TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, November 23 , 2022
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.
Chris Sykes ...............................................................................................Publisher
Andrea Di Salvo ............................................................................................ Editor
Kirsten Espinola .................................................................................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.
Is Heppner a Tree
City USA?
By Doris Brosnan
Would Heppner citi-
zens be interested in be-
coming a “Tree City USA”?
A look around the commu-
nity would suggest that it
could qualify.
According to the Tree
City website, 57 percent of
Oregonians live in “Tree
Cities.” Echo was named
a Tree City USA in 1986
and apparently continues to
hold that designation. Tree
City USA is an elite des-
ignation for communities
that meet minimum stan-
dards set by the Arbor Day
Foundation for community
forestry programs. Texas
A&M Forest Service for-
esters help leaders qualify
for, apply and maintain the
distinction. Currently, there
are more than 3,200 Tree
City USA communities in
the United States.
“There are no better
ways to show your civic
pride than by taking care
of community trees,” said
John Rosenow, chief ex-
ecutive of the Arbor Day
Foundation. “Today, more
than 120 million Americans
make their home in Tree
City USA communities,
and they benefit from the
cleaner air, shadier streets,
and aesthetic beauty that
healthy, well-managed ur-
ban forests provide.”
To become a Tree City
USA , a community must
have a tree board or depart-
ment, a tree care ordinance,
a community forestry pro-
gram with an annual budget
of at least $2 per capita and
an Arbor Day observation
and proclamation.
Keep in mind that the
standards were designed so
that no community would
be excluded because of its
size. So, every community,
regardless of how many
people live there, benefits in
different ways from being a
Tree City USA community.
Meeting the four stan-
dards for becoming a Tree
City USA provides initial
direction for an urban or
community forestry pro-
gram. These standards,
the first step in the process
of becoming a Tree City
USA, help a community
get started toward annual,
systematic management of
its tree resources.
As community leaders
begin the process of meet-
ing the four standards, they
start to make contact with
their state foresters staff.
This leads to assistance
from a variety of profes-
sionals in the form of tech-
nical advice, literature and
films about tree-related
topics.
Another important ben-
efit that the Tree City USA
program adds to communi-
ties is a boost in public per-
ception. Being a Tree City
USA helps present the kind
of image that most citizens
want to have for the place
they live or work.
Heppner players
selected all-league
Several Heppner foot-
ball players have been se-
lected for the Blue Moun-
tain Conference All-League
selections for 2022.
Chosen for first team
were junior Landon Mitch-
ell, defensive back; junior
Cameron Proudfoot, defen-
sive back; senior Ty Boor,
linebacker; junior Cade
Cunningham, defensive
lineman; and junior Landon
Mitchell, quarterback.
Selected to second
team were junior Caden
George, linebacker and
running back; senior Tucker
Ashbeck, defensive line-
man and receiver; and se-
nior Jacob Lentz, offensive
lineman.
Receiving honorable
mentions were senior David
Cribbs, defensive back and
receiver; sophomore Jaime
Cavan, linebacker and of-
fensive line; senior Jacob
Lentz, defensive lineman;
junior Cade Cunningham,
offensive lineman; senior
Ty Boor, running back; and
junior Cameron Proudfoot,
running back.
Several Irrigon players
were also selected for all-
league honors. Chosen for
first team were sophomore
Kobe Campos, defensive
back; senior Sean Moore,
defensive lineman; and
sophomore Lee Harrison,
running back.
On second team was
sophomore Mason Harri-
son, linebacker.
Receiving honorable
mention was sophomore
Lee Harrison, linebacker.
Town of Lexington receives
Wolf
deterrent grant funding for May Day
celebration
grants
available
Grant funds are avail-
able to livestock producers
who implemented non-le-
thal wolf deterrent meth-
ods in 2022. The Morrow
County Wolf Depredation
Advisory Committee ap-
plies for funds each year
from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Agriculture.
