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Columbia Plateau Stage racers remember
(E ditor’s note: The following
three letters were submitted by
Anne Morter, of lone. They are
three accounts o f people who
raced in the Columbia Plateau
Stage Race held this summer.)
To the editor:
It was hot, nearly 90 most
of the time, with brisk winds that
made it feel like the inside of a
breezy sauna. Oh yeah, there
were also the herds of cattle that
watched us bound, or rather ride,
effortlessly over the m etallic
cattle guards that perplexed and
kept them from crossing to the
o ther side o f the road, like
miniature Berlin walls. Add some
more hills, lots o f them, some
steep, some long, all hard... and
hot; then include some random
specklings o f deer, good food,
friendly people, and about 300
spandex clad masochists, and
what do you have? No, not a
Saturday Night Live spoof on the
movie “City Slickers”, but the
Columbia Plateau bicycle race.
Most cyclists would say
that I have been fortunate. I have
been racing since I was only 11
years old, signed my first pro
contract at the age of 22, and
even had the chance to race
against Lance Armstrong (the
basketball equivalent to playing
Michael Jordan, in his prime). I
have also had the opportunity to
travel to other countries, dozens
o f states, and hundreds o f
different races, yet when asked
what my favorite race is, I would
say, without question, Columbia
Plateau.
Bike racing is a
segregated sport. At nearly every
other race; we race, head to our
hotel room s, eat w ith our
teammates, and stumble to our
beds. T here is very little
interaction among racers, the
women hang with the women, the
men hang with the men, the
beginners hang with the beginners,
and the elite hang with the elite.
This is not a matter of choice, but
more of timing. We race all day,
at different times, and then must
find food, our beds, perhaps a little
Sports Center and then sleep for
the next day. Columbia Plateau
integrates the riders, putting us
together, where we sleep in school
gymnasiums or outfields (on that
note, never sleep on a pole vault
mat. your back will hurt the next
day!) and eat together. It is like
one big sleepover.
Then there is the food,
prepared for us by volunteers who
look like they are having as much
fun as we are. They’re always
smiling, talkative, and make some
great food (kudos to the guy doing
the grilling — your salmon was
great!). But their duties don't stop
there, we see them the next day,
out in the sun, in the middle of the
deserted roads o f central
Oregon’s eastern plains, holding
water bottles for us in the feed
zones (a feed zone is an area
where the riders are allowed to
take food or water). Now, I know
guys whose wives won't stand,
waiting for them in a feed zone,
yet these complete strangers are
out there treating us like we are
riders in the Tour de France!
After the racing is done,
the food is eaten, and the sun has
gone down, groups of us always
look forward to heading out and
doing some from-the-tap carbo-
loading. One gentleman in lone
has been manning the bar in town
for as long as I’ve been coming;
he is a staple part o f the Columbia
Plateau experience, and I look
forward to seeing him, his comfy
leather chairs, and his television,
every year. Then, in Fossil, there
is, of course, the Shamrock, which
has my name written on the walls
so many times you’d think 1 was
a regular.
What you have in your
three little towns o f Heppner,
lone, and Fossil is special. You’ve
got a race that people from
Seattle, Missoula, Portland, and
even California and beyond will
put their jobs down for a day or
two, pack up the family, their
bicycles and their sleeping bags,
and head to the center of eastern
Oregon for, as fast as they can.
It is three days of the year that
we, as cyclists and racers, look
forward to every year, anticipate
during those hard months o f
winter training, and feel a little sad
when it com es to an end.
Columbia Plateau is my favorite
race and I look forward to the
opportunity to eat your food, take
your bottles, and drink a beer with
you all again next year!
(s) Rusty Beall
Clarkston, Wash.
To the Editor:
This is an opportunity 1
would not like to miss. I'm in
school right now, driven by the
desire to grow as a writer, so here
are a few quick words (though
they’re truly only quick ifyou read
especially fast). Holy be-geezus!
The Columbia Plateau bike race
is more painful than a hundred
allergy-season sneezes... and I’m
not just saying that.
I last did this race two
years ago as a category four
racer. I was young, innocent and
actually thought clim bing
mountains during competition was
fun. I actually thought 95 degree
heat was fun. This silly mind of
mine actually confused racing
long painful stages with other
exercises one may call fun. “Fun”
mind you. Fun is drunken ping-
pong. Fun is a red frisbee at a
summertime barbecue, or a silly
conversation with a cute silly girl.
