FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, October 14, 2020
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Peterson refuses to list all contributors
To the editor:
At the Boardman
County Commissioner fo-
rum both candidates were
asked to name their top
five financial contributors.
Commissioner Jim Doherty
responded by listing his
top five. Candidate Joel
Peterson responded he
would only list his top two.
Since every candidate has
to report their financial
contributions to the Oregon
Secretary of State for some
reason Mr. Peterson did not
want to disclose the names
of those who were his pri-
mary financial supporters.
The Oregon Secretary of
State site secure.sos.state.
or.us documents that Mr.
Peterson’s number 3, 4, 5
and 6 financial contributors
are all owners and directors
of Windwave.
Windwave is a locally
owned telecommunications
and fiber optics compa-
ny that has contracts with
Amazon for some of their
telecommunications and
all their fiber optics. They
are an outgrowth of their
parent company Inland
Development Corp. which
was founded in 2004. In-
land Development Corp.
is a nonprofit corporation
founded to help unserved
telecommunications in east-
ern Oregon.
Why does this matter in
this election and why would
Joel Peterson not want to
divulge their names? The
same individuals that own
Windwave have positions
on local boards, the port
and community bodies that
control the tax breaks and
tax distribution negotiations
with Amazon that have an
enormous impact on the
citizens of Morrow County.
The owners of Windwave
have become millionaires
by turning many assets of
Inland Development Cor-
poration into a for profit
company.
According to tax asses-
sor Mike Gorman, Morrow
County Amazon exempted
tax amount for 2020-21 is
$39,458,567.71. The ex-
empted tax break amounts
to an 85 percent tax ex-
emption for Amazon. This
tax exemption is negotiated
and distributed to the CREZ
II enterprise zone largely
controlled by the same
people that own Windwave.
For instance, Don Russell
is chair of the Columbia
Development Authority,
chair of the CREZ II en-
terprise zone, vice chair
of Morrow County Com-
missioners and part owner
and chairman of the board
of directors of Windwave.
So instead of tax revenues
distributed with equality,
Morrow County citizens
continue to bear the brunt of
taxation through property
taxes while CREZ II funds
are distributed according to
political power and influ-
ence by those in positions of
power and influence. Those
that play the game get the
money.
Jim Doherty has bat-
tled the conflict of interest
financial dealings of Wind-
wave and that is why their
directors want to replace
him with one that has no
problem with Windwave
ethics. Jim exercises in-
tegrity which protects the
citizens of Morrow County.
Jim Doherty will continue
to honor our way of life,
require officials to act with
integrity and ensure jus-
tice for all no matter your
position or influence. That
is why he has enemies. He
will not back down from
threats and personal loss to
do the right thing.
Stuart Dick, Irrigon
Vote Peterson for commissioner
To the editor:
We, the undersigned
retired Morrow County
Commissioners, having
24 years combined expe-
rience serving as Morrow
County Commissioner and
more than 164 years as life-
long residents of Morrow
County, enthusiastically
endorse Joel Peterson for
the position of Morrow
County Commissioner. The
Peterson family has a long
history serving the residents
of all of Morrow County.
Joel’s grandfather served
as county judge and was
an original organizer of the
Port of Morrow.
Joel knows the county
from the Blue Mountains in
the south as a generational
cattle rancher, to mid coun-
ty as an operating wheat
farmer, to north county
as a family involved in
irrigated agriculture. This
county-wide involvement
in multiple areas of agricul-
ture gives Joel knowledge
of the agriculture needs
throughout Morrow Coun-
ty.
Joel is a leader who
puts others in the best po-
sition to succeed, and as
a commissioner would do
this by letting well skilled
county staff use their ex-
pertise to the fullest, while
providing guidance and
transparent policies rather
than a forceful hand.
He will be a thoughtful
deliberator at the county
court, will always be pre-
pared, will be inclusive of
all views and will work for
the success of all residents
of Morrow County.
Joel has years of experi-
ence serving as president on
county wide organizations
including Morrow Coun-
ty Planning Commission,
Bank of Eastern Oregon,
Valby Lutheran Church,
MC Wheat League, Jordan
Elevator Corp, ICABO,
School Board and the Ione
School Foundation, as well
as serving on the budget
committees for the Port
of Morrow and Ione Fire
Department.
