SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Circuit court placement still top of mind
-Continued from PAGE ONE decision, or will our opin-
Collins also said he
had recently expanded his
property with the intention
of providing water and
sewer hookups for mobile
trailers, and he wondered
if the county was willing to
support those efforts.
“If this is truly the final
place for the new court-
house, rather than being
an opponent, we want to
understand how we can
be a positive partner with
Morrow County to ensure
that local landowners are
considered, protected and
involved throughout this
process,” said Collins.
Terri Gentry, also of
Heppner, had been on hand
to voice her concerns at a re-
cent Heppner City Council
meeting. As vice-president
of the Oregon Trail Pro Ro-
deo Committee, she ques-
tioned whether the plans
for the new courthouse
building would threaten the
rodeo’s future.
“I recently was told
by a local citizen that our
contestant parking lot, that
we fully utilize during the
times that the arena is being
used, is now going to be
the site of the new Morrow
County Circuit Court build-
ing,” said Gentry.
“The rodeo committee
does not want to impede the
construction of this build-
ing in the Heppner area,”
Gentry said, but added that
the rodeo committee had
not been informed even
after the decision was an-
nounced. “And we feel
that the commissioners in
the county have once again
ignored the existence of our
fair and rodeo and the rodeo
committee as a meaningful
part of this county.”
She said the new cir-
cuit court site would eat up
existing rodeo competitor
parking and endanger the
long-standing tradition.
“If the contestants can’t
park, they won’t come, and
there won’t be a rodeo,”
she said. “And the Morrow
County legacy event, the
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo ad
the MoCo Rodeo, will no
longer exist after 2024.”
“The open dialogue
is going to happen,” said
Morrow County Board of
Commissioner Chair David
Sykes. “All the people that
want to talk about it will be
invited.”
Later in the meeting,
Morrow County Fair Sec-
retary Sue Gibbs also ad-
dressed the commissioners
about the fair board’s con-
cerns.
“We’re at the top of
this, and we want to work
and talk with all of you as
we go through this,” Sykes
told Gibbs. “And we want
to know what your concerns
are and what your thoughts
are.”
Morrow County Clerk
Bobbi Childers spoke as a
citizen when she said she
has been involved in fair
and rodeo, as well as work-
ing in the courthouse.
“I understand that we
own this property, and I
really wish that we could
look somewhere else,” she
said. “I know that stuff has
gone into this, but I think
there are much better solu-
tions than putting that in
there and affecting so many
things that our community
needs.”
Julie Baker of Lexing-
ton said she had concerns as
an elementary school parent
about the court being locat-
ed so close to the elementa-
ry school, including where
current student drop-off and
pick-up are.
“I want to know what
research has been done
regarding the safety of our
students and our youth,”
said Baker. “Why has an
opportunity not been given
to parents in the community
for feedback? Is this a final
ions be valued here?”
While most of the
public comments were re-
garding the circuit court,
Boardman man Raymond
Akers addressed the com-
missioners about the water
nitrate issues in North Mor-
row County, saying he was
concerned because it didn’t
look like the county was
doing anything and there
was no open dialogue.
“Something’s got to
happen here,” said Akers.
“Our numbers are growing,
and we’re not going away.”
“This is a very com-
plex problem, as we’ve
said before,” replied Sykes.
“We’re addressing it on
multiple fronts right now.”
Also in the matter of
the justice system, the
board of commissioners
approved renewal of a jail
use agreement between
Morrow and Umatilla coun-
ties for jail bed space for
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Office prisoners at Umatilla
County Jail. The total con-
tract amount is $876,000, to
be paid in quarterly install-
ments of $219,000.
The contract includes
guaranteed reservation of
20 daily beds for Mor-
row County prisoners. The
county had been paying $69
per bed, but the price this
year jumped to $120 per
day. MCSO Undersheriff
Brian Snyder told the com-
missioners the state average
is $159 per bed.
