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Two retire from Post Office
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35C
azette
imes
VOL. 111
NO. 29
6 Pages Wednesday, July 29, 1992
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
Rodeo court a dream come true for princess
Princess Shelly gives Krystal Temple award at horse shoe
It’s a busy summer for Morrow
County Fair and Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo Princess Shelly
Ashbeck. But it’s a terrific ex
perience that she said she has
been looking forward to ever
since she was a little girl.
Shelly is the 16-year-old
daughter of Mitch and Terry 1
Ashbeck of Buttercreek. And this
summer, when she's not busy
waving at crowds during the
court's many appearances, ranch
work is first on her agenda.
Her brother Rob, 21, and her
sister Angie, 22, have handed
down chores to their younger
sister. Along with helping with
the cattle and sheep. Shelly has
become an old hand when it
comes to running the swather
during haying.
Besides her court duties and
ranch chores, she is busy fitting
two lambs to show during the
fair. It’s no secret that sheep from
the Ashbeck herd have tradi
tionally won some of the top
honors. Shelly’s hard work has
resulted in two reserve champion
ships. She has also shown sheep
at the June show at Tygh Valley.
Shelly will be a junior this year
Walker pleads guilty to theft
Rick Dennis Walker, 32,
Heppner, entered a guilty plea to
first-degree theft on July 17 in
Heppner, according to Morrow
County District Attorney Jeff
Wallace.
Walker plead guilty to theft by
receiving involving a $2.080
check which had been taken
earlier in a burglary of the
Howard Pettyjohn residence at
Rt. 1 Box 601 Heppner.
Walker was indicted in
December, 1991, on additional
charges of burglary and theft in
connection with the break-in at
the Pettyjohn residence. He was
also charged with first-degree
forgery in connection with the
check. The forgery charge was
previously dismissed pursuant to
a civil compromise between
Walker and another victim. The
burglary-related charges were
dismissed on the basis of insuffi
cient evidence, according to
Wallace.
Circuit Court Judge Pro-Tern
Richard Courson suspended im
position of sentence on the theft
by receiving charge and placed
Walker on two years' formal pro
bation. He also fined him $500.
ordered him to make $240 restitu
tion to the state for court-
appointed attorney fees, continue
alcohol treatment, make full
disclosure to law enforcement
authorities of his knowledge of
the facts and circumstances sur
rounding his obtaining the check
and to submit to polygraph
examination.
at Heppenr High School. She
rates English high on her list of
favorite subjects. As an active
FFA member, she won a profi
ciency award for poultry and
wildlife. Along with tending to
chickens and rabbits, she can be
seen feeding a noisy lot of
chukars in a large enclosed pen
at the ranch.
Her penchant for court life
comes naturally. Her mother and
her grandm other, Colleen
Kilkenny Greenup, were also on
Heppner’s fair and rodeo courts.
Shelly also has several cousins,
including this year's Queen Jen-
ni, who take to royalty roles.
Shelly’s mount for court ap
pearances is an eight-year-old
black quarter horse mare. Im
perial Jet. Horseback riding tops
her list of hobbies, she said, and
is something she has done ever
since she can remember. When
it comes to barrel racing and pole
bending, she seldom misses a
play day at the Wrangler Riding
Club grounds. In the April series
of gymkhanas she churned up the
dust to win first place in her age
group.
Future plans are indefinite, she
said. Finding a rich rancher to
marry might be a possibility, she
joked. But she is seriously con
sidering a career as pediatrician
or veterinarian
Of the court’s many out-of-
town trips this summer, she said
the Sisters rodeo was exciting. It
rained that day which made fast
riding in the grand entry more
treacherous with many other
courts all participating in a small
arena. But the best part is yet to
come, she said, as the court
presides as this year’s fair and
rodeo.
Ken Nairns
There are big changes in sight
for the Heppner post office. Two
longtime postal employees,
postmaster Ken Naims and postal
clerk Floss Watkins will retire on
July 31.
