EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Vacant commissioner seat
-Continued from PAGE ONE ers participate in county for that kind of informa-
bring it back to the board
for approval.
The board also heard
from Mabbott regarding a
request for amendment on
the Boardman to Heming-
way (B2H) project. The En-
ergy Facility Siting Council
had received the request,
which would alter the site
boundary to accommodate
a relocation of the transmis-
sion lines on three proper-
ties in Morrow County, as
well as some refinement to
the location of project ac-
cess roads within Morrow
County.
“They have asked the
county, as they do any lo-
cal jurisdiction, for a list
of applicable, substantive
criteria that would apply
to that amendment,” ex-
plained Mabbott.
She said the nature
of the amendments were
primarily changing haul
routes in a way that should
work better for both Idaho
Power and the land owner,
except for one that actually
reroutes the transmission
line. Some haul routes are
permanent for maintenance,
and some will be removed
once the work is completed.
The letter came before
the board not only because
they are the county’s gov-
erning body, but also be-
cause the board serves as a
Special Advisory Group for
the B2H project.
Mabbott said the plan-
ning department has been
meeting with Idaho Power
regularly through the pro-
cess, and about 70 different
properties in the county will
be affected.
The board of commis-
sioners also received more
questions from commu-
nity-based organization
Oregon Rural Action about
the water nitrate issue and
efforts to provide transla-
tion services to Spanish
speakers. The meeting last
Wednesday began with
working out some kinks
in the Zoom translation
service the county has im-
plemented for its meetings.
Ana Maria Rodriguez,
ORA community organizer,
addressed the board with
questions in Spanish. Kelly
Doherty of Boardman then
read them over in English.
“Thank you so much
for so quickly setting up
the caption translation last
week of the commission-
ers’ meeting. What are the
next steps for being able
to hear as well as read the
translation? Will you pro-
vide translated agendas and
information packets ahead
of time? This would help
Spanish speakers decide to
come to the meetings based
on the agenda topics,” read
Doherty. “Does the coun-
ty plan to post meeting
Zoom recordings in the fu-
ture? That would help both
Spanish and English speak-
meetings. Wednesdays at
9 a.m., most folks are at
work. Also wondering if the
closed caption box can be
enlarged. It’s very hard to
read, especially on a small
phone or device.”
Nelson, who was work-
ing to implement the Zoom
translation system, admit-
ted the program wasn’t
perfect but said he wanted
to reach a solution.
“I’m willing to work
with you. If there are any
issues after the meeting
or later on, if we want to
test this out again, we can
absolutely do it,” said Nel-
son. “We’re going to try to
make this work as well as
possible. It’s getting better
but it is new to us, too,
so I appreciate that we’re
testing this out right away.”
As for the other ques-
tions, such as translated
agendas and meeting pack-
ets, Sykes said they would
have to take it under con-
sideration.
“We’re not prepared
to tackle that right at this
time,” he said.
Boardman man Mike
Brandt asked whether any
contracts had been drawn
up or signed with the state
to ensure continuous water
delivery service. Sykes said
that question would need to
be referred to Public Health
Director Robin Canaday,
but said he had met with the
governor’s representative
the day before and received
assurances from her.
“We spent a lot of time
talking about water, and
they’re on board,” said
Sykes. “I told her to make
sure that her office stays
in contact so we don’t get
confusion on the handoff
to them about the water,”
Sykes added later in the
meeting.
Raymond Akers, also
from Boardman, referenced
a report by County Clerk
Bobbi Childers at a previ-
ous meeting and expressed
confusion.
“It’s not settling right
with me, and I just hope
for some clarification,” said
Akers. “Is it an attempt to
not provide papers or mak-
ing them cost so much that
nobody in their right mind
would ask for them?”
Sykes said he was un-
clear on what records Akers
was asking for. Akers said
there was a reference to
public records requests in
which she either didn’t have
the records or it would take
“too much time for her to
put the effort into getting
them for the records re-
quest,” according to Akers.
“By law, election stuff,
there’s a lot of stuff she
should already have,” add-
ed Akers. “I’m just curious;
if she doesn’t have it, why,
and if that was just a cop-
out to try to get it to where
people aren’t going to ask
tion.”
“There’s a procedure
for how to provide those
documents and how it’s
done,” said Sykes. “We can
discuss it with her, but as
far as I know, she said she
knows the procedure and
she’s following it.”
“There’s also a pro-
cedure to go through for
you, or any citizen,” Sykes
added, “on what to do if you
feel like you’re not getting
the documents.”
“I just figured I’d bring
it through you folks first to
see if you can get me some
clarification what that con-
versation was all about,”
replied Akers. “It sounded
like a cover-up happening,
so I was just hoping to get
some clarification, and I
guess I haven’t.”
Akers appeared to be
referencing Childers’s regu-
lar department report at the
Jan. 25 meeting, at which
Sykes had asked Childers
about her fee schedule.
“It’s not about whether
you’re going to do it or
not,” said Sykes. “It’s about
how much time does it take,
how much staff time does
it take, and are those fees
part of our fee schedule
and available so the public
can see that this is what
it’s going to cost if I make
a large request from any
department.”
Childers had responded
that her fee schedule is set
by statute but that there
was no easy answer to the
cost. She referenced a large
request she had received.