No, Columbia Plateau is and was
not fun. It was epic. And epic is
the nature o f a story which you
tell your grandchildren.
To begin, I was dropped
25 miles into stage number one.
Being “dropped” is a gentleman’s
way of saying that you got spit
out the back. And unlike a group
of gentlemen the race continued
flying forward, consequently
leaving me to finish tw enty
minutes behind the day’s winner.
The next day’s road stage
saw me approach with only one
goal in mind. Attack. And if that
d o e sn ’t work, attack again.
Simple logic is the best kind of
logic and I logically accomplished
my simple goal. In the company
o f three other strong riders I
sneaked off the front only a few
m iles into the race. The sun
scorched, my legs and arms
burned (not just from the sun) and
in the company of my fellow
escapees we maintained a small
gap over the field o f racers.
Unfortunately most dreams end.
and at mile 55 this dream came
tumbling into reality as we were
scooped up by the remaining
racers.
Day three saw my simple
mind m ake the same simple
ch o ice-attack .
So,
for
predictabilities sake I found
myself again offthe front. Myself
and four other riders did a very
close im pression o f the day
before, and again at mile fifty-five
the remaining racers scooped us
up. Now someone who prides
there own common sense may
question my own. They may think
me off my rocker, missing a few
marbles or owner of a brain burnt
by the sun, which after this race
I may well be. But my stubborn
tactics actually earned me a
handful of points which I picked
up at interm ediate sprints
throughout the race. In fact, dear
readers, I was only four points
short of becoming the Colombia
Plateau 2002 points winner.
Instead I’m the first loser, holding
strong in second place.
Oh I cannot complain as
I wait for next year, at which time
I ’ll be stronger, lighter and
hopefully dumber, so as to find the
confidence necessary to win this
impossibly fun, yet painful race.
(s) Chad Nichols
To the Editor:
What do you get when
you combine some o f the most
beautiful countryside, warm
temperatures, and hundreds of
shaved legs? You get one of the
country's premier point-to-point
bicycle stage races.
The Columbia Plateau
Stage Race is a point-to-point
bicycle race w hich starts in
Heppner, Oregon, travels to lone
onday one, does one race in lone
before heading to Fossil on day
two. Day three sees riders
compete back to Heppner for a
total ofjust under 220 miles.
If that isn't enough on it’s
own, add in some very challenging
climbs, fast descents, and some
stiff competition to make this race
one of the most anticipated races
on the cycling calendar.
My name is Larry
Zimich, and 1 am an Elite cyclist
from North Vancouver, Canada.
I have been asked to give you all
a bit of an insight as to what this
race is like from a riders
perspective to get your cycling
shorts on and climb onto that bike!
My team, the Campione
Racing Team, has made this race
part of its schedule for the past
few years as it provides us with
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - FIVÉ
the only chance during the year
to do a true point-to-point race.
What I mean by point-to-
point is that we start and finish in
different areas much like what is
done in the Tour de France
cycling race. This provides a truly
challenging race for all involved.
Day one from Heppner
saw our group ride extremely hard
during the first few climbs which
enable us to separate from the
rest o f the group or what is
referred to in cycling as the
peleton and establish a break
away group of 13 riders. We rode
speeds of over 30 mph to the end
of the race and finished ahead of
the next group by seven minutes.
This gave us a very good lead in
the race.
Day two started early
with a time trial or a race against
the clock as you ride on your own
on a two mile uphill course with
your time added to yesterday’s
time. That afternoon we then
raced from lone to Fossil by way
of Condon, so you can imagine,
the hills, 107-degree heat and
wind played a major role in the
day’s outcome. Again a group got
away on the road up to the
plateau before the decent into
Fossil and fortunately I was one
of them.
Day three was a slightly
different route that had been
planned due to roadwork but was
again a route of ups and downs
as we went backwards from the
day before. All those great
downhills on the Saturday now
became not so great uphills.
F ortunately for me, being a
climber, that made things all the
better. The day came down to a
group of six of us and the win
went to a fellow Canadian. There
was nothing better than to see that
one-mile sign to Heppner!
Stage racing like this is
such an experience as you eat and
breathe the race until it is over.
Somehow you loose track of the
Boardman
chamber holds
meeting
The Boardman Chamber
of Commerce will hold its monthly
general luncheon meeting, on
Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 12 p.m.
