Hurray for the Red, White and
Blue
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 135
NO. 25 8 Pages
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
It was an eventful day full of festivities at Ione’s Fourth of July celebration this year. See more
photos PAGE THREE. -Photo by David Sykes
Fourth of July fireworks cut short by
fire in Ione
The fireworks show in
Ione was cut short this year
when stray sparks drifted
across Ella Rd. and into tall-
standing rye uphill of the
bike path, causing a fast-
burning grass fire toward
the Emert Addition.
“Everything was going
really well up till then,”
said Ione Fire Chief Virgil
Morgan. “Then we had
some sparks that just didn’t
go out.”
Morgan said the Ione
fire crew had burned off
the area around where the
fireworks were to be set
off, but hadn’t burned off
the whole hill or across
the road. “Next year we’re
gonna burn the whole hill,”
he added.
The sparks landed out-
side the burned area into
tall stands of rye that caught
fire quickly, with wind add-
ing fuel to the flames and
driving the fire line toward
nearby homes.
Fire crews from Ione
and Lexington were on
scene as is typical for the
fireworks show, and worked
quickly to arrest the fire’s
progress before it reached
the Emert homes. Morgan
said no structures were
Hot summer weather
expected to continue
June averaged warmer
than normal, a trend ex-
pected to carry over into
July, according to NOAA’s
National Weather Service in
Pendleton.
The average temper-
ature for June was 64.8
degrees, which was 2.1
degrees above normal. High
temperatures averaged 79.4
degrees, which was 2.8
degrees above normal. The
highest was 97 degrees
on the seventh. Low tem-
precipitation of at least .01
inch was received on four
days with the heaviest, 0.30
inches, reported on the 18 th .
Precipitation this year
has reached 6.68 inches,
which is 1.98 inches below
normal. Since October, the
water-year precipitation at
Heppner has been 10.52
inches, which is 2.20 inches
below normal.
The highest wind gust
was 34 mph, which oc-
curred on the seventh.
Hot summer temperatures are expected to continue.
The outlook for July
The fireworks show in Ione was cut short this year when stray sparks drifted across Ella Rd. peratures averaged 50.3
and into tall-standing rye, causing a fast-burning grass fire toward the Emert Addition. -Photo degrees, which was 1.4 from NOAA’s Climate Pre-
by Candy Green
degrees above normal. The diction Center calls for
damaged, but “When it
started we thought it was
going to because the wind
was going pretty good,” he
said. Morgan said he also
called in mutual aid from
Heppner when it looked as
if there might be structural
Heppner grad keeps
pearly whites in
fighting form
Dr. Kevin Scott, a group of Marines.
1994 graduate of Heppner
Scott says he is proud
High School, graduated of the role he has serving
from Oregon Health Sci- with the military, and en-
ences University School joys the many ways den-
of Dentistry in 2008; he tistry has allowed him to
and business partner Tony serve others.
Frederickson now
“It is a wonder-
maintain a thriving
ful profession that
dental practice in
has many unique
Livingston, MT.
opportunities to
While that
serve,” Scott says.
might be enough
“I am truly blessed
for many, Scott also Dr. Kevin
to be able to have a
chooses to serve his Scott
foot on both the ci-
country through his
vilian and the mili-
chosen profession. He is tary side of things because
an active member of the each has provided me with
U.S. Navy Reserve, com- a very unique perspective
missioned as a Lieutenant and special opportunities
in August of 2011. He was to serve in different ways.
recently promoted to the
“My wife has also been
rank of Lieutenant Com- tremendously supportive,”
mander, and continues to he adds, “and frequent-
provide dental support to ly has remarked that all
Marines and sailors all over wives should send their
the world.
husbands off to Navy boot
Most recently, Scott’s camp where they come
Navy duty has taken him to back ready to iron and make
Okinawa, Japan, where he beds!”
was able to help a team of
Scott is the son of Alan
active-duty Navy dentists and Debbie Scott of Hep-
fulfill their pre-deployment pner.
requirements for a large
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damage.
Morrow County Sher-
iff’s deputies also were on
scene directing traffic; traf-
fic out of Ione was rerouted
away from Hwy. 74 while
the fire was burning, with
many holiday travelers be-
ing sent up Ella Rd. to get
home.
Morgan said the fire
was out around midnight
but that fire crews contin-
ued to monitor the area into
the early morning hours to
prevent flare-ups.
lowest was 39 degrees, on
the 19 th .
On seven days, the
temperature exceeded 90
degrees.
Precipitation totaled
0.75 inches during June,
which was 0.63 inches be-
low normal. Measurable
near- to above-normal tem-
peratures and below-normal
precipitation.
Normal highs for Hep-
pner during July are 85.7
degrees and normal lows
are 53.9 degrees. The 30-
year normal precipitation
is 0.33 inches.
Work planned on routes 74, 206 in
Morrow County
Work planned to begin
July 11 arrived a little early
on Heppner’s Main Street
as the Oregon Department
of Transportation (ODOT)
began grinding the street
as part of a larger highway
project in Morrow County.
ODOT will be chip sealing
two highway sections along
the Heppner Highway (OR
74) and along the Wasco-
Heppner Highway (OR
206) in Morrow County.
Crews plan to work on
OR 74 from milepost 8.44
and south toward Heppner.
They expect this to take
two to three weeks. Work
will then move to OR 206
at milepost 54.8 and work
through Heppner. This sec-
tion will take about two
weeks to complete.
In downtown Heppner
a fog seal coating of oil
will be applied over the
chip rock to help seal the
surface and limit loose rock
in town.
Parking Restrictions
To accommodate pave-
ment resurfacing work in
Heppner (chip seal and fog
seal coating), vehicles will
not be allowed to park along
Main Street in the down-
town area for one to two
days during these opera-
tions. No-parking restric-
tions are anticipated in early
August. More information
will be shared when no-
parking dates are identified.
Travel Impacts
Expect up to 20-minute
delays, reduced speeds,
loose rock on the road-
Work begins on Heppner Main St.
Oregon Dept. of Transportation workers showed up in Heppner a little earlier than expected,
arriving Tuesday morning to begin work on the city’s Main Street as part of a project planned
for highways 74 and 206 this month. Crews are grinding out the road stripes, including park-
ing spaces, on Main Street. The road will then be chip sealed from curb to curb before ODOT
restripes. The restriping process will include double yellow lines down Main Street, as well as
a new angle for parking spaces. Heppner City Manager Kim Custforth says the new parking
angles—from 80 degrees to 65 degrees—are part of a state effort toward improving visibility
in angled parking. The city also hopes the new angle will cut down on J-turn violations. -Photo
by Megan Futter
way, flaggers and pilot
cars directing single lane
traffic through the work
zones. Minor delays are
expected during nighttime/
early morning hours for
road sweeping. Please slow
down and watch for con-
struction activities in the
area and plan extra travel
time during this highway
preservation project.
Request to Ranchers
To prevent chip rock
adhesion problems due
to animal waste on the
roadway, ODOT is asking
ranchers to keep all cattle
and other livestock out of
-See ROAD WORK/PAGE
FOUR
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