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Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, August 5, 1954
71st Year, Number 21
STATE WITHHOLDS SUPPORT MONEY
HEPPNER SCHOOL DISTRICT
Funds
FROM
Release Of
Dependent On Start
Of Building Program
The Heppner school board re
ceived notice last Friday from the
state board of education that it
is withholding state basic school
support funds from the district
because it had not met state re
quirements in providing proper
educational facilities in the HePp
ner schools. The funds would
have been distributed on August
1.
The state money which last
year amounted to over $49,000,
and which has been budgted at
$50,500 for the 1954-55 school
year, amounts to nearly one
fourth of the total budget for the
district.
The notification came in a let
ter from Walter O. Shold, super
intcndent of elementary educa
tion, who said in part. ". . . The
recent plan of improvement re
ceived in our office represents a
possible solution to the problems
confronting the district but the
plan has not had time to mater
ialize; therefore, basic school sup
port funds will be withheld pend
ing further developments."
The plan referred to in Mr,
Shold's letter is one recently de
velnped by the board to build a
new elementary building on the
Prock-Devine property north of
the present school building.
According to available informa
tion, if the district gets a plan of
expansion developed and ap
proved by the voters of the dis
trict within a reasonable length
of time (estimated at about 8
months), it will not ultimately
lose the state money that is
now being withheld. Should, how
ever, the district fail to get an
acceptable plan underway during
that period the state money would
belost completely to the district.
An election seeking approval of
the Prock-Devin site is set for
August Hi but it is doubtful that
even should it receive voter ap
proval, that will satisfy the state
department, as the district
already has one site approved
(The Tum-A-Lum) though voters
rejected a bond issue to build
there. Apparently an approved
bond issue and the start of actual
construction on a new building Is
the requirement the district must
meet before it can regain the
state funds.
Board Meets Friday
Tlie board met last Friday
night in a special meeting with
A. L. Beck, from the state de
partment and Stewart Tufft, one
of the district's architects, in an
attempt to work out a building
program for the Prock-Devin site
that will be acceptable to the
state and that might be approved
by the people. ' Beck indicated
that the sight would be usable if
some additional land now belong
ing to Kemp Dick and W. O.
George were included in the area,
if all, or at least a portion of Hin-
ton creek which flows through the
plot, were culverted; the street
sides of the land fenced; and ar
rangements made to close D
street to through traffic during
school hours, or some other
method of controlling traffic were
developed. Beck also said that
a multipurpose room must be in-
ciunea in tne new Duiieang so
that youngsters would have their
own covered recreational area
and would not have to constantly
cross the street to reach the pre
sent gymnasium.
Tufft has prepared rough draw
ings for a 12 room and multi-pur
pose room building for the site
which would be built in two
levels to take advantage of the
natural slope of the ground. No
definite cost figures on the site
and building will be prepared
until after the August 14 election
as the board felt that it would be
a useless expense until it was
.certain that the voters would ap
prove the location. Tufft did in
dicate, however, that a two-level
building could possibly be built
somewhat cheaper than a build
ing of similar size all on one level
due to construction savings.
Fund Loss Could Hurt
The board at its Friday meeting
did not go into a discussion of
what action it might take should
it ultimately lose the state basic
school money. Members expres
sed the hope that the people will
approve some plan of expansion
before the money Is entirely lost
to the district.
The district was warned by the
state board, immediately follow
ing the recent bond election that
was voted down, that if some
immediate plan was not ap
proved, the district could lose its
state aid money. The decision to
withhold it was made just prior
to August l, at which time a por
tion of the year's funds are dis
tributed to the various districts
in the state who qualify.
The withholding will not cause
any Immediate difficulty in the
school's operation, it was pointed
out, as the district has a fairly
sizeable cash-on-hand fund.
Should the money not be forth
coming within two or three
months, however, t h e board
could be forced to operate on a
warrant basis. Actual loss of the
money would necessitate either a
special tax levy In the district
to make up the lost funds or a
drastic reduction in the school
program which would probably
mean the elimination of all bus
transportation, hot lunch pro
gram and other functions.
Site Vote August n
The board called attention to
the next site election which will
be held on August 14 and will
seek voter approval of the Prock-
Devin area and small portions of
tne Dick and George property as
the location of the new building.
The election will be held at the
school from 4 to 9 o'clock.
No bond Issue question will ap
pear on the ballot, as the neces
sary amount has not been deter-,
mined and it must be settled at a
separate election.
-), w iji iiai 1 1 1 n hi maypijimMiM
r- . ...
JACK C. FLUG, new county school
superintendent who took over
his duties here Wednesday.
