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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2024)
+HSSQHU*D]HWWH7LPHV+HSSQHU2UHJRQ Wednesday, January 3, 2024 7+5(( ~ Letters to the Editor ~ Good News Only by Doris Brosnan The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for YHUL¿FDWLRQDQGZLOOQRWEHSULQWHGLQWKHQHZVSDSHU/HWWHUVPD\QRW be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks ZLOOEHSODFHGLQWKHFODVVL¿HGVXQGHU³&DUGRI7KDQNV´DWDFRVWRI Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net. FLING I fling things. Call it a gift, or just the result of years of throwing dirty socks into laundry hampers, but I’ve become pretty good at it. Farm life gives a per- son plenty of opportunities IRUÀLQJLQJ QRWWREHFRQ- IXVHGZLWKWKHRWKHU³ÀLQJ´ GH¿QLWLRQ«YHUEYVQRXQ Through the years, I’ve only had a couple of notable disasters. There was the dead chicken through the greenhouse roof incident. My calculations must have been a bit off when con- sidering the aerodynamics RI WKH ÀLJKW RI D VRXOOHVV chicken (never was good at math) because I was really aiming at the garden. No, I don’t plant dead chickens. I just thought it would be a good place to keep it from curious cow dogs. Who would have thought a deceased chicken could actually make a hole that big? Flinging hay takes a bit of calculation. Trying to get DÀDNHRIKD\LQWRDWURXJK while dodging a hungry milk cow takes not only good aim but impeccable timing as well. Avoiding KRUQVLVDQDUW«VRUWRIDQ Alfalfa Ballet. Hay to the ULJKWKRUQVWRWKHULJKW« hay to the left, horns to the left. Back and forth XQWLO WKH JUDQG ILQDOH« hay planted directly on cow’s head. It’s beautiful really. Over the years, I’ve OHDUQHGWKDWÀLQJLQJWKLQJV around horses needs to be done with some caution and careful planning. Some of my horses tend to be a little apprehensive and obviously don’t trust my aim. Toss a curry comb into a bucket and you’d think The Apoc- alypse was just around the FRUQHU:RUGRIFDXWLRQ« flinging things from the back of a non-roping horse may not end well. Broken ankles, hospital bills and recovery time may ensue. Fling things around cow dogs and you’ve opened XSDZKROHGL൵HUHQWFDQRI worms. Anything that takes ÀLJKWRQWKHIDUPLVFODLPHG as their own, be it rubber boots, rakes, lead ropes, or live chickens. Curiously enough, these dogs instinc- WLYHO\ NQRZ WKH GL൵HUHQFH between the command’s “fetch” and “Dang you dog, gimme that!”. The latter is translated as grab it and run IRU\RXUOLIH«NLQGRIOLNH a toddler with contraband. Catch and release is never an option. Goats will appre- FLDWHDQ\WKLQJÀXQJLQWKHLU direction. It doesn’t matter ZKDW WKH DFWXDO FRQWHQW« it’s food. I would like to clear something up and expel any current rumors coming from certain mama GRJV,GR127ÀLQJSXS- pies. I was merely helping WKHPEDFNLQWRWKHLUSHQ« DOOVHYHQ«DWRQFH.HHSLQ mind, puppies are slippery little buggers, especially when they’re wiggling and wagging and have every intention of following their dinner out of the pen. AND, if certain mama dogs would do their duty and stay IN the pen, this unfortunate situation would not have occurred. Besides, though SXSSLHV DUH GL൵HUHQW WKDQ cats and don’t always land on all fours, they are quite resilient and have learned the “stop, drop and roll” technique very well. I’ve often thought Farm Fling- ing would make a great VSRUWLQJHYHQW«7KH7DWHU Toss, the Flake Fling, Pitch- forking, Puppy Shot Put (kidding). How did this not make the Olympics? Note: there are a few things I rec- ommend one refrain from ÀLQJLQJ LI DW DOO SRVVLEOH 2QWKH1RWRVVOLVW«OLYH chickens, cats, sand, full PLON EXFNHWV DQG HJJV« especially rotten ones. By Susie Crosby Prinville, OR Doris’ Grandson Carson Brosnan and his Fiancé $O\VH:HQW] Yes, good news for the Dollar General truck driver who reached his GHVWLQDWLRQ«$IWHUDVKRUW side trip. The holiday visitors to families and friends in Heppner were good news for many. And now, the resounding “Happy New Year!” repeated on Main Street is good news for many and our communi- ties: people noticing other SHRSOH R൵HULQJ WKDW ZLVK for a positive future year! 7KDWRSWLPLVPLVDEHQH¿W to our communities. Optimism similar to that and enthusiasm are surely elements in the atti- tudes of the spectators and teams as the school sports start up again this weekend. Good luck, Teams! The ag leadership kids of HHS are leading an after- school workshop at which they work together with third-grade-through-high- school students who come to learn how to make meals. Then the students get to take the ingredients and the recipes home to make for their families. This is a program that the leadership students started a few years