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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 25, 2025)
Heppner athletes compete in first-ever 2A nine-man all-star game 50¢ VOL. 145 NO.26 8 Pages Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Taylor retires as Port commissioner By Andrea Di Salvo Outgoing Port of Mor- row Commission President Joe Taylor was recognized for his service at the Port’s regular meeting earlier this month. Taylor is retiring after 20 years on the Port commission. POM Commission Vice-President John Mur- ray presented a plaque to Taylor at the Port’s June 11 meeting. “I’ve come to appreci- ate in Morrow County what I call ‘country gentlemen,’” said Murray. “People that are generally softspoken, kind and generous, thought- ful, and they speak after they think. I’ve really ap- preciated that about Joe, and I consider him a very country gentleman.” Danny Kearns of Boardman was elected to fill the commission vacancy left by Taylor’s retirement. Also at the meeting, the POM Commission held a public budget hearing. There was no public com- ment, and the five-member board voted unanimously to adopt and appropriate the budget for the coming fiscal year. The total budget amount is $713,795,193. In that budget are the general fund at $5,316,595, freshwater fund at $144,478,338, water discharge fund at $493,467,286, site develop- ment and maintenance fund at $49,132,274, motor pool fund at $3,306,000, SAGE Center fund at $2,309,700 and warehousing fund at 15,785,000. The Port commission also approved resolutions on budget appropriation transfers, utility rates and raising the rail tariff from Joe Taylor (right) with John Murray at the Port of Morrow’s June 11 meeting. Taylor is retiring from the POM Commis- sion after 20 years. -Contributed photo $30 to $33. Port HR Manager/Ex- ecutive Assistant Brandy Warburton also told the commissioners that the staff had created a series of vid- eos to help familiarize staff with the Port of Morrow and how it functions. “I just don’t think a lot of them understand all of that, and some of them are born and raised here,” she said. “That’s the first ques- tion I ask during an inter- view, ‘Tell me what you know about the Port of Morrow,’” she added. “And they don’t know anything.” Warburton said they already had videos on the website about the story of the Port of Morrow, hu- man resources, safety, etc. The final video, still under production, will present the organizational structure, beginning with the Port Commission. Murray suggested that some of the general videos would also be useful to teach the public about the Port and its operations “It’s a good way to get the word out there,” said Murray. Kirby Garrett and Ryann Gleason of CFM Advocates gave the com- missioners updates on the federal and state legislative scene. Specifically, Gleason addressed state legislation like HB 2025, a proposed transportation package now in committee, and SB 1154, which addresses problems with groundwater quality. During the update, Port Commissioner Kelly Doherty questioned why the Port would remain neu- tral on bills that affect water quality, such as SB 1154, saying the Port plays a large role in the area’s groundwa- ter management. Murray echoed her sen- A picture of the plaque given to Taylor. -Contributed Photo timents. “The Port’s kind of turning out that to be a leader in trying to deal with the water issue, whether it’s through the consor- tium or our own efforts and spending money to treat our water,” he said, “so our opinion might carry some weight over issues, espe- cially if we’re successful moving forward, which I wholeheartedly expect.” Also at the meeting, the POM commissioners heard an update on the Columbia Development Authority from CDA Executive Di- rector Greg Smith. Smith said the CDA budget committee approved a draft budget, which was presented to the CDA board for review at its last meeting. The CDA board members agreed to present the budget to their respec- tive boards and bring back any suggestions for budget adoption, which was on the agenda for June 24. Smith also reported that the CDA was finalizing an agreement for road con- struction. “In very short order, you’re going to start seeing dozers and backhoes out there for the construction of an approximately $12 million road,” he said. He added that he direct- ed IRZ and Anderson Perry to hold back 30 percent of the funding to ensure the project doesn’t go over budget. “As we get closer to needing that 30 percent, we’ll make a decision on how best to proceed,” said Smith, “but at the end of the day, I’d rather have a (L-R) Zack Brown, Jamie Cavan and Nick Wenberg. -Photo by Susan Hisler Heppner High School athletes Nick Wenberg (#23), Jaime Cavan (#50), and Zack Brown (#42) represented their school in the inaugural 2A East–West Nine-Man All-Star Football Game on Saturday, June 21, at Community Stadium on the campus of Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. The game was