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
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Remember, without good health, those other
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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.________________
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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