Brrr
Day Care
purchases
facility
Heppner Day Care Board
president Kim Cutsforth and di­
rector Merry Brannon signed
documents Dec. 21 to finalize the
purchase of the Day Care build­
ing from the Cleveland Trust.
The Heppner Day Care Board
has been working with the Mor-
.row Development Corporation
(Port of Morrow) and the Bank
of Eastern Oregon since early fall
to work out terms of a loan from
both these organizations. The
monthly payments on their new 15
year mortgage will be substantially
less than their current rent.
Several local community orga­
nizations, individuals and families
contributed money that will be
used to pay new insurance re­
quirements, property taxes and
other general closing costs.
Murray Drugs recently partici­
pated in a giving tree for items the
day care needs. Children were to
open the presents at 2 p.m. on
Wednesday, Dec. 23.
HEPPNER
imes
VOL. 117
NO. 51
...
10 Pagaa
Mtvuf
Wednesday, December 23,1998
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
CiMUhto
A '‘old snap throughout Oregon brought frigid temperatures and
a dusting of snow to South Morrow County. The city of Heppner
reports a weekend low of around -2F. The weather forecast
predicts a warming trend and possibly precipitation by Christmas
eve.
Gazette-Times
closed Dec. 24-25
The Heppner Gazette-
Times will be closed the day
before
Christmas
and
Christmas day, December 24
and 25.
Merry Christmas from the
staff at the G-T.
Heppner man turns vigilante
A local group organized to
combat the recent increase in
crime in Heppner through non­
violent means has apparently
turned vigilante and taken the
law into its own hands. One
organizer and vocal proponent
of the group, Lyle Verrall,
attempted to assault an 18-year-
old with a baseball bat Tuesday,
Dec. 22, in Heppner.
According to witnesses,
Verrall tried to pick a fight with
a male subject and then
attempted to hit him with a bat
through the window of a
pickup.Verrall then smashed the
grill and the headlight of the
pickup with the bat. The subject
and the driver of the pickup
reported the incident to the
Heppner Police.
Police Chief Doug Rathbun
said that Verrall would be
arrested and would probably be
charged
with
disorderly
conduct, but added that the
Morrow
County
District
attorney would determine the
charges.
According to an August 5
Gazette-Times news story, the
Heppner Crime Prevention
Committee declared that they
would not take the law into their
own hands. "Any form of
violence by residents to deter
crime was strongly opposed by
the committee, which felt that
citizens should be the eyes and
ears for local police by
informing them of suspicious
activity and avoiding any
confrontation,"
the
story
continued.
The group was formed to deter
crime in youth and young
adults.
to d fi- Wfiÿfy f\kn/ Sito
Turn in your cards for the last
veek of Christmas punch contest
Heppner considers dog control options
According to Heppner City
Manager Jerry Breazeale, the
City of Heppner has received
increasing complaints about
dogs running at large. At the
regular meeting of the city
council, held December 14,
1998, the council discussed
options to enforce the city
ordinance dealing with dog
control.
Complaints have included dogs
running loose, defecating on
public sidewalks and causing
problems on private property.
Currently, says Breazeale, city
law prohibits dogs running at
large and there are significant
penalties which can be assessed
to dog owners who allow their
pets to roam freely.
Enforcement has usually been
initiated by a complaint being
filed and a warning issued to the
dog owner. After a second
complaint, a citation may be
issued requiring the owner to
pay a fine or appear in court.
According to Breazeale, the
council is concerned that current
enforcement provisions are not
adequate and has requested staff
to investigate initiating further
action to get compliance with
the law.
Dogs running at large can
cause a lot of trouble when free
to go where they please, he said.
Problems from loose dogs range
from getting into trash cans and
scattering garbage to attacking
and injuring people. Given a
chance, Breazeale added, dogs
will join up with others and form
a pack. "Dogs in packs present
the greatest risk to the public,"
he said. "Even a good natured
house pet can turn into a
troublemaker when in a pack
environment."
He also noted that there is the
possibility that a free ranging pet
can encounter a rabid animal and
carry the disease home to the
owner or others that it comes in
contact with.
The city urges owners to keep
their dogs in fenced enclosures,
securely tied or on a leash.
The options considered include
requiring that all dogs be
licensed, picking up and
impounding stray pets and
assessing fines and impound
fees.
Breazeale said the costs to set
up and administer such programs
and would result in increased
costs to pet owners.
Breazeale said the council
expressed hope that dog owners
would voluntarily keep their pets
restrained if they knew of the
problems their dogs were
causing for other residents of the
city and of the potential for
increased costs.
Should
voluntary compliance of the
leash law alleviate the current
problems, the city may not have
to take on the additional expense
of establishing and running a
dog control program, he
concluded.
OSU releases
honor students
Oregon State University has
announced the names of students
who made the scholastic honor roll
fall term.
To be on the honor roll, students
must carry at least 12 graded hour
of course work and earn a 3.5
grade point average or better.
Local students who qualify in­
clude Alison Sullivan, lone, ajun-
ior in home economics and edu­
cation, with a 3.5 or better GPA.
EOU lists
honor students
Eastern Oregon University has
announced its fall quarter dean’s
list. To qualify for the list, students
must have a minimum o f 12
graded credit hours and achieve
a 3.5 grade point average or bet­
ter.
Local students who qualify in­
clude: John Qualls, Heppner; Jake
Bacon, lone; and Tina Kemp and
Becky Wagenblast, Lexington.
There is one more week left in the Christmas Punch contest so be
are to have your cards punched and turned in by next Monday, Dec.
8. Next week in addition to the regular $25 gift certificate, a grand
rize winner for $600 in gift certificates will be drawn. All entries
lat have been turned in during the entire contest will be eligible to
dn the grand prize.
The following winners were drawn out for $25 gift certificates this
eek in the Chnstmas Punch Contest:
Arlynda Gates won a $25 gift certificate to Lott's Electric; DeRina
toward won a gift certificate to Shoe Box; Wendy Haack to Central
larket and Ed Berretta won a $25 gift certificate to Pettyjohn's
uilders Supply.
The Chnstmas Punch Contest runs through next week, so remember
> pick up your card and then have it punched as you shop the
illowing businesses: Gardner's Men's Wear, Coast to Coast, Les
chwab Tires, Peterson's Jewelers, Lott's Electric, Shoe Box, Central
ed Apple Market, Pettyjohn's, Morrow County Gram Growers, Court
Street Market, Murray Drugs/ Country Rose and Corbin's Bowl and
Diner.
Photo by Allison Sykas
City council
minutes now
on the internet
The minutes of the Heppner
city council meetings, are now
available to the public on the
Internet.
Open your web browser to
www.heppner.net and click on
the city of Heppner link and you
we be on the city's new home
page. A list of the city council
meeting minutes will be listed on
the left side of your screen. The
city plans to archive the minutes
of each meeting, and keep them
available for viewing.
Also on the city's new home
page are names of city officials,
the city's e-mail address, as well
as other information.
The city page was built and is
maintained by the Heppner
Gazette-Times.
wt u a v c
in R l
«V n o cjt:
The downtown Christmas tree was flocked with snow when
Heppner residents awoke Friday morning.
Winter fBi6s, Jackets & Coveralls!
C loiin j it 12 noon on Thursday, December 24th
CLOSED All DAY Friday and Saturday, December 25 th -26th
CLOSED New Year's Day - Open Saturday, Jan. 2 until noon
M orrow C ounty G rain G rowers
L e x in g t o n 9 8 9 - 8 2 2 1
•
1 -8 0 0 -4 5 2 -7 3 9 6
For farm equipment w it our web site at www megg w t