High speed chase results in fire, power outage
Cosale r e t t e l i
U o f u ìie w s ^ a p a r L i b r a r y
Lu can e, oS y / i J 5
A Heppner fireman attempts to extinguish a burning car as Columbia Basin Electric Co-op workers
work to repair downed power lines caused by the vehicle crashing into a power pole.
VOL. 119
NO. 28
8 Pages
Wednesday, July 12,2000
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Heppner to host 11 & 12 All Star tourney
WCLL All Star Team (left to right) back row: Coach Curt Day (Braves), manager Dennis Peck (Braves),
Coach Dave Alistott (Pirates); 2nd row: Robbie Smith (Braves), Matt Kenny (Pirates), Rory Kilkenny
(Braves), Kyle Carlson (Pirates), Victor Bednar (White Sox), JC Sherritt (Pirates).
1st row: Colton Hanson (Pirates), Roy Proctor (Pirates), Kody Lovgren (Braves), Riley Wight (Braves),
Sloan Keithley (Pirates), Quinn Peck (Braves).
By Sandi Day
W illow Creek Little League
will host the District 5 11 and 12
year old All-Star Tournament in
Heppner, July 14-23.
Twelve teams will play on the
first weekend of play with a double
elimination format. Games will
Concessions will be available
at the fields all day and a barbe
cue for players and their families
will be held on Saturday evening.
The Willow Creek All-Star
team will play their first game on
Saturday, July 15 at 11 a.m. at the
Shad Hisler field.
begin on Friday, July 14 at 2:30
p.m. and 5 p.m. An opening cer
emony will be held on Saturday
morning at 9 a.m. at the Kilkenny
Field with games beginning at 10
a.m. and continuing throughout the
day.
County Court hears road report,
concerns about state gravel trucks
Hill, to better caution about a
By Doris Brosnan
Morrow County Public Works dangerous curve. Answering a
Director Burke O'Brien offered question from Morrow County
the following report at the July 5 Commissioner John Wenholz,
O'Brien reported that the county
Morrow County Court meeting:
should be able, with the county
-Paving at the fairgrounds
equipment, to complete the
snack shack has been completed;
the crew is working on cleaning project with the quality of the
out gravel from the cattle guards average contractor, though the
on Ditch Creek Road and paver is not as sophisticated as
newer ones.
sweeping off some other roads;
After examining Rhea Crdek
the crown has been reestablished
and Morter Lane, O'Brien
on Wilson Road; the B Street
Bridge work is still on the reported the possibility o f having
schedule; backfilling work is to add a three-inch lift of gravel
planned at the Emergency on Morter and cutting the slope
Operations Center and some on some o f the comers to
other work needs to be accommodate increased truck
accomplished there.
traffic.
In response to Morrow County
The court discussed last week's
Commissioner Dan Brosnan's public hearing on the proposed
concern about the effect o f State zoning ordinance amendment
with county counsel Bill Hanlon
gravel trucks on Ridge Road,
O'Brien said that he plans to Details of the involved legal
work out an agreement before process were reviewed, and, in a
future work at that gravel pit.
telephone
conference
call.
O'Brien also told Brosnan that Morrow
County
Planning
he will investigate moving the Director
Tamra
Mabbott
warning sign that is near the summarized the procedure used
curve at the top o f Coal Mine for notification about the
proposed zoning
ordinance
amendment.
Mabbott addressed questions
ab o u t
the
co u n ty 's
comprehensive
plan
and
expressed her perspective on the
appropriateness
of
the
amendment. The complexities of
the situation were further
discussed in detail.
Hanlon also reported that the
weed ordinance and enforcement
of the ordinance do not require
approval o f the county court.
District Attorney David Allen
requested a protocol for the
enforcement of the ordinance.
Brosnan suggested that approval
from the Weed Board precede
the weed manager’s issuing a
summons and going to the
district attorney to swear out the
complaint.