The luncheon will be held at the
Port o f M orrow ’s Riverfront
Center. M em bers and non
members are invited to attend.
Senator David Nelson
will be speaking on the special
sessions and w hat was
accomplished. He will also give
an update on the state’s budget
and the governor’s reactions to
the legislatures attempt to balance
the budget.
Riverfront Lodge will
cater lunch, and there will be a
cost of $7 to be paid at the door.
Reservations are required, and
must be called in to the Chamber
by Monday, Sept. 16. You can
reach the Chamber by calling 481 -
3014.
Garden Club yard of the month
Home Health and Hospice gain cars
The Heppner Garden Club September Yard of the Month was
awarded to Greg and Marsha Sweek. 135 N. Court St., Heppner.
Hospice volunteers are trained and ready
Health district purchases vehicles
By Molly Rhea
The summer of 2002 has been a busy one for the staff at
Pioneer Memorial Home Health. In the midst of launching the Hospice
program and preparing for the opening of the Willow C reek lerrace.
the agency gained three new cars. Morrow County Health District s
Board of Directors, at the bequest o f CEO Victor Vander Does, voted
to stop putting funds into repairing the agency's aging fleet of vehicles
and purchase three new Ford Focuses.
In the past the agency has obtained their v chicles as the county
replaced them, leaving the Home Health staff with a “mishmash" o f
high mileage cars. “We have had several old deputy \ chicles," said
director Molly Rhea. “You know, the ones w ith no door handles or
w indow controls in the back seat . " The agency staff m akes home
visits throughout Morrow and Gilliam counties.
B> Molly Rhea
Pictured above are Hospice volunteers (left to right) Aloha DeSpain,
Delia Robinson. Hospice director Robanai Disque and Hospice
volunteer director Carolyn Willey. Volunteers who have already
received the necessary preparation include Aloha DeSpain. Delia
Robinson. Nella Britt, Jean Jepsen. Florene Robinson. Barb Coiner
and Veda Nave. Anyone interested in the Hospice program, or in
attending the upcoming training sessions, is encouraged to call Pioneer
Memorial Hospice office. 676-2946
days and time until the end has
happened.
I was asked what one of
my fondest memories was and I
have to relate a little story to you.
After the race to Fossil
from lone. I was sitting outside
the Sham rock Tavern w hile
w aiting for my team car and
support people to show up. While
there I met a local gentleman by
the name of Mike. What was so
funny about this was that Mike
was fascinated by the bright
yellow socks that I had on, so
much so, that he had the whole
clientele come out to see them.
He then offered me a few beers,
which I had to decline, as if I had
consumed just one I would have
been flat out on the sidewalk.
What struck me was the
friendliness and openness of the
people that live in this area. They
seem to open their arms and
hearts to have us roll into town
and we as riders really appreciate
this. Meeting everyone at the
Shamrock that day was such a
neat experience and something
that doesn’t happen at other
events.
To all of you in Fossil,
Condon, lone and Heppner I
would like to thank you for
allowing us into your “home” and
showing us the hospitality that we
hear so much about in these small
towns. It is because of people like
you that this race is such a success
and I hope that I will be able to
come down from the far north in
Canada for many years to come
and take part in one o f the
friendliest, most well run. exciting
races that we have in both the
U.S.A. and Canada.
Again from myself and
the rest of the Campione Racing
Team thank you for making us, in
your own special way, a part of
your town.
(s) Larry Zimich
North
Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada
Karen’s Korner
By Karen Masshoff
In the search for a “safe
cigarette,” industry scientists
have also experim ented with
tobacco substitutes, including
materials made from wood pulp,
supposedly less toxic than
tobacco. These products,
however, ran into regulatory
problems because they were no
longer naturally occurring but
synthetically created about which
health claims were being made.
A great opportunity for the FDA
- Food and Drug Administration
to step in.
The American tobacco
industry did an across the Atlantic
shuffle to the British companies,
e.g.. Im perial, to avoid such
regulations. But these products
too met with resistance from
health groups who claimed the
new cigarettes were still unsafe,
and the products floundered and
were withdrawn after a few-
months.
The industry has taken a
different track by changing the
c ig a re tte ’s appearance and
adding various paraphernalia. R.J.
Reynolds has introduced Eclipse,
which has a charcoal tip which
the smoker lights and heats the
tobacco and glycerin blend. The
warmed glycerin produces a
smoke-like vapor which carries
the nicotine released by the heat
into the lungs. T here's less
secondhand smoke, but is it less
toxic?
