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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 14, 2021)
Two men arrested on destructive devices charges 50¢ VOL. 140 NO. 28 8 Pages Wednesday, July 14, 2021 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Local woman talks new miniature golf course Kim Cutsforth of Bryant Foundation looks at old Heppner swimming pool site for location After an investigation into a report on July 6 of IEDs (Improvised Explo- sive Device) in a shed on property on Shoemake Rd in the Boardman area, two men were arrested. Adrian Lee Ahumada, 37, Boardman, and Brenden Kane Strickland, 19, Clark- ston WA, were charged with three counts each of unlawful manufacturing of destructive device and possession of destructive device. The Boardman Police Department had received information that there were IEDs at approximately 8:39 a.m. on July 6 but since the location was outside the city limits, Morrow County Sheriff’s Office was contacted. According to the press release, both BPD and MCSO approached the area and observed a man throwing three objects into a nearby field. After the Oregon State Police bomb squad respond- ed and made all three devic- es safe, it was determined that the objects were indeed destructive devices. MCSO interviewed the male who was at the scene and then interviewed a second male who arrived later. Both men were arrested and lodged at Umatilla County Jail with bail of $60,000 each. A professional miniature golf course company from New Jersey would design the course. By David Sykes If local woman Kim Cutsforth can put her plan together, Heppner could one day have a miniature golf course for people to enjoy. Cutsforth came to the city council Monday asking for council “blessing” on her plan to place a miniature course at the old swimming pool site at Cannon and S. Main Street. The proposed site is about one-half acre and is owned by the city. The course would cost between $350,000 and half a million dollars to build and would be paid for with funds mainly from the Howard and Beth Bryant Foundation, of which she is the administrator. The city would not own or operate the course. The Bryant foundation is a multimil- lion-dollar fund left by the late couple for use in com- munity projects in Heppner. The Heppner Community Foundation might also be involved with operation of the course. Cutsforth, who pro- claimed she is a “big mini golfer,” told the council the course would not be owned by the city and would prob- ably not be profitable but would be a great asset for the community and some- thing both young and older people of all ages could en- joy. She said there would be memberships for the course and income would probably just pay for upkeep and utilities. As an example of what the course might look like Cutsforth pointed to a mini course located in Hermiston behind the former Stet- sons Steak House and next to Aaron’s and the Home Depot. “That is one of my favorite courses,” she said. The council also looked at a flyer she passed around from a Wildwood, NJ com- pany called Harris Min- Hermiston has a miniature golf course located behind the now closed Stetson Steak House. The proposed course in Heppner would be on one half acre at the old swimming pool site. iature Golf which builds the structures. She said her first step would be to get the company to look at the topography of the site, lay out a construction plan and give her an estimate. The city council was receptive to the golf course idea but did discuss that in June of last year they had already told Heppner cou- ple Sally and Ralph Walker they could move forward with a plan to put a dog park on at least part of the one-half acre site. Cutsforth told the council she would need the whole half acre if she were to put in a mini golf course. From a June 20 story in the Gazette, it was stated that the city of Heppner has indicated that a strip of vacant land between the old swimming pool park and Shobe Creek at Can- non Street and South Main Street might be a possibility for the park if it is accept- able to nearby residents. “The plan at this time is to acquire the land and financ- ing for the development of the area. We plan to raise money by selling name tags of sponsors to be attached to a fence post, by taking donations and then ‘in kind’ donations of volunteer help on the construction,” the Walker’s told the Gazette. They estimate the cost to be less than $1,500. The council however has not heard any follow up from the walkers since last year on any progress on the dog park. At Monday’s meeting the council talked about finding another spot in town, possibly up below the dam, on which to de- velop the dog park if Cuts- forth’s mini golf project does moves forward. Cutsforth said she doesn’t know if the project can move forward until she has a topography study done on the site, but she was coming to the council early to get its “blessing” on the project before she moves forward. The council gener- ally indicated they liked the idea of the mini golf course. In other business the council talked to Ryan and Sharon Miller, owners of Miller’s Disposal Service, about the free dumping provided by the city to hunt- ers during hunting season. Miller Disposal gets paid to empty large dumpsters located at the city park on Main Street during hunt- ing season. However, they said the volume of garbage was exceeding what their arrangement with the city paid them and that there would have to be changes for them to continue doing it during the coming hunt- ing season. One reason the vol- ume is higher than anyone originally expected was because local people had been discovered taking their garbage to the hunter’s only dumpsters. “When you find rolls of old carpet in there you know other than hunters are using it,” Ryan Miller said. Sharon Miller echoed her husband saying there was “a lot more garbage last year” than in the past. Hunters bring a lot of money into Heppner during the season and realizing they are important to the local economy; the city has provided the two dumpsters for their use by the park as they head out of town. The city also provides free water over at the Heritage Park for hunters to use. The free water station has a donation jar and City Manager Kraig Cutsforth, while not saying how much is collected, did say bow hunters were the most generous and left more donation money for water than rifle hunters. Ryan Miller told the council he likes the idea of free garbage dumping for hunters and hopes the city continues it, he just was saying there had to be changes since the volume was more than expected. He said they were pick- ing up between 12 and 18 dumpsters in a three-day weekend period last year, which was more than the agreement the city was paying for. He said every time his garbage truck driv- er went to dumpsters they were full up. Cutsforth said he had talked to the Forest Service about maybe having them chip in on the cost of the dumping since any garbage brought to town for disposal is less trash left up in the mountains. Cutsforth said he had talked to the new ranger about some possible financial help. In other business the council heard about a plan to place both asphalt and concrete in the Thompson Square Food Court located next to the Post office where food vendors are now lo- cated. The plan is to put concrete in the front part of the court out to the sidewalk and asphalt in the back part clear to the city shop in the back. City administration says it will make the area a better place for people to do activities and eat meals from the vendors. WWW.HEPPNER.NET Submit News, Advertising & Announcements Letters To The Editor Send Us Photos Start A New Subscription ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
