Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2010)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 3, 2010 * FIVE Wee bit o’ chatter By Claudia Hughes T h e re w as th is Irishman who walked out o f Bucknums... no, it really did happen! “Tis that tim e o f the year, a wee bit early perhaps, but the hills are green and , ready or not, the Irish for the weekend will be arriving in County Morrow to be welcomed by the likes o f us. Visitors Thursday, M arch 11, may head for O ’ donkey basketball, then move on to another great Father Condon/Joe Lindsay original, “ Ireland in Story, Song, and Laughter.” During March 11-14, H eppner features its own Irish O lym pics. Spectators or participants can partake in O ’ donkey bask etb all, boxing, m o- torcross, sheepdog trials, run-walks, Iron-Man, bike ride, softball, leprechaun run, b o w lin g , th ro w in g the welly, the bartenders race, kiddie tricycle races, and road bowling, to name some of the events. It w o u ld n ’t be a St. P a tric k ’s celebration without the sounds o f Irish m usic up and dow n the street, at the St. Patrick’s ham dinner, the Elks, the elementary school and dur ing the parade. The first celeb ratio n started w ith the KUMA Coffee Hour, featuring John Doherty and the Irish Singers in Jim Far ley’s car dealership nearly 30 years ago. The Coffee Hour, like the energized leprechauns, keeps on go ing and going to include music, stories, and a lively interchange with a priest, lawyer, and a politician on Saturday morning. Sounds o f Ireland continue with the traditional Ceili upstairs in the Elks M arch 13. Both local and out-of-town talent will be featured. Old Time Fiddlers and The T illers Folly will be Saturday eve ning entertainment, thanks to the Morrow County Uni fied R ecreation D istrict. Teens will enjoy disco-club night downtown. L ep rech au n s c a vort about and challenge visitors to take it all in. One may eat his way through the w eekend, purchase a lucky bu tto n , view live mannequins, kiss the blar ney stone, and enter the Great Green Parade or the Cruz-In. ‘Twould be fine if the leprechauns could m agically clone Heppner people so they wouldn’t be meeting them selves com ing and going this fine Irish weekend. Should one prefer a q u iete r venue, have a look at the book sale put on by Friends o f the Library, tour the museum s, check out the local artisans, or St. Patrick’s O ’ Flock and Fiber Show at the Morrow County Fairgrounds (new this year). Need a moment o f quiet? Heap up to cem etery hill to view the flood memorial and contemplate the com m unity down be low, where you find a mix o f people from all walks of life and country heritages pitching in together because they love Heppner. Tis lucky we all are and b le sse d we be. Have a great Wee Bit O ’ Ireland in Heppner, Oregon weekend. Arenacross to be held March 13 The St. P a tric k ’s Day A renacross w ill be held Saturday, March 13, at the Morrow County Fair grounds. Sign-ups are at 7 a.m., a rider’s meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m., and races will start at 4) a.m. Sign-ups will also be held at the fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, March 12. A dm ission is $5 per person and free for children age six and under. Entry prices are: $25 each class for 80-85cc and above including wom en and 30+ (motorcycles); $10 each class for 50cc and 65cc (m otorcycles); $25 each class for ages 12-16, beginner and expert including women and 30+ (quads); and $ 10 each class for age classes up to age 11 (quads). Special events in clude: PIT Bike Races - entry fee o f $25 for Pit Bike llO cc and Pit Bike 50cc (lottery payout); Razr / Rhino Barrel Race - $25 best o f two runs. The arenacross is presented by the Morrow C o u n ty F air B o ard and ClearView Auto Glass. For more informa tion call 541-314-2876 or 541-571-3847. Cowboy mounted shooting demonstration to be held March 13 The Columbia Ba sin Mounted Shooters Club, the local ch ap ter o f the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA), they will be holding a Cowboy M ounted Shooting Dem onstration free o f charge on March 13 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Morrow