Local man bags cougar near Blakes
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Tom Wolff with the 90-pound cougar he shot near Blake Ranch
VOL. 119
NO.10
12Pages
Wednesday, March 8,2000
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Hand-tooled saddle to be featured in auction
By Doris Brosnan
One of the recent donations to
the St. Patrick's Day Auction
comes from Kay Anderson of
Heppner.
The
hand-tooled
saddle, donated by Anderson,
was crafted in 1954 by Ken and
Verle Green, who were saddle-
maker in Heppner for a short
period of time. They were in
Heppner from 1953-1959.
Ken Green made the saddle and
his wife, Verle, hand-tooled it.
According to their son, Tom,
who lives in California, his mom
was the artistic one in the duo.
The saddle will be offered on
Sunday, March 19, in the live
auction at the fairgrounds.
"Donations continue to come
in, and the variety of items is
vast," says an auction committee
member. The live auction, silent
auction, raffle, and country store
will contain new, used, and
collectible articles and services.
Among the selections in the live
auction, destination packages
will feature the Wildhorse
Casino, the Columbia Gorge
Hotel and the Newport Hallmark
Inn.
Each of the three segments of
silent bidding will also offer
"something for everyone," from
handymen and sports enthusiasts
to kids and collectors.
The Country Store will offer a
wide range of prices and new and
used displays. The raffle will
again feature a $50 beef
certificate and will have some
items of interest to children. Of
course, someone will win the
1972 Volkswagen as the auction
comes to an end.
Entertainment provided by
Ron McDonald and the Outhouse
Singers will begin shortly after
doors open at 11 a m. on March
19. Ron's group delighted the
crowd three years ago and
promises to do the same this
year. The Country Store will be
open at 11 a.m., and bidders can
begin marking their bids on the
Silent Auction sheets at that
time, as well. The three Silent
Auction segments will remain
open until 2, 3, and 4 p m.,
respectively, as they were last
year. The live auction will begin
at 1 p.m.
The list of auction items are
posted on the Heppner Website.
heppner.net.
St. Pat’s info
on Internet
The St. Patrick's Day schedule
of events is now posted on the
Internet at Heppner's web site
www heppner net.
Also on the web site is a
complete list of items that will
be available at the St. Patrick's
Day auction. The auction list
will be updated as new items are
added.
It was a lucky day for Tom
Wolff of Heppner, but not so
lucky for a cougar wandering
near the Blake Ranch area near
Heppner.
Wolff, who has been going out
with glasses looking for the cats
for some time, finally spotted
one Thursday, March 2, about
two miles below Blake Ranch on
the North Fork Willow Creek
around 5:40 p.m.
"I've been hunting cats for nine
years." said Wolff. "This is the
first time I've connected. It's just
incredible to connect with an
animal like this. They are so
beautiful."
Wolff says he plans to have the
full-grown, three-year-old, 90-
pound female fully mounted.
Wolff said that he had heard
about cougar tracks in the area
and a local man said that a
cougar got into his horses last
Tuesday, about five-six miles (as
the crow flies) from where Wolff
shot the cat. Luckily, none of the
horses were hurt.
Considering that cougars have
around a 10x10 mile range, it
could have been the same animal,
Wolff says.
The big cats seem to be
proliferating in the area-one was
killed last week on Upper Rhea
Creek and another was killed
during archery season, says
Wolff. Wolff said that according
to Bob Krein of the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife,
up until three years ago there
were no cougar sightings or
tracks, but over the last several
years the population has
increased.
According to
Final Warning
to perform at
Kiwanis Kapers
This happy leprechaun is having a Ball riding the hand tooled saddle to
be auctioned off at the St. Patrick’s Day auction. And she's Dianaing to
see you at the auction
School report cards delayed
again for Heppner, lone schools
The Oregon State Department
of Education has postponed
issuing the state school report
cards for Heppner and lone
schools until April 17, according
to Mike Keown. Morrow County
School
District
assistant
superintendent.
Keown said that the s*ate
notified the district that the
results for Heppner Jumor/Semor
High School and lone Schools
would be delayed. They were to
be published by March 1.
When the department of
education posts the results, they
may be accessed on the Internet
at www.ode.state.or.us.
