FIVE- Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Currins named St. Morrow County Circuit Court building site
Pats Grand Marshal
-Continued from PAGE ONE initiate public consideration They’re vile,” said Sykes. expansion.
-Continued from PAGE ONE event chutes and eventu-
Pendleton Round-Up
and even made it to the
National Finals Rodeo in
steer wrestling in 1987.
Tony is happily married to
his wife Kelli, and they are
proud parents of two chil-
dren. Their daughter Shay-
la recently completed her
bachelor’s degree, while
their son Carter works as
a computer programmer in
Sand Point, Idaho.
Mike, with his excep-
tional talent and unwav-
ering passion for rodeo,
achieved remarkable feats,
securing prestigious ti-
tles such as the National
College Steer Wrestling
Champion and the Pendle-
ton Round-Up All-Around
Champion. Sadly, his life
was cut short in a tragic
plane accident in 1990, but
his legacy remains forever
etched in the annals of ro-
deo history.
Steve Currin, a life-
long resident of Heppner,
is the fifth generation to
run the renowned Butter
Creek ranch. Steve grad-
uated from Heppner High
School in 1985, where he
was a part of the rodeo
team. He continued his
passion for rodeo by joining
both the Blue Mountain
and Montana State Univer-
sity rodeo teams. Steve’s
dedication paid off when
he won the steer wrestling
championship at the Pend-
leton Round-Up in 1991.
Alongside his wife, Lis-
anne, they are proud parents
of two children. Their son,
Kolby, is employed as a
commercial loan officer at
the Bank of Eastern Oregon
in Hermiston. Meanwhile,
their daughter, Jacee, has
pursued a career as a reg-
istered nurse and currently
practices in Phoenix, Ar-
izona.
Jennifer Currin
Gutridge became well-
known in 1991 after being
crowned Round-Up Queen
at the Pendleton Round-Up,
a symbol of elegance and
beauty. Currently, she lives
in Wilsonville, Oregon with
her husband Shane. Togeth-
er, they have two children
named Kallen and Cydney.
It is worth mentioning that
Kallen has recently com-
mitted to playing football
for the Oregon State Bea-
vers this year. Cydney is a
financial advisor and lives
in Santa Barbara California.
Ron and Judy proudly
displayed over 30 saddles
that their children had won
in their home on Butter
Creek. In addition to the
saddles, their boys had also
earned numerous rodeo
titles and circuit titles, too
many to mention.
In recognition of their
remarkable achievements
and contributions, the Cur-
rin family was inducted
into the Pendleton Round-
Up Hall of Fame in 1996.
Their legacy as ranchers,
rodeo champions, and am-
bassadors of the Pendleton
Round-Up will forever be
remembered and celebrated
by generations to come.
Tom and Marlene Cur-
rin, natives of Heppner,
Oregon, have deep roots in
the community. Tom, raised
on Little Butter Creek, was
a Heppner High School
alumnus and returned to
contribute to the family
cattle ranch after pursuing
an agriculture degree from
OT1. In the 1960s, he began
his rodeo journey, start-
ing with managing timed
ally overseeing entries and
all-around awards for the
Morrow County Rodeo. He
served as Vice Chairman for
three years and then became
the Chair of the rodeo com-
mittee for a year, dedicating
a total of nine years to the
event. He played a crucial
role in transitioning the ro-
deo to a PRCA-sanctioned
event in the early 1970s to
enhance its success.
Marlene, too, contribut-
ed significantly to the local
rodeo scene. As a young
woman, she engaged in
barrel racing and held titles
such as rodeo princess and
queen in the 1960s. Follow-
ing her studies at the North-
west School of Business in
Portland, she returned to
marry Tom in 1981, with
whom she has two sons
Ryan and Jeff. Marlene’s
involvement included roles
as the Fair Secretary and
Rodeo Court chaperone,
and later, upon Jerry Gen-
try’s recommendation, she
became the Rodeo Sec-
retary for thirteen years.
Her efforts were pivotal in
upgrading the fair and rodeo
grounds, working tirelessly
on planning and budgeting
alongside devoted volun-
teers.
