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All is calm, all is bright
Brightly lit fir trees make for a picturesque Christmas scene along the newly-remodeled Main Street
in Heppner. This spring the Christmas trees will be replaced by permanent deciduous trees. City
manager Gary Marks says that 46 trees, including 12 Crimson Sentry Maple, 17 Spring Snow Crabapple,
nine Redspire Pear and eight Chanticleer Pear, and 106 shrubs of four different varieties are to be
planted. The trees and shrubs, funded through a U S Forest Service grant, will be placed along Main
Street between the two Willow Creek bridges. Marks said that more shrubbery may be planted along
the greenway between the bridge and the mini park and flowers will be planted in the island at the mini
park.
The Heppner Ranger District donated the small fir trees and placed them on stands which were made
by high school students and many participated in the lighting of the trees.
First house set at Heppner lake development
VOL. 116
NO. 52
8 Pages
Wednesday, December 24,1997
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Wilkinsons donate $30,000 to
MC fair building project
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First home placed at new housing development overlooking Willow Creek Lake
Story
and
Rietmann
photo
by
Nova
Jane and Bob
"Mac"
MacDonald, formerly of Eugene,
have put up the first house at
Lake View Heights, a new
housing development that is
above ‘ the
campground
overlooking Willow Creek Lake,
near Heppner.
The house is a Harrison style
Stratford home. The MacDonalds
are putting in a basement,
foundation and a two- car garage.
The 1650 square foot house has
Virginia and Dick Wilkinson (center) present a $30,000 check toward the new fairgrounds multipurpose building to
Fair Board Chairman Sam Bellamy (left) and board member Kelwayne Haguewood
Virginia and Dick Wilkinson
had both been thinking separately
that they wanted to contribute
toward the plan to construct a
new multipurpose arena at the
Morrow County Fairgrounds in
Heppner.
Well, the Wilkinsons put their
heads together and did their part
. . . and then some. The long -
time area ranchers donated
$30,000 toward the project. Their
generous gift boosted the project
up to 60 percent of their goal.
The Wilkinsons said that they
wanted to give something to
agriculture. Dick has been in
agriculture all his life-he was
bom and raised on the ranch he
still farms. Virginia, who was
originally from Florida, has been
involved in agriculture since
their marriage on October 31,
1950. Ironically, the couple met
at the old fair pavilion that was
downtown in Heppner where the
city park is now.
"We've been active in
agriculture all of his life and
most of mine," said Virginia.
"This is something I think we
should do. We had never
discussed it, but we both were
having thoughts."
Virginia said that they decided
to contribute after attending the
Morrow
County
Livestock
Growers meeting Dec. 12.
"It (the multipurpose building)
, will be here a long time, we
hop«," added Dick. "We want
agriculture to perpetuate and we
wanted to help."
The Wilkinsons were selected
as the 1997 Morrow County
Conservation Farm of the Year
and in 1994 they were awarded
the "Landowner of the Year" by
the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife "in recognition of
the outstanding contributions to
the fish and wildlife resources of
Oregon."
Dick served around 20 years on
both the Columbia Basin Electric
Board of Directors and the
Federal Land Bank and was a
member of the Rural Fire
District Board and the Game
Commission. He is a charter
member of the Heppner High
School FF A Chapter and still
serves on their advisory board.
Virginia helped for many years
during fair. She was also State
Worthy Grand Matron of the
Eastern Star, heading up the state
organization, which at the time
had 32,000 members. While
raising two daughters Virginia
worked with the Rainbow Girls.
The goal of the fair board is to
have
the
125x225
foot
multipurpose building up by July
1. Morrow County Fair Board
Chairman Sam Bellamy said that
the building will almost double
the space they currently have.
The new building will house
three show arenas-one for hogs
and swine, sheep and beef.
"There will be lots of room,"
added Bellamy. "We might even
have room for something else."
Bellamy said that the facility's
seating capacity will be at 299
people.
The board says that the
building could house special
events, winter farm shows,
sports,
school
programs,
livestock exhibits, commercial
exhibits, 4-h horse and animal
activities, FFA events, equestrian
events and training, high school
and college rodeo events,
amateur and professional roping
events, jack pots, barrel racing,
team penning, cow cutting, rodeo
schools, horse training, private
practices, horse and bull sales,
flea markets and car shows and
could be rented to large and
small groups.
