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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 27, 2022)
FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 27, 2022 ~ 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. Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net. School bond will pay Voters are the winners Put faith and trust in the editor; $11.5 million dollar Ama- Lindsay for important upgrades To Melissa Lindsay is zon payment would be di- To the editor; The ballots will be mailed out this week. A bond measure for Morrow County Schools will be on the ballot. This bond will pay for important educa- tional and safety upgrades at every school in the dis- trict. This is the first bond request from our school district in 20 years. The last bond had very little for Heppner. This bond makes up for that. We will be improving schools in all communities by adding more secure en- tries, updating technology, increasing classroom size, basically creating a more ef- ficient learning experience for our children. All of these improve- ments allow for growth in every community. There is improved separation, added gym and locker room space. In Heppner the changes allow for a more efficient use of staff, and it includes space for services for stu- dents; i.e.: CARES, coun- seling, SRO, etc. Passing this measure has challenges. Some see it as costly, which at the onset it appears to be. However, Morrow County is experi- encing exponential growth and as we grow the cost of the bond drops dramati- cally. We saw this with the last bond, which decreased from about $3 per $1,000 of assessed value when the bond was passed to about 75 cents in the last years that it was being paid off. Industry will pay over 48 percent of this bond and in a few years that number is projected to jump to nearly 70 percent. There is opposition from some in the north end. We can’t count on support from Ione as they are not a part of our district. Lexing- ton and Heppner and Ione have, without fail, support- ed the students. We need to do it again. We need to vote. Please vote for Bond Measure 25-87. This is important for our children. If you have questions about the bond, you can see the full project on the school website morrow. k12.or.us or watch a video at www.yesformorrow- countyschools.org. Kim Cutsforth To the editor; I believe that Jeff Wen- holz deserves your vote for Morrow County Commis- sioner position #2. Jeff has lived most of his life in Morrow County, has worked in this county, and has served on sever- al committees within the county such as the Morrow County Solid Waste, the Morrow County Planning Commission, and also the Morrow County Budget Committee. I was still working for the county when Jeff joined the budget committee and I found him to be fair, thoughtful, pre- pared and concerned with the details. He will speak up if he sees something going on that just doesn’t seem right. I believe we need a change of leadership for the commission. The county has been going through such a high turnover of department heads and em- ployees in the last six years that something needs to change. You might ask a current or former employ- ee of the county for some input of what I believe is just chaos. When I retired a little over a year ago, there was no trust, no ca- maraderie, just suspicion on what’s going to happen next between the majority of the offices and the county commissioners, and now the county is being sued. I believe Jeff will work hard running for re-election as county commissioner and Morrow County voters are the winners. Good news seems to be lacking lately but Melissa’s decision to run for re-election is defi- nitely good news. She has many accomplishments in the past six years, including being instrumental in creat- ing CREZ 3 which resulted in an equitable county-wide consideration of Port of Morrow/County negotiated enterprise zone fees. She supports the Morrow Coun- ty Broadband action team which improves broadband access for all of the county. She was determined the vided fairly among county entities and communities. Melissa has been a tire- less worker for Morrow County and all the commu- nities within the county and feels there is still more work to be done. Problems facing the county are foremost in her mind and finding solu- tions in a clear and concise manner is one of her many strengths. Seldom has there been a candidate who deserves to be re-elected more than Me- lissa. Join us in casting your vote for Melissa Lindsay for County Commissioner. Te r r y a n d K a r e n Thompson, Heppner Yes on bond measure to help heal the wounds and make the county work bet- ter as a whole. I don’t think it’s im- portant how many gen- erations your family has been living in the county, what is important is what the person elected to this position brings to the table and to the future of Morrow County. Please join me in voting for Jeff Wenholz. Gayle L Gutierrez To the editor; As a mother of children attending Morrow County schools, and local REAL- TOR®, I am voting “Yes” on Bond Measure 25-87. In 2015, my family moved to Oregon for a ca- reer in Boardman, when the total number of homes sold was six. Like 70 percent of employees, we com- muted until purchasing a home here. Since becom- ing a REALTOR®, I have helped dozens of families do the same. Between 2017 and 2021, home sales in Boardman increased 132 percent. Based on data and construction developments underway, we are on track in 2022 to meet or exceed the sixty-five homes sold in 2021. This growth will directly affect our schools and demands immediate attention. We m u s t h e l p t h e schools catch up and get ahead of the curve. It has been twenty years since the district last requested our support and, in that time, structural functionality has deteriorated making utility upgrades necessary. Securi- ty issues have dramatically changed, requiring critical updates for student and staff safety. Outdated classrooms need to become functional with improved and modern learning opportunities. County-wide, our schools are the hearts of our communities that need our support to provide safe and adequate spaces for students and teachers to thrive. When they thrive, our communities do too. In addition, improvements this bond supports will foster a sense of pride in our towns, energize students, increase teacher retention rates and attract more families to call our county home. Look for Bond Mea- sure 25-87 on the May ballot. Learn more at http:// www.yesformorrowcounty- schools.org and vote “Yes.” Leslie Pierson Boardman By Doris Brosnan The Willow Creek Ter- race Community is viewing with pleasure the change to warmer weather recent- ly, and they enjoyed the warmer, sunny