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
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