part of the Oregon Athletic Coach- es Association’s annual all- star football event, which also featured the 34 th annual eight-man and fourth annu- al six-man all-star games. -Continued to PAGE EIGHT MCHD severance figures remain unclear amid public dispute In response to Jimmy Wimer’s letter to the editor last week, former Mor- row County Health District CEO Emily Roberts and former MCHD CFO/COO Nicole Mahoney contacted the Heppner Gazette-Times to state that the figures he claimed were incorrect and to request a correction. Wimer, who works in diagnostic imaging at Pioneer Memorial Hos- pital, stated in his letter, “Emily Roberts resigned on March 30, and Nicole Mahoney’s last day was June 13. Despite resigning, they were rewarded with severance packages totaling $440,000 for Ms. Roberts and $370,000 for Ms. Ma- honey.” Roberts and Mahoney claimed the actual amounts are inaccurate and sub- stantially lower. The Ga- -Continued to PAGE SIX Humphreys takes third at Nike Outdoor Nationals -Continued to PAGE SEVEN Rep. Smith facilitates funding for clean water in West Glen neighborhood Rep. Greg Smith SALEM, OR. – Tues- day, Rep. Gregory Smith (R-Heppner), Co-Vice Chair of the Joint Ways and Means Committee, voted to approve critical funding for the West Glen Subdivision located in Boardman, OR. The Ways and Means Subcommittee on Capital Construction passed HB 5006, which appropriates $2,861,000 to the Morrow Clean Water Consortium Nitrate Water Project in West Glen. The Morrow County Clean Water Consortium is an intergovernmental agreement between the Port of Morrow and Mor- row County dedicated to funding, developing and building projects that serve residences affected by the elevated nitrate levels in the Lower Umatilla Basin. This funding will be used to connect West Glen to the City of Boardman, reducing reliance on un- regulated and unreliable domestic wells. “Everyone has the right to clean air and safe, acces- sible water. This funding allocation marks a vital step toward ensuring that residents of West Glen and the Greater Lower-Umatilla Basin have reliable access to clean water,” said Smith. As a member of the same committee, House Re- publican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) stated, “Representative Smith has been a tireless advocate for our shared Republican priorities, and his lead- ership on HB 5006 is a clear example of that com- mitment. He spearheaded efforts to ensure that criti- cal investments reflect the values of our communities, chief among them, access to clean and safe water for every Oregonian. “His work has made a real difference for rural families across the Umatilla Basin and beyond,” Drazan said. Representatives of Morrow C ounty we re pleased to learn of the fund- ing package. “Representative Greg Smith has been a steadfast advocate for Morrow Coun- ty and our ongoing efforts to address water quality challenges. His leadership on this issue has brought critical resources to the table and reflects a deep commitment to the health and well-being of our com- munities,” said Morrow County Commissioner Jeff Wenholz. “I am very happy this money has been awarded. As chairman of the Mor- row County Clean Water Consortium, I can say we are looking forward to us- ing these funds for actual infrastructure projects to help alleviate the nitrate drinking water problems in the county,” said Morrow County Commission Chair David Sykes. Smith is a Republican budget leader who rep- resents the entirety of Mor- row, Gilliam, Sherman, Wheeler and Wasco coun- ties, as well as portions of Clackamas, Jefferson, Mar- ion and Umatilla Counties. Smith was elected to serve his 13 th term as a State Representative, mak- ing him the longest-serv- ing member in the Oregon Legislature, as well as the fourth longest-serving state representative in Oregon history. He holds a gavel as the Co-Chair of the Joint Ways and Means Subcom- mittee on General Govern- ment. Representative Smith also serves as the Co-Vice Chair of the full Joint Ways and Means Committee. Ad- ditionally, he is the ranking member of the House Rev- enue Committee. To reach out, visit Rep Smith’s Facebook Page or send him an email at rep. gregsmith@oregonlegisla- ture.gov. (L) Chris Humphreys of Heppner placed third in javelin at the Nike Outdoor Nationals June 21 in Eugene. -Contributed photo Heppner athlete Chris- topher Humphreys contin- ued his competitive sum- mer when he represented his town and state this past weekend at the prestigious Nike Outdoor Nationals, held June 21 in Eugene, OR. Competing in the Emerging Elite division for javelin, Humphreys went up against some of the top high school throwers from across the country. Out of a competitive field of 53 athletes, Hum- phreys earned an impres- sive third-place finish with a throw of 178 feet, 8 inch- es. The event’s top mark came from a thrower out of New Hampshire, who took first place with a throw of 182 feet, 5 inches. CALL 541-989-8221 ext 204 for more information
