I
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
VOL. 133
NO. 44 8 Pages Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Heppner celebrates Christmas
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
The Reason fo r the Season...
This nativity scene, or creche, in front of the Christian Life Center glows in the twilight as it
celebrates the “Reason for the Season.” For more Christmas inspiration from area churches,
see PAGE SIX; Christmas greetings from local businesses are found on pages FOUR and
FIVE. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo
Lexington declares
council vacancies
The Town of Lexington
has declared three council
vacancies following the
Nov. 4, 2014 general elec
tion.
Lexington was in the
unusual position of having
openings for the mayoral
and all four council posi
tions this election, with
only one candidate, Deona
Siex, running for Lexington
Town Council Position 2.
W hile all the other
council positions received
w rite-in votes, Morrow
C o u n ty C le rk B obbi
Childers says only mayoral
write-in candidate, Arietta
Arnspiger, responded to
accept her election. Since
none of the other write-in
vote winners responded to
accept the council positions
by the Dec. 19 deadline,
those council positions
remain vacant for the time
being.
Lexington City R e
corder Kevin McCabe says
the Town of Lexington is
now seeking letters of inter
est for council positions 1,
3 and 4.
Letters should be ad
dressed to Town ofLexing
ton, PO Box 416, Lexing
ton, OR 97839 and need to
Enoc, Emily and Adrian Sanchez are all smiles after their conversation with Santa at the Hep
pner Chamber of Commerce's annual Celebrate Heppner Christmas event. The festive evening
last Thursday featured food, pictures with Santa, encounters with Scrooge, and numerous prize
drawings sponsored by local businesses. Photo by Megan Putter
CREZ makes grant awards
Commits funds to housing and “Community Enhancement
By David Sykes
The Columbia River
Enterprise Zone (CREZ)
last Friday awarded a total
of $500,0*00 in grant funds
throughout the county, ear
marking half for housing
and the other half for "com
munity enhancement.”
The Willow Creek Val
ley Economic Development
Group (WCVEDG), rep
resenting Heppner, Lex-
ington and lone, received
$100,000 to continue its
popular housing grant pro
gram. Under the program
purchasers o f residential
real estate can receive up
to a $5,000 per purchase.
Boardman also received
$100,000, and Irrigon was
awarded $50,000. Anyone
in South Morrow County
interested in the program
details can contact WC-
$ 100,000 for enhancement.
CREZ disbursed money
from funds received from
various business which
have located or expanded in
the enterprise zone, located
at the Port of Morrow near
Boardman. The money is
collected in lieu of higher
property taxes, a technique
used to entice new business
to locate there.
Local man killed in single car crash
G-T closed for
Christmas, New Year's
The Gazette-Times will be closed Thursday, Dec.
25, and Friday, Dec. 26, for the Christmas holiday. Normal
business hours will resume Monday, Dec. 29.
The Gazette-Times will also be closed Thursday,
Jan. 1, for New Year's Day. Normal business hours will
resume Friday, Jan. 2.
Local man Ryan Bennett was killed when his car crashed into
We wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas this airplane hangar between Bunker Hill Road and the old
Kinzua Mill site. -Photo courtesy o f Oregon State Police
season and New Year.
G-T Trophy Corner
VEDG director Sheryll
Bates at 541-676-5536.
In addition the CREZ
also made $75,000 avail
able to WCVEDG for use in
a new community enhance
ment program. Details of
this program have not yet
been worked out by the
WCVEDG board of direc
tors, but will be announced
later. Irrigon also received
$75,000 and Boardman
”
Oregon State Police investigation into the Sat-
(OSP) is continuing the urday morning car accident
that killed 21 -year-old Ryan
Bennett o f Heppner. The
single vehicle crash oc
curred on Highway 207
between Heppner and Lex
ington.
On D ecem ber 20 at
9:32 a.m., OSP troopers
were dispatched to the sin
gle-vehicle fatality crash on
Highway 207 near milepost
42, between Bunker Hill
Road and the Kinzua Mill
site. According to inves
tigators, Bennett’s 2002
Hyundai Elantra was south
bound on Highway 207
and failed to negotiate a
curve. His vehicle left the
roadway and crashed into
an airplane hangar adjacent
to the highway.
Bennett, who was the
sole occupant in the ve
hicle, died at the scene
from injuries sustained in
the crash.
Investigators believe
that speed was a contribut
ing factor in the crash; seat-
belt use was undetermined.
OSP was assisted at the
scene by Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office. ODOT,
and Heppner Fire Depart
ment.
-See obituary PAGE TWO
American Sniper movie set for
Christmas, January release dates
Healy, 15, of Heppner bagged this cow elk recently in
Bowl. - Contributed photo
ALL NEWS AND
For those who have
been following the progress
o f Heppner native Scott
McEwen and his involve
ment in “American Sniper:
The Most Lethal Sniper
in U.S. History,” there is
a new m ilestone on the
horizon.
The American Sniper
film,, directed by living
legend Clint Eastwood and.
starring Hollywood heavy
hitter Bradley Cooper, will
hit select theaters Christmas
Day, with a general release
Jan. 16. Unfortunately, lo
cal viewers will have to
wait, since that that Jan. 16
release date includes the
aters in Hermiston, Pendle
ton and the Tri-Cities.
Along with Cooper,
the film ’s cast also in
cludes Sienna Miller, Luke
Grimes, Jake McDorman,
Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz,
Navid Negahban and Keir
O'Donnell. Oscar-winning
filmmaker Clint Eastwood
(“ Million Dollar Baby,”
“U nforgiven” ) directed
"American Sniper” from
a screenplay w ritten by
Jason Hall, based on the
book by Chris Kyle, with
McEwen and Jim DeFelice.
The autobiography was a
runaway bestseller, spend
ing 18 weeks on the New
York Times bestseller list,
13 of those at number one.
Last time the Gazette-
Times spoke with McEwen,
he was pleased with the
film’s progress.
“I felt like the filming
was really compelling. I felt
like the storyline and the
points that were getting into
the scenes were amazingly
well done. I’m not a pro
Heppner native Scott McEwen was involved in the making
of the American Sniper movie, which stars Bradley Cooper
(pictured) as Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle. -Contributedphoto
at this by any means, but Carthy of The Hollywood
the scenes felt very, very Reporter wrote, “Starring a
compelling to me,” he said. beefed-up and thoroughly
-See AMERICAN SNIPER
Reviewers in general
MOV1EJPAGE THREE
seem to agree. Todd Mc-
Mcmfmaecoff.
CLOSING AT NOON CHRISTMAS EVE
CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY!
OPEN DECEMBER 26TH & 27TH
CLOSED NEW YEARS DAY
M o r r o w C o u n ty G r a in G r o w e r s G r e e n F e e d A S e e d
242 W. Linden Wiv. Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 imcgo main offlc»