Because of the delay, the state
department of education has
Hill Street to
close March 11
Hill Street in Heppner will be
closed on Saturday, March 11 from
7 a.m. until late afternoon. The
Heppner Fire Department, along
with other agencies, plans to bum
down two buildings on the street.
extended the time line for the
schools to issue the school report
cards to parents to May 30. said
Keown.
Be ready for
Irish joke &
story contest
Get out your favorite Irish joke
or story, brush up your Irish
brogue, and get ready for the
Irish joke & story telling contest
to be held during the KUMA
coffee hour Saturday, March 18
during St. Patrick's day weekend
$100 in prize money will be
given away this year, with $50
going to the first place winner.
$20 to second place and $10 to
third. Entrants will be judged on
content and presentation (how
funny is the joke or story, how
good is your Irish).
To enter contact David Sykes
at the Heppner Gazette-Times, or
you can enter right before the
coffee hour, which starts at 10
a.m and is held upstairs at the
Elks Lodge
A local band. Final Warning,
has qualified for the Kiwanis
Kapers and will perform on
Friday, March 10. at 7 p.m. at the
Vert Auditorium in Pendleton
The band includes David
Bates, vocalist, who has written
an original song, "English Love
Song," Jeff Currin. lead guitar.
Travis Bellamy, bass guitar, and
Meghan Bailey, drums. All the
band members are Heppner High
School students who live in the
Heppner-Lexington-Buttei creek
areas except for Bates, an HHS
graduate who is attending Blue
Mountain Community College.
Final Warning has also been
hired for the Morrow County
Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo
kickoff dance in August.
Tickets for the Kiwanis Kapers
are available for $5 for adults
and $4 for students. There are
two different shows, one on
Thursday night, March 9, and
one on Friday. March 10. with
the top performers selected to
compete for cash prizes on the
final Saturday night show on
March 11.
Wolff, the cougars prey on deer,
killing about one a week for
food.
Cougar hunting requires a valid
hunting license and a tag which
must be purchased prior to the
start of the season.
Wolff grew up in Heppner.
moved away and then returned
about a year ago, partly because
of the hunting opportunities in
the area. "This is one of the
reasons I came back," he said.
2000 Heppner St. Patrick
Schedule o f Events
F rid a y , M a r c h 17
•HEPPNER PUBLIC LIBRARY - Open I0AM-6PM
•MORROW COUNTY MUSEUM - Open 1-5 PM
•VENDOR’S SQUARE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER - Enjoy crafts, food and
other treasures from local and visiting vendors All day Friday, Saturday & Sunday on
Main Street across from the Library/City Park For more information call Janice at 541-
676-5024
•MRS O ’LEARY’S STEW FEED - 5 - 7 PM at St Patrick’s Senior Center, 190 N Main
Street, prepared by the Heppner United Methodist Church members
•BLUE MOUNTAIN OLD TIME FIDDLERS -Dinner 5-7PM and concert at 7PM at
Heppner Elementary School Cafeteria and Auditorium
•BUFFET DINNER - 6 - 8 PM at the Elks Club. 142 N Main Street
•LADS & LASSIES TEEN DANCE -9 PM - midnight. A drug and alcohol free event for
teens at Heppner High School
S a tu rd a y , M a r c h 18
•BREAKFAST - 6 - 10:30 AM at St Patrick’s Senior Center, prepared by O ’Senior Cen
ter
•SHEEP DOG TRIALS - starting at 8:30 AM (all day) at Thompson's Ranch, 3 miles
northwest of Heppner on Bunker Hill Road off of Highway 207, between mileposts #41
and #42.
• VOLKSWALK - 8 AM - 4 PM Make a “grand tour” o f the Irish Capitol of Oregon The
event starts at Central Red Apple on Main Street and tours the town on a 6.2 mile/10
kilometer route
•MORROW COUNTY MUSEUM -10 AM - 5 PM Come visit the famous Morrow County
Museum! See their display of the historical 1903 Heppner Flood and other displays from
the past
•AG EQUIPMENT MUSEUM (Shorty’s Museum) - 10 AM - 5 PM See Shorty Pack’s
fine collection of farm equipment Members of the museum board will be available to
answer questions
•MORROW COUNTY CREATIVE ARTS AND CRAFTS - 9 AM - 3 PM. show and sale
at Les Schwab
•VENDORS SQUARE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER - All day across the street
from the Library/City Park
•IRISH HOOP SHOOT - starting at 10:00 AM on E Willow Slreet, sponsored by Heppner
Colt Basketball
•KUMA COFFEE HOUR - 10 AM at the Elks Club. 142 N Main Street. Come hear
family histones, music, stories and blarney! Enter the IRISH BROGUE CONTEST and
try to win SI00 for the best brogue
•BRUNCH - 11:15 AM - 1 30 PM at the Elks Club, 142 N Mam Street
•O'SENIOR CENTER - 11 AM - 1 30 PM Have a taste of Insh homemade soup and
bread: pie and coffee 3 - 4:30 PM. Videos of Ireland for your relaxation
•O ’BARBECUE Chicken and Ribs - 11 AM - 4 PM by Kessler’s Katering at the City Park
on Main Street.
