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Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, July 1, 1954
71st Year, Number 16
ifepttet
Voters
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AHCHITECT'S DRAWING of the planned new Heppner elementary
school which will be built immediately if voters approve a
requested $325,000 bond issue at the next Tuesday's special
election. The building wi 11 face Main street and will be lo
cated on lend now occupied by Tum-A-Lum Lumber company
and that owned by the city for park purposes. Plans call for
10 classrooms in the two rear wings, a library which can be
used as an 11th classroom, furnace room and offices will be lo
cated in the front section facing the street. The building is
Revised Plans Call
For Ten Classroom
Elementary Building
The voters of school district No.
1 wll go to the polls next Tuesday,
July 6 to decide the fate of a
requested $325,000 bond issue re
quested by the school board to
finance olnstructon of a new
elementary school building for
the district.
The election wll be held at the
Heppner school and the polls will
be open from 2 to 8 p. m.
The school, which has been the
subject of long discussion and
planning both by members of at
least two entirely new school
boards, as well as by many resi
dents of the district, is planned
for the Tum-A-Lum site in down
town Heppner, immediately ad
jacent to the present school plant.
The site was approved several
months ago at a special election
giving the board the opportunity
to go ahead with definite build
ing plans.
Original board discussion cen
tered around a 12 room building
with a multipurpose room which
could be used for a cafeteria,
auditorium and general meeting
room, but the cost of such a struc
ture was estimated by architects
to run about $375,000 which the
board felt was more than it and
taxpayers wished to spend. Re
vised plans eliminated two of the
classrooms and the multipurpose
room, but left intact room for a
library which can be used as an
additional classroom for the pre
sent time, reducing the estimated
cost to $250,000 for the building.
Purchase of the site, preparing it
for use, architects fees nnd other
incidentals will bring the total
estimated cost to $325,000, the
amount asked at the special bond
election.
The need for the new building
and additional classroom space
has been obvious for several
years, becoming severe during
the past school year .when three
school classes were housed, dur
ing part of the year, in local
churches. The state board of edu
cation has classified the Heppner
school as conditionally standard,
basing its low rating largely on
the badly overcrowded conditions
Should the district fail to meet the
to Decide Schoo
Issue Next Tuesday
requirements set up by the state,
it could lose between $45,000 and
$50,000 which it receives annual
ly from the state in basic school
support funds. , Conditionally
standard rating is given a school
only temporarily to allow it time
to make necessary corrections and
raise itself to a standard rating.
Flans on Display
Several large size drawings of
the proposed new school, as well
as detailed floor plan sketches of
the plant are now on display at
the First National bank in Hepp
ner and in several store windows
in town. Architects for the pro
ject are Freeman, Hayslip, Tuft
and Hewlett of Portland, who
have prepared specifications for
a great number of the schools of
the state.
Of interest to most voters is the
announcement this week (in a
special advertisement elsewhere
in this paper) that even with the
necessary tax for the proposed
bond issue, taxes in the county
will be lower than last year. The
reduction has come abut from
a lowering of both the county and
city levy and a readjustment of
assessed valuation in the county.
Even with the bond issue levy
(which is planned at about 5 and
one-half mills) most taxes will
show a sharp reduction in the
district. An exact figure for next
year is not yet available from the
county assessor's office, but the
figures used in the school board
statement reflect at least mini
mum reductions. According to
reports, the completion of-the as
esssing program for the next fis
cal year could show even greater
reductions than now reported.
The school board hopes for a
heavy vote at the Tuesday elec
tion and members have expres
sed the opinion that the high in
terest in the new school will
bring out one of the biggest spe
cial election votes in the history
of the district.
Mrs. Harry W. Nelson and three
daughters of Portland are visiting
at the home of her parents, Mr
and Mrs. Frank E. Parker.
planned so that a multi-purpose room and additional class
rooms can be added as needed to the north (left) of building.
The channel of Willow creek will be moved more than 200 feet
east of its present location to give a wide play area to the rear.
Architect's plans call for raising the floor level of the plant
four feet above street level to prevent any possibility of flood
damage or water danger to the students. The building will
house approximately the first five grades in the Heppner
schools.
Clean-Up Response
Too Good, Pickups
Being Continued
Cleanup campaign chairmen of
the chamber of commerce said
this week that the public's re
sponse to their city -wide clean
up campaign last week was so
great that volunteer members of
the organization were unable to
handle all the pickups of refuse
in the time allocated.
According to original plans,
the group expected to be able
to pick up all piles of trash dur
ing the week and hopedrfo finish
the job last Sunday, but the re
sponse made it impossible for
them to get to all sections of the
town. They asked residents whoj
have stacked trash on their curbs
to be patient another day or two
as arrangements are being made
for trucks to make more calls to
day and Friday.