New County School
Superintendent
Takes Over Duties
Essenpreis Rites
Held Here Tuesday
Funeral services for Mrs. Ge
neva Gorger Essenpreis, 45, were
held Tuesay, August 3 at St. Pat
rick's church in Heppner. Rev.
Francis McCormack officiated.
Mrs. Essenpreis passed away
July 30 at her home north of
Linwood, Wash.
Mrs. Essenpreis was born in
the Willamette valley but was
reared in the Lexington vicinity
here she attended school. She
had not lived in this area for
several years.
She is survived by her husband
Ernest; two sisters, Mrs. Leo Coo
sey, Hillsboro; three brothers,
Henry and Leo Gorger of Pendle
ton and Joe Gorger of Napa, Calif.
Interment was in the Heppner
Masonic cemetery.
o -
Jack C. Flug, recently appointed
county school superintendent,
arrived in Heppner last weekend
and took over his duties here
August 1. He replaces Leslie
Grant, who resigned to enter the
insurance business in Arlington.
Flug, who comes here from
Reedsport, Ore. where he served
for 10 years as superintendent of
schools and administrative prin
cipal, has been in the education
field nearly all of his life. He
came to Oregon from Watertown
S. Dak., where he had taueht for
15 years. He is a graduate of St
Louis University, St. Louis, Mo.
and has taken graduate work at
the University of Minnesota, Eau
Claire State Teachers College,
Eau Claire, Wis., Northwestern
University Minot State Teachers
College; Minot N. Dak.; and the
University of Oregon.
Mr. and Mrs. Flug have three
daughters and four sons, three
of whom are at home. Their three
daughters are married, and they
nave one son who Is in the Ma
rines. The have moved into the Van
Schoiack house on Gale street.
One Pound, HV2 Oz.
Baby Dies Thursday,
Lives Three Days
A one pound, 14V2 ounce boy,
the smallest baby ever born at
Pioneer Memorial hospital, died
early Thursday morning. He was
born Sunday to Mr. and Mrs. Carl
Wilkerson of Hermiston.
The tiny baby, named Patrick
Rural Fires, Street
Closing, Animals
Problems of City
Routine business took up most
of the city council's time at the
regular monthly meeting Mon
day nignt, as mey ntarn a dis
cussion of a possible street closure
request, passed one ordinance
governing the keeping of artirnals
within the city limits, discussed
the use of fire' equipment for
rural fires and OKd the extermi
nation of rats at the city dump.
Ed Dick, chairman of the loea
school board explained to the
council the possible need for the
closure of D street to traffic dur
ing school hours if a proposed
school building plan on land ad
jacent to the street develops. No
decision was taken until the
building plan is definitely decid
ed. The council accepted the offer
of Harold Dobyns of lone to ex
terminate the rats at the city
dump which are beginning to
bother residents near there. He
will start immediately on the
first poisoning and will continue
the program on a regular basis.
The dump has been posted, and
residents are warned that the
poisons used are dangerous to
other animals too, and all dogs
cats, ere, snouia De kept away
from the area.
Rural Fires Talked
The council discussed at length
the use of Heppnef's fire equip
ment in fighting rural fires. It
was pointed out that such use has
been prohibited in the past, not
because of lack of desire on the
part of the city to aid farmers,
but because the city could be
held liable should the equipment
be needed in town at the same
time it was in use in the country.
It was also pointed out that the
residents of Heppner support the
fire department through taxes,
which are not assessed against
rural residents, and logically the
fire equipment must be kept
available for emergency within
the city limits.
The city does answer fire calls
o me neppner LumDer company Tn secon(1 of 1his war-s roval
because of a mutual-aid agree- C()Urt 1o be prespnted at a dance,
IS year old Princess Janet is the
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Princess Janet Howton of lone
Princess Janet's Dance
To be Held at lone
Ionc's rrincess Janet Howton
will he tlie guest of honor Satur
day night at the second of the
cries of Morrow county Fair and
Rodeo dances to be held at the
lone Legion hall. She is being
sponsored by the Willows Grange
and her dance is under its man
agement.
ment in which the mill will send
men and equipment into town
when needed, and frequently the
department responds to calls just
outside the city limits when the
exact location is not certain.
The council suggests that if
rural residents near here were in
terested in forming a rural fire
protection district, it would be
Harley, was three months pre-1 lad to contract with the district
mature, and was given a fair
chance for survival until .Wednes
day night when it appeared to be
losing ground in his fight for
life. The infant had been kept
j in an air lock in the hospital, but
MISSIONARY SPEAKS
Rev.A. Walker Hall, missionary at the time of his death plans
were being made to fly him to
to China and Cuba, spoke last
Thursday evening at the Assem
bly 'of God church and told of
more than 16 years of labor in
those countries. He was accom
panied by a son, Cecil, 12.
