Armond Cyriel Nobel died at his home on March 10.  

He was born on April  11, 1930.

Nobel is survived by his wife, Joyce; son, Frank; daughters, Chris, Kathy, Jean, Colleen and Joan; brothers, Joseph, Bendix, George, Emil and Carol; and sister, Linda.

Contributions in Nobel’s memory can be made to the Harney County Senior Citizen Center, in care of LaFollette’s Chapel, P.O. Box 488, Burns, OR 97720.

There will be a family gathering at the Nobel’s residence on Friday, March 20 at 1 p.m.

The Harney County Cattlewomen will be hold a quarterly meeting on March 18, at Glory Days Pizza, from  5:30 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, call Melodi Molt at 573-1519.

Harney Partners for Kids and Families meets on the third Wednesday of each month at noon, at Glory Days Pizza. Lunch is provided, please RSVP to Michelle Bradach, president.

Babe Ruth meets the third Wednesday of each month in the courthouse basement meeting room, 450 North Buena Vista, at 7 p.m.

Oregon Hunters Association is for all hunters, whether rifle, bow, shotgun, muzzle loader or other. The local chapter meets at Linda’s Thai Room, the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m and is followed by a board meeting.

Storytime for preschoolers is scheduled at the Harney County Library, 80 West D St., each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Contact the Harney County Library for more information at 573-6670.

Burns Fire Dept. meets each Wednesday at the Burns Fire Hall at 7 p.m.

Burns Elks Lodge, 118 North Broadway, meets each Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets each Wednesday at the Foursquare Church at 7 p.m.

Burns Planning Commission meets the third Thursday of each month at Burns City Hall, 242 South Broadway, at 7 p.m.

Harney County Historical Society meets the third Thursday of each month at the Elks Lodge, 118 North Broadway, at 11:45 a.m. Speaker for the meeting will be Dan Braden of the Burns BLM archaeology department. His program will focus on the life and history of General Wm. S. Harney.

The Alternative Energy Club (AEC) meets the third Thursday of each month at Harney County Library, 80 West D Street, at 7 p.m.

Silvies River Spinners meets the third Thursday of each month at 650 East Washington at 7 p.m.

Chamber Music Bell Choir meets each Thursday at 6:30 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 393 West A. St. Bell ringers are being recruited. For information, call Carol Sawyer, 573-6886.

Tai Chi is held every Thursday at the Harney County Senior and Community Services Center, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. All ages are welcome to participate.

Kiwanis Club of Burns-Hines meets for a no-host luncheon each Thursday at Glory Days Pizza, 690 Oregon Avenue, at noon.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly meets each Thursday at Hines City Hall, 101 East Barnes, at noon. Call 573-2896.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets each Thursday at the Foursquare Church, at 7 p.m.

Oregon Old Time Fiddlers, District 9, meets the first, third and fourth Friday of each month. Call Julia at 573-2770, for time and place.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Friday at Foursquare Church at 7 p.m.

The Savvy Bridal Show will be presented by the Harney County Fair on March 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Harney County Fairgrounds Memorial Building. For more information, call 573-6447.

Burns Butte Sportsman’s Club will be sponsoring a “Thing” shoot on Saturday, March 21, beginning at 10 a.m. The shoot will be held at the trap range on Radar Hill. Practice will run from 9-10 a.m. All levels of shooters are welcome and encouraged to attend and win some “thing.” Lunch will be available.

A National Guard Send-Off will be held at the Armory on March 21. For more information, call Guy McKay at 573-3204.

A child safety seat clinic, sponsored by Harney County Safe Communities, will be held at the Burns Fire Department on Saturday, March 21, from 9 a.m.-noon. Car seats will be available for purchase.

Alanon holds an open meeting each Saturday at Foursquare Church at 7 p.m.

The Harney County Health Department will be available at the Harney County Senior Center, 17 South Alder, to check blood pressure the fourth Monday of each month from 1-3 p.m. There is no charge for the clinic and results can be forwarded to a physician or nurse practitioner at your request.

Order of Eastern Star meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at the Burns Masonic Hall, 1210 West Taylor, at 7:30 p.m.
HDH Sports & Physical Therapy will offer a free athletic injury clinic at that facility, 559 West Washington, every Monday from 5-6 p.m. A physical therapist will assess and treat athletic injuries and provide education for athletes and parents on self management of injuries. For more information, call 573-1543.

The Hines Volunteer Fire Department meets at the Hines Fire Hall each Monday at 7 p.m. (except the last Monday of the month). Prospective members may contact Fire Chief Bob Spence at 573-7477 or 573-2251.

