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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2015)
HEPPNER G T 50¢ Cold, wet November didn’t make up moisture shortage According to the Na- tional Weather Service in Pendleton, November saw more cold and more mois- ture than normal, but still didn’t have enough precipi- tation to make up for this year’s drought. The average temper- ature was 38.2 degrees, which was three degrees below normal. High tem- peratures averaged 46.7 degrees, which was 4.1 degrees below normal. The highest was 70 degrees on the irst. Low temperatures averaged 29.7 degrees, which was two degrees azette imes Mustangs irst in state VOL. 134 NO. 47 8 Pages Wednesday, December 2, 2015 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon The frigid temperature last Saturday night couldn’t lower the Mustangs’ spirits as they raised their helmets in celebration under the lights on Hermiston’s Kennison Field. The Heppner team secured the 2A state championship with a 48-0 win over Kennedy. -Photo by Sandra Putman yards out. Heppner led the game 6-0 at the end of the irst quarter. The second quarter be- gan with the powerful Mus- tang defense again halting the Trojans. Caden Hedman intercepted a pass to give Heppner the ball in good ield position near midield. Quarterback Kaden Clark then threw a well-placed pass down the sideline to Logan Grieb, who hauled it in for a 37-yard gain. Four plays later Kindle scored when he punched it in from one yard out. Clark then threw to Jake Lindsay for the two-point conversion to make the score 14-0. Once again, the Hep- pner defense forced another Kennedy three-and-out. The Mustang offense started a drive at their own 35-yard line. Several running plays for positive yardage set up a sweep pass in which Grieb threw the ball to Kindle down the left sideline. The 32-yard pass completion set up a two-yard touchdown run for Kindle. Grieb ran the ball in for the two- point-conversion to make the score 22-0 with four minutes left in the quarter. After the kick off, Kennedy fumbled the ball on their first play from scrimmage. Kevin Mur- ray pounced on it to give Heppner the ball at the Trojan 15-yard line. On the very next play, Grieb took the handoff and raced through the line untouched for a touchdown. This score came only 20 seconds after the previous one and made the score 28-0. The next Trojan drive ended when Grieb inter- cepted a pass to give Hep- pner the ball. After rushes by Grieb of seven, 16 and seven yards, Clark com- pleted a 28-yard pass to Weston Putman. Kindle then scored again as he ran the ball in from four yards out. The first half ended with the Mustangs leading by a score of 34-0. Heppner stopped Ken- nedy on downs to start the second half. The Mustangs then started a drive at their own 40-yard line. Five plays later, Clark threw deep to Grieb again. The junior receiver had slipped behind double coverage and Clark placed the ball perfectly. Grieb ran under it with outstretched arms and hauled it in for a 38-yard touchdown. Kindle carried MUSTANGS #1 IN STATE/ PAGE SIX Houser hired as health district CEO Interim executive agrees to sign on as permanent CEO, Tarnasky announces resignation By April Sykes The Morrow County Health District Board hired interim CEO Bob Houser as its permanent CEO at the board’s regular meeting Monday night. Prior to the meeting Houser had told the board that he would accept a ive- year contract as CEO under the district’s previous ad- ministrative contract. The board and Houser agreed to work on his contract details at a Jan. 4 meeting. The board cancelled the next meeting, which was to be held on Dec. 28, due to the holidays. Houser had indicated that he would sign the “old contract,” which was in the revision process. The board has been without a permanent CEO since the resignation of Dan Grigg in June. Houser’s first meeting as interim CEO was Oct. 26. Houser has had extensive hospital administrative experience, recently retiring as CEO of the Blue Mountain Hospital in John Day. The district is still seek- ing a provider to replace Dr. Betsy Anderson, who left the district for a position in La Grande in August, and Sheridan Tarnasky, PA-C, long-time physician’s assis- tant, who recently tendered her resignation. According to the board, Tarnasky has indicated that she would stay on until a replacement is found, until November of 2016 if necessary. Houser and the board said that they were hopeful because two mid-level pro- viders had recently indicat- ed interest in the positions and had interviewed with the district, but both subse- quently took employment elsewhere. As a result, the board updated their search criteria to indicate that they would accept two mid-level providers, such as a nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants, or a doctor and a mid-level provider. They had previously specified that they were seeking a doctor and a mid-level. In other business the board: -learned that the Ione clinic has received a rural health accreditation. Medi- care certification for the Ione Clinic was received and is retroactive to Oct. 15. -heard from Houser that the hospital sewer proj- ect was completed on Nov. 9 with no overages and the hospital’s front parking lot was again usable on Nov. 10. -agreed to put the sewer project for the district’s house on hold until early spring, after receiving