Philip Morris has come
out with Accord, which includes
two elements: a cigarette-like roll
of tobacco (which can’t be lighted
in the regular manner) and a
battery-powered heating gismo.
The smoker inserts the special
cigarette into the pager-sized
heater and sm okes. The
m icrochip w ithin the heater
controls each puff, delivering a
specific amount of heated tobacco
vapor to the smoker each time s/
he takes a drag. The end result
decreases the combustion process
with perhaps fewer toxins. Is it
worth the initial $40 investment
for the electronic dev ice, a battery
charger and the special smokes?
There is legislation in
Washington D.C. that is winding
its way through the process that
may one day put the tobacco
industry under the watchful eye
of the FDA. Keep on the look out
for just what various bills are
offering: are they really going to
regulate, or w ill they be more like
Swiss cheese^
Obituaries
Jack L. Van Winkle
Jack L. Van Winkle died
August 18, 2002, at Sun Health
Hospice Center at 83 years o f
age.
A memorial service will
be held at the Heppner Elks Club
on Friday, Sept. 13, 2002, at 11
a.m., with interment following at
the Heppner Masonic Cemetery.
Mr. Van Winkle was bom
August 18,1919, the son of Cleo
(E skelson) Van W inkle and
William Concer Van Winkle in
Arlington. He went to school as
a youngster at the Social Ridge
School and graduated from
Lexington High School in 1938.
He went to business school in
Portland and returned to Heppner
to work at the First National
Bank.
In 1940, he married Ruth
Hannaman, daughter of Don and
Lillie (Huston) Hannaman. He
served in World War II as Tech
4th Grade and he received an
H onorable D ischarge July
13,1946. He returned to Heppner
to work again at the bank and
later purchased the Chevron
Service Station.
Mr. Van W inkle was
Morrow County Commissioner
and went to Washington, D.C., to
seek support for the W illow
Creek Dam with Paul Jones. He
served on the hospital board; the
school board, and was involved in
creating the golf course and other
civic projects in Heppner. He also
served on the rodeo board for a
number of years.
After selling the Chevron
station, he opened a Sears Catalog
store. He and his wife also owned
and operated the Van Winkle
Motel for a number of years. Mrs.
Van Winkle died on Aug. 10,1978.
He enjoyed hunting,
fishing, and his time spent at his
mountain cabin on Willow Creek
with family and friends. He was
a lifelong Elk and was the Exalted
Ruler.
In 1981, he married Mary
Van Blokland and they spent their
winters in Sun City West, Ariz.,
until 1998 when they decided to
live in Arizona full time.
He is survived by his
wife, Mary, in Sun City West; two
daughters, Shirley George of
H eppner, P atricia Toll o f
Redmond; two sons, John Van
Winkle of Glendale, Ariz.. and Jim
Van Winkle of Heppner and foster
son Benham M alcom o f
Scottsdale, Ariz; stepsons Gary
Van Blokland o f Umatilla and
Dale Van Blokland of Manebaca.
Texas; sisters, Alma Green of
Prineville and June Du Vail of Sun
City West, Ariz.; and brother
Alfred Van Winkle of Spokane,
Wash; 13 grandchildren and 14
great-grandchildresn He was
preceded in death by his brother,
Bill Van Winkle and sister Lorine
Toll.
Memorial contributions
may be made to the Heart
Association or the Heppner Elks
Foundation.
W eather Report
By the City of Heppner
For the month of August
Low Precip.
High
49
.00
81
8/1
49
.00
87
8/2
.00
46
80
8/3
.00
47
8/4
81
.00
48
70
8/5
49
.00
79
8/6
.00
44
8/7
73
49
.00
77
8/8
54
.00
84
8/9
.00
94
58
8/10
91
.00
51
8/11
.00
56
87
8/12
.00
58
90
8/13
.00
97
62
8/14
99
.00
57
8/15
.00
56
93
8/16
.00
86
8/17
53
.00
90
51
8/18
.00
84
57
8/19
.00
85
52
8/20
57
.00
77
8/21
.00
58
78
8/22
.00
84
56
8/23
.00
58
8/24
83
.00
87
57
8/25
.00
86
53
8/26
54
.00
s 27
82
84
57
.00
8/28
89
8/29
62
.00
.00
8/30
92
55
.00
51
8/31
83