Hot July will probably lead
into a hot August
HEPPNER
50¢
July was hot, hot, hot,
and August promises more
of the same, according to
the National Weather Ser-
vice out of Pendleton.
The average temper-
ature for July was 73.3
degrees, which was 3.5
degrees above normal. High
temperatures averaged 88.4
degrees, which was 2.7
degrees above normal. The
highest was 101 degrees on
July 3.
Low temperatures av-
eraged 58.3 degrees, which
was 4.4 degrees above nor-
mal. The lowest was 47
degrees, on the 22 nd .
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
On 13 days, the temper-
G T
azette
imes
VOL. 134
NO. 29
8 Pages
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
No end is in sight for the unusually hot temperatures across
the region this summer. -File Photo
ature exceeded 90 degrees.
It was at least 100 degrees
-See HOT SUMMER/PAGE
TWO
Wildhorse Public message clear:
BPA to
announces ‘No more forest road closures’
raise rates
P O RT L A N D — T h e
Bonneville
Power Adminis-
Locals unanimous at roundtable meeting with Forest Service
second
tration last week adopted a
By David
sive private 7.1 percent average whole-
quarter
Sykes
holdings in sale power rate increase
The local
the areas said and a 4.4 percent average
people
who
he knows all transmission rate increase
grants
attended a
too well the
County groups
receive nearly
$40,000 in
grants
Pendleton—The Wild-
horse Foundation, a com-
munity benefit fund estab-
lished by the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla In-
dian Reservation (CTUIR)
to support organizations in
northeastern Oregon and
southeastern Washington,
has announced the awards
for the second quarter of
2015. Among the award
recipients are several local
organization that received
a combined of $39,350. A
total of $222,194.45 was
awarded to 28 recipients,
bringing the total for 2015
to almost $414,000.
A number of large
grants were given this quar-
ter. The Ione School District
was granted $20,000 for its
school-based health clinic
in cooperation with Mor-
row County Health Dis-
trict. The school district is
remodeling a home next to
the school, which will serve
as a clinic for students, staff
and community members,
according to the grant appli-
cation. The application also
states that mental health,
physical health and dental
health will be offered at
the clinic.
Other grants included
$10,000 to Heppner Day
Care for a playground proj-
ect, $8,000 to the Irrigon
Chamber of Commerce
for a new visitor’s center,
$1,350 to Morrow Soil and
Water Conservation District
for a comprehensive aerial
sensing and surveying pro-
gram, and $10,000 to the
Oregon Museum of Sci-
ence and Industry (OMSI)
to allow the museum to
bring many of its exhibits to
elementary school children
in Morrow, Umatilla, Union
and Wallowa counties.
More than 1,500 local
and regional non-profits
have benefited from over
the $8.4 million given by
the Foundation since its
inception. In 2014, almost
$935,000 was distributed
to 162 organizations.
The Wildhorse Founda-
tion will consider award-
ing grants to applications
that cover the areas of
public health and safety,
education, the arts, historic
preservation, gambling ad-
diction services, salmon
restoration, environmental
protection, and cultural
activities.
Quarterly deadlines for
requests are Jan. 1, April 1,
July 1 and Oct. 1. For more
information, visit www.
wildhorseresort.com or call
Tiah DeGrofft at 541-966-
1628.
recent round-
difference be-
table meeting
tween private
in Heppner
and public
with Forest
management
Service of-
of the forest.
ficials made
“Since
it perfectly
the Forest
clear: they
Service cut
don’t wa nt
off all log-
any more
ging there is
road closures
less sunlight
in the Uma-
reaching the
tilla National
land and less
Forest.
forage on the
About a
forest floor.”
dozen people
He said this
showed up at
is causing
the July 23
game, espe-
meeting at the Members of the public sit in a roundtable discussion with officials of the U.S. Forest Service cially elk, to
fairgrounds, recently in Ukiah. A similar roundtable was held July 23 in Heppner. –Photo by Karen Roganov migrate over
where every-
to private
one sat in a circle and talked rancher Jack Southworth public ground. A shift of elk land. “None of us gets ev-
with Forest Service officials of Seneca to facilitate the from public to private lands erything, but we all get
is causing fewer elk for the something. We need to use
about access, grazing, hunt- meetings.
And like the other general public to hunt.
ing and other uses for the
public land in a respectful
meetings held so far, the
Some of the Heppner way,” he urged.
1.4-million-acre forest.
The Heppner meeting main comment heard at people pointed out that the
Another question asked
was one of 14 the Forest Heppner was “no more road 9,000-acre Morrow County was if there would be a
Service is holding in vari- closures.” Local citizens OHV (off highway vehicle) method to open roads up
ous cities across Eastern ranging from ranchers to park has been maintained once they are closed. Forest
Oregon and Washington ATV users to hunters said and taken care of and the Service officials said it is
in an effort to hear citizen enough roads had already elk like it and migrate there. possible but probably very
input about forest access. been closed and that the One local hunter who hunts difficult.
