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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 2015)
Summer days and country ways... HEPPNER G T 50¢ azette imes VOL. 134 NO. 30 8 Pages Bikeway ride set for Sept. 19-20 The fourth annual Blue Mountain Century Ride is set for Sept 19-20 this year. The ride is hosted by local bikeway leaders and starts Sept. 19 with a shuttle from Heppner to Ukiah, where the ride begins. The first day ends back in Hep- pner with a barbecue dinner. The morning of Sept. 20 the riders head back to Ukiah. At the end of the day, a shuttle will take cyclists and bikes back to Heppner. The ride route allows riders to stay in the same hotel or campsite for Friday and Saturday nights. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. refers to the Blue Mountain Century Scenic Bikeway as one of the best-of-the-best road bike routes in Oregon. The bikeway offers some of the most remote and extreme road riding in Oregon, so riders will be especially glad for the lunch and water supplied and carried by the ride organizers. Also part of the fully-supported bicycle tour are sag wagons, food and mechanic support. The cost, including ride support and barbecue din- ner, one lunch and sag sup- port is $75. More informa- tion and registration details are available at http://www. heppnerchamber.com/rec- reation-cycling. Wednesday, August 12, 2015 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Barry Munkers puts together new bleachers in preparation for the Morrow County Fair next week, Aug. 19-23. A special 28-page Fair and Rodeo section is included in this week’s Heppner Gazette-Times. The section contains articles, interviews, photos and other information about the upcoming Morrow County Fair and Rodeo. -Photo by David Sykes Local youth get experience of a lifetime as Ambassadors of Music By Andrea Di Salvo A group of local youth recently had the experience of a lifetime when they spent several weeks tour- ing and performing music in Europe. The students went with a group called the Oregon Ambassadors of Music. Three Ione students, Austin Morter, Oskar Peterson and Miranda Taylor, partici- pated in the band segment of the trip. Skyler Hawks of Heppner, participating in choir, rounded out the local contingent. While the Gazette- Times wasn’t able to con- nect with Hawks, we did get the change to sit down with the Ione students and talk about their trip. Before heading out to Europe, the four South Morrow students went to Portland on June 29 to par- ticipate in orientation and group practice with the oth- er Oregon youth set to em- bark on the trip. The Ione students said they didn’t see much of Hawks, who practiced and performed with the choir. Each band student also practiced in his or her own sectional— Morter, 16, played bass, while Peterson, 18, and Taylor, who turned 18 after coming home, were in the brass sections, on trumpet and alto sax, respectively. Morter and Taylor said they didn’t experi- ence nerves over the per- formances, but Peterson admitted that he did get a little nervous. (L-R) Oskar Peterson, Miranda Taylor and Austin Morter of Ione stand with Switzerland’s Matterhorn in the background and an iconic St. Bernard at their feet during their trip to Europe with the Oregon Ambassadors of Music. The three, as well as Heppner student Skyler Hawks (not pictured) made the trip in July. –Contributed photo “It was different,” he said. “It was completely new people, and this was their impression of you.” Taylor admitted that, while the performances didn’t give her the jitters, she was anxious about the journey itself. “I was pretty nervous because I didn’t know any- one but these two (Morter and Peterson), but eventu- ally I made friends,” she said. In fact, the students said they were surprised by how well they connected with the other students on the trip once they got to know them. “It’s amazing how close you get with these people. We didn’t even know each other, and now we’re best friends,” said Taylor. On July 3, the 327 new friends from Oregon flew out of Portland Internation- al Airport, knowing they wouldn’t return to familiar ground until July 18. From the U.S. they flew into London, where they performed before heading on to Paris. All three Ione students agreed that they met their first challenge in London, in the form of jet lag from the eight-hour time difference. “Jet lag just kills you, both there and back,” said Morter. The students said they went into the experience open-minded— “I figured I’d see what I’d see,” said Morter—but Peterson said it was more fast-paced than he’d expected. Traveling in seven color-coded buses that held around 50 people each, the students said they averaged three days in each stop. “When it came to sight- seeing, it was more of a sampler trip,” said Peter- son. “There wasn’t enough time in each place to really see things or get to know them.” “Many of my precon- ceptions of places were wrong, especially Switzer- land. (It was challenging) trying to play the music the best we can—and the general lack of sleep,” he added. Taylor said she found time to make up for lost sleep while on the bus, but Morter and Peterson admit- ted they didn’t use the travel time in quite that way. “I played a lot of cards on that trip,” said Morter. Paris was a sightseeing stop with no performance, -See MUSIC AMBASSA- DORS/PAGE EIGHT Paving to begin on County school district names new Gilmore Morrow County will undertake