Rev. Walker also showed slides
of the work. He stated that he
with his family expect to go to
Hawaii in September for a year
of labor, and from there to China.
Doernbecher hospital in Portland
where it would haev been easier
to care for him.
The survival chances for such
a small baby are usually very
slim, doctors said.
Mr. and Mrs. Easton Void of
Spokane were over night guests
Friday at the Tom Wilson home.
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BRIDGES AGAIN I This Ponticc owned and driven by I. H. Cornell-
son, Lexington, came out second best when it struck a wooden
nignway Driage aDout 5 miles below Heppner last Sunday after
noon. According to police, Cornelison said that he was blinded
by the sun and could not see the bridge until he struck it The1
car carried across the structure, taking parts of it along, and then
stopped against the side of another car which was parked off
the road awaiting an opportunity to turn around. The second
vu wu, WwUCO Dy noo nwa. ana was driven by Charles Bailey. , grass blaze burning along
No one was Injured. (GT Photo) tracks.
I to nrnvide nrnnnr firf nrntivtinn
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housing of equipment and neces
sary manpower. Such a move
would have to be instigated by
the out-of-town residents them
selves, it was pointed out, but
they would in effect, have their
own fire department with equip
ment properly designed to do the
most good in rural areas. Hepp
ner's equipment is designed pri
marily for use within the city
where there are water mains.
The council authorized a con
tract with Columbia Basin Elec-.
trie coop to provie power in the
city's upper wells, so that pump
ing could be done by electricity
rather than by deisel power, as
at present. Substantial savings
are expected.
Ordinance No. 341 was ap
proved by the group which pro
hibits the keeping of cattle,
sheep, horses, poultry, rabbits or
goats within the city limits with
out permit.
The council also agreed to in
vestigate a request by Tunnison
and Wiilson, local logging con
tractors, that they be allowed to
install gasoline and deisel tanks
and pumps on the city park pro
perty adjacent to buildings which
they are now using as a shop.
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd
Howton, lone ranchers. The dark
haired, hazel-eyed -princess is a
recent graduate of lone high
school where she was named
Salutatorian because of her high
scholastic standing.
She was born in Spokane,
Wash., coming here with her par
ents seven years ago. She is an
accomplished horsewoman and
places riding as her first choice
Two Grass Fires
Cause No Damage
Heppner firemen answered two
alarms during the past week,
both of them to extinguish grass
fires which did no damage.
The first call from the Percy
Cox residence in southeast Hepp
ner last Thursday afternoon when
sparks from a trash barrel ignited
surrounding grass. Sunday after
noon they made a run to the
Union Pacific depot to control a
the
More Requests For
Continuance of
Ferry Received Here
The county court Wednesday
received another petition giving
the court the signers' moral sup
port and expressing hope that
some means could be found to
keep Patcrson ferry operating
alter completion of the new Uma
tilla bridge. The petitions bore
the names of well over 100 per
sons, all of them residents of the
state of Washington.
The court has been considering
some means of possibly purchas
ing the ferry through the issu
ance of revenue bonds, but so far
no workable plan hasvleveloped.
The court recently received an
option from the operators of the
ferry, but were unable to accept
it clue to certain provisions which
required the payment of $3,000 to
hold the option while the county
made arrangements for the fi
nancing. The option was return
ed to the operators with recom
mended changes, but no word
has yet been received from them.
The court has previously re
ceived several petitions bearing
several hundred names, request
ing the county to take some ac
tion to keep the ferry operating.
The company handling the fi
nancing for the Umatilla bridge
has attempted In the past to pur
chase the ferry operation with an
eye toward discontinuing service
when the bridge is completed.
Many residents of Morrow county
as well as interested persons in
Washington have protested
against elimination of the ferry
link between the two states.
for sports. She also enjoys train
ing horses and will appear in the
rodeo on her own bay thorobred
Major, which she broke herself.
Her other hobbies include swim
ming and dancing and, as she
puts it, "any spoil."
For the past five years she has
aided her father during harvest
by driving truck.
Princess Janet's school activi
ties were many and varied in
cluding serving four years as
cdass treasurer and two years as
student body treasucr; she was
named Salutatorian and was
active in dramatics. She also
has a record of seven years In
411 work with her major inter
ests being fat beef, horseman
ship, cooking and sewing.
As soon as the hustle and work
and fun of the rodeo Is over,
Princess Janet will start pack
ing to leave for Forest Grove,
where she plans to enter Pacific
University this fall.
Duke Warner and his orchestra
will provide the music for Prin
cess Janet's dance.
