Tot Awaits Santa,
Delicate Operation
By MAXINE NURMI
Observer Staff Writer
There's a sparkle in Debbie
'ynn Looslic's eyes when she
hears someone talk about Santa
Claus. She, like most other La
Grande youngsters, is anxiously
a wan inj the arrival of Jolly O'd
St. Nick on Christmas Eve.
But there is something even
more important in store for little
Debbie than the visit from Santa.
Debbie will undergo open heart
urgery at Portland's Do?rnbecher
Memorial Hospital Jan. 14.
The operation will be a major
event in the life of this charming
4-year-old youngster. A success
ful operation will give her a chance
to live a normal life.
From Missouri
Debbie was born March 19, 1955,
at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., where
her father was stationed with the
U. S. Army. Her heart condition
has existed since birth.
When Debbie was two years
old, her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Garry Looslie, took her to Doern
becher. Doctors at the well known
Oregon childrens hospital discov
ered an opening in her heart.
Open heart surgery is compara
tively new to medicine. The open
ing in the heart is "patched" with
a plastic-type material which will
expand as Debbie giows.
The surgery will require 23
pints cf blood. Area residents re
sponded to Debbie's ned for
b'ood at the Nov. 10 blood draw
ing here, with 13 pints of blood.
Other donors have signed up to
give blood on Debbie's behalf at
the next local drawing.
Western
Prepares
SEATTLE (UPIl Melting snows
in the mountains and heavy rains
today were swelling Western
Washington rivers to the point that
officials were gearing for a repeat
of the devastating floods which
hit the area late last month.
The Army Engineers were mov
ing into the areas threatened by
the rising Snohomish, Snoqualmie.
and Green rivers which dealt out
millions of dollars worth of dam
age just before Thanksgiving.
Last month's flooding closed all
major mountain passes to cross-state-motor
- and rail travel,
forced hundreds of families to
leave their homes, and wrecked
havoc with thousands of acres of
rich farmland. The area, its cross
state motor facilities still crippled
to some degree, was just begin
ning to return to normalcy.
Early today the Corps of Army
Engineers, which is coordinating
the flood fighting efforts, said the
Green River was expected to
reach a crest of 66 feet at 6 p m.
in the Kent-Auburn areas south of
here. The Snohomish River to the
north was expected to reach 29
feet by 3 p.m. Both figures would
put the rivers a foot or two lower
than last month's levels but still
would be considered dangerous
flood proportions.
The Snoqualmie River to the
west of here was reported two
feet below its previous high early
today and had already taken out
a temporary bridge built to re
place a span torn out during the
John L. Lewis
Will Retire
WASHINGTON IL'PH John
L. Lewis. 79. a turbulent titan of
the labor movement for 40 years,
announced today he will resign
as president of the United Mine
Workers early next month.
Lewis disclosed his unexpected
move in a leiter to members of
his union published in the United
Mine Workers Journal.
UMW Vice President Thomas
Kennedy, 72. former lieutenant
governor of Pennsylvania and a
national officer in the mine union
since 1925, will succeed Lewis.
Lewis gave no specific reason
for stepping down from the jtot
he has held since 1919.
HUGE CROWDS CHEER IKE President Eisenhower waves back to the theerig
crowds of more than a million Indians that acclaimed him as he and Indian Pnme
Minister Nehru (right) ride through the streets of New Delhi, India. The huge
throngs that greeted Eisenhower hailed him as a messenger of peace.
Mr. and Mrs. Locslie expressed
their gralitud- to all o' the persons
who have help.-d them.
Express Thinks
"We are forry that we don't
know all of the names of the pea
pie who have helped. u;e would so
much like to thank th-m in per
son." she said.
With the exception of the two
years which Lroslie spent In mili
tary service, the family has lived
in La Grande since 1HS2. Looslie
is employed by the Kldridge Pack
ing Co.
Debbie's favorite plavmale is
her two-year-old sister.' Lynda
Diane. Keeping up with the house
hold dog and cat keeps the bright
eyd pair occupied.
Debbie will leave for Portland.
Jan. 4 to enter the hospital. Mrs.
Looslie has made arrangements to
remain with Debbie unt?l she is
able to return to her horn?.
Two Weeks
If everything goes as planned,
Debbie will be back with her fami
ly two weeks after the o -Tatiun.
She will be confined to her bed
for about a month of convales
cence. When she is well, Debbie will
be able to begin life anew. She'll
be able to play with the toys
which Santa Claus brings her. .
And one day. littl? Debbie Loos
lie wi'l take her place with the
ether children her age. She will
thrill to the experiences of child
hood.
Medical science, with the aid
of loving parents and thoughtful
neighbors, will have given Debbie
a new lease on life.
