THREE - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Millers earn August yard of the month
By Kay Proctor
Creating an attractive
home with a well-kept yard
from a commercial build-
ing with a hard-pan, grav-
eled parking lot has earned
Dennis and Pennie Miller
August Yard of the Month
honors.
When the Millers pur-
chased the building over 30
years ago, it had been used
as a retail store for snow-
mobiles. Dennis used it for
his carpenter contracting
business until the couple
moved in about 1984. He
gradually turned it into a
more traditional house as
they had time and money
and states that they are still
working on it.
Using their own dump
truck, countless loads of dirt
were brought in to build up
enough soil to plant a yard
and carve out bordered beds
in the old parking and scrap
pile areas. Dennis poured
concrete for sidewalks and
added a storage building.
Digging for plantings or
fencing was a challenge, but
some square nails and old
horseshoes were uncovered
along with an unlimited
supply of rocks.
Eventually, their hard
work took effect and a yard
took hold, including lilacs,
roses, Rose of Sharon, or-
namental cherry tree, irises
and hybrid morning glories.
Recently, automated total
underground sprinklers
were installed watering the
entire yard, bed, and all
planters. A lush Japanese
Maple tree that started from
a spindly stick 10 years ago
is given extra water.
The two enjoy their
covered front deck in the
mornings where grand-
mother’s peonies bloom in
season in lengthy planters.
Afternoons are spent on the
cooler back patio where a
recirculating water fountain
attracts birds. Birdhous-
es hang from a dead tree
artfully trimmed back and
feeders sit on a fence across
the lane so the birds can be
easily watched.
When asked what
sparked her love of gar-
dening, Pennie laughingly
replied “I have no love for
gardening,” but likes things
to look tidy. Her favorite
plants are marigolds since
they don’t need a lot of
work to look nice. She just
plants, waters and feeds
plants and they either live or
die. She was unaware that
Hostas in our area like some
shade, so hers are planted
in almost full sun. The leaf
tips crisp somewhat, but it
is loaded with blooms and
has thrived for years, a tes-
timony to her ‘get tough or
die’ gardening philosophy.
Dennis states that he
loves a garden, but not gar-
dening. Then he mentions
future plans to add pavers
by the back gate and bring
in some pea gravel. His fa-
vorite plants are hollyhocks
because they grew so well
in the short growing season
of his hometown, Ketchum,
The Heppner Mustang
volleyball team hosted a
tournament that brought
in some of the best teams
in the state: Vernonia,
Portland Christian, Crane,
Weston-McEwen and Grant
Union. Although the host
Mustangs didn’t win a
match they got lots of expe-
rience as they played some
of the top teams in the state.
Heppner started the day
off by playing the Crane
Mustangs. Crane is a team
that has lots of state tour-
nament experience and is
loaded with many tall and
athletic players. Heppner
lost a close match by the
scores of 25-20, 24-26, 20-
25, 27-25 and 13-15.
The Mustangs then
took on the Vernonia Log-
gers. Heppner lost to the
Loggers in a hard fought
five set match by the scores
of 26-24, 27-29, 25-14, 20-
25 and 14-16.
In set one, Heppner
jumped out to a quick 7-1
lead. Vernonia fought back
to tie the score at 8, 11
and 15. The Loggers took
control from there and led
the set 21-15 before the
Mustangs rallied to tie the
score at 24. Heppner then
got the win 26-24.
In the second set the
score was tied at six before
the Mustangs took the lead
11-6. The score was then
also tied at 17, 21, 23, 24,
25, 26 and 27. Heppner
would ultimately lose the
close set by the score of
27-29.
The third set saw the
score tied four times with
the final time being 11-11.
Heppner then took control
and outscored the Loggers
14-3 to take the win 25-14.
The Mustangs were
down the entire time in the
fourth set and lost by the
score of 20-25. In the fifth
and deciding set, there were
six ties in the shorted set.
Heppner ended up losing
the set by a score of 14-16.
Up next for Heppner
was the Portland Christian
Royals. The Royals brought
a very talented and athletic
team to the tournament.
They defeated the Mus-
tangs in three by the scores
of 25-14, 25-19 and 25-7.
Leading the way at the
tournament in serving for
the Mustangs was Jacee
Currin who went 34-35.
Jenna McCullough was 23-
25 and Maddie Combe fin-
ished 20-20. Sydney Wilson
and Nicole Propheter each
went 20-22. Genevieve
Smith was 14-15, Aimee
Turrell 7-7 and Claire Grieb
went 4-5.
Sydney led the team in
digs or serve receives with
ID.
Pennie is originally
from Adrian, OR. She and
Dennis moved from Pay-
ette, ID to Heppner in 1978.
