years as the bread man 37
to 38 years ago.
Drew Brannon
“Tayllor and I believe
that it was provided by God.
It’s a blessing,” he said of
the opportunities they have
had, taking over the coffee
shop and then the bread
route.
The route starts at 12-
12:30 a.m. and they get
to The Dalles about 2:30.
Drew says the pickup time
can be flexible.
“I like staying busy,”
said Drew of his many jobs
and activities. “One reason I
like the bread route is there
is a lot of freedom with it.”
He still tries to volunteer on
the ambulance as much as
possible, but he adds, “It’s
been chaotic!” In their spare
time, Drew and Tayllor like
to go on drives, especially
to Kimberly. They also
attend the Heppner Baptist
Church.
Also receives treasurer’s two-week notice
By David Sykes
Following a three-hour
executive session Friday
night, the Heppner city
council voted 6-1 to ter-
minate the employment of
City Manager Edie Ball.
She had recently been on a
plan of assistance to address
and rectify what the council
saw as deficiencies in her
job performance. Out-go-
ing mayor Cody High said
the main reason for Ball’s
firing was her handling
of the budget process. No
irregularities or improper
handling of funds was cited.
Along with High, council
members Adam Doherty,
Joann Burleson, Corey
Sweeney, Teresa Hughes
and Dale Bates all voted in
favor of termination, while
John Bowles was the lone
no vote.
Ball came to work for
the city in March of 2017
at a salary of $54,000. The
termination took effect im-
mediately and as per the
city’s contract Ball will
receive 30 days severance
pay and any accumulated
vacation and sick pay. She
turned in her keys to city
hall immediately after the
meeting. Her attorney Keith
Mobley of Dufur was with
her.
“My tenure at the City
of Heppner was reward-
ing and challenging. Staff
turnover and a 5-month
finance officer vacant po-
sition along with old com-
puters and an inadequate
accounting program was
problematic,” Ball told
the Gazette Monday. “I
am greatly appreciative of
having talented city staff
that face daily challenges in
providing quality city ser-
vices. And all the dedicated
citizens serving on various
committees including our
volunteer fire department
and the deputies and staff
at the Morrow County Sher-
iff’s Department. It was my
pleasure to serve the City
Council and especially the
citizens of Heppner, a great
community with a brilliant
future,” she said.
The city will now begin
its search for a new city
manager, but in the mean-
time expects to appoint an
interim to the job. Also add-
Edie Ball
ing to the staffing issues,
the city treasurer this week
turned in her two-week
notice. The resignation was
for family reasons and not
related the city manager
firing, the Gazette-Times
was told.
The treasurer performs
accounting and financial
duties including monthly
financials, accounts payable
and receivable, payroll and
other duties. Recently there
has been a high turnover in
that position, with the cur-
rent employee having not
been on the job very long.
The previous treasurer was
also employed only a short
time.
Deputy Siex promoted to
Patrol Sergeant
Deputy Todd Siex was
promoted to Patrol Sergeant
for the Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 1,
where he will be replacing
Kyle Pearcy. Siex has been
a member of the sheriff’s
office for five years, hold-
ing positions as patrol depu-
ty and school resource offi-
cer prior to this promotion.
Todd has lived in Mor-
row County for more than
12 years and has been mar-
ried to his wife, Deona, for
ten of those years. He pre-
viously lived in Baker City
and has two adult children,
Aubri and Dayne. Aubri is
married and lives in Bend,
OR. Dayne resides in Tu-
alatin, OR, is married and
has a two-year-old named
Deputy Todd Siex (right) was sworn-in as Patrol Sergeant by
Sheriff Matlack.
Brayden. Todd also has two
step children, Lindsey and
Tayler Hodges.
According to a source,
Todd is considered a dedi-
cated employee who gives
110 percent of himself
to whatever job he does.
“Todd has strived to build
relationships in Morrow
County communities with
families, the kids and indi-
viduals he encounters. He is
a great guy, fair and will go
out of his way to help find
a resolution to a situation.”
Lexington mayor, councilors sworn-in
By Bobbi Gordon
Mayor Marcia Kemp
and councilors Marcia Stic-
ka and Bobbi Gordon were
sworn in at the town council
meeting held in Lexing-
ton on Jan. 8. Sticka and
Kemp, elected as write-in
candidates in the November
election, will each serve
four year terms. Gordon,
re-elected in November,
will serve two years. One
council position is still open
and the town is currently
accepting letters of interest
from residents who would
like to serve on the council.
Morrow County Plan-
ning Director Carla Mc-
Lane attended the meeting
to discuss the buildable
inventory project. Accord-
ing to McLane, several
meetings have been held
and they are waiting for
buildable lands inventory
Schools
to be
closed
Jan. 21
Morrow County School
District schools will be
closed on Monday, Jan. 21
in observance of Martin Lu-
ther King, Jr. Day. School
will be in session on Friday,
Jan. 25.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Marcia Kemp, Marcia Sticka and Bobbi Gordon were sworn
in at the Lexington council meeting.
and housing analysis infor-
mation from a consultant.
Research is being done re-
garding development code,
comprehensive plan and
land available for devel-
opment in all five Morrow
County communities.
McLane answered
questions from the council
and members of the com-
munity regarding zoning in
Lexington. Does the town
have the correct zoning as a
whole, correct zoning in the
right places? She indicated
the comprehensive plan
was adopted in the late 70s
and is very out of date, but
is also difficult to maintain.
She suggested the creation
of a technical advisory
committee that could be
appointed by the council
to research current zoning
ordinances, setbacks, where
to build and water. The
committee could possibly
be made up of interested
residents, an employee and
a council member, with
the employee and council
member to not have voting
rights. Residents interested
in serving on a committee
should contact the town
recorder Dawn Griesen
Monday through Thursday
at the town hall.
In other business, Char-
lie Sumner reported that
everything is running all
right in the fire department,
but still need more people to
volunteer. A vacant house
that could be considered
a fire hazard was also dis-
cussed.
The lack of a dog or-
dinance was brought up
again. A copy of a draft dog
ordinance that was never
adopted was shared with the
council. It was noted that
the town does not have an
adopted ordinance, so fol-
lows the county ordinance,
which is available on the
county website. A sugges-
tion was made to take a
look at that ordinance to
determine if it is sufficient
for the town and to contact
the sheriff’s office regard-
ing enforcement of the
ordinance within the town.
There was an item on
the agenda regarding set-
ting a flat rate hookup fee
for new water customers
where there is no existing
service. After much discus-
sion, it was decided that a
$500 hookup fee would be
charged for new service.
The next meeting will
be held at the Lexington
Town Hall on Feb. 12. The
public is invited to attend.
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington, OR
AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT SALES, PARTS & SERVICE
GRAIN, TRUCKING, ENERGY & ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENTS ● POLARIS SALES & SERVICE
HOURS
800-452-7396 OR
Mon -Fri 7am to 5 pm
541-989-8221
Saturday 8am to Noon FAX 541-989-8229