The agency is in the pro- Forest Service should not in the Madison Butte area
It was also asked, out
cess of developing its Blue only keep roads open for said the Forest Service is of the 10 public meetings
Mountain Forest Plan Re- hunting and recreation, but doing a “terrible job” of already held, what the con-
vision, which will guide also do a better job of main- maintaining the forest.
sensus was from the public
“If you get a fire going on access. Forest Service
uses, including access, on taining the forests.
A discussion was held in the forest, you will not Recreation Planner Dennis
the Malheur, Umatilla and
Wallowa-Whitman Na- concerning the idea that elk have a forest,” he said.
Dougherty said the public at
Others pointed out that all of the meetings held so
tional Forests for years to herds are not attracted to
public land with the way the the Forest Service has let far were against more road
come.
After receiving more Forest Service is maintain- fuels build up in the Forest closures.
than 1,000 responses—al- ing, or not maintaining, the to such a point that if fires
The Forest Service
most all which were against forest land, and the herds get started they a very dif- pointed out that the Blue
more forest road closures— are moving onto private ficult to put out. If roads are Mountain Forest Plan Re-
to its original forest plan ground. The Forest Service then closed, not only are fire vision does not address
put out last year, the Forest allows very little salvage breaks eliminated but there specific road closures, but
Service admitted it hadn’t logging and removal of will be less access for fire- rather “sets the stage” for
gathered enough public dead and dying trees, and fighting vehicles to get to future use of the forest. A
input, so it decided to hold local people say this neglect the forest fires.
later travel management
One local rancher who plan will name specific
the 14 roundtable meetings. is causing reduced forage
The Forest Service hired and worse habitat on the has allotments and exten- roads to be closed.
Donate blood through the Red Cross in
final weeks of summer
Opportunity to give at the Morrow County Fair
The American Red
Cross urges blood donors
to give in the final weeks
of summer to help prevent
a blood shortage. To make
giving even more conve-
nient for Morrow County
residents, a Red Cross mo-
bile blood drive will take
place at the Morrow County
Fair on Thursday, Aug. 20,
from noon to 5 p.m.
Blood donations often
decline in August as fi-
nal summer vacations are
planned and back-to-school
activities ramp up. On av-
erage, during the summer
months, about two fewer
donors give blood at each
‘Walk for Water’ plans
cool fun for a cause
Children and adults young and young at heart are
invited to have fun and get wet for a cause with the Walk
for Water 3K this Saturday, Aug. 8, in Heppner.
Sign-ups for the walk/run begin at 9 a.m. at All Saints
Episcopal Church. Participants will then race around
town, stopping at four obstacle points where they will
choose a water obstacle and complete it to move on. The
race will end back at All Saints.
Cost to participate is a suggested donation of $10 for
adults and $5 for children. Proceeds go toward the Shared
Ministry’s next well-drilling mission trip to Haiti.
Red Cross blood drive than
what is needed, according
to the Red Cross.
Donations are needed
now to help ensure blood
is available for patients in
need. Donors with types
AB, O negative, B nega-
tive and A negative blood
are especially encouraged
to donate. Plasma from
type AB donors can be
transfused to patients of
any blood type, as can type
O negative blood. Type B
negative and A negative
blood can be transfused
to Rh-positive or negative
patients. These are the most
in demand blood types and
are in constant need.
To make an appoint-
ment to give blood, down-
load the Red Cross Blood
Donor App, visit redcross-
blood.org or call 1-800-
RED CROSS (1-800-733-
2767).
for fiscal years 2016 and
2017, BPA announced. BPA
states that the rate increases
support investments in the
federal hydropower system
and expansion of BPA’s
high-voltage transmission
system to meet regional
needs. The new rates will
take effect Oct. 1.
“BPA has spent the past
two years working with
our customers and other
regional partners to meet
the collective needs of the
Northwest in the most reli-
able, cost-effective and en-
vironmentally sustainable
way possible,” said BPA
Administrator and CEO El-
liot Mainzer. “The rates in
the final record of decision
reflect that collaborative
effort.”
For more information,
visit http://www.bpa.gov.
Wolf
delisting
talks
moved to
fall
meetings
The informational
briefing and rulemaking for
removing gray wolves from
the state Endangered Spe-
cies list have been delayed
until the Oct. 9 meeting in
Florence and a November
meeting to be held in Sa-
lem.
These items were origi-
nally scheduled for Septem-
ber and October but after
consultation with the chair
of the commission, the de-
cision was made to move
the process back due to al-
ready full meeting agendas.
Commissioners say
they want to provide “ad-
equate time for public tes-
timony and discussion”
during the meetings.
The date for the No-
vember meeting will be
announced on the Commis-
sion webpage.
Public testimony will
be taken at the meetings but
can also be emailed to odfw.
comments@state.or.us.
Commenters are asked
to make sure to include
“Comments on Wolf Delist-
ing Proposal” in the subject
line of emails.
LIMITED INVENTORY!
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
For farm equipment, visit our web site at www.mcgg.net