Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 22, 2024)
50¢ VOL. 144 NO. 20 10 Pages Wednesday, May 22, 2024 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Morrow County BOC seeks more public input on court building location, decision still pending Heppner Girls place 6th overall at state and set new 4x400 relay school record (L-R) Healy Hisler, Lily Nicols, Hallee Hisler and Arianna Worden after placing 3rd in the 4x400 at the state track meet. - Contributed Photo Two of the three sites chosen for the ciurcut court building. (L-R) The site near the rodeo ground in Heppner near the rodeo ground and the other proposed site at the old mill site. - Contibuted Photo By Annalynn Black At the public meet- ing held in Heppner, the Morrow County Board of Commissioners awaited feedback from the commu- nity regarding the construc- tion of a new courthouse. The meeting was attended by key individuals, includ- ing Matt Jensen, the City Administrator, Austin Gu- tierez and Kelly Stewart, architects from the DLR Group Design Team, Doug Carl from Alliance Project Management, and the three Morrow County Commis- sioners - Roy Drago, David 6\NHVDQG-H൵:HQKRO] Matt Jensen, the city Administrator, took the floor and began explain- ing the reasons behind the need for a new courthouse. He highlighted the current building’s technology and security issues, emphasiz- ing that it did not meet the requirements expected of a modern courthouse. Jensen clarified that the funding being sought was for new construction rather than remodeling an existing structure. Additionally, he mentioned that Oregon state law stipulated that the new courthouse had to be located within the city limits of Heppner. Initially, the Heppner Fairgrounds seemed like the most feasible option. However, the Chief Justice RI WKH VWDWH ODWHU FODUL¿HG in a letter that the court- house could be constructed anywhere within Morrow County. This allowed the design team to explore al- ternative sites. Ultimately, VL[VLWHVZHUHLGHQWL¿HGIRU consideration. 7KH ¿UVW VLWH ZDV VWLOO the Heppner Fairgrounds, which had been previously discussed. Another option that arose was a parcel of land offered by the Port of Morrow (POM) free of charge. The old school building located in Lex- ington was also considered, along with a site across the street from the public works building in the same town. However, the team discovered that a 2-acre lot initially purchased by the county to be used as a transit center was now un- usable due to certain grant restrictions. Lastly, a site in Irrigon was explored, but statutory requirements limited its use and it was subsequently ruled out. After careful consider- ation, the commissioners decided to proceed with three potential sites: the Heppner Fairgrounds, the Kinzua Mill sites, and the Boardman site. The deci- sion was made in order to ensure that the new court- house would be conve- niently accessible to as many residents of Morrow County as possible. Kelly Stewart, an ar- chitect with DLR group, SUHVHQWHG KHU ¿QGLQJV RQ the potential locations for the courthouse. She em- phasized the importance of selecting a centrally located site, easily accessible to the public, and highly visible to enhance the community’s identity. Kelly began by outlin- ing the criteria that needed to be met for the court- house’s location. It had to EH RXWVLGH WKH ÀRRG ]RQH be able to connect to city utilities, have a minimum of 2 acres of buildable land, and accommodate 24,000 square feet building with ample parking, around 123 stalls to be precise. $VVKHÀLSSHGWKURXJK her presentation slides, Kelly pointed out the var- ious sites that had been considered. One option was the fairgrounds site, which had already been surveyed and deemed suitable for construction. However, there were concerns about it being a residential area, although she says it’s not unprecedented. The Kinzua Mill site is 115 acres, she says the ap- peal is contingent on future building with the hopes of putting it there to be a cat- alyst in future growth and development but the reality is an unknown because the POM has not disclosed future development on the site. Lastly, Boardman site, which appeared to be ready for construction. She says the only requirement was that it needed to be surveyed to confirm its feasibility. Austin Gutierez, anoth- er architect with the DLR group, began by outlining The Heppner track team participated in the OSAA 2A state track meet on May 16th and 17th at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field. Hallee Hisler, last year’s 200-meter state champion, had a success- ful meet. She secured 2nd place in the 400 me- ters with a personal best (PB) and new school re- cord (NSR) time of 59.07 seconds, surpassing her