Nancy Snider retires
from Wheatland
50¢
VOL. 139
NO. 49
8 Pages
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
This year’s Morrow County Fair online
4-H stock auction gets good reviews
‘Folks were stressed. We had never done an online auction’
Instead of showing and auctioning off animals live at the fairgrounds’ arena this year, because of COVID the 4-H stock auction
was held completely online.
By David Sykes
As everyone knows,
because of the COVID pan-
demic, the Morrow County
Fair wasn’t held this year.
But that didn’t stop the 4-H
group from holding their
annual stock auction, they
just moved it online. And
according to leadership,
although the new auction
process was stressful, over-
all, it was a success.
“Folks were stressed,”
4-H leader Erin Heideman
told the Morrow County
Commissioners at a recent
meeting where she gave a
report. “We had never done
an online auction. What
happened if an animal got
lost or a kid didn’t get bid
on? But it turned out beau-
tiful,” Heideman said.
Statistics for the auc-
tion showed an overall
decrease in total animals
sold, and total sales figures
were also down, but there
was an increase in average
price bid per animal. For in-
stance, in 2019 the auction
at the fairgrounds brought
in a total of $266,308 on
sales of 108 animals. This
year online the auction
grossed a $239,476, in-
cluding add on money (nor-
mally from relatives) on 87
animals sold. There was
$61,976 in add-ons in this
year’s auction. “Normally
the livestock growers do
not allow add-ons,” Heide-
man said, but she explained
that because of the online
platform this year it was
allowed. “The livestock
growers were excited about
the opportunity to provide
the add-on option this year.
$62,000 in add-ons was
significant. $400 here and
$50 there adds up,” she told
the commissioners.
Heideman said several
of the larger buyers actual-
ly liked the online format.
“They liked being able to
do it from home in their
office rather than drive all
the way to Heppner and sit
for four hours in a dusty
barn,” she said. She added
that some of the significant
buyers also liked being able
to see what kids were doing,
who was bidding and then
how much money they had
gotten in add-ons. “A lot of
these companies bought a
couple of animals and then
shuffled some of the money
around, so all of those kids
were about equal,” she said.
As far as how the judg-
es got to see the animals
this year, Heideman said
there was no showmanship.
It was all confirmation so
the kids had to upload a
video of their animal to
an online platform where
the judges could see them.
Fortunately, she said, some
of the judges they got this
year had done a few online
presentations before.
The mechanics of man-
aging all the animals was
different this year also. She
said all the animals came to
the fairgrounds on Friday
and then were distributed.
They were taken care of
until processing day and
she praised all the volun-
teer workers who helped
feed and care for the ani-
mals until processing day.
Heideman said all the pigs
stayed on the site the whole
time for three days. She and
her youngest son brought
air mattresses and stayed
at the fairgrounds acting
as security for the animals.
“Because we couldn’t have
anybody in or out of the
barns and couldn’t move
any of the animals.” She
thanked Green Feed Store
in Heppner for all their help
giving discounts on food
and delivering supplies
down to the fairgrounds. “It
was a big group effort by
everyone, and we are very
appreciative,” she said.
A last-minute glitch
did come up with their
slaughtering process. Their
regular processor in The
Dalles told them, “Sor-
ry we are not taking any
animals.” Heideman said
that caused a panic but it
also got straightened out in
time. “Thank goodness we
had a really good relation-
ship with our processors
in Hermiston.” She said
Mike’s Mobile Slaughter,
Follett’s Meat Company
and Eastern Oregon Mobile
Slaughter came through
for them. “They all decid-
ed they would take those
turned animals and split
them among themselves.
This was just on the heels
of the Umatilla County Fair
and including the custom
kills they already had,”
Pastors invited to submit
Christmas messages
The Heppner Ga-
zette-Times will publish
Christmas messages from
area pastors on Wednesday,
December 23. The deadline
Those planning to sub-
to submit messages will be mit Christmas messages
Monday, December 21, at may email them to edi-
5 p.m.
tor@rapidserve.net, send
via mail to Heppner Ga-
zette-Times, PO Box 337,
Heppner, OR 97836 or
The Heppner Gazette Times would like to see pictures of your trophy animals drop them by the office at
from this hunting season. Please send a photo along with your name, age, town 188 West Willow, Heppner,
you live in, location of the hunt and a description of the animal to editor@ Monday through Friday, 9
rapidserve.net, upload to Heppner.net or text to 541-980-6674.
a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pastors are also invited
to submit separate news ar-
ticles for Christmas church
services or activities.