The Burns Lions Club meets each Monday at noon at the Burns Elks Lodge, 118 N. Broadway, for lunch. Those interested in serving the community are welcome.

Narcotics Anonymous holds an open meeting each Monday at 7 p.m. at Foursquare Church.

A breast cancer support group meets the fourth Tuesday of each month in the Harney District Hospital conference room, from 5:30-7 p.m. For more information, contact Sonni at 573-5750.

Harney County Chamber Music Society Choir meets the second and fourth Tuesday, September-November and January-March. The choir meets in the Burns High School band room, from 7-8:30 p.m., with Marianne Andrews directing. Singers ages 13-up are welcome.

Tai Chi is held every Tuesday at the Harney County Senior and Community Services Center, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. All ages are welcome to participate.

Patient Assist, Needy Med Program trained volunteers will be at the Harney County Senior Center each Tuesday, from 1-4 p.m. For appointments call the Senior Center at 573-6024.

Boy Scout Troop 440, sponsored by the Burns Lion’s Club, meets each Tuesday from 7-8:30 p.m. at the LDS Church in Hines. Boys ages 11-18 are welcome to join.

Alcoholics Anonymous holds an open meeting each Tuesday at Foursquare Church, at 7 p.m.

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

At the beginning of the basketball season, the Burns Hilanders girls team adopted the theme of “Leave No Doubt.” On Saturday, March 7, as the final seconds of the Class 3A State Tournament championship game at Willamette University in Salem ticked off, there was no doubt as to who the best team was.

After leading by one at halftime, the Hilanders outscored Santiam Christian 25-16 in the second half to come away with a 42-32 win and the first-place trophy.

“This was a sweet win for us,” Burns coach Alice Herauf said. “The team fired themselves up by saying, ‘It’s East versus West, No. 1 versus No. 2, public versus private.’ Then they went out and got it done.”

Despite getting some good looks at the basket, the Hilanders couldn’t get a shot to fall in the opening minutes of the game and found themselves trailing 6-0. Following a Burns’ timeout, the Hilanders’ Mattea Zabala knocked down a 3-pointer to spark a 13-0 run which stretched into the second quarter.

“During the timeout, I just told them that we have to do our stuff, work the ball inside and look for the cuts,” Herauf said. “Then Mattea goes out and drills the 3-pointer.”

The Eagles, led by Tayla Woods’ six points, battled back to grab a 16-13 lead with a little less than two minutes to go in the half.

The Hilanders’ Taylor Lee then worked herself free for two baskets to give Burns a 17-16 lead at the half.

The Burns’ defense took charge in the third quarter, holding the Eagles to just six points while the offense was busy putting 12 points on the board.

The Hilanders upped their lead to as much as 11 points in the fourth quarter, forcing the Eagles to foul and hope for the best. That strategy failed however, as Burns made 9-of-10 free throws to pick up the win and the state championship.

The state championship is the third for the Hilanders in the eight years they have been coached by Herauf and her assistants Jake Thompson and Terri Lee. The other titles came in 2004 and 2006.

“I’d like to thank the fans, the community for their support, and what a great crowd at the tournament,” Herauf said. “Plus I’ve got two great assistant coaches in Jake and Terri.”

Herauf also credited every player for the team’s achievement. “Without our bench acting as the scout team in practice, getting us ready, this wouldn’t have happened. Everybody is part of the win.”

Zabala scored 18 points to lead all scorers in the championship game and was the team leader in rebounds with 10.

Courtney Toney was also in double figures for Burns, finishing with 10. Ashley Schouviller added six points, Lee four, Jamie Higle and Brea Ribeiro had two each.

Zabala was also named the Qwest Player of the Game for Burns, while Woods was presented with the honor for Santiam Christian.

Woods led the Eagles in scoring with 13 points despite fouling out with 5:43 left to play in the game.

Following the presentation of trophies and individual medals, it was announced that Zabala and Ribeiro were both named to the All-Tournament First Team.

1    2    3    4   Final
Bur      9    8   12   13     42
S.C.      6   10    6   10     32

Zabala 6-12 5-6 18; Toney 3-5 4-6 10; Higle 1-1 0-0 2; Lee 2-4 0-0 4; Ribeiro 0-5 2-2 2; Schouviller 2-4 2-2 2.
Rebounds — Zabala 10, Toney 5, Lee 3, Higle 1.
Assists — Ribeiro 6, Zabala 4, Higle 2, Toney 1, Schouviller 1.
Blocked shots — Zabala 4.
Steals — Zabala 5, Toney 3, Higle 3, Ribeiro 2, Schouviller 2.
Fouls — Higle 5, Zabala 2, Toney 2, Schouviller 2, Lee 1.
Turnovers — Toney 4, Ribeiro 4, Higle 3, Lee 2, Zabala 1.

