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Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, October 1, 2014 - THREE
Greenlaws awarded Yard of the Month
It was a great weekend
for the third annual Blue
Mountain Century Scenic
Bikeway ride Sept. 20-21.
Twenty-nine riders from all
over Oregon and Washing
ton, as well as local bicycle
enthusiasts, participated in
the ride this year.
Shery l I Bates, Execu
tive Director for the Hep
pner Chamber of Com
merce, reported that partici
pants had “great weather,
great food, great friends
who returned for another
year and new friends who
will be back to ride our
bikeway again.”
Because the bikeway is
rated difficult and is recom
mended to be ridden in two
days, several support ve
hicles followed the riders,
setting up rest and lunch
stops, making sure the rid
ers had everything they
A meerkat statue keeps watch needed for a successful ride.
and adds a touch of w himsy to
Several out-of-town
the Greenlaws’ yard. -Con participants
raved about
tributed photo
the experience, not only the
scenery but also the warm
welcome they received in
Heppner and Ukiah.
“1 came home Sunday
night feeling so tired/grati-
fied because my weekend
was so full of smiles and
miles and friends! You
rock!” exclaimed partici
pant Beth Whittaker. “1 just
want to come back next
year and bring some friends
to let them experience the
same thing.”
“ Well done, and a
ride through some of the
most beautiful country
anywhere,” added another
rider, David Fritz.
“The Heppner com
munity is lucky to be able
to host these rides, and all
of the riders fell in love
with our community and
the beauty that surrounds
us,” said Bates. “We know
if we can just get them here,
they will come back, it may
be by bike or it may be by
car, but we look forward to
their visit again.”
Greater Eastern Oregon
Development Corporation
(GEODC) will host a meet
ing in Boardman Oct. 21 as
it continues its economic
development planning pro
cess. GEODC is seeking lo
cal input on the draft goals
and strategies for economic
development in the region.
gies for sustainable and
resilient economic growth
and development.
Community meetings
are one of the fundamental
elements of the planning
process. The discussion
will focus on gathering lo
cal input about the strategic
•goals, objective and actions
needed to achieve the goals.
Meetings will be held in
several locations in Octo-
ber, including a meeting at
2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21,
in Boardman at the Port of
Morrow Riverfront Center.
If your organization is
interested in hosting a lo
cal input meeting in your
community or have any
questions about the eco
nomic development plan
ning process, please contact
Judy Moore, GEODC, at
541-612-7142.
Rav and Fran Greenlaw received the Sept. 2014 Yard of the
Month award for their home on Barratt Blvd. -Contributed
photo
By Kay Proctor
The last 2014 Yard of
the Month recognition, for
September, was awarded to
Ray and Fran Greenlaw for
their home at 360 Barratt
Boulevard.
The Greenlaws moved
to Heppner in 1997 for
Ray's employment at Pio
neer Memorial Hospital.
There he did computer
maintenance, from which
he is now retired. Earlier
in his life, he worked 20+
years as a timber faller, and
then returned to school to
study electronics. His work
has taken them from their
native state of Maine to
Arizona, California, Idaho
and Oregon.
Fran w orked for
schools in Heppner for
three years and is retired
now, too. Their 61-year
marriage has blessed them
with four children, eight
grandchildren and 10 great
grandchildren.
A priority for the couple
is spending time with their
family now instead of being
tied down with yard work.
So, when the Greenlaws
moved into their home in
1998, they started working
hard to simplify their yard.
Since the home was
built in 1962, Ray updated
it by installing new siding,
roof, gutters and windows.
He repaired the driveway
and a wood patio and then
built a storage building in
the side yard. A jackham
mer was used whenever
posts were needed because
the basalt bedrock was so
close to the lot's surface.
Some of their work has un
covered bits and pieces of
old cast iron and glass, but
nothing identifiable.