This extensive list of
community service gives
Joel unique and broad-
based experiences all across
Morrow County and the
tools necessary to be an
exceptional commissioner
for Morrow County, to keep
Morrow County moving
in the right direction, deal
with new challenges and
keep the Morrow County
economy growing.
Please vote Joel Pe-
terson for Morrow County
Commissioner.
LeAnn Rea, John Wen-
holtz, Raymond Grace
Patient revenue increases
Morrow County Health
District accountants WIPF-
LI, LLP, told the board, at
their September 28 meeting
at the Port of Morrow in
Boardman, that MCHD
gross patient revenue in-
creased by $1,231,637 in
2020 and $640,650 in 2019.
They noted net patient ac-
counts receivable increased
from $1,624,402 in 2019 to
$1,836,027 in 2020.
WIPFLI reported that
the district’s current assets,
cash and cash equivalents
increased from $9,459,000
in 2019 to $15,686,000 in
2020, “due to COVID-19
related funding.” Current
liabilities also increased
from $1,317,000 in 2019 to
$6,045,000 in 2020. Long-
term liabilities increased
from $2,075,000 in 2019
to $3,720,000 in 2020. To-
tal liabilities rose from
$3,392,000 to $9,765,000
in 2020.
Total operating reve-
nues were up to $12,019,000
in 2020 compared to
$11,210,000 in 2019, how-
ever total expenses were
$15,182,000 in 2020, up
from $13,449,000 last year,
leaving a $3,163,000 loss
in operations this year,
compared to a $2,239,000
loss last year. Non-oper-
ating revenues increased
from $2,531,000 in 2019
to $2,732,000 this year. The
report indicated salaries and
wages increased by 17 per-
cent and employee benefits
increased by 14 percent.
Non-operating revenue in-
creased by $201,000 due
to increased property tax
revenues and grant revenue.
Capital asset expen-
ditures, including con-
struction in progress, were
$690,990 this year with the
largest costs attributed to an
ambulance purchase. Other
major purchases included
an upgrade of the hospital’s
boilers and IT server room
upgrades.
The district’s net po-
sition for 2020 was down
slightly to $5,920,000 from
$6,067,000 the previous
year; and its operating mar-
Livestock producers
seeking financial assistance
for implementing methods
that limit wolf-livestock
interaction need to obtain
an application to request
funds. Applications may be
found on the Morrow Coun-
ty website, Wolf Depreda-
tion Advisory Committee
page at: www.co.morrow.
or.us/bc-wdac, the coun-
ty has announced. These
applications need to be
completed and received
by the Morrow County
Wolf Depredation Adviso-
ry Committee by Tuesday,
December 8, 2020, 4 p.m.,
as the committee will meet
that evening to start the
review process.
There are several op-
tions for submitting appli-
cations, all of which must
be received by the above
due date: drop off at the
Bartholomew Building,
Room 201, 110 N. Court
St., Heppner; mail to Mor-
row County, P.O. Box 788,
Heppner, OR 97836; or
email to rlutcher@co.mor-
row.or.us. Compensation
can be requested for bone
pile removal and/or burial,
fladry (a line of rope mount-
ed along the top of a fence,
from which are suspended
strips of fabric or colored
flags that will flap in a
breeze, intended to deter
wolves from crossing the
fence-line), range riders or
other preventive measures.
For additional information
call Roberta Lutcher at 541-
676-5613.
Livestock producers have
deadline for wolf funds
applications
Death Notice
Marie E. Rudisill – Marie E. Rudisill of Sandy,
longtime Ione and Arlington resident, was born on Sep-
tember 4, 1943 in Tillamook, OR to parents, Paul and
Ada Worthington Werner. She died on October 7, 2020
in Gresham, OR at the age of 77 years.
At her request no services will be held. Please share
memories of Marie with her family at burnsmortuary-
hermiston.com. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care
of arrangements.
gin has decreased to a nega-
tive 26.32 percent in 2020,
from a negative 19.97 per-
cent in 2019 and a negative
18.70 percent in 2018.
