Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 9, 2012)
Sheep killed by wolf in northern Umatilla County I I . L U . U I I .... II>U I Bessie W etzell Newspaper Library Univ ersity o f Oregon Eugene. OR 97403 VOL. 131 N O . 18 10 Pages Wednesday, May 9, 2012 A May 2 in v estig a tion by the Oregon Depart ment of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) confirmed that four penned sheep (two ewes, two lam bs) were killed by a wolf on private Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Mustang golf goes to state land east of Weston, OR in northern Umatilla County. One additional lamb is missing and believed to have been killed by the wolf. The incident occurred in an area not known to be frequented by one of Or egon’s known wolf packs but by two w olves dis covered last August in the northern Mt. Emily wildlife management unit. Based on evidence at the scene, wildlife biologists believe a single wolf was involved in the depredation. This is the first time ODFW has confirmed a w olf kill o f livestock in Umatilla County. The five dead sheep bring the total number of livestock animals killed by wolves in Oregon to 57 since 2009. The last con firmed wolf kill of livestock occurred March 8, 2012. In related news, Oregon State Police (OSP) Fish & Wildlife Division, with the assistance of Oregon De partment of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), is continuing the investigation into the death o f a possible w olf found mid-March in Union Coun ty. Genetic tests to confirm if the animal is a wolf are A range rider monitors cattle and wolf activity in Wallowa County. Range riders like this one are one of several non- lethal methods the ODFW and ranchers have been using to prevent wolf depredation on livestock, with limited results. -Photo by Diana Hunter still to be completed and the ongoing investigation con firmed the death is a crime. OSP is seeking public tips to help solve the case. On March 16, around 8:30 a.m. OSP Fish & Wild life Senior Trooper Kris Da vis received a call regarding the discovery of a possible deceased w olf on private property about six miles north of Cove, OR. Davis and Sergeant Isaac Cyr re sponded and contacted the property owner and person who reported finding the deceased animal to Oregon Department of Fish & Wild life that morning. After taking possession o f the 97-pound animal, OSP took it to a local vet erinarian for x-rays. The initial examination didn’t confirm a cause of death. A necropsy confirmed the cause of death was the re sult of a criminal act. The actual cause is not being released at this time but the investigation indicates the animal had been dead about one week. Plans on track for Heppner’s first Relay For Life The Mustang golf team, made up of students from Heppner and lone, is headed to the state championships after the boys placed first and the girls placed second at district playoffs in Pendleton on Tuesday. The state championship is next week, May 14-15; the boys play at Quail Valley in Banks, OR and the girls play at Eagle Crest in Redmond, OR. Back (L-R): Coach Matt Scrivner, Jesse Boyd, Keenan Helfrecht, Shane Miles, John Propheter, Adam Collin, Jaden Orr, Zach Orem, Kyle Harrison, Earl Propheter, Coach Dale Holland and Coach Greg Grant. Front (L-R): Austin Gutierrez, Paige Grieb, Macy Gibbs, Stacy Halvorsen, Maddie Lindsay, Jordan Peterson, Lauren Garrett, Emily Rea and Luke Jobes. -Contributedphoto City sewer rates rise $2 July 1 The city o f Heppner Mayo has reminded resi will be increasing its base dents. In a news release to sewer rate by $2 per month beginning July 1, Heppner the public DeMayo said City Manager Dave De- the increase from $26.10 to $28.10 is due to “increasing prices for goods and ser vices, fuel and electricity.” Ballots mailed for primary election A ccord in g to M or row County Clerk Bobbi Childers, ballots for the May 15 primary election have been mailed; every registered voter in Mor row County should have received their ballots. Any elector who has not re ceived a ballot and believes they should have should call their local election of fice or go to oregonvotes. org to see why they have not received it. The last day Morrow County will mail requested ballots is May 10, 2012. Remember, ballots are not forwarded. As a reminder, Elec tion Day is Tuesday, May 15. All ballots are due by 8 p.m. that day. Ballots must be received, not simply postmarked, on that day. For voter convenience, 24- hour drop boxes are located throughout the county. Lo cations are as follows: Heppner: Court house parking lot (24 hours) or the M orrow County Clerk’s Office, Room 102 inside the courthouse. Open 8 a.m. to noon and 1-5 p.m., M-F and Election Day (May 15) from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Lexington: 365 West Hwy 74 (Public Works Parking lot). Turn off Hwy. 74 onto Tom Street and left into the public works park ing lot. Open 24 hours. lone: Spring St. (in front of the turn to 3rd Street). Open 24 hours. Boardman: NW Boardman Ave. (24 hours). Irrigon: 205 NE 3rd St. (Irrigon Annex). Open 24 hours. NOAA issues April climate summary for Heppner According to prelimi nary data received by NO- AA’s N ational W eather Service in Pendleton, tem peratures in Heppner aver aged slightly warmer than normal during the month of April. The average tempera ture was 50.3 degrees, which was 1.3 degrees above nor mal. High