Heppner Gazette-1 imes, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 24 2UUÖ - I H K tt
Ranger District employees, volunteers brave weather to deliver firewood
continued from page one
On Friday, only a
handful o f volunteers had
signed up for S atu rd ay ’s
delivery, until Heppner High
School teacher John Fla
herty started c o n tac tin g
high school students, and
by Saturday helpers began
arriving. Volunteers ranged
in age from kindergarten to
senior citizens. It was a fam
ily affair for Forest Service
Ranger Conserv ationist Tim
C ollins who brought his
wife, Jeannie, along with
their three kids. It was an
international effort as well
when Forester Carrie Sprad
lin invited a friend v isiting
from Scotland to join the
group.
Even though it was
bitterly cold, volunteer Terry
Harper said it best. “I could
be sitting at home in front of
a warm fire, but the thought
o f someone else not hav
ing a fire to stay warm was
overwhelming.”
Those participating
included: Bryan and Matt
Holland, Larry and Dillon
Lutcher, Terry and Curtis
H arper, Jordan H atfield,
Quinn Chick, Jake Gregory,
Chris Hickerson, Dave, Joe
and Justin Pranger, John
Flaherty, Mike Bums, Jero-
my and Jen Wilson, Thomas
M afera, D ale and Jesse
Boyd, Gary Popek, Brian
Spivey, Tim, Jeannie, Mag
gie, Patrick and Roy Collins,
Carrie Spradlin, Ian Ma-
cLachlan, Rebecca Wese-
man, and Marcia Kemp.
The w hole group o f “Santa’s” helpers pause for a photo
Volunteers work in the chill to deliver split firewood
Open house shows off new long-term care facility at Hospital
$20,000 from W ildhorse
Foundation; a $3,000 safety
grant toward purchase of the
above bathtub; $2,500 from
N.W. Farm Credit Services;
$1,000 from the Heppner
Odd Fellows for purchase
o f a new flat screen TV for
the dining /recreation room;
and $7,474 in individual
contributions from local
citizens.
County deals with biggest
snow fall in recent years
continued from page one
Icicles hang o ffa building in Heppner
Port o f Morrow', Bombing
Range Road, Baseline Road
and Willow Creek Road.
This totals 150 miles, and
with 180 miles o f minor
collectors, there are close to
330 miles of roads for main
tenance, O ’Brien points out.
He adds that this mileage
needs to be doubled since
it takes two passes with a
plow to cover the average
road. With 12 plows out,
this is works out to 55 miles
per plow.
At the north end
they keep two trucks and
one pickup plow and sander
working at all times in the
winter months. The remain
der of the equipment takes
care o f everything from
Bombing Range south.
The co u n ty ’s
general maintenance depart
ment has a pickup plow and
sander and does all o f the
parking lots and has been
hired by the city from time
to time to assist in plowing
streets as well as helps with
some county roads. O ’Brien
says.
The county has
a total crew o f Id includ
ing two mechanics and a
weed superv isor. At times
the weed supervisor either
plow s snow or w orks in
the shop helping with chain
repair.
The other 12
vehicles are manned by the
remaining 16 people on the
road crew.
O'Brien says
that the crew handles week
ends and. with any rotation
of personnel or anyone out
sick, it can stretch manpow
er very thin. He added that
there is one man off with a
medical condition now.
The crew starts
work at 4:30 a.m. and works
until dark on snow days. The
manpower does not allow for
a night shift, however they
do run weekend routes.
O'Brien says the
county will also utilize some
local contractors on an emer
gency basis or as needed.
“We still feel how
ever that it is advisable to
avoid unnecessary travel
and always carry adequate
storm survival equipment
in you vehicle. Please bear
with us we are doing our
best to make you travels as
safe as possible on this holi
day season,” O ’Brien said.
Molly Rhea, Director of Nursing, Home Health and Hospice, shows the special hath at
the new long-term care unit recently completed at Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Hep-
pner
ing facility, which is now
Pioneer M emorial
H ospital in H eppner re
cently underwent a major
remodeling and expansion
to put in an eight-bed nurs
ready to begin receiving
residents, and an open house
was held Monday to show
off the facility.
C ontributors to
ward the facility include:
$20,000 from Pioneer Me
morial H ospital Founda
tion; a $20,000 Tippage
Grant from Morrow County;
Janet McDowell makes her way across a snowey Main St. in Heppner Mondav
Christmas X/Z price sale
starts Friday!
We wish all o f our
customers a very
M erry Christmas
<>¡11 C a rd s
> 1 a k r g r e a t la s t
m m i u t r g ifts &
s to r k in g s t u f f r r s
Closing 5 p.m. Wednessday|
December 24
Opening at 9 a.m. Friday,
217 North Main • Heppner • Phone 676-9158 • Floral 676-9426
December 26,
Precription Dept, opening
Serving Heppner Lexington & lone
at 12:00
WMtauj
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Heppner city crew member Hand) Sample blows snow off the sidewalk on Willow St.
in Heppner