previous record from this season. In the 200 meters, +DOOHH ¿QLVKHG QG 6KH also placed 5th in the 100 meters with a PB time of 12.90 seconds, earning her a spot in the all-time top 5 at Heppner High School (HHS). Lily Nichols partici- pated in the 800 meters, 1,500 meters, and 300 me- ters hurdles, contributing VLJQL¿FDQWO\ WR WKH WHDP¶V success. She placed 4th in the 1,500 meters, 8th in the 800 meters, and 8th in the 300 meters hurdles. the possible sites for the new government build- ing. He explained that all the locations were situated RXWVLGH RI WKH ÀRRG ]RQH ensuring safety and stabil- LW\ IRU WKH FRXQW\ R൶FHV The Fairgrounds site and the Boardman suite were already owned by the coun- ty, while the Mill site was the property of the Port of -Continued to PAGE SEVEN Morrow (POM). Although the port mentioned a build- ing that could be provided, WKH VSHFL¿FV RI WKH VLWH¶V allocation were yet to be discussed. Austin emphasized the importance of proximity to businesses along Main Street. The Fairgrounds site, less than a half mile away, was an attractive option due to its easy acces- sibility for court users. On the other hand, the mill and Boardman sites, both a mile and a half away from near- E\DPHQLWLHVR൵HUHGPRUH secluded and serene views for those who preferred a quiet environment. Matt Jensen interjected Austin’s presentation with an impactful statistic. He pointed out that only 20% of court cases originat- ing from Heppner, Ione, and Lexington, while the remaining 80% of cases stemmed from the northern end of the county. Kelly began explaining Securtiy camera photo caught the back of the person who the different factors that broke into the Taste of the South - Contributed Photo distinguished each location. According to a Face- mentioned requesting the The mill site posed a partic- book post by Dan Ficek, the city to review surveillance -Continued to PAGE THREE owner of Taste of the South footage, not so much be- food truck in Heppner, their cause of the value of the ¿UVW EUHDNLQ RFFXUUHG RQ stolen items, but because Saturday night, May 19th. the act of theft itself was Dan mentioned that the unsettling. Dan expressed grat- perpetrator likely entered for those in attendance. itude towards the com- through a small window, Let us come together munity, highlighting their indicating that it must have as a community to honor support and concern in been someone of small our veterans, remember the responding to the incident. stature. The stolen items fallen, and show our grati- He and his partner, Deb, included a portable speaker tude for their service and relocated from Salem al- and cooked brisket. VDFUL¿FH:HDUDUHGSRSS\ most two years ago and Dan emphasized that and contribute to support appreciate being part of a as a small business, they those who have given so caring community. do not keep much cash on much for our country. As of now, no further the truck and encouraged anyone in need of food to updates on the situation approach them instead of have been provided. resorting to theft. He also Break-in at Taste of the South Food Truck in Heppner Celebrate National Poppy Day May 24th Celebrate National Poppy Day by supporting our veterans and honoring the fallen! Join us on Fri- day, May 24th from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm in front RIWKH+HSSQHUSRVWR൶FH where we will be selling beautiful red poppies. Poppy Day is recog- nized and celebrated in countries all over the world. In the United States, the American Legion Family initiated National Poppy Day® by urging Congress to designate the Friday be- fore Memorial Day as a day to honor our fallen heroes. By wearing a red poppy on the Friday before Memo- rial Day, we pay tribute to The names of fallen veterans in front of the Ione legion Hall - Contributed Photo those who have served our country and express our support for the brave men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform. The red poppy has long EHHQDV\PERORIVDFUL¿FH and remembrance, worn by $PHULFDQVVLQFH:RUOG:DU I. It serves as a powerful re- minder of the immense sac- UL¿FHVPDGHE\RXUYHWHUDQV in defense of our freedoms. Led by the American Legion Auxiliary, members of The American Legion Family distribute poppies HDFK \HDU:LWK HDFK SRS- py, we kindly request a donation to support the future needs of veterans, active-duty military person- nel, and their families, par- ticularly in terms of medical DQG¿QDQFLDOVXSSRUW Additionally, on May 27th, there will be a memo- rial service at Ione Legion Hall at 10:00 am. During this event, the names of the Morrow County service men and women who have GLHGZLOOEHUHDGDORXG:H invite everyone to attend this solemn ceremony and R൵HUGRXJKQXWVDQGFR൵HH CALL 541-989-8221 ext 204 for more information
