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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 2023)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 26, 2023 -- THREE ~ Letters to the Editor ~ Vote for change, not business as usual 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 My name is John Mur- 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. ray. I have been serving you as Port commissioner for Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net. In support of John Murray In all seriousness, may- be a good requirement for government employment would be proof that you’re smarter than a fifth grader. Candidates would need to maintain passing grades in math, history, geography and science (particularly bi- ology/anatomy). They must be able to recite the class rules (no lying, cheating, stealing or hitting allowed), be proficient in computer use (document security, finding emails and laptops), and know the correct use of pronouns, as well as the definitions of secure and border. Just imagine the com- petency of our government. Requirements for our Com- mander in Chief would need to be a little more strict and include a physical agility test, including the ascension and descension of a flight of stairs. I have a feeling if the White House would employ Mrs. Sund- quist for a term or two, our current situation would look a little different…and the principal’s office would be full. Mrs. Sundquist, wher- ever you are…we need you. Susie Crosby Heppner, OR Dear Editor, I am writing this letter in support of John Murray for Port of Morrow Com- missioner. It has been my great privilege to work in many different organizations throughout our county. These experiences have shown me what an asset the Port of Morrow (POM) is to our communities. It is important that the POM commissioners understand the needs of all communi- ties in the county. This is a difficult task as we are all very diverse in our demo- graphics. John Murray is a member of a county-wide board. He has displayed an equal approach to the needs of the citizens that the Morrow County Health District serves. John Murray is a busi- ness owner and has made substantial investments in both the North and the South ends of Morrow County. John understands and supports all of Morrow County. It is important to the residents that we support an experienced and dedicated community member who will give attention to all our needs. That person is John Murray. Sincerely, In my lifetime the Port Kim Cutsforth of Morrow has grown from Heppner, OR a small sleepy port to an impressive builder of eco- nomic growth in Morrow County. The port currently Sometimes my mind supports approximately does not follow a partic- 8,000 full-time jobs. Those ular path, which can lead jobs have great wages and to a variety of random benefits. The success of thoughts. This morning, the port and the dollars it my mind wandered back to has put into Morrow Coun- fifth grade and a very strict ty seems to have brought teacher by the name of Mrs. out folks with all sorts of opinions to run for port Sundquist. After a rather joyful commission. If you want, you can fourth-grade experience choose someone who is with a teacher who loved art anti-growth, someone who and music and often let me has a list of grievances with express my talents in these a desire to extract some sort areas, my transition to fifth of retribution, or maybe you grade was a bit of an awak- prefer someone interested ening, and not a pleasant one. Mrs. Sundquist was in growing the disputes not nearly as impressed between different areas of with my artistic expression the county. Those folks are as my previous teacher. For all on the ballot. I suspect most of us some reason, she thought aren’t really interested in history, math and language the troublemaking. Today were more important sub- it’s the data centers but just jects. She also expected like the coal fired plant, the her class to follow certain date centers will someday rules. Her students would either toe the line or face be history. We need port the dreaded bald guy down commissioners who will the hall, aka, The Principal. look to the future, not stay It got me thinking. I stuck in the past. We need know a few people who folks who wish to serve for might benefit from a little the sake of service, have an time with Mrs. Sundquist. open mind, and appreciate My daydream continued… that the port’s current staff “Now class, first we are doing a great job. I will be voting for will say the Pledge of Alle- David Boor for Port Com- giance and then we will be- missioner. David has a long gin our study of the Consti- history in Morrow County. tution of our United States. He has ties well beyond I want you all to know the the Boardman area and is importance of the… Joey, interested in the continued quit smelling her hair. As I was saying, the U.S. Con- success of the port. He has stitution is… Hunter, we do the leadership skills we not put things in our nose. want in public service. I Nancy, please sit down. believe he will represent all And why are you tearing the interests in the county, up Donald’s homework? To is interested in all the com- the principal’s office young munities benefitting from lady… Now! Hillary, we’ve