Washington
For Floods
previous disaster. The Snoqualmie
is the stream which ate through
the four-lane U.S. highway 10 east
of Northbend, closing the vital
Snoqualmie Pass. Workmen just
this week reopened the pass to
one-way traffic.
Two other rivers, the Skagit and
the Stilliguamish, both in the
northwest portion of the state,
were reoorted rising and nearing
flood stages as well.
Civil defense a".d Red Cross or
ganizations were making prepa'o
tions tcday to move in if the situa
tion warrants. ' - '
WEATHER
Partly cloudy south, most
ly cloudy north tonight; few
showers north tonight and
Wednesday, spreading south
Wednesday; highs 44-58; low
tonight 35-45.
Sudden Snow
Through New
United Press International
A sudden snow storm, bearing
up to 10 inches of snow, swirled
through New Mexico today and
knifed into the Texas-Oklahoma
Panhandle
The storm spread rain, snow o
freezing rain over nearly all of
Texas and Oklahoma and paved
many southwestern highways with
ice.
The Weather Bureau issued bliz
zard warnings for northwestern
Oklahoma and Texas and cau
tioned drivers not to buck the
high winds and heavy drifts ex
pected during the day.
The storm closed eastbound
highways from Alberquerque and
stranded 100 drivers at Vega, Tex.
More than three inches of rain
pelted western Washington, melt
ing seven inches of snow in Stam
pede Pass and threatening the
state with its second devastating
flood in less than a month.
The rains and melting snow
combined to push the Snohomish.
Snoqualmia and Green rivers to
ward flood stage again. Army En
gineers moved in to prenare for
another round of flood fighting.
LA GRANDE OBSERVE
68th Issue
...... . .-
W at . Vi ' j i 'V .
v.
. ,Vs '
TELL ME MORE ABOUT SANTA
Debbie Looslie, right, and sister Lynda Diane, left, sit on their mother's lap listen
ing to stories of Christmas. They are the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Looslie.
Debbie will leave shortly after Christmas for Portland where she will undergo a
heart operation at the Doernbecher Memorial Hospital . (Observer Photo)
. i
i& r. m
I. . ' had
I - . ' bro
DEBORAH LOOSLIE
Storm Blasts
Mexico, Texas
Late last month, the three riv
ers went on a rampage, forcing
hundreds of families from their
homes, washing out thousands of
acres of rich farmland and cuUing
off all east-west ground transpor
tation across Washington.
TWO DAYS OF RELAXING
Ike Hops U.S. Warship After
Triumphant Good Will Junket
ABOARD U.S.S. ESSEX UPI i
President Eisenhower boarded
the cruiser De Moines today and
heaoed into the Mediterranean for
two days of rest from his tri
umphant good will mission that
has carried him 12,5"0 miles
through Europe, Asia and the
Middle East.
The sleek warship weighed on
" r
1 V-'
eW jeti ... lc
1 .
64th Year
... -y ,
v
k
w
V. ; T
Wallowa
Be Crash
WALLOWA (Special) A Wal
Iowa man's brother may be one
of 46 persons aboard a Colombian
(South American) airliner that
has been missing over the Car
ibhean Sea since last week.
Lee Burrows, Wallowa restau
rant operator, today said that he
received a telegram from his
ther's wife, stating that her
usband Gene. Bucrows was
missing In an airplane accident.
The Wallowa man said the tele
gram came from his sister-in-law
Julie, and her dauchter, Amelia
Gene Burrows married his wife
in Sculh America several years
Sffnikfk...
HELP FIGHT TB
, CHRISTMAS SEALS
chor and sta ted moving out of
Phaleron Bay at the conclusion of
the President's one-day visit to
Greece in which he again moved
through crowds of cheering thou
sands and praised "Greek valor
and heroism" in its struggle
against Communism.
His praise for Greece came in
a speech to Parliament, which
gave him a standing ovation when
he said he made his t'ip for
"peace and friendship and free
dom." The only jarring note came
from the left-wing bloc which
stared ahead in stony silence when
he sMke of the struggle against
CtmmuniAm and said Greece and
America would remain strong.
The left-wins bine has 78 mem
bers in the 3uO-mai Parliament.
The ruling pro-weste-n National
Radical Union, which cheered
every remark, nas wj.
V sts Inturea Boy
Travelling with the official party
ai.oard the ! .Moines were his
son and datifchler-in-law, Maj. John
and Barba. a Eisenhower.
Before leaving Athens, Ba b;ira
visi'ed the hospital bedside of
Th"o!ore Zervos, 6. who was criti
cally injuicil Monday while checr-i-g
for the Preside:.! as he drove
ir.to Athens.
She stroked the heck of the
small boy aw' tallied with his
mother.