Cash on hand, however
increased to 204.76 days
this year from 58.49 last
year and 66.21 in 2018.
The “Ratio increased in
2020 as a result of increased
cash related to COVID-19
funding. Pioneer Memo-
rial Hospital is at 62 days
without the $5.7 million in
CARES funding, “WIPFLI
reported.
Crawford honest,
compassionate person
To the editor:
Theresa Crawford is
running for the justice of the
peace position. I am strong-
ly supporting her. Theresa
is an honest and compas-
sionate person. These traits
are important and necessary
for a judge. She is analyti-
cal and willing to take the
time to get the facts. She
has a desire to help our
communities through legal
actions, protecting victims
and penalizing those who
need it. But importantly
she is not entrenched in
law enforcement. She will
not automatically take the
word of the police over the
accused. She will judge
fairly, but also, she will
rule with an understanding
of the impacts on our com-
munities.
Theresa Crawford is
a community member and
she cares about our county.
She has taken the time and
effort to return to school so
that she may better fill this
position. I, for one, want a
person in that seat who will
be fair but firm. A person
that will make sure our
communities are protected
and that our citizens are
treated fairly.
Please vote for Theresa
Crawford Morrow County
Justice of the Peace.
Kim Cutsforth,
Heppner
Doherty cares about
our county
To the editor:
Please vote for Jim
Doherty for Morrow Coun-
ty Commissioner. I be-
lieve that Jim Doherty cares
about our county. He un-
derstands the issues facing
every Community. He has
shown that he will fight for
what he believes is right.
He is actively involved
with Morrow County Citi-
zens and has shown that he
will get the job done. It is
important that we have the
right person for this job.
That person is Jim Doherty.
Joe Armato, Heppner
Wolf Depredation
committee to meet
The Morrow County
Wolf Depredation Adviso-
ry Committee will hold a
meeting on Tuesday, Oct
20 at 7 p.m. at the Bar-
tholomew Building in Hep-
pner.
The committee will
discuss a confirmed wolf
depredation in the coun-
ty, review grant amounts
and the applications and
process for fund requests.
On the agenda are reports
from Steve Cherry of the
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife, Alan Scott,
committee member repre-
senting Wolf Conservation
and Chris Lulay, USDA
Wildlife Specialist, Morrow
County.
Drawing to take
place Oct. 19
Winning tickets for the
raffle items donated to ben-
efit Evan Kates, grandson
of John and Kelly Boyer,
will be drawn October 19.
The raffle bundles are on
display at Sage Clothing
Company on Main Street
in Heppner. Tickets are still
available inside the store
and may be purchased for
$5 each or five for $20.
All proceeds from the
raffles are deposited into the
Evan Kates account at Bank
of Eastern Oregon Heppner
Branch. For additional in-
formation, contact Shelli
Britt at 541-256-0857.
Ground- Local students
honored
at
EOU
breaking
ceremony
for new
county
building
Friday
Kimberly Carter, Ione,
graduated from Eastern
Oregon University (EOU)
for the 2019-2020 academic
year with a Master of Arts
in Teaching in Elementary
Education and Initial Licen-
sure in PK-12. The class of
2020 awarded 595 degrees.
Hunter Nichols, Hep-
pner, was one of 558 stu-
dents named to the Dean’s
A groundbreaking cer-
emony for the new county
office building in Irrigon
will be held Friday morning
at 8:30 a.m.
DEADLINE:
MONDAYS
AT 5PM
Heppner Burn Ban Lifted
Effective October 15, 2020, the Fire
Chief of the City of Heppner
announced the city
BURN BAN
will be lifted.
Contact Heppner City Hall
for burn permits
List for the 2020 spring
term at EOU. Taylor Mc-
Daniel, also of Heppner,
was one of 69 students
named to the Dean’s List
for the 2020 summer term.
Qualifying students achieve
and maintain a grade point
average of 3.5 or higher on
a 4.0 scale while complet-
ing a minimum of 12 hours
of graded EOU coursework.
Valby Lutheran Church
Valby Road
Ione Oregon. 97843
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