Fireworks and flags
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 134
NO. 24
8 Pages
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Ione held its annual Fourth of July celebration last Saturday. See more photos PAGE FOUR.
-Photo by Andrea Di Salvo
June
Harvest brings low yields so far WCVEDG seeks
warmest
economic input
on record
from OSU specialist
Willow Creek Valley report, WCVEDG also will
locally
Economic Development schedule a community-
July expected
to continue
the hot, dry
trend
June was a hot month,
even by Morrow County
standards, and no relief is
in sight for July, according
to the National Weather
Service out of Pendleton.
The average temper-
ature was 70.5 degrees,
which was 7.8 degrees
above normal. High tem-
peratures averaged 86.2
degrees, which was 9.6
degrees above normal. The
highest was 104 degrees on
the 28 th . Low temperatures
averaged 54.9 degrees,
which was six degrees
above normal. The lowest
was 44 degrees, on the 4 th .
On seven days, the
temperature exceeded 90
degrees. It was at least 100
degrees on three days.
Precipitation totaled
0.01 inches during June,
which was 1.37 inches be-
low normal. Measurable
precipitation of at least .01
inch was received on one
day.
Precipitation this year
has reached 4.38 inches,
which is 4.28 inches below
normal. Since October, the
water year precipitation
at Heppner has been 8.42
inches, which is 4.30 inches
below normal.
The highest wind gust
was 35 mph, which oc-
curred on the 28 th .
The outlook for July
from NOAA’s Climate Pre-
diction Center calls for
above-normal temperatures
and near- to below-normal
precipitation. Normal highs
for Heppner during July are
85.7 degrees and normal
lows are 53.9 degrees. The
30-year normal precipita-
tion is 0.33 inches.
This was the warmest
June on record. The pre-
vious warmest was 68.4
degrees in 1992.
Chelsea Geer, a nine-year Morrow County Grain Growers employee, oversees the dumping of
a grain truck driven by veteran farmer Bob Harrison in the Lexington elevator. Wheat harvest
started in the northern part of the county as early as June 23 and is already underway around
Lexington. MCGG employee Duane Disque says early yields were as low as 12 bushels an acre,
though numbers have improved as harvest moves south, reaching as high as 20 bushels. With
harvest just getting started in the south end, Disque says time will tell what the yields will be
around Lexington and Heppner. –Photo by David Sykes
Gateway Café to open in Heppner
By Andrea Di Salvo
For those who have
been looking for a place to
go for a sit-down dinner on
a Saturday night, the search
may be over this week. The
Gateway Café on Hep-
pner’s Main Street will be-
gin serving dinner Fridays
and Saturdays starting July
10. The Gateway Café will
offer a full menu, as well as
a children’s menu, from 4-8
p.m. those days.
Alvin and Lynda Liu
of Heppner purchased the
empty restaurant several
months ago. This is the
third business the couple
will own and operate in
Heppner; they already run
the Northwestern Motel
and RV Park and the Cor-
nerstone Gallery, which
they said will continue to
serve breakfast, lunch and
espressos. Alvin Liu also
has catered locally for sev-
eral years.
Split into three floor
levels, the restaurant fea-
tures general seating on the
lower levels and a space for
larger gatherings upstairs.
They also have a children’s
play space and a popcorn
machine they plan to use
to offer complimentary
popcorn, “Once we figure
out how to use it,” Lynda
Liu says.
The menu is small but
full service, featuring ap-
petizers like pot stickers
and Buffalo wings, several
salads, desserts, sides and
several entrees. Entrees
range from the $25 ribeye
to an authentic teriyaki
chicken dinner for $10.
Several menu options are
also marked as gluten free.
For now, the restaurant
will only be open for dinner
on Fridays and Saturdays,
though Alvin Liu said he
will take on catering and
private parties other times
during the week. While
the hours of operation are
limited, Alvin Liu stressed
that they will be consistent.
Eventually, they said, they
would like to be open six
days a week and be able to
hire staff. For now, though,
they want to fill a gap they
see in the community.
“(We’re doing this)
for the community,” said
Lynda Liu, adding that
motel guests often ask for
Eastern Oregon speed limit bill
approved by legislature
HB 3402 increases speed limits on select
highways and freeways in Eastern Oregon
Salem, OR–HB 3402,
which raises the speed limit
on select highways and
freeways in eastern Oregon,
received final approval from
the Oregon Legislature last
week. The bill allows for
modest increases in the al-
lowable speed limit for rural
areas on select sections of
highway.
