TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 8, 2021
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
SEARCH OLD COPIES OF THE HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES ON-LINE:
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/
Published weekly by Sykes Publishing and entered as periodical matter at the Post
Office at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879. Periodical postage paid
at Heppner, Oregon. Office at 188 W. Willow Street. Telephone (541) 676-9228. Fax
(541) 676-9211. E-mail: editor@rapidserve.net or david@rapidserve.net. Web site:
www.heppner.net. Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner Gazette-Times,
P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $31 in Morrow County; $25
senior rate (in Morrow County only; 65 years or older); $37 elsewhere; $31 student
subscriptions.
David Sykes ..............................................................................................Publisher
Bobbi Gordon................................................................................................ Editor
Giselle Moses.........................................................................................Advertising
All News and Advertising Deadline is Monday at 5 p.m.
For Advertising: advertising deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Cost for a display ad is $5.25 per
column inch. Cost for classified ad is 50¢ per word. Cost for Card of Thanks is $10 up to
100 words. Cost for a classified display ad is $6.05 per column inch.
For Public/Legal Notices: public/legal notices deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Dates for publi-
cation must be specified. Affidavits must be requested at the time of submission. Affidavits
require three weeks to process after last date of publication (a sooner return date must be
specified if required).
For Obituaries: Obituaries are published in the Heppner GT at no charge and are edited to
meet news guidelines. Families wishing to include information not included in the guidelines
or who wish to have the obituary written in a certain way must purchase advertising space
for the obituary.
For Letters to the Editor: Letters to the Editor MUST be signed by the author. The Heppner
GT will not publish unsigned letters. All letters MUST include the author’s address and phone
number for use by the GT office. The GT reserves the right to edit letters. The GT is not
responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will
be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10.
Traffic stop ends in
tragedy
The Pilot Rock Police
Department contacted the
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Office on December 2 at
8:45 a.m. asking for as-
sistance in locating and
doing a welfare check on a
28-year-old male, Charles
Ervin Fowler, III, when his
phone location indicated he
was in the Irrigon area.
MCSO deputies began
searching the area and lo-
cated the vehicle Fowler
was driving speeding south-
bound on Paterson Ferry
Rd near Highway 730. A
deputy conducted a traffic
stop and when the deputies
approached the vehicle they
heard a gunshot from inside
the vehicle. Tragically, an
investigation indicated that
Fowler, the single occu-
pant of the vehicle, had
shot himself. The Irrigon
ambulance responded and
confirmed Fowler was de-
ceased.
Obituaries
Karen Reid
Valentine Burk
Karen Reid Valentine
Burk, 81, passed away No-
vember 26, 2021, due to
respiratory failure. She was
born on March 15, 1940, in
Pendleton, OR to Jim and
Ruth Valentine. Jim later
married Susan Thomson
and Karen and her sister
Kay joined the blended
family in Echo, OR. She
graduated from Heppner
High School in 1958. As
much as she loved growing
up on the ranch, she ven-
tured off to attend college
at Oregon State University
and Santa Rosa California
junior college where she
studied business.
According to a fami-
ly member, with Karen’s
amazing sense of humor
and adventurous spirit, she
was able to have multi-
ple careers in her lifetime.
Some of those jobs included
banking, heavy equipment
operator and proud Local
701 member and retail de-
partment manager. “There
was no job she couldn’t
do,” it was noted.
She met her best friend,
Carol Sue, while working at
a bank. Karen later met and
married Carol’s brother, Ted
Burk, on March 5, 1973.
They lived in Portland, OR
the remainder of their lives.
Their only child, Suzanna
Kay, was her pride and joy
and she loved watching
her play sports. “She was
elated to have two grand-
daughters, McKenna (19)
and Mallorie (14) whom
she loved to the moon and
back. She also cherished
time spent with friends and
family. She loved hosting
events and she was the life
of the party with her quick
wit, funny pranks, and hi-
larious stories,” continued
the family member. Karen
loved all sports, but espe-
cially college football and
the Oregon State Beavers.
