Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2001)
» Annual Town and Country awards presented The Heppner Chamber of Commerce presented first citizens' awards at the annual Town and Country Banquet held Thursday, January 11, at the Heppner Elks Club Kay Proctor was named Woman of the Year, Bob Kahl. Man of the Year, Wilbur Jackson, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Dean Robinson, Citizen Educator of the Year, Lindsey Ward, Youth Recognition Award winner, and the Heppner Gazette-Times, Business of the Year. Editorial cartoonist Jack Ohman entertained the crowd by drawing caricatures of nationally-known political figures and local citizens, spicing up his presentation with banter with the audience. Ohman gave each of the local "victims" their caricatures and donated the political cartoons to the Morrow County Museum Foundation to auction as a fund raiser. While he was in college, Ohman became the youngest cartoonist ever to be nationally syndicated. His cartoons regularly appear in the Portland Oregonian, Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, Business Week and The Economist. He is also the author of several books. B a i a l o '"a t u l i U o f ) ¡‘«o v jp a ' -¡r L i b r a r y Lu j o i l OR *374J3 VOL. 120 NO. 3 10 Pages Wednesday, January 17,2001 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon AG producers learn more about compliance Bv Merlyn Robinson It was "good news and bad news," along with conflicting views, as Morrow County ag producers gathered Jan. 11 in the Heppner Elks building, for a long afternoon session on regulations affecting the industry. The purpose of the joint meeting between the Morrow County Livestock Growers and the Soil and Water Conservation District was to help property owners become more aware of existing laws con cerning natural resource manage ment and how to comply with them. Weather forecasts, using modem technology, play a major role in the ag industry. A presentation by Bruce Bauck and Dennis Hall, both from the National Weather Service, presented graphs showing local weather patterns over the past 100 years. These charts are used to help make long-term climate predica tions. Graphs show a gradual global warming and higher carbon dioxide levels in some areas over this relatively short period of time, believed to be due to various factors, including increasing urbanization. Dennis Miller from the Oregon Department of Agriculture talked about the requirements concerning pesticide use reporting. House Bill 3602 requires that any user of chemicals, both urban and rural, must file a report. Users must record the type, quantity and location of applications, even by those who are not licensed applicators. As numerous as snowflakes, acronyms abound when it comes to programs and agencies that impact Oregon waterways. Tracy Bosen o f the Umatilla Basin Watershed Council was present to explain the clean water standards under the Total Maximum Daily Loads regulations and how producers in the Willow Creek Watershed and elsewhere are affected. Statewide standards require that streams be evaluated for water temperature and acceptable levels of sediment or bacteria. The Depart ment of Environmental Quality is the lead agency that is currently citing irregularities and imposing fines on property owners for non- pomt source pollution Aenal photos are being used to spot suspected problem areas in Eastern Oregon, such as barren creek banks lacking vegetation. This is followed by on site ground inspection, at which time fines may be issued. Enc Moeggenberg. water quality specialist from the ODA and Morrow County Extension agent Bill Broderick gave an educational presentation encouraging producers to take a proactive approach to upgrading creek-site management in order to avoid heavy fines. Slides were used to illustrate typical livestock feeding areas along creeks where runoff could be cited as a pollution problem. I Ward lives with her parents, Jim and Susie Ward, and sister, Ashley. Abby Kahl was the first recipient of the youth award last year. IC M * Dean Robinson Citizen Educator of the Year Dean Robinson, Heppner, has been teaching in the lone Schools since 1987. Robinson, the lone Junior High School language arts teacher, is also athletic director at lone Schools and has coached football and track for many years. In 1999 he received the Oregon Junior High School Coach o f the Year. He is also director of theTupper Outdoor School program for Heppner and lone. Robinson has long been active in the Elks Club and has been Exhaulted Ruler, a member of the board of trustees and has served on the Elks Scholarship Committee for 15 years. He has been a member of the Heppner Fire Department since 1980 and is a state accredited Fire Fighter I. He is also an Oregon Department of Forestry State Patrol Officer. He and his wife, Florene. have two daughters and two grandchildren. Citizen Educator Award recipients since 1988 have been: Cara Osmin, Jim Byer. Dick Allen, Betty Rietmann, Linda Shaw, Dave Gunderson, Barbara Hayes, Janme Allen, Greg Grant. Barbara Peterson. Ralph Werner and Walt Pilgrim. Kay Proctor Katie Cate and Karl Jensen The Willow Creek Watershed Council will be formulated to outline plans to bring this area into com pliance under the Clean Water Act. Meanwhile, ODA, the Natural Resource Council and other local agencies offer technical assistance to individuals that have problem areas. For those that qualify, funding has become available to assist with the costs involved for changes in practices such as cattle feeding areas that border streams where runoff is said to cause stream pollution or where off-stream livestock watering may be required. Prior to MCLG and SWCD individual business meetings, Ken Gneb, the newly-elected secretary of the Oregon Wheat League, presented the agenda of the state association. This organization works to develop markets and actively influences the many programs affecting farmers, while working in conjunction with other ag groups photo by Merlyn Robinson on natural resource issues. During the MCLG business meeting, Karl Jensen, Umatilla County cattleman, told how the combined efforts of ag-onented organizations have helped to miti gate lawsuits and heavy-handed litigation against