the port’s success and, most talked about this… threat- importantly, he will look to ening to kill someone is not the future. I hope you will join me acceptable behavior. AOC, in voting for David Boor. Honey, you’re in the wrong Jerry Rietmann class. Kindergarten is down Ione, OR the hall. Now, about the Constitution… Joey! Leave her alone!” It’s a wonderful dream. Boor will look to the future Mrs. Sundquist the last 3½ years and am asking for your support and vote now. I am a pharmacist and owner of Murray Drugs in Heppner, Boardman and Condon, serving the Mor- row County communities of Irrigon, Boardman, Hep- pner, Ione and Lexington. You will likely find that I am passionate about the Port and outspoken when I believe there are issues you, the public, should know about. We are a fully public port, not marginally or reluctantly, we are fully a public port that must conform to all the laws and ethics of the State of Oregon. I’m proud that at the Boardman candidate’s forum for position #4 on April 17, I was called out as being the only one to dissent from previously unanimous board decisions. If you want “business as usual” then I may not be your candidate. I believe you as the public have the right and should expect to see in your public servants the qualities of transparency, accountability, responsible economic growth, equity in representation, ethics and integrity. These are not lofty goals we hope to attain in a year or two, they are the minimum requirements to run a multi-billion-dollar port. For the 38 years I have been married to Ann, I have listened to and admired her father Larry Lindsay’s 52 years of service to the Port. It is time we get back to the values the Port was founded on and remember the coun- ty-wide focus and tax relief for its citizens that inspired its founding. I feel I am the best candidate to bring county-wide unity for each community to understand the needs of others and then work together in collabora- tion, not competition. I care about the Port of Morrow, the people in Mor- row County it serves and the employees who work here. I am also proud of the Port for the good it has brought to us; all our com- munities have benefitted from its economic prosper- ity. But as we know, the Port has had its challenges, too. In my opinion, in the last 10 years, the port grew at a pace it could not sus- tain. One has only to look at wastewater recycling and disposal to see the most se- rious issue facing the port, and us as people who live here. Currently the DEQ has fined the port $3.1 mil- lion and halted adding any additional wastewater to the Port’s disposal system until a secondary water treatment system is operational. This project is top priority and set for completion, God willing, in 2025. A second issue I be- lieve is important are the significant conflicts of in- terest with two of the port commissioners serving currently, one of which is up for reelection now. Having owners on the Port commission of a fiber-optic company that serves, makes money from, and decides on the datacenters located at the Port calls into question its integrity and profession- alism. In small counties I suppose leaders can and do serve on multiple boards, which can at times conflict, but not 60 percent of the time as has been the case these last five months. One percent of the time, OK, declare it, step aside of the issue at hand and then rejoin the meeting when that item of business is done. How does a governing body function with 60 percent rate of declared conflict of interest from 40 percent of its board? Change is needed. I am proud of the Port of Morrow and the em- ployees who work here. I am also proud of our business partners and the relationship we have with them. I am pro-business, but it needs to be done re- sponsibly. I commit to you: 1. transparency and ac- countability, for such issues as wastewater management. 2. Responsible eco- nomic growth, to avoid such issues as private prop- erty rights disputes and road right of way issues. 3. County-wide rep- resentation, to increase understanding and to build unity and not division. I like candidate Doherty’s idea of modify- ing the City-County-Port meetings to be Cities-Coun- ty-Port meetings to include all cities in the county so that the needs of all cities are known for such times as CREZ II and CREZ III funds dispersals. As I mentioned earli- er, I am passionate about the success of the Port of Morrow and outspoken on issues I think are important and that affect the integrity and professionalism of the Port. I ask for your vote and support but, if I am not your preferred candidate, then vote for Wes or Jonathan and vote for Kelly Doherty, who has no conflict of inter- est. Vote for change and not business as usual. Sincerely, John Murray Heppner, OR It’s time for independent thinking at the Port A recurring theme be- came clear at the recent candidate forums. Marvin Padberg would have you believe that if you don’t vote for him, you must be anti-business and an- ti-growth. I did not hear any of the other candidates debating against economic development; they just of- fered it can be achieved in a moral, ethical and more thoughtful manner that benefits Morrow County citizens. While the Port of