Both Ray and Fran
keep the flower beds sim
ple. Weeds are controlled
early so they do not gain
the upper hand and cause
more work later on. Ray
made some efficient sprin
klers from PVC pipe for
watering. They keep their
lawn fertilized, weeded and
watered so it stays healthy
and weeds do not take over.
Bikeway ride sees
successful third year
frees and shrubs are fertil
ized and watered to keep
fire hazard low. The two
very much enjoy the con
tributions. such as plantings
and cement leaf art, made to
their yard by neighbors. Les
and Janice Paustain. The
Greenlaws' sense of humor
shows with the placement
of two lifelike meerkat
statues among the rocks to
keep watch over their place.
Their hillside home has
a peaceful view of the town,
hills and Willow Creek Val
ley, but the sloped lot made
mowing the lawn difficult
for Fran. So the couple un
dertook a major project to
correct that. They used 12
pallets of large landscape
blocks for terracing along
their lot and back terrace.
That involved digging out a
base and new terrace, laser
leveling, adding steps, ce
menting. moving and plac
ing each of those 90-pound
landscape blocks...more
600 in the front terrace
alone. An original terrace
made of volcanic rocks was
left in place. The two styles
complement each other and
greatly simplified mowing.
Like most homes in
town, deer visit, looking
to graze. By spraying deer
repellent diligently, they
have been able to grow
Golden Delicious apples in
an unfenced area.
Ray volunteers at their
church and likes to “fix
things.” Fran mentions
reading, church and walk
ing as activities, but is mod
est about her snow-skiing
abilities. Others let it be
known that she is an ac
complished skier who has
taught her family the winter
sport. Both enjoy family
time and "helping out” their
kids. Ray and Fran appreci
ate the Willow Creek Water
Park, so great-grandkids are
taken there for swim les
sons during summer visits.
Also for the kids, a path in
the Greenlaws’ side yard
was made of red and gray
pavers in a hopscotch pat
tern to play on.
When asked if they
have any advice for others,
Fran says “...not really,”
but for herself she “...likes
things to be neat. It doesn't’
matter what you do (to your
yard), it will always look
nice if it is neat.”
In keeping with their
gardening style, that is sim
ply and neatly said.
Yard of the Month rec
ognition is sponsored by
the Heppner Volunteers,
MCGG-Green Feed and the
City of Heppner.
Contact Kay Proctor if
you would like to be a part
of the Heppner Volunteers.
A group of bicyclists celebrates conquering one of the bike
way’s toughest obstacles, Franklin Hill. -Contributedphoto
GEODC seeks local input on economic
development goals
Teacher Conference Meals
Weight Room Upgrades
Mustang Golf Flags For Wccc
Volleyball Hitting Equipment
Veteran's Day Celebration
High School Sound System
New Scoreboards
Boys Basketball Summer Camp
Volleyball Summer Camp
Golf Lessons
Fbla District/State Competitions
High School Gym Wall Mats
The Comprehensive
Economic Development
Strategy (CEDS) is a grass
roots level planning effort
that brings together citizens
and business, government
and community interests
to identify the economic
development issues of the
region and develop strate
Mustang Mop Up Meals
Civics Club Writing Festival
Track Equipment
Supplies For New Handrail At Football Stadium
Safety L-Screens For Baseball And Softball
Night Of Excellence At Heppner Jr/Sr High
Supply Paper Products For All Fundraising Meals
State Travel Money For All Teams Who Qualify
New Football Helmets
Classroom Textbooks
HHS Choir/Band State Travel
Tri County Music Festival
w
DR
BOOSTER CLUB DINNER & AUCTION
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4TH HEPPNER ELKS CLUB
DINNER 6 :3 0 AUCTION: 7 :3 0
General admission
for the dinner
$15/person
$65/ family.
VIP Tables $300 each, Includes
6 dinner tickßts,'C\ottles of
LIVE AUCTION
PENNY BOARD
SILENT AUCTION
RAFFLE
A L L N E W S A N D A D V E R T ISE M E N T D E A D L IN E :
M O N D A Y S AT 5:00 P.M.
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