Ken Nairns came to Heppner
in February 1980. He transferred
from the Bend Post Office where
he was supervisor of mails and
delivery. He started his career
with the Post Office as a casual
worker in July of 1962. After 30
days in that position he was ap
pointed to a part time clerks posi
tion. From there he became a
regular clerk and after four years,
was made a supervisor. He has
worked for 30 years with the Post
Office. Since he moved to Hepp
ner, he has worked in five dif
ferent Post Office locations. The
first was next to Peterson’s
Jewelers. The next was at the
former Kroll’s Department Store
location. A fire destroyed the post
Office, the S & J Market a second
hand store and the Shoe Box on
May 3, 1983. The Post Office
was moved to city hall for six
weeks and the union hall for 18
months until the new postal
building was completed in the fall
of 1984.
Boardman
man
sentenced
Mitchell Drury, 33, Boardman,
pled guilty to driving under the
influence of intoxicants, attemp
ting to elude a police officer and
driving while suspended in front
of Judge Pro-Tern Richard Cour-
son. Drury was sentenced on Ju
ly 17 in Heppner following his
conviction, according to Morrow
County District Attorney Jeff
Wallace.
According to Wallace, the
charges arose as a result of a high
speed chase on January 30 in Ir-
rigon. Drury was reported to
have stolen a car and police were
attempting to stop him when the
chase ensued. A charge of
unauthorized use of a motor vehi
cle was dismissed when the alleg
ed victim failed to appear for
trial.
Judge Courson sentenced
Drury to one year in the county
jail and fined him $500. The
judge suspended all but 30 days
of the jail sentence on the condi
tion that Drury undergo alcohol
evaluation and treatment, pay
$350 in assessments and fees and
undergo a standard range of
DUII-related probation condi
tions. Drury’s license was also
suspended for a period of three
years, said Wallace.
Ken was born in Shamokin,
Pennsylvania on May 2, 1934.
Growing up in a coal mining
family, his father and grandfather
wre coal miners, Ken began
working in the mines when he
was 16. At 17 he enlisted in the
Navy and was in Korea from
1951 to 1955 during the Korean
war. At 21 he returned to
Shamokin and worked four more
years in the mines. He then got
a job at Brooks and Scanlon, a
lumber mill in Bend, which was
bought out by Diamond Lumber
Co., where he worked until he
was hired by the Post Office. He
married his wife, Loretta, in Ju
ly of 1959 at Niagra Falls, NY.
Ken and Loretta, who is a
homemaker, have a home in
Bend as well as one in Heppner.
He says plans are to spend most
of their time in Heppner and
“ lake it free and easy.” Ken says
he enjoys camping and hunting.
The couple have two children,
Robert Nairns, who lives in
Heppner with his wife, Ginni,
and children Krystal, four and
Kiel, six; and Ken Jr., who lives
in Bend with his wife, Patti and
children Nathan, six and Dane,
three.
Of his retirement, Ken says,
“ It will be different. I like to
work.”
Floss Watkins ends a 25-year
career wit the Post Office, all of
it in Heppner. When her children
were a sixth grader and a
freshman in high school she got
a job as a two-hour-a-day clerk.
As people left and retired she
moved up, and, after eight years
as parttime clerk, moved into a
fulltime clerk’s position, which
she has held ever since. “ I’ve
worked here for 25 years,” com
mented Floss, “ and I still love
it.”
Floss was born in Pendleton
and raised in Pilot Rock. She
Floss Watkins
married her husband. R.G., in
1950 at Walla Walla and they
came to Heppner in August of
1953. Their children, Gary
Watkins and Chris Lewis were
raised in Heppner and are still liv
ing here. Chris has two children.
Tim and Tina Davidson, who also
live in Heppner. Gary and his
wife. Barbara have two children.
Jeff and Julie.
The Watkins have sold their
home in Heppner, bought a motor
home and plan to travel. They
will spend the winter in Arizona
and then travel to North Carolina
in the spring. R.G., who retired
in 1986 at 55, after 33 years with
Kinzua, is from North Carolina.
They also hope to take in a few
side trips, to the Statue of Liber
ty, Disney World and New
Orleans. But. “ we still love
Heppner,” added Floss. She says
that they may decide to buy a
smaller house in Heppner after
they have traveled for awhile.