Mor- row has done a great job of bringing businesses into Boardman, Morrow County is a lot bigger than that. I don’t believe the message that the other four commu- nities have been economi- cally blessed since Marvin first became a commission- er. I would say that some of those communities may have declined, in fact. Drive down main streets and one can see empty buildings and closed restaurants. It doesn’t seem like bragging rights. The Port now says they are going to fix their part of the nitrate issues, spending in excess of 600 million dollars, and become a good partner, doing what should have all along. I personally don’t trust anybody that has to get caught before they finally plan to do what is right. What would this project have cost 10 or 30 years ago? We will never know but can be guaranteed it would have been a lot less when first acknowledged. In today’s political cli- mate it is disheartening to see our POM Commis- sioners using the Biden playbook; blaming the past county commissioners and using them as punching bags for their own missteps. They weren’t the ones who allowed their staff to con- tinue to pollute our waters, lie about their actions and blame the farmers for their shortcomings. Finger point- ing instead of accountabili- ty is not leadership. I am tired of the con- flicts of interest investiga- tions, judicial department investigations and conver- sations surrounding Mr. Padberg and his business partners. How is it that so few businesses other than Amazon have been located into Morrow County of late, benefitting him personally and extensively? How is it beneficial to Morrow County that so many of the votes of this board should have had or have had his declaration of conflict and non-votes, to personal gain? I believe good decisions can be made without so much personal conflict at the table. Why is the POM Com- mission being filled with yes men and not indepen- dent thinking? I fail to un- derstand why disagreement is being held up as a nega- tive trait in debate, answers with a desperate need to silence independent ques- tioning. I am not impressed by claims of unanimous yes decision making for the past 30 years. Decisions that lost millions on a racetrack in Boardman, lost millions on a mill site in Heppner, millions in the red on a golf course that isn’t part of the mission and millions wasted on fines, with more coming, while not holding anyone accountable, by the current POM Commission. I serve on many boards, and dissenting votes/opinions is how we get to the greater good for more community. Isn’t that why we elect more than one member to these boards, differing perspec- tives should be welcomed in good governance? Marv is personally a good guy, but his time has passed. The good ole boy way of doing things doesn’t work anymore. My trust in him standing up for all Morrow County citizens has disappeared and I hope the people of these great communities have finally seen the light. These guys need to go, they have need- ed to go for some time. It’s time for people to do what is right without being forced to. It’s time for inde- pendent thinkers who will bring thoughtful decision making. Please take the time to vote. I will be voting for Kelly. Todd Lindsay Heppner, OR ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: Funding Ione wastewater system -Continued from PAGE ONE Skow also recognized Ione Volunteer Planner Jer- ry Rietmann for his role in the project. “Jerry is the driving force behind the city’s suc- cess in achieving this goal. He has given so much of his time over the last sev- eral years by meeting with elected officials and the DEQ, learning and ensuring the policies and regulations regarding the wastewater system were precisely fol- lowed, helping secure fund- ing, and so much more,” Skow said. “Without his driving force, this proj- ect would not have been achieved” “I want to thank Mor- row County and Solutions Oregon for helping in build- ing a dialogue with Oregon DEQ and for DEQ’s will- ingness to find a reason- able solution for the city,” said Rietmann. “The new wastewater system will ensure that Ione’s home values will not be affected by failed septic systems and folks will be able to invest with confidence in Ione’s housing market.” Dinner and Bingo Sunday in Lexington The Holly Rebekah Lodge in Lexington will again be hosting dinner and bingo this Sunday, April 30. The dinner of baked spaghetti will begin at 3 p.m. Cost is $5 per person. Bingo play will begin at 3:30 p.m. Cost is $5 for 10 bingo cards or 50 cents per card. The ladies of Holly Rebekah host dinner and bingo the last Sunday of each month. The lodge is located at 135 W. Main St. in Lexington. YOUR AD COULD BE HERE! Call 541-676-9228 Or Email graphics@rapidserve.net We also offer design and printing services Heppner Gazette-Times Sykes Printing MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. Mother’s Day Sunday, May 14th Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Let us help you show love to your mom! • Flowers • Plants • Hallmark Cards • Gifts • Balloons 217 North Main St., Heppner, OR Phone 676-9158 Floral 676-9426 murraysdrug.com Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm • Sat 8am-6pm • Sun 9am-2pm Pharmacy- Mon-Fri 9am-6pm
