SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Park
district
to hold
planning
meeting
The Willow Creek Park
District will hold an annual
planning meeting on Mon-
day, Jan. 18, at 1 p.m. at the
Ione Community Church.
The district board of direc-
tors will conduct regular
business and also make
plans for the upcoming sea-
son. The public is invited to
attend. Written comments
also may be submitted prior
to the meeting by sending
a letter to WCPD, PO Box
582, Heppner, OR 97836.
Nordic ski group kicks off season
The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following
criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name
of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you
provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The
address and phone number will only be used for veriication and will not be
printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the
right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in
letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classiieds under
“Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10.
Other views on the
Hammond case
Five participants in the Nordic ski club escaped the fog and gloom around Heppner on Satur-
day and enjoyed a day of skiing in fog-free sunshine at the OHV park. The group announced
there was plenty of snow on the west side, so they will probably be taking advantage of skiing
off Highway 207 or the 22 Road in the near future. Anyone who would like to give it a try is
encouraged to let one of the club members know; they promise to try to get them up and ski-
ing. Pictured around the warming ire are (L-R): Terry Harper, Steve and Molly Rhea, and
Dan VanLiew, along with the group’s ever-present canine companions. –Contributed photo
HEPPNER CITY COUNCIL
-Continued from PAGE ONE wildland ires, two lue ires had a leak, cleaned contact Fowler, Cody High, Nancy
for a minimum of 15 years,
the expected length of the
bond repayment, but could
extend up to 25 years.
As in all previous
agreements the city will
own the land, building and
ireighting equipment and
then provide the rural dis-
trict with all ire protection
for the life of the contract.
In other ire hall busi-
ness at Monday’s meeting
it was announced that the
city has received a $20,000
grant from an unnamed
foundation to be used as
matching funds for an addi-
tional $45,000 for purchase
of ire equipment.
Fire Chief Rusty Estes
also gave his year-end wrap
up and gave the following
statistics for 2015: The ire
department responded to 16
motor vehicle accidents, se-
cured the helicopter landing
zone 27 times, fought 20
and eight structure fires,
had 18 ambulance assis-
tances, seven false alarms,
two reports of people smell-
ing smoke, one dumpster
ire, three vehicle ires, and
355 chief calls. The depart-
ment also provided mutual
aid four times to Ione, one
time to Boardman, three to
Lexington and once to Pilot
Rock.
In other business the
city voted to extend the
lease of its next door ofice
to Tim Dickenson of Dick-
enson Chiropractic for $450
per month. The agreement
is for one year.
The council also heard
a report from Public Works
Director Chad Doherty,
who highlighted some of
the work his department
did the past month includ-
ing: replaced two water
meters, replaced a broken
water line at city hall that
basins once, burned a brush
pile at the sewer plant, did
10 septic dumps for com-
mercial septic pumping
companies to dump at the
sewer plant for processing,
hauled off two dead deer,
did multiple de-icings, as-
sisted with the light parade,
hung up the Christmas ban-
ners and put lights on a tree
at Heritage Plaza, cleaned
off storm drains after a rain,
started working on rehab-
bing picnic tables, replaced
old weak barrier paper and
cedar chips at the kids’ play
area, and hauled off mate-
rial left after Baptist Church
youth group cleaned the old
pool area.
In other business the
council made the following
committee appointments
for the coming year:
-Planning Commis-
sion: Four Years—Dave
Gochnauer, Jeff Bailey, Vi
Wilgers, Don Stroeber, Patti
Allstott.
-Budget Committee:
Three years—Al Scott,
Gayle Gutierrez, Steve
Rhea, Tawny Miles, Tom
Wolff, Joe Perry, Ralph
Walker.
-Beautification Com-
mittee: One year—Martha
Doherty, Vi Wilgers, Joanne
Burleson, Merle Cowett.
-Fire Dept. Advisory
Committee: Four years—
Mike Jones, Dean Robin-
son, Jay Keithley, Steve
Rhea, Hal Bergstrom,
Council Member Corey
Sweeney.
-Saint Patrick’s Cel-
ebration Chairperson: One
year—Joann Burleson,
Sheryll Bates.
-Christmas Parade of
Lights Chairperson: One
year—Sheena Shank.
POW/MIA Boardman appoints planning
lag to ly at commissioners
their Jan. 5 coun- permanent advisory body contact Boardman City Hall
Boardman cil At meeting,
Boardman to the council on matters at 541-481-9252.
City Councilors appointed related to planning and
In other city business,
City Hall
Cynthia Navarro and re- development. The commis- councilors approved the
Boardman City Hall
has a new addition to its
lag poles.