~ G-T Trophy Corner ~
Taylor Palmateer, 12, of Mt. Vernon, took her very first bull
in the Columbia Basin unit.
The Heppner Ga-
zette-Times wants to see
pictures of your trophy
animals from this hunting
season. Stop
by to have
your 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.
Heideman pointed out.
On what the future of
the stock auction is at the
fair, Heideman said she
will be sitting down with
the decision makers soon
and deciding what to do
next year. “Maybe we will
do a hybrid, online and in
person,” she said. “Nothing
is set in stone. We will be
meeting in December and
will make some decisions
then,” she told the county
commissioners.
Nancy Snider
After 37 years of com-
mitment and service to
not only Wheatland but
to south Morrow County
and beyond, Nancy Snider
retired November 30. Un-
fortunately, due to COVID
restrictions, they are unable
to have an open house to
celebrate Nancy and thank
her for everything she has
accomplished.
With Nancy retiring,
there are some new and
old faces around town.
Stacie Ekstrom has been
with Wheatland for nearly
24 years in the Ione office.
“While she started her ca-
reer in personal lines, her
focus for the past 20 years
has been commercial, farm
and crop insurance.” Stacie
has co-managed the office
with Nancy this past year
and will continue to man-
age the office after Nancy’s
retirement.
A hometown girl is
back in Heppner. While
not new to insurance, Amy
Wolters is new to the Hep-
pner office. Amy and her
family moved back to Mor-
row County seven years
ago. Many of the local kids
know her as Ms. Wolters as
she worked for the Morrow
County School District pri-
or to Wheatland Insurance.
Amy has been part of the
Wheatland team for the
past four-and-a-half years.
She started in Ione and
transferred to Heppner a
couple months ago. She is
the assistant manager and
handles commercial and
farm accounts.
A new addition to the
Wheatland family is Sean
Wood. Sean has some in-
surance background but
spent most of his time,
pre-COVID, flying our
friendly skies. Sean will be
an account manager for the
commercial accounts.
Alicia Doherty still
continues to service the
personal insurance needs.
She has been a member
of the Wheatland team for
four years. Along with her
dedication to Wheatland,
she can be found helping
out at numerous community
events.
Amanda Fenn has been
with Wheatland for just
over a year. She is the first
voice you hear when you
call the office.
“Since we all live in
an ever-changing world,
changes are inevitable.
What does not change is
Wheatland’s commitment
to the local communities
and their clients. Wheatland
looks forward to continuing
to service your insurance
needs and supporting the
local communities,” Stacie
Ekstrom told the Gazette.
Looking a lot like Christmas
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around Heppner. The city crew has done quite a bit
of light decorating at the Heritage Park. Janelle Ellis caught these photos for us on a recent
morning run. See additional photos on page eight.
Morrow County implements
online tools for jurors, courts
The Umatilla and Mor-
row County circuit courts
are among the first in Or-
egon to implement an im-
proved system for jurors
to respond to a summons
and communicate with the
court. In addition to an
enhanced online response
form and email communi-
cation, jurors can now opt-
in to receive status updates
and service reminders via
text message. Jurors who
receive these notifications
can skip the traditional
periodic call-ins to learn
whether they will be need-
ed for service on a specific
day. The service launched
in Umatilla and Morrow
counties in mid-November.
“The system can send
automated emails including
service reminders, status
updates, deferral requests
and exemption or disquali-
fication notifications,” said
Roy Blaine, the trial court
administrator for the Uma-
tilla and Morrow County
circuit courts. “It also adds
the new text message op-
tion for status updates and
service reminders. That will
be a lot more convenient
for many people called for
jury service. It should also
reduce the number of peo-
ple who don’t show up for
jury duty, simply because
they forgot.”
-See ONLINE TOOLS/PAGE
SEVEN
MORROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS
350 MAIN STREET LEXINGTON OR 97839
CONTACT JUSTIN BAILEY 541-256-0229, 541-989-8221 EXT.
204
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