County Fairgrounds. The mounted shooters will be practicing all day in preparation for the upcoming North Pacific Regional Championships to be held May 1-2 in Herm- iston. The Cowboy M ounted Shooting A sso ciation, better known as the CMSA, is the national or ganization that governs the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Dubbed by many as the “ultim ate w estern shooting and riding chal lenge,” Cowboy Mounted Shooting is sighted in for shooters and horseback- ers who want to combine the rom ance o f the O ld West, with the excitement o f a high speed shooting and riding co m petition. M ore precisely, Cowboy M ounted S h o o tin g is a full-tilt timed event, where contestants, many dressed in colorful 1800s Wild West clothing, gallop their horses through varied courses that require firing frontier-era sin g le -a c tio n rev o lv ers, while putting their mounts through some rodeo style barrel racing, pole bending, a bit o f reining competition, and lots o f speed. S pecially loaded O’ Flock and Fiber Event to be held during St. Pat’s Celebration A member of the Columbia Basin Mounted Shooters Club gets in some practice. -Contributed Photo blank cartridges, which can break a balloon at a distance o f about 15 feet, are used in this arena sport, with 5-second penalties for each missed target, and penalties for not following the pre scribed course, dropping a Leprechaun Fun Run to be held March 13 T he L ep rech au n Fun Run will be held again this year on March 13 for K indergarten through 6,h grade children. Applications are available at the schools and Heppner Chamber of fice. E ach p a rticip a tin g child will need a parent’s signature before running. The Fun Run will begin at the Heppner Li- brary/M useum City Park, Members of the Heritage Fiber Arts Guild demonstrate spin The H eppner St. ning techniques at the Morrow County Museum. -Contributed P a tric k ’s Day Sheepdog Photo The Heritage Fiber Arts Guild from Heppner is organizing a new event for the St. Pat’s weekend call the O ’ Flock and Fiber Event. This event will bring fiber related vendors offering hand-knitted scarves, shawls, hats, gloves, handspun yam, mgs, tanned sheep skins, and live fiber animals to the Morrow County Fairgrounds for a one day sale event on Saturday, March 13. The guild plans best fleece and best skein o f handspun yam contests, with prizes to include savings bonds from Bank o f Eastern Oregon and Community Bank. Dino’s Catering will have a food booth along with Italian Ice Cream by DeSalvo’s. Heritage Guild members will present spinning and weaving demonstrations throughout the day. In ad dition, there will be opportunities for spectators to join in and try their hands at these ancient arts. Vendors will be open from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and the Old Time Fiddlers will perform in the building from 6:30 p.m. until the event closes. Heppner FFA to hold donkey basketball game The Heppner FFA will take on the Pilot Rock FFA in a game of donkey basketball on Thursday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m. at Heppner Elementary School. During half-time there will be donkey petting and pictures. Also, the alumni will be having a dessert auction. Ticket prices are: $8 (adult), $6 (6th grade-12th grade), and $4 (k-5'h grade) if the tickets are purchased ahead o f time. Tickets are available through the FFA pro gram at Heppner High School by calling 541-676-9138. The tickets prices will $1 more if purchased at the door. Doors will open at 5 p.m. at the HES gym. Trial is a premier trial of the northwest. This year’s sheepdog trial will be held March 13 and 14 at Thomp son Ranch, three miles west o f Heppner. World class stock dog handlers travel from all over western United States and Canada for the opportu nity to test their stock dogs and handling skills against the incredible range ewes supplied by Krebs Farms. The Thompson Ranch has supported the City of Hep pner’s St. Patrick’s celebra tion for many years. The Thompson’s faithfully do nate the ideal trial field and have supplied the overall trophy and set out trailers and hay for