FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Morrow County Fair takes off COVID EMERGENCY
The Morrow County Fair kicked off this week with judging for 4-H and open
class events. Exhibits of photography, foods, animals and much more will be on dis-
play for fairgoers.
The fair continues every day until Sunday, August 22 with admission to the fair
being free. The parade will be in downtown Heppner on Saturday at 10 a.m. The Ore-
gon Trail Pro Rodeo performances will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights
and the Morrow County rodeo at 1 p.m. Sunday.
-Continued from PAGE ONE
shutting down the fair, even
though cases in the county
were on the rise. For per-
spective he said in the week
ending July 31 there were
27 cases in Morrow County
with two in the hospital, for
the week ending August 7
there were 63 cases with
one in the hospital, and for
the week ending August
14 the county had 89 cases
with three people in the
hospital.
Commissioners asked
fair secretary Ann Jones
what measures were being
taken for COVID. Jones
said they do what they can.
“I don’t have the manpower
to stand at every doorway
and instruct people and tell
them you have to put your
mask on,” she said. Jones
said the best they can do is
educate and provide people
cleaning opportunities. “We
have signs posted, we have
hand sanitizing stations all
Grand Champion Dog Showman, Kyra Shockman (Irrigon) with her dog Ranger and Re-
serve Grand Champion Showman, Preslie Bowles also of Irrigon with her dog Axl. -Photo by around the grounds and we
have hand washing stations
Erin Heideman.
at the fair,” she said. “As
far as making sure people
have masks on, you know
how that can go,” she told
the commission. She did
say there would be boxes of
masks available at the fair
office and at the front gate
for people to use.
Left: Briar Reeves and his
dog, Daisy of Irrigon in the
obedience competition.
Above: Open class exhibits
are on display. -Photos by
Giselle Moses.
Gray said the emer-
gency declaration “doesn’t
mean we have to close the
fair down and I personally
don’t want to close the fair
down and that is not what
this is for,” he said of the
declaration. “This is so
we can get things going.
Is it going to change the
hospital bed situation we
have going? No.” He said
the hospital bed shortage
“is going to get worse and
there is nothing we can do
about it.” Gray did say the
Morrow County emergen-
cy declaration would “let
the governor know we are
doing something even if it
is not closing the fair and
rodeo down. We are saying
yes, we recognize there is a
problem,” Gray explained.
Commissioner Melissa
Lindsay, who has worked
hard to bring the COVID
numbers down in the coun-
ty, said her main reason for
voting in favor of the emer-
gency powers would be
helping free up more hos-
pital beds for non-COVID
patients. “This isn’t about
counting covid numbers,
this is about your family
that may not have COVID
but may not be able to get
the service they need when
they go to the hospital door.
I’m willing to sign off on
the declaration for those
reasons,” Lindsay said.
County Sheriff Ken
Matlack said although he
has seen various incentive
programs such as paying
people to take the vaccine,
the county still has quite a
few people unvaccinated
(60 percent of county resi-
dents have chosen not to get
inoculated). Matlack said
if people knew the percent
of people who contract
COVID and aren’t vacci-
nated maybe that would
Volunteers, Jeni McGlothan and Darcy Sexson from NW motivate them. “I think
Farm Credit ready to serve fairgoers at the 4-H Snack Shack. that would be helpful as
They are still needing for volunteers for Friday afternoon. the numbers rise to moti-
vate people to go get shots.
What data can you bring to
people other than saying
its bad, it’s really bad?” he
asked. “Something to show
that it makes a difference to
become inoculated, to take
the shot.”
Lindsay said on the
state website it says peo-
ple taking the vaccination
are getting less sick, and
of the people in the hos-
pital the majority are not
vaccinated. Russell said
nation-wide 95 percent of
the COVID hospitalizations
are non-vaccinated people,
and the numbers are similar
in Oregon.
Doherty says the coun-
ty has a responsibility to all
its citizens, vaccinated or
not. “Our challenge is to the
folks that have the vaccine,
and those that don’t have
the vaccine, and those that
are never going to get the
vaccine, we need to con-
sider all of them,” he said.
He did admit it’s not the
vaccinated that are posing
the challenge, but at the
same time those that don’t
have the vaccine are not
asking us to step in on their
behalf. It’s a bit of a conun-
drum and doesn’t absolve
us of the responsibility of
looking out for everybody,”
he explained. Doherty said
if the county wanted to
enact the emergency, then
all the county agencies
should come together and
treat the situation as a real
emergency.
The commission ended
up passing the emergency
resolution anyway, with
Lindsay and Russell voting
yes, and Doherty voting no.
“Maybe this will move the
dial (make the infection rate
lower). But, I did not hear
that we are in an emergency
now, and that is what we are
declaring,” he explained of
his opposition.
-Photo by Giselle Moses.
The Morrow County Livestock Growers
would like to thank the following
for their support of the 2020
Morrow County 4-H/FFA Auction!
Eva Worden prepares her egg salad sandwich recipe for the
judges during 4-H live food contests.
Contestants wait for their turn during live judging in the 4-H
Annex.