•••

The Burns Hilanders advanced to the Class 3A championship game with a 46-32 win over Warrenton on Friday, March 6.

Ribeiro scored 16 points, including two 3-pointers, and Zabala added 14 to lead the Hilanders to the victory.

Burns fell behind 5-2 early in the game, but their defense then kicked into high gear and forced several Warrior turnovers, which resulted in baskets and a 9-5 lead by the end of the first quarter.

After scoring four points in the first quarter, Ribeiro dropped in eight in the second quarter as the Hilanders outscored Warrenton 14-6 for a 23-11 halftime lead. The Hilanders’ defense also did their part in the first half, forcing 18 turnovers and coming up with 14 steals.

The Hilanders led 34-18 by the end of the third quarter, and after seven more points by Zabala in the first half of the fourth quarter, both coaches cleared their benches.

Zabala and Brooklyn Campbell of Warrenton were selected as the Qwest Players of the Game for the two teams.

1    2    3    4   Final
War      5    6    7   14     32
Bur      9   14   11  12    46

Ribeiro 6-10 1-3 16; Zabala 6-15 1-4 14; Schouviller 2-3 3-3 7; Higle 2-8 1-1 5; Lee 1-1 0-0 2; Nonnenmacher 0-0 1-4 1.
Rebounds — Zabala 8, Lee 5, Schouviller 3, Ribeiro 2, Toney 1.
Assists — Zabala 5, Ribeiro 4, Higle 2, Toney 1, Schouviller 1, Lee 1.
Steals — Higle 6, Zabala 5, Ribeiro 4, Shouviller 3, Toney 2, Lee 2, Root 1.
Fouls — Zabala 3, Higle 2, Toney 1, Ribeiro 1, Schouviller 1, Root 1, McConnell 1.
Turnovers — Zabala 8, Ribeiro 3, Higle 1, Fisher 1, Toney 1, McConnell 1.

•••

The Hilanders showed they were a force to be reckoned with in the opening game of this year’s Class 3A State Tournament as they completely dominated the Myrtle Point Bobcats in a 54-17 win.

Burns’ defense had the Bobcats treed every step of the way as they forced 36 turnovers and recorded 38 steals. By giving up just  17 points, the Hilanders set a new 3A record for least amount of points scored by an opponent.

Burns broke the game open in the second quarter by outscoring Myrtle Point 18-5 and taking a 27-10 halftime lead.

Things didn’t get any better for the Bobcats in the second half, as the Hilanders outscored them 15-4 in the third quarter, and then held them to just three points in the final period.

Ribeiro dropped in 15 points to lead Burns in scoring, and she was also named the Qwest Player of the Game for the Hilanders.

Toney finished with nine points and Lee added eight.

1    2    3    4   Final
Bur      9   18  15   12     54
M.P.      5   5     4    3      17

Ribeiro 6-8 3-4 15; Toney 3-5 2-3 9;  Lee 4-4 0-0 8; Higle 1-3 5-6 7, Zabala 2-6 2-2 6; Fisher 1-2 2-3 4, Schouviller 1-4 0-1 2, McConnell 1-1 0-0 2, Siegner 0-0 1-2 1, Nonnenmacher 0-1 0-0 0, Root 0-1 0-0 0, Dinsmore 0-1 0-0 0.
Rebounds — Zabala 7, Toney 4, Lee 4, Ribeiro 1, Root 1, Fisher 1.
Assists — Ribeiro 8, Toney 5, Zabala 2, Schouviller 2, Lee 1, Fisher 1.
Blocked shots — Zabala 2.
Steals —  Toney 10, Ribeiro 7, Schouviller 5, Lee 5, Zabala 3, Higle 2, Nonnenmacher 2, McConnell 2, Root 1, Fisher 1.
Fouls — Ribeiro 3, Toney 2, Higle 2, Lee 2, Zabala 1, Schouviller 1, Siegner 1.
Turnovers — Zabala 6, Fisher 4, Toney 3, Ribeiro 2, Higle 2, Lee 2, Schouviller 1.

“It was the defense that won this tournament for us,” Herauf said. “We played against three of the best point guards in the state and kept them in check.”

Herauf also praised her team’s leadership. “The three seniors, Mattea, Courtney and Ashley were team captains, and they were tremendous leaders all year long.” Herauf stated. “Another team motto was, ‘Take a stand, leave a legacy.’ Led by these three seniors, we did that.”

Facility already cut back days and hours of operation

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

The future of recycling in Harney County is in question as the 4R Recycle Center may close its doors at the end of the month.