With a short break to help
Dennis with his contracting
business, Pennie has oth-
erwise worked for Pioneer
Memorial Hospital/Clinic/
Morrow County Health
District and is their longest
employed EMT. She is
on regular call for ambu-
lance service. Her mother,
Frances Freel, lived with
the Millers for 17 years,
helping with the yard and
was an active member of
the Heppner Garden Club.
Dennis worked on the
renovation of the St. Pat-
rick Hotel/Apartments on
Main Street, then switched
to owning and operating
the Chevron gas station
and mini-mart in town for
10 years. He returned to
carpentry from which he
retired a few years ago.
Both Miller’s enthusi-
astically express their love
and appreciation for the
Heppner community. Den-
nis encourages others to
be patient and do one little
project at a time, when time
and money allow, and that
while improvements can be
expensive, it is worth it in
the long run.
Heppner ’s Yard of
the Month recognition is
sponsored by the Heppner
Volunteers, MCGG-Green
Feed and Seed, and the City
of Heppner. For sugges-
tions, contact Kay Proctor
at kayproctor@gmail.com.
Mustang football
begins season
Gavin Hanna Kicks the ball in the season opener game.
-Photo by Damon Brosnan.
Jayden Wilson was
The Heppner Mustang
football team opened the 7-13 passing the ball for
season with a long bus ride 64 yards. Kannon Wilkins
to the Oregon coast to take caught two passes for 29
on the Clatskanie Tigers. yards in the game. Gavin
The Tigers are a perennial Hanna-Robinson hauled in
3A powerhouse and are the three balls for 16 yards and
seventh ranked 3A team in Logan Burright had one
the coaches pre-season poll. catch for 15 yards. Mason
The Mustangs fell to the Lehman caught one pass for
Tigers by a score of 46-0. four yards.
Mason Lehman led the
The Mustangs had trou-
ble moving the ball and team in rushing with 24
could only come up with yards on six carries. Wil-
six first downs in the game. son had 16 yards rushing
Their first four possessions on eight carries and Blake
led to punts and a busy Wolters carried the ball
night for the Heppner punt- seven times for six yards.
On the defensive side
er. The Mustangs also had
a hard time stopping the of the ball, Tyler Carter led
high powered offense of the the team with eight tackles.
Tigers as they had 24 first Matt Orem recorded seven
while Wilson and Jackson
downs in the game.
Clatskanie scored 20 Lehman had five tackles
points in each of the first each. Hanna-Robinson had
two quarters to take a 40-0 four tackles and with three
lead at halftime. Heppner each were Wolters and Roy
did play better in the second Collins. Kevin Rea had two
half and held the Tigers to tackles and with one each
were Charles Cason, Reno
only six points.
The Mustangs totaled Ferguson, Mason Lehman,
49 yards of rushing and Kellen Grant and Burright.
Next up for the Mus-
64 yards of passing for a
83. Maddie was next with
total of 108 total yards of tangs is a home contest with
45 and Nicole had 42. Jacee
offense. Clatskanie totaled the Santiam Wolverines.
finished with 41 and Alexis
357 yards for the game.
Cutsforth had 36. Jenna
had 17, Aimee 15 and with
13 each were Claire and
Genevieve.
Jacee had the most as-
sists with 18. Claire had
10 and with six each were
Maddie and Genevieve.
Jenna finished with 13 kills
and Sydney had 12. Claire,
Maddie and Jacee finished
with five each. Nicole had
10 blocks, Jenna five and
with one each were Jacee
and Sydney.
The Mustang volley-
ball team has a busy week
ahead of them as they travel
to Irrigon to take on the
Knights and the South Was-
co County Redsides. They
then finish the week looking
to defend their team title at Bryan Collins runs the ball up the field in the JV game.
-Photo by Damon Brosnan.
the Helix Tournament.
Heppner hosts volleyball tournament
Dessert
Fundraiser For:
Elizabeth Allen
Swim Lesson Fund
Ione Community Church
Will be hosting a
Dessert Sale
Sunday, Sept. 9th
From 6—8 pm.
During Ione Music in the Park
Music by Charlie and Anna Ross
Sales by Donation– funds in memory of
Elizabeth Allen
(will be moved to Ione Legion Hall with
inclement weather)
Madison Combe passes the ball to Nicole Propheter while
Jacee Currin and Sydney Wilson keep an eye on the action.
-Photo by Kirsti Cason
The Heppner Ga-
zette-Times wants
to see pictures of
your trophy an-
imals from this
hunting season.
Stop by to have
y o u r
picture
taken,
drop off
photos,
mail them to
PO Box 337 in
Heppner, email
them to editor@
rapidserve.net or
text cell phone
photos to 541-
980-6674.
308 E Gladys Ave
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