Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Forest road construction results in closures or delays
A number of road
c o n stru c tio n p ro je c ts,
scheduled to begin on the
Umatilla National Forest,
will close access or de
lay traffic on several main
travel routes this summer,”
announced Joe Neer, forest
operations engineer. Travel
ers should be aware of the
closures or delays and plan
their trip accordingly.
Much of the work
to be done involves replac
ing existing culverts that
pose fish passage barri
ers for native species of
fish with open bottom arch
culverts that allow for fish
passage and improve access
to rearing and spawning
habitat. Other maintenance
projects include curve re
alignment and chip seal
ing. Forest roads affected
by construction operations
include:
-Forest road 53
(Western Route Road)
Open but expect delays,
July 19 to mid August.
This paved route
connects the towns of
Heppner
and
Ukiah,
Oregon.
High Desert
Aggregate and Paving,
based out of Redmond,
OR, will realign a curve at
milepost 19.5, to increase
sight distance and improve
travel safety. Though the
road will remain open
during construction, traffic
will be reduced to one lane
causing delays of up to 30
minutes. Travelers can take
an alternative, unpaved
route using Forest Road
5326, Morrow County
Road 798 and Shaw Grade
to bypass the construction.
Work was to begin July 19,
and is expected to continue
through mid August. For
more information on this
project, please contact the
Heppner Ranger District at
(541)676-9187.
-Forest Road 10
(Desolation Creek Road)
Closed from Battle Creek
to Desolation Meadows,
July 19 to mid August. Al
ternate route available to
high clearance vehicles.
F o rest R oad 10
provides access from State
HWY 395 near Dale, OR,
east to Olive Lake and on
to Granite, OR. The road
will be closed for culvert
replacement beginning July
19, from milepost 14 at
Battle Creek to milepost 19
near Desolation Meadows.
Forest Road 1010 can be
used as an alternative route
to bypass the construction
though travelers should be
aware that this road is main
tained for “High Clearance
V ehicles” only and not
suitable for passenger car
or low clearance trailer/
RV travel. Access to Olive
Lake is also available from
the Granite, OR, side. Work
will be performed by Deer
Flat Sand & Gravel, based
out of Nampa, ID. These
projects were made pos
sible through partnerships
between the USDA Forest
Service, Granite Watershed
Council, and the Confeder
ated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation. For
more information, please
contact the N orth Fork
John Day Ranger District
at (541)427-3231.
-Forest Road 73 -
Open but expect construc
tion traffic July 19 to mid
August.
Travelers on For
est Road 73 will encounter
construction traffic near its
junction with Forest Road
7300590 road at the Granite
Creek crossing near Lucas
Gulch. Culvert replace
ment work on Forest Road
7300590 is scheduled to
begin July 19 and could
take up to three weeks to
complete. This work will
also be performed by Deer
Flat Sand & Gravel, based
out of Nampa, ID. For more
information on this project,
please contact the North
Fork John Day Ranger Dis
trict at (541) 427-3231.
Forest Road 64
(Touchet Road) Closed
13 miles south of Dayton
WA, to its junction with
the Bluewood Ski Area
access road 6400650, July
26 through July 30.
K.C. Equipment,
based out of El Cajon, CA
will complete chip seal
ing of the 7.2-mile section
of Forest Road 64. This
project will close the road
13 miles south of Dayton,
WA to its junction with the
Bluewood Ski Area access
road 6400650 beginning
July 26 and will continue
through July 30.
Forest Road
6400700 - Closed 20 miles
south of Dayton WA, at its
junction with the Forest
Road 64 (Touchet Road),
July 26 to mid August.
A culvert replace
m en t on F o re st R oad
6400700 will close the road
at its junction with Forest
Road 64 beginning July 26.
Work will be performed by
Eastern Oregon Environ-
mental Recovery, based out
of Pendleton and is expect
ed to continue through mid
to late August. This project
was made possible through
partnerships between the
USDA Forest Service, the
Washington Department of
Fish & Wildlife, The Gov
ernor’s Salmon Recovery
Office, and the Tri-State
Steelheaders Fisheries En
hancem ent Group. For
more information on this
project, please contact the
Walla Walla Ranger District
a t (509)522-6290.
Forest Road 47
(Tucannon River Road)
Closed south of junction
with Forest Road 4620
to the end of the road at
Meadow Creek Trailhead,
July 29 to mid to late
August
Beginning July 29,
Eastern Oregon Environ
mental Recovery, based out
of Pendleton, will replace a
culvert on Forest Road 47
which will close the road
just south of its junction
with Forest Road 4620. The
closure will also prevent ac
cess to Panjab and Ladybug
Campgrounds, and Panjab,
Meadow Creek and Tucan
non Trailheads. This project
was made possible through
partnerships with the Wash
ington Department of Fish
& Wildlife, the Governor’s
Salmon Recovery Office,
and the Tri-State Steelhead
ers Fisheries Enhancement
Group, Confederated Tribes
of the Umatilla Indian Res
ervation. Construction is
expected to be completed
in mid to late August. For
more information on this
project, please contact the
Pomeroy Ranger District at
(541)843-1891.
