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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2022)
Sykes to run for county commissioner 50¢ VOL. 141 NO. 8 8 Pages Wednesday, February 23, 2022 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Decision needed soon on Gilliam County cricket help Funds needed to fight coming infestation David Sykes, Heppner, has filed as a candidate for Morrow County Commis- sioner, position three. Sykes is self-employed. He and his wife April purchased the Heppner Gazette-Times newspaper in 1980. He started a real estate broker- begin moving towards the County. “I have seen the At a meeting last Sep- city of Boardman. “If the crickets in Gilliam. I hav- tember in Ione, Maley crickets get to the (Navy) en’t seen them in Morrow had raised the red flag to Bombing Range and the County. When you look at Morrow County produc- Nature Conservancy, you it, it looks like the whole ers about the threat of the aren’t going to stop them,” ground is moving,” he said. advancing crickets. At that Lutcher warned. County “When you go on the golf time, he created a distribu- officials have not had much course, you can’t walk any- tion list of producers “to Identification luck getting the Navy to where without stepping on keep everyone up to speed” commit to fighting the in- them.” Other people have on the infestation. Maley Mormon crickets are not true crickets; they are shield- sects on the 48,000-acre described a large infestation said more meetings are backed, short-winged katydids that resemble fat parcel of ground they own of the crickets as like seeing scheduled, including one at grasshoppers that cannot fly. Adults and nymphs of in the county, and apparent- the ground move. Exten- the Morrow County Grain Mormon crickets have long antennae and a smooth, shiny exoskeleton in a variety of colors and color ly the Nature Conservancy sion agents have asked Growers where he will talk patterns. The adult female has a spermatophore will not use chemicals land owners and about the biology of Mor- (sperm holding sack) for a short time after mating and on its land. producers to keep mon Cricket, and what they a long ovipositor (egg layer) with a gentle upward Lutcher said a their eyes out for look like. “There are other curve (Figure 2). The male cercus (appendage at the “worst case scenario” the insects, as insects that look similar, so posterior end of the abdomen) has two large teeth would see the crickets locating them is we want to be effective and (Figure 3). Adult Mormon crickets are 1 ½ to 2 inches going toward the Lind- OSU Extension very important in be on top of where they are long. say Feed Lot and into Agent Larry control. when the hatch starts,” he Sand Hollow, down to Lutcher G i l l i a m reiterated. Mader Rust Farms and County Exten- Lindsay wanted to then into Umatilla County. sion Agent Jordan Maley know what worst case sce- “That is kind of the worst- was also at the commis- nario is if Morrow County case scenario. We need sioner meeting and said doesn’t help with cricket to stop them before they last year the crickets were control. “Devastating crop become a catastrophe,” seen on the freeway, so, if losses in the northeast part Lutcher emphasized. not checked, at some point of the county, and migration Lutcher said some- could reach Boardman. of crickets towards Board- where in the range of 15 “Last year they were man and into the to 20 thousand acres of on I-84 and at the irrigated crop land land needs to be sprayed junction of Highway that lies just east in Gilliam County to help 74, so there is the po- of Bombing Range halt the crickets. “I could tential in Boardman. Road,” Lutcher said. easily justify a $200,000 “That may happen,” Although the request,” he said on asking Maley said. “What commissioners did county commissioners for Morrow County may Gilliam not authorize the ex- financial assistance. “The want to do is what County penditure of mon- Extension cost of an aerial application Arlington did. The Agent Jordan ey to help Gilliam is about $8.25 (per acre) only thing labeled Maley County with their and Dimilin 2L is the most for use as residen- spraying at the Feb. efficient and effective way tial (against the crickets) 16 meeting, they all seemed to suppress the problem,” was Tempo.” So, he said in favor of helping and in- he explained. “Sevin bait Gilliam County appropri- dicated they would make a is a solid application and is ated $20,000 to the city of decision soon on how much applied with a mechanical Arlington for the purchase Morrow County would spreader at about $1.17 per of Tempo for use within the contribute. pound,” he said. “I could city limits. easily justify 5 -10,000 Maley said the infesta- pounds of bait too,” he said. tion last year was more than The bait is used when the his county had expected insects get older and in ar- and they had to scramble eas where spraying cannot to find enough chemical. current expected flow and ments for the water supply be done, such as organic “We are trying to set things By David Sykes Lexington has signed pressure throughout the system will be completed. fields. in motion now because of New water supply options Commissioner Don the warmer weather and we with a La Grande engineer- whole system. The $40,000 study, will also be investigated,” Russell asked if the organic may see some emergence ing firm, Anderson Perry farm circles in north county (of the insects) earlier than & Assoc., for a compre- which is being paid for the agreement said. The study will also look could apply the Dimilin and in the past,” he told com- hensive study, from source with grants from Business through distribution, of its Oregon and the Colum- at financing options for any still be considered organic missioners. crops. Lutcher said they Maley said Gilliam complete water system. bia River Enterprise Zone, improvements that may be could not, and the best way purchased Dimilin last year Town officials signed a con- will also look at the needs chosen by the city to be to protect the county’s large but had to double the order tract with the firm at their and costs to maintain and done. “A financing plan will upgrade the system into be developed for meeting investment in organic farm- because of the larger than Feb. 8 council meeting. Included in the study the future. “Cost-effective the long-term system needs, ing is to spray the insects expected outbreak that oc- before they reach here, and curred up near the Morrow will be a look at all aspects alternatives for meeting including general user rate then place bait around the County border. He em- of the water system, in- long-term water supply charges and outside finan- edges of the circles. phasized that spotting the cluding number of current needs shall be identified, cial assistance,” the agree- The Mormon Crickets crickets and reporting their and expected future users, including alternatives for ment read. The study will have been a big problem in location when the hatch and how much water will correcting existing system also provide information on Gilliam County since 2017 starts is very important be needed over the next 20 deficiencies,” the contract “potential state and federal when they came off range- to effectively controlling years. The study will also said. “Estimated cost and grant and loan programs land in Ladd and Blalock them. “We have been spray- look at the size and con- design schematics for the that may be available to canyons and moved not ing 104 to 105 thousand dition of the towns water preferred alternatives shall assist the town.” only into farm and range acres every year and we did pipes and meters, capacity be presented, and an evalua- ground, but also into the an additional 240,000 last and production of its well tion of the general operation -See LEXINGTON WATER city of Arlington. People year to get on top of the out- and storage facilities, and and maintenance require- STUDY/PAGE TWO remember the large in- break,” Maley said. “That’s festation in that city. “I the way it has worked well saw Arlington during an in Gilliam. We can quickly outbreak,” Commission- cover a lot of acreage.” He E L E VAT E YO U R A DV E N T U R E er Melissa Lindsay said. said RDO also let Boyer “What are the chances we fly out of their property will see that in Boardman? last year, which helped in CALL That is our most populated making the aerial applica- city. It was ugly,” she asked tion more effective. “The Lutcher. Commissioner magnitude of the outbreak Don Russell said he has also last year challenged us,” ext 204 seen the crickets in Gilliam he added. Lexington contracts for complete water study 541-989-8221 Print & Mailing Services *Design *Print Sykes Publishing *Mail 541-676-9228 NEW 2022 FOR By David Sykes If Morrow County is going to help neighboring Gilliam County fight its continuing Mormon Crick- et infestation and, in turn, stop them from coming here, a decision needs to be made soon, OSU Extension Agency Larry Lutcher told county commissioners last week. “We are close to be- hind the eight ball,” Lutcher said, “and if the county is going to support control efforts, a decision about financial help needs to be made quickly in the next several days or so.” The crickets are not yet big in Morrow County, but they are advancing from Gilliam County, and when they get here will cause tremendous damage to the county’s multi-million-dol- lar agriculture economy. As Gilliam County has discovered the insects will eat their way through range and crop land alike. Urgency is needed since recent warm weather will soon cause an earlier than expected egg hatch, forcing spraying to control the insects. To fight the crickets, money is needed to spray range land in Gilliam County soon. Eggs are laid in the summer and are dor- mant through winter. Crick- et eggs hatch and nymphs emerge in the early spring when soil temperatures reach 40 degrees F. The best time to kill the crickets is after they hatch but be- fore they reach adulthood. The chemical of choice is Dimilin which keeps the young insects from molting their skin which kills them. An oil is mixed with the chemical and when it hits the plant, sticks to it, then the cricket comes along and eats it. The best way to apply the chemical is with aerial spraying. Local crop duster John Boyer has said he is geared up and ready to do spraying and will enlist other pilots for help if nec- essary to get the job done. Lutcher told the com- missioners that toward the end of the season last year he had reports of Mormon Crickets in Juniper Canyon and some not far from Sand Hollow. “My guess is they are across the creek (Wil- low Creek in north county) already, and on the fringes of Morrow County,” Lutch- er said. He said if they are not controlled, they will be moving towards crop cir- cles and the dry land north of the circles between the Columbia River, adding that from there they will David Sykes age in 2003. Sykes graduated from Reedsport high school then spent four years in the Navy before attending the Uni- versity of Oregon where he majored in journalism. He has previous gov- ernment experience as chairman of the Morrow County Planning Commis- sion and currently on the county Board of Property Tax Appeals. Sykes joins Mike Mc- Namee as candidates for position three. The deadline for filing is March 8, 2022. The primary election will be held May 17, 2022. 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