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Bessie Weizell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
photo by Andrew Sykes
VOL. 125
NO. 32
8 Pages
Wednesday, August 9,2006
.Several miles of land, indudin}> approximately 750 acres of wheat Helds, owned by Turners,
Drakes, Robinsons and Evans, burned Monday afternoon, Aug. 7. The cause of the fire was
undetermined, but concluded to be accidental. Several fire departments responded in mutual aid
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
and had the fire out in about four hour.
New doctor joins Pioneer Memorial Clinic
Reading and rodeo
make this year’s Fair
and Rodeo Princess
Lexington water crisis
averted
Princess Josie Miller
Josie Miller, 16, of
Lexington, is this y e ar's
Morrow County Fair and
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo
Princess. This is Miller's first
year on the court and she
says she is really enjoying
“being involved with the
community, especially the
kids.” The court this year has
m ade it a prio rity to
participate in local summer
reading programs, reading to
the c h ild re n , and w hile
school was in session, they
helped
read
during
A ccelerated R eader and
SMART program reading
times.
Miller, who lived in
Morrow County until she
was three, returned to the
county a year ago, after
living with her family in
Culver. She is excited to be
back in the area. While in
Culver, Miller participated in
junior rodeo and 4-H rodeo.
This year she is active in 4-
H lamb, but plans to have a
steer next year.
In her extra time.
M iller w orks w ith the
L exington Ju n io r Fire
D epartm ent. D uring the
school year, she is active in
volleyball, tennis, yearbook
and shop class.
C arry in g
her
faithfully in the numerous
parades she has already been
in, and through the rest of
her reign, is her 24-year-old
q u a rte r horse g eld in g ,
Rickey. Miller has ridden
Rickey for six years.
M ille r's fav o rite
event so far this year was the
Spray Rodeo. “It was rainy,
but lots of fun,” she said.
Miller said there are
two reasons that made her
want to becom e a rodeo
princess; first being that her
mother, Sheila Miller, was a
p rin cess in 1985; and
secondly, when she was 8
years old. her family visited
the Morrow County Rodeo
and Princess Bobbie Rankin
let her ride one lap around
the arena with her. That ride
made her know she “had to
be a rodeo princess.”
Keeping things in the
family, one of this year's
pennant bearers is Miller’s
brother, Jarreid, 13. “He's
lots of help and lots of fun
when he wants to be,” said
M iller o f her brother.
Miller's father. Reid, has also
helped out throughout the
year.
Miller says most of
her life she has wanted to be
a veterinarian , how ever,
lately she has considered
going
into
equine
chiropractics.
Miller and the court
have alread y rid d en in
numerous rodeos, but are
now focusing on the
Morrow County Fair and
Rodeo, which will be held
Aug. 16-20. The parade will
be held Saturday, Aug. 19 at
10 a.m. Kid's Day at the Fair
is Wednesday, Aug. 16 and
Miller's reminds everyone to
be sure to check out the Ice
Cream Social and Pet Show.
A
4
Dr. Zachary Hale
Dr. Zachary Hale, of
Tri-Cities, WA, has joined
the Pioneer Memorial Clinic
on a part-time basis, until
June when he will become a
full-time staff member.
Dr. H ale, who
received his medical degree
from Emory University in
Atlanta, GA, specializes in
family medicine. He has been
in practice since 1998.
Dr. Hale moved west
from the East Coast in 1998,
and has m ost recently
worked in Wenatchee and
Tri-Cities. WA. However, he
likes small town living and
H eppner had the right
appeal. Dr. Hale and his
family, wife Carmela and
Fair preparations underway
Workers begin preparing the grounds at Morrow County
Fairgrounds for the Morrow County Fair and Oregon Frail Pro
Rodeo to be held next week Aug. 16-20 in Heppner.
Special Fair Edition in this week's
iS S U e
Included in this week's is
sue of the Heppner Gazette-
Times is a 16-page special
2006 Special Fair & Rodeo
Edition.
The edition will cover
events, calendars and fun
things to do at this year's
Fair & Rodeo. The Fair and
Rodeo starts next week on
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Wednesday and runs through
Sunday
sons, ages 6 and 3, enjoy
RVing, camping, hiking and
other outdoor activities.
Dr. H ale began
working in the county last
month, covering a coiiple
shifts at the Irrigon Clinic
and has alread y begun
working at PMC.
A
c risis
was
narrowly averted after the
Town of Lexington awoke
T hursday, A ug. 3, to
discover its water reservoir
only half full.
The problem was
discovered around 7:30 a.m.
that day by the to w n 's
maintenance supervisor, Dan
Marshall, who had gone to
the reservoir to take a water
sam ple. He im m ediately
alerted Mayor Val Doherty
and L exington C ouncil
members. A temporary line
was subsequently run from
the cem etery well to the
reservoir to maintain the
water level and townspeople
were alerted o f the situation
by phone, leaflets and by
door-to-door canvassing and
were advised to conserve
water until the crisis was
over. At that tim e, city
officials were unsure as to
how long the crisis would
continue.
M arshall said that
the re s e rv o ir's norm al
capacity is 300,000 gallons
and the level had dropped to
a little over half. He said that
the tow n goes through
around 180.000 gallons per
day. He said that the damage
may have resulted from
lightning strikes to the pump.
The reservoir pump
was then pulled and the
damage was determined to
be a seized motor. A new
motor was installed and the
reservoir has since returned
to its normal level.
While the water was
deem ed safe du rin g the
temporary period, chlorine
was added to the line as a
precautionary measure and
people were advised to that
effect. People were also
advised to drink bottled
water temporarily, especially
infants and the ill.
The mayor called an
emergency executive session
to discuss legal and liability
issues, but by that time, the
immediate crisis had been
resolved.
D oherty c re d ited
townspeople for rising to the
o ccasio n and said that
everyone “pitched in" to help
in the crisis, including town
council m em bers, tow n
recorder Jaylene Slinger,
Kristal Temple, Heppner city
manager David DeMayo, the
local CSEPP office. Senator
David Nelson in Salem, the
C em etery D istric t. Sam
Bellamy, Roger Schoonover
and many others.
P rio r
to
the
emergency, the council had
contemplated installing an
alarm to alert of such an
event and plan to revisit that
issue.
A t the MCGG GREEN FEED STORE in H eppner:
(5fiec4 out our Tafr <5? Rodeo §ole f
10% OFF ALL WRANGLER MERCHANDISE
1
2
0
% OFF ALL TACK
25% OFF Montana Silver
§ee 2/au
Ttfe ÒÌDerreuj (bounty Toir & Ctagan Trai/ tPra
Nursery Stock still 40% OFF! We re delirino it out... hurry! Sole ends Saturday, tug. II!
Morrow County Crain (»rowers Creen Feed & Seed
242 W. Linden Way. Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)
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