Jeff Carter, chamber president,
said that the results of the drive
were very gratifying and that
many loads were hauled to the
dump by volunteer workers.
Snyder Saddle Shop
Sold to Elgin Man
J. B. Snvder announced this
week that he has sold his saddle
shop to Kenneth Green of Elgin
who has now taken over opera
tion of the business and is moving
it to a new lacation on West Wil
low street in downtown Heppner.
Green, who moved here last
week with his wife and four chil
ren, is currently remodeling the
Lanham building which formerly
housed the telephone office, and
will be set up for operation with
in a few days.
Snyder has operated the shop
on North Court street since 1944
and prior to that time was asso
ciated for many years with Gene
Noble in the same business in
Heppner.
LIONS INSTALL TONIGHT
New officers of the Heppner
Lions club will be installed at a
special meeting tonight (Thurs
day) at O'Donnell's Cafe. The
meting will start at 6:30 and will
be open to wives of -members.
0
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Turner
have had as their guests their
twin granddaughters Jo and Jan
Allison of Portland,
Heppner Swim Pool
Opens Thursday
The Heppner swimming pool
was opened to the public today
with Stephen Trukositz serving
as lifeguard and instructor, Carol J
Grostiens as aesK girt ana L,ance
Tibbies, general utility man.
The pool will operate under the
came rules and control as last
year, council members stated, and
since the season is late starting
this year, the prices will remain
the same as in the past. A small
increase had been planned, but
will not be put into effect. A
family season ticket will cost $7;
season ticket for two $6; single
season ticket $4. Single Ad
missions will be: adults 50c;
high school students 25c and
children under 12, 15c.
The pool is open from 1 to 5
every day but Monday and with
the coming warmer weather It
wilL remain open evenings from
7 to 9.
The committee is anxious that
patrons cooperate with the per
sonnel in charge and hope that
the pool is used to the fullest ex
tent.
The council included money in
the city budget for filter equip
ment for the pool, but members
expressed doubt that it could be
installed and used this season.
The city plans to call bids on the
equipment as soon as possible
but it is expected that it will be
fall before it can be Installed.
SCHOOL BOUNDARY
CHANGE REJECTED
The district boundary board
Wednesday rejected a petition
presented by A. F. Majeske, Mrs.
Bertha Hunt and Norris A. Leach
asking that sections of their pro
perty now included in school dis
trict No. 1 be transferred to the
Lexington district.
The board ruled that geographi-
cal and transportation reasons
made the transfer impractical.
The requested transfer involved
2448 acres with a valuation of
$22,000.
MONDAY HOLIDAY TO
BE OBSERVED HERE
All Heppner stores and offices
will remain closed next Monday,
July 5 in observance of the na
tional holiday. The state liquor
agency will observe the closure
as will the post office and all
county ana federal oinces.
Local Conservation
District State
Top Award Winner
The Heppner Soil conservation
district has been selected as Ore
gon's grand award winner in a
1953-1954 national soil conser
vation competition it was an
noticed at Akron Ohio last week
by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.,
sponsors of the program. Thirty
of the state's 4t5 soil conservation
districts wore enrolled in the com
petition. '
Newt O'Harra and Kenneth
Peck, both of Lexington, will be
guests of the sponsors with 98
other winners representing the
other 47 states on a vacation trip
to Wigwam guest ranch, Litch
field Park, Arizona in December.
O'Harra was selected by the
Heppner district as its representa
tive for the Arizona trip and Pecki
was named the outstanding far-
mer cooperator. Rules of the con
test provide for one representa
tive of the state's first place dis
trict and the outstanding farmer
cooperator selected by the dis
trict to make the vacation trip
with all expenses paid by the
sponsor.
Other members of the Heppner
district governing body are Char
les Carlson, chairman, of lone;'
John J. Wightman, Heppner; Rny-I
mond Lundell, lone and VV. E.
Hughes, Heppner. j
Second place honors for the
state were earned by Mid-State
soil conservation district, which1
nominated Frank Tatti, Rt. lj
Box 262, Bend, outstanding far-mer-cooperntor.
Both first and second place dis
trict will receive bronze plaques
as permanent symbol of their
achievements in soil saving at
regional meeting of the Nation
al Association of Soil Conserva
tion Districts later this year.
