50¢
VOL. 144
NO. 31 8 Pages
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Admiration for Generations:
Morrow County Fair Entries
Span Generations
The Osmin Ranch’s last horse-drawn harvest
This is a side view of the “aeroplane” that had a prominent
place on the program of the first Morrow County Fair in
1913. The bi-plane looks as if it came direct from the Wright
Bros.., but this is only an assumption. - Contributed image
The last horse-drawn harvest with Alton Osmin who was in his early 20s - circa early 1930s.
-Photo from Al Osmin.
In the early 1930s, the
Osmin ranch embarked on
their last horse-powered
harvest. The crew consist-
ed of Alton, Lewis, and
Charley Osmin, along with
their trusted friend Roy
Holcomb. A team of 28
horses was utilized in this
endeavor, each crucial to
the success of the harvest.
Alton Osmin was
known for his firm but
effective method of moti-
vating the horses. He kept
a box of small rocks be-
side him and would hurl
one at any horse that was
slacking off, ensuring they
all pulled their share of
the load. The horses were
controlled through a set of
leather lines that extended
to the lead horses, allowing
the teamster to guide them
effortlessly.
The day would start
with an early wake-up call
at 3 am, followed by the
feeding and watering of
the horses. After a hearty
breakfast, the crew would
proceed to harness the hors-
es and by 7 am, they would
be ready to hook them up to
the combine.
The Osmin farm also
made use of a sack sewing
machine. The crew would
fill a chute that held 6-7
sacks, and once full, they
would trip a lever to dump
the sacks. Another wagon,
pulled by horses, would
then come and collect the
harvested sacks.
Each member of the
crew had a specific role in
the operation. Lewis was
responsible for operating
the combine, Charley was
the skilled sack sewer, and
Roy served as the dedicat-
ed header tender. Working
together with their team
of horses, they would tire-
lessly labor throughout the
Early farming equipment
used by Alton Osmin.
- Photo from Al Osmin.
day to ensure a successful
harvest.
This last horse-pow-
ered harvest marked the
end of an era for the Osmin
family. With advancements
in technology, tractors and
machines would gradually
replace the horses, leading
to more efficient and fast-
er harvests. However, the
memories of those early
mornings, the sound of
horses’ hooves, and the ca-
maraderie among the crew
would forever be etched in
the Osmin’s history as a tes-
tament to their dedication
and hard work.
The Morrow County Rodeo schedule
A Bull Rider at the
MC Rodeo
It’s RODEO time!!!!!
Once again, it’s that time
of year when traditions
run deep and cowboys and
cowgirls converge on the
tiny town of Heppner, Or-
egon for the 102 nd annual
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo
and Morrow County Rodeo
to show off their hard work
and skills as they compete
for that coveted #1 spot.
The Northwest Pro Rodeo
Association (NPRA) rodeo
is a time-honored tradition
that will kick off Thursday,
August 15, and run through
Saturday, August 17 th , fol-
lowed by the local favorite
MOCO Rodeo Sunday,
August 18 th . This year is
packed full of fun activities
for all to enjoy.
Thursday will start off
the weekend festivities with
the highly anticipated Slack
time which is free to the
public and will begin at
6:00 pm in the rodeo arena.
This is where cowboys and
cowgirls will try for their
fastest time in their events
before the rodeo perfor-
mances starting Friday and
Saturday.
On Friday, which is our
Red, White, and Blue night,
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo is
proud to honor and spot-
light both our Veterans and
First Responders; acknowl-
edging and appreciating all
of the sacrifices they make
to keep us safe from harm.
Friday night rodeo is also
free to all 4H and FFA kids
participating in the fair.
Admission tickets are once
again sponsored by Elmer’s
Irrigation in Hermiston,
Oregon. The rodeo will host
a myriad of events start-
ing at 7:00 pm. After the
Breakaway Roping, the fan
favorite Mutton Bustin’ will
begin, where our spunky
little cowboys and cowgirls
will pit their strength and
prowess against some wild
and wooly Ashbeck critters
while trying to hang on.
Also, halfway through the
rodeo will be the favorite
Buckaroo Toss. This is
where kids in the stands
get to throw their paper
airplanes with their names
written on it into the back
of a slow-moving pickup
in the arena. If their pa-
per plane is chosen that
child will win a prize. Not
to leave the adults out of
the fun, the insanely huge
and popular Cowhide Race
will once again occur with
teams competing for the
fastest time while trying to
stay on an out-of-control,
smelly, cowhide that is
drugged the length of the
arena. Once again fans will
be kept enthralled by the
fantastic teamwork and pre-
cision of the Molalla Drill
team who will also oversee
carrying the sponsor flags.
After the rodeo, Dan Burns
of 3D Productions will be
providing his fantastic mu-
sic at the Spur ‘Em barn to
keep the night alive.
On Saturday the rodeo
will once again start at 7:00
pm showcasing the talents
of cowboys and cowgirls
in the various events. Once
again, the fan favorites of
the Mutton Bustin’, Buck-
aroo Toss, and Cowhide
Race will be prominently
featured with each team
racing for that #1 slot. The
Molalla Drill Team will
once again awe and inspire
the crowd with their pre-
cision and horsemanship
skills as they perform for
the crowd. Following the
rodeo, Dan Burns of 3D
Productions will once again
provide music in the Spur
‘Em barn for all to enjoy.
The wrap-up to the
rodeo weekend comes on
Sunday at 1:00 pm with
the MOCO rodeo. This is
where the local cowboys
and cowgirls come together
to show off their skills and
compete for a chance to
win event buckles and the
coveted Morrow County
Amateur Calf Roping Sad-
dle which can only be won
once in a lifetime.
So come on down to
Heppner and become im-
mersed in Western tradi-
tions that focus on family
and community. Where
hard work, perseverance,
and dedication are put to the
test. It’s where neighbors
look after neighbors, and
everyone lends a helping
hand. It’s where people
on the street say hello to
strangers and the good old
days are still good. So come
on out to Heppner, Oregon
the weekend of August 15-
18 th, and enjoy a piece of our
Wild West.
Health District may drop lawsuit against Boardman Fire
By Andrea Di Salvo
At its regular meet-
ing last week, the Mor-
row County Health District
board of directors gave
some indications that it
may drop its lawsuit against
Boardman Fire Rescue Dis-
trict.
The board held a
lengthy session July 29 at
the Port of Morrow, mostly
in executive sessions closed
to the public. The stated
purpose of the back-to-back
executive sessions was to
discuss ongoing or antic-
ipated litigation and trade
secrets, both exempt from
disclosure under Oregon
Revised Statute 192.
After returning into
open session, however, the
health district board unani-
mously voted to authorize
CEO Emily Roberts to
work with MCHD legal
counsel to pursue a resolu-
tion with Boardman Fire re-
garding the lawsuit, which
may include dropping the
lawsuit and choosing not
to pursue collections on the
judgment already handed
down by the court.
In May of 2023, the
health district filed a law-
suit for injunctive relief
against Morrow County,
Boardman Fire and BFRD
Chief Michael Hughes.
MCHD later dropped the
suit against the county, but
litigation has been ongoing
between the health district
and Boardman Fire.
On a related topic, the
board also responded neg-
atively to a July 23 email board, which at first indi-
from Hughes, asking the cated that it needed more
health district to take on information. The health
ambulance services for
-Continued to PAGE SEVEN
South Morrow.
Boardman Fire had
been awarded an interim
contract for ambulance ser-
vices throughout the county
when the health district
stopped providing ambu-
lance services in March of
this year.
The request from
Hughes seems to imply a
desire that the health district
subcontract the remainder
of the interim agreement in
the Southern Ambulance
Service Area (ASA), which
includes the entire south
end of Morrow County.
The request raised
concerns with the MCHD
County fairs are one
of the oldest community
events in most states. The
first fair in Morrow County
was in 1913 when the new
“aeroplane” was the main
attraction. People would
gather to show off their
harvest products (wheat,
wool, cattle, baked goods,
clothes, and many more
items.) People looked for-
ward to this time of year
to socialize and celebrate
their hard work and talents.
This has been going on for
generations. That is why
this year’s theme for our
county fair, “Admiration for
Generations” is so fitting.
These talents have changed
over time, but hard work
and admiration for quality
products are still as strong
as ever. We still appreciate
good food, beautiful art,
and high yields. We want
to encourage everyone to
enter something in the fair.
Morrow County has mul-
tiple generations of talent,
and we take this week in
August to celebrate them.
Below we have a list of spe-
cial awards for our county
fair this year. Take the time
to find something you are
proud of and bring it to the
fair. Static items are except-
ed from 1-8 pm on Monday,
Aug 12th. If you have fresh
vegetables or flowers they
can come in at 8-10 am to
make sure they are fresh
just before judging. Get
involved in your county
and take the time to show
off your talents and skills.
All generations would like
to admire the beautiful
work and products we have
created and grown.
Special Awards 2024
Morrow County Fair Open
Class
-Continued to PAGE SEVEN
OSU Extension mobilizes
wildfire resources for Oregon
farmers and ranchers
The OSU Extension is
stepping up to aid farmers,
ranchers, and communities
impacted by the current
wildfires in Oregon. Their
efforts include dissemi-
nating crucial information
and resources, assisting
producers with accessing
disaster relief programs,
coordinating hay and grain
needs, managing donation
pledges, and distributing
N95 masks.
Key initiatives:
Resource Distribu-
tion: OSU Extension is
collaborating with the State
of Oregon’s Office of Resil-
ience and Emergency Man-
agement to deliver pallets
of N95 masks to affected
counties, including Baker,
Harney, Hood River, Grant,
Malheur, Umatilla, Union,
and Wallowa.
Agricultural Disaster
Relief: Resource computers
are available at OSU Exten-
sion Service offices state-
wide, providing farmers
with better access to federal
and state relief programs.
Hay and Grain Co-
ordination: In partnership
with the Oregon Cattle-
men’s Association, OSU
Extension is organizing
donations of hay, grain, and
transportation logistics to
support affected areas.
Mental Health Sup-
port: The Agristress Help-
line for Oregon, available
24/7 at 833-897-2474, of-
fers immediate support and
referrals to help manage
stress and mental health
challenges within the agri-
cultural community.
Financial Donations:
The OSU Foundation is
accepting monetary dona-
tions to support livestock
feed and wildfire recovery
supplies. Donations can be
made online or via check.
For more information
and to contribute, visit the
OSU Extension website
or contact your local OSU
Extension office. https://
extension.oregonstate.edu/
announcements/wildfire-re-
sources-agriculture-live-
stock-producers
Morrow County
54173 Hwy 74
Heppner, OR 97836
Main Office 541-676-9642
CALL
541-989-8221
ext 204
for more
information