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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 2019)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 25, 2019 -- THREE ~ Letters to the Editor ~ The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. 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. Vote no on Beard recall To the editor: Ballots have gone out to Lexington residents to vote for or against the recall against Lexington town councilmember Bill Beard. I would like to encourage everyone to return their ballots with a no vote. I have been a member of the town council with Mr. Beard for a couple years now and he has al- ways done his job for the town in a professional and fair manner. Prior to the be- ginning of 2019 the council members would come to the meetings, handle their business, pay the bills and try to do what is best for the town. They were able to come to agreement on most issues to come be- fore the council and if not, could have a discussion that would allow them to come to an agreement or a com- promise. They were very careful with town funds and made sure everyone on the council was aware of all financial issues, including having access to billing and accounting software and banking information. A new mayor was vot- ed in as a write-in on the ballot in the last election and things have been in an uproar since then. It appears her agenda is to divide the council and do what she wants to do, with or without their approval. Before she joined the council law en- forcement was not needed during the meetings and most of the audience voiced their opinions in a civil manner. She has changed locks on the town hall twice (that we are aware of) and refuses to allow any councilmem- ber access to the office or information. In previous years, a councilmember was allowed to meet with town employees and go over any information they deemed necessary to have a full understanding of the town and its finances. A few months ago when the town purchased new billing soft- ware, I asked to be trained on it just in case our town recorder was unable to per- form the job for any reason. (Previously a councilmem- ber was trained to fill in if it became necessary.) Being a small town it is difficult to have anyone cross-trained to handle office functions if it is needed. She refused the request. Now the town recorder quit with no notice and there is no one trained to handle any of the busi- ness functions. A temporary person was hired to fill in for two hours a day but is also not trained. The town recorder is also the only person that can be the town election official, so there is now not one of those either. A recall petition has been filed against the mayor and signatures have been ver- ified but she has not been officially notified since the town recorder is the only person that can perform that function. In my opinion, the temp should be able to perform any function the town recorder could and the first order of business should be the notification letter being sent. In closing, I would just like to stress that the prob- lems that have been hap- pening in Lexington can not be all dropped at Bill Beard’s door. Why was he able to handle business with no issues prior to Mayor Kemp joining the council? Maybe the problem is not Mr. Beard. Please remember to mark your ballot and return it to the county clerk before October 1. Postmarks do not count; ballots must be delivered before 8 p.m. on election day. Sincerely, Bobbi Gordon Lexington Heppner Homecoming October 4th Pre-Order your Corsages & Boutonnieres Call Merry at The Country Rose 541-676-9426 Wedding Registry Table Makenzie Correa & Brandon Landwehr October 26th 217 North Main St., Heppner, OR Phone 676-9158 Floral 676-9426 Response to lies printed To the editor: My name is Eddie Dickenson and this is in response to Bill Beard’s let- ter to the editor. I don’t nor- mally respond to newspaper articles but when someone prints lies about you then you need to tell the truth about all that has happened. Mr. Beard said I printed he shut the town down single handed. No Bill, that is not what was said. What was said was because you failed to show up to a bud- get meeting there were not enough council members to have a legal meeting. Since no meeting could be held the State of Oregon froze all the towns assets until a budget was passed. So, the town was shut down. You have been told this several times but you want to point the finger at the mayor. I believe your words were, the Mayor did not call me to remind me. Once more, it’s someone else to blame. I was taught as a child to own up to my mistakes. I guess you were not. You said you want to know what you ordered me to do that was illegal and unethical. You asked for it so I will let everyone know. 1. Ordering me to turn water back on for a cus- tomer that at the time of shut off was 75 days late on his bill. According to the lawyers and three of the council members you have no authority to give such an order. Since the customer is your friend that makes it an ethics issue. 2. Telling me you set up a payment plan for this person. They paid the turn on fee and that is all. We have received no payment or payment plan. Where is it Bill? 3. Once again, you have no authority to set up a payment plan for anyone. If you think you can then show me. You stated that the mayor told me I don’t need a supervisor. That is another lie. The mayor has always said from day one that all the council is my boss. You really need to get your facts straight. As to the corruption of your recall who are you calling corrupt? Bobbi Childers, the State of Or- egon Elections Division or me. Anyone of these could land you in a lawsuit. Both parties were involved every step of the way to ensure accuracy. Also, the recall for the mayor was turned in on the same day but had to be finished before it could be accepted. Is that corrupt also? You are right about one thing. The fighting in the meetings can also be laid at your doorstep. I remember when the mayor was elected you told me you would fight her every step of the way. Congratulations for doing what you said you would. But fighting someone no matter what they want to do is not looking out for the people of