NRCS releases irst 2016
Water Supply Outlook Report
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
Oregon’s statewide snowpack at 123 percent
of normal
PORTLAND, Ore.—
Cold mountain tempera-
tures and copious amounts
of precipitation joined forc-
es in December to bring a
welcome return of winter
to Oregon.
According to the irst
water supply outlook report
for the year—released last
recently by USDA’s Natu-
ral Resources Conserva-
tion Service (NRCS)—all
basins in Oregon are ex-
periencing above-normal
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon snowpack levels.
azette
imes
VOL. 135
NO. 3 8 Pages
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Further, snowpack lev-
els have already surpassed
the peak levels of last year’s
snow season in all locations
statewide.
Following a year of re-
cord-low snowpack, water
shortages, ires and wide-
spread drought across the
state, water users and water
managers are cautiously
optimistic that a successful
start to 2016 will enable
drought recovery.
“This is the scenario
we had hoped for following
last year’s extreme drought
conditions,” said Melissa
Webb, NRCS snow survey
hydrologist. “The fall and
early winter precipitation
have started to fill reser-
voirs across the state that
were heavily depleted go-
ing into the fall.
“Also, the snowpack
that we have right now in
the mountains is more than
we had at any time last year,
which is very encouraging.”
Heppner gets ‘cabin Heppner holds Town & Country
fever’
awards
John Wambeke accompanies Eric Jepsen on the iddle at last
year’s show in Ione. –Contributed photo
The variety show “Cabin
Fever” is headed to Heppner
soon. John Wambeke and
friends will be staging the
eighth annual version of the
show on Sunday afternoon,
Jan. 31, at 3 p.m. at the Hep-
pner Elementary School.
This year’s concert is a
combination of music and
humor. Performers with local
ties include Joe Lindsey, Cory
Cooley, Luke Basile, Rick
Drake, Eric Jepsen, and the
Heppner High School choir.
The show was performed
this past weekend to a sold-
out crowd of 400 people in
Hermiston.
Tickets for the Heppner
performance can be purchased
at the door, or in advance at
the Bank of Eastern Oregon
in either Heppner or Ione. The
$15 ticket price includes both
the show and a catered Dutch-
oven dessert.
For more info, search
Facebook for “Cabin Fever
Concert.”
Rep. Smith honored by
two Oregon associations
H E P P N E R — R e p . ing in the construction,
Greg Smith (R-Heppner) construction materials, and
was honored last week with mining industries. The in-
two prestigious recogni- dustry continues to rely
tions. The irst is from the on Rep. Smith to protect
Oregon Fairs Association those interests in Eastern
(OFA), which supports Oregon. His commitment to
Oregon’s 36 county
economic prosper-
fairs. Also honoring
ity to the region is
Rep. Smith was the
without parallel. On
Oregon Concrete
behalf of the mem-
and Aggregate Pro-
bers of the OCAPA,
ducers Association
we would like to
(OCAPA), an or-
thank Rep. Smith
ganization that is
by presenting him
working to build Or- Rep. Greg
with a small plaque
Smith
egon’s economy and
acknowledging him
support economic
as our Legislative
development.
Champion,” stated Rich
“It is an honor to be Angstrom, OCAPA Presi-
recognized by both of these dent.
associations for what we
Rep. Smith was hon-
were able to accomplish ored by the Oregon Fairs
during the 2015 Legislative Association as their “Leg-
Session,” said Smith. “I islator of the Year” for his
am grateful to both groups commitment to providing
and their members for their stable funding for OFA
recognition and support.” operations, including his
Rep. Smith was rec- efforts to secure an increase
ognized by OCAPA for his in funds for county fairs
work on several policies around the state.
during the 2015 Legisla-
“In Oregon we are
tive Session, including the blessed with strong support
role he played in passing for county fairs,” said Dan
HB 3089. HB 3089 directs Dorran, 18-year Umatilla
the Oregon Department County Fair Board Mem-
of Geology and Mineral ber. “However, what we
Industries (DOGAMI) to are really proud of are the
conduct a study of the min- few that not only support
eral resource potential of us but take action to help.
Eastern Oregon counties Rep. Smith personiies this
and report their indings to and more. He is a friend to
the Legislative Assembly. county fairs in his district
Smith says the bill is a and throughout the state.”
positive step toward build-
“I want to thank the
ing a more robust mining OFA and OCAPA for this
industry in Oregon.
honor,” responded Smith.
“Rep. Smith has dem- “While recognition is ap-
onstrated a strong com- preciated, I do this because
mitment to the people of it is the right thing to do
Eastern Oregon, especially for our communities and
the men and women work- Eastern Oregon.”
Heppner Chamber of
Commerce held its annual
Town and Country Com-
munity Awards last Thurs-
day, Jan. 14, at the Morrow
County Fairgrounds in Hep-
pner. The gala, sponsored
by Invenergy, LLC (dba
Willow Creek Energy) and
Northwest Farm Services
and themed “An Evening
with the Stars,” attracted a
large crowd that gathered to
celebrate local heroes and
community icons.
The evening began with
a photo presentation, “Your
Community on the Big
Screen,” designed by Dale
Bates of CenturyLink and
Sandy Matthews of Wind-
wave Communications.
