HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 134
NO. 3
8 Pages
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Four arrested in Irrigon
storage break-in
On the evening of Jan. 38, and Sheri Leigh May,
10, Morrow County Sher- 33, inside one of the RVs.
iff’s Office deputies noticed Weatherford was arrested
something suspicious near on charges of Criminal
Irrigon Mini Stor-
Trespass II, Crimi-
age.
nal Mischief I and
According to
II, and Burglary II.
information from
May was ar-
Mo r r o w County
rested on charges of
Sheriff Ken Mat-
Criminal Trespass
lack, it was around
II, Criminal
6 : 3 0 p . m . t h a t N o a h D a l e y Mischief I
evening when the Weatherford and II, Bur-
deputies noticed a
glary II,
suspicious vehicle near the Supplying Contra-
Irrigon business on Hwy. band, and Posses-
730. Further investigation sion of a Controlled
by MCSO deputies and Or- Substance – Meth- Sheri
May
egon State Police revealed amphetamine.
that the security fence had
Both suspects
been cut and someone had were lodged at Umatilla
entered the RV storage area County Jail with bail set at
and forced entry into not $40,000.
one, but nine recreational
In addition, police ar-
vehicles.
rested Truman Loyd Cham-
Investigators found berlain, 18, of Silver Lake
Noah Daley Weatherford, on charges of Criminal
Trespass II, Criminal Mis-
chief I and II, Possession
of Burglary Tools and Bur-
glary II. Chamberlain was
lodged in Umatilla County
Jail with bail also set at
$40,000.
Cylie Laylani Hepton,
22, of Hermiston was ar-
rested and lodged at Uma-
tilla County Jail on
charges of Criminal
Trespass II, Crimi-
nal Mischief I and II,
Possession of Bur-
glary Tools, Posses-
sion of a Controlled
Leigh Substance – Meth-
amphetamine, and
False Information
to a Police Officer. Bail was
set at $162,000.
Weatherford and May
are both scheduled for pre-
trial hearings Jan. 29. In-
vestigation in the case is
ongoing.
International children’s
choir, His Little Feet, to
perform in Heppner and Ione
His Little Feet Inter-
national Children’s Choir
will hold two local perfor-
mances over Valentine’s
Day weekend in February.
The choir will present at
Saint Patrick’s Parish Hall,
525 North Gale St. in Hep-
pner, on Feb. 15 at 6 p.m.
His Little Feet will then
perform in the Ione Com-
munity School cafeteria,
445 Spring St. in Ione, on
Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. Both
events are free and open to
the public.
For those interested in
helping with these events,
five host families are need-
ed to take in two children
and one chaperone each.
Contact Leanne Lindsay at
541-989-8478 or 541-379-
6331, or lindsal@eou.edu
for more information.
The choir children,
ages six to 13, are or-
phaned and rescued from
countries including India,
Ethiopia and Haiti. While
the children are a part of
the choir, they participate
in His Little Feet’s nation-
wide “Light Your World”
International Children’s
Choir Tour. Coordinators
say this energetic, culturally
unique, Gospel-centered
presentation brings atten-
tion to the plight of millions
of orphaned and vulnerable
children living in the world
today, and offers opportuni-
ties for people to respond
and make a difference.
At each choir presen-
tation, guests are asked
to consider how they can
personally reach children
in need in practical ways.
His Little Feet’s nation-
wide campaign encourages
people to get involved in
at least one of four ways:
Give. Sponsor. Go. Adopt.
Attendees can take action
on each of those opportu-
nities at all His Little Feet
choir tour events and by vis-
iting www.hislittlefeet.org.
Founded by Michael
and Christa Hahn in 2009,
His Little Feet is a non-
profit organization that ex-
ists to help, love and train
orphaned and vulnerable
children worldwide. In late
2010, the Colorado-based
Hahns boarded a plane with
some of the first Haitian
children legally released
by the Haitian and U.S.
governments since the af-
termath of the January 2010
earthquake in Haiti. These
children comprised the first
His Little Feet Children’s
Choir, which presented
in more than 50 churches
throughout 18 States, coast
to coast, on the 2010-2011
His Little Feet Tour, im-
pacting the lives of thou-
sands of children in need
worldwide.
Since then, children
from China, Ethiopia, Haiti,
Honduras, India, the United
States and South Korea
have participated in the
choir, which has toured in
more than 35 states.
The hope is that these
children will someday be-
come Christian leaders,
making a positive impact
in their communities. Each
of the children has a dream.
Some dream to become
teachers, doctors, pastors
and political leaders. The
experience and training
they receive as a part of
the His Little Feet tour can
enable them to make these
dreams a reality. Their med-
ical needs are being met and
they attend the His Little
Feet Life Training Acad-
emy, where they are taught
academics, performing arts
and valuable life skills.
To donate to His Little
Feet or to learn more, visit
www.hislittlefeet.org or call
1-866-252-3988.
Cabin Fever show in Ione on
Sunday
John Wambeke and
friends will be putting on
a variety show filled with
music and comedy this
coming Sunday afternoon,
Jan. 25, at 3 p.m. at the Ione
Legion Hall.
The show will feature
a number of local guests,
including the Ione Pep
Band, Joe Lindsay, Luke
Basile and Eric Jepsen. A
catered Dutch-oven dessert
is included in the program.
Tickets are $15 each and
can be purchased in ad-
vance at either the Heppner
or Ione branch of the Bank
of Eastern Oregon.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Heppner holds Town &
Country awards
Heppner Chamber of
Commerce held its annual
Town and Country Com-
munity Awards last Thurs-
day, Jan. 18, at the Mor-
row County Fairgrounds in
Heppner. The gala, spon-
sored by Portland Gen-
eral Electric and themed
“Hooray for Heppner and
All That Jazz,” attracted a
large crowd that gathered to
celebrate local heroes and
community icons.
The evening began
with a photo presentation
designed by Dale Bates
and Sandy Matthews. Din-
ner catered by Cornerstone
Gallery was followed by
a welcome speech by Ken
Grieb and the coronation of
2015 Morrow County Fair
and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo
Queen Macy Gibbs.
The highlight of the
evening, however, was the
award ceremony for out-
standing community mem-
bers. The following awards
were given out:
Youth Recognition,
Maddie Lindsay; Citizen-
Educator of the Year, Petra
Payne; Man of the Year,
Jerry Healy; Woman of the
Year, Judy Healy; Business
of the Year, Wheatland
Insurance; and Lifetime
Achievement Award, How-
ard Bryant.
Youth Recognition
“One of the great plea-
sures about being an edu-
cator is watching a student
grow and mature not only as
a student but as a person,”
said Petra Payne when pre-
senting the Youth Recog-
nition award to Maddie
Lindsay. “I have had the
distinct pleasure of working
with this young lady; I have
been amazed at how far she
has come as a leader.”
Lindsay, a senior at
Heppner High School, is
active both academically
and in sports. She has par-
ticipated in three sports all
four years of high school
but has also clocked numer-
ous hours of service in the
community, including play-
ing Bingo at the assisted
living facility, helping with
canned food drives, orga-
nizing a blood drive and
volunteering at the Neigh-
borhood Center. Lindsay
also participates in student
council and the National
Honor Society.
“She has learned the
importance of being a lead-
er and giving back to her
community,” concluded
Payne. “This student loves
Heppner and HHS; she
exemplifies qualities that a
high school senior should
strive to have.”
Citizen Educator
Aside from present-
ing the Youth Recogni-
tion award, Heppner High
School teacher and coach
Petra Payne took the stage
for a second time during the
evening when HHS Head
Teacher Greg Grant handed
her the Citizen-Educator of
the Year award.
Grant credited Payne
with accomplishing “many
things as a teacher, coach,
role model and citizen.”
Aside from her ongoing
roles as Spanish teacher and
softball coach, Payne has
led a group of students to
Mexico, and recently took
on the role of senior tran-
sitions teacher, helping to
prepare seniors for college
and a career.
“She is selfless and
Past queen Kristen Powell crowns 2015 Morrow County Fair
and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Queen Macy Gibbs. -Photo by
David Sykes
fully engaged when in-
teracting with students,”
wrote fellow teacher John
Flaherty. “She challenges
them to challenge them-
selves. She earns our stu-
dents’ respect not through
gimmicks, or trying to be
their friend, but because
they sense her sincerity,
leadership and integrity.”
Man of the Year
“I swear he gets up in
the morning with the idea
that, ‘I’m going to go out
there today and help some-
body,’” said presenter Pat
Sweeney of Man of the Year
recipient Jerry Healy. “He is
always willing to help his
neighbors or the commu-
nity…and always quietly
and without recognition.”
Among the merits that
earned Healy his nomina-
tion for Man of the Year
were volunteering as an
ambulance driver, working
to help the elderly, seeking
economic growth for the
community through work
with the Port of Morrow
and Inland Development
Boards, and helping with
Willow Creek Park District,
all apart from managing
Columbia Basin Electric for
many years.
“Jerry, I hope you keep
doing what you do best, and
this award tonight is proof
of how much you’re ap-
preciated for what you do,”
concluded Sweeney.
Woman of the Year
“She’s involved. She
works hard; sleeps little.”
That was how Rhonda
Winters introduced Woman
of the Year Judy Healy.
Those descriptions seemed
to play out in Healy’s list of
volunteer activities, which
included the rodeo board;
various St. Patrick’s Cel-
ebration events including
the motocross and Irish
smoker; Heppner booster
club; Colt, Pony and Mus-
tang sports; and Lexington
Grange…all in addition to
working full time.
While Healy is a moth-
er and grandmother in her
own right, Winters also
praised Healy’s involve-
ment with other children in
the community.
“Many of our chil-
dren have been helped and
looked after by this won-
derful woman,” finished
Winters. “Any community
would be blessed to have
her, but we are the lucky
ones!”
Business of the Year
This year’s recipient
of the Business of the Year
award was Wheatland In-
surance, owned and man-
aged by Nancy Snider. The
business was selected both
for the leadership exhibited
by Snider and the commu-
nity involvement of Wheat-
land’s employees. Snider
and her em-
ployees are
involved
in FFA, lo-
cal schools,
Relay for
Life, rodeo,
Maddie
H e p p n e r Lindsay
Chamber of
Commerce,
Awana Club
and the Hep-
pner Fire
Department,
among oth-
ers.
Petra Payne
“When
I moved to
Heppner
and was
looking to
switch to a
local insur-
a n c e p r o - Jerry Healy
vider, I was
fortunate to
have been
r e c o m -
mended to
the man-
ager of this
business… Judy Healy
the staff has
been great
to work
with and
they have
always re-
sponded to
m y n e e d s Nancy Snider
any time
a question
came up or
when I have
needed in-
formation,”
Jeff Bailey
read from Howard
one letter of Bryant
nomination.
“My experience doing busi-
ness with them is always
very pleasant, positive and
a lot less stressful than pre-
vious insurance providers.”
Lifetime Achievement
Award
The prestigious Life-
time Achievement Award
went to 96-year-old How-
ard Bryant.
“The Lifetime Achieve-
ment Award is reserved for
members of our town that
show support in a myriad of
ways for an extended period
of time. This year’s recipi-
ent trumps all efforts. This
person has supported all
aspects for decades and de-
cades,” said Heppner City
Manager Kim Cutsforth
when introducing Bryant.
An outstanding high
school athlete himself, Bry-
ant has always supported
local sports, even donating
equipment for students who
couldn’t afford it.
“It is theorized that he
may have attended more
high school sports activi-
ties than any other one in
the history of the school,”
added Cutsforth.
-See TOWN & COUNTRY/
PAGE TWO
Performance
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40lb Bag
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242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)