the 200 head of ewes. The trial is a fundrais er for the local 4-H group. The 4-H members lend a hand separating ewe, in the stock trailer, for the set out for each run. Bill Berhow from Zamorra, CA will judge the event this year. Berhow is a three-time National Finals Champion in 1988, 89 and 93. He and his border collie Sheep Dog Trails Th om pson R anch 3 m ile s N o r t h o f H e p p n e r B e g i n s a t d a y l ig h t I I Agriculture more than business. It’s a way of life Saturday & Sunday March 13th & 14th ■ You're welcome to join the handler's Potluck Lunch \ 1 Featuring a Lucky Lamb Drop Contest ^ k J § Scwccc 'Dwtidtruf Agriculture is about making things grow. Please mine visit us in llermiston! The feeling you get when you look across a field at a crop you put in the ground. That’s the spirit o f agriculture. From regular cleanings and exams to reparative dental work to educating young patients about proper brushing techniques, you can count on Hayden Dental to take exceptional care of your family’s smiles. We believe in agriculture. We invest in it HAYDEN DEN 1/ Get your ag loans from us. 1050 W. Elm Ave, Suite 240 Hermiston S trom , roots i \ hi riohrimt ) (541) 567-8414 www.HaydenDental.com Open Monday - Friday ♦ L in e s o f c r e d it ♦ T erm loans ♦ R ea l E state loans Agricultural & Commercial Loans www.beobank.com down M ain Street to the comer o f Les Schwab and back to the finish line in the center o f H e p p n e r’s M ain Street. Participants are asked to meet at the park by 11:15. Follow the Lepre chaun and the magic gold dust. A pot of gold dollars is at the end o f the fun; one dollar for each participant. Heppner St. Patrick’s Day Sheep dog Trial to be held March 13-14 The Spirit of Agriculture Bank of Eastern Oregon gun, and so on. The action is non-stop, with a rider racing through the course about every 60 seconds. For more informa tion contact Cindy Griggs at 541-571-1153 or www. cbmshooter.com. John Qualls, Lender Heppner Branch 541-676-9125 Tucker Rice, Lender lone Branch 541-422-7466 Veteran’s Services Hours: 9-12 am Sr I -4 pm First Thursday of each month Gilliam Building, Heppner Please call for Appointment Phone 9 2 2 -6 4 2 0 « ■ Please leave a detailed message Nick were inducted to the ABCA hall o f fame. 36 top h a n d le rs and 60 dogs from Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Utah, California, and Canada will vie for the Heppner title this year. Francis Chai from Oregon with Belle, 10-year- old Border Collie, will be back to defend their title. The co m p etitio n will consist o f two one-day trials at Thompson Ranch. Each day 55 teams will take to the post starting at day light. Due to the overflow of entries, teams will be drawn to receive a slot to run. The contestant will receive 10 m inutes to com plete the six-obstacle course. The run start with a perfect 100 point possible. Points are deducted for any deviation from a perfect course. Following the pa rade on S aturday som e fun events have been add including a 50/50 lucky lamb drop contest. A pot luck lunch w ill be held each day. 40-mile Iron Man bike ride to be held As part of the Hep pner St. Patrick C elebra tion, a 40 mile Iron Man bike rid e sp o n so re d by Scotts Cycle and Sports, will be held March 13. The bikers will start at 10 a.m., on the sham rock, in the center o f town. T he b ik e rs wi l l cycle to lone and back. A poker ride can be incorpo rated for $5 in this cycling event. A shorter ride has been designed for the day if wanted. The cyclist can sign up at a booth in the park prior to the event. For more informa tion call K athy at 541- 980-2352 or the Heppner Chamber office at City Hall at 541-676-5536. Mrs. O’Leary’s Irish beef stew feed to be held M rs. O ’L e a r y ’s Irish beef stew feed will be held on Friday, March 12, at the Saint Patrick's Senior Center on Main Street in H eppner betw een 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. B e e f stew , c o le slaw, rolls, beverage and a variety o f desserts will be served for $6-adults; $2 for children 6-12; and free for children five and under. The feed is spon sored by the Heppner Unit ed Methodist Church.