street improve- ments related to the con- struction of the new ad- ministrative building in Heppner next week, Aug. 17 through Aug. 20. The county will be pav- ing Gilmore St., which runs behind the courthouse, from Morrow St. to Hager St., as well as August and Cannon streets. No local traffic or street parking will be al- lowed in the area between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. during construction. The completed project will not impact residents’ current access or parking. For additional information, contact the City of Heppner, 541-676-9618. administrators, board members at Irrigon Junior/Senior Boardman, who was vice- chair. By April Sykes Morrow County School High School; Rose Palmer, principal at Riverside High New teacher orienta- School, Boardman, tion is planned for Wednes- Superintendent Dirk Dirk- vice-principal at last year, replacing day, Aug. 19, with staff sen said, at the board’s IJSHS; and Sarah Joel Chavez, who in-service week set for regular meeting Monday Kimmell, principal retired earlier; and Monday, Aug. 24-Thurs- night at A.C. Houghton at Sam Boardman Craig Benson, Mor- day, Aug. 27. Students be- Elementary in Irrigon, that Elementary. Other admin- row Education Cen- gin the new school year on the district has five new ter principal. administrators to begin istrators not new Monday, Aug. 31, with the The board also Labor Day holiday Mon- the school year. Heppner to the district, but Becky Kindle learned that IJSHS day, Sept. 7. alumnus David Norton assigned to differ- ent positions, are former vice principal, has been named the Also at the meeting, Heppner Junior/ Tina Joyce, also a Hep- the board adopted 2015-16 Riverside Junior/ Senior High biol- pner alumnus, has Senior High School board goals. ogy/science teacher taken a job with the Vi c e P r i n c i p a l . In other busi- Dieter Waite, who Hermiston School Other new admin- ness, the board ac- is now Heppner District, along with istrators are Tracy cepted the follow- schools vice-princi- her husband, IJSHS Johnson, principal ing: at A.C. Houghton David Norton pal; Brandon Ham- seventh/eighth so- -Resignations/ mond, principal at cial studies teacher Brian Elementary School; non-renewals: Tyler Ryan Keefauver, principal Windy River Elementary, Phil Joyce. Barrie, Riverside Kollman At the meeting, Junior/Senior High Becky Kindle, Heppner, School math teacher, assis- was elected board chair- tant boys’ soccer coach and man, replacing Thad Kill- junior high assistant boys’ ingbeck. Brian Kollman, -See SCHOOL DISTRICT/ PAGE THREE Heppner, was elected vice- Deadline to apply for Community and Public Enhancement Grant is Aug. 14 The deadline to apply for the Community and Public Enhancement Grant offered by Willow Creek Valley Economic Develop- ment Group (WCVEDG) is Friday, Aug. 14. No grant requests will be accepted for consideration after the deadline. As a reminder, appli- cant organizations must be a local organization, club, special district or a governmental entity that re- sides in the South Morrow County Service Area. The requestor must have at least 50 percent of funding (may include in-kind and cash contributions) for the total project budget committed before application. Excep- tions may be granted at the discretion of the board. To receive a grant ap- plication form, contact Sheryll Bates at 541-676- 5536 or heppnerchamber@ centurytel.net. All complet- ed grant applications must be received by the chamber office no later than Friday, Aug. 14, to be eligible for consideration of award se- lection. Voters to decide fire hall bonds in Nov. election $975,000 in general obligation bonds to be on ballot The City of Heppner will be asking voters to ap- prove a $585,000 bond, and the Heppner Rural Fire Pro- tection District a $390,000 bond, to finance construc- tion of a new fire hall just outside the city limits of Heppner. Both requests will be before voters in the Nov. 3 election. Both bonds will need to pass in order for the new fire hall to be built. If approved the money would be used to build a new $930,000 fire hall to be located at the intersection of Riverside, Fuller Canyon and Hwy. 74 just outside the city limits of Heppner. The proposed hall is a 60- 40 percent joint ownership with the Heppner Rural Fire Protection District. The land was donated to the city by the Morrow County Grain Growers. The present fire hall is located on Willow Street in downtown Heppner. Be- cause of congestion and limited space, the area is not considered a good location for the new, larger facility. If approved voters will pay on the bonds for 21 years at an estimated cost of .88 cents per $1,000 of property valuation for the city portion of the bond, and .41 cents for the Fire District. The payment is estimated to be $132 per year for a homeowner with a $150,000 home in the city taxing district, and $62 per year for those with a $150,000 home in the Fire Protection District. Local students gear up for school It’s time for area stu- dents to wrap up back-to- school shopping and polish up those apples for teacher. School will begin in both Heppner and Ione schools on Monday, Aug. 31. Heppner High School has posted a start time of 7:50 a.m. that Monday, while Ione’s start time 8 a.m. See you at the UMATILLA County FAIR & RODEO Stop by our display at the Umatilla County Fair and say "HI" Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 For farm equipment, visit our web site at www.mcgg.net