landowners. It was also discussed how property owners, particularly livestock operators, are being targeted and fined. Katie Cate, representing Oregon Cattlemen's Association, was also on hand to provide an update on the state organization. Along with beef promotion and consumer education, the OCA now has the Oregon Trail Beef program under way. The first products to be marketed under this program will be ready this year. Members of this co-op will be providing a quality- controlled product of primal beef cuts to consumers, thus creating a value-added, niche market. OCA members are eligible to become charter members at this time. Kinzua power plant may fire up Port of Morrow Commissioners have decided to move ahead on negotiations to lease the Kinzua generating plant. The plant produces about 10 megawatts of electricity. According to Port of Morrow general manager Gary Neal, Greg Demers, former owner o f the Kinzua mill, contacted the port about the possibility of leasing the wood fired power plant. Lisa Mittelsdorf, director of economic development for the port, said that they hope the power plant will be operational within 90 days. Under the contract in the process of being negotiated between Demers and the port. Demers would lease the plant for 10 years with five-year renewal options. The contract also specifies a 50-50 sharing of profit. Improvements made to the facility would be paid back over the course o f the lease. If the power plant is fired up, around 10 local people would be hired to run it, said Neal. Woman of the Year Kay Proctor was noted for her "behind the scenes" volunteerism. Proctor was not only instrumental in procuring the trees which were placed on Main Street, but planted the trees and still prunes them yearly. She also serves on the Heppner Beautification Commission. Proctor, who lives in Hepper, was also a driving influence in raising funds for the construction of the Willow Creek Waterpark, chairing the original "People for the Pool" committee. She started the Ewe-do Bingo fund raiser, sold t-shirts, bricks Lindsey Ward and researched grants to fund the Recipient of the Youth therapy and spa room at the Recognition Award, Lindsey water park, which amounted to Ward, Heppner, is this year's over $135,000. Proctor is active at St. Heppner High School Student Patrick Church, volunteers at the Body President. Ward initiated an annual Elks Club, is active in 4-H and toiletry drive to benefit local has been a 4-H leader for o' er 10 needy families. Twice she has years. contributed $100 to the fund Proctor and he nusband, Mike, have three children, Josie, raiser and challenged other students and high school faculty Julie and Roy. to match the contribution. She Since the first Woman of also shops for the articles and the Year Award in 1981, the puts them together for following have been so honored: distribution. Theta Lowe, Francine Evans, She is also involved in Irene Anhom, Vera Cooley, Jean the Cowboy Christmas Ball, Nelson, Jane Rawlins, Justine another chanty activity, regularly Weatherford, Dot Halvorsen, takes her dog to visit nursing Gladys Hobbs, Claudia Hughes, home residents and volunteers Birdine Tullis, Maryan McElligott, Dorrine Lindsay, and participates in the annual Helen Craford, Jeanne Berretta. local MS Walk. She is a member of the Merlyn Robinson, Janet HHS golf team, editor of the Greenup. Aloha DeSpain and school newspaper, a member of Cyde Estes. Honor Society, has participated in the Knowledge Master team and has been the HHS representative to the Chamber of Commerce for the past two years. She has also been a Signups for the hoop shoot will Morrow County Fair and Oregon be held from 2-2:30 p.m., with Trail Pro Rodeo Princess. competition beginning at 2:30 p.m. This fall she attended the Children from eight to 13 years youth Law Leadership old are invited to participate at no Conference in Washington, D.C. cost. Colt signups, Hoop Shoot slated Signups for the Colt basketball program, for boys and girls in third through sixth grade, will be held this Sunday, Jan 21, beginning at 1 p.m. at Heppner High School. Children must bring a parent to the signups. Cost is $5 each. For more information, contact Lon Seitz, 989-8477. The Elks Hoop Shoot contest is scheduled to begin immediately following the Colt Basketball program signups on Sunday, Jan. 21, at Heppner High School. NEWS DEADLINE 5 p.m. Monday 1 5 % Wilbur Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award winner Wilbur Jackson was bom in Gresham and in 1948 moved to Heppner. where he found his wife. Dorothy. They have now been married for 51 years. Retirement brought the Jacksons back to Heppner. Jackson is active with the Garden Club, the Hardman Community Center, the Masonic Lodge, the Odd Fellows, the Grange and the American Legion. He is active in community cleanup during the St. Patrick Celebration, has repaired the foot bridge at the Morrow County Fairgrounds, has been of "monumental" assistance in building the playground at Heppner Elementary School and has donated his time and tractor at the fairgrounds, local ball parks and the swimming pool. He assisted in the start up of the mini-park downtown, worked on the water system at the Hardman Community Center, presents the Masonic Scholarship at graduation, collects donations for the Shriner's Childrens Hospital, maintains the grounds at the Grange building and cuts branches and assists at the Garden Club Christmas wreath workshop. Jackson was also instrumental in the fairgrounds water fountain and landscaping projects at the fairgrounds. During his stint on the Heppner City Council he operated a jack hammer to help remove a "huge" cement safe during the remodeling project at the St. Patrick's Senior Center when he found out the project was "seriously under-budgeted". Jackson and his wife have a son and a daughter and five grandchildren. Prior Lifetime Achievement Award winners, starting in 1996, arc: Ron Daniels, Ray French, Barbara Struthers and Eleanor Gonty and Delpha Jones. 1 Bob Kahl Bob Kahl, who only recently moved from Heppner to Oregon City, returned to Heppner once again to receive the 2000 Man of the Year aw ard Kahl has been involved in many local civic organizations. 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