May’s warm trend expected
to continue into June
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 134
NO. 19
10 Pages
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Crews halt first
major fire of the
season in Morrow
County
By Andrea Di Salvo
A fire that started near
Boardman Monday was
finally contained Tuesday
morning, according to local
officials.
According to the Mor-
row County Sheriff’s Of-
fice, all local agencies re-
sponded to the fire, which
was first reported by Three-
mile Canyon Farms, Board-
man, around 2 p.m. Mon-
day. It originated at a hay-
stack. Some are speculating
that the fire was caused by
lightning but officials say
the exact cause of the fire
is unknown.
MCSO reported that
the fire was mostly con-
tained on the nature con-
servancy (Boardman Grass-
lands), but the flames also
burned along the south side
of the coal-fired plant in
Boardman and across the
U.S. Naval Bombing Range
to Bombing Range Road.
MCSO Sgt. Sarah Smith
said the blaze hit Bombing
Range Road at 5:47 p.m.
Monday and jumped the
road.
“We did have a fire line
holding it, so it didn’t get
very far,” Smith added.
High winds quickly
drove the fire eastward;
firefighters worked well
into the night fighting flare-
ups and back-burning to
keep the blaze contained.
Smith said it flared up again
Tuesday morning, but the
fire was contained and all
units clear as of Tuesday
afternoon.
No structures were ap-
parently threatened, and no
injuries were reported in
connection with the blaze,
which burned primarily
through fields and grass
land. No acreage estimate is
available at this time.
Father arrested for
death of 10-month-
old daughter
Morrow County Dis- However, after an intensive
trict Attorney Justin Nel- investigation involving the
son has announced that Hermiston Police Depart-
the Morrow County Sher- ment, Morrow County
iff’s Office arrested Travis Sheriff’s Office, Pendleton
Michael Martin, 21, of Police Department, Spo-
Irrigon in connec-
kane Police Depart-
tion with the death
ment, and the Uma-
of his 10-month-old
tilla County Sheriff’s
daughter, Savannah
Office, Martin was
Martin.
arrested on charges
The investiga-
of first-degree man-
tion began after Sa-
slaughter, first-de-
vannah was found Travis Michael gree assault, and two
Martin
to be unresponsive
counts of Assault in
in a vehicle in Pendleton the third degree, all Mea-
last Thursday, May 28, sure 11 offenses.
2015. The child’s mother,
(Ballot Measure 11,
KaSandra Martin, took her which passed in November
daughter to St. Anthony 1994, applies mandatory
Hospital in Pendleton.
minimum prison sentences
Based upon the nature to certain crimes against
of the injuries, the child was persons with no possibil-
transported by Life Flight ity for any reduction in
to Sacred Hearts hospital in sentence, such as for good
Spokane, WA; she was pro- behavior.)
nounced deceased later that
Martin was also
afternoon. After a review charged with three counts
of the injuries on the child, of criminal mistreatment in
Spokane Police Department the first degree.
initiated an investigation.
The investigation is
Investigators deter- ongoing. Please contact
mined KaSandra Martin the Morrow County Sheriff
played no role in her daugh- Office with any information
ter’s mistreatment or death. involving this case.
Celebrate Heppner
June 12
Celebrate Heppner Day will be back Friday, June 12.
The event will include the annual local merchant
sidewalk sales and special sales and events going on inside
some businesses, including a mini carnival for kids and a
prize wheel for adults at Community Bank.
The Bank of Eastern Oregon will once again be
sponsoring a customer appreciation community ham-
burger/hot dog barbecue meal from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
in the area between the BEO Heppner branch and their
administrative offices.
The annual farmer’s market will be kicking off its
season at the Heppner City Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A full schedule of events will be out soon.
According to prelimi-
nary data received by NO-
AA’s National Weather
Service in Pendleton, tem-
peratures at Heppner aver-
aged warmer than normal
during the month of May,
a trend that is expected to
continue into the month of
June.
The average temper-
ature was 59.5 degrees,
which was 3.3 degrees
above normal. High tem-
peratures averaged 71.8
degrees, which was 3.1
degrees above normal. The
highest was 90 degrees on
the 30 th . Low temperatures
averaged 47.2 degrees,
which was 3.6 degrees
above normal. The low-
est was 38 degrees, on the
May 5.
Precipitation totaled
1.37 inches during May,
which was 0.29 inches be-
low normal. Measurable
precipitation of at least .01
inch was received on nine
days with the heaviest, 0.63
inches, reported on the 13 th .
Precipitation this year
has reached 4.37 inches,
which is 2.91 inches below
normal. Since October, the
water-year precipitation
at Heppner has been 8.41
inches, which is 2.93 inches
below normal.
The highest wind gust
for May was 46 mph, which
occurred on the 31 st .
The outlook for June
from NOAA’s Climate Pre-
diction Center calls for
above-normal temperatures
and near-normal precipita-
tion. Normal highs for Hep-
pner rise from 73 degrees
at the start of June to 81
degrees at the end of June.
Normal lows rise from 47
degrees to 51 degrees. The
30-year normal precipita-
tion is 1.38 inches.
