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Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
Wind developers talk jobs
Cross section o f community joins discussion on employment
opportunities in expanding wind farms in Morrow County
Bv David Sykes
Two o f the heavy
hitters in the wind farm
business in Morrow County
were featured speakers at
the Willow Creek Valley
HEPPNER
5(K
Andrew O’Connell of 2Morrow Energy, standing, speaks to a packed crowd about employ nient
opportunities in the wind industry at the annual meeting of the Willow Creek Valley Economic
Development Group last week in Heppner. Seated to his right is Patricia Pilz of Caithness
Shepherds Elat wind farm, who also talked about jobs in the expanding wind farm business
in Morrow County. Photo by David Sykes
VOL. 131
N 0. 7
8 Pages
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Economic Developm ent
Group annual meeting last
Thursday in Heppner. An
drew O ’Connell of 2Mor-
row Energy of lone, which
already has a wind farm
here and is planning more,
along with Patricia Pilz of
Caithness Energy, which is
building the huge Shepherds
Flat wind farm in Morrow
and Gilliam Counties, were
both featured speakers at
the meeting and gave their
insights in how locals may
capitalize on employment
at the new facilities.
Heppner native co Library introduces
authors bestseller new technology
26 hardcover nonfiction list.
By Andrea Di Salvo
Anyone in south That comes, though, after a
Morrow County who has couple of stints in the num
read the New York Times ber one spot on that list, not
to mention launch
bestseller “Ameri
ing as number two
can S niper” may
on the general non
have glanced past
fiction list. Not bad
a familiar name on
for someone who
the cover.
never wanted to be
Scott McE-
a writer.
wen’s name is fa
Never
miliar to many in Scott
w an ted to be a
the Heppner area McEwen
writer?
because 50-year-
Nope. Af
old McEwen was
born and raised here. He ter graduating from Heppner
was a local Eagle Scout and High School in 1979, McE
grew up hiking and fish wen received a bachelor’s
ing in the area, as well as degree from Oregon State
hunting with his 300 Win University in 1983. He then
chester. His brother, Bobbie attended McGeorge School
McEwen, is still a familiar of Law at University of the
Pacific in Sacramento, CA.
face around town.
Now a trial attor He obtained his law degree
ney based in San Diego, in 1987. He has worked in
CA, McEwen has suddenly the law field for the last 25
found himself faced with years; he currently lives in
a measure of fame as the San Diego, CA and does
coauthor o f “A m erican corporate defense and liti
Sniper: The Autobiography gation all over the U.S. He
of the Most Lethal Sniper still hunts in his spare time,
in U.S. Military History.” and does a lot of deep-sea
He and fellow coauthor Jim fishing for marlin and tuna
DeFelice both worked with in southern California and
Navy Seal Chris Kyle on Mexico.
the creation of Kyle’s auto
M cE w en met
biography. After six weeks Navy Seal sniper Chris
on the New York Times Kyle through his work with
bestseller list, the book has
-See BESTSELLING A U-
THORJPAGE SEVEN
dropped to third on the Feb.
Heppner women injured
in snowmobile accidents
By April Sykes
Two H e p p n e r
women were injured in sep
arate snowmobile accidents
over this past weekend.
M issy L in d say ,
44, Heppner, was injured
in a snowmobile accident
at Penland Lake, about
30 miles east of Heppner,
on Saturday, February 18,
around 9 p.m. She suf
fered broken ribs, a broken
sternum and two broken
vertebrae.
She was transport
ed from Pioneer Memo
rial Hospital in Heppner
to Kadlec Medical Center
in Richland, WA. Accord
ing to reports, it is not yet
certain whether she will
undergo surgery.
Sandi Patton, 49,
Heppner was injured in a
snowmobile accident near
Coal Mine Hill, about 22
m iles east o f Heppner,
on Sunday, February 19,
around 1 p.m.
A ccording to re
ports, she suffered a com
pound fracture to her femur
and was also transported
from Pioneer M emorial
Hospital in Heppner to Or
egon Health and Science
University, Portland, where
she has undergone surgery
and was scheduled for an
other.
Friends o f the Library learn about
innovative programs for library patrons
By April Sykes
The H e p p n e r
Friends of the Library heard
two presentations at their
Feb. 16 annual meeting that
will change the common
definition of “library.”
Oregon Trail Li
brary D istrict D irector
M arsha R ichm ond told
the Friends of the Library
that Oregon Trail Library
District patrons can now
check out books to be sent
via their Kindles, Nooks,
Sony Readers, Androids,
iPhones and other elec
tronic readers.
Ri chmond d e m
onstrated to the Friends of
the Library audience how
to access the electronic
library. Electronic book
readers must have an Or
egon Trail Library card.
Library patrons can go to
the Oregon Trail Library
R ep resen tativ es
from education, business
and the electrical workers
union were also in atten
dance and they, too, partici
pated in the discussion on
how local people could ben
efit through employment in
the new wind farms.
