Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 - THREE
Umatilla National Forest holds Fire and Fuels Career Camp
-Continued from page one
Service. Wednesday night
brought a campfire discus
sion with representatives
from the U.S. Fish and Wild
life Service, Central Oregon
Fire Management Serv ices,
Wallowa-Whitman National
Forest, Oregon Department
o f F orestry, and form er
U m atilla National Forest
Supervisor Jeff Blackwood
talking about their careers
and career options with fed
eral and state agencies.
On Thursday, camp
involved learning about fire
suppression techniques such
as the use o f pumps, water,
and engines.
Students filled out an
ev aluation every day so that
adjustments can be made for
next year’s camp.
The U m atilla N a
tional Forest, w orking in
partnership with the Mor
row County School District,
sent representatives to talk
to students that would be
high school seniors during
the time of the camp about
the aspects that would be in
volved. Interested students
were required to fill out an
application and applicants
were later interviewed be
fore the students were se
lected. The Forest Service
chose seniors for this camp
because a person must be 18
years of age to work with the
Forest Service.
The students each
had different reasons for
wanting to be involved with
the camp. “ My uncle and
aunt work for the Forest Ser
vice and 1 heard this would
be a good place to start. It’s
fun and efficient,” said Kurt
Hill o f Irrigon High School.
Hill said he had four years
o f experience with a pro
pane torch but had never
worked w ith a drip torch. “1
had some experience (with
fire) and this was a great
opportunity,” said Joe Rupe
of Riverside High School. “1
have worked for four years
w ith Boardman Fire Depart
ment but this is my first time
working with a drip torch. It
was a fun experience.”
Some students were
not sure what the experi
ence w ould be like, but
were pleasantly surprised.
“This is a really fun experi
ence. 1 thought it would be
a lot o f talking and walking
but it turned out to be a lot
more. 1 learned there were
more jobs in the industry
than 1 thought,” said Kylie
Doherty o f Heppner High
School. “Different people
came to my school to talk
about different jobs. This
was the job description 1
liked the most,” said Rene
Montes of Riverside High
School. “ I will definitely
pursue a job with the Forest
Service.” Montes said his
only experience with fire
before the camp was help
ing his dad burn piles o f
tumbleweed.
One and a half years
w ith the Heppner Volunteer
Fire D epartm ent is what
motivated Eric Skaggs o f
Heppner High School to ap
ply for the camp. “ 1 always
wanted a job with anything
to do with fire. 1 love the
work,” said Skaggs.
Approximately 80%
o f perm anent em ployees
w ith the F o rest S ervice
com e from the seasonal
work force. The Forest Ser
Students attending the lim atilla National Forest Fire and Fuels Orientation Camp performed many tasks during their wecklung
camp. Among those was a prescribed burn in w hich non-commercial thinning w as piled up and burned. Kristen Marshall of the
Heppner Ranger District was the camp coordinator. -Photos by Autumn Morgan
vice hopes that having camp
now may stimulate interest
in the jobs. The Forest Ser
vice hopes that interested
students would apply for
the seasonal work force next
year with Umatilla National
Forest. “Working as a sea
sonal employee gets their
foot in the door for more
perm anent jobs down the
line,” said Tom Mafera, dis
trict ranger o f the Heppner
Ranger District. The Forest
Serv ice hires 40-50 seasonal
employees each year for fire
suppression alone. “ It (the
camp) sounded interesting. 1
like it, I didn't expect much
but it has been very fun.
Everything is very new,”
said Amy Grider o f River
side High School. “1 might
be interested in a part time
job."
K risten M arshall,
camp coordinator and per
manent district employee,
works as an engine captain/
module leader. “This was a
different and interesting ex
perience," said Marshall.
At the end o f the
cam p, each stu d en t was
presented with a certificate
o f appreciation and recog
nition o f their completion
o f the U m atilla National
Forest Fire and Fuels Career
Orientation Camp.
Preschoolers visit Assisted Living Center, trick-or-treat
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The 4 year old preschool class from the Heppner
Day Care dressed up in their Halloween costumes and vis
ited the Willow Creek Terrace Assisted Liv ing Center on
Tuesday, October 30. The residents at the Center provided
pumpkins from their garden for the students to paint. After
painting, the preschoolers joined the residents for some
Halloween snacks. The preschoolers later entertained the
residents with some songs they have been practicing at
the Day Care.
On Monday, October 29, the 3 year old preschool
class went trick-or-treating around town.
f
Electric Co-Op Annual Meeting
Thursday , November 1st
Left Photo: Harley Anderson shows off her artistic ability to
Sylvia McDaniel.
Center Photo: F.mily Smith and Michael .lacka get some
encouraging words from Juanita M artin as they paint their
pumpkins at the Willow Creek Terrace Assisted Living Center.
Top Right Photo: Jace Coe (left) and Jackson Lehman (far
right) impress Nina Harshman and Kd Dick with their artwork.
Middle Right Photo: George Jeffries admires 4 year old Joseph
Sherman's pumpkin artwork.
Bottom Right Photo: Three year old students from Heppner
Day Care stopped by the Heppner Gazette-Times to trick-or-
treat on Monday, October 29.
>
The Annual Dinner meeting o f Columbia
Basin Electric Cooperative, Inc. is planned for
Thursday, Nov. 1st at the St. Patrick’s Parish Hall
in Heppner. Registration starts at 4:30 p.m. with
dinner served at 5:15 p.m. The annual meeting and
election of Directors w ill follow the dinner. Mul
tiple door prizes will be awarded and results of the
annual 4th grade Electrical Safety Poster contest
and the Annual Photographic contest will be an
nounced, w ith w inning entries on display. New this
year will be a special section of door prizes devoted
just for youth when accompanied to the meeting
by their parents. MP3 Players, iTune Cards, and
other prizes for students will be given out.
All members are welcome to come and learn
about their Electric Co-Op.
Zostavax (Shingles)
Vaccine available
Wed. Nov. 14th
2 - 3:30 p.m.
Please call to make
arrangements:
676-9158
^ Mia/uuj'i D aiuj
217 North Main • Happnar • Phona 676-9158 • Floral 676-9426
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