Morrow County Court meets
By LeAnn Rea
The Morrow Coun
ty Court met on July 14
in Irrigon with Commis
sioners Grieb and Rea in
attendance.
The court reviewed
and approved the minutes
from the July 7 meeting.
The court reviewed
and approved account pay
ables, retirement taxes and
payroll payables in the net
total amount of $340,452.87
and withheld the payment
of $17,225 from the ac
count payables.
Road Report: The
court reviewed and on the
recom m endation o f the
Road Department approved
the follow ing approach
ap p licatio n s: R ichard
and Sylvia Sandford onto
Johnson Road for a private
drive; Daniel and Rita Van
Schoiack onto Sunflower
Flat Road; Horseshoe Bend
Wind onto Ely Canyon Road
2.2 miles from Hwy 74, Pal-
mateer Road 1.7 miles from
Hwy 74, Palmateer Road
1.9 miles from Hwy 74, Pal
mateer Road 2.0 miles from
Hwy 74 and Cecil Road 2.1
miles from Hwy 74. The
court reviewed and signed
a lease/purchase agreement
for a motor grader. The
court review ed and ap
proved a three-year contract
with Doyle Electric Inc.
for miscellaneous county
projects.
Sheriff’s Report:
Sheriff Ken Matlack pro
vided the court with a recap
o f June activities, which
included the following:
Heppner area: a number of
thefts over several months,
an MIP party in the moun
tains, and a fiber optic line
shot twice within the last
two weeks. Irrigon area:
a traffic stop resulting in a
foot pursuit of a suspect, a
couple smoking pot near the
beach area of the park and
an assault with a weapon
incident. Boardman area: a
mental subject in someone’s
backyard, a traffic stop re
sulting in five individuals
being sited for drugs, an
assist with the Boardman
City Police in a hostage
situation and a mental sub
ject walking away from the
Colum bia River Ranch.
The sheriff reported that
the subject had outstand
ing warrant in Arkansas
and arrangements are being
made to return him. Sheriff
Matlack reported that Dan
Robins from Harney Co.
Over the Tee Cup
has been hired as the new
correctional officer for the
Parole and Probation Pro
gram. He will be starting in
this position on July 26.
J u v e n ile D e p t
Quarterly Update: Tom
Meier provided the court
with a quarterly report from
the Juvenile Dept. The
report indicates how many
young people have been
referred for a variety of
reasons including assault,
disorderly conduct, theft,
curfew offenses and mi
nors in possession. The
total number of individuals
served seems to be about
the same as in the last cou
ple of years.
Public Hearing: A
public hearing was held for
the purpose of vacating a
portion of Morrow County
Road #971, also known as
Columbia Lane. A number
o f affected residents ad
dressed a variety of con
cerns and requested more
information regarding this
action. The Court decided
to continue the hearing to
the August 11 meeting to be
held at 10 a.m. at the Irrigon
Annex.
P lanning D ept.:
The asso ciate planner.
Layne Womack, provided
the first reading of the Britt
Aggregate Site Ordinance.
i ’Hfe second reading will be
the July 21 meeting in
Boardman.
The
court
conducted the following
business: Reviewed and
approved the payment
of $140 to Graphics
Illustrated for work on the
Interpretive Panel for the
Columbia River Heritage
Trail.
Discussed and
allowed a 30-day extension
for the payment of the
property at Blake’s Ranch.
The court received an
update on the status of the
county’s retirement plan.
Various correspondences
and upcoming meeting
notices were reviewed and
discussed.
Following
the
regularly
scheduled
court
meeting,
the
commissioners
traveled
to the OSU Experiment
Station in Hermiston for a
tour of the facility.
Anyone
who
would like to be placed on
the list to receive county
minutes should contact
Karen Wolff at (541)676-
5620.
Sprucing up Heppner
Results from the July 13 play day are as fol-
lows:
Low gross of the field: Pat Edmundson.
Low net of the field: Lorrene Montgomery.
Least putts of the field: Bernice Lott.
Low gross: Nancy Propheter, Pat Dougherty,
Luvilla Sonstegard.
Low net: Lynnea Sargent, Bev Steagall.
Least putts: Betty Carlson.
Long drive: Nancy Propheter, Lynnea Sargent,
Laura Rogers.
Long putt: Pat Edmundson, Pat Dougherty.
Birdies: Pat Edmundson #13.
Senior Center Menu
St. Patrick’s Parish members served lunch at the
senior mealsite on Wednesday, July 21. The menu will
include scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage or ham, hash
browns, biscuits and gravy, tomato juice, and apple
sauce.
Members of the United Methodist Church will
serve lunch on Wednesday, July 28. The menu will include
Caesar chicken, rice pilaf, three-bean salad, fruit cocktail,
hot rolls and turtle pie.
Milk is served at each meal. The suggested dona
tion is $3.50 per meal. The menus are subject to change.
Photo by Megan Futter
DSF Properties of Powell Butte has been busy
completing cleaning, painting and remodeling projects
around Heppner.