Hanlon explained that the
process should begin at the
property owner level. Allen
noted the complication of out-of-
state owners, and the court
continued page two
«
An Imgon man, fleeing police,
crashed his 1984 Pontiac into a
power pole, causing a 10-acre
grass fire and a power outage that
affected about 800 homes in
Willow Creek Valley on
Thursday, July 6. The outage
lasted around an hour and 20
minutes.
According to the police report,
Robert Wade Eastep, 40, Irrigon,
was driving over 70 miles an
hour on Highway 207, near
milepost six, when an Oregon
State Patrolman attempted to
stop him shortly after noon. The
man fled at speeds approaching
100 miles an hour, traveling
from the highway to Baseline
Road and then to Kilkenny road
before losing control of his
vehicle and striking the power
pole.
Eastep did not suffer any major
injuries, however, he was cited
for reckless driving, attempting
to elude, driving under the
influence of intoxicants, driving
uninsured,
driving
while
suspended and violation of the
basic rule. The vehicle was
totalled.
The Morrow County Sheriffs
Office blocked off Highway 207
near milepost 13 for around 20
minutes. It took about two hours
before fire fighters and farmers
brought the blaze under control.
Submit articles
now for special
fair edition
The deadline for news stones
and advertisements for the
annual Gazette-Times fair and
rodeo tab will be Wednesday,
July 26 at 5 p.m.
The tab will be published on
August. 9.
Another Heppner home burns
Back of house on Elder Street destroyed.
A second fire in two weeks has
burned another Heppner home.
Ten Heppner Volunteer Fire
Department fire fighters and
three fire engines responded to
the Raymond Phillips, Sr., and
Bobbee Clark home at 505 Elder
Street around 3 p.m. on Friday,
July 7.
According to Heppner Fire
Chief Rusty Estes, the home
sustained smoke and heat
damage throughout the whole
house and fire severely damaged
the kitchen, utility room, back
WCCC plans
barbecue
The Willow Creek Country
Club will have a family barbecue
on Sunday, July 16, at 4 p.m.
Each family will bring their own
meat. Those whose last names
begin with “ A” through “ K”
should bring dessert and “L”
through “Z", salad.
Hosts will be Bob and Lorrene
Montgomery, Randy and Bernice
Lott, and Betty Christman.
Advertising Deadline
12 noon T u esd ay
porch and attic.
Estes said that the fire is still
under investigation.
Phillips and Clark are renting
the house, which is owned by
Jeff and Missy Cutsforth of
Lexington.
According to Glorene
Wright of the Umatilla Chapter
of the American Red Cross, the
couple, who are both on
disability, lost all of their food
and living room furniture in the
fire.
She said that several local
businesses and organizations
have donated to assist the family.
Wright said that the Heppner
Neighborhood
Center,
the
Northwestern Motel and the Red
Cross each provided lodging at
the Northwestern Motel. The
Neighborhood Center provided a
meal at Kate's Pizza and the Red
Cross donated three days of
meals at Cal's and groceries
from Central Market.
An account for donations to
the couple has been set up at
Klamath First Federal, says
Wright.
Lex town-wide yard
sale this Saturday
Final plans are being made for
the Lexington town-wide yard sale
this Saturday, July 15. Those hav
ing sales are the Rebekahs,
M cC arls, Zum w alts, Sagers,
Kennedys, Morrises, Kempases,
Brazells and the Lexington Fire
Dept. Auxiliary. Others may be
having sales, but their names were
unavailable at press time.
Donations have been made to
the auxiliary from the Beards,
Hayneses, Renfros, Temples,
B oyers, T aylors, K eithleys,
Orwicks. Pat Wright and the City
of lone.
The auxiliary's sale will be held
at the town hall from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Everyone is invited to enjoy a
special lunch at the Cenex con
venience store or RJ's. and a treat
at Doubleshot Espresso.
Sale places should be easy to
spot or buyers may pick up a map
at city hall.
H A R V EST HOURS
Starting July 5th: Weekdays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Closed Sundays
M orrow
C o unty
G r a in
G row ers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1 -800-452-7396 For farm equipment *nt our * e b ntt at WWW mcg.nct