While the positions at the
Heppner Post Office may not be
filled for six weeks to five
months, Mike McGuire, who is
postmaster at Tygh Valley will
serve until a new postmaster is
appointed.
Players gear up for Shrine game
Jim Kindle, along with 59 other
kids from the top AAA, AA, and
A football players of the class of
1992
reported in Portland on
July 29 in preparation for the 40th
Annual East West Shrine Foot
ball. The players and their
families joined the East-West
coaches, and the East-West Ex
ecutive Committee for a tour of
the Portland Unit Shrine Hospital
for Crippled Children. This gives
the team members, their parents,
and the coaches a chance to see
the real purpose of the East-West
Shrine Football Game.
Wednesday afternoon the
teams were bused to their train
ing camp at Eastern Oregon State
College in LaGrande. That even
ing the teams will be taking
physicals and having “ chalk
talks” with their coaching staffs.
Thursday starts nine days of in
tense preparation for the big game
at Baker City’s High School
Stadium. A great deal must be
learned in a short period of time.
Players from high school football
programs all over the state must
learn common terminology, new
plays, and new offensive and
defensive signals and sets. They
also must learn to work with new
teammates they have just met to
Jim Kindle
form solid football teams.
Sunday August 2 the teams will
enjoy a barbecue and softball
game at LaGrande, organized by
the Union County Shrine Club.
By the time Saturday, Aug. 11
rolls around. East coaches and
West coaches will have molded
these two groups of all-stars into
two fine football teams.
“ This is Oregon football’s
finest hour. Strong bodies strain,
so little burned bodies can heal.
Strong legs run. so that little weak
legs may walk,” said a Shrine
spokesperson.
Motor home catches fire en route vacation
A Lexington family escaped in
jury Monday when their motor
home caught fire while they were
en route to a family vacation on
the coast.
Chuck and Lisa Nelson and
their children, Justin and Court
ney, had pulled in at the
Memaioose rest area and stepped
out of their motor home around
11:30 a.m. when they noticed
smoke coming from the engine.
When Chuck lifted the hood to
check out the problem, flames
began shooting out of the engine.
The Nelsons called 911. but the
call was mistakenly routed to
Hood River instead of The
Dalles. A Forest Service rig
which happened to be driving by
called the fire in to the proper
authorities, but the entire motor
home was burned within 15
minutes. The wind spread the
flames to a nearby grass area.
The grass fire was extinguished,
but as the Nelson's fire was put
out, an unrelated fire to the west
at the Memaioose campground
had also started to bum.
In addition to the motor home,
which they bought for around
$16,000 two years ago, the
Nelsons lost a video camera, a 35
mm camera, a TV with a VCR,
a microwave, Justin's bicycle,
special blankets that the children
had had since they were babies,
clothes, and the children’s shoes.
Chuck was able to grab a fanny
pack, which held his wallet, from
the flames, but not before the
strap had burned. Because of the
smoke, he was unable to retrieve
his wife’s purse which held
money, credit cards, glasses and
contacts. He said that they will be
able to send pieces of money in
Football camp Aug. 10-14
The first annual South Morrow
County Football Camp will be
held at Heppner High School.
Aug. 10 through 14. The camp
w ill feature instruction from both
Heppner and lone junior and
senior high school coaching
staffs.
The non-contact camp will run
-
from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday. The $20
fee includes a T-shirt. All pro
ceeds will go directly to the
school and program which the
student is from. This is a
volunteer effort organized by
Greg Rietmann and Greg Grant.
For more information call
676-5257 or 422-7243.
for reimbursement and were able
to pry some of the credit cards
apart.
The Nelsons had been towing
a Volkswagen Baja behind the
motor home and were able to
push it clear. The keys to the
VW, however were in the motor
home, so he had to hot wire it to
bring it home. Because the VW
was also packed, they called
Chuck’s mother. Jean, of Lex
ington. who arrived at the stop
just before they were required to
evacuate the area because of plans
to drop fire retardent on the se
cond fire.
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