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Bartholomew building blends old
with the new
By David Sykes
A walk through the
new Morrow County ad-
ministration annex under
construction next to the
existing Courthouse in
Heppner, recently named
the Bartholomew Build-
ing, reveals a beehive of
activity as workmen busy
themselves installing sheet-
rock, insulation and other
finishing work in prepara-
tion for the planned October
completion date.
Construction Superin-
tendent Pat Post of general
contractor WC Construc-
tion, gave a short one-man
tour to the press Monday,
pointing out each of the
rooms and areas of the
new facility. From office
and conference rooms to
public and common areas,
the building is shaping up
to be a first-class facility.
Also, the style of the build-
ing is blending the older
courthouse building with
the new facility.
Stacks of sheetrock
were recently spotted be-
ing brought in. When asked
how much sheetrock it
takes to do the 10,000-plus-
square-foot Bartholomew
Building, named after a
county judge in office dur-
ing the Heppner 1903 flood,
Post just says, “A lot.”
“We will be starting on
the landscaping soon,” says
Morrow County Judge Ter-
ry Tallman, who also says
the building is on schedule
with no major hang-ups
so far. Tallman said the
contractors on the project
are going to get the Future
Farmers of America club
at Heppner High School
involved with the proj-
ect, saying instructor Beth
Dickenson will be able
to use the landscaping as
a “real world classroom
teaching moment.” He said
Westwinds Nursery out
of Hermiston will also be
working on the project.
Workmen have been busy inside the new Bartholomew Building adding sheetrock, electrical,
plumbing and other infrastructure in preparation for the scheduled October completion date.
Studs are all metal in this facility, explains construction superintendent Pat Post. –Photo by
David Sykes
In other developments
Tallman says that, as part of
the project, the county will
be redoing Gilmore Street
behind the courthouse. That
work will be done during
fair and rodeo week. He
says he anticipates minimal
interruption of locals and
trical, plumbing, HVAC
and other infrastructure
have been done and work-
ers have moved on to the
finishing work of putting up
walls, ceilings and flooring.
Post estimates there have
been 10 to 35 workers on
the job at any given time
Columns along the side are just one of the ways the new build-
ing is “blended” into the older existing courthouse. –Photo by
David Sykes
traffic, however.
Back inside the build-
ing, Post points out that
most of the framing, elec-
and, when all is done, 15
to 20 different contractors,
from roofers to electri-
cians to flooring, will have
worked on the buildings.
“It’s a big project,” he
says.
Post’s headquarters is a
trailer out in front of the job
site, where he says every
Monday there is a safety
meeting. He also says all
contractors working on the
job come to the trailer first
and check in. The tables
inside are stacked with
blueprints and paperwork
necessary to do a project
this size.
Tallman also meets
with the contractors every
Tuesday to go over progress
and anticipate any problems
that might come up.
Post says the local
people have been curious
about the new building, but
overall he says everyone
has been very cooperative.
“A lot of people are cu-
rious about that,” Post says,
referring to the distinctive
tower-type construct above
the main entrance.
“We call it the bird
house,” he says with a grin.
Second annual Ruckus in the Boonies
planned for August
After a smashing suc-
cess in its first year, Ruckus
in the Boonies Music Fes-
tival 2015 is now in the
planning stages for the
beginning of August.
“We had a successful
festival last year and are
planning on making it big-
ger and better in 2015,”
says Aaron “Dogbite” Har-
ris, the heart and soul be-
hind the festival’s creation.
This year’s festival will
take place Saturday, Aug.1,
from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. behind
Bucknum’s Tavern in Hep-
pner. The event will feature
two stages and more than 20
touring bands.
Several of the artist
on the docket are high-
profile names. Headlining
the Ruckus this year will be
Roger Alan Wade.
Wade has written songs
for Johnny Cash, Waylon
Jennings, George Jones,
Willie Nelson, Hank Wil-
liams Jr., Karen O. and
a host of others. Sever-
al of Wade’s songs have
appeared in Hollywood
hit movies, as well as on
MTV’s Wildboyz, Nitro
Circus, and Ridiculousness.
Wade’s “Country State
of Mind,” recorded by Hank
Williams Jr., was a number-
one single and garnered
Wade three gold records
and one platinum. Wade
also has appeared on “The
Jimmy Kimmel Show” and
“Howard Stern Show.”
Wade’s albums “Stoned
Traveler,” “Deguello Mo-
tel,” “Southbound Train”
and the legendary “All
Likkered Up” continue to
receive rave reviews and
remain fixtures on alterna-
tive country charts.
“ B y b r i n g i n g M r.
Wade, I believe the festival
will bring a lot more people
from out of town,” Harris
says, adding that he has
heard the motel and the Wil-
low Creek RV Park, located
by the Willow Creek Reser-
voir, are almost completely
booked for both that Friday
and Saturday.
The event is geared
toward all ages, though
there will be a 21-and-older
pre-show July 31 inside
Bucknum’s Tavern. During
the main event, a barricade
will separate minors from
-See RUCKUS IN THE
BOONIES/PAGE FOUR
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