Beyond the rodeo, Tom
and Marlene have contrib-
uted to their community in
various capacities. Tom was
the treasurer for the Morrow
County Livestock Growers
for over three decades and
participated in several lo-
cal committees. Marlene,
meanwhile, directed the
Family Community Edu-
cation for three counties
and was President of the
Heppner Book Worms, also
indulging in her passion for
quilting. Together, they con-
tinue to embrace and enrich
their lives and community
with dedication and love
for their hometown. Even
though Tom and Marlene
live in Pendleton now, Tom
said Heppner will always be
home to him.
Their efforts were rec-
ognized through numerous
accolades and positions of
honor, including serving
as Grand Marshals of the
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo in
2006, a testament to their
contributions to the sport
and community.
The legacy of the Currin
family, from their pioneer-
ing beginnings in the 1800s
to their present-day endeav-
ors, reflects a deep-rooted
connection to Heppner, a
passion for rodeo, and a
commitment to community
service. Each generation
has carried forward the
values and traditions of their
forebears, adapting to the
times while preserving the
essence of their heritage.
Today, the Currin fami-
ly’s legacy lives on, not just
in the rolling hills and gold-
en fields of Morrow County
but in the hearts and minds
of those who have wit-
nessed their journey. Their
story, marked by triumph
and tragedy, hard work, and
community service, con-
tinues to inspire and uplift,
serving as a testament to the
enduring spirit of the Amer-
ican West and the bonds of
family and community that
transcend generations.
Ron Currin Sr., 86 years
old, passed away on March
26, 2023, in Hermiston. He
was born on May 26, 1936,
in Pendleton, and dedicated
over six decades of his life
to ranching and farming.
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proceedings in this new
era.”
“As contemplated by
ORS 1.085, the updated
order will still specify that
each circuit court must
have a principal physical
location somewhere in each
county in the judicial dis-
trict,” Flynn wrote. “But the
order will not specify a par-
ticular physical location for
the courthouse within any
county. As you continue to
work through the project in
Morrow County, please feel
free to share with the county
commissioners there that
the Chief Justice does not
have an order in place that
would dictate any particular
location for the new court
facility.”
The statute does state
that, if the principal loca-
tion is outside of Heppner,
the city would still need a
facility in which to hold
court based on caseload.
Jensen said the change
will result in some delays in
planning and construction
but that the impact is much
less now than it would have
been a few months down
the road. He also said he
will need to check with the
county planning department
before moving forward
with any other site.
Morrow County Coun-
sel Justin Nelson also told
the commissioners he will
check with Chief Justice
Flynn to make sure there are
no additional legal require-
ments the county needs to
meet regarding the circuit
court’s location.
ASA Update
The other hot-button
topic on the agenda was the
county’s Ambulance Ser-
vice Area (ASA) plan. The
county has moved forward
with an interim service
contract with Boardman
fire Rescue district (BFRD)
after the Morrow County
Health District’s rejection
of the county’s offer at the
health district’s Feb. 26
board meeting.
The county’s offer
would have designated
MCHD as the initial pro-
vider for the Northeast
(Irrigon) and South (South
Morrow) ASAs for five
years and included reim-
bursement of up to $1 mil-
lion per year for any fund-
ing shortfalls.
In rejecting the offer,
MCHD cited the inability to
staff those areas effectively
since the health district was
unwilling to rely on Board-
man Fire for mutual aid.
The hesitation on the part of
the health district came both
from the animosity that has
developed between the two
entities and from BFRD’s
announcement that it would
no longer be providing mu-
tual aid to Irrigon Fire.
Boardman Fire as-
sumed ambulance response
for the Boardman area on
March 4 with the stated in-
tention of testing and work-
ing out any bugs before
taking over the Irrigon and
South Morrow areas. The
transition to that coverage
took place this week, March
12, at 6 p.m.
Because of BFRD’s
limited equipment, the
county also finalized a
contract with American
Medical Response North-
west (AMR) to lease three
additional ambulances at
a cost of $500 per month
per ambulance. The BOC
authorized Jensen to sign
the AMR contract, and
Boardman Fire picked up
the ambulances March 7.