Final Approyal
Received For
Hospital Contract
The county court received word
early this week from the public
health service that the recent
contract with McCormack Con
struction company of Pendleton
for the building of a new addi
tion to Pioneer Memorial hospital,
was acceptable to the service and
that the contract has been signed.
The court has notified the con
tractor of the acceptance and said
that Mr. McCormack indicated
that his company will start im
mediately, probably todav, on the
excavation for the new wine
Work is expected to proceed
rapidly as the bid called for com
pletion of the project within Kit)
working days.
McConiiaek won the contract
with a low bid of $100 71)9
Henry Schwarz, 84,
Long-Time HepDncr
Resident, Succumbs
Funeral services for Henrv
Schwarz, 81, a long-time resident
of Heppner, were held Wednes
day at the Heppner Methodist
church wilh Rev. Lester Boulden
ifficiating. lie passed awav
August 2 following a king illness.
flir. Schwarz was born in
Wuttenbuig, Germanv. Julv .m
1870 and settled first in Iowa on
coming to America. After livimr
in the midwest for several years,
he moved to the Willamette val-
ey where he operated meat mar
kets in Corvallis and Monroe. lie
une to Heppner in 1913 where
he operated a butcher business,
the Peonies Market until loon
xcept for a short period whim he
farmed in the Cottonwood area of
Gilliam county. After retiring
from the meat business, Mr.
Schwarz worked for the. county
for about 12 vears until hpalth
recd him to retire completely.
lie is survived by his widow.
Minnie of Heppner; two sons,
Leonard D Heppner and William
of The Dalles; one brother,
red of Milwaukie, Ore.; two sis
ters, Mrs. Anna Rotzein and Mrs.
Marie Baker both of Salem; and
Hir grandsons.
Pallbearers were C. J. D. Bau-
man, Oive Rasmus, Frank Tur
ner, J. O. Turner, R. B. Ferguson.
nd Charles Vaughn.
Interment was in the Heppner
Masonic cemetery with Creswick
nd Seuell Mortuary in charge of
arrangements.
'Hopper Control
Planned in County
Fair Premium Lists
Going in Mail;
Judges Are Named
Premium lists for the Morrow
county fair will be in the m til
this weekend to all past exhibi
tors, N. C. Anderson county a,;'Miti
announced today.
The books are now being re
ceived from the printers and as
fast as they can be addressed
they will be sent to ever one on
the regular mailing list, he said.
Anyone who does not receive a
book, and who wishes one, may
obtain it at Anderson's office for
the asking.
The names of judges for the
various fair divisions were re
vealed today by Anderson who
said that Joe Johnson, assistant
professor of animal husbandry at
OSC will judge 4-H and open
cioss livestock and contests.
Others include:
L. J. Marks, Wheeler county
agent, saddle horse show; E. M.
Nelson, Wasco county agent, hor
ticulture, crops, woo and poul
try; Mrs. John B. Alexander, Pen
dleton, and Mrs. H. J. Campbell,
La Grande, open class home eco
nomics; Mrs. Russell McKennon,
Pendleton, 4-H and open class
home economics; Mrs. Ken Tillef
sen, Hermistjn, 411 home economics.
Judges for the North Morrow
county fair at Boardman will be
announced later.
With widespread grasshopper
infestations being reported in
southeastern Morrow county,
ranchers took steps this week for
a control program to protect
range and crops as well as to de
stroy grasshoppers before egg
laying time.
Ranchers in the Buttercreek
area began negotiations wilh air
plane operators for spraying ap
plication on several hundred
acres which are infested. Bureau
of Entomology and grasshopper
control officials including the
extension entomologist from Ore
gon State College, are expected to
spend Thursday with county ex
tension agent, N. C. Anderson, in
making a preliminary survey and
preparation for the spraying pro
gram. Arrangements are expect
ed to be completed by Friday for
application with Bill While, Pen-
j dleton, being low bidder for ap
! plication at this time,
j Aldrin, a relatively new chemi
; cal, which has proved very suc
cessful in grasshopper control
work throughout the county will
be applied. Applications consist
of two ounces of Aldrin, applied
in one gallon diesel per acre.
Anderson reported that kills
continue over a period of from 10
days to 3 weeks from this chemi
cal and that entire areas of range
and bottom land need not be
sprayed since migrating grass
hoppers will be killed when they
come in contact wilh sprayed
areas. Ranchers in Balm Fork
and Rhea Creek areas are expect
ed to spray too, if a survey of its
infestations warrant.
MOVE TO KENNEWICK
Mrs. Frank Baker left early
this week for Kennewick, Wash.,
where she and Mr. Baker will
make their home. He is employed
on the Hanford project.
Mr. an Mrs. Baker have just
completed the construction of a
new home in Kennewick, and
plan to rent their home on Center
street.