Karen lived with her
daughter, son-in-law and
granddaughters since Ted’s
passing in 2018. She loved
playing Jeopardy with the
family, talking about sports
and going out to eat. She
loved a good cheeseburger.
She will be greatly missed
by all who knew her.
She was preceded in
death by her loving husband
of 45 years, Ted; sister,
Kay; her beloved grand-
mother, Edna, and parents,
Jim, Ruth and Susan; her
Aunt Helen and many other
friends and family mem-
bers.
A celebration of life
will be held at the Mil-
waukie Elks Lodge #142
at 13121 SE McLough-
lin Blvd, Oak Grove, OR
97222 Saturday, December
18 at 11 a.m. Food will
be served, stories will be
shared, and laughs will be
had. Please join the family
in celebrating the amazing
life of Karen Burk.
H o l m a n ’s F u n e r a l
Home in Portland is in
charge of arrangements.
Morrow County declares another COVID
state of emergency
By David Sykes
In response to what it
called an increasing num-
ber of positive COVID-19
cases, limited local capacity
of hospitalization of county
citizens and mask restric-
tions from the governor,
Morrow County Commis-
sioners last week voted to
declare a state of emergen-
cy once again across the
county.
The new declaration is
similar to the last one enact-
ed which expired Dec. 10,
and it in turn gives govern-
ment broad authority over
purchasing services and
supplies, handling coun-
ty personnel and money,
and sharing resources with
surrounding counties. The
declaration also gives the
county authority to receive
state and federal pandemic
grant funds.
County Emergency
Manager Paul Gray cau-
tioned, however, that the
emergency declaration
doesn’t mean the county is
in deep trouble. “This emer-
gency declaration doesn’t
necessarily mean we are in
the middle of a catastrophic
event,” he told commis-
sioners. He said the decla-
ration does give the county
board of commissioners,
emergency manager and
the administration access
to mutual aid agreements,
authority to extend funds,
deploy personnel and put
supplies in stockpiles. “We
are currently doing this
with other counties, and
this gives us emergency
procurement for goods and
services,” he said of the
declaration.
Commissioner Jim
Doherty was not so quick
to sign on, however. “Let’s
just make it perpetual,”
Doherty said of the renewed
emergency declaration.
“Let’s just make it that
Morrow County is perpetu-
ally in a state of emergency
that allows us to do these
things.” Doherty said he
doesn’t see an emergency
here, was opposed to the
declaration last time, and
is still opposed to it. “These
things have to mean some-
thing and at this point I fail
to see the necessity. So, I’m
a no vote,” he said. He said
since the county just keeps
authorizing emergencies,
he would talk to county
counsel Justin Nelson about
just making the emergency
declaration ongoing.
Commissioner Melissa
Lindsay, who voted in fa-
vor of the declaration both
times, said she was not in
favor of making it ongoing.
“I don’t wish to make it
perpetual, but I don’t know
how we leave money on the
table should there be new
dollars come available.”
Lindsay said more state
and federal funding relat-
ed to the pandemic might
become available and she
didn’t want the county to
lose out on if it did not have
the emergency declaration
in place. “I hesitate to leave
dollars on the table for a
small county,” she said.
Gray said neither did he
want to see the emergency
declaration become perma-
nent. “I don’t want perpetu-
al, but there is money on the
table and a new variant is
coming,” he said. Gray said
the new Omicron variant is
reportedly mild in its symp-
toms and he’s hoping it’s
not going to be that bad in
the United States. “But that
doesn’t mean it’s not going
to change and then we are
going to be back to square
one with another pandemic
of a variant that is going
to start killing a lot more
people,” he said. Doherty
said he understood but did
not want county govern-
ment to incur an emergency
on speculation. “We don’t
want to get out ahead ring-
ing an alarm bell until there
is an alarm,” he said.
On where the county
stands on enforcing vaccine
mandates on its employees,
Gray reported that only 65
of the 135 county employ-
ees had turned in their vac-
cination cards, but so far the
county, like everyone else,
is “at a standstill” until the
legality of the mandates are
sorted out in the courts. But
Gray said he still wanted the
county to be ready in case
the vaccination mandates
are imposed. Commissioner
Don Russell, who voted
in favor of the emergency
declaration, said the issue
of state and federal vaccine
mandates will probably be
decided in the court system.