While local highways
will not be affected by the
bill, the speed limit would
be raised to 70 mph for
passenger vehicles on the
section of I-84 between
The Dalles and the Idaho
Group (WCVEDG) has wide meeting in September
asked OSU Exten-
in order for those
sion Economist
who have not par-
Bruce Sorte to visit
ticipated in the dis-
with businesses and
cussions to provide
government agen-
their ideas.
cies in the valley
Bruce’s work is
and suggest two or
being funded in part
three projects that Bruce Sorte
by the OSU Exten-
he thinks will have
sion Service.
significant long-term eco-
Anyone with questions
nomic impacts across our about the project, contact
three communities.
Sheryll Bates at the Hep-
WCVEDG says these pner Chamber of Com-
visits will take about an merce, 541-676-5536, or
hour, and will be informal Sorte, 541-737-1403.
and confidential. Sorte will
Sorte works across Or-
be in the area at different egon, usually staying in
times from July through a travel trailer, wearing
September. He will submit an OSU shirt or hat; indi-
a final report to WCVEDG viduals also are encouraged
in early October.
to visit with him “on the
Before Sorte drafts his street.”
state line.
Rep. Sherrie Sprenger,
a former sheriff’s deputy,
spoke in favor of the bill,
arguing that the portions
of highway impacted by
the bill are so remote and
so infrequently traveled, a
higher speed limit would be
safe and appropriate.
During the House pub-
lic hearing in April, infor-
mation was presented that
showed that automobile
engineering has advanced
to a level that makes a
modest speed increase rea-
sonably safe. The Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion supports the increase
and noted that the current
average speed driven on
Oregon roadways is over
70 mph.
“Many constituents
from across eastern Oregon
have sent emails and made
phone calls in support of
this bill,” said Rep. Greg
Barreto. “I’m proud to have
been a part of this bipartisan
effort to update our speed
limits and improve the qual-
ity of life in Oregon.”
-See SPEED LIMIT IN-
CREASE/PAGE TWO
Lynda and Alvin Liu stand at the front counter of the Gateway
Café, which will open in Heppner this week. Until they are able
to expand and hire more staff, the Lius say customers will be
asked to order food and pay at the front counter. –Photo by
Andrea Di Salvo
a place to eat dinner. “We
have people coming to the
motel all the time and look-
ing for a place to eat, and
there’s nothing open.”
“I want Heppner to
live,” she said.
“We want to fill a need
says they’ve undergone a
series of frustrating delays
in getting the restaurant
back into business.
Setbacks have includ-
ed the expected work of
cleaning, painting, decorat-
ing and getting appliances
working, but also a fire and
a broken pipe that caused
a flood at the motel, and
a disconnected pipe that
flooded the Gateway Cafe
storeroom.
Lynda Liu said they
had just replaced the store-
room flooring to comply
with health standards. “We
lost $500 right there,” she
added. They also had to
shell out nearly $3000 for
new fire extinguisher for
the kitchen, also to comply
with safety regulations.
“We did the best we
could with what we had,”
said Lynda Liu.
Helping along the way
but not compete with what
other people are already do-
ing,” added Alvin Liu.
Locals have been eying
the restaurant space look-
ing for signs of life since
word spread that the Lius -See GATEWAY CAFE/PAGE
TWO
purchased it, but the couple
Boardman man killed in
motorcycle accident
Oregon State Police say
alcohol may have been a
factor in the motorcycle ac-
cident that killed Boardman
man William R. Brooks last
Friday, though investiga-
tion is ongoing.
On July 3 about 11:20
p.m., OSP troopers and
other emergency personnel
responded to the report of
a motorcyclist down at the
I-84/Hwy. 730 interchange
near Boardman.
According to OSP Sgt.
Seth Cooney, a 2002 Har-
ley Davidson operated by
Brooks, 58, had been travel-
ing westbound on Hwy. 730
when he attempted to take
the westbound on-ramp
onto Interstate 84.
Police say preliminary
investigation indicates
Brooks passed the on-ramp
entrance and attempted to
navigate through the medi-
an in an attempt to re-enter
the on-ramp. He apparently
was ejected when his mo-
torcycle struck a culvert. A
passing motorist discovered
Brooks and called 911.
Emergency crews pro-
nounced Brooks dead on
the scene.
OSP was assisted by
Boardman Fire and Am-
bulance, Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office and the Or-
egon Department of Trans-
portation.
NURSERY CLEARANCE
SALE!
ALL SHRUBS, PERENNIALS &TREES
NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!
SAVE BIG - 30% OFF
Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed
242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)