•LITTLE LEPRECHAUNS’ MINI-CARNIVAL AND KIDS’ KUISINE - 11:30 AM -
2 PM between the post office and Shoe Box. Sponsored by Heppner DayCare
•WESTON-McEWEN PIPE & DRUMS - performing on the Main Street Shamrock at
12:30 PM, pnor to the Parade
•BARTENDERS' RACE - before the Parade, starting at the Main Street Shamrock
•IRISH PARADE - I PM on Main Street Drawing for $100 Pot O’Gold
•HEPPNER PUBLIC LIBRARY - Open I - 5 PM
•CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC - 2 - 4 PM .City Park, sponsored by First
Christian Church
•CEILI (pronounced K-Lee) - beginning at 2 PM. upstairs at the Elks Club. 142 N Main
Street Come enjoy Insh music featunng John Doherty and The Insh Singers and the
Round-Up City Cloggers performing Insh Step Dancing with optional audience partici
pation Cost is a St. Pat’s Button
♦ST PADDY’S MOTORCROSS BARREL RACE - sponsored by the Oregon Trail Pro
Rodeo Committee, has outgrown the celebration and will be rescheduled at a later date
Watch for advertising!
•EWE-DO BINGO - 2:30 PM Live sheep activity on NW Willow Street Sponsored by
Heppner Water Park/ Swim Team
•TOURS - 2:30 - 4 PM Morrow County Courthouse Histoncal structure built of blue
basalt in 1902 at 100 S Court Street
•O'DUCKY RACE - 3 PM. starts at bridge in front of Courthouse Adopt a duck to win a
prize of $10 to $100. Sponsored by the Heppner Colt Football Program
•O'FARLEY SOCIAL HOUR - 4 - 5 PM at the Senior Center Bus Shed on E May Street
Reminisce with old and new acquaintances Drawing for $100 Pot O’Gold
•ST PATRICK’S HAM DINNER - 4 - 7 PM at Catholic Church parish Hall at 560 NW
Jones Street. Family tickets available
•BUFFET DINNER - 6 - 8 PM Com Beef & Caobage, etc with music fron, 9 PM - 2 AM
at the Elks Club, 142 N Main Street
•THE TRAIL BAND - 7 30 PM at the Heppner Elementary School Auditorium You will
not want to miss this wonderful entertainment from Portland featuring music, stories, and
costumes inspired by the great migrations to America at the turn of the century Spon
sored by the Morrow County Recreation District. Willow Lodge I O O F and the St Pat’s
Committee
•WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING BREAKFAST 11 PM - 3 AM by Heppner Volunteer
Fire Department at 190 NW Willow Street
S u n d a y , M a r c h 19
•BREAKFAST - 6 - 10 AM at the N azarene Church, 335 N G ilm ore
•CHURCH - your choice Visitors welcomed
•VENDORS SQUARE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER - All day across the street
from the Library/City Park
•SHEEP DOG TRIALS - all day at Thompson’s Ranch. 3 miles northwest of Heppner on
Bunker Hill Road off of Highway 207, between mileposts #41 and #42
.
•ST PADDY'S DAY 0'TEAM ROPING - 10 AM at the Morrow County Fairgrounds
•BARBECUE - 11AM - 3 PM at the Morrow County Fairgrounds Family tickets avail
able
•ST PATRICK’S ANNUAL AUCTION - 1 PM indoors at Morrow County Fairgrounds
Preview items at 11 AM Have the fun of a live auction, as well as a Country Store, silent
auctions, drawings, raffle draw ing for VW Bug/Dune Buggy and music Draw ing for $100
Pot O’Gold
Caed M ile Failte
( “one hundred thousand welcom es")
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