bids inches, which is 0.17 inches below normal. Snowfall for November totaled three inches, all of which was reported on the 25 th . The highest wind gust was 57 mph, which occurred on the 17 th . The outlook for De- cember from NOAA’s Cli- mate Prediction Center calls for near- to above- normal temperatures and near-normal precipitation. Normal highs for Heppner fall from 44 degrees at the start of December to 41 degrees at the end of De- cember. Normal lows fall from 28 degrees to 25 de- grees. The 30-year normal precipitation is 1.32 inches. Heppner Flood book signing at heritage museum Saturday Trojans ‘feel the ‘stang’ in 48-0 stomping by Heppner The Heppner Mustang football team won the 2015 OSAA 2A State Football Championship in convinc- ing fashion with a 48-0 victory over the Kennedy Trojans Saturday. The game was played on Kennison field at Hermiston High School in front of a capacity crowd of mostly Mustang fans. Most of them did not even notice the cold tem- perature during the game as they cheered wildly for the Mustangs throughout the contest. Both teams started the game slowly as they lost yardage on their opening drives and were forced to punt. The second time Hep- pner touched the ball they started from their own 31- yard line. A 10-play drive ended in a touchdown when CJ Kindle scored from three below normal. The lowest was 11 degrees on the 26 th . November had 14 days with low temperature below 32 degrees. There were seven days when the high temperature stayed below 32 degrees. Precipitation totaled 2.04 inches during Novem- ber, which was 0.44 inches above normal. Measurable precipitation of at least .01 inch was received on 10 days with the heaviest, 0.50 inches, reported on the irst. Precipitation this year has reached 7.46 inches, which is 5.22 inches below normal. Since October, the water year precipitation at Heppner has been 2.57 that were greater than an- ticipated. Bids were as fol- lows: WindWave/Blake Lawrence-$48,298; Cougar Excavation-$35,550; Sil- ver Creek/Michael Dun- can-$27,750, with condi- tions and exclusions. -heard good news fol- lowing receipt of a property condition assessment for Pioneer Memorial Hospital conducted by Marx/Oku- bo Associates on what is HEALTH DISTRICT/PAGE EIGHT Eastern Oregon author Byrd, author of “Calamity: The Heppner Flood Peg Willis will be at of 1903.” “You can’t the Morrow County put this book down, Heritage Museum except maybe to get this Saturday, Dec. a hanky.” 5, at 10 a.m. for a Willis is a life- reading and signing long resident of the of her later book, Peg Willis Pacific Northwest, “Rise Above.” and now lives with The book, re- leased Nov. 13 of this year, her husband Jim in Eastern is a work of historical ic- Oregon. She is best known tion that begins in Hep- as a teacher of traditional, old-time iddle mu- pner’s historic lood sic, having played on June 14, 1903. and taught for a The story details the number of years. post-lood struggles After many years of several locals, of raising children including a father and teaching music, who spends seven Willis has turned to years searching the writing about the Northwest for his Rise Above places she knows two children who and loves. Her work were lost in the has been published in a lood. “She (Willis) is a ine number of magazines and writer, and the characters in regional newspapers. “Rise ‘Rise Above’ are unforget- Above” is available through table,” says Joann Green Amazon.com. Heppner festive with lights Thursday Mustang meet and greet added to event lineup This Thursday, Dec. 3, Heppner will again enjoy holiday lights and holiday specials with the annual Parade of Lights, as well as special activities and extended hours by local merchants to kick off the Christmas holiday season. The Parade of Lights will begin from Green Feed about 5:30 p.m., so ind a spot on Main Street (be- tween Center and May) to enjoy the lighted en- tries; the entries will come through twice. Immediately after the parade, at Heppner City Hall, Mustang fans are invited to a meet and greet with the new 2A state champion football team. The team will be hanging around until 6:30 or 7 p.m. Hot cocoa and cookies will be provided. Beginning earlier in the day, the Bank of Eastern Oregon will serve refresh- ments from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Community Bank will also be serving refreshments. Heppner Family Foods will offer free Home Town coffee for customers all day and will have Santa set up in the store for pictures from 6-7 p.m. with hot chocolate and candy canes; make sure you bring your camera to take pictures. Murray’s will be hav- ing hourly door prizes, cookies and punch, and the wish list treasure hunt. From 5-7 p.m. there will be a mini wine tasting. Peterson’s Jewelers will be open until 7 p.m., so stop by and check out some- thing “shiny” for someone special on your Christmas list. Finally, Home Health and Hospice will hold a Lights of Hope ceremony at St. Patrick’s Senior Center in memory of loved ones who have passed away. Lights of Hope will begin around 6 p.m., following the Parade of Lights. WE HAVE CHRISTMAS TREES! LARGE SELECTION! SHOP NOW FOR THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE! Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed 242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main ofice) ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.