Lexington, just looking out for your own self interests. Since you got the mayor not to vote (which the lawyers say is not legal. ) and then voted she can’t sign checks (also not legal) you act as if you are the only person on the council and can vote anything you want with no regard for the people of Lexington. Voting Curtis Thompson on the council was perfect for you because anything brought before the council you can vote down. Does the mayor scare you that badly or is it because it’s a woman? The one thing that real- ly shows Mr. Beard’s true self was when employee compensation was brought up. Bill’s response was, “I have to say no on that and I am firm on that.” When ask why he replied, “because the mayor did not tell us she was shutting the town down.” Now what that has to do with the issue at hand no one knows. I want to thank the peo- ple of Lexington for the time you took to read this response to stupidity. Mr. Beard’s letter is an attempt to look innocent and that I am a disgruntled employ- ee. Anyone going to the meetings and listening for any time at all will see Mr. Beard for who he really is, a bully with a God complex who now is concerned his kingdom may end. I have video of the meetings show- ing Mr. Beard threatening me and the former town recorder as well as others if you don’t believe it. Thanks for your time. Recall Bill Beard. Eddie Dickenson Lexington Heppner schedules homecoming Heppner High School homecoming will be held Friday, Oct. 4. The dance is scheduled from 9 p.m. to midnight at the HJSHS Café/Stage, beginning im- mediately following the football game. Homecoming week activities include hallway decorating Friday, Sept. 27, Noise Para on Wednesday, Oct. 2 and the bonfire on Thursday, Oct. 3. HEPPNER ELKS 358 "WHERE FRIENDS MEET" Contact Morrow County Sheriff's Office for Information on Open Burning. Working together helps ensure success By Greg Smith All entrepreneurs and business owners need to have a solid team in place working toward the same goal. There are many hands which can help a business be successful. This may include a spouse or partner, suppliers, a lender, accoun- tant, attorney, employees or even a webmaster. Lo- cal government, econom- ic development, business advisers or other agencies are often behind the scenes team members and can play vital roles. Like any other type of relationship there is an inner circle which has the most direct influence. Carefully deciding ex- actly who to include in your inner circle and making sure those closest to you are on the same page are critical first steps. This may seem obvious, but there are many married couples or partners who find out one of them is not supportive of the decision to start a business or are hesitant to expand, pursue financing, resent the unforeseen commitment of time or the fact regular pay checks can no longer be counted on. Managers may not fully understand what is expected and employees are sent mixed messages. Not only does this cause strife, but creative energy and effectiveness are com- promised and may lead to the ultimate demise of a business. An effective team re- quires good leadership. The person at the helm must demonstrate first and fore- most honest and integrity. Being a clear communi- cator and excellent listen- er who inspires others by demonstrating commitment and passion is key. Delegat- ing and empowering others helps ignite passion in those around them and encourag- es creativity and innovation. After receiving information and input from others, the leader should have sound decision-making abilities and there must be account- Greg Smith ability when things do not go as planned. Identifying strengths and weaknesses or even making the tough decision to replace an in- effective or uncooperative team member who causes discord is essential. Working with a team is sometimes difficult for those with an entrepre- neurial mindset. Entrepre- neurs are often willing to take risks others do not feel comfortable with and make decisions quickly. Consulting others with dif- ferent areas of expertise and experience often slows the process down but allows for brainstorming and collabo- ration. Having more than one person to solve prob- lems and complete complex tasks increases productivi- ty, creativity and chances for continued success. In addition to account- ability, the willingness to “share the win” is an important part of being a strong team leader. People who feel appreciated and see their ideas implemented are apt to continue making positive and meaningful contributions. The common acronym, “T.E.A.M.” (Together ev- eryone achieves more) is very accurate. Greg Smith is the di- rector of the EOU Small Business Development Center and can be reached by calling 541-962-1532. The office is located at 1607 Gekeler Lane in La Grande with office hours from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. You may also email eousbdc@gmail.com to schedule a one-on-one, free, confidential business advising session. A View from the Green Over the Tee Cup Eleven Willow Creek Country Club ladies played in their weekly playday on September 17 in the windy and cold weather. Low gross of the field went to Nancy Propheter. Low net winner was Sharon Harrison. Least putts of the field went to Tiffany Clem- ent and Pat Dougherty. Flight A low gross was Karen Thompson. Nancy Propheter had the longest drive. Flight B low gross win- ner was Judy Harris and Betty Burns got low net. Karen Haguewood got the least putts as well as the long drive. Kathy Martin took low gross on flight C. Low net went to Bunnie Lindsay. Least putts and long drive both went to Lorrene Mont- gomery. Longest putt winner was Tiffany Clement. 541-676-9181 142 N MAIN ST Reversing Diabetes Seminar HUNTER'S NIGHT Thursday, September 26th THE BURNING BAN HAS BEEN LIFTED FOR THE CITY OF LEXINGTON Guest Editorial Boneless Beef Ribs Cheesy Potatoes Cole Slaw Garlic Bread $450 in Raffle Prizes Drawing for Browning X-bolt .280 rifle sponsored by Pet tyjohn’s Dinner at 6:30pm Lodge at 8:00pm Members Only 6 Week Workshop October 2 - November 6 Wednesday Evenings 6:00 pm Heppner SDA Church Workbooks are $45 per person/$60 couple Call to register (541) 561-9132 1/2 OFF WORKBOOKS WITH THIS COUPON