O'Connell did not
say how many jobs his two
projects in the county will
require; however, he did say
the jobs pay well and will
be here for a long time. He
did not say how much the
jobs pay, but later an actual
missioner, Position 1 during
the upcoming election.
March 6 is the last
day to file candidacy for
nonpartisan and major party
offices. Primary elections
District website at www.
oregontrail.plinkit.org and
click on the Library 2 Go
logo, find a title to enjoy,
click a book, click more (or
similar links) to open a list
or try a search.
When a reader finds
a title, then select “add to
cart” and proceed to check
out. If prompted, they then
sign in with their informa
tion and the checkout page
opens. To sign in, they are
asked to enter their library
card number and personal
identification (PIN). Some
sites include an option to
adjust the lending period.
To continue, select “confirm
check out.” The reader may
check out a maximum of
10 titles at one time. Then
click “download” to begin
Top: The lone Lady Cardinals head into state as the Big Sky
the download process.
District Champions. Back (L-R): Head Coach Mike G ar
-See LIBRARY TEL 'H/PAGE
rett, Asst. Dale Holland, Asst. Diana McElligott, Charlette
SEVEN
Burghard, Lacey Thompson, Dominka Senkerikova, Jaque-
linc Juarez, Emily Holland and Manager Shannon Metcalfe.
Center (L-K): Makenna Kamos, Stacee Halvorsen and Mary
Kietmann. Front (L-K): JoAnna Patton, Jasmine Verduzco
and Shadow Kendrick. Bottom: The Cardinals battled through
districts to take the number-three seed heading into state. Back
(L-K): Evan Kietmann, Steven Holland, Bailey Haguewood,
Micah Stillman, Adam Collin, Kirk Haguewood, Omar Juarez,
August Peterson and Joseph Doherty. Front (L-R) Lucas
Jobes, Zac Orem, Joel Stillman and Kaleb Duniler. -Photos
by Paula Emmel.
-See Pages FOUR and FIVE fo r fu ll story.
County Court
agrees with lone
wind farm permit
Denies neighbor s appeal o f
52-tower facility at Ella Butte
By David Sykes
The Morrow Coun
ty Court upheld the issuing
of a permit for a 52-tower
wind farm near lone, ap
proved earlier by the county
planning commission.
On a unanimous
vote, the court found no
justification to deny the
permit over the objections
of James Jepsen. a nearby
home and business owner,
who said that building the
wind farm would cause
medical problems and loss
of business, would lower
property values and ruin
his view, impact wildlife
and cause harmful noise.
In addition, Jepsen said
the county did not follow
proper procedure in notify
ing people of the original
planning commission hear
ing siting the wind farm.
The county court
discussed Jepsen’s reasons
for the appeal for about one
hour, then ruled it could find
no evidence to support any
of the claims, and voted to
unanimously to deny the
request. Approximately 25
people were in attendance
at the hearing, which was
held in Boardman.
Jepsen hired A t
torney Charles Gillis of La
Grande, who presented a
cover letter and evidence
to the court that he said
supported Jepsen’s claims;
however, the court decided
not to accept any addi
tional evidence and ruled
MCSD receives 2011
unqualified audit
By April Sykes
The Morrow Coun
ty School District Board
has received the district’s
2011 audit, which shows
net assets o f $6,437,037
for the year ending June 30.
up from $5,493,988 in net
assets for the period end
ing June 30 of the previous
year.
The district's audi
tors, the Oster Professional
Group, LLC, gave the dis
trict an unqualified opinion,
which means they believe
that the district gave a true
and fair view of its financial
-See WIND FARM APPEAL/
PAGE THREE matters.
will be held
M a y 16
with gener-
at elections
November
5.
Kandy Boyd
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
i
-See WIND JOBS/PAGE
EIGHT
lone boys, girls
head to state
Boyd files for commissioner
Kandy Boyd, cur-
rent Morrow County Deputy
Clerk, announced this week
that she has filed to run as a
Democratic Party candidate
for Morrow County Com-
wind-tower technician who
works in the area and was at
the meeting said, depending
on experience and training,
the jobs can range from
$40,000 up to $100,000
per year.
O'Connell said'Hie
Columbia Gorge Commu
nity College in The Dalles
offers a two-year Renew
able Energy Technology
Training degree, and that
he has talked to BMCC but
they are not able to set up a
i
MCSD Superi n
tendent Dirk Dirksen said,
however, that Oster recom
mended that the district
make changes with the As
sociated Student Body fund
in using tickets at games
and events to keep better
track of monies generated
from these events and. ad
ditionally, that the district
segregate accounting duties
as a way to create more
oversight.
In answer to the
recommendation for segre
gation of duties, the district
S e t ML SD A UDIT PAGE
SIX