The board hopes to raise a
total of $62,500 toward the
project by March 25.
The building, to be named
after the Wilkinsons, will be
officially named at a later date.
Punch
Car d
winners drawn
Twenty five dollar gift
certificate winners this week in
the Heppner Christmas Punch are
as follows:
Betty Christman won a $25 gift
certificate to Lott's Electric.
Nadine Toombs won a gift
certificate to Shoe Box. Lea
Calvert won a certificate to
Green Feed. And Donna Maben
won a gift certificate to Central
Market. The winners can pick up
their gift certificates at the
businesses.
There will be a new set of
winners next week, the final
week of the contest, and
remember all punch cards go into
the final grand prize drawing of
$700 in gift certificates to be
given away Dec. 29.
three bedrooms and a sun room
and was shipped from Post Falls,
Idaho. It arrived a day late due to
weather.
At about 2:30 p.m. on
Thursday, December 18, with the
help of a crane from Kinzua, the
crew from U.S. Tank and
Construction Co., Inc., placed the
MacDonalds' house onto the
foundation.
The MacDonalds, who have
lived in Eugene for 20 years,
decided to move to Eastern
Oregon to get away from the
inclement weather and the
congestion. They are currently
employed at Columbia Basin,
where Mac is a lineman and Jane
is a member of the office staff.
The couple have grown children
and grandchildren.
Jane MacDonald said that they
are really happy about living in
Heppner and they're anxiously
waiting for their house to be
finished.
Developer is E.J."John"
Leason, owner of U.S. Tank and
Construction Co., Inc., out of
Redmond.
Health District board meeting held
The Morrow County Health
District Board, at its regular
meeting in Heppner on Monday,
Dec. 8, discussed staffing
Pioneer Memorial Clinic with a
receptionist, nurse and lab and x-
ray technicians when Dr. Ed
Berretta works at the clinic,
approximately one weekend a
month. Berretta, former Heppner
physician, now has a clinic in
Walla Walla.
The board learned that the
number of patients who make
appointments to see Berretta
would
probably
justify
additional staffing at the clinic.
In other business, the board:
-heard a financial report on
Pioneer Memorial Hospital.
Business manager Dan Grant
said that revenues have been hurt
because the hospital lacks a third
provider (physician or nurse
practitioner), because of billing
problems and because of
cutbacks
in
Medicare
reimbursements. Grant added
however that the November
financial situation was improved
over October and that December
should be in "good form". Grant
said that the district should
receive its tax monies within the
next few weeks, which will help
alleviate the financial crunch;
-heard discussion on a family
practice grant which the hospital
may apply for. Nurse practitioner
Wendy Haack suggested that a
proposal might include tele
radiology equipment. In tele-
radiology, x-ray and ultrasound
results may be transmitted via
computer to experts in other
locations. Haack said that
capability to confirm a diagnosis
via computer would reduce the
number of patients sent out of
town for diagnosis.
-reviewed ambulance protocol;
-heard a report from Molly
Rhea, Home Health director;
-heard a request from board
member Sharron Meyers to
contact Dr.
Robert Boss
concerning
his
possible
employment with the district.
Boss operated the health district-
owned clinic in Boardman before
establishing a clinic of his own
there. Dr. Boss and the district
could not come to an agreement
concerning his contract with the
district.
-heard that revenue is down
at the Boardman clinic.
Christmas tree
pickup
available
The Heppner High School
senior class will have Christmas
tree pickup for area residents on
Sunday, January 4, starting at 1
p.m.
Anyone wishing to have their
tree picked up and disposed of
may call Jayme Hansen, 676-
5247, or April Sykes, 676-9939
or 676-9228.
The seniors are asking that
anyone having their tree picked
up make a donation toward the
senior class trip.
A meeting for seniors and
their parents will be held that
same day, Jan. 4, at 7 p.m. at the
HHS library.
We will be CLOSED Dec. 24th at noon
and Christmas Day
MeWuf CbsUilmaA, jfia+n a ll of uà a l MGQQ
MORROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS
Lexington 989-8221
1-800-452-7396________________________