temperatures av eraged 62.1 degrees, which was 1.2 degrees above nor mal. The highest was 86 degrees on the 24th. Low temperatures averaged 38.5 degrees, which was 1.3 degrees above normal. The lowest was 28 degrees, on the 4th. There were three days > with the low temperature below 32 degrees. • Precipitation totaled 2.95 inches during April, w hich was 1.44 inches above normal. Measurable precipitation of at least .01 inch was received on 14 days, with the heaviest, 1.10 inches, reported on the 24"-. Precipitation this year has reached 6.68 inches, which is 1.06 inches above normal. Since October, the w ater-year precipitation in Heppner has been 8.48 inches, which is 1.20 inches below normal. The outlook for May from NOAA's Climate Pre diction Center calls for near-normal temperatures and near- to below-normal precipitation. Normal highs for Heppner rise from 64 degrees at the start of May to 73 degrees at the end of May. Normal lows rise from 40 degrees to 47 degrees. The 30-year normal pre cipitation is 1.66 inches. This was the fourth wettest April on record. The wettest was 4.65 inches in 1988. The National Weather Service is an office of the National Oceanic and At mospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Com merce Department. If there is any truth to the old saying that “Noth ing succeeds like success,” then the first few months of planning for this summer’s American Cancer Society Heppner Relay For Life bodes well for the event. A c c o r d i n g t.o Becky Sparks, chair of the first annual Heppner Relay For Life, planning for the event is well underway and on track to be ready for the opening ceremonies. The Heppner Relay For Life is set for Saturday and Sun day, June 30-July 1, from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. at the Mor row County Fairgrounds in Heppner. Relay For Life is the American Cancer Soci ety’s signature fundraising event and is comprised of teams made up of friends, family members, cancer survivors, students, co workers and active seniors. Once the teams are regis tered, the members go out into their communities to secure contributions for their efforts. “So far, we have teams representing the en tire com munity, but we know there are many more county residents who would like to get involved,” says Sparks. “All they have to do is call me or one of the other committee members to find out how to register.” The day o f the event, the teams arrive to pitch their campsites. Then, following the opening cer em onies and traditional cancer survivors lap, each team is introduced. The teams are then asked to have one member walking the track throughout the event. When they aren’t walking, team members can usually be found visiting other campsites, participat ing in the variety of games and activities, or enjoying the many food venues. While organizing the Relay For Life is going well. Sparks says there are still a few spots open on the planning committee. She says that volunteering to help plan the Relay takes only a couple hours each month up through the June 30 event. “It’s more fun than work,” she says. “Plus, you get the feeling that you’re working to help fund the research that will one day find a cure for this terrible disease.” The survivorship sub-committee is also look ing to register area cancer survivors to walk the open ing lap of the Relay. Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer is considered to be a survivor. Survivors are not only encouraged to walk the ceremonial first lap of the Relay, but they, along with their caregivers, will be invited to attend a free reception following the lap. Sparks expl ai ns that every dollar raised by the teams is used by the American Cancer Society to continue its funding of research, its legislative ad vocacy, and its many edu cational and patient service programs. To continue that funding, corporate spon sors are being recruited to donate money or in-kind items and services to the event. “Corporate spon sors help fund the infra structure of every Relay,” says Sparks, “ranging from the cost o f securing the site, to the rental o f the tents, recruitment of par ticipants, and buying the hundreds of t-shirts worn by the participants and cancer survivors.” Anyone wishing to form or join a team, sign up as a cancer survivor, care giver, volunteer or corpo rate sponsor, can call Becky Sparks at 541-676-5131. Same driver, new car Resident« on Heppner’s Rural Route I may notice a new car pulling up to their mailboxes. There's no need to be alarmed when the driver starts reaching in mailboxes, though...it's only mail carrier Shari Ober (pictured) in her new, red Ford Festivo. Ober says the car is the same make and model as her old car, just a different year and color. Mail customers were familiar with the sight of the aquamarine Ford hut, after 16 years and 628,000 miles on the route. Ober said it was time to retire her old friend. She bought her new car for only $300. She said one man teased her about the price, saying he spent more on two batteries for his golf cart than she did on her car. At 40 miles to the gallon, though, she's happy with her deal. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo AT M C«« GREEN FEED & SEED IN HEPPNER: Mother's Day Special happy DAY MONTANA SILVER JEWELRY 20% OFF M o th e r 's D a y H a n g in g B ask e ts &C P la n te rs Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed I