GRAND CHAMPION
MARKET SWINE
GRAND CHAMPION
MARKET LAMB
Briar Reeves
Saige Jensen
Buyer:
Elmer’s Irrigation
Buyer:
Lamb Weston
Livestock Superintendents:
Jessica Bailey
Makenzi Hughes
Alita Nelson
Kellie Nelson
Sandi O’ Brien
Bank of Eastern Oregon:
Christy Correa
Jeff Bailey
Tylynn Cimmiyotti keeps the exhibits orgaznized in the kid’s
corner.
I o n e C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h
4 7 0 E M a i n S t r e e t , I o n e
Summer worship at 10:00 AM
Sunday Mornings
Special Thanks To:
Morrow County Fair Board
Ann Jones
Morrow County Grain
Growers
MCGG Green Feed
CHS Feeds
Evans Livestock
Monte & Becky Evans
Mitch & Tag Ashbeck
Beef Northwest Feeders
Wes Killion
Jason Schoenfelder
Dr. Dan Hanson
McGinn Trucking
Eastern Oregon Mobile
Slaughter
Mike’s Mobile Slaughter
Follet’s Smoked Meats
Beth Dickenson
Martin Vito
Julie Baker
Erin Heideman
Gage Heideman
Anna Browne
Sarah Baker
Brett Milligan
Kyle Robinson
Mark Rietmann
Eli Wickert
Matt Clark
BUYERS
“Y o u w i l l s e e k M e a n d f i n d M e , w h e n
y o u s e a r c h f o r M e w i t h a l l y o u r h e a r t . ”
- J e r e m i a h 2 9 : 1 3
Join Us in the Search
Over $12,000:
Lamb Weston
Blue Line Transportation
Co Inc
JVB Dairy
Over $5,000:
Bank of Eastern Oregon
Custom Feed Services LLC
Double T Farming
Beef Northwest
GAR Aviation
Silver Creek Construction
Corey Miller Farming
Elmer’s Irrigation
Over $2,500:
Northwest Farm Credit
Services
Devin Oil Inc
Easterday Farms Dairy
Castle Rock Farming
Columbia River Dairy
Morrow County Grain
Growers
Butter Creek Cattle
Company
NW Metal Fabricators, Inc
Jeremiah McElligott
PGE Senior Center Steer
Project
Umatilla Electric Coop
Jeromey Lesperance
Miller Wheat Inc
Lakeview Heights
Community Counseling
Solutions
Proudfoot Ranches
Mid-Columbia Producers
Wilkinson Ranches LLC
Mason Rock LLC
Bailey Heavy Equipment
Over $1,000:
Rogers Toyota of Hermiston
Craig Miles Farming
Wilbur Ellis
Morrow County Livestock
Growers
Ross Machine
Cannon Chiropractic
Agri-Northwest
Western Ag Improvements
Ashbeck (Mitch & Tag)
(Lamb Resell)
GRAND CHAMPION
MARKET GOAT
Zaleta Masterson
Buyer:
Roger’s Toyota
Charlie & Marcia Anderson
Healy Ranch LLC
(Resale) Mike’s Mobile
Slaughter
Jake Jaca
K2 Aerial Application
Les Schwab Tires-Heppner
LSTC Heppner
BP Doherty Farms
Triangle Ranches
Bonni and Bob Ball
Simplot Grower Solutions
Up to $1,000:
Community Bank
Goose Ridge Winery
Mark & Shannon Miller
RDO Equipment Co
Shelco Electric Inc
Mark and Lisa Pratt
Hermiston Veterinary Clinic
Cold Springs Veterinary
Service
Krebs Sheep Company
Wheatland Insurance
(Heppner/Ione)
Brian McElligott
Mid-Columbia Title
Company
Nelmar Farming Co.
Patti Adair
EB Orem Farms
Jason and Tara Proudfoot
Maureen McElligott
J&A Orem
Blown Away Ranch
Luciani Ranch
Curtis & Kathy Cutsforth
H and D Ranch
Harrison Farms
IRZ Consulting
Joe & Donna Rietmann
Karen Pettigrew
Merlin and Claudia
Hughes Ranch
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo
Pacific Ag Solutions
Peter Szasz
Riekkola Farms
GRAND CHAMPION
MARKET BEEF
Madison Orem
Buyer:
Custom Feed Services LLC
Rock Creek Ranch
Tim & Shannon Rust
David and Jennifer Jaca
Bob and Linda Mueller
Dickenson Chiropractic
Galen Weaver
Wes & Mary Killion
Desert Sandz
Development Inc.
Grieb Farms
Rodelo Farms
Terri Landreth
Heppner Christian Church
Joshua Pattinson
Nutritional Services LLC
Stephanie Hisler
Tubit Enterprises
D & M Padberg
Greenup Enterprises
Grinning Wolf LLC
Jamie Houck
Michael Graham
Nancy Miller and Charles
Monagle
Pioneer Memorial Therapy
Services
Theresa Frazier
Shelley McCabe Physical
Therapy, LLC
2T Cattle Company
Ann Jones
Clearwater Builders Supply
Corey and Brandi
Sweeney
Old Town Designs
Patricia Daly
Sandi Richardson
Tacos Xavi
Tillamook Boardman
Windemere Real Estate
Matt and Julie Baker
Kelsie Worden
Michelle McElligott
Slater &. Darcee Mitchell
Sterner Farms
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT