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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2015)
HEPPNER G T 50¢ azette imes VOL. 134 NO. 14 8 Pages Wednesday, April 8, 2015 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon March 2015 tied for warmest on record If March seemed warm, it was; March 2015 tied with March 1934 for the warmest March on record at 49.4 degrees, accord- ing to preliminary data received by NOAA’s Na- tional Weather Service in Pendleton. In fact, temperatures at Heppner averaged much warmer than normal during the month of March. The average temperature was 49.4 degrees, which was 5.2 degrees above normal. High temperatures averaged 61.4 degrees, which was 6.5 degrees above normal. The highest was 75 degrees on There is no registration fee for the MS Walk. Event coordinators say donations of any amount are welcome, as those funds will help support the continuing fight against MS. Participants raising $100 per person or more can earn prizes for outstanding fundraising, starting with a T-shirt prize at the $100 level, while sup- plies last. Anyone who is unable to attend the day of the scheduled walk can still help the cause by register- ing as a virtual walker and walking on a lunch break, walking to and from work, or walking with a group of walkers on another day to raise funds. All Eastern Oregon residents are invited to join the walk, the goal of which is to “create a world free of MS (multiple sclerosis).” 2013 MS Walk participants Vicki Rayburn (left) and Beth Dickenson (pushing children Kameron and Kody) keep it light while walking for a good cause. This year’s event is planned for April 25 at 10 a.m. -File photo MS Walk posters, with registration information, will be located in local busi- nesses. Contact Heppner water year precipitation at Heppner has been 6.32 inches, which is 1.85 inches below normal. The highest wind gust was 48 mph, which oc- curred on the 23 rd . The outlook for April from NOAA’s Climate Pre- diction Center calls for near-normal temperatures and near-normal precipita- tion. Normal highs for Hep- pner rise from 59 degrees at the start of April to 64 degrees at the end of April. Normal lows rise from 36 degrees to 40 degrees. The 30-year normal precipita- tion is 1.51 inches. Rep. Smith brings state budget committee to District 57 Get ready for Walk MS Heppner is getting ready for its 17 th year of sponsoring the Eastern Or- egon MS Walk, planned for Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. The registration/check- in will begin at 9 a.m. at All Saint’s Episcopal Church, 460 N Gale Street, Heppner. The walk will start at 10 a.m. with brunch and door prizes to follow after the walk. The well-marked 5K route is wheelchair acces- sible. This year’s event will also feature a 5K run, and a marked 10K walk is also available. There will be 5K and 10K route maps avail- able the day of the walk. Pre-registration is ap- preciated, and there is still time to pre-register at www. walkMSoregon.com or by phone at 503-445-8342. However, walk-ons are also welcome. the 11 th . Low temperatures averaged 37.5 degrees, which was 4 degrees above normal. The lowest was 24 degrees, on the first. There were five days with the low temperature below 32 degrees. Precipitation totaled one inch during March, which was 0.52 inches be- low normal. Measurable precipitation of at least .01 inch was received on eight days with the heaviest, 0.27 inches, reported on the 23 rd . Precipitation this year has reached 2.28 inches, which is 1.83 inches below normal. Since October, the MS Walk co-chairs Merilee McDowell, 541-571-5853, or Barb Orwick, 541-256- 0455, with questions. SALEM—State Rep. Greg Smith (R-Heppner) is bringing the Joint Ways and Means Committee to District 57 this Saturday, April 11. The committee will be holding a public hearing at the SAGE Center located at the Port of Morrow in Boardman at noon. This event provides the public with an oppor- tunity to submit testimony and input to the committee members regarding budget priorities. For more information on the public hearing, con- tact the office of Rep. Smith at 503-986-1457 or rep. gregsmith@state.or.us. Membership of the Joint Ways and Means Com- mittee includes: Rep. Peter Buckley, Co-Chair; Rep. Nancy Nathanson, Co-Vice Chair; Rep. Greg Smith, Co-Vice Chair; Rep. David Gomberg; Rep. John