The Prisoner of War/
Missing in Action lag sits
just below the American
lag to comply with a new
Oregon state law. House
Bill 2892 was signed into
law by Governor Kate
Brown on May 28, 2015,
and went into effect on Jan.
1. The new law requires
that the National League
of Families’ POW/MIA
lag be displayed with the
Oregon State lag on public
buildings in this state.
For more information,
contact Boardman City Hall
at 541-481-9252.
Justice
Court
Report
Morrow County Justice
of the Peace Ann Spicer
has released the following
Justice Court report:
-John Melvin Healy,
60, of Heppner was found
guilty of Maintain Dog as
a Public Nuisance and ined
$260.
Marriage
Licenses
The Morrow County
Clerk’s ofice has released
the following report of mar-
riage licenses:
January 7, 2016: -Vic-
tor Ruben Sanchez, 25,
of Boardman and Zulema
Avila Garcia, 25, of Board-
man.
~ Letters to the Editor ~
appointed Adam Cole to
the planning commission.
Both commissioners will
serve three-year terms end-
ing Dec. 31, 2018. This is
the irst appointment to the
Boardman Planning Com-
mission for Navarro and
the second appointment
for Cole.
The planning com-
mission is comprised of
seven members appointed
by the city council and is a
sion holds monthly public
meetings to consider land
use and zoning matters pre-
sented by staff, such as plan
amendments, zone changes,
conditional use permits,
variances and tentative sub-
division projects. Meetings
are the third Wednesday
of each month at 7 p.m. at
Boardman City Hall. Cur-
rently the planning com-
mission has two vacancies.
Interested parties should
new fee schedule for ser-
vices provided at city hall
and a 3 percent processing
fee for all non-utility credit/
debit card transactions $500
and more. Also, councilors
set Jan. 30 for their annual
goal-setting workshop.
The next Boardman
City Council meeting will
be Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m.
at the Boardman City Hall
council chambers.
Sheriff’s Report
November 24 (cont.):
-Heppner ambulance re-
sponded to a call concern-
ing a male in Heppner who
was choking on a dry piece
of chicken. The subject
was breathing and able to
talk but not able to get the
chicken down. Patient was
transported to Pioneer Me-
morial Hospital.
November 25: -Mor-
row County Sheriff’s ofice
was advised that Gilliam
County Sheriff ’s Office
served Edward Allen Jr., 42,
a Morrow County restrain-
ing order.
-A female out of Echo
advised that her juvenile
stepdaughter stole her
medical marijuana and she
would like to make a report.
-A male in Irrigon ad-
vised that he believed over
the last two months some-
one had been putting sugar
in his gas tank.
-A female in Heppner
advised a van slid through
her backyard. She wanted
contact with the city to
have them put gravel in the
area. She advised she would
exchange information with
the driver and handle it
herself.
-MCSO received report
of a PT Cruiser all over the
road on I-84 west, Board-
man, traveling about 60
mph. MCSO responded and
cited Richard M. Tworek,
46, for Failure to Maintain
Lane and Operating Cell
Phone While Driving.
-Gilliam County Sher-
iff’s Office requested as-
sistance with a suspicious
call on I-84 in the Board-
man area; the passenger in
a taxi called 911 needing
assistance and then the taxi
driver got on the phone and
advised they did not need
assistance. Gilliam County
dispatch got the taxi to pull
over and the passenger got
out and started running
down the freeway. MCSO
responded to assist.
-A person at Irrigon
Shell reported a vehicle
backed into another vehicle
in the parking lot. The caller
stated the suspect vehicle
hit the other vehicle mul-
tiple times trying to leave,
then the driver got out of the
vehicle and took off on foot.
The subject was described
as a teenage-looking male,
possibly intoxicated.
MCSO and Boardman PD
responded. MCSO arrested
Tomas Dominguez Juarez,
18, for Failure to Carry and
Present Driver’s License,
Failure to Perform Duties
of a Driver with property
Damage, and Driving Un-
der the Inluence of Intoxi-
cants, bac .05. the subject
was also cited for Driving
Uninsured and No Ops.
November 26: -A per-
son in Irrigon advised Mor-
row County Sheriff’s Ofice
that he heard something
inside his house; he advised
that he wanted a deputy.
MCSO took it under inves-
tigation.
-A person on Chase St.
in Heppner advised that in
the last 45 minutes three or
four cars had attempted to
get up the hill and had slid
back down, nothing hit, no
one hurt. The caller wanted
MCSO advised. City of
Heppner was notiied.
-A deputy advised of a
vehicle parked at the bot-
tom of Chase/Cannon in
Heppner. It was not parked
in a good location.
