Thh 7 14 13

Page 1

BOMBING

A CROWD

LOCAL KNITTERS DECORATE 4-H STAIRCASE, PAGE A6

HAVOC CREW HOSTS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL DERBY, PAGE A11

FAVORITE

WITH YARN

Headlight Herald

TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM • AUGUST 14, 2013

TAKING THE HEAT

Popular

phone scam returns by Joe Wrabek

jwrabek@countrymedia.net

Tillamook County Sheriff’s Department has advised that a popular scam for extracting cash from the elderly is back in Tillamook County. “Older people are getting calls saying, ‘Your grandkid’s been arrested in Mexico,’” detective Yvonne Garcia sald. Ostensibly, the grandkid went to Mexico because a friend had been killed there, and while there was pulled over by police who later found pot in the car. The callers are saying, “Don’t tell family members, just send $1,900,” Garcia said. “The ‘don’t tell anyone’ should be a red flag,” she said. The sheriff’s office heard about the phone scam from a potential victim, Garcia said. “He said he was ready to buy into it, and then decided something was fishy,” she said. “Most folks will do almost anything for their grandkids,” she noted. The phone scammers “are using an American Embassy type,” Garcia said. “They’re quite professional.” Anyone receiving one of these calls should contact the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Department.

LONGEST RUNNING BUSINESS IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY • SINCE 1888

Local firefighter talks about the Douglas County Complex fires By Sayde Moser

smoser@countrymedia.net

It’s been nearly three weeks since lightning sparked the Douglas Complex wildfires in southern Oregon. More than 45,000 acres have burned in Douglas and Josephine counties. Nearly 3,000 personnel are working to contain the damage. For the first two weeks, it was America’s highestpriority fire for resources. Vance Wetzel, a Tillamook Fire District volunteer for the past four years, was among the first firefighters

sent to the Douglas Complex. He returned home August 10 after 14 straight days on duty. Wetzel, 20, is studying at Tillamook Bay Community College to be an EMT. He is employed seasonally by Keith Whitehead Reforestation. Whitehead Reforestation sent a crew of 20, mostly from Tillamook, to Douglas County to help dig fire lines, back burn, dig hot spots and mop up. The company, founded in 1981, is located at 9000 Bewley Creek Road in Tillamook, according to informa-

tion available online. Wetzel said his crew was up every day at 4 a.m. for breakfast and to pack their gear. They usually were on the fire line by 6 a.m. “It’s normal to work about 12 to 16 hours a day,” he said. “But we worked days that were 19 hours or longer. “If we’re holding down a line, it’s normally pretty late days.” Added Wetzel, “If you want to fight fires, you have to be ready to work.” He said he had gained confidence before being sent to southern Oregon by

Photos courtesy of Oregon Department of Forestry

helping fight structure fires in Tillamook County. “I just don’t think about it,” he

said. “I just remember what

See FIRE, Page A6

Pigs ‘n classic

rigs

Photo by Sayde Moser

Left: Marty Walker takes home his third consecutive trophy in the Pig ‘N Ford races at the Tillamook County Fair. Read about the crowd-pleasing races on Page A10. Find more photos of this year’s county fair on Page A2 and at our website, www.tillamookheadlightherald.com.

INDEX Classified Ads...............B5-8 Crossword Puzzle............ A8 Fenceposts....................B3-4 Letters.............................. A4 Obituaries......................... A6 Opinions........................... A4 Sports.......................A10-11

First-ever Cloverdale cruise-in set next week

1908 2nd St. 503-842-7535 www.TillamookHeadlightHerald.com

VOL. 124, NO. 33 $1.00

By Julius Jortner

For the Headlight Herald

Courtesy photo

Graduates from the last class of Wheeler High School, before it was consolidated in 1954, recall some of their favorite memories.

School days ... 60 years later By Sayde Moser

smoser@countrymedia.net

They were members of the last class ever to graduate from Wheeler High School. That was 60 years ago, in 1953. The following year, the schools in what is now the Neah-Kah-Nie district consolidated into one high school north of Rockaway Beach. “We were quite a crazy group,” remembers Merry Lu Bowen, one of the 23 graduates.

Of those 23, 10 have passed away. Two – Gloria Shannon and Lenora Woods – are unaccounted for. Graduate Don McElrea says it was a pretty goodsized class to come out of that school. “One of the largest we ever had.” So was the gymnasium. “It was one of the best in the entire county,” he says. “It was the only one with a full-sized floor.” Amazing, too, was

See WHEELER, Page A3

If your interests run to classic cars, local music and delicious food, Cloverdale’s got a deal for you. The small town’s first-ever cruise-in begins at 5 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Garden Café, at the intersection of Bridge Street and U.S. Highway 101. Admission is free. “It’s a community thing,” said Tom Goodwin, one of the family event’s organizers. Goodwin owns the art gallery across the street from the Garden Café. Other sponsors include Dick and Ann Warren (Robert Warren Trucking), Phil and Beth Horine (The Philing Station), Eric and Diane Franklin (Garden Café), and Jeff and Carrie Turnbaugh (Nestucca Valley Auto Parts). “Nostalgia is a big part of this,” said Goodwin. Participants are invited to bring a hot rod, cruiser or any vehicle of choice. Low-riders, hi-boys, choppers, Ferraris … all are welcome. Visitors are invited to scout out the machinery (perhaps the tattoos, too) on display. • The Warrens will bring several of their classics, including a rare tri-power ’58 Chevy Impala (with original 3-carb engine) and a ’59 El Camino, which took first place at the recent cruise-in at The Dalles. • The Horines will bring a ’39 Ford 4-door convertible and a 1927 Chevrolet speedster (with a Ford Model B engine). • Goodwin will have his ’47 Ford 2-door and ‘48 Ford dump truck. • Don Fite, aka “Spiderman,” will be on hand to do pin striping.

tillamook farmers’ co-op New Cable Tie RaCk assoRTmeNT of ColoRs Different sizes and strengths

Order by August 16th for a special price

M-F 5am - 7pm Sat 6:30am - 7pm Sun 9am - 6pm

503-842-4457 Fax 503-842-7684 1920 Main Street North Tillamook, Oregon 97141

• Nicole Ruby will take car photos and accept orders for prints. • Richard Paris, a local solo performer, teacher and one-half of the duo Richwood, will serenade the crowd with guitar music and songs. On the evening of the cruise-in, the Garden Café will serve a hamburger-and-fries special for $5. Café owner Eric Franklin said, “I look forward to seeing a lot of people … Anything we local merchants can do to increase appreciation of Cloverdale is a positive.” For more information, call 503-329-8345.

Summer fill Special

NOW OPEN

Any size tank 120 gals and above. Tank must be filled to capacity and tank level must be less than 50%. Call for details.

H51124

Tillamook’s Country Store

serving tillamook county since 1935

Photo by Julius Jortner

Eric and Diane Franklin pose outside Cloverdale’s Garden Café with Tom Goodwin’s 1947 Ford 2-door.

commercial & Office (503) 842-6220 Home Delivery Toll Free (877) 339-4572 1813 5th Street, Tillamook (South and directly behind Safeway)


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