4R facility manager Wayne Baron said the last day of operation will be March 28. He has had to cut his days of operation from six to three per week. Currently, the facility is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Baron said that it costs about $8,500 per month to run the facility and currently, there is no market for recycling. The economic downturn has affected the recycling industry drastically. Material that used to fetch $400 per ton has dropped to $40, and that has happened across the board from plastic to cardboard to paper. Baron said that metal still has value, and he can likely scrape together about $2,000 per month by recycling metal.

“I’m grabbing at everything I can possibly think of,” Baron said of his attempts to keep the facility open. “I’ve spent hours on the Internet searching for grants or loans.”

Harney County Judge Steve Grasty brought up the subject at the March 4 county court meeting. Burns Mayor Len Vohs, who was in attendance at the meeting, said that he and Burns City Manager Don Munkers met with Baron to discuss other options, which may or may not prolong the life of the business.

Grasty said that in the current market recycling cannot be done for free.

C&B Sanitary Service is the only other business that offers recycling of  items, which include cardboard, newspaper, e-waste, ferrous and non-ferrous metals and motor oil.

There will be a meeting on March 17 at the courthouse to discuss the future of recycling in Harney County. “If we can figure out a way to do it (keep the center open), I think I can hear all of us say, let’s do it,” Grasty said.

Initiative provides collaborative approach to forest health

A diverse group of more than 20 partners gathered on March 5 at the Harney County Community Center to celebrate an agreement to coordinate forest health restoration efforts for the 30,000-acre Jane watershed unit located in the Emigrant Creek Ranger District on the Malheur National Forest.

The collaborators on this project include the U.S. Forest Service, state agencies, local government, forest sector businesses, local contract loggers, environmental groups and local civic leaders.

The initiative, called the Harney County Restoration Collaborative, was established last March by Governor Ted Kulongoski as an Oregon Solutions project. This designation provides the framework under which partners can come together and assures participation of his staff and appropriate state agencies.

Governor Kulongoski has praised the collaborative efforts of Harney County, The High Desert Partnership and the Nature Conservancy to seek agreements to thin forests, reduce fire risks, and protect and create jobs.

Through this combined effort, they are working toward a common vision of long-term forest and community health. The initiative will be a model for similar collaborative projects needed to address federal forestland issues and meet the needs and interests of communities, businesses, government, conservation and environmental groups.

“Collaboration driven by local input is the Oregon way. It is through this approach that common ground is found,” Governor Kulongoski said. “Healthy forests and the jobs they can sustain and create are important to rural and urban Oregon. I strongly support efforts at the local, state, and federal level to ensure that Oregon has healthy and productive forests for future generations.”

Local discussions among the participating stakeholders over the past 12 months have generated statements of support that will offer multiple benefits for the citizens of Harney County, including wildfire risk reduction, increased forest health, local jobs, as well as improving water resources, and fish and wildlife habitat.

“We’ve gone out in the woods together with diverse perspectives and we ask each other, ‘What if we tried this idea? Would that work for you and if it doesn’t work, what are other ideas?’ Collaborating is not always easy to do, but we want to find solutions together that both benefit the forest and provide opportunities for local communities” Harney County Judge Steve Grasty said.

“The Harney County Restoration Collaborative demonstrates that it is possible for diverse interests to constructively work together to restore and revitalize forest ecosystems for nature and people,” said Russell Hoeflich, Oregon director for the Nature Conservancy. “We are committed to working with our partners to achieve a shared vision and to identify and support the actions that will ensure clean water, restore wildlife habitats and create jobs.”

A better, shared understanding of differing perspectives is enabled by the collaborative. “The role of the Blue Mountains Biodiversity Partnership in the Harney County Restoration Collaborative is to advocate for the needs of wildlife species, biodiversity and ecological integrity” Partnership Director Karen Coulter said. “We appreciate the collaborative members good faith commitment to finding and working from common ground together, as well as the growing mutual respect we have for each other.”

Jack Southworth, a local rancher and facilitator for the High Desert Partnership and this collaborative, feels “the High Desert Partnership can help keep this dialogue moving forward to help both Harney County and other localities facing similar issues with Federal forestlands and the needs of the community.”

Oregon Solutions grew out of the Oregon Sustainability Act of 2001, and is housed at Portland State University. The program promotes a new style of community governance based on collaboration, integration and sustainability. There are currently 10 Oregon Solutions projects under way across the state, with 38 completed over the past six years.

Oregon Solutions frequently partners with the Governor’s Economic Revitalization Team. The Governor’s Economic Revitalization Team provides critical assistance in bringing state and local government officials to the table on local Oregon Solutions projects.