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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 2016)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 29, 2016 GRAND MARSHALS thing too close to one of the houses.” Work on the firing site itself starts before the Fourth. “We work on it before- hand as much as we can,” says Ed Rietmann. “We dig trenches for the mortars and the holes for the boxes. That usually doesn’t take too long—maybe an hour or two.” “On the Fourth we usually start somewhere around ive in the evening loading stuff up and taking it up there,” he adds. Spectators can wave to the men during the parade, which begins at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 4, in Ione. However, the fireworks crew probably won’t be hanging around very long to greet fans after the pa- rade—while they appreci- ate the honor bestowed on them, Wayne Rietmann says he is irm in his resolve to get up on the hill between Ella and Cemetery roads and make sure the show is set for the night. And no visitors will be allowed to visit the men while they work. The law - FIVE requires that only the ire- works crew—and abso- lutely no one under the age of 18—be allowed on the iring site. So, on Monday eve- ning, while the sounds of blues tunes loat over Ione and the rest of the town relaxes and celebrates in- dependence, a small but dedicated crew will be up on the lonely hill across the highway, carrying on its 60-year-plus tradition of creating magic in the skies over a small Eastern Oregon town. Wayne Rietmann and Ed Rietmann stand by a container used to store the ireworks before the Fourth of July Celebration, displaying the seals placed over the padlocks to keep the ex- plosives from falling into the wrong hands. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo -Continued from PAGE ONE the Fourth, and storage to inspect and approve. inches with his hands. This year’s show supply list is four pages long. It consists of ireworks as small as an inch and a half in diameter, but mostly three- and four-inch shells, with names like “4” Lemon Dahlia” and “4” Ruby Red to White Strobe.” There are also miscellaneous supplies like a 65-foot match fuse, earplugs and safety glasses. The ireworks are de- livered a few days before is another thing that has changed over the years. “Before we just kept ‘em cool someplace,” Wayne Rietmann says. Now the government re- quires that fireworks be locked up in something like a munitions magazine. They now store them in a large shipping container with a special seal over the locks, which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had Rietmann says he didn’t enjoy dealing with the ATF, but admits he does see some sense to the seals. “One of the irst things I learned in the Army was how to bust a padlock,” he says. Aside from the locks, position of the storage con- tainer is also an issue. “We had to move it,” Ed Rietmann recalls of the ATF’s irst inspection. “We were three feet or some- Project grant funds available through SWCD, OWEB Morrow County land- owners looking for inan- cial help to prevent erosion along streams, increase irri- gation eficiency or upgrade bridges or culverts that will improve ish access or proj- ects that improve upland processes should consider applying for a grant tai- lored for these and similar projects. One funding source available through Morrow Soil and Water Conserva- tion District for small proj- ects is the Oregon Water- shed Enhancement Board (OWEB) Small Grant Program. This statewide program provides up to $10,000 in Oregon Lot- tery funds for individual projects that help restore watersheds to a healthy condition and also help landowners comply with the Willow Creek Ag Wa- ter Quality Management Plan while protecting water quality. A match of 25 per- cent is required from the landowner. This match can be cash or in-kind match- ing funds. Morrow SWCD is the Willow Creek Wa- tershed (which includes the Boardman and Irrigon An aerial map of the ireworks site with clearances required by law. -Contributed Texas Hold ‘Em poker beneits Fourth of July areas) contact for the Uma- tilla-Walla Walla-Willow Creek OWEB Small Grant Team. Applications will be accepted until Friday, July 29, for funding review in August. Another funding source is the OWEB Large Grant Program that provides i- nancial assistance for projects with higher costs. Other funding sources are also available depending on the project and landowner eligibility. Contact Morrow SWCD for applications and more information at 541- 676-5452. Sheriff’s Report March 5 (cont.): -A woman in Heppner reported she heard a lot of screaming coming from the neighbor’s residence. -A Heppner resident reported that another resi- dent’s dogs were barking day and night, an ongoing problem. The caller advised he had video of them bark- ing at different times of the day over a period of three weeks. The caller did not need contact but would like the dogs quieted. -A male in Irrigon ad- vised his wife rammed the car into a tree and then left toward the freeway. He advised she was driving by herself, not intoxicated, but stated she was not in the right mental state to be driving. The caller asked to be notiied if the wife was found so he could come pick up the car. March 6: -Emergency dispatch was advised of an overturned semi on I-84 with unknown injury. Mor- row County Sheriff’s Of- ice, Boardman