“They want every im-
age of every ballot. They
want all my back side on
my machine, how it works,
how many times it’s been
serviced,” she said. “Some
of this is available easi-
ly. Those are reports that
come off my system. Do I
have heartache about giving
those up? I don’t.
“As far as staff time,
we’re already paying our
people to work,” she said.
“I look at it as this; one, it’s
our job. Two, if it’s readily
available and we can do it,
we just get it together and
ship it out. The only time
you’re going to see me
charge staff time is if it’s
something so large that it’s
going to take days.
“But when you start
getting into these detailed
things that they want,”
Childers continued. “They
want my sorter information.
I don’t have a sorter. Images
off of a thumb drive from
your machine. They want
those. Well, I don’t have
that piece. That’s another
$4,000 a year for mainte-
nance, so I don’t buy it. I
would have to go over and
scan every ballot.”
“If they will take a re-
port, that’s easy. But when
you ask me to scan every
ballot that I got, that’s an-
other story,” she said.
Heppner FBLA places in top 10
Heppner FBLA students took top spots at the regional
leadership conference in La Grande recently. Back
L-R: Karver Wilkins, Paul Lindsay, Cameron Proud-
foot, Trevor Nichols, Mason Orem, Owen Cunning-
ham, Irelynn Kollman and Morgan Cutsforth. Front
L-R: Caleb George and Katie Spivey. Not pictured:
Saul Lopez, Caden George, Brooklyn Wilson and
Jackson Coiner. -Contributed photo
On Feb. 2, the Heppner conference excelled in their
FBLA chapter traveled to events, receiving awards of
La Grande to compete in excellence.
the Blue Mountain Region
Members were given
Leadership Conference a prompt and then had 20
hosted by Eastern Oregon minutes to brainstorm be-
University.
fore giving a presentation.
Regardless of the 5
Owen Cunningham,
a.m. departure time with a freshman, placed 10 th in
FBLA Advisor Mrs. Jean Agribusiness.
Collins, all the Heppner
Paul Lindsay and
students who attended the Brooklynn Wilson placed
first in Entrepreneurship.
Karver Wilkins placed
third, and Jackson Coiner
and Mason Orem placed
fifth.
Katie Spivey placed
fifth in Introduction to
Event Planning.
Morgan Cutsforth and
Irelynn Kollman placed
fourth in Marketing.
Heppner especially ex-
celled in Sports Manage-
ment and Entertainment.
Cameron Proudfoot, Caden
George and Trevor Nichols
placed first. Mason Orem,
Jackson Coiner and Caleb
George placed third, and
Saul Lopez placed fourth.
Overall, the students
said they had a lot of fun, all
while remaining respectful
and classy in representing
their school. The top 10
places in each event are all
qualified to go to the FBLA
State Competition April
6-9 at the Doubletree and
Oregon Convention Center
in Portland.
Ione FFA successful at district
convention
Ione FFA Advisor Erin Heideman with students who attended the district con-
vention at the Workforce Development Center in Boardman with awards and
lunch at the Sage Center. Pictured L-R: Kelly Doherty, Advisor Erin Heideman,
Delaney Stefani, Gage Heideman, Jolene Serrano, Madison Orem, Lizzy Doherty
and Carter Eynetich. Not pictured, Carson Eynetich. -Contributed photo
Members of the Ione
Madison and Gage will in advanced job interviews
FFA Chapter competed compete at the State FFA on Feb. 15 at Eastern Ore-
at the 2023 District FFA Convention in March.
gon University. Beginners
Convention held at the
In advanced job inter- don’t advance.
Workforce Development view, first place went to
Ione FFA was chartered
Center in Boardman Thurs- Madison Orem and twelfth in 2015 and is part of the
day, Jan. 26.
place to Carson Eynetich. Oregon FFA Association,
Madison Orem earned
In beginning job in- Blue Mountain District.
first place in advanced port- terview, Gage Heideman The district consists of Pilot
folio. In beginning portfo- earned third place and Car- Rock, Athena-Weston, Mil-
lio, Gage Heideman earned ter Eynetich earned fifth ton-Freewater, Hermiston,
first, Miley Strzelewicz sec- place.
Pendleton, Irrigon, Hep-
ond, Isabelle Ogden fifth,
Madison will represent pner, Boardman, Stanfield,
and Isabelle Ogden sixth. Ione at the sectional contest Echo and Ione.
Man arrested for trespass at
Heppner High Monday
A man is in custody after
a concerning incident at
Heppner High School on
Monday.
Witnesses reported
that the high school was
secured and students con-
fined to classrooms shortly
after school began Monday.
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Office received a report of a
white male who was walk-
ing around the Ag building
and talking to himself.
Morrow County Un-
dersheriff Brian Snyder
confirmed that the school
was placed in secure status
as a safety precaution due
to the suspicious behavior
of the subject in question.
It does not appear that stu-
dents or staff were ever in
any danger.
MCSO responded and
arrested Frank Robert Mar-
tineau, 34, on three counts
of criminal trespass II. Sny-
der said that, at the time of
the arrest, there were no
signs of current drug use
by Martineau.
Martineau is current-
ly in custody at Umatilla
County Jail without bail.
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