Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 4, 2001 - THREE
lone readers hitch a ride
By Merlyn Robinson
lone area children, whose
ancestors may have come westward
by covered wagon, recently
experienced that type o f slow-
m otion travel in a horse-drawn,
authentic prairie schooner. Gene
Westberg, lone, brought his team
and wagon to town to give rides
to 24 children attending lone
Library's weekly story time. With
a summer reading program entitled
"Pioneer Children," this was an
exciting, hands-on experience for
these young readers.
Librarian Chnsty Crowell, along
with volunteer readers, devised this
program to encourage children to
read books during vacation from
school. The small, well-stocked
library offers adventures in reading
for all ages.
Living near the original Oregon
Trail route is p an o f the heritage
of lone residents. Westberg's wagon
rides provided authenticity to the
heritage of these excited modern-day
residents.
Westberg has dnven horses since
he w as six years old. He says he
still enjoys hooking up teams
whether it's for a parade or to pull
authentic horse-drawn, farm
machinery. Besides schooling teams
for harness work, he has also trained
his own saddle horses used for ranch
work.
The W estbergs lived in Baker
City for many years where he was
brand inspector. They chose to retire
near lone to be near their son, Ross.
When it's time to brand calves or
gather cattle, Gene says he enjoys
helping. His working partner is often
27-year old Charlie, a willing horse
who is adept at pulling a wagon or
being ridden to drag calves to the
branding fire.
Septic system advice offered
Bemie Duffy, DEQ on-site septic
system inspector, will offer advice
and technical assistance on on-site
septic system regulations, site
evaluations,
perm itting
and
construction for M orrow County
residents on Tuesday, July 10, at
9-11:30 a.m. at the Morrow County
Planning Department, 205 N.E. 3rd
Street in lrrigon.
Although advice and assistance
will be offered, on-site final
applications and fees should be sent
to the DEQ Pendleton office located
at 700 SE Em igrant, Suite 330,
Pendleton, OR 97801.
DEQ offers on-site septic system
advice in M orrow C ounty on the
second Tuesday o f each month. For
m ore inform ation, contact the
Pendleton DEQ office at (541) 276-
4063.
P R C A at
its fin e st returns to Heppner
By Sue Gibbs
Heppner, Oregon: A state with
a rich heritage in rodeos is home
o f the Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo. It
will be celebrating its 79th year on
Aug. 17-19.
Heppner may be a small town
in eastern Oregon, but it features
big name PRC A cowboys, WPRA
cowgirls, double-tough rodeo
livestock, specialty entertainment
and coveted awards. You definitely
know professional rodeo is alive
and kicking in Heppner.
Every tw o-and-a-half hour
perform ance o f the Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo is a m ulti-faceted
entertainment extravaganza, packed
full o f more wild, unrehearsed action
than m ost folks see in a lifetime.
Noted as one o f the oldest PRCA
rodeos in Oregon, the Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo features more than 200
PRCA cow boys and cowgirls
com peting in seven world
cham pionship events.
The rough and rugged action of
saddle bronc and bareback riding,
the skill and precision of calf roping
and steer wrestling, the color and
speed o f cowgirls' barrel racing and
the heart-stopping danger and thnlls
o f the w orld's m ost favorite and
dangerous event-bull riding, can
all be seen at the Oregon Trail Pro
Rodeo.
The stock is provided by the
famous Big Bend Rodeo Company.
Their bucking stock are consistently
aw arded national titles at the
National Finals Rodeo every year.
In 2000 Big Bend Rodeo took 15
head to the NFR and won the saddle
bronc o f the year, Skoals Spring
Fling, and the bucking bull o f the
year. Skoals Border Patrol. This
stock and past national award
winning stock such as Rapid Fire,
Unforgiven and Two Spot will be
at this year's rodeo to "buck the
britches off o f any cowboy who tries
to clim b on their back," as stock
contractor Donny Hutsel says. The
quality stock challenges the
professional cowboy contestants
with some o f the same stock they
will run into at the N FR in
Decem ber
W atching
the
performances is just a preview o f
the best stock and riders in the
world.
Each wild and western
perform ance at the Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo begins with mutton
bustin' 30 m inutes prior to each
grand entry. The rodeo officially
starts with the grand entry o f the
Rodeo Bandits and Rodeo Court
members. The chutes open for he
first perform ance at 7 p.m. on
Friday, August 17. A new event
will be featured during Friday night
tiiat has been growing in popularity
all over the Pacific Northwest; the
"Call Your Dog Contest."
The main show on Saturday,
Aug. 18, will begin with grand entry
at 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19 will
bring local rodeo entertainment with
the Morrow County Rodeo and the
"Businessm an's Sheep Dressing
Contest" at 1:15 p.m. Live music
follows the PRCA shows and a good
tim e is assured in the new "Spur
Em"bam with a real juniper tree.
The added awards and money
have always been an attraction for
the contestants. An all-around saddle
hand crafted by Rich Boyer is given
each year. Other awards include
the Mike C urnn Memorial C alf
Roping Buckle. Bounty money is
available in bull riding and saddle
bronc riding. The barrel racers also
have bonus money for the fastest
tim e and a best-dressed award.
But more than the money and
awards, rodeo keeps alive and
kicking the spirit o f the 'Old West'
and the legend o f the cowboy and
his way o f life. The rodeo cowboy
is an athlete, to be sure, but one like
no other. The risks o f professional
rodeo are greater and the security
less than perhaps those o f all other
competitive sports. Physical danger
is a fact o f life, yet a paycheck is
never guaranteed and there are no
pension plans, fringe benefits, travel
subsidies or retirem ent plans. It's
a rugged road built for a special
breed. The only payment the cowboy
can look forward to is what he can
earn in the arena against rank, ornery
animals and the scores and times
of equally-determined contestants.
The cowboy accepts the risk and
the stress-financial, mental and
physical-which have always been
a part o f the sport.
Chamber Chatter
The cowboy was, and still is the
original American professional
athlete and some of the PRCA's best
will be in action at the Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo at Heppner. Tickets may
be purchased at the gate or VIP
seating may be purchased by calling
Tom W olff at (541 >676-5114.
BM CC
registering for
fall term now
For the first the first tim e in a
number o f years students planning
to attend BMCC fall term 2001 have
the opportunity to pre-register for
classes. New freshmen and transfer
students who have applied for
admission will be sent information
about registration and orientation.
New students will be invited to
attend one o f four registration and
orientation sessions where placement
testing, cam pus introduction and
orientation, advising and registration
will take place. D ates set for the
orientations are: Saturday, July 28,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, August
13, 4 to 9 p.m.; and Friday,
Septem ber 2 1 ,9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information on new
student orientation contact, the
admissions and records office at
278-5759. Students who are non
degree seeking or taking non-credit
classes may register now by
contacting the Distance and
Extended Learning Office at 278-
5962
Local student
named to list
Jacob McElligott, ajunior from
lone, was among the 639 students
named to the Gonzaga University
President's List for spring semester.
Students must earn a 3.7 or better
grade point average to be listed.
Gonzaga University in Spokane,
W ashington, is an independent
com prehensive university with a
student enrollm ent o f 4,700 and
majors in 92 undergraduate and 21
graduate areas o f study.
By C laudia Hughes
C hamber Executive Director
Blue sky and it's already July.
Will someone just figure out how
to stop time or help me to experience
boredom so it will go slower, There
are so many things to do in our
Willow Creek Valley and along the
Blue Mountain Scenic Byway. It's
no wonder our brains become
fragmented with too many options.
Take a moment to fill your mind
with wildflowers On a recent
excursion to assist in fence repair
(well, at least I'm there in case o f
an accident or cougar attack). 1
returned with 22 different varieties
of wildflowers. Have you ever seen
a Sagebrush Mariposa Lily? They
are truly lavender works o f art and
how they bloom in dry areas is a
miracle in itself. So many times we
miss what is right under our nose
because our minds are elsewhere.
The Eastern Oregon Visitors
Association annual survey reported
that 28 percent o f the visitors to
Eastern Oregon come for sightseeing
(flowers, wildlife, variety in
topography); 21 percent to enjoy
cultural or heritage attractions (the
mural, museums, courthouse); 15
percent for shopping; 11 percent
camping; six percent fishing and
hunting; eight percent to visit family
and friends; three percent boating;
one percent bowling, golf and other
general sport activities. W hether
one believes surveys or not, we
know that histone Heppner and the
Willow Creek Valley have much
to offer families and seniors tired
o f the rat race in larger areas. Here
one can unwind and relax, especially
if they’re visiting
Simplifying life is the new theme
these days and Heppner can offer
that to visitors, be it picking
wildflowers, walking the volkswalk,
bowling and golfing with family
and friends or researching history.
And maybe down the road, if we
listen to the fifth grade letters to
the editor, we can com e up with
that skating nnk at the old pool site.
Nothing is impossible in Heppner.
Thought for the week: "If enough
people knock their heads against
a bnck wall, the brick wall will fall
down."
How m uch is your allowance?
Brought to you by the Morrow County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition.
For further information, contact the Morrow County Health Department at 541-676-5421
or contact the Morrow County Commission on Children and Families at 541-676-9675.
O 2001 Campaign For Our Children, Inc