The child was one of 22 injured
when a stone and iron wall col
lapsed under the weight of on
lookers. Thousands of Athenians, includ
ing girls in colorful Greek national
costume and soldiers holding bal
LA GRANDE,
f1
:4
it
t'i
Man May
Victim'
ago while he was in the employ
of an American oil company, So
cony. "The last time I saw Gene was
in the early 1950s," according to
Lee Burrows. The Wallowa man
said his brother was also assist
ing in the operation of a large
apartment dwelling, the Hotel
Quinta Evenida, Bocagrande, Car
legnit Colombia, S. A.
"Gone was stationed In the
Canal Zone aboard a Navy mine
sweeper during the war, fell in
love with the place and returned
there . after his discharge from
(he service," the Wallowa man
said.
Lee Burrows also added that
his brother came through a
bloody rebellion in Columbia "un
scathed" some years ago.
NEW GRAND JURY DRAWN
A new L'nion County Grand
Jury has been drawn. District
Attorney George Anderson Jr.,
said this morning.
Members of the jury are Oricn
F. Hue:. Elgin; Mr.?. Ruth Roulet,
Elgin; Roy Weigand, La Grande;
Alex McKenzie, La Grande; Fred
Behrcns, Summcrville; Mrs.
Marian Baxter, Union, and For
rest R. Barnhart. Union.
loons with Greek and American
flag designs, watched as the Pres
ident climbed into a helicopter for
his trip to the ship.
knroute, the helicopter swung
past the Acropolis and other glo
ries of ancient Greece before set
ting down on the cruiser's after
deck.
It was raining hard as the
President left.
Eisenhower's state of health con
tinued to amaze his staff.
"He's stood the trip better than
any of us," said Press Secretary
James C. Hagerty.
President is Pleated
As he addressed Parliament his
voice was strong without any
trace f hoa seness a id he ap
peared to be in energetic spirits.
The president wa. exceedingly
pleased bv the results of his trip.
One White House source said
seldom had the President seemed
more self-confident and hopeful of
the future, so buoyed up was he
over the days ol adulation and
cheering public acceptance in for
eign lands.
r.iseihower. however, was rep
resented as realizing that the
cheers of the people of India and
Pakistan . won't rl"g nearly as
loudly once he confronts the re
alistic problems of western unity
at the Paris conference starting
this weekend.
The.Des Moines will cruise lei
surely westwa'd until Thursday
when the President stops at Tunis.
Then it will steam northward
across the Mediterranean to Tou
lon, France, where the President
will land Friday afternoon and
take a sneci.-il train lo Paris.
ORFGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1959
Commie
jMass
BANK DEVICE
'BACKFIRES'
MORRISTOWN, N.J. (UPD
A security device of the First
National Iron Benk of Mor
ristown hs been catching the
wrong persons.
For the third time this
yeer, the bank's tear gas sys
tem went off unexpectedly.
The staff burst into tears.
Airman In
Fair Shape
After Wreck
William Schepper, 18. Portland,
was in fair condition at St. Jo
seph Hospital here Tuesday morn
ing as a result of injuries suffer
ed Sunday morning in an auto
collision with lumber truck
west of the city.
Schepper and his companion,
Alvin Lee Scott, 23, Portland,
were hospitalized. Scott suffered
a fractured hip and pelvis
Schepper suffered severe head
injuries.
Both Airmen
Both men are stationed at Niles
Air Force Base, Montana.
Driver of the Utah Pacific
lumber rig was Jerald Shearer
Cloverdalc, Ore. He was unhurt,
police said. Shearer said he was
heading east on Highway 30
when the 1954 car slid into the
trailer of the truck at a curve.
The accident occurred at 3 a.m.
Scott, driver of the auto, how
ever, told police that the trail
er slid into hut vehicle) No ci
tation has been issued pending
final reports of investigating officers.
Veteran Policeman Cap Myer
In Resignation
Resignation of Capt. Arnold C.
Cap" Myer, veteran of 17 years
as a law enforcement ollicer in
Grande, was announced today
by Police Chief Oliver Reeve. The
resignation is effective Jan. 1,
1960.
Myer, in his letter to the chief.
expressed a feeling of regret in
leaving the department but stat
ed that he has an opportunity
to enter private business.
The veteran officer moved to
La Grande in 1943 with his wife
and five children. He entered
law enforcement April 12, 1943,
and worked up through the ranks.
Myer, in years of service, has been
with the department longer than
any other member.
