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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2024)
50¢ VOL. 144 NO. 17 10 Pages Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon 7HPSOHVKRQRUHGDV0D\'D\*UDQG0DUVKDOV +LVOHUEUHDNV\HDUROG +HSSQHUWUDFNUHFRUG + H S S Q H U - U 6 U + L J K 6FKRRO Congratulations to Hallee Hisler who recent- ly broke a Heppner High School track record in the 400 at 59.29 seconds at Mil- ton Freewater. Hallee Hisler is a junior at Heppner High and she broke her great aunt Maureen Healy’s record of 60.3 seconds from 1979. +DOOHH+LVOHU Morrow County FDQGLGDWHIRUXP .DUHQDQG'LFN7HPSOH– Photos from the Temples. .DUHQDQG'LFN7HPSOHRXWIRUDULGH– Photos from the Temples. The Temples, Dick, and Karen have been chosen as the Grand Marshalls for the Lexington May Day Celebration. Dick grew up in Wallowa County, while Karen is originally from Union County. They have three children: Brent, who resides in Florida, Laurel, who lives in Canyon City, and Kristal, who used to live in Portland. Before settling in Lex- ington, Dick practiced vet- erinary medicine in various locations, including Wyo- ming, Idaho, Montana, and two provinces in Canada. In 1986, he established a veterinary practice in Hin- ton Creek, South Morrow County. Two years later, the Temples decided to move to Lexington and made it their permanent home. They quickly fell in love with the rural community and their clients in Morrow County. Throughout their 38 years in Morrow County, the Temples have been ac- tively involved in various community activities. They have led 4H horse and dog clubs, participated in the Morrow County Fair and By Annalynn Black The Morrow County Board of Commissioners UHFHQWO\PDGHDVLJQL¿FDQW move to bridge the digital divide in the area. They have passed a motion to apply for the Federal Infra- structure grant fund to bring ¿EHU RSWLFV IRU LQWHUQHW WR the county. With the poten- tial of up to $40 million in funds, this project aims to expand broadband access and connectivity in the region. If approved, the broad- band buildout will primari- ly focus on four main areas LQ0RUURZ&RXQW\7KH¿UVW area is from Lexington to Heppner, connecting these two towns. The second area spans from Heppner to Lena, further extending the reach of high-speed in- ternet. The third area, from NW Ione to the county line, aims to bring connectivi- ty to the residents in that region. Lastly, the project will cover Blake Ranch, ensuring that even the most remote areas of the county are not left behind. This new initiative acts as a natural extension of the FRXQW\¶VRQJRLQJH൵RUWVWR improve internet accessibil- LW\,WVSHFL¿FDOO\WDUJHWVWKH areas near Heppner, Lex- ington, Ione, and surround- ing regions, covering nearly 70 miles, and connecting 213 households. The suc- cess of this project relies on the collaboration of various organizations, each contrib- uting their unique expertise. The Morrow County Board (MCB), as the ap- plicant, has pledged a sub- stantial amount of techni- cal assistance funds. Their Rodeo, and even taught Sunday School. Addition- ally, they have worked with a multi-sponsored AWANA club. The Temples consider themselves very fortunate to be surrounded by friends in South Morrow Coun- ty. They deeply value the close-knit community they have found in the area. 0RUURZ&RXQW\WRUHFHLYH¿EHURSWLFVIRULQWHUQHW contribution of $186,000 in cash will go towards net- work design, engineering, bid assistance, surveys, and overall project oversight. MCB will also oversee the development, admin- istration, and regulatory compliance of the project. Operating the network will be Blue Mountain Net- works (BMN), which will SURYLGHD൵RUGDEOHLQWHUQHW service plans, equipment, and customer support. Their commitment to of- fering low-cost, high-speed options is commendable. BMN will supply the nec- essary network equipment, including fiber drops, at- tachment hardware, and ONTs, to connect custom- ers’ premises. Columbia Basin Elec- tric Cooperative (CBEC) brings essential infrastruc- ture ownership and a com- mitment to facilitating ac- cess. They will assist in obtaining necessary permits and pole attachments, en- suring the smooth execu- tion of the project. CBEC will also aid MCB and %01LQSURFXULQJTXDOL¿HG contractors for network construction and provide access to utility poles and transmission rights-of-way for installation, mainte- nance, and repairs. The total cost of this ambitious project amounts to $3,551,451. If success- ful, it will be a game-chang- er for the residents of Mor- row County. High-speed fiber-based internet will become a reality for previ- ously unserved households, empowering them with faster and more reliable connectivity. 7KH(DVW:HVW6KULQHJDPHDSSUHFLDWLRQOXQFKHRQ %\&KULV6\NHV The East-West - Shine game appreciation lun- cheon took place Sunday, April 28th at the Masonic Lodge in Heppner. The highly anticipated Shrine game is scheduled for Au- gust 3rd at 7 pm in Baker &LW\VSHFL¿FDOO\DW%XOOGRJ Stadium. Herman Winter the President of the Tri-County Shrine Club and members Cody High, Merlin Hughes, and Gene Orwick hosted the event. Several members of the Desert Shriners were in attendance, including Kelly Nobles, The Poten- tate’s Representative, who spoke about the history of the Shriners organization. Additionally, Randy Smith, Jim Leitch, Clayton Orr, and Paul Miller from the Desert Shrine Club were also present. Rodney Thompson from the Pendleton Shrine Club addressed the audi- ing. He mentioned how their incredible talent and dedication not only made them great players but also helped him become a better coach. Landon Mitchell was selected to represent Hep- pner in the Shrine game and Caden George as the alter- /5 +HUPDQ:LQWHU*UHJ*UDQW/DQGRQ0LWFKHOO&DGHQ *HRUJHDQG/HV3D\QH- Photo by Chris Sykes ence and shed light on the remarkable work carried out by the Portland Shrine Hospital. He spoke about how the hospital has pro- vided treatment for children facing various challenges such as amputation, burn injuries, and cleft palates. He also emphasized the hospital’s commitment to supporting the families of these children. One of the highlights of the event was a speech by former Heppner player Stefan Matheny, who had the privilege of participat- ing in the 50th anniversary game back in 2002. Stefan shared his invaluable expe- riences and the lessons he learned while visiting the Shrine Hospital in Portland, as well as during the week- long practice leading up to the Shrine game. Coaches Greg Grant and Les Payne from Hep- SQHU DORQJ ZLWK 6WDQ¿HOG coach James Stradly, were also in attendance. Coach Grant took the opportunity to express his admiration for the Heppner players he had the pleasure of coach- -Continued to PAGE SEVEN /5 -XGLFLDO&LUFXLW&RXUWFDQGLGDWHV-XGJH(YD7HPSOH -RDQQD0DULNRV$WWRUQH\-DPHVRQ+D\HV$WWRUQH\-RKQ %DOODUG$WWRUQH\-LOO:H\JDQGW-XGJH5REHUW&ROOLQVDQG -XGJH7KRPDV&UHDVLQJ /5 .HOO\'RKHUW\*XV3HWHUVRQ5R\'UDJRDQG5LFN 'UDNH- Photo by Annalynn Black By Annalynn Black On Monday night, a calm atmosphere enveloped the Gilliam and Bisbee building as the Morrow County Circuit judges and candidates for the 6th ju- dicial district gathered for a forum. Present at the event were Judge Robert Collins, seeking a second six-year term, Judge Thom- as Creasing of the Irrigon Municipal Court vying for position 1, Jill M. Weygant, a private practice attorney from Pendleton running for Position 5, John L. Ballard, a private practice attorney from Hermiston also run- ning for Position 5, James- on R. Hayes, the deputy dis- trict attorney for Umatilla County once again seeking Position 5, Judge Joanna A. Marikos currently holding the 5th position in the 6th judicial district, and Judge Eva J. Temple, occupying position 4 in the district. The evening com- menced with the candi- dates addressing the pri- mary role and goals of a judge. Unanimously, they agreed that ensuring struc- ture and inclusiveness in the courtroom was crucial, em- phasizing the need to clear the backlog of cases and demonstrating dedication to public service. However, -XGJH7HPSOHR൵HUHGDVXU- prising perspective, stating, “-believe it or not our judg- es have maintained the time standards that are required by the law and our cases are not actually behind but we have a lot of work to do.” As the discussion pro- gressed, the candidates were asked about the most pressing issue they intended to address if elected. While most candidates recog- nized drug addiction and distribution, particularly the perils of fentanyl, as a VLJQL¿FDQW FRQFHUQ DORQJ with mental health issues, %DOODUG GL൵HUHG IURP WKH consensus. He believed that the system needed to EHFRPHPRUHH൶FLHQWDQG stringent, asserting that a strong emphasis on treat- PHQWDORQHZDVLQVX൶FLHQW Ballard asserted, “The push for treatment is fine but that’s not what these gen- tlemen, and some ladies I guess, that’s not what they respect. They know there needs to be boundaries, right now it’s pretty loosey goosy. There needs to be a deterrent.” Another topic that united the candidates was the execution of equity and equality in the court- room. They all agreed that providing assistance, such as interpreters for indi- viduals with disabilities or language barriers, was essential. However, they stressed the importance of maintaining a consistent protocol for all defendants. Creasing elaborated, say- ing, “Equal application of the law regardless of how let me use the word distaste- ful a defendant may be-.” The candidates were then asked about the deli- cate balance between being an independent judge and -Continued to PAGE NINE CALL 541-989-8221 ext 204 for more information
