North Morrow Volume XXII Number 1
August 1, 2014
TIMES
FREE MONTHLY PUBLICATION
OYCC crew tackles Park projects
The OYCC crew is hard at work placing the trusses on the new fish cleaning station they are constructing at Boardman Marina Park. The newly added grinder and stainless steel counters will enhance the much-used station, and will keep the area much cleaner without refuse cans. Seven Riverside High School students are gaining valuable work experience this summer through the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, (OYCC). The OYCC was established by the Oregon Legislature in 1987 to provide a program to increase educational, training and employment opportunities for youth. They improve work skills, become instilled with a strong work
ethic and their experiences increase their employability. The program increases the kids’ social skills such as tolerance of diversity, team work, social responsibility, appreciation of the environment and personal development such as improved self-esteem. The program is administered by CAPECO (Community Action Program) and there are two local teams: one team
Music in the Parks A 10-event series of FREE outdoor concerts on the banks of theColumbia River. The performances will rotate between the Boardman and Irrigon Marina Parks and offer a variety of musical experiences:
FREE PUBLIC CONCERTS AT BOARDMAN & IRRIGON MARINA PARKS Mon, Aug 4- Irrigon Marina Park- Brady Goss Mon, Aug 11- Boardman Marina Park- Old Time Fiddlers Mon, Aug 18- Irrigon Marina Park- Tony Madrigal Funded By: Morrow County Unified Recreation District & Portland General Electric. Sponsored By: North Morrow Community Foundation, Irrigon Watermelon Festival & Mp5
in Umatilla County and another in Morrow County. CAPECO pays the salaries of the crew and crew leaders. RHS Seniors Kelvin Jimenez, Lizeth Gaytan, Clay Miller II, Lizbeth Gaytan, and Paulina Pena are joined by RHS Juniors Jose Agripino and Sergio Navarro, Jr. under the able crew leader Gene VanGorder. All members of the crew live in Boardman. The team began work July 7th, and will complete their mission on August 1st. All of their projects this year are in Boardman Park & Recreation District. Some of their projects have included sealing the exterior of the day use restroom facility, cleaning up and laying sod around the miniature golf course, painting the site number signs in the campground, pulling 30 20-pound bags of goatheads around the park, extending the refuse stations in the campground to hold two large dumpsters instead of one, which means setting forms, pouring concrete and constructing a new surround fence. The major project the
OYCC crew has undertaken is the construction of a new fish cleaning station. The old fish cleaning shed has been used for many years, but is small, so at most two fishermen can utilize the facilities at the same time. The new station is 12’ x 16’, and includes stainless steel counters and sinks, plus a macerator (grinder) between the four stations which will eliminate the use of a trash can for fish waste. The whole station will certainly be cleaner, and smell much nicer! The park is paying for the approximately $25,000 stainless steel counters and macerator, plus the hiring of a plumber and electrician to bring utilities up through the concrete floor. Crew Leader Gene VanGorder is effusive in his praise of his crew. “If I had to grade them, I would give them all an “A,” he says. With obvious pride in his charges, he enumerates some of the skills the
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kids have learned. “They can all drive the Toro Work Cart, which is a stick shift; some of them can even back the cart up,” he laughs. “These kids have come prepared to work, even on the hottest of days,” he adds. Their work week is Monday through Friday, 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. The crew drew the plans for the fish cleaning station, which were reviewed by District Manager Ted Lieurance, with a few changes made. The crew was busy building the roof trusses on the day the North Morrow Times visited with them. The crew figured out the mathematical ratios of the trusses and walls for the project. When asked about their prior experience in the construction business, all but one of the crew said they have called upon their Riverside High School shop and technology classes, which have given them a solid background.
A few days later, the fish cleaning station at Boardman Marina Park is really taking shape. With all the fishing derbies in Boardman, the structure will be well used.