Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2009)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 15,2009 - THREE National Weather Services to conduct free Skywarn Weather Spotter training in Heppner Wants residents to keep eyes on skies to help track storms Volunteers are being sought to participate in the latest weather spotter train ing on April 27 in Heppner. Weather spotters trained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather S erv ice (N W S ) are key volunteers who assist the m eteorologists by provid ing up-to-date information about storm activity. The Skywarn Weather Spotter training is free and will be held in the Morrow County Emergency Operations Center, located at 320 South Willow View in Heppner beginning at 6:30 p.m. and co-sponsored by Morrow County Emergency Management. “ S k y w arn v o lu n teers are not storm chasers, although m any Skyw arn members, both local and na tionwide, may chase storms on their own tim e,” said Dennis Hull, NWS Warning C oordination M eteorolo gist at the forecast office in Pendleton. “The National Weather does not encourage storm chasing because it is very dangerous.” H ull added, “ The safety o f all Skywarn spot ters is a high priority. Sky- wam members are volun teers train ed in w eather spotting and reporting those findings in a timely manner using the phone, amateur radio, or internet.” Skywarn spotters at tend a two-hour training ses sion where they learn how to observe cloud formations and other weather in this area. The Weather Service teaches how to determine which storms are potentially severe. Spotters use a special toll free number, amateur ra dio frequency, or the internet address to let the forecast ers at the National Weather Service office in Pendleton know what is happening in their area. M eteorologists use this data as they issue severe weather warnings or statements to the residents o f Morrow County. In the winter, spot te rs rep o rt heavy snow, icing, high winds, and bliz zards. Skywarn also works to ensure National Weather Service forecasts, watches, and warnings are broadcast and received in a tim ely manner. Interested residents w ho w ould like to learn more about the local weath er or those who may have an interest helping your neigh bors obtain good weather warnings, are invited to at tend the Skywarn Weather Spotter training. Volunteers are asked to bring informa tion about their latitude, longitude, and elevation so their locations can be easily mapped. Those attending w ill be eligible for door prizes. M ore inform ation about the training is avail able by contacting Morrow County Emergency Manage- Road crew rebuilds Elder Street Bridge - ■■ The Morrow County Road Crew reconstructed the Elder Street Bridge in two days. The project was a joint effort of Knife River, the City of Heppner, and Morrow County. -Contributed Photo Mathieu to hold book signing Lea Mathieu will be reading from her book “The Literate Spirit” and signing copies on Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. at lone Community Church. In her book, Mathieu, a United Church o f Christ minister, discusses books that explore questions about life and death. Pioneer M em orial Clinic, Heppner Your Partner in Wellness In these Tough Economic Times it’s Especially Important to Take Care of Your Most Important Asset - Your Health. A clinic appointment now can help avoid a Higher Cost Emergency Visit Later. Now is the Time to Take Charge of Your Health and Your Healthcare. If you have questions or concerns, or haven’t had a physical exam in awhile, schedule an appointment today with one o f our providers. Remember, without good health, those other investments don’t really matter! Our Staff of Caring Professionals are here for all your. Family Medical Needs. Our providers are Ed Berretta, MD, Sheridan Tarnasky, PA-C, Betsy Anderson, MD and Russel Nichols, MD. Our nursing staff has over 50 years of combined experience. Some of our services include: Well Baby/Child Exams ♦ Woman's & Man’s Haalth Exams ♦ Cardiac Strass Tasting ♦ Acuta and Chronic Disaasa Managamant ♦ Smoking/ Tobacco Cassation Colonoscopy A Endoscopy Tasting Diabatas Managamant ♦ Vasactomy ♦ CDL Physicals Allargy Shots ♦ Sports Physicals ment at 5 4 1 -676-516 1 or the National Weather Service at 541-276-4493 ext 223. You can also email Hull at dennis.hull@noaa.gov. Ad ditional information is also available at the National W eather Service w ebsite at http://www.weather.gov/ pendleton. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts to Morrow County from transm itters at Sillusi Butte and Wilk- enson Hill on a frequency o f 162.425 MHz and near B oardm an on AM 1610 KHz. tion about Skywarn can be found at http://ww w .sky- wam.org. The National Weath er Service is the prim ary source o f w eather d ata, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories and operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy. To learn m ore about NWS, please visit http://weather.gov Additional informa Gambling Ordinance continued from page 1 ’ determ ine the im pact on establishments such as the Elks Club where people get together and play cards. F a r m e r ’s M a rk e t will need p ro o f o f in su r ance In other business the council heard from Nancy Snider o f Wheatland Insur ance about the city’s insur ance policy and a proposed farmer’s market planned at the city park this summer. Snider said the city is open to liability if some thing happens during the farmer’s market, and that it is not uncommon for cities to require proof o f insurance before allowing vendors to use city property such as a park. She said sometimes vendors can show a certifi cate o f homeowner’s policy and that is enough. M argaret Flaherty, who is spear heading the effort to set up a farmer’s market in Heppner, was at Monday’s council meeting and said she had checked with the Pendleton Farmer’s Market, which sets up down town on city streets, and found their insurance cost $350 per year. She said there is an energetic group work ing on the Heppner market and the starting date is set for the first Friday in June. Flaherty said vendors would be local people with home made type food items. She said the market’s motto is “homegrown/homemade”. “There is city liabil ity,” said Spicer. “What if someone gets sick from the food? What if they get sal monella poisoning?” Spicer said the city could be open to a lawsuit. “No one wants to hamper something that is good happening in the com munity,” said Snider. But she did point out that city is not charging anything to use the park and that most people have a homeowner or renter’s policy they could use. She said everyone who sets up as a vendor during Roundup in Pendleton has to provide a certificate o f insurance. “Everyone at Farm e r’s Market (in Heppner) should have insurance,” said Spicer. “1 am not suggesting people need to incur a lot o f expense.” She did say, however, that the city needs to be covered. Mayor Les Paustian wanted to know who was going to m onitor and en force the insurance require ment. The council took no action but agreed to have the city attorney and city man ager look into the issue. No r e s tr o o m a t H ager P ark In other business the council learned that the rest room project at Hager Park would have to be postponed “indefinitely” because o f a $6,000 “error” in the city budget. City manager Dave DeMayo said because of the error the city would have no money to put in the im provements that would have allowed installation o f the rest room facilities. A local group had raised close to the $35,000 needed to purchase a modular restroom for the park, and the city was going to pay for certain improve m ents o f around $7,500, money which it now says it does not have. M ore help at city hall The council also dis cussed the possibility o f adding additional staff at city hall. The current trea surer does the utility billing as well as handle other city chores, and is finding there is not enough time to complete everything, said DeMayo. DeMayo said he is budget ing next year for two posi tions to do the work. “Other w ork like dog licensing and colleting on delinquent (water and sewer) accounts goes by the way side” said DeMayo. He said the former city treasurer did some her work at home and the cur rent treasurer som etim es comes in on weekends to catch up.________________ M urray's D rug is pleased to a n n ou n ce our A u to m a tic Refills O p tio n for P re s c rip tio n s . Sign up today and forget about having to reord er your m aintenance p rescrip tion s each month! (wire us a call... ue Ye g l a d to he If)! We accept most major insurance plans including Tri-Care Call 541-676-5504 for Appointments 8:30 am - 5 pm Pioneer Memonal Clinic is part of Morrow County Health District Murray’s Drug 217 North Main • 676-9158 Serving Morrow. Gilliam & W heeler Counties since 1959. » Sheriff’s Report The Morrow County Sheriffs Office reports han- dling the following business J a n . 