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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2024)
50¢ VOL. 144 NO. 26 8 Pages Wednesday, July 3, 2024 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon BM Juniors softball team wins D3 tournament Vandenbrinks honored as Grand Marshals in Iones 4th of July Parade John and Janna Van- denbrinks were bestowed with the title of Grand Mar- shals for the much-antic- ipated Ione 4th of July annual parade. For over two decades, they have resided in the Ione area, tirelessly operating JVB Dairy, a vital source of milk for Dairgold. The inspiring journey of John and Janna com- menced in Chino, CA, where fate brought them together, leading to their union 47 years ago. Both hailed from families deep- ly ingrained in the dairy farming industry, yet faced adversity when corporate competition spelled the demise of John’s father’s business in the 70s. Nev- ertheless, undeterred by John and Janna Vanderbrink and their grandson Henry. this setback, John stead- -Photo contibuted fastly pursued his passion and took over the family business, acquiring Jana’s father’s dairy herd and re- locating to Ione, OR, where JVB Dairy was born. Together, the Vanden- brinks proudly nurture a beautiful family tapestry, with four children and sev- en grandchildren. Their son, Jonathan, actively manages and works at the dairy farm, paving a path for him to eventually assume the reins in the distant future, keep- ing their family business alive. John, filled with deep gratitude, expresses his heartfelt appreciation to the town of Ione for honoring him and his wife Janna saying, “[I] love the people, [I’m] very honored to be asked, and I hope everyone has a great 4 th of July!” (The D3 Juniors 13-15 team posing with the winning banner, Heppner girls Haven Grey, Isa Payne, Cici Stefani, and Avree Lathrop.) -Photo contributed The impressive Blue Mountain Junior Softball team, aged 13-15 years, emerged victorious as the champions of this year’s District 3 softball tour- nament. They have now earned the well-deserved opportunity to showcase their talent at the state level -Continued to PAGE THREE Wicklund retires from Murrays Oregon Ethics Commission settles conflicts of interest claims against former Port of Morrow Officials By Chris Sykes The Oregon Ethics Commission held a meeting on Friday, June 28, 2024, to address conflicts of interest claims against former Port of Morrow officials Marvin Padberg, Don Russell, and Jerry Healy. The investi- gation began in 2022 and involved their actions relat- ed to Windwave Technolo- gies, a company installing fiber-optic lines. There is also currently an ongoing DOJ investigation into the purchase of Windwave. Meeting Highlights: Vice Chair David Fi- skum questioned Susan Myers, Executive Director of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, on how penalties were determined. Myers explained that she used a matrix, considering the number of violations and their frequency. She applied the maximum fi- nancial benefit due to the contract’s significant value, recommending penalties of 20%-40% of the maximum allowed, with a recom- mended penalty of 20% of $10,000. Fiskum inquired about the ‘reservation of rights.’ Myers clarified that the individuals involved might face other investigations or litigation. They agreed to settle the cases before the commission through a stipulation, reserving their rights for any future cases. Fiskum asked about the ongoing investigation and whether the commission should proceed pending the results of the Department of Justice (DOJ) investiga- tion. Myers responded that the DOJ investigation is not criminal and does not overlap with the commis- sion’s jurisdiction, thus not necessitating a suspension of their proceedings. Ethics Commission- er Dan Mason expressed discomfort with voting on a negotiated penalty while another investigation is still ongoing, finding it inappropriate to agree to a $2,000 penalty in light of the new information. Myers clarified that the DOJ inves- Longtime Murrays employee Shannon Maben Wicklund posing with her flowers and baloons in the Murrays Pharmacy. -Photo from the Murrays Pharmacy Facebook. Marvin Padberg tigation pertains to actions outside the commission’s jurisdiction and timeframe, emphasizing that the two cases are separate. Settlement Details: Marvin Padberg: Ownership: Became an owner of Windwave Tech- nologies in mid-2018. CREZ Board: Served on the Columbia River Enterprise Zone (CREZ) II and III Boards, negoti- ating multiple deals with Amazon. Amazon Contracts: Amazon contracted Wind- wave Technologies at least 20 times to install fiber-op- tic lines to its data centers in Morrow County, with 14 contracts during the relevant period. Conflicts of Interest: The Ethics Commission found that Padberg failed to announce potential conflicts of interest during three key meetings: Two executive sessions on August 11, 2021, and November 10, 2021, dis- cussing the sale of Port property to Amazon and infrastructure development. An executive session on December 21, 2021, discussing Amazon devel- opments and Windwave lease/purchase options. A public meeting on December 12, 2018, where the Port Board approved Amazon enterprise zone agreements. Padberg later made public announcements of conflicts in meetings on May 13, 2020, June 29, 2020, and December 21, 2021. Settlement: Agreed to pay a $2,000 civil penalty, with the Commission re- Don Russell Jerry Healy leasing all claims against him. Padberg did not admit wrongdoing but settled to avoid further legal costs. Don Russell: Ownership: Became an owner of Windwave Technologies in mid-2018 while serving as a Morrow County Commissioner. CREZ Board: Served as one of the County’s rep- resentatives on the CREZ Board of Directors and as the President of the CREZ Board of Directors from September 13, 2018, to January 2, 2023. The CREZ Board ne- gotiated multiple enterprise zone agreements with Am- azon, facilitating the con- struction of data centers that required fiber-optic lines, thus creating business op- portunities for Windwave. Amazon Contracts: Amazon contracted Wind- wave Technologies at least 20 times, with 14 contracts during the relevant period. Conflicts of Interest: The Ethics Commission found that Russell failed to publicly announce con- flicts of interest during two CREZ Board executive sessions on December 3 and December 12, 2018. He also failed to dis- close conflicts of interest in 5 out of 31 Board of Commissioners meetings where issues related to Am- azon and Windwave were discussed. Russell began making public announcements of conflicts of interest after seeking advice from the Commission in December 2019. Settlement: Agreed to pay a $2,000 civil penalty, with the Commission re- leasing all claims against him. Russell did not admit to any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid further legal costs. Jerry Healy: Ownership: Became an owner of Windwave Tech- nologies in mid-2018. CREZ Board: Served on the CREZ II Board from September 13, 2018, to January 15, 2020, and as an alternate member of the CREZ III Board from March 10, 2021, to Septem- ber 13, 2022. Amazon Contracts: Amazon contracted Wind- wave Technologies at least 20 times, with 14 contracts during the relevant period. Conflicts of Interest: The Ethics Commission found that Healy failed to announce potential conflicts of interest in key meetings: Two executive sessions on December 3 and Decem- ber 12, 2018, discussing Amazon agreements. Two executive sessions on August 11 and Novem- -Continued to PAGE SIX Murrays Heppner Pharmacy- After 23 years, our lovely Shannon Maben Wicklund is retiring! What an accomplishment!! We have been so blessed to have her alongside us for so many years. She will be greatly missed! We ap- preciate you, Shannon! We already miss you! Happy Retirement! Heppner TSA attends National Conference L-R Rylee Palmer, Lily Nichols, Delilah Sauceda, Lizzie Finch. -Photo contributed The Heppner High School Chapter of the Tech- nology Student Association (TSA) traveled to Orlando FL to attend the National TSA Conference. TSA State President Rylee Palm- er along with State Officers Delilah Sauceda, Lily Nich- ols and Lizzie Finch com- peted in Technology Bowl, Audio Podcasting, Board Game Design and Tech- nology Problem Solving. They placed 10th in Audio Podcasting and Rylee and -Continued to PAGE THREE CALL 541-989-8221 ext 204 for more information