break in the snowy days in April timed perfectly for Easter Sunday. They held their traditional indoor Easter egg hunt and special lunch that day. And added to those was the hunt for the special Easter Bun- ny, which Ginger O’Brien found. She and Rita Bow- man won the traditional Guess-the-Number-of-Jel- ly-Beans-in-the-Jar contest. Residents and staff will celebrate four more special calendar days in May: Cin- co De Mayo on the 5 th will include a menu of South- of-the-Border selections. Will Mother’s Day on the 8 th see flower deliveries, visitors, boxes of candy? Mothers will surely be the morning discussion topic. Nurses Appreciation Day on the 9 th will provide an opportunity for the com- munity to demonstrate how fortunate they feel to have great nursing care. And Memorial Day on the 30 th will feature a BBQ (fingers crossed for good weather), a discussion of memories, possibly visitors. The one birthday on the May calendar belongs to Randall Peterson. Randall moved to the Terrace on Monday, so he will be well settled before he celebrates with his new neighbors at his favorite birthday lunch on May 2. Randall has known most of his new neighbors for years, but possibly new to him and to the other residents is the recent addition to the staff at the Terrace: They have welcomed Tara McLaren. Of course, a few foods have their special calendar days in May, so everyone can look forward to choc- olate chips in something on the 15 th , pizza for lunch on the 20 th , and cherries in some concoction on the 26 th . As the weather warms and the days grow longer, everyone is aware that June is not far away, so they are getting ready to kick off their information for their “Rocking the Longest Day” fundraiser for the Alz- heimer Association. More about that June 21 event will soon follow. So, soaking up some sunshine and vitamin D, enjoying the flow of the routine at the Terrace, celebrating special days that add special pleasure, maintaining independent apartments amid nearby friends…. These are viewed by some residents as some of the benefits of living in this close community. Jeff Wenholz deserves your vote A View from the Hill To the editor; As we approach the May election and consider the future leadership of our county and its communities, I urge you to again put your trust and faith in Melissa Lindsay and vote for her to continue her service as a county commissioner. Commissioner Lindsay has diligently worked to promote, develop and im- prove Morrow County for the past six years and will continue those efforts in her next term. Commissioner Lindsay is a lifelong Morrow Coun- ty resident whose passion and endless energy to serve make her an exceptional civil servant and the per- son we need to ensure our communities continue to grow and thrive over the next four years and beyond. Her efforts at the county, re- gional and state levels have resulted in benefits for our county and have earned her the respect of many across the state. She has the best inter- est of every community in mind and will work pur- posefully and transparently for the people of Morrow County. Please join me in voting for Commissioner Melissa Lindsay in May. Sincerely, Ken Grieb To the editor; I’ve personally known and worked with Jeff for over 25 years and can say respectfully that I know of no one more in tune today with the current and future needs of Morrow County. Jeff is that someone with the right experience and background who presents himself as a strong candi- date to become your next County Commissioner, Po- sition #2. Therefore, let me see if I can help support that case with just a few written words. First, when measuring experience and leadership to be a county commission- er—he has years in Mor- row County (specifically the Planning Commission; Budget Committee; Solid Waste Advisory Commis- sion). I also know Jeff to be someone who will work across all ideologies to de- velop the best solutions for everyone—north or south county. If you want a commis- sioner who has the techno- logical expertise to identify and implement complex solutions necessary to re- solve challenges in Morrow County, that person is Jeff. Maybe you also agree that it’s time to bring in new ideas and a fresh perspec- tive to the Morrow County Court with a vision toward the future while still focus- ing on current management and budgetary priorities—if so, that person for me is Jeff. Finally, Jeff can bring that honest and practical approach to county gov- ernment and is someone I know with the intellect and moral fiber to always stand by his own decisions, good or bad. For these reasons and more--that is why I am supporting Jeff Wenholz for Morrow County Com- missioner. Chris Brown Heppner To the editor; I am writing in support of Melissa Lindsay for Morrow County Commis- sioner. Melissa cares about Morrow County commu- nities and has worked dil- igently to see that they all receive the resources that they need. She fought hard to make sure that the county administrative office remained in Irrigon when there was a push to move it. She worked through many of her numerous re- sources to bring everyone to the table to help Ione find a path toward solving their infrastructure needs. She fought for funding for Lexington and all of our cities to assist with their needs. She has rallied many entities to find a solution for the flood mapping at the Kinzua Mill Site, that will allow development. These are small examples of the way she has touched us all. She serves on so many committees and boards that I can’t begin to list them. Know that they are import- ant and make a difference. When asked why she is running again, her answer is simple. “I am not done yet.” She has so many projects to see to completion. Every one of them will benefit us in some way. Improving our neighbor’s lives improves ours. She will be watching out for all of us. I am proud to support and to know Melissa Lind- say. Vote for our citizens. Vote for Melissa Lindsey. Kim Cutsforth Why Jeff Wenholz for County Commissioner? Support Melissa Lindsay COLUMBIA BASIN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. Heppner - Condon - Ione - Lexington - Fossil Electric Co-Op to Perform Tree Trimming Operations in Area Columbia Basin Electric Co-Op, and their subcontractors, Trees, LLC will be conducting their biennial tree trimming operation throughout the service territory. Trees, LLC is scheduled to begin trimming the week of April 25th, and are expected to be in the Columbia Basin Electric service territory over the next few months. Any inquiries about trees obstructing power lines or their removal may be made to Brian Kollman or Jake Calvert at 541-676-9146. ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