2 3 : M o r that he would be okay on his row County Sheriff’s O f couch. -MCSO received re fice, Heppner Ambulance, Heppner Fire Department quest for a welfare check for received report o f a one- a subject in lone who was vehicle accident between perhaps suicidal and feared H eppner and L exington. he was dying. A deputy re The vehicle rolled, but the sponded and determined he driver was reported to be out was okay. -MCSO received re o f the vehicle and walking port from a Heppner subject around. -M C S O a rre s te d that a deer had been stuck in Robert Scott Martin, 37, on his fence. He advised that he a Morrow County Circuit got the deer out, but it lay Court warrant for Failure to down in the middle o f the Appear/Assault IV. He was road. Oregon Department of released on his own recogni Fish & Wildlife had posses sion o f the deer. zance with $100,000 bail. -MCSO received re -MCSO cited Toby Rodriguez, 38, for Driving port from an Irrigon subject while Suspended-Revoked that her ex was abusing her -MCSO received re six-year-old daughter. She port from an Irrigon man advised she had filed a re that he and his step-daughter straining order. -MCSO received re were in a verbal dispute port o f bad snow drifts on about her moving out. -MCSO received re Hwy. 206. Oregon Depart port that money was stolen ment o f Transportation was from a Heppner High School advised. -M C S O re c e iv e d student at the school. A MCSO deputy responded. report o f a house that had -M C SO re c e iv e d broken into in Irrigon. report o f a wounded goose -M C S O re c e iv e d walking on north First and report o f a non-injury ac Highway 730. The goose cident with a semi tipped in was taken care of. the ditch on Hwy. 74 near -MCSO received re lone. port from an Irrigon subject -MCSO received re that there is illegal activity port o f a two-vehicle non across the street with the injury accident on Hwy. people hauling in junked 730 in Irrigon. MCSO cited cars and attempting to build George Norris, Jr., 64, for Failure to Yield when enter a fence. -MCSO cited Keri ing roadway. -B oardm an Police Ann Johnson, 26, for Viola tion o f the Basic Rule/74 Dept, received report o f a mph in a 55 mph zone. burglary in Boardman. -H e p p n e r A m b u -MCSO received re port o f a dead deer on the lance responded to a report fog line near the Pettyjohn o f a Heppner 81-year-old Building in Heppner. Ames- w ho had fallen and was sage was left for Heppner dizzy. She was transported to Pioneer Memorial Hos ODOT. -B oardm an Police pital. Department cited a 17-year- Jan. 28: M orrow old juvenile for no opera C ounty S h e riff’s O ffice to r’s license and Artemio received report o f a four- M endoza G arcia, 19, for year-old in Irrigon who had Permitting Unlawful Opera a seizure. tion o f a Vehicle. -MCSO received re -BPD arrested Vic port o f a dead deer on Hwy. tor Peneda, 24, for DUII and 74 near Heppner. ODOT Failure to Carry and Present. was advised. Subject was lodged at Uma -MCSO received re tilla County Jail. port o f a dead deer in the -BPD cited M aria Heppner cemetery. A city De Jesus Torres, 41, for Vio worker was advised. lation o f the Speed Limit. -M C S O re ceiv ed -Heppner Fire De report o f Irrigon subjects partm ent received report who had done business on of a vehicle in the ditch on C ra ig ’s List and had re Hwy. 74 near lone. ceived a $2,000 bad check. -MCSO received re Jan. 26: M orrow port o f a fight between two C ounty S h e riff’s O ffice received report o f a subject mail juveniles at the Mor breaking windows out o f his row Education C enter in father’s vehicle in Irrigon. Irrigon. Two juveniles were A subject advised that the arrested for Disorderly Con situation had not yet gotten duct and Harassment and were lodged at Norcor. physical. -M C SO re c e iv e d -M C SO re c e iv e d report o f an aggressive pit report o f a bail o f hay in bull in an Irrigon woman’s the middle o f the road on eastbound 1-84 near Board- back yard. -M C S O re c eiv e d man. report that som eone had -B oardm an Police broken off a faucet outside Department received report o f a house in Heppner. of a semi that lost its trailer -MCSO cited Gregg and is sideways in the board. One man was cited for Fail Alan Rietmann, 45, for driv ure to Obey Police Officer. ing 80 mph in a 55 mph -Irrigon Ambulance zone. -MCSO received re received report o f a male subject who fainted and hit port o f a large group o f kids his head. The subject, who out afrer dark in the park then regained conscious with flashlights in Irrigon. -MCSO, Irrigon Fire ness, reftised transport. Dept, received report o f a Jan. 27: M orrow C ounty S h e riff’s Deputy house fire in Irrigon. It was cited Patricia Rodriguez, 34, determined to be a chimney for Violation o f the Basic fire. -Irrigon Ambulance Rule, 74 mph in a 35 mph received report o f a 24-year- zone. -MCSO received re old intoxicated male who port from a subject in lone had a seizure. He refused who said he could not get transport - Boardman Police back into his w heelchair and d id n 't want to wake Dept, received report o f a his roommate to assist. He hit and run in Boardman. was advised that the near The victim did not want to est deputy was in Irrigon press charges. and lone medics could be dispatched to assist. He said