Since his appointment to the
department, Myer has served
under five different chiefs. '
Valuable Officer
Myer's children, three boys and
two girls, have all graduated from
La Grande High School with the
exception of the youngest who
was born here.
sm ie tW.t-aV ' - ' If I i;-m.i wi 1
CHRISTMAS CONCERT DUE TONIGHT
Members of La Grande High School mus ic groups and directors discuss plans for
tonight's concert at dress rehearsal. Con cert, first of season, will be presented at
8 p.m. in school auditorium. Program wi II feature numbers by combined orchestra
and choral groups. Left to right, Jay Loren eon, president, Mixed Chorus; Mrs, Betty
Faulkner, director choruses; Norma Fei k, Girls' Chorus president; Nancy Evans,
front row, vice president, orchestra; R(c hard Mansfield, director orchestra, and
Larry Gribbs, president of orchestra. (Observer Photo)
8 Pg
At Border
NEPAL WORRIED OVER
RED CHINESE ACTIVITY
KATMANDU, Nepal d'PIi The Chinese Communists
have massed 100,000 troops and 400 planes within easy
striking distance of the Nopalese border, reports reaching
this Himalayan capital said today.
The Communist troops helped put down an anti-Communist
uprising in Tibet and now have rolled down to the
very border in some places, with 20,000 of them stationed
opposite ine :epalese bonier
checkpoint of Wolungelumgola.
Nepal has been worried for
months by the Chinese Communist
actions in Tibet, and Defense Min
ister M.B. Gurung made an in
spection toiu- of the northern
frontier and reported "heavy con
centrations" of the Communist
Army there.
Maps Revised
Maps issued in IViping show
some regions of Nepal as Commu
nist territory but there have been
only frequent repo ts of any ac
tual Communist incursions into
Nepalese territory. The maps also
show parts of India. Sikkim and
Bhutan as Chinese.
Sikkim and Bhutan are Indian
protectorates and India is resiwn
sible for their defense. Nepal is
an independent kingdom and an
Indian Government statement that
an attack on Nepal would be re
garded as an attack o:i India pro
duced misgivings here, with gov
ernment officials apparently ner
vous about getting embroiled with
Peiping.
Troops Few Days Away
Gurung, in his n ixirt on his
northern inspection lour, told the
independent English language
newspaper Daily Commoner, that
the Chinese also have mull up
all-weather roads linking Nepal's
border with Tibetan towns and
that troops arc only a few days
march from the bonier.
Unofficial sources here said the
Chinese recently constructed a
strong land and an" loree depot
at Uignrcha in Tibet 0 week's
march by troop through- I he
mountain passes but only a few
minutes by plane.
From Force
I have know and found Cap
tain Myer's honesty and loyally
to the chief as well as to the city
of Grande to be above re
proach. He has been very capable
in matters of office procedure
and enforcement of rules and,
regulations of the department.
It is with regret that I accept
this resignation as Captain Myer
is a very valuable man to the
department and has been an asset
to the office," Reeve said.
Myer's resignation marks the
third change in police depart
ment personnel in the past three
months. One patrolman resign
cd to attend college and the de
partment hired a new clerk-matron.
Reeve has requested the city
commission to create the position
of records clerk in the depart
ment to fill the vacancy left by
Myer. The position would entail
the classification, filing and
identification of fingerprints in
addition to other records work.
Five Centt
Nice Dies
Following
Accident
RAKER (Special) Glenn Nice,
l'nion Pacific Railroad employe -from
I .a Grande, died at 12:33 a.
m. Tu"sday in the St. Elizabeth
Hospital here.
Nice, of 210.T4 Cedar St., La
Grande, was Injured Sunday mor
ning when the car in which he
was a passenger collided with
a Greyhound bus near this city.
Frank J. Herron. 307 Spring
St., I.a Grande, was killed in the
wreck.
Hospital attendants said that
Jim Herron. the other passenger
had "a fairly good night."
Oxman Overpass
Oregon Slale Police from Bak
er investigated the mishap wrucn
occurred at the Oxman overpass.
Sixteen passengers were in the
litis at the time of the accident,
but escaped injuries.
Nice, 41, is survived by his
widow, Jcana M:ic Nice, and two
(ins, Kenneth and James Nice,
I.a Grande; parents, Mr. and Mrs.
, Harry Nice, North Powder, and
great grandfather, James Wicks,
urlh Powder.
Nice resided here for IB years,
was a member of the BLF & E.
l'nion Pacific Junior Old Timers
ind Western Steam Siends. A
veteran of World War II, he was
born at North Powder.
Funeral services will be held at
2:30 p.m. Thursday at Daniels
Funeral Home, in charge of Rev.
Louis Samson, with interment in
llillcrest Cemetery.
1
Death Penalty
For Cubans
HAVANA i UPI i -A Cuban rev
olutional tribunal today ordered
firing Miiad executions for two
men accused of forming an armed
opposition to Premier Fidel Cas
tro's govennment.
The executions, if carried out,
would be the first by firing
squads since midsummer. During
i lie first half of -the year, more
than 300 persons were executed
by firing squads.
Today's death sentences were
meted out in Pinar del Rio to
femer army Cpl. Luis Lara Cres
no and Jose Antonio Vinccnte
Morffi Reyes.
Another 28 persons, all Cubans,
received sentences ranging from
10 to 30 years imprisonment.