Huff- man; Rep. Betty Komp; Rep. Mike McLane, House Republican Leader; Rep. Dan Rayfield; Rep. Tobias Read; Rep. Gene Whisnant; Rep. Gail Whitsett; Rep. Jennifer Williamson; Sen. Richard Devlin, Co-Chair; Sen. Betsy Johnson, Co- Vice Chair; Sen. Jackie Winters, Co-Vice Chair; Sen. Fred Girod; Sen. Bill Hansell; Sen. Rod Monroe; Sen. Arnie Roblan; Sen. Chip Shields; Sen. Eliza- beth Steiner Hayward; Sen. Chuck Thomsen; and Sen. Doug Whitsett. ‘Dryland’ screens in inaugural Pendleton Real West Festival Bunny sightings... Those who missed the SAGE Center screening of “Dryland” will have another shot at watching the docu- mentary in Pendleton next week. “Dryland” has been billed as “an intimate portrait of rural America in transition, through the eyes of a young man pursuing his dream and a town fighting to survive.” The 62-minute film will screen in Pendleton on Sat- urday, April 18, at 3 p.m. at the Pendleton Elks Lodge 288, 14 SE 3rd St. as part of the inaugural Pendleton Real West Festival. The festival is intended to highlight Northwest filmmakers and musicians, classic Western cinema, and Western culture. Tickets are now available. Anti-bullying expert visits Morrow County Unlike most superheroes, it seems the Easter Bunny can appear in two places at once. Upper left: The Easter Bunny stops for a photo op with Brian Lindsay, 10, and Catherine Lindsay, 4, at the egg hunt in Heppner last Saturday. Meanwhile, a bunny sighting also occured in Ione (upper right) at the same time that day. -Contributed photos BMCC plans meetings to inform public of bond details PENDLETON, Ore.— Blue Mountain Community College will host a series of community meetings this month to inform the public of the projects included in bond measure 30-106, which will appear on the May 19 election ballot. The approximately $23 million bond would cost taxpayers around 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The meetings are open to the public and will last ap- proximately one hour. A Morrow County meeting is scheduled for Boardman on Friday, April 24, at noon at the BMCC Boardman Center, 300 NE Front Street. The meeting will include a light lunch. Each meeting will in- clude the viewing of an in- formational video, followed fort to inform the commu- by a short presentation. The nity about the bond. public will also have an op- If approved by voters, portunity to ask questions. the bond would fund the Since BMCC failed to renovation of the agricul- pass a bond in November ture facility in Pendleton, 2013, officials have gath- construct a precision irri- ered community feedback, gated agriculture program reevaluated projects, and in Hermiston in partnership decreased costs in an ef- with the OSU Experiment fort to put together a bond Station, and build a work- package based on commu- force training and early nity, and regional indus- learning center in Board- try and economic needs. man in partnership with the Since early March, BMCC Port of Morrow. In addition, administrators have pre- the bond would address sented bond information heating, cooling and electri- to numerous city councils, cal inefficiencies in BMCC school boards, civic clubs facilities, make safety and and service organizations security upgrades, and fund throughout Umatilla and the purchase of instruction- Morrow counties in an ef- al equipment for programs ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. including nursing, dental assisting, diesel technolo- gies and EMS. For anyone who cannot attend one of the meet- ings, information regard- ing the bond—including the video—is available on the BMCC website, www.bluecc.edu. Questions can be sent to bondinfo@ bluecc.edu. Stan Davis of “Stop Bullying Now” (pictured above at the SAGE Center in Boardman) spent the week in Morrow County with school professionals and community members. He capped off the week with a full-day presentation at the SAGE Cen- ter. Funding from Morrow County LCAC (local community advisory council), Ione School District and Morrow County School District made Davis’s visit possible. –Contributed photo Have a news story or photo for the Gazette? Email to: editor@rapidserve.net Rebates up to $ 1000 pLus financing as Low as 2.99% oac saLes event now thRu apRiL 30th Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 For farm equipment, visit our web site at www.mcgg.net