“That’s a significant
jump as it is,” said Snyder,
“but we were able to talk
them down.”
Snyder added that the
contract is important be-
cause, without it, Morrow
County prisoners would be
the first to be released if the
Umatilla County jail were
overcrowded, but the con-
tract guarantees Morrow
County space for at least 20
prisoners.
The board of commis-
sioners also approved ap-
propriations of $54,000 for
emergency dispatch to pur-
chase an additional phone.
The funds from the 9-1-1
tax were already present in
the contingency budget.
Morrow County Sher-
iff’s Office Communica-
tions Lt. Kristen Bowles
told the commissioners that
the state had cut the county
from five to three phones
a couple of years ago. The
MCSO Communications
Center currently has four
stations, but only three have
working phones.
“With the county grow-
ing the way it is and the
calls for service and the in-
coming calls picking up, we
need to be able to answer
the phone,” said Bowles.
“There’s been multi-
ple times when all of our
phones are lit up and we
have one station that’s abso-
lutely useless,” she added.
“So we’re not answering
the phone in a timely man-
ner.”
Also at the meeting, the
commissioners approved
an ordinance adopting a
new procurement and con-
tracting policy. The com-
missioners also approved
resolutions on policies for
capital asset management,
financial assistance man-
agement and cash handling.
The new policies were
created to align with the
Oregon Health Authority
action plan; the county is
required to have certain
policies and procedures for
capital assets documented,
especially when it comes to
Federal funds.
“Really there’s not go-
ing to be much of a change
in processes and current
practices,” said Morrow
County Finance Director
Kevin Ince of one of the
policies. “This is more of
a formal documentation of
best practices which, gener-
ally speaking, we’re already
in alignment with.”
In other action at the
July 19 meeting, the board
approved:
-a supplemental bud-
get resolution to establish
an election modernization
fund;
-the appointment of
Ann Jones to the Morrow
County Fair Board to fill the
remainder of Alita Nelson’s
term, which expires Dec.
31, 2024; Jones had been
Morrow County Fair Sec-
retary for about eight years
before Sue Gibbs took over
the role this summer;
-a contract with Andy
Ashbeck Trucking for pub-
lic works equipment and
trucking services, which
will be provided at a vari-
able hourly rate;
-a 10-year rock pit
agreement for 50 cents per
crushed ton of rock with 4C
Ranches in Ione for an es-
tablished quarry on Carlson
Ln. The estimated cost is
$26,000 per year; and
-a sole-source award of
ambient mix asphalt emul-
sion to Enviroad, LLC for
approximately $1,750,000
for summer capital im-
provement paving projects.
Music in the Parks
wrapping up with
two sizzling groups
Cruise Control
National forests on
Phase B restrictions
Umatilla National For-
est officials remind forest
users that Malheur, Uma-
tilla and Wallowa-Whitman
national forests increased to
Phase B Public Use Restric-
tions recently due to high
fire danger, the potential
for human-caused fires and
concern for public safety.
The increased restrictions
pertain to the use of camp-
fires, smoking, chainsaws,
internal combustion en-
gines and generators.
Campfires are only al-
lowed in designated camp-
grounds and recreation
sites. Liquefied or bottled
gas stoves and heaters are
allowed for cooking and
heating. A list of designated
recreation sites is available
on each of the forest’s web-
sites.
Operating an internal
combustion engine, such
as a chainsaw, is prohibit-
ed without a valid permit.
Commercial and personal
use firewood permits are
regulated by the conditions
of the permit and separate
from restrictions under this
public use restriction.
Generators will only
be allowed in the center of
an area at least 10 feet in
diameter that is cleared of
all flammable material; or
when fully contained with-
in a pickup truck bed that
is devoid of all flammable
material; or when factory
installed in a recreational
vehicle and the generator
exhaust discharge is located
in the center of an area at
least 10 feet in diameter that
is cleared of all flammable
material.