Members of the Oregon state
judging committee who selected
the state's winners are:: Robert;
C. Baum, executive secretary,
state soil conservation commit
tee; C. A. Nish, retired farmer,
Cannon Beach; D. D. Hill, head,
farm crops department, Oregon
State College; Harold Tower,
state conservationist and Ivan
Oakes, executive secretary, Ore
gon state natural resources com
mittee.
Rhea Creek Road
Oiling Contract
Awarded by State
The stale highway commission
at its meeting last Wednesday in
Portland accepted the low bid of
$63,660 submitted by the Rogers
Construction company of Portland
for the construction and surfac
ing of 7.77 mile of the Rhea creek
road from Jordan 1o the mouth
of Keck canyon. The bid was
referred to highway engineers
with power to award.
The funds for the project" will
come from federal, state and
county moneys. Work is expected
to start within a short time.
C of C Hears Safety
Talk by Sgt. Snyder
Sgt. H. C. Snyder of the state
police who is stationed at Arling
ton spoke at the chamber of com
merce meeting Monday noon on
the need of safe driving and of
the value of safety campaigns
and education.
Sgt. Snyder said that Oregon
is carrying on a very effective
educational program through the
efforts of the Highway Lifesavers
committee end he said that the
general public is beginning to
appreciate the efforts.
Snyder also said that the high
school driver training program
carried on in many state schools
is one of the most important
phases of driving education.
The group heard a report from
the recreation and wildlife com
mittee that Orville Cutsforth has
purchased about 8 Ms acres of the
Herren creek meadow and Is now
cleaning the area and plans ex
tensive improvements that it may
serve for general recreational use.
He is removing many trees and
plans construction of fireplaces
and tables. It was also announ
ced that he plans to give the pro
perty to some organization or
group if they will agree to keep
it open for general use. So far
he has had no takers, it was said.
Gilliam Voters
Reject Hospital Plan
Gilliam county voters at a
special election last Friday turn
ed down a special levy of $115,000
for the construction of a hospital
at Condon. The vote was 552 no
to 299 yes.
Local Flying Saucer
Story Gets Nation
Wide Radio Publicity
The story published in the
Gazette Times several weeks ago
about the sighting of a group of
unidentified flying objects by
three local men has attracted con
siderable interest throughout the
nation. '
The story was picked up by
Frank Edwards of the Mutual
Broadcasting Company and aired
recently on his network radio
program which resulted in the
I paper receiving several requests;
from Midwest and Eastern U. S
residents for copies of the paper
carrying th e account. According
to reports numerous individual
and organizations in and around
Chicago are keeping a close ac
count of all reported sightings.
The three local men, Al Lov-
gren, Robert Minek and Elmer
Palmer watched nine of the ob
jects cross the sky south of
Heppner at noon on May G.
Legion, Auxiliary
Install Officers
Kemp Dick and Mrs. Ehvin
Hughes were installed Saturday
night as commander and Auxil
iary president respectively at a
joint installation ceremonies of
the Heppner American Legion
post and the Auxiliary. YVillard
McMillan,. Athena, district 6 com
mander was the Legion install
ing officer assisted by past local
commanders, and Mrs. Lynn
Bodies, district 6 Auxiliary presi
dent, of Milton Freewater was
installing officer for the Auxil
iary. Other new Legion officers in
stalled include Floyd Savers,
first vice-commander; Phil Blak
ney, second viceeommander;
Glenn Ward, Adjutant; Don Fre-
derickson, assistant adjutant
Alex Thompson, finance officer;'
C. J. D. Bauman, service officer;
Donald Frederickson, chaplain;
Lyle Cox, sgt.-at-arms; William
Labhart, historian; junior pat.
commander, Forrest Thornburg.
Other Auxiliary officers are
Mrs. John Jiartman, first vice
president; Mrs. Jack Bailey, se
cond vice president; Mrs. John
Marshall, secretary; Mrs. Richard
Meador, treasurer; Mrs. Alex
Thompson, historian; Mrs. Walter
Edger, chaplain; Mrs. Cre;(ton
Robinson, sgt-at-arms; Mrs. Don
ald Bellenbrock, junior past presi
dent. Following the installation Miss
Darlene Richmond of Hermiston
entertained with dancing and
acrobatic acts and the program
concluded with a dance with the
music furnished by Duke War-
ner, Al Huitt, Dewey Robinson:
and Carl Spaulding,
of The Dalles post.
n
commander
Salesman Loses Car,
Merchandise to Fire
A heavily loaded Cadillac se
dan owned by Clarence Phoenix
of Portland, -a representative of
Trans-Pacific Merchandise Com
pany, caught fire last Thursday
evening on the Lexington-Her-miston
highway about a mile
north of the North Lexington ele
vator. It was completely de
stroyed. Phoenix, who had spent the
day in Heppner servicing ac
counts here, said that the fire ap
parently started from a flat tire;
which became overheated and
burst into flames. Before he was1
able to extinguish the blaze it
ignited the gas tank, sending thel
entire vehicle into a mass of
flames. In addition to the loss
of the car, Phoenix lost numer-!
ous articles of clothing and over!