DSF, Derek Farrington, owner, has completed
projects for Advantage Dental, the Odd Fellows Hall, Mur
ray’s Drug, Heppner Family Foods and the Masonic Lodge
in Heppner.
Wednesday, July 21,2010
- FIVE
A sweet cause
A Sweet Cause: Shirley Palmer, Betty Carlson,
and Kathy Carlson served banana splits and other treats
at Valby Lutheran Church’s ice cream social on July
18. Donations were accepted to benefit Wanda Jones, a
Heppner woman battling cancer. With matching funds
from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, they have raised
over $1,000 so far.
Donations are still being accepted through July
26; for more information contact Rev. Lea Mathieu at
422-7215.
Sheriffs Report
The Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office reports han
dling the following business:
-Continued from Page FOUR
April 3: Morrow
County Sheriff’s Office
received report of a dis
turbance in Irrigon with a
female yelling and scream
ing and the sound of break
ing glass. MCSO deputy
advised two persons that
the disturbances could not
continue or they could go
to jail. MCSO arrested Wil
liam Herbert Prosser, 29,
was arrested for Interfering
with a Peace Officer. He
was released on his own
recognizance with $6,000
bail.
-MCSO received
report of a vehicle parked at
the Forest Service building
in Heppner. MCSO cited
Katrina Mae Beaudin, 18,
and Daniel Bradley Shimez,
19, for Possession of Less
than One Ounce of Mari
juana.
-MCSO received
a call from an Irrigon sub
ject who asked what time
it was. When he was told
the time, he said he hadn’t
eaten for an entire day, but
then said he thought it was
later than it was and didn’t
need anything after all and
hung up.
-MCSO received
report of a cow on 1-84,
Boardman. The owner came
and got the cow.
-MCSO received
report that the Bend Po
lice arrested Jereb Daniel
Saurman, 25, on an Irrigon
Justice Court warrant for
Failure to Appear, Driv
ing While Suspended. He
was lodged at Deschutes
County, which had a “no
bail” warrant on him.
-MCSO received
report o f graffiti on the
corner o f Columbia and
Second, at the alternative
school, on a fence and shed
and the side of Bake’s Hotel
in Irrigon.
-MCSO received
report from an lone subject
that there was a gold car at
his house. He said someone
was there until 10 p.m. and
there was a different car
there that day. It turned out
that the reporter was in the
hospital and did not know
who was there.
-MCSO received
report from an Irrigon sub
ject who said he received
mail from the “Australian
power ball” which said
he had won $600,000. He
believed it was a scam and
wanted a deputy to be aware
of it. A deputy made contact
and determined it was a
scam ad.
-MCSO received
report from an lone sub
ject that a male was semi
conscious, had labored
breathing and was having
seizures. The lone Ambu
lance responded.
-MCSO received
report that Umatilla County
Sheriff's Office that Uma
tilla County Sheriff's Office
k
arrested Mark Kyle Shea,
20, on an Irrigon Justice
Court warrant for Failure
to Pay Fine/Criminal Mis
chief II. He was lodged at
Umatilla County Jail with
$1,761.50 bail in full.
-MCSO received
report from an Irrigon sub
ject that an 11-year-old
female had wrist pain. She
reported that there were
extra kids at her house
who pushed her down and
took off.
-MCSO received
report from an Irrigon sub
ject that renters left their
old car at his house and he
needed it tagged for tow. A
deputy made contact, pro
vided the property owner
with a tag and explained
the process.
-MCSO received
request for a cat trap so an
Irrigon resident could catch
stray cats at his residence.
-MCSO received
report that an Irrigon sub
ject fell of a bike onto his
stomach, had pain in his
left leg, couldn’t move his
leg and had bleeding from
his knuckles.
-MCSO received
report from an Irrigon sub
ject that a man with three
children was on his prop
erty and acting suspicious.
MCSO cited Rodney Glenn
Reynolds, 47, for Criminal
Trespass II.
-MCSO received
request to assist Hermis
ton on a domestic abuse
call where a man hit his
wife. MCSO assisted until
backup arrived.
-MCSO arrested
Joseph Lee Swope, 29, on
an Irrigon Justice Court
warrant for Failure to Pay
Fine/C rim inal Trespass
I. He was arrested with
$1,478.85 bail, but was
already lodged at Umatilla
County Jail.
April 4: Morrow
County Sheriff’s Office ar
rested Shalon Garlynn An
gel, 32, for Driving While
Suspended Misdemeanor.
She was cited and released.
MCSO arrested Wendy
Lynn Long. 39, for Posses
sion of Methamphetamine.
She was lodged at Umatilla
County Jail with $7,500
bail. The vehicle was im
pounded.
-MCSO received
report of a disabled vehicle
on Hwy. 730, Irrigon. The
vehicle was out of gas and
help was on the way.
-MCSO received
report from an Irrigon
woman that she found a
sack of dog poop in her
yard. No other damage was
reported.
-MCSO received
report of a pickup with a
four-w heeler in back weav
ing in and out of lanes on
1-84, Boardman. OSP was
advised as well..
-MCSO received
report from a business own
er in Heppner that a blue
Honda Accord had been left
at their business since that
Monday and they did not
-Continued on Page SIX