As for the ASA plan
itself, the county received
back the Oregon health
Authority review of the
draft plan on Feb. 22,
Jensen said. County legal
counsel was reviewing the
comments and making ad-
justments with the goal of
resubmitting the document
by March 6.
Jensen said the OHA
will provide final review,
and then staff will present
it to the commissioners to
and final adoption of the
ASA plan.
Meanwhile, though re-
jecting the county’s offer
last month, MCHD has
stated that it will provide
limited emergency backup
in the interim. In a Feb.
29 letter to the BOC, the
health district said its Quick
Response Teams in each
community may respond
as needed to medical calls
to provide stabilizing care.
MCHD may also trans-
port patients by ambulance
“if appropriately dispatched
and if a delay in transport
would place the patient
at risk of harm or death,
based upon the professional
judgement of the care pro-
vider on scene.”
However, the health
district will only have one
full-time EMT or paramed-
ic on staff at a time after
March 12.
The health district also
expressed concerns over
whether BFRD will trans-
port patients to the nearest
appropriate facility when in
South Morrow and urged
the commissioners to pro-
vide oversight in that area.
Finally, MCHD made
public its intention to sub-
mit a proposal for a five-
year service agreement as
the county’s sole ambulance
service provider as soon as
the county completes the
ASA and releases a request
for proposals.
Administrator under
Fire
As a result of the ten-
sion in the county, the
board of commissioners
also fielded a request from
Jensen that he be allowed
to live outside Morrow
County.
The discussion was
originally scheduled for
executive session but was
moved to open session
when county counsel ex-
pressed concerns over
whether it fell under the
correct use of executive
session.
Jensen said that, while
the county housing shortage
was an issue, he was also
concerned for his family
in the “current political
winds” in Morrow County.
“We’ve lived here six
months. Our full intention
was to dive in and get in-
volved in the community,”
said Jensen. “I want to be
fully committed to Morrow
County.”
He added that he un-
derstood that his position is
in the public eye and calls
for a thick skin but asked
for consideration, saying
the situation his family is
facing is “not normal.”
“For peace of mind
and mental health, a little
anonymity for my wife and
children would be appreci-
ated,” he added.
Jensen said the require-
ment that the county ad-
ministrator live within the
county had been in the job
posting and the letter of
offer, but he didn’t believe
it was in his contract or
in county ordinance. He
also pointed out that sev-
eral county employees live
nearby in Umatilla County
without it affecting their
work.
H o w e v e r, M o r r o w
County Commissioners
Roy Drago and Jeff Wen-
holz both said they were re-
luctant to grant the request
since one candidate for the
county administrator’s po-
sition had been discounted
because of the requirement
to live in-county.
“So I have a hard time
making an exception at this
point,” said Drago.
“Not that I don’t have
sympathy for Matt in his
situation,” added Wenholz.
“What he’s having to put up
with is unacceptable.”
Morrow County BOC
Chair David Sykes, how-
ever, said it was a unique
situation.
“I’ve seen some mes-
sages that were written to
him that were disgusting.
“I’ve been called some
names in my time, but some
of this stuff is awful.”
Sykes added that he
had seen messages to Jen-
sen where he was attacked
for his religion, called “an
SOB” and that used ex-
tensive profanity, among
others.
“Is this the way Mor-
row County treats people?”
he asked. “Apparently, now
this is how life and business
is done here.”
However, faced with
questions of discrimination
and liability, the board of
commissioners decided to
set aside the request for a
time and asked Nelson to
look into legal ramifications
of making an exception for
Jensen.
Other Business
In other business, the
board of commissioners
conducted a public hearing
and second reading of the
2024 Threemile Canyon
Farms Plan Map and Zone
Map Amendment.
The commissioners
unanimously passed the
accompanying ordinance,
which amends the com-
prehensive plan to change
the comprehensive plan
map and zoning map of
a 318-acre parcel of land
owned by Threemile Can-
yon Farms from space age
industrial to exclusive farm
use.
In 2023, Morrow Coun-
ty approved the rezoning of
a nearby 274-acre parcel,
also owned by Threemile,
from exclusive farm use to
general manufacturing. The
change was made to allow
the construction of a large
data center.