ago. They now have one planned for once-a-month in January, February, and March. Good news, Stu- dents! Carson Brosnan, HHS graduate2019, proposed marriage to Alyse Wentz, HHS graduate 2020, on Christmas Eve Day while they were on a hike at Smith Rock. Alyse is the daugh- ter of Sandra Sexton, of Heppner, and Carson is the son of Damon and Ca- rie Brosnan, who moved from Heppner a couple of years ago. Alyse admits to not being totally surprised when she turned to face Carson and found him on a knee, holding the marquise diamond engagement ring. No date for a marriage has been set. Carson is pres- ently in officers’ training in Quantico. Alyse is an assistant to a pediatric den- tist in Corvallis. John and Pat Edmundson report that they have been pretty much place-bound through the fall, so they have travelled vicariously through the excursions of their three children: Vicki, Kristi, and Jeff. Jeff and wife, Shei- la, travelled to Sweden to visit the Lofgrens, whose son Axel was an exchange student at Heppner High School. They visited many historic sites and the Lof- grens’ summer home on Gotland Island. Also, they attended Lofgrens’ younger son’s wedding. Kristi hiked down the Grand Canyon Trail to the Colorado River and rafted down the river to the take-out location for the excursion that provided bus transportation back to the rim. Vicki had a group trip to Egypt and a Nile-Riv- er-and-Pyramids-of-Giza holiday. This spring she will travel to Australia to visit daughter Kirsten, her husband, James, and their three boys: Max and twins, Owen, and Archer. Phew! That has been a lot of trav- elling and fun!!! Some oth- er readers might agree with this writer? “Thank you to the event planners and busi- nesses that keep accurate, updated information avail- able in pertinent websites and in the Gazette Times. I do not Facebook, for var- ious reasons. I do use the internet. I do go to entities’ websites. I like to attend events and support local businesses. Unfortunately, I miss some opportunities to do this if the websites are not kept updated, or the event planners and/or businesses do not inform our newspaper readers. Many thanks to those who consider my limits, my interests and my sources of information.” Maybe sharing your reasons for smiles with the GT can be on your 2024 “To Do” list? As easy as getting in touch: dbrosnan123@ gmail.com or 541-223- 1490.Here’s hoping that good news comes to every- one reading this! $380,000 Broker Chris Sykes $395,000 9.09 ACRES Secluded mountain property! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to own your own mountain property. Whether you’re looking for a hunting retreat or a permanent residence, this property has it all. With approximately 9.09 acres of land and a private pond you can embrace the beauty of nature and create a life of serenity in the mountains you’ve always desired. MLS#:23510132 $26,000 City of Irrigon reports -Continued from PAGE ONE and will address them once the asphalt plants reopen. Furthermore, the contractor will be installing concrete bases at SE Eleventh and SE Fourteenth Streets in preparation for the installa- tion and striping of RRFB devices, like the one at First Street and US 730, in spring 2024. The NE Oregon Ave- nue project, spanning from N First Street to NE Ninth Street, has been completed. A list is being compiled to address any improvements required by the contractor. The OCODT Safe Routes to School sidewalk project are currently out for bid. Irrgion anticipates awarding the project at the January Council meeting, with the work set to take place during the summer school break in 2024. Palmquist explained that the reason why Irrigon does not have streetlights like the City of Umatilla is due to budget constraints. However, once the side- walk project is completed, there are plans to install solar-powered light poles in Irrigon, like the ones in Umatilla. These light poles will also have decorative IHDWXUHV VXFK DV ÀDJV DQG hanging baskets. Initially, these decorative lights were not included in the project as they are quite expensive, costing between $8,000 to $10,000 per light stand (ex- cluding contractor work). It is important to mention that these decorative lights will not serve the same purpose as regular street- lights, which are scheduled to be installed throughout the community by Uma- tilla Electric Cooperative (UEC). According to the re- port, the Port of Morrow (POM) is partnering with Irrigon to assist in the plan- ning and design of our up- coming incubator facility. The city aims to be ready to begin the bidding process by the fall of 2024, with the project scheduled for com- pletion by the fall of 2025. Palmquist expressed grat- itude for the collaboration with POM, highlighting the VLJQL¿FDQW YDOXH LW EULQJV “Through this partnership, we can extend the oppor- tunity to individuals who PHHWWKHVSHFL¿FFULWHULDRI the program.” In terms of finances and administration, burn permits are still available at City Hall, as they continue to support the Irrigon Fire Department in making them accessible to the public district wide. The annu- al audit is in the process of being printed and will be presented this month. If the physical document does not arrive on time, a preliminary version will be provided for review and decision-making purposes. On a positive note, San- itary Disposal Inc. (SDI) generously provided Christ- mas gifts for children, in- cluding around seven bikes for the recipients of the program. The city extended their heartfelt thanks to SDI for their contribution. Addi- tionally, Umatilla Electric Cooperative (UEC) has provided annual funding to assist in purchasing gifts for children participating in the giving tree program. The city expresses their gratitude to UEC for their continued support. The Annual Audit 5HSRUW IRU WKH ¿VFDO \HDU 2022/23 has been success- fully conducted, and I am pleased to announce that no violations or discrepancies were found during the inter- view with the city’s auditor. This positive outcome is a testament to the unwaver- LQJ GHGLFDWLRQ DQG H൵RUWV of our staff in bolstering WKHFLW\¶V¿QDQFLDOVWDQGLQJ The report unequivocally highlights the favorable result of the audit. The Annual Audit 5HSRUW IRU WKH ¿VFDO \HDU 2022/23 has been success- fully concluded, as stated in the memorandum. A com- prehensive interview with the city’s auditor revealed no instances of violations or discrepancies. Palmquist expressed his satisfaction with this outcome, em- phasizing the continuous GHGLFDWLRQDQGH൵RUWVRIRXU VWD൵LQEROVWHULQJWKH¿QDQ- cial standing of the city. The report explicitly highlights the positive results of the audit. The Morrow County 6KHUL൵¶V 2൶FH DOVR SXE- lished their monthly statis- tics for Irrigon, covering the period from July to November. During this ¿YHPRQWKSHULRGDWRWDORI 1,487 incidents were report- ed. Among these incidents, there were 11 arrests made IRU PLVGHPHDQRU R൵HQVHV and 13 arrests made for fel- RQ\R൵HQVHV)XUWKHUPRUH WKHVKHUL൵¶VR൶FHUHFHLYHG 353 complaints related to driving, as well as respond- ed to 10 motor vehicle crashes. Additionally, there were 19 reported incidents of theft and 19 cases of tres- passing. It is worth noting WKDWWKHVKHUL൵¶VR൶FHDOVR FRQGXFWHGWUD൶FVWRSV Heppner Housing Authority to meet The next meeting of the Heppner Housing Authori- ty for the Heppner Senior center will be Monday, Jan- uary, 8, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. in the St. Patrick’s Senior Center dining room. For more information, contact Kay Rene Qualls at 541-980-2836. $259,000 NEW LISTING Discover peace and seclusion on this expansive forty-acre parcel boasting a fully functional two-bed- room, one-bathroom cabin. Embrace the breathtaking views of the mountains from the upper level’s reverse living 640 square foot great room. In the summer, explore the property’s ATV trails, while in the winter, delight in t snowmobiling or sledding with access to thousands of acres of National Forest Land located at the property’s corner. LOP tags may be available for hunting enthusiasts, or simply relish in the opportu- nity to observe the abundant wildlife that frequently visits the property, including elk, deer, bear, and turkey. Enjoy the convenience of a private well with DEDFNXSYDOYH¿OOHGFLVWHUQWZRQDWXUDOVSULQJV electricity, and internet access, ensuring utmost com- fort and connectivity. 80439 Black Mountain Ln Heppner MLS#:23425595 Lot For Sale For sale: Prime commercial lot on Main Street, Heppner, Oregon. Property presents a golden opportunity to establish your presence in a vibrant community. Embrace the potential and seize this chance to make your mark in Heppner, Oregon. Act now and turn your visions into reality. Main St MLS#: 23022056 177 N. Main P.O. Box 337 Heppner, OR 97836 Chris@sykesrealestate.net Broker Chris Sykes Price Reduction A beautifully remodeled 2-story home in Heppner. This spacious residence boasts approx 2,400 square feet of space, featuring 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. This house has undergone extensive renovations, with almost everything being brand new. New dry wall, SDLQWÀRRULQJEDWKURRPVNLWFKHQZDWHUKHDWHU windows. 510 S Main St. Heppner MLS#: 23687525 177 N. Main P.O. Box 337 Heppner, OR 97836 Chris@sykesrealestate.net Broker Chris Sykes