“It is a court decision that
will ultimately be decided
by the Supreme Court,” he
speculated.
In other business at
the December 1 meeting,
the commissioners voted
to declare one day per year
as Employee Appreciation
Day for nonunion county
workers. The day would be
a paid day off and can be
Phyllis Marie Piper
Phyllis Marie Piper, 81, was by George Strait, Adele
of Lexington, died Friday, and Elton John. Accord-
November 26, 2021, at ing to her family, “Most
Good Shepherd Hospital of all, Phyllis loved her
family.” She trav-
in Hermiston. A celebra-
eled to watch her
tion of life will be held
grandkids and
Saturday, December 11,
great grandkids
2021, at 1 p.m. at the
in dance, sports
Heppner First Christian
and Christmas
Church.
She was born April Phyllis Marie plays, attending
every event she
8, 1940, at Heppner, the Piper
possibly could.
daughter of Roy and
Phyllis was a mem-
Melba Hughes Quacken-
bush. “Phylly,” as she was ber of Rainbow Girls and
affectionately known by Wrangler Club and she
many, was raised and at- taught 4-H tole painting.
tended school in Heppner, Phyllis and Del hosted 4-H/
graduating from Heppner LABO exchange students,
and their daughters, Sheri
High School in 1958.
On March 22, 1959, and Janette went to Japan
Phyllis married Del Piper through this group. She
at Heppner. The couple co- found great enjoyment as
owned Del’s Market in Lex- a chaperone traveling to
ington for 28 years (1968- Europe with Sheri and her
1996). They lived on Main classmates.
Survivors include her
Street from the beginning
of their marriage until her husband, Del of Lexington;
passing. She also worked at a son, Mark Piper and his
the Bank of Eastern Oregon wife Cindy; daughters, Ja-
nette Skow and her husband
and as a postal clerk.
She was well known Tom and Sheri Peck and
for her hand made Raggedy her husband Josh; seven
Ann Dolls and enjoyed grandchildren and six great
sewing, quilting, painting grandchildren.
She was preceded in
and needlework (stockings,
baby quilts, tree skirts, and death by her parents Roy
dish towels). Other interests and Melba Quackenbush.
Memorial contributions
and hobbies through the
years included going to the may be made to Pioneer
beach, looking for agates, Memorial Hospital, PO Box
concerts, ceramics, play- 9, Heppner, OR 97836 or
ing bingo, bowling, stamp to Heppner First Christian
collecting, trips to their Church, PO Box 158, Hep-
mountain cabin, picking pner, OR 97836.
Sweeney Mortuary of
mushrooms and snowmo-
biling, horseback riding and Heppner is in care of ar-
the Pendleton Round-Up. rangements. The online
Phylly enjoyed events at condolence book is avail-
the Heppner Senior Center able at www.sweeneymor-
and the St. Patrick’s Cele- tuary.com.
bration. Her favorite music
used between the day after
Thanksgiving and New
Year’s Eve. “This holiday
was meant to show the
county’s appreciation to
the employees during the
holiday season,” county
commissioners said.
During the 2021 union-
ized employee contract
negotiations an Employee
Appreciation Holiday was
approved for the two col-
lective bargaining groups,
so the commission’s action
just extends this benefit
to the nonunion employ-
ees. It was estimated that
granting both groups the
appreciation day would cost
the county approximately
$15,800 per year.
Pastors invited to
submit Christmas
messages
The Heppner Ga-
zette-Times will publish
Christmas messages from
area pastors on Wednesday,
December 22. The deadline
to submit messages will be
Monday, December 20, at
5 p.m.
Those planning to sub-
mit Christmas messages
may email them to editor@
rapidserve.net, upload to
Heppner.net, send via mail
to Heppner Gazette-Times,
PO Box 337, Heppner, OR
97836 or drop them by the
office at 188 West Willow,
Heppner, Monday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pastors are also invited
to submit separate news ar-
ticles for Christmas church
services or activities.
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