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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 2015)
HEPPNER 50¢ Winter warm trend to continue into February The unusually warm winter is expected to con- tinue, according to the Na- tional Weather Service in Pendleton. According to prelimi- nary data received by NWS Pendleton, temperatures at Heppner averaged slightly warmer than normal during the month of January. The average temperature was 36.9 degrees, which was 1.7 degrees above normal. High temperatures aver- aged 44.9 degrees, which was 1.3 degrees above nor- mal. The highest was 68 th Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon degrees on the 25 . Low G T azette imes VOL. 134 NO. 5 10 Pages Wednesday, February 4, 2015 Remembrance walk/5k run to benefit South Morrow fire, ambulance Participants at last year’s Friend Helping Friends Remem- brance Walk in Heppner. –File photo By Andrea Di Salvo Bob Nairns has spent much of his adult life driv- ing and caring for the roads of Morrow County, but that will end—at least in an of- ficial capacity—this Thurs- day. Feb. 5 will be Nairns’s last day as Assistant Public Works Director for Morrow County. Nairns, 53, has spent 34 years working for Morrow County Public Works. His responsibilities now include three county parks, two garbage transfer stations outside Boardman and Lex- ington, and the Lexington airport. However, the bulk of his work, and his greatest love, is working with the road crew to maintain the county roads. That may be because that’s where Nairns started his long relationship with Morrow County. Born in Springfield, OR and raised in Bend, OR from the age of two, Nairns was a member of the first graduating class from Mountain View High School in Bend in 1980. He didn’t envision a career in public works. Rather, he took the U.S. Air Force entrance exam right out of high school, but then decided to take the summer and think over the decision. When his father took the More vehicle thefts in Heppner City warns citizens to be vigilant Increase in area thefts means residents should be on guard A recent increase in illegal activities in our com- munity prompts a reminder from the City of Heppner to its citizens to guard their valuables. There are several ways to secure homes and ve- hicles against theft: -secure all property, -lock doors, -park vehicles in front of trailers, -lock trailer hitches, -do not leave keys in vehicles, -lock vehicles, and -do not post on Face- book or other social media outlets that you are out of town. The City of Heppner also encourages residents to watch out for their neigh- bors and report any sus- picious activities to the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office immediately, 541- 676-5317. While this warning comes from the City of Heppner, where several of the thefts have occurred, the concern is not limited to Heppner. An increase in thefts has been noted throughout Morrow and Umatilla counties. These thefts appear to be targeted and not random. So please: Report any sus- picious activities, people or vehicles immediately to the police by called the MCSO at the number above or dial- ing 911. Be on the lookout for flying boots this March in Heppner The boots are set to fly at the annual “Welly Toss” during the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Saturday, March 14. Local and visi- tors are invited to get their teams entered and, if pre- ferred, come by and throw as individuals. Children are invited, as well. As in years past, the event will be held on Wil- Right: The Golden Boot award. -File photo low Street between Mur- ray’s Drug and The Artisan Village. Team play begins at 10 a.m. and continues un- til 12 p.m. (noon). Teams are invited to come when they can; the Welly crew -See FLYING BOOTS/PAGE FOUR -See WARM WINTER CON- TINUES/PAGE SEVEN Not the end of the road, but a crossroad, for retiring Public Works employee Fire Chief and Emergency Medical Services Coordina- tor for the EMT association, said the two entities have not finalized plans for the funds but do have a few things on their wish lists. “It’s gonna be kind of ‘wait and see,’ except, for the fire department, we are looking at some hand-held gas meters,” said Estes. Estes said the gas me- ters detect different kinds of gases when firefighters go into fires. The meters have Heppner man Seth Mo- ses reported last Thurs- day that a 24-foot ATV trailer was stolen from his property on NE Center Street in Heppner some time Wednesday night. Ac- cording to Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, the trailer did not contain any ATVs. An MCSO representative says the case in under inves- tigation but was unable to reveal whether police have any suspects in the incident. The theft comes about a week after the reported theft of a trailer and ATVs be- longing to MCSO Deputy John Bowles. That incident is still under investigation by MCSO. high temperature stayed below 32 degrees. Precipitation totaled 0.47 inches