November 29: -A man
in Irrigon advised MCSO
that his wife and another
male took his truck. MCSO
“Mr. President, free the Hammonds.”
Thank you East Oregonian editors but that would
only be the irst step. Rep. Greg Walden said it better in
a speech Jan. 6. “Hopefully the country, through this,
understands we have a real problem in America, how we
manage our lands and how we are losing them…I have
seen what happens when overzealous bureaucrats go
beyond the law and clamp down on people.”
The Hammonds ranch has been enduring relentless
government oppression, harassment and tyranny from
overzealous bureaucrats since 1970. Why would govern-
ment oficials target the Hammond Ranch? The Federal
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Federal Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS) has systematically driven
virtually all the other private ranchers out of Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR). All except the
Hammonds. Beginning in 1970 the BLM/FWS revoked
32 of 53 grazing permits of MNWR area ranches and
signiicantly raised the fees of the remaining 21 permits.
In 1980 there were still 31 ranchers that refused to
sell their heritage. The BLM/FWS looded their ranches,
destroying their property and forcing them to sell their
now worthless ranches. In 1980 the BLM attempted to
take away Hammond water rights in court and lost. The
law has been changed so the government will never lose
water rights court cases again.
In 1994 the BLM built an illegal fence around a
Hammond ranch water source. The Hammonds rightfully
objected and the Harney Co. Sheriff arrested Dwight
Hammond and he spent two nights in jail. Because the
BLM actions were illegal, no charges were iled. The
BLM and the FWS continued their illegal attack against
the Hammonds by barricading a public road that con-
nected their ranch and revoking their grazing permits
without cause or a court order. By now the Hammonds
knew they would get no support from the local Sheriff’s
department, so they had no choice but to endure the gov-
ernment tyranny against them.
The Hammonds were next informed the “Oregon
Fence Out Law” now only applied to ranchers, not the
government, forcing the them to sell cattle on portions of
the ranch they could not afford to fence. By the turn of
the century, Hammonds were the last ranchers left within
the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
No matter what the BLM and FWS did, the Ham-
monds would not yield their ranch or their heritage. That
is when the BLM, FWS and local government oficials
came up with a brilliant plan. Use the courts and a 1996
terrorist law to arrest and convict these ranchers that re-
fused to yield their land and heritage, and use the press
to brand them as arsonists.
Once the Hammonds were convicted as arsonist/ter-
rorists, the next step was to push the ranch into bankruptcy
and force the Hammonds to sign a right of irst refusal so
they have no choice except to sell their ranch to the BLM.
The arsonist charge against the Hammonds is the
greatest miscarriage of justice in modern Eastern Oregon
history. The Hammonds had permission from the BLM
for the range improvement ire in 2001 and the BLM
admitted in court the ire improved the BLM range. The
government attempt to use a young disgruntled grandson
to frame the Hammonds was dismissed as not credible
by Judge Hogen. The 2006 backburn ire started by the
Hammonds saved their land from multiple ires that were
threatening their ranch. The government presented no
evidence to prove that any BLM land was burned by the
Hammond back ire.
In contrast there have been multiple times where
BLM-started ires have destroyed private property and
cattle and not once has the BLM or FWS been held ac-
countable. The U. S. government and local government
oficials need to admit they have failed to honor their
constitutional responsibility and immediately work with
local ranchers, loggers, farmers and citizens to restore
our God-given liberty and heritage. Sherriff Ward has
done nothing to aid, support or protect the Hammonds
and needs to be recalled before he instigates bloodshed.
(s) Stuart Dick, Irrigon
College workshop
planned at HHS
High school seniors
who are interested in at-
tending college or trade
school but who need money
to do it are invited to an
Oregon College Goal open
house on Wednesday, Jan.
27, from 4-7 p.m. in the
Heppner High School li-
brary. Juniors and parents
are also welcome to attend
to obtain FAFSA (Free
Application for Federal
Student Aid) help, scholar-
ship information, OSAC
(Ofice of Student Access
and Completion) deadlines
and college applications.
Free money will be given to
the irst 10 seniors who sign
up with Mrs. Payne.
For more information,
contact Petra Payne at 541-
676-9138 or paynep@mor-
row.k12.or.us.
made contact and deter-
mined it was a civil issue.
-A person in Irrigon
reported that someone
slashed all four tires on their
van the night before. They
requested contact.
-A male in Ione re-
ported that he had been
assaulted ive to 10 minutes
before by a male subject. He
advised the subject punched
him three times in the face.
The caller declined medical
but requested deputy con-
tact. MCSO arrested Curtis
Scott Thompson, 30, for
Criminal Mischief II. The
suspect was released on his
own recognizance to appear
when notiied by the district
attorney.