Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 9, 1955)
L I 8RARY U OF 0 -30JGENE ms1 RE Copies 10 cents Second Polio Shots to Be Given Next Week The clinic for the second polio that, "two Injections of vaccine, shots will be held for the child- j spaced two to six weeks apart, ren of the Heppner area at the. will probably give 60 to 90 per Heppner school at 9 a. m. Mon-jcent protection against paralytic day, June 13, it was announced poliomyelitis for the current polio today by Dr. A. D. McMurdo, the .season; however, little protec county health officer. tion from .these two doses will re- Children of the Lexington and i lone areas will receive their se cond shots at the Lexington school at 10:30 a. m. on the same day. Children of the north end of the county will get their shots the following day, Tuesday, June 14. . Dr. McMurdo will be at the Irri gon school at 9:30 a. m. and at the Boardman school at 10:30 a. m. Only children who received the first shot of polio vaccine given by Dr. McMurdo on May 23 and 24 will be eligible for the second shot, he said. The third, or the booster shot will not be given by the health department but must be arranged for by the family , iiuin lis unvote yiivoii-itui. ai the present time it is stated by the Oregon state board of health that, "the third dose should be given about seven months after the second shot and preferrably before the next year's polio sea son." " . Parents are urged to bring their children In for the second shot since the recommendation Is Night Show Due Rodeo Visitors Visitors at this years Morrow county fair and rodeo will have their first opportunity to see a night show, it was decided last week at a meeting of the rodeo committee. The night event, which will be held on Saturday night under the recently instal led lights will include a complete go-around of the Morrow county amateur calf roping, a wild horse race and a Calgary roping event. The evening show will start at 7:30 p. m. and the wild horse race will be run between two sections of the calf roping. En trance fees have been set at $20 for the race. Around 40 cowboys are expected to take part in the Calgary event in which all cows are turned loose at once in a milking contest. Entrance fees of $10 will be split 50-30-20. The committee also decided to add an additional $300 In prize money for the northwest buck ing championship contest, which is new this year at the local show. Entrance fee money will be ad ded and divided 40-30-20-10 for each day and for the two-day average in addition to the Ham ley saddle which will go to the high man. Present at the committee meet ing were Floyd Jones, chairman; Howard Bryant, John Eubanks, William Smethurst, Jack Loyd and N. C. Anderson, secretary. : " ' i; i. '' t' " xv y:A 7! ' k - ' 1 TOP JUDGING TEAM at the 4-H and FFA fat stock show and sale at The Dalles this week were these three lone boys. They are, left to right Dick Ekstrom, Phil Emert and Bill Brannon. , (The Dalles Optimist Photo) Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, June 9, main until the 1956 polio season unless a third injection Is given." Parents will be given a certifi cate of immunization so that a permanent record of the series can be kept for future reference, Only Two Filings Made for School Board Positions A third petition nominating Raymond French of the Butter Creek area was filed (odav. school 0iciais reorted. He will run for the three year term on the bosrd. The deadline for filing peti tions for positions of a school board is next Monday, June 13, it was revealed today by L. E. Dick, Jr. chairman of the Heppner board. Two persons have filed for the three open positions on the local board and there are other petitions out, but they have not been returned by today. Filing for the five-year position is Howard Cleveland, a present board member whose term will expire this month. Harold. Wright has also filed for the 4 year posi tion, district clerk, Mrs. Nona Sowell repgrted. Changes in the school . law made by the recent legislature, now require all districts to have a 5-member board and changed the method of nominat ing for board jobs. All districts in Morrow county ' have been operating with three-member boards. In the past nominations could be made from the floor during the annual school meeting and election. Under the new law, however, petitions, bearing the names of at least 10 voters in the district, must be filed with the sidewalk conditions had been district clerk at least 10 days overdue as there were many sec prior to the election. tions where broken or cracked The annual -election will be walks constituted a hazard. It held Monday, June 20 between 2 was not the intention of the and 8 p. m. at the school building. ' council to put any particular pres In districts other than Heppner, sure on citizens, but merely to the meeting and election will advise them of the difficulties start at 2 p. m. but the polls may ( and give owners time to make re not remain open as long as here, pairs. The law requires the polls to be!" City superintendent Vic Gros open only for one hour, but the 'hens asked the council to urge board may lengthen the time if residents to be careful with their thev desire. . irrigation water, now that warm- The present members .of the Heppner board are Dick, Cleve land and Ed Collison. Only Cleve land's term expires this year. o Mr. and Mrs. Charles Vaughn had as their guests on Monday, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Gordon of Port land. ' toette TTr' y :v ) H hy .i--r: ; y j ) 5 f tj; v I f M " r. V-v h ft) tW V hi ij V " . pi t i : . f ' f X ' ACCUSED OF MURDER in Satuurday night's fatal shooting of Dellmore Lessard, Portland attorney. Is Mrs. Ann Whitney Avent, center. She Is shown with sheriff C. J. D. Bauman, right and Mrs. Bau- . . Uinn. i...nM Intn ha Mnrrnur pmintv court house MOn- man, ponce matron. ieix, as day afternoon for arraignment COUNCIL TO ORDER REPAIRS OF BAD SIDEWALKS IN HEPPNER Numerous DroDertv owners in , which does not give the city op Horxnnpr win shortly receive notices of bad sidewalk conditions on their property from the city council with instructions to re pair the walks within 60 days, The recommendation was voted by the council at its regular meet-, uimaing rm issue ing Monday night after a list of Several building permits were bad sidewalks was read to the OKd by the group, the largest be group. According to ordinance, I ing for a 70 by 120 foot concrete the council must notify the pro-1 perty holder of such conditions and if they have not been re moved or necessary improve ments made within 60 days, the city has the right to do the neces sary work and bill the owner. The council felt that a survey er weather naa come, rie saia inai - , l9jtx i rhnra io arnn a uarpr ara an if for all from the city wells, but that only so much can be pushed through the city mains. Lack of pressure in some areas during the past few days has been due to many persons letting their sprink lers run all night, Groshen said, T -;4 1955 sue vua.. - She Is being hsld in the Pendleton city jail oortunitv to refill its reservoirs during the night. Groshens said that the city is already using an average of 425, 000 gallons of water a day and the hot weather has just started. and steel feed and grain storage building to be built by Interior Warehouse Company adjacent to its present buildings on Lynden Way. It is to cost $30,000 and will be built by McCormack Construc tion company of Pendleton. Several other small permits were granted for remodeling work or garage construction. Groshens reported that he is still waiting to receive shipment of thenew filