Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 14, 2024 -- THREE
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District Bond Committee
reviews Irrigon Jr/ Sr
High School
Specials 8/15 8/21
Stomping grounds
I thought I’d be nice
and help the horses out
with those pesky flies this
morning, especially since
one horse’s tail has been
rendered inoperable for fly
removal (shortened either
by a bad dog or bad goat….
nobody’s talking). So, I
mixed up some spray and
was thoroughly saturating
them (and me) with Per-
methrin when the atten-
tion-hog-in-your-pocket
mare got impatient and
moved in, planting her foot
squarely on my toes. If
you’ve never had a horse
step on our foot…it feels
a bit like stubbing all five
toes at once. And it’s not
like they lift it off politely
and say “OH …I’m sorry!”
They just stand there….
ignoring your screams,
flailing arms, and feeble
attempts at moving their
900 plus pounds in the other
direction. Eventually, they
might, per chance, decide
to pick up a hoof, but they
don’t just pick it up. They
have to pivot a bit…like
they’re trying to put out a
cigarette butt. Meanwhile,
you’re stuck there, trying
to keep your balance and
your current level of con-
sciousness.
Now I know what you
horse people are saying…
teach them to “move away
from pressure.” Yes, I know
all that and have taught
them all well (thank you
Clinton Anderson). But
there’s something different
about the horse-on-foot
thing. It’s like they know
they’ve got you captive
and that you’re usually a
mile away from anything
that can inflict pain. I also
know that a horse can feel
a fly land on their back, so
I’m pretty sure they can feel
my fists pounding wildly on
their hide. On a positive
note…in the EMS world,
we call this a “distracting
injury.” Takes the mind off
any other lesser injuries,
pain, or problems, e.g.….
aching back, sick cow, bro-
ken tractor…etc.…etc.
So, after several weeks
with a heck of a sore (bro-
ken) toe that’s finally start-
ing to heal…. with a minor
setback involving stubbing
of same toe…. I’ve come
to really appreciate all 10
toes. I’ve also come to re-
alize the value of knowing
where your toes are at all
times. I’ve decided that,
when sitting on a stool and
snuggling up to a milk cow,
one must strategically place
one’s feet so that they are
out of harm’s way just in
case your half ton bovine
decides to move her toes (1
hoof=2 toes).
I am usually very astute
concerning the placement
of both mine and Rosie’s
feet. So, when she decides
to back up and gives me
a split-second warning by
raising her head and giving
me “the look” …. I grab
the bucket, the stool and
move my feet…. all with
cat-like-reflexes. I don’t’
know how I missed her cue,
but I must have, because
while I was busy aiming for
the middle of the bucket,
squeezing in time to my
rendition of “Another One
Bites the Dust” A Capella,
her front hoof became firm-
ly planted on my GOOD
foot.
With the last hoof-on-
foot-mashed-toe episode
still fresh in my mind, sheer
panic took hold…. com-
plete with rapid pulse, in-
creased respirations, chest
pain and a very clear feeling
of impending doom. Un-
til…. I realized that she was
only on the end 1 ½” of the
boot, which didn’t contain
any toes. I had bought these
boots a size and a half too
big…specifically to house
my broken toe. Whew!
Thank you, Lord……it’s
the little things.
B y S u s i e C r o s b y,
Prineville, OR.
WCCC Ladies play day results
There were 3 players
in the ladies’ gameplay at
the Willow Creek Country
Club on August 13 th . The
weather was sunny and
cool. The results are as
follows; Low Gross of the
field was Virginia Grant.
The low Net field was Kris
Linder. The least putts of the
field was Karen Thompson.
Upcoming events include
the Women’s Club Cham-
pionship is August 27 th and
28 th . If anyone interested
in playing should contact
Virginia Grant at 541-626-
8426 or Karen Thompson at
541-980-5127.
WCCC Sunday Men’s Play
Eighteen participated
in the 2-man best ball on
Sunday August 11 th , at Wil-
low Creek Country Club.
The results are as follows:
Net- 1 st Dallas Harsin-Dale
Holland 49.5, 2 nd Tim Hed-
man-Curt Day. Gross- 1 st
Dave Pranger-Dennis Peck
61, 2 nd Charlie Fergu-
son-Barry Munkers 64.
The next Sunday play
will be the par three chal-
lenge on August 18 th . Char-
lie Ferguson and Dave Gun-
derson will be in charge.
MCSO apprehends felon
Marvin Strickland,
a resident of Boardman,
Oregon, was arrested by
the MCSO after a felony
warrant was issued for his
apprehension. The MCSO
effectively captured Strick-
land earlier this week, af-
ter he attempted to evade
authorities in Lexington,
Oregon. A Facebook post
warning the community of
Lexington suggested that
he might have been under
the influence of drugs and
not in a stable mental state.
Lunch
& Dinner
Menu
Pictured is the shoring work that was completed in the main
hallway at Irrigon Jr Sr High during December 2023.
-Photo contributed
(Irrigon) – Morrow
County School District has
developed a Community
Bond Advisory Commit-
tee (CBAC) comprised of
community members to
develop recommendations
for district bond projects.
The CBAC has met month-
ly since February 2024
to review district facility
needs. Part of their work
has focused on Irrigon Jr/Sr
High School (IJSHS).
During the summer of
2023, IJSHS was slated to
receive some upgrades to
its HVAC (Heating, Ven-
tilation, Air/Conditioning)
system. When the work
began, some of the original
ceiling and drywall areas
that had been covered since
the school was built in 1978
were exposed. Structural
deficiencies in the roof-
to-wall connection were
discovered and brought
to the attention of district
administration.
According to Bran-
di Sweeney, Maintenance
Coordinator for MCSD,
the deficiencies were cov-
ered by the ceiling tiles
from the drop ceiling and
there would not have been
a way to see the structural
deficiencies in the years
since the school was built.
“Because of the finished
drywall, as in any building
that is completed, the defi-
ciencies were not visible.
The district had never been
aware of potential structural
issues in this school build-
ing,” Sweeney said.
Immediately, district
staff worked with two struc-
tural engineers from Vector
Structures, LLC and Pillar
Consulting Group, Inc.,
and a local contractor from
Rock Enterprises, Inc. Their
task was to design and in-
stall temporary shoring in
the building to make it safe
for staff and students. The
first phase of the shoring
was done during Winter
Break in December 2023
and the second phase was
completed during Spring
Break in March 2024. “We
are so appreciative of the
dedication of the contractor
and his crew. Their willing-
ness to work long hours and
weekends to complete the
necessary work was vital to
making the building safe for
staff and students without
disruption to their educa-
tion,” said Matt Combe,
MCSD Superintendent.
Morrow County School
District has spent about
$372,000 on the temporary
shoring. Combe said, “We
want to ensure the commu-
nity that the building is safe,
but this is a short-term solu-
tion.” Moving forward, the
district will have the build-
ing inspected once a year
by a professional structural
engineer until a long-term
plan is established.
The CBAC is currently
considering next steps for
IJSHS as part of their com-
mittee discussions.
HFD to host a free public BBQ
August 25th
-Continued from PAGE ONE firefighting, activities for
are required and enforced to
make sure each fireman is
prepared for combat. For
each “call” the firemen go
out on, they receive $15,
whether it lasts 1 hour or
16. This saves millions
in taxpayer funds for the
residents of the greater
Heppner area.
Community Engage-
ment and Education
Beyond emergen-
cy response, the Heppner
Fire Department is deeply
involved in community
outreach and education.
Programs such as fire safe-
ty education in schools,
community CPR training,
and free smoke alarm in-
stallations are vital compo-
nents of their service. These
initiatives not only enhance
public safety but also foster
a strong bond between the
department and the commu-
nity it serves.
Celebrating 125 Years
To commemorate this
landmark anniversary, the
Heppner Fire Department
is hosting an Open House
with a free public BBQ on
August 25, 4-6 pm. Also
featured for the public’s
enjoyment will be a his-
torical exhibit showcas-
ing the department’s rich
history, latest techniques
and demonstrations for
children, and a formal cer-
emony honoring past and
present firefighters. “We
are hoping families will
attend and enjoy our depart-
ments rich history and fam-
ily centered events.” Says
Katilyn Zinter, first female
firefighter and Department
training officer. “We will
have lots of fun events for
every age.”
Fire Chief Steve Rhea
expressed his gratitude to
the community for their
unwavering support over
the years. “This anniversa-
ry is not just about the fire
department; it’s about the
entire Heppner community.
Our success and longevity
are a direct result of the
strong partnership we have
with the people we serve.
We are deeply honored
to be part of this commu-
nity and look forward to
continuing our service for
many more years to come.”
As Heppner celebrates
125 years of its fire depart-
ment, it also looks ahead
to the future, with plans to
further enhance its services
and capabilities. The legacy
of the Heppner Fire De-
partment is one of courage,
commitment, and commu-
nity—a legacy that will
undoubtedly continue to
inspire future generations.
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Thursday - meatball sub and potato salad
Friday - Chicken fried steak sandwich &
hashbrowns
Saturday - Chili Burger and jojos
Monday - Buffalo chicken wrap & tortilla chips
Tuesday - pepperoni cream cheese bagel
sandwich & macaroni salad
Tuesday Night - 6-9pm $2 hard shell tacos
Wednesday - 1/2 order biscuits and gravy,
hashbrowns, sausage
Pat & Trish Sweeney's Retirement Party
Join us to celebrate Pat & Trish Sweeney's retirement!
August 24 at 6:00 at the Heppner Elks Lodge
Dinner provided. No host bar. Casual attire.
No gifts, but cards are welcome.
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New Listing
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605 Pioneer Dr Heppner