The deadline to submit
applications is Thursday,
Dec. 22. The committee
will meet Tuesday, Jan. 10,
to review the applications.
Examples of non-lethal
wolf deterrent methods
include reducing attrac-
tants such as bone piles;
adding fencing or fladry (a
string of brightly colored
flags around the pasture
perimeter); increased hu-
man presence; guardian
animals; alarm or scare
devices; livestock manage-
ment/husbandry changes;
and experimental practices.
Applications can be
found on the Morrow Coun-
ty website, www.co.mor-
row.or.us/bc-wdac. They
can also be obtained via
email by contacting Ro-
berta Lutcher at rlutcher@
co.morrow.or.us or 541-
676-5613. Completed ap-
plications should be sub-
mitted to Lutcher’s email
address or dropped off at
the Bartholomew Building,
Rm. 201, 110 N. Court St.,
Heppner.
Direct any questions
to committee chair Dean
Robinson at 541-980-2350.
Lexington Town Recorder Veronica Hess with the
“Meeting Owl” purchased with some of the funds from
an Amazon technology grant. The county board of
commissioners and other Morrow County cities use the
same technology to make public meetings accessible
online. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo
By Andrea Di Salvo
The Lexington Town
Council discussed the fu-
ture of the town’s May Day
celebration at its public
meeting Tuesday, Nov. 8, at
Lexington Town Hall.
Council member Katie
Imes started the discussion
with a report that the Mor-
row County Cultural Coa-
lition had met this month
and approved all grant ap-
plications, including a grant
for $2,000 for Lexington’s
May Day celebration, so the
town should be receiving
notification of that. Imes
mentioned that a budget
would need to be formal-
ized and asked if Lexington
Mayor Juli Kennedy had
thought about putting to-
gether a committee for that.
“I would love to have
down, St. Patrick’s didn’t
do their deal, and we were
like, ‘You know, we need to
do something.’” She added
that the organization and
funding had come down to
a few community members,
including herself, and some
donations. “That’s not the
goal for it moving forward,
but that kicked us off.”
“I’m all for having a
budget, and this is what we
need, and making it more
formalized so that it can be
sustainable, so that we can
grow it as a community
benefit. I just need buy-
in and commitment from
people within the town,”
she said.
Hess asked if it was
something she, as town
recorder, could dedicate
time to while on “company
time.” Council members
Will Lemmon and Bob-
bi Gordon agreed that if
it was a town even with
town grant money involved,
that seemed appropriate.
Kennedy reinforced that
oversight from the recorder
was appropriate but that
she didn’t want a town em-
ployee trying to take it all
on herself.
“I would hate to see it
not happen because of lack
of community engagement
or people just being burned
out, so let’s make it an of-
ficial annual event,” said
Hess.
Gordon said she un-
derstood how it started, but
that it should have been a
town event last year, paid
for with town funds, with
an accounting of that, not
a committee, but commit-
tee always comes down to
about two people,” Kenne-
dy replied, adding that it
would be good if they could
get commitments from peo-
ple to stick with it.
Town recorder Veroni-
ca Hess said she thought if
they put it out in the com-
munity they could generate
some interest. She also said
she thought it would help
to have the town recorder
involved throughout the
process since it is a town
event.
Kennedy said she
didn’t argue that point but
reminded the council that
it hadn’t started as a town
event.
“A few of us in the com-
munity started it because we
were in the COVID lock- -Continued to PAGE EIGHT
Sheriff’s Report
September 21st
-Morrow County Sheriff’s
Office received an aban-
doned 911 call in Board-
man. On call back, it was
determined that there was
no emergency.
-Morrow County Sher-
iff’s Office received report
from a subject on Wag-
on Wheel Loop in Irri-
gon. She reported that her
brother has dementia and
threatened to shoot her a
couple nights ago. She re-
quested assistance remov-
ing ammunition and fire-
arms from the household.
-MCSO received report
of an open line 911 call
from subjects plotting in a
field. It turned out to be in
Klickitat County.
-MCSO received report of
a subject trespassing on
the caller’s farm. MCSO
was advised that the male
had been evicted from the
residence and was back
there.
-MCSO received report
of vandalism and theft on
Pole Line Rd. in Board-
man. The subjects cut
wires and stole a discon-
nect switch on a piler. The
caller said it would have
happened within the past
four days before Sunday
when it was noticed.
-MCSO initiated activi-
ty at Irrigon Elementary
School, S.E. Wyoming
Ave., Irrigon. It was re-
ported that students from
Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School
caused issues with staff
at the elementary school
before a volleyball game.
The school resource officer
was contacted and would
be meeting with the par-
ents of the four students.
-MCSO received an aban-
doned 911 call from some-
one on Gar Swanson Rd. in
Boardman with machinery
heard in the background.
-MCSO received report
from a subject in Heppner
who complained that the
city marked his property
again. He also reported
that a male was thinking
of killing himself, but peo-
ple were telling him not to.
Community Counseling
was notified.
-MCSO received a request
for deputy contact from an
Irrigon resident who said
his neighbor’s dog came
on his property and at-
tached his dog. The neigh-
bor’s dog was no longer on
the scene.
-MCSO Officer completed
area checks at Threemile
Campground in Board-
man, Willow Creek Res-
ervoir in Heppner and civ-
il service at the Morrow
County Government Cen-
ter in Irrigon.
-MCSO received report
of harassment and threats
made at a rental property
in Heppner.
-MCSO received report of
a dark grey Jeep speeding
from 10th St. in Irrigon
and running the stop sign.
-MCSO received report of
a red Dodge pickup pull-
ing a Joyce camper trailer,
swerving all over the road.
MCSO was out of position
and the report was referred
to Oregon State Police.
-MCSO received report of
a male that went into the
Ione Market and got into
a verbal altercation. The
caller said the male pulled
a knife out when the call-
er told him to leave. The
male, with a plaid shirt,
grey hair in a pony tail and
missing teeth, was report-
ed to be walking, possibly
toward the trailer park.
MCSO responded, but was
unable to locate the sub-
ject.
-MCSO received a report
of a subject on the call-
er’s property trying to cut
down some tumbleweeds.
The caller said she works
graveyard and was trying
to sleep.
-MCSO received report of
a white Lexus with previ-
ous damage to the exteri-
or with a flat tire on I-84
East, Boardman. MCSO
and OSP advised.
-MCSO received report
of a driving complaint
with a smaller silver sedan
with no taillights. Board-
man Police Department
checked the area, but was
unable to locate the vehi-
cle.
-MCSO received request
for extra patrol for people
breaking into a shop and
yard on Depot Lane in Ir-
rigon and taking items.
-MCSO Office initiated
activity at S.E. Fourth
St./Hwy. 730, Irrigon, the
Umatilla Fish Hatchery, Ir-
rigon, Love’s Travel Stop,
Boardman, and Home-
stead Lane/Pole Line Rd.
in Hermiston.
-Boardman Fire Depart-
...continued to PAGE FIVE
Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative
Utility Pole Testing Underway
Columbia Basin Electric Co-op will be starting their
annual utility pole checking and treatment work for
2022 beginning the week of November 7th. CBEC
will be checking poles out of the Ruggs substation
areas. This will include: Rhea Creek, Ione
Gooseberry, Hardman, Toll Rock, Tupper and
surrounding areas. National Wood Treating Company
has been contracted to perform this work for CBEC.
The pole checking will be conducted with a pick-up
and ATV and all NWT vehicles will be marked with
CBEC signage. The annual pole checking process is
necessary to stay in compliance with
Oregon Public Utility Commission and
National Electric Safety Code regulations.
CBEC thanks you in advance for your cooperation.