Dinner catered by Pudding
on the Ritz was followed by
a welcome speech by Bill
Kuhn. Also in the evening’s
lineup were a drawing for
jewelry donated by Peter-
son’s Jewelers, a word from
the sponsors, and comments
from local volunteer Jo Ann
Burleson.
The highlight of the
evening, however, was the
award ceremony for out-
standing community mem-
bers. The following awards
were given out:
Man of the Year, Jim
Kindle; Woman of the
Year, Kathy Turner; Youth
Recognition, Patrick Col-
lins; Citizen-Educator of
the Year, Melissa Coiner;
Business of the Year, Ad-
ams Distributing (Tim and
Terra Adams); and Lifetime
Achievement Award, Joe
Miller. Special recogni-
tion was also given to East
Oregonian reporter Tammy
Malgesini.
Man of the Year
“When he first came
into my life I thought,
‘What a nut!’” said one
person of Man of the Year
recipient Jim Kindle. “Little
did I know he was a man of
great depth and emotion.”
When nominating
Kindle, community mem-
bers also pointed to his
community-minded spirit,
his ability to get things
done, his humility and his
good cheer. Kindle was
recognized as a dedicated
advocate for community
youth, a member of the
volunteer ire department,
a member of the local Elks
and Oddfellows lodges, and
a regular volunteer at com-
munity events like the St.
Patrick’s Day celebration
and the fair and rodeo.
“The citizens of Hep-
pner, whether they know
him or not, have all ben-
eited greatly from his many
contributions to the com-
munity,” said presenter Ken
Grieb of Kindle. “When-
ever there is a project to
be done or something to be
ixed, he is usually there,
spear-heading the mission
or contributing his time and
effort to get the job done.
There is always a smile on
his face; always a joke and
a laugh to be had when you
are with him.”
Woman of the Year
This year’s Woman of
the Year recipient Kathy
Turner is called a “natural
caregiver.” Since moving
to Heppner, she is cred-
ited with overseeing the
$1.2 million remodel of St.
Patrick’s senior center and
using her “eye for design”
to make the center homey
and welcoming. Even after
stepping down as manager,
Turner continues to take
care of the St. Patrick’s
apartment tenants, both
during their time there and
by checking in with them
after they move away. She
is credited with working
many extra hours with no
extra pay.
Turner was also rec-
ognized as a driving force
behind the renovation of
the senior center’s dining
room, being called a “mas-
ter with a paint brush” and
a “master at recruiting her
friends to help.” She also
adds a tough of whimsy at
Halloween, whether intro-
ducing trick-or-treaters to
her pet spider or playing the
role of fortune teller.
“She is the first re-
sponder in emergency situ-
ations, she is the assistant
Jim Kindle
Kathy Turner
Patrick
Collins
Melissa
Coiner
Joe
Miller
Tammy
Malgesini
Tim “the Bread Man” and
Terra Adams of Adams Dis-
tributing.
manager, janitor, and Jack
of all trades,” said Judy
Bushke of Turner. “We are
so fortunate that she chose
Heppner for her home.
-See TOWN & COUNTRY/
PAGE THREE
Pipes skirl at Condon when Scots toast
Robert Burns, heritage
The 19 th annual Robert
Burns Supper will be cele-
brated at Condon Saturday,
Jan. 23, at the Condon Elks
Lodge on Main Street.
The tradition of honor-
ing the Scottish heritage
of the greater Condon area
dates back originally to the
mid-1950s, when weekend-
long celebrations feted the
then-aging Scots, the irst
generation of immigrants
who had come from the
homeland and settled in and
around Condon. The cel-
ebrations then drew Scot-
tish families from miles
around to honor those who
had hailed from Scotland.
The celebrations, re-
vived about 20 years ago,
still draw a crowd of Scots-
men from region-wide to
honor past generations and
the traditions of the Old
Country, including the po-
etry and memory of Scot-
land’s beloved poet, Robert
Burns. The celebration each
year is planned on the Sat-
urday nearest the poet’s Jan.
25 (1759) birth date.
Pipers, drummers, and
other participants are antici-
pated to come from Pendle-
ton, Arlington, Redmond,
Portland, Vancouver and
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
L-R: Bill Shelton, Carson, WA; Rick McCaul, Portland, OR;
Condon Highland Guard Pipers. -Photo by McLaren Stinchield
the Carson, WA area to help
the Condon community cel-
ebrate its Scottish heritage
on the 257 th anniversary of
the birth of “Rabbie” Burns.
The celebration is in its 19 th
year as an organized event,
and has become a favorite
wintertime diversion at
Condon.
The event features
lively music from the “Old
Country,” a traditional
Scottish meal of “haggis,
neeps and tatties,” and an-
ecdotes from the annuls
of Scottish families who
settled in the Greater Gil-
liam County area in the
mid-to-late 1800s. Area
families of Scottish heritage
are encouraged to search
through their family lore for
diaries, notes, photographs
and other memorabilia, and
to share the information at
the gathering.
Featured this year will
be the Chase-Couture-Fat-
land families who are repre-
sented in the Condon area,
and representatives of those
families will provide brief
histories of their lineage.
It is anticipated that
Andrew Jamieson of Con-
don will rise to the occasion
once again as “spokesman”
for the popular poet, de-
ceased now two and a half
-See CONDON CEL-
EBRATES BURNS/PAGE
EIGHT
WINTER CLOTHING SALE!
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COATS & JACKETS
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OFF
Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed
242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main ofice)