The Oregon Depart-
ment of Land Conservation
and Development appealed
that decision. The current
zoning change is the result
of a settlement agreement
with the State of Oregon
over the appeal of the 274-
acre rezone and plan and
map amendment decision.
The board of commis-
sioners also voted to com-
mit $750,000 to the Hep-
pner Daycare for expansion
and capital improvements.
The money will come from
the county’s American Res-
cue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Heppner Daycare is
the only nonprofit licensed
childcare and certified pre-
school center in South Mor-
row County.
The daycare center is
seeking the funding to in-
crease its maximum capac-
ity of three- to eight-year-
olds to 40 children, as well
as expand its service to in-
clude an infant and toddler
center with a capacity of 28.
The proposed facility would
also have more workspace
for teachers, caregivers and
administrators.
Daycare representa-
tives said they have offi-
cially secured $425,000
in pledged funds and were
requesting Morrow County
to commit the $750,000
to the total project goal of
$1,500,000. They say they
plan to fundraise the addi-
tional project costs through
grant writing, community
events, and private and in-
kind donations.
The BOC voted unan-
imously to commit the
funds, with grant distribu-
tion details to be worked
out later.
The commissioners
also unanimously passed
a resolution exempting the
Morrow County Court-
house project from the
competitive bid process
and instead using a qualifi-
cations-based Request for
Proposal (RFP) competitive
procurement process to
select a construction man-
ager/general contractor for
the project.
The commissioners
also voted to support a
31.4-acre expansion of the
Columbia River Enterprise
Zone (CREZ) III boundary.
That will leave 2,250 acres
still available for CREZ
The City of Boardman
requested that the two tax
lots be added to the enter-
prise zone for hotel devel-
opment.
-Continued from PAGE FOUR
PUBLIC NOTICE
sale is a public auction
to the highest bidder for
cash or cashier’s check, in
hand, made out to Morrow
County Sheriff’s Office.
For more information on
this sale go to: http://ore-
gonsheriffssales.org/
Published March 6, 13. 20,
27, 2024 affid 4c
Morrow County Pub-
lic Works is Requesting
Bids for rock crushing in
specified pits in Morrow
County. Responsive and
Responsible Contractors
submitting bids will be
considered based on low-
est cost and availability to
Morrow County. All doc-
uments for this Invitation
to Bid must be obtained
from the Morrow County
Website Bids & RFPs tab
(co.morrow.or.us). The In-
vitation to Bid closes and
will be reviewed March
21, 2024, at 1:00 pm P.S.T.
at Morrow County Public
Works 365 West Highway
74 Lexington, OR 97839.
Contract terms and condi-
tions may be reviewed at
the Morrow County Public
Works Office. Sealed Bids
marked “Rock Crushing
ITB” will be received by
Management
Assistant
Sandi Pointer in person
or via UPS or Fed-Ex to:
Morrow County Public
Works 365 West Highway
74 Lexington, Or. 97839
Attn: Sandi Pointer
Published March, 13, 20,
2024 affid
The Planning Commission
for the City of Heppner
will conduct a public hear-
ing on April 01, 2024 at
7:00 PM at Heppner City
Hall regarding the follow-
ing application: Variance
Permit to allow the con-
struction of a sidewalk
and retaining wall on a lot
in an R-2 zone. Map #2S
26E 26CC Tax lot #400,
AKA 355 E Aiken Street.
Applicants Kelly and Lor-
rie Fox. A Copy of the ap-
plication and copies of all
documents and evidence
submitted by or on behalf
of applicants and copies
of any applicable zoning
criteria are available for
inspection at no cost with
copies provided at a rea-
sonable cost. Contact Hep-
pner City Hall, 111 N. Main
ST. PO Box 756 Heppner
OR 97836. Phone (541)
676-9618. Persons who
wish to attend this meet-
ing and need assistance
are asked to call City Hall
or TTY relay 1-800-735-
2900. Join Zoom Meet-
ing https://us02web.zoom.
us/j/87976499461 Meeting
ID: 879 7649 9461
Published March 13, 20,
27, 2024 affid 3c
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