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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2023)
Healy resigns from Port of Morrow 50¢ VOL. 143 NO. 33 8 Pages Wednesday, August 16, 2023 Port seeks to fill commission vacancy Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon The Morrow County Fair Starts Today Jerry Healy of Heppner has resigned from the Port of Morrow Commission, the Port announced this week. That leaves the Port looking to fill the position until the next district elec- tion in May 2025. According to state law, the remaining commission- ers will appoint Healy’s replacement. The Port of Morrow Commission en- courages all interested and eligible local residents to send a letter of interest and resume to POM Executive Director Lisa Mittelsdorf. The Port Board of Commissioners sets policy for the Port. Commission- ers must attend board of commissioners meetings on a regular basis. Regular meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Special meetings are also held oc- casionally. Applicants must reside in and be a legally reg- istered voter in Morrow County and meet other legal requirements. Upon receipt of the letter of interest and resume, the Port Commis- sion will review them, pro- ceed with interviews and make a determination by the majority of votes. The cover letter and resume must be received at the Port Office no later than 5 p.m. on September 11, 2023, at 2 Marine Drive, P.O. Box 200, Boardman, OR 97818. The person appointed shall serve until the next district election, which is May 2025 with a term ef- fective date beginning July 1, 2025. Ione school hopes to break ground on bond Heppner council discusses feral cat project this fall vacating the portion of 3 problem Street between Spring and rd Plans for the new athletic complex, which the school district hopes to place along Hwy. 74. Superintendent Tracey Johnson says the plans are a “wish list,” and may change according to funding. Right now they include a football field, track, areas for field events and 150-seat bleachers, among others. -Contributed By Andrea Di Salvo The Ione School Dis- trict hopes to break ground on the long-awaited school bond project this fall. The $22.5 million project will include expansion and re- model of the Ione school, along with improved park- ing and new athletic facil- ities. Ione voters approved the 30-year, $18.5 million bond in May of 2021. The school district chose to go for the bond that year because of the possibility of an Oregon School Im- provement Match grant (OSCIM) for $4 million, as well as the expectation of an increased tax base due to investments like the TransCanada natural gas pipeline and wind projects located in the district. The Willow Creek Farms and Shepherds Flat wind projects are under tax abatement programs right now, which will expire in 2024 and 2027, adding an expected $215 million to the district’s tax base. The school district de- termined the need for the bond after receiving a grant for professional analysis on the condition of ISD facili- ties and long-range student needs. The report indicated a need for significant re- pair, modernization and up- grades in all of the district’s facilities. Additional com- munity focus groups and surveys showed priorities of school modernization, additional educational and athletic space and expanded community services. To accommodate the additions and upgrades, the school district will need to make some major changes to the school’s existing layout. Since the bond passed two years ago, ISD has been busy behind ing across the current foot- ball field toward Cherry St. Between that addition and 3 rd Street will be new student parking and a parent drop-off lane. Behind the addition will be a new lane for bus drop-off and fire access. Part of the football field will remain as a grassy field New Ione School District Superintendent Tracey Johnson holds the architectural plans for the school improvements. She stands in her office, which will become the new Life Skills Space. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo the scenes, working with Alliance Management and Construction Solutions and Architects West to design plans that will fit both the district’s needs and the budget. Current plans are for both the elementary and secondary buildings to stay, though with some portions repurposed—especially on the secondary side. For instance, the site of the current school office will become a Life Skills room. A new addition to house secondary classrooms will be built extending from the existing elementary build- that can still be used for some practices and outdoor activities. Johnson says the school will need to rearrange stu- dent pick-up and drop-off for the short term, as well, to accommodate the ongo- ing construction and ensure student safety. She says she plans to be in touch with parents before school be- gins at the end of the month. The school district has also been working closely with the City of Ione to get the necessary ease- ments and permits. One big change to the city’s layout will come from the city’s Green streets. With part of the current playground taken up by new construction, not to mention being inaccessible during construction, part of the vacated street will serve as a paved play area. To make up for the loss of the football field as a grassy playground, the area between Ione Community Clinic and Green Street will become a grassy play- ground with a garden area. The school’s new front entrance will be from the parking lot at Third Street and Green. The loss of the Cardinal football field is an obvious concern to the community, but the school district has big plans to remedy that. Those plans include a new athletic complex with football field, track and field facilities, and bleach- ers. They hope to put it along Hwy. 74 just east of town, with an entrance off H Street. The Port of Morrow has promised both funding and help with the actual building of the facility. Morrow County Unified Recreation District also do- nated $200,000 toward the track and field, along with $25,000 to the Ione Pool. The layout of the new athletic complex is excit- ing, but Johnson clarifies that the plans are more of a wish list, “just to make sure things fit.” While funding is there, the school district has to take into account rising Heppner city council discussed the increasing feral cat problem at last meeting - Contributed Photo By Andrea Di Salvo Feral cats were the hot topic of conversation at the Heppner City Council Meeting Monday night, as the City of Heppner de- cided in a split vote not to dedicate city resources to the capture and transport of stray cats. The city is also considering an ordinance against feeding feral cats. “Heppner has a feral cat problem,” Heppner Inter- im City Manager Thomas Wolff stated to the council at the Aug. 14 meeting. He said he had on his desk two pictures that viv- idly showed the problem. One of the photos showed a residence at N. Elder St. with a feeding station for feral cats. “With 32 cats in the picture,” he added. The second picture showed around 25 cats and kittens around a feeding station in a back yard on Morrow St., Wolff said. Among the problems produced by the feral cats were the time and cost of -Continued to PAGE SIX Emergency coordinator to speak in Ione Stephanie Pflugrad, Eastern Regional Coor- dinator with the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, will be the guest speaker at the Con- versation and Coffee Hour held at Ione Community Church on Aug. 24. The -Continued to PAGE SEVEN program will begin at 10 a.m. Pflugrad works with the Division of Mitigation and Recovery Services and will explain the disaster mitiga- tion process. She will also lead a question-and-answer session regarding the recent flooding in Ione. CALL 541-989-8221 ext 204 for more information
