Health district
moves forward with
legal action against
county, Boardman
Fire
50¢
VOL. 143
NO. 19 12 Pages
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Town and Country celebrates locals
In every communi-
ty, a few special people
stand out. People from the
Heppner area gathered last
week to celebrate of few
of them at the Heppner
Chamber of Commerce’s
Town and County Awards
at the Gilliam and Bisbee
Event Center.
Student of the Year
Award went to Madison
Palmer. Educator of the
Year was Brook Baker.
Pennie Miller was Woman
of the Year, and Jeff Bai-
ley was Man of the Year.
Business of the Year went
to Murray’s Drug, owned
by John and Ann Murray.
Receiving the Lifetime
Achievement Award was
Judy Buschke.
Dinner was catered by
Alvin Liu, with no-host
bar by Bucknum’s, coffee
service by Browne House
and dinner service by Hep-
pner FFA and TSA students.
Ken Grieb was emcee, Dale
Bates sound and DJ, and
Joe Lindsay provided enter-
tainment. Award gifts were
designed by Serendipity
Designs, and photographs
were taken by D2 Photog-
raphy.
“She is tireless—or
appears to be,” one per-
son said of 2023 Lifetime
Achievement Award win-
ner Judy Buschke. Those
who nominated Buschke
describe her as “a pillar of
the community” and having
a “diligent spirit.”
“We have never heard
Man of the Year Jeff Bailey
-Photo D2 Photography
Woman of the Year Pennie
Miller -Photo D2 Photography
Murray’s Drug owners John
and Ann Murray -Photo D2
Photography
By Andrea Di Salvo
The City of Boardman
is moving forward with the
hiring of a new city man-
ager after the city council
voted May 2 to extend a
conditional offer of em-
ployment to Brandon R.
Hammond of Medford,
OR. Hammond accepted
the conditional offer, and
now the city will begin the
process of conducting a
background check.
The city had previous-
ly held panel interviews
for two candidates for the
open position, which was
left vacant when former
city manager Karen Petti-
grew resigned in January.
The council also invited
the public to a meet and
greet to meet both finalists,
and asked attendees to fill
Boardman Fire Rescue
District in default and sign
a final order against the fire
district. The final order was
sent to BRFD’s attorney on
May 3.
The final order is spe-
cifically in response to
claims that Boardman Fire
illegally responded to EMS
calls and that BFRD failed
to participate in hearings
regarding the allegations.
The $169,000 fine, which
is stipulated to be used for
EMS services, was calculat-
ed at 338 violations at $500
per violation, plus adminis-
-Continued to PAGE ELEVEN
Ballots due next week for
special district election
Lifetime Achievement Award Student of the Year Madison
winner Judy Buschke -Photo Palmer -Photo D2 Photog-
D2 Photography
raphy
Educator of the Year Brook
Baker -Photo D2 Photography
this lady say ‘No, I can’t.’
She is always there to step
up and take care of whatev-
er needs to be done!” said
one nomination letter.
Her volunteer activities
are numerous but, to name
a few, she has served on
the Heppner City Council,
on the Heppner Housing
Authority for St. Patrick’s
Senior Center and as a Lady
Elk, serving in numerous
events, fundraisers and
funeral dinners that sup-
port the entire community.
And, while doing all those
things and more, “her beau-
ty shines.”
“Judy is definitely a
pillar of our community
that has given a lifetime of
service,” said a nomination
letter from Beverly Sher-
man, Jan Huddleston and
Barbara Watkins. “We are
not exaggerating when we
say how proud we are of her
Murray’s Drug caught the
error. “The surgeon wanted
the patient to know that
Murrays were the ones who
saved her from great dam-
age,” the letter said.
“Owning their business
goes well beyond a Monday
through Friday, 9-5 job,”
said one nomination, while
another said, “The atmo-
sphere at Murray’s is in-
viting and positive. It’s not
only a place to shop, pick up
your meds, and order some
flowers…it’s a place where
strangers leave as friends.”
Speaking of friends,
2023 Woman of the Year
Pennie Miller is described
as a friend, a leader and a
caretaker. Susie Thompson
called her the “backbone
of our hospital,” where
she worked for more than
30 years, wearing many
hats. She was in charge
and how much she inspires
us and our community ev-
ery single day.”
Murray’s Drug, owned
by John and Ann Murray,
has long been a mainstay
of Heppner life, and that
was recognized this year
by several nominations for
2023 Business of the Year.
Staff praised them for their
compassion, kindness and
consideration. Customers
expressed the value of the
store atmosphere and the
gifts, the coffee bar, the
flower shop and, perhaps
most of all, the pharmacy.
One person shared how
Ann offered to drive to Ione
with a prescription. “They
go above and beyond to
keep us healthy,” she said.
Another mentioned that
their surgeon called and
told them the surgeon had
accidentally prescribed the
wrong medication, but that
-Continued to PAGE TWELVE
Boardman extends offer for new city manager
Brandon Hammond
By Andrea Di Salvo
The Morrow County
Health District is moving
forward with legal action
again Boardman Fire Res-
cue District and Morrow
County, the health district
board decided at a special
meeting May 2. The health
district will seek an injunc-
tion and declaratory relief
against both the county and
the fire district, as well as
issuing a final order with
$169,000 in fines to BFRD.
After executive session
May 2, the board entered
open session and unan-
imously agreed to find
out comment cards for the
council’s consideration.
The council reviewed the
comment cards and dis-
cussed feedback during
an executive session just
prior to the May 2 council
meeting.
In a press release, the
Boardman City Council
stated that it is committed
to a community-informed
hiring process and will pro-
vide updates to the commu-
nity during open sessions
of the city council in the
coming months.
“The council would
like to thank everyone in-
volved in the hiring process
and commend the commu-
nity for participating in the
process,” the release stated.