$1,000 in sample merchandise, j
Two local firemen and sheriff
C. J. D. Bauman made the longi
run to the scene of the fire but;
were unable to do more than cool
the machine off sufficiently that
it could be towed off the road.
Bauman took the owner on to
Hermiston to catch a train back
to Portland.
o
County Budget
Receives Approval
The Morrow county budget call
ing for expenditures of $199,103
for the next fiscal year was ap
proved by the county court Wed
nesday morning following a pub
lic hearing held at the court
house. There were no objections
presented.
The budget is up only slight
ly from last year when the total
county expenses were set at $495,-
125. The total tax levy for
county purposes will be 113,112,
the remainder to be raised from
receipts other than taxes. It wasiwere Orville Gentry, Robert and
turned over to the assessor for in-1 Vernon Flatt, J. B. Way, Forrest
elusion on the coming tax rolls.L, Adams, and Manuel Easter.
County Taxes and
Valuation to Show
Drop Next Year
Tax millage in Morrow county
is expected to show a consider
able reduction for next year, the
county assessor Mrs. Joe Hughes,
announced this week. Assessed
valuation of the county is also
expected to show a slight drop,
though when final figures are
compiled it could remain ap
proximately the same as last
year.
The greatest difference that tax
payers will note on next year's
tax statement is the reduction in
ratio percentage of tax assessed
on personal property, the assess
or said. In the past all personal
property tax has been charged at
a 55 percent ratio (55 percent of
the cash value), next year this
assessment will he reduced to 30
percent. The ratio on real pro
perty will remain the same as in
the past, which has been 25 per
cent. The reduction in the personal
property catagory has come about
as part of the current reappraisal
and equalization program which
is aimed at spreading the tax
load niore evenly.
Assessment figures, just com
pleted by the office, show an in
crease in the value of real pro
perty in the county. The total for
next year is $0,076,250 which com
pares with $8,705,020 for 1953-51.
Personal property values showed
a sharp reduction from $3,021,705
for .1953-54 to $2,178,160 for the
coming year. The total assessed
valuation of the county, not in
cluding public utility figures
which are supplied by the state
tax commission and have not yet
been received by the local asses
sor, will be $11,224,945 which
compares with $11,700,760 for last
year.
Public utility assessments are
expected to show an increase over
last year which will probably
bring the final county total up to
about even with last year. The
public utility values on last year's
roll amounted to $2,373,014,
which was down several hundred
thousand dollars from the pre
vious year.
Levy to Drop
Mrs. Hughes said Wednesday
that while the assessment figures
were completed the breakdown
into the millage levy would not
be completed for some time yet.
however from all budget indica
itons it is expected to show a
decided drop due largely to the
eliminatbn of the 5 mill special
hospital construction levy and a
reduction 'ri the general school
levy of about 3 mills. This re-
duction, coupled with the lowered
personal property ratio will re
flect a sizeable lowering of taxes
on many statements this fall,
Much of the change of ratios
and increases in certain property
classifications has come out of
the current reappraisal program
being carried on with the cooper
ation of the state tax commission.
o
Wymon Is Named
Local Farm Chemical
Service Distributor
Agri-Chem Inc. of Athena has
announced the appointment of
Lester Wyman of Heppner as
Brea Aqua Ammonia service dis
tributor for Morrow, Gilliam and
parts of Umatilla counties. He
will offer complete facilities,
equipment and service for scien
tific crop building with nitrogen.
Brea Aqua Ammonia, which is
called a new low-cost nitrogen
fertilizer, Is manufactured by
Brea Chemicals, Inc., a subsidiary
of the Union Oil Company of
California. Agri-Chem company
has its distributorship for this
area of the state.
Wyman said the company
plans an extensive advertising
campaign to announce the new
product which is applied in a
water solution.
Carl Linn Wins New
Mail Haul Contract
Carl P. Linn of lone has been
awarded the contract to haul
the mail between Heppner and
Arlington, it-was announced this
week by Heppner postmaster
James Driscoll. He will start
operation of the route on July 1
under terms of the contract which
calls for the same frequency of
service as under the former con
tract which was held by Orville
Gentry.
Linn's bid of $5,680 was the
lowest among the six bids re
ceived by the post office depart
ment. Others who submitted bids