PD, Oregon State Police, ODOT, and Boardman ambulance re- sponded and the triple was taken off the roadway. No injuries. -A female in Board- man reported that someone had attacked her the night before and stole her pills, wallet, purse and other things. MCSO and Board- man PD responded and took a report. -A male in the Hep- pner area advised that his 16-year-old daughter and her mother were pushed around by the mother’s boyfriend. The juvenile was not injured and the mother hit her head but appeared to be ine to the juvenile. The juvenile requested to speak to a deputy. Enjoy Ione on Fourth of July Weekend! Hours: Open Saturday & Sunday 8a.m. to 5 p.m. Open Monday July 4th 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Deli open M-F 10a.m. to 3 p.m. Ione Market &Deli -MCSO received a re- quest from Good Shepherd Hospital for contact from the on-call crisis worker for a female who was feeling suicidal but had been medi- cally cleared. The Commu- nity Counseling Solutions on-call was advised. -MCSO was advised of a possible felon in posses- sion of a weapon in Board- man and took the incident under investigation. March 7: -Morrow County Sheriff ’s office was advised of a dispute at a location in Irrigon. The caller advised there was nothing physical so far and no weapons or intoxicants were involved. The caller advised her girlfriend was trying to throw her daughter out. Deputies responded and explained eviction op- tions. -Staff at Lakeview Heights said a resident was having lots of calls and visits from a couple of individuals and was con- cerned about what may be going on. Deadline for news and advertising: Monday at 5 p.m. The Ione Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament took place Saturday, June 25, with all proceeds going to the Ione Fourth of July celebration. From L-R: Marvin Padberg, poker tournament chairman; Brian Doherty, second place; Tim Patton, irst place; Terry Snyder, third place; Virgil Morgan, fourth place. Event coordinators reported a small turn-out but a “fabulous time,” and said they were able to present the Ione Fourth of July with a “very nice contribu- tion to the cause.” -Contributed photo -MCSO arrested Misty Nicole Morrison, 38, on an Irrigon Justice Court war- rant for Failure to Appear on Theft III. -MCSO was advised of a three-year-old male wan- dering around in Heppner. The caller was able to get him into the school build- ing. A deputy responded and the mother of the ju- venile came and picked him up. -A female in Boardman reported that her neighbor was beating up a woman in front of the residence. No weapons were seen. Boardman PD responded and gave the female a ride somewhere else. -A female in Irrigon advised that her husband passed away last month and they just had a service for him that weekend. She stated that her husband’s brother came over that day wanting the AR-15. The caller stated that the brother is a felon and she does not want to give him the gun. -MCSO was advised that a female’s vehicle slid off Highway 207 Echo/ Lexington; she advised the vehicle slid into someone front yard because she was trying to miss a deer. March 8: -Morrow County Sheriff ’s Office was advised of a cow by the side of Hwy. 74, Ione that looked like she was pregnant and couldn’t stand up; advised the cow may have been hit by a car. Dis- patch got in contact with the owner, who took care of it. -A female in Boardman called the Victim’s Advo- cate and Boardman PD and advised that a male was at her residence pounding at the door and she was afraid. -Emergency dispatch received a call regarding a motorcycle versus tree accident at the Morrow County OHV park. They advised they needed help packing out a female pa- tient. Heppner ire, Heppner ambulance and MCSO all responded and the patient was transported to Pioneer Memorial Hospital. -A female in Heppner reported that two individu- als had been calling and harassing her. -A male subject in Ir- rigon called because he was needing the day and the month. Dispatch advised him it was March 8. -A female in Board- man called and advised someone was trying to get in her house through the doggy door. She advised the subject took off on foot. Boardman PD and MCSO responded but were unable to locate the suspect. March 9: -Emergency dispatch was advised of a motor vehicle accident at I-84 west and Patterson Fer- ry, Boardman. The vehicle went off the road, rolled three or four times, and there was a subject stuck in the vehicle. Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Boardman PD, Boardman fire, Irrigon ambulance and Oregon State Police responded. A male was transported to Good Shep- herd Hospital. -A male in Ione re- ported that another male showed him a gun and threatened to shoot him. The caller requested contact and MCSO took the inci- dent under investigation. -MCSO received report of a counterfeit $20 bill in Irrigon. -MCSO arrested Erick Michael Wanty, 41, on a Umatilla County Circuit Court warrant for Failure to Appear on Harassment and Touching Intimate Part x2. The subject was lodged at Umatilla County Jail. -MCSO was advised that a subject had just been at Circuit Court in Heppner and was very intoxicated. -A male in Heppner advised he and his wife no longer felt safe due to the next door neighbors and re- quested extra patrol through the neighborhood to calm some of the stuff down. -Contineud on PAGE EIGHT