Also at the meeting,
the council considered a
request from the owner
of America’s Best Value
Inn in Boardman to waive
penalties and interest from
delinquent taxes. Shivam
Patel purchased the hotel
in September 2020. Board-
man Finance Director Mar-
ta Barajas told the council
the motel is inside the city
limits and thus subject to
transient room tax.
Since purchasing the
hotel, Patel had not sub-
mitted any of the quarterly
tax forms or payments.
Total delinquent taxes
were $14,697, with another
$6,140 in fees and interest.
Barajas said Patel did final-
ly bring his tax bill current
the week before but was
asking for a 100 percent
waiver on the $6,140 in
penalties and interest.
Patel did not appear
in person but issued his
request via letter. After
hearing a detailed report of
Barajas’s extensive actions
in contacting Patel, the
council seemed disinclined
to issue a waiver.
“My feeling is that it’s
not like it was just a few
months. This was what,
two and a half years? Three
and a half years, almost?”
said Boardman Councilor
Richard Rockwell.
Boardman Mayor Paul
Keefer questioned whether
it would be beneficial to
work with Patel by extend-
ing the payment deadline.
“Marta has put in a
decent amount of time in
being patient and under-
standing, and I feel like it
would be disrespecting her
time if there was not a hard
line at some point drawn,”
said Boardman Councilor
Isaac Williams.
“I’m just thinking,
we’ve all been in hard
times. Whether it’s legit or
not, should there be a little
bit of grace—or not?” said
Keefer.
“It doesn’t sound like
at any point he requested an
extension,” replied Board-
man Councilor Cristina
Cuevas.
“The other thing you
should consider is that he
collected money. He used
our money, that he should
have turned in to us,” said
Boardman Councilor Karen
Pettigrew. “He used that for
a year or two. That’s why
the penalty is in place.”
She added that the city
doesn’t normally have de-
linquent accounts because
businesses realize the tax
isn’t their money to use.
“They are strictly a pass-
through,” she said.
The council voted
unanimously not to waive
the hotel owner’s fees and
interest.
Du rin g th e p u blic
comment portion of the
meeting, Lisa and Cadance
Ferguson asked the council
to consider allowing chick-
ens within the city limits,
especially in light of egg
shortages and food costs.
Mother Lisa Ferguson said
they are a family of seven,
and Walmart is limiting
egg purchases, but a dozen
eggs isn’t enough for their
family.
“My main goal is to
feed my family,” she said.
She said she had been
talking to a lot of people
who live in city limits, and
she realized there would
need to be boundaries in
place for city chickens.
However, she noted
that chickens not only pro-
vide eggs and make good
pets, but also eat bugs and
can reduce waste by eating
scraps. She also said chick-
ens would provide some
food security for families
Ballots may be dropped off
or postmarked by May 16
for this year’s special district
election. Drop boxes are locat-
ed throughout the county for
voter convenience. -Contrib-
uted photo
Morrow County vot-
ers should already have
received their ballots for
the May 16 special dis-
trict election. The special
election includes board
positions for county entities
such as cemetery, fire and
recreation districts, and
most candidates are running
unopposed. The Port of
Morrow is one notable ex-
ception, with both Marvin
Padberg and John Murray
running against at least one
opponent each.
Padberg holds Com-
missioner Position 4. Also
filing for that position is
Kelly Doherty of Board-
man.
Murray holds Com-
missioner Position 5. He
faces not one but three
opponents—Wes Killion,
David Boor and Jonathan
Tallman, all of Boardman.
Also contested is one
Morrow County Health
District position, board
position number five. Run-
ning for that position are
Ana Pin ͂ eyro of Boardman
and Stephen Munkers of
Irrigon.
Remember, ballots are
not forwarded. Those who
haven’t received ballots but
believe they should have
should contact the Morrow
County Clerk’s office as
soon as possible at 541-
676-5604.
All ballots are due by 8
p.m. Election Day, Tuesday,
May 16. Ballots must be
postmarked no later than
May 16 to be counted.
For voter convenience, 24-
hour drop boxes are locat-
ed throughout the county.
Drop boxes close at 8 p.m.
on Election Day. Locations
are as follows:
Heppner: In the park-
ing lot behind the Bar-
tholomew Building (24
hours) or the Morrow Coun-
ty Clerk’s Office, Room
102 inside the courthouse.
Open 8 a.m. to noon and
1-5 p.m., M-F and Election
Day (May 16) from 7 a.m.
until 8 p.m.
Lexington: 365 West
Hwy 74 (Public Works
Parking lot). Open 24 hours.
Ione: Spring St. (in
front of the turn to 3 rd
Street). Open 24 hours.
Boardman: NW
Boardman Ave. (24 hours).
Irrigon: 205 NE 3 rd
St. (Irrigon Annex). Open
24 hours.
May 23 is the last day
the county clerk’s office
will receive valid post-
marked ballots, with certi-
fied results published by 5
p.m. on June 12, 2023.
Mustangs top district
going into playoffs
The Mustang baseball
team is number one in the
district heading into the
2A/1A Special District 7
playoffs.
Number-three team
Grant Union faced off
against fifth-ranked Irrigon
Tuesday in John Day. As the
number-one seed in the dis-
trict, the Mustangs will host
the winner of that game this
Friday, May 12, at 4 p.m.
-Continued to PAGE TEN
If the Mustangs win
that game, they will host
the championship game in
Heppner on Tuesday, May
16. The first round of state
playoffs begins May 22.
The Mustangs are cur-
rently ninth in 2A/1A state
rankings. Their only league
losses were to Stanfield/
Echo and Irrigon. The boys
have a 13-2 league record
for the season with an 18-4
overall record.
CALL
541-989-8221
ext 204
for more
information