Thh 11 6 13

Page 1

FOR UP-TO-DATE LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS FIND US ONLINE AT TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM

Headlight Herald

TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM • NOVEMBER 6, 2013

LONGEST-RUNNING BUSINESS IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY • SINCE 1888

‘It takes a village to take down a house’ Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office partners with other law enforcement agencies on drug search by Sayde Moser

smoser@countrymedia.net

Early Friday morning, Nov. 1, officers representing the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and the Tillamook, Manzanita and Rockaway Beach police departments huddled. Although the team cracked some jokes and shared a laugh, this wasn’t just another drill. With the Sheriff’s Office leading the way and the others providing back-up, the task force – search

Salmon Rendezvous to raise funds for hatcheries, habitat

warrant in hand – approached a house just south of Tillamook. The officers considered occupants of the building to be a moderate to highrisk threat. Ultimately, the morning’s work resulted in two arrests: • David Mayfield, for unlawful possession of methamphetamine and frequenting a known drug house • And Raymond Vermilyea, for unlawful possession of methamphetamine, frequenting a drug

house, and theft. Stolen property and unspecified amounts of methamphetamine were recovered in the house, said the officers. According to the lead detective on the case, Troy Jackson, a sergeant with the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, more arrests are expected. “The investigation is still ongoing,” he said. “This is what makes Tillamook County work, is because we all work

See RAID, Page A8

Photo by Sayde Moser

Tillamook County Sheriff Andy Long, far right, debriefs with law enforcement agencies that participated in raiding a south Tillamook residence Nov. 1. Two arrests were made, said officials.

Riding a high horse

By Joe Wrabek

jwrabek@countrymedia.net

Clydesdales while Sean was working in the central Oregon community of Redmond shoeing horses. There, he met a farmer who had Clydesdales and eventually went to work for him. “I just got the bug,” said Sean. When the farm was sold, Sean returned to Tillamook to work at the smoker selling jerky. But not long after, his dad, Bryce, bought a hitch wagon at a horse auction in Madras. Horses were needed to pull it. The family’s team, Double S Clydesdales, was born. After just two years of competition, the family owns 12 horses – and recently took third place at nationals. In addition to Sean, brother Adam and even their mom, Roni, drive the team in selected hitches. “It’s brought

A man who left his loaded gun behind in a downtown Tillamook movie theater late last year has been found not guilty of reckGary Quackenbush lessly endanONLINE gering Get caught another up on the perQuakenbush son, a case at class A tillamook misdeheadlight meanherald.com or. A unanimous jury in Tillamook acquitted Gary W. Quackenbush on Oct. 29. On Dec. 19, 2012, 12-year-old Colton McKinney found a loaded semi-automatic handgun in the Coliseum Theater. The gun had a round in the chamber and the safety off. The theater was packed with seventh-graders on a class trip to see the movie “The Hobbit.”

See HORSE, Page A7

See TRIAL, Page A3

By Joe Wrabek

jwrabek@countrymedia.net

A fishing contest that benefits fish? This Thursday and Friday, Nov. 7-8, the Northwest Salmon Rendezvous is hosting its 29thannual fishing contest to raise funds for hatchery and habitat improvements in Tillamook County. The event originally was organized by the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Fund, but “10 years ago, they decided to do other things,” said Tillamook fish-

See SALMON, Page A7

INDEX Classified Ads...............B5-8 Crossword Puzzle............ B2 Fenceposts....................B3-4 Letters.............................. A4 Obituaries......................... A6 Opinions........................... A4 Sports.........................A9-11

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

VOL. 124, NO. 45 $1.00

Jury acquits man who lost gun in theater

Courtesy photo

Brothers Sean and Adam Smith compete in “hitch” events at nationals with their team of Clydesdales. The brothers, who took an interest in hitch competitions only two years ago, took third in the nation this year.

Nation takes notice of local Clydesdales By Sayde Moser

smoser@countrymedia.net

What do you get when you mix a Tillamook family with nine Clydesdale horses and an old-fashioned “hitch” wagon? A winning team. “Hitch” is a competition that involves anywhere from one to eight horses pulling some type of wagon, plus a driver leading them. Teams are awarded points based on how their horses are judged. The judging is based on everything from how high the horses hold their heads, to how clean they are, how fit they are, their competitive spirit, how well their front and rear ends move, and how well they move together as a team. Hitch-style competitions date back

to the 1930s – likely, even earlier – when Clydesdales were used to pull plows and other farm equipment. Since the advent of tractors, these old-school hitches have been turned into competitions involving different categories of farm equipment. This year, brothers Adam and Sean Smith (along with their parents, Bryce and Roni Smith, who are owners of Tillamook Country Smoker in Bay City) have taken their team to a dozen different hitch competitions. The closest was in Denver. “We’re really the only team on the West Coast,” said Sean, 28, who’s the team’s primary driver. “There are some very long-standing hitches out there that are a part of the [American Clydesdale Association]. We’re kind of the new kids on the block.” The Smiths became interested in

Veterans to be honored at air museum By Joe Wrabek

FIND MORE VETERAN’S DAY COVERAGE ON PAGE A2

jwrabek@countrymedia.net

A Tillamook County Veterans Day commemoration once again will take place at the air museum south of the city of Tillamook. This year’s event, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 11, will honor veterans of the Vietnam War, said event coordinator John Sollman. Sollman, who is active in Bay City’s VFW Post 2848, saw military duty in both Korea and Vietnam. The celebration at the air museum is said to be the largest Veterans Day program on the Oregon coast and the second largest in the state. Activities will begin with a traditional “SOS” breakfast at the Air Base Café. (“SOS” is a traditional – but unprintable – military term, Sollman noted.) County veterans service officer Bill Hatton kicks off the formal itinerary at 9:30 a.m. “You should arrive early to get a good seat,” Hatton advised. Last year’s Veterans Day commemoration ran out of chairs.

Photo courtesy of Lyle Jansma

Koren War veteran Don Adams recounts his experiences in the Navy during last year’s Veterans Day commemoration at the air museum. The day’s keynote speaker will be Ret. Col. Bert Key, a Marine who served in Vietnam, subsequently became a teacher thanks to the G.I.

Bill, and served in both the National Guard and Army Reserve. His last tour of duty was in Afghanistan, “but he’ll probably focus

on the Vietnam War” in his speech, Hatton said. Key is a former Oregon State commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. As in years past, the U.S. Coast Guard will post the colors, and the Tillamook High School Chorus and Community Chorus jointly will sing the anthems of the military services. Members of the colorful Clan Macleay Pipe Band of Portland will be back, too, Hatton and Sollman said. Musical entertainment will be provided by the Buffalo Kitty Band, playing Vietnam War-era songs. The Tillamook Community Band, a fixture at previous Veterans Day commemorations, won’t be present this year because not enough members could be assembled, Hatton

See VETS, Page A7


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.