Smoking is only al-
lowed within enclosed
vehicles, buildings and
developed recreation sites
or when stopped in an area
cleared of all flammable
material.
No off-road vehicle
travel is allowed. Possess-
ing or using a motor vehicle
off National Forest roads
and motorized trails is pro-
hibited, except for the pur-
pose of parking in an area
free of vegetation within 10
feet of the roadway. Motor-
ized travel on roads closed
by gates, barricades, berms,
rocks or logs is prohibited.
Regulated closures
may be in effect on state
and private lands protected
by Oregon Department of
Forestry (ODF) in northeast
and central Oregon. Please
check with your local ODF
office for PURs on lands
protected by ODF.
Please remember that it
is everyone’s responsibility
to know what restrictions
are in place when visiting
public lands. Additional
restrictions may apply on
each individual Forest. For
more information regarding
restrictions on the Umatilla
National Forests, please call
toll-free at 877-958-9663 or
visit https://www.fs.usda.
gov/umatilla.
Lunch
& Dinner
Menu
Specials 8/3 /8-9
Estilo Diferente
Music in the Parks at
Boardman and Irrigon ma-
rina parks will wrap up its
summer concert series with
two sizzling performances
this month.
Estilio Diferente is
back for an encore perfor-
mance in Boardman on
August 7. Estilo Diferente
was founded in 2019 by
three teenage friends. Their
name translates as “differ-
ent style” and is illustrated
by the variety of musical
styles they play, which
include: norteño, sierreño,
indie sierreño, corridos and
romanticas.
The season wraps up
with Cruise Control in Ir-
rigon on August 14. Cruise
Control is a 50s, 60s, 70s
and 80s cover band that
plays rock, pop, and coun-
try rock music. Together
with their unique blend of
voices, they play everything
from the hard drivin’ rock
and roll to the softer melo-
dies that bring back mem-
ories of special occasions
and invite the listener to
reminisce over experiences
that used to be so clear. Feel
Print
&
Mailing
Services
*Design
*Print
*Mail
Sykes Publishing
541-676-9228
free to tap your toe, dance,
or just sing along, whichev-
er makes you happy.
From time to time the
band provides an open mic
for people in the audience
to display their talents or
fulfill their dream of singing
with a rock band. The band
is very versatile, and often
will take requests from the
eras they cover. So, if you
have a favorite song you
would like to hear, feel free
to make your request and
they will do their best to
make it happen.
The concerts are free
to the public and begin at
7 p.m. on Monday nights.
Visitors are encouraged
to bring chairs and blan-
kets. The series is funded
by the Morrow County
Unified Recreation Dis-
trict and sponsored by the
North Morrow Community
Foundation. In the event of
inclement weather, Board-
man performances will be
held at the SAGE Center
and Irrigon performances
will be held at the Irrigon
Senior Center.
Thursday - sweet n sour pork, fried rice, and
egg roll $9
4-9pm free dots pretzel’s
Friday - chicken plus with fries $9
Saturday - chef salad for $10
Monday - 1/4 cheeseburger with cheddar
cheese, bacon bits and a side of Mac n cheese
$9
Tuesday- shrimp fajitas and tortilla chips $9
Tuesday - night $2 hard shell tacos
Wednesday - taco burger and tortilla chips $9
ALL NEWS AND
ADVERTISEMENT
DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Do You Have Something to
Share?
Our newly updated website makes it easy to:
•Submit news
•Submit birth, engagement and
wedding announcements
•Send us photos
•Submit letters to the editor
•Place ads
•Start a new subscription
www.heppner.net
Weekly deadline for all news and advertising is Monday at 5pm.
177 N. Main St, Heppner • 541-676-9228
Hopeful Saints
Movie in the Parking Lot
Saturday August 5th & August 12th!
Corner of Gale & Church Street in Heppner
Movies will start at
8:30 weather permitting.
This is a free community event thanks to Morrow
County Unified Recreation District.
Any questions contact Cody High 541-256-0847