Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 2010)
SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 17,2010 Johnston hangs up the spikes after 36 years of coaching By David Sykes When you sit down and talk to Rick Johnston about baseball, a subject he knows quite a bit about, the conversation always ends up back at the same place. It’s all about the kids. And Johnston has coached quite a few over his 36-year career. Make no mistake, Johnston loves to win, and has a long record of post season play while coaching the Mustang baseball team, but what he remembers and relishes the most is meeting and working with the kids, parents and other coaches. Johnston became the head coach in 1993. He took two years off in 1997 and 1998 before returning to the baseball program as the JV coach in 1999. In 2000 he once again took on the role of head coach. the Mustangs in 1993, he Rick Paullus, have given had only one losing season, him over the years. In addi and his team tion to baseball played for the Johnston also state champion coached C olt ship in 2004. Basketball for B u t 12 years, ran the o n c e a g a in hoop shoot at when Johnston the St. Patrick’s talks about his celebration for a c c o m p lis h ments he doesn’t several years, h e lp e d w ith dwell on wins c o n s tr u c tio n and losses, but o f the George about the kids. His first year as Coach Rick Johnston W aterlund by head coach o f stepped down as Mus in stallin g the the M ustangs, tang head coach. -Con cyclone fence, tributed Photo h e lp e d w ith his team lost the first six games. b u ild in g th e “The kids w ere feeling high school baseball field pretty down, but I wouldn’t and has w orked on the let them quit,” he recalls. “chain gang” at Mustang The team went on to play football games for over 20 in the state semi-finals that years. Johnston, who is year. “I watched kids get confidence in themselves. employed by the Port of Coach Johnston (middle) with the team that upset Regis in the 2002 playoffs. -Contributed Photo “When you have the opportunity to work with a kid and make a difference in his life, that’s what it’s all about,” Johnston says, who this year is stepping down from the head coaching job for the Heppner Mustangs. “ Don’t get me wrong, I have had some rough spots, but overall it has been a great experience for me,” he says. J o h n s to n , w ho grew up in Heppner, has always had a love of base ball and recalls how when he was 11 years old he and his buddy Roger Leonnig would eat baloney sand wiches together for lunch, and then head to the ball field several hours before Little League practice to get in some early pitching and hitting. Heppner had three team s then, the G iants, Braves and Dodgers. lone’s team was the Indians. John ston was a Giant. Later in High School, at the urging of Ted Toll, he started his career coaching the Giants. He coached little league for 11 years. Over the years he has also coached jr. high, jr. varsity, and Babe Ruth baseball. He made the play off almost every year. Since he became head coach of and that was a great feeling to see that and know I had something to do with bring ing that out,” he says. Johnston started coaching Babe Ruth base ball in 1987 and has en joyed the family aspect of the games. “We would base our family vacations around the games and we had a lot of fun, meeting other par ents, coaches and players,” he says. He encourages parents to stay interested in the game with their children and recalls how his own father went to only one of his baseball games when he was playing. “That meant so much to me to see him there,” he said. He credits baseball and his coach with keeping him in line when he was young. “Rex English took an interest in me and kept me on the straight and nar row,” Johnston says. “He helped me out.” Some of the other people who helped and en couraged him in his coach ing and playing career were: Riley Munkers, Leon Ball, Bert Corbin, Erin Snow, Kenny Sawyer, Ted Toll, Bob Byrd and Don Cole. He also appreciates the work his assistant coaches, John McCabe, Troy Morgan and Morrow, is retiring from coaching to spend more time taking care of his wife Susan, who has Multiple Sclerosis. “My wife has learned to love baseball but it is time for me to take care of her. It’s time for me to take care of my own,” Johnston says. “This is the best place to raise kids, John ston says about Heppner. “I have had some run-ins with parents over the years, but this is the best place to live and coach. For the most part it has been a great experi ence,” Johnston says. He says the town has a winning attitude that starts during football season and carries on through the whole year. “ We have alw ays done it (put together winning teams) with local kids,” Johnston said. “They have been local grown not trans planted like some schools. And the lone kids (lone does not have a baseball team but plays with Hep pner) have been great. We couldn’t have done it with out them,” he says. “I have always tried to set an example in my personal life for the kids,” Johnston. “I wanted them to look up to me. I wanted to set a good example.” Kindle, Coe named as new baseball coaches Jim Kindle (left) was recently named the new varsity baseball coach and Scott Coe (right) was named the new JV baseball coach for Heppner. Lady Cards defeat Echo and Condon/Wheeler The lone Lady Car dinals tallied two “must wins” last weekend, defeat ing Echo at home on Friday night and pulling out a close one against Condon/Wheel er in Fossil on Saturday. The wins secured a spot in the district tournament for the Lady Cards with two tough games remaining in the regular season. They will host red-hot Helix on Friday night and travel to Dufur next Saturday. The lone girls were intense when they took the floor against Echo on Fri day, February 5, most likely remembering a humiliating loss at the hands of the Cou gars a couple weeks back in Echo. With seven minutes gone in the first quarter, lone had established a 14-2 lead. Echo got a couple of scores at the tail end of the quarter to make the score 14-7 after one. The Lady Cards built their lead to 13 points in the second quarter before Echo responded to pull within eight at the half 23-15. The third quarter was a dandy for lone as six players put points on the board and they outscored the opponent 17-8 to lead 40-23 entering the final quarter of play. Echo was able to close the gap slightly in the waning moments of the game but it was not nearly enough as the Lady Cards took the 46-35 win. Shadow Kendrick led the team in scoring with 14 points. Beth Morter added nine and Tyree Svet- ich had eight. Brianna Peterson puts one up against Echo on Friday, Febru ary 5. -Photo by Theresa Crawford Playing in Fossil on Saturday, February 6, neither the Knights nor the Cardinals got much going in the first quarter. It took almost five minutes of play before anyone got a point on the board and when Beth M orter hit a three with 24 seconds left in the quarter, the Cards led 7-2. The Knights got right back in the game though, tying the score at 14 with 1:45 to go in the half. Shadow Kendrick had seven points in the second quarter, in cluding the last three to put the Lady Cards up 17-14. Condon/W heeler ran off the first six points of the third quarter to go up 20- 17 and they outscored the Cardinals 8-4 in the quarter. But in the fourth, the lone ladies shifted gears and put up 18 points to nine for the opponent. Beth Morter had eight points in the quar ter and Tyree Svetich and Briana Peterson hit critical buckets for the team as they went from one point up to the final winning margin of 39-31. Beth M orter and Shadow Kendrick shared scoring honors for the game with 14 points each. Heppner to hold 28th annual St. Patrick's Celebration Heppner’s Wee Bit KUMA Coffee Hour; Ceili; grounds; “Ewe-Do-Bingo”; O ’ Ireland St. P atrick’s shopping at the Vendor’s “O’Ducky Race”; “O’ Kid Celebration is just around Square; the arts and crafts die Tricycle Races”; “Kiss the comer and it’s time to display at Les Schwab or Heppner’s Blarney Stone”; get out the green and wear ganized by Morrow County “Throw the Weily” ; the it proudly. The 28,h annual Creative Arts & Crafts; the live mannequin show by Wee Bit O ’ Ireland Celebra “Wee Bit O ’ Western Fine the HHS Drama Club; the tion will be held March Art Photography” by De Children’s Carnival coor 11-14. nise Smith and Celia Moyer dinated by The Stable of There are many at City Park; the Alumni Youth; food vendors; Sheep activities planned for this Softball Game; the dedica Dog Trials on Saturday and year’s event including: the tion of “Turner Day Park” Sunday; and Road Bowling variety program “Ireland in at the view point at Willow on Sunday. Story, Song and Laughter”, Creek Reservoir by the Wil Entertainment on written by Father Condon, low Creek Park District; the Saturday evening will in with music by Joe Lind Friends of the Library book clude Tiller’s Folly”, the say; Heppner Chamber’s/ sale; Stuart Dick’s book "Old Time Fiddlers” and UROCK 3rd annual Irish signing and presentation “Brenda Sue" s. The enter Boxing Smoker at Heppner on M orrow County and tainment is free to all and is High School; the Cruz In” Mattieson School House; sponsored by the Morrow and “Great Green Parade”; Morrow County Heritage County Unified Recreation Drama Club planning community trip to Disneyland the 5K Run/Walk in mem and Agricultural Museums; District. Heppner Drama Club is currently planning a group trip, open to all community ory of Donna Schonbachler the “St. Patrick’s O ’Flock For more informa members, to Disneyland August 11-18. to benefit Willow Creek & Fiber Show" to be held tion call the chamber office The trip would include a six-day Park Hopper Ticket for Disneyland and Cali Terrace; the Iron Man Bike at the Morrow County Fair- at 541-676-5536. fornia Adventure, seven-night stay at Anaheim Hotel, all meals, ground transportation, Ride; the Leprechaun Run; dinner theatre performance in Los Angeles, and roundtrip airfare. The cost of the trip is $1,150 per person. Other options are six nights for $1,065 and five nights for $975. The group maximum is 60 travelers. Pat Struthers will give presentations on Windows 7 on Thursday, February Anyone planning to sign up is asked to respond by March 1. 25, during the chamber lunch meeting and again at 7 p.m. at Heppner City Hall for For more information or to sign up call 541-676-8022 (day) or 541-676-8161 the public. (night). There will be drawings for free prizes during these open houses. Windows 7 open houses to be held Morrow County Public Work91 You tire all aware o f the new law Effective January I, 2010 computers, moni tors and TVs CANNOT he disposed of in the %urbane or at disposal sites such as landfills, transfer stations and incinerators. Am tmc who knowingly dis poses of these items can be fined. Morrow County Public Works is pleased to announce that prior to the ban the transfer stations had been implement ing this procedure. Residence are allowed to dump FREE of charge televisions, computers and monitors Containers for E Waste are located at the North 69900 Frontage Ln. Boardman and the South 57185 Hwy 74, Lexington Trans fer Stations. Hours of operation 9:00 - 3:00 Saturday and Sundays. Que«tion« and concern« may be addressed by calling 541-989-9500. BOMBING RANGE ROAD TEMPORARY CLOSURE Morrow County Public Works Department would like to announce Due to reconstruction on the south end of the Bombing Range / Hwy 207 Intersection protect, It Is necessary to close the South end section of Bombing Range road fora period beginning on (anuary 4, 2010 and continuing through February 28, 2010 weather permitting. The primary north detour route will be Grleb Ln. The South detour route will be juniper Canyon to Baseline Rd. All traffic of any kind with the exception of those local residents will be restricted and the closure will be strictly enforced during this period. Local residents will be allowed access subject to following traffic control measures necessary at the time. This project is a Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
