Making the best of a bad
situation
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 138
NO. 7 8 Pages
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Many residents decided to make the best of the recent weather
situation by building some creative snowmen. The Morrow
County Sheriff’s Office’s snowman is asking everyone to “have
a bright, bright sunshiny day.” Another snowman is dressed as
a police officer and another is just hanging out in their wash
tub. -Contributed photos.
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Heppner has ‘an evening with the stars’ at Town and
Country event
Locals recognized for achievement, contributions to the community
The Heppner Cham-
ber of Commerce’s Town
and Country Awards took
place last Thursday, Feb.
7 at the Morrow County
Fairgrounds.
During the event,
themed “An Evening with
the Stars,” several lo-
cals were recognized for
long-standing contribu-
tions to Heppner and the
surrounding area. Winners
of the prestigious yearly
awards were Susan Hisler,
Woman of the Year; Repre-
sentative Greg Smith, Man
of the Year; Jason Palmer,
Citizen-Educator of the
Year; Madison Combe,
Youth Achievement Award;
Heppner Fire Department
and Morrow County Health
District EMS Team, Busi-
ness of the Year; and Leann
Rea, Lifetime Achievement
Award.
The Woman of the
Year, Susan Hisler, was
described as someone who
is constantly thinking out-
side the box and when she
is involved with a project,
she gives 110 percent. The
number one trait that every-
one mentioned was her deep
love for children and sports.
She was the inspiration
behind the upgrading and
updating of the high school
track and is the leader of
the Friends helping Friends
Remembrance Walk. There
are many things Susan does
without anyone knowing.
She is not the type of person
that wants to be recognized;
she does what she does for
those in need.
Man of the Year, Rep-
resentative Greg Smith,
was selected because he
is someone who is very
dedicated to his family, job,
Susan Hisler
Representative Greg Smith
Madison Combe
Leann Rea
EMS Team consists of
EMTs and paramedics who
provide critical services
that require harsh hours,
personal sacrifice and a
deep sense of servitude.
They are considered true
public servants who serve
and provide, regardless of
the sacrifice.
The fire department and
EMS team put in countless
hours for training. When
their pagers sound, they
drop everything to protect
and take care of the com-
munity. Going above and
beyond is second nature
to these brave men and
women.
The recipient of this
year’s Lifetime Achieve-
ment award, Leann Rea, is
considered a person with
passion, loyalty, honesty
and integrity. She takes
her role in life seriously
and has a high level of
energy. She is described as
having a contagious laugh
and great sense of humor.
Leann supports the way of
life in a small community
and has given a lifetime
to community action and
service, doing it quietly
and respectfully without
seeking recognition. She
has touched many lives,
accomplished much and
continues to be involved
and effective in her role as a
leader, community member,
volunteer and friend.
Members of the Heppner Fire Department and Morrow County Health District EMS Team
the county, the port and the
communities that he serves.
He is considered a gem
of Heppner and Morrow
County and is willing to
listen to the problems and
help find solutions. He has
always been supportive
and attentive to the Hep-
pner community, which has
greatly benefited from his
dedication.
This year’s Citizen-Ed-
ucator of the Year award
was presented to Heppner
High School teacher Jason
Palmer. He was described
as having the patience of a
saint and is always willing
to lend a hand to those lack-
ing in technology skills. He
coaches track, volunteers
for 4-H and volunteers in
the snack shack. He has also
donated countless hours
running the clock for sports
events. He is described as
smart, helpful, a leader,
kind and a team player. A
past student says he can
teach anyone how to solve
the Rubik’s Cube.
Madison Combe was
named as the recipient of
the annual Youth Recogni-
tion award. Madison was
described as being a natural
born leader, not only in
the classroom, but in other
activities she participates
in. She is respected by her
peers and brings out the
best in people with her ‘git
er done’ attitude. Madison
is a three sport athlete and
has put in many hours of
American Pickers to film in
Oregon
Mike Wolfe, Frank
Fritz and their team plan
to film episodes of the
American Pickers series
throughout Oregon in April
2019. American Pickers is a
documentary series on the
History channel that ex-
plores the fascinating world
of antique picking.
The hit show follows
Mike and Frank, two of the
most skilled pickers in the
business, as they hunt for
America’s most valuable
antiques. They are always
excited to find sizeable,
unique collections and learn
the interesting stories be-
hind them.
As they hit the back
roads from coast to coast,
Mike and Frank are on a
mission to recycle and res-
cue forgotten relics. Along
the way, the Pickers want
to meet characters with
remarkable and exceptional
items. The pair hopes to
give historically significant
Jason Palmer
community service. She is
described as having a kind
heart and soul.
The Business of the
Year honors went to co-re-
cipients this year; Hep-
pner Rural Fire Department
and South Morrow County
Health District EMS Team.
The fire department has
been serving the commu-
nity since 1894 and cur-
rently has 25 members, led
by Rusty Estes and Steve
Rhea. They are known for
their organized response
and ability to analyze the
situation quickly allowing
them to save structures and
homes.
The South Morrow
County Health District
Tax assistance available in
Heppner
The AARP Founda-
tion’s Tax-Aide program
will provide free tax as-
sistance and preparation
in Heppner for a special
three-day limited service
this year. The tax service
will be available at the
Heppner city hall from 9:30
a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays,
Mar. 8, Mar. 22 and Mar.
29. There are no scheduled
appointments and people
are encouraged to arrive
early to get on the list.
For those unable to visit
on those dates in Heppner,
assistance is also offered
in Pendleton on Mondays,
Hermiston on Tuesdays and
Thursdays and Boardman
on Wednesdays from Feb-
ruary through early April.
The assistance, pro-
vided through Tax-Aide, is
available to those with low
or moderate incomes, not
just adults over 50. AARP
membership is not required.
Volunteers are trained
and IRS-certified each year
to ensure they are aware
of the latest changes to the
U.S. Tax Code. People are
encouraged to check the
website for current infor-
mation and a list of what
to bring when going to a
Tax-Aide site.
For additional informa-
tion, visit www.aarpfounda-
tion.org/taxhelp.
All Key and Wrangler Brand
Winter Clothing
objects a new lease on life,
while learning a thing or
two about America’s past
along the way.
If you or someone you
know has a large, private
collection or accumulation
of antiques that the Pickers
can spend the better part of
the day looking through,
send your name, phone
number, location and de-
scription of the collection
with photos to: american-
pickers@cineflix.com or
call 855-OLD-RUST.
20% OFF
Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed
242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)