during Janu- ary, which was one inch below normal. Measurable precipitation of at least .01 Nairns retires from county after 34 years Coordinators of the annual Remembrance Walk/5K Run have an- nounced that this year’s proceeds will be divided between the Heppner Vol- unteer Fire Department and the South Morrow EMT Association. In the spirit of keeping donations local and benefit- ting local healthcare and the elderly, Friends Help- ing Friends has decided to give event proceeds to the two local emergency orga- nizations to use as they see fit. Rusty Estes, Heppner -See REMEMBRANCE WALK/PAGE FOUR temperatures averaged 28.9 degrees, which was 2.1 degrees above normal. The lowest was five degrees, on the 1 st . There were 23 days with the low temperature below 32 degrees. There were two days when the job as Heppner postmaster that year, Nairns followed and took a job as a summer employee with the county, “patching potholes and helping out the road crews.” “Just before my sum- mer employment was up, a heavy equipment operator quit,” recalls Nairns. “So, a job opened up and I took the job.” He started as a light equipment operator… though, to road crews, that meant working “light” equipment like dump trucks and backhoes. He spent a couple of years doing that before moving into the maintenance and repair shop, where he eventually became shop foreman. Af- ter eight years as shop fore- man, he moved to his cur- rent job in 2000, where he has spent nearly 15 years. “It’s been a good place to work, Morrow County has. They’ve treated me well. I’ve enjoyed working for them,” says Nairns. Aside from his relation- ship with the county, Nairns began another long-term relationship in 1980, when he met his future wife, George. The couple mar- ried in 1984 and have two children and two grandchil- dren. Son Kiel Nairns lives in The Dalles and works as Retiring Morrow County Assistant Public Works Director Bob Nairns stands next to his pickup, where he spent much of his time in the last 34 years overseeing the roads and other county properties. –Photo by Andrea Di Salvo a crew boss for the Oregon Dept. of Forestry. Daughter Krystal Seitz is currently finishing up an internship in occupational therapy in Cheney, WA. After so much time working for Morrow Coun- ty, Nairns says he has mixed feeling about retirement. “It’s both good and bad. I will miss working on the roads, keeping them in the best shape we can. I’ll miss the camaraderie of the daily interaction with the crew… but it will be nice to stay home when it’s snowing and blowing sideways and below zero,” says Nairns. “The best part will be that I get to spend more time with my grandkids.” Nairns says he isn’t ready to retire, per se, but ready for a change. “Thirty-four years is long enough,” says Nairns. “I’m going into the second phase of my career. Not sure what it is yet, but I’ll figure it out.” His immediate plans in- clude work on their house, resuming an old golfing habit, fishing, traveling, and general rest and relaxation. “For a little while,” he adds. “Then I’ll prob- ably get bored and look for something to do.” Road bowling returns to St. Pat’s weekend Heppner’s Irish Road Bowling will draw the St Patrick’s Day weekend celebration to a close on Sunday, March 15. Par- ticipants in this event will gather on Sunday afternoon before the 1:37 p.m. activity commences. This Irish sport that dates back to the 1600s was played in America by the Irish troops in West Virginia during the Civil War. In recent years, a resurgence of interest in the sport has developed in both Ireland and the United States. Hep- pner’s event has gained popularity since it was first offered in 2006, and entries are limited (maximum of 20 teams), so interested per- sons should pick up entry forms at the Chamber of Commerce office and return them (with payment) soon. Teams of two to four members compete over a course of approximately one mile by tossing the iron-and-steel “bowls,” A participant in last year’s road bowling launches the “bowl” down Balm Fork Road outside of Heppner. -File photo which weigh 28 ounces and are slightly smaller than a tennis ball. The team that completes the course with the fewest tosses wins. Each participant must pay $5 to play. The purse is then divided, with half go- ing into the St. Patrick’s Weekend fund and half be- ing divided among the top three teams. Names of the winning team’s members will be added to the trophy. The starting point of the course will be on Balm Fork Road. Spectators are welcome at the event but are cautioned to remain a safe distance from the ac- tion because the bowls are heavy and have been known to break bones. Sign up early to guaran- tee a spot in the event. Pick up forms at the chamber of- fice or call 541-676-5536 to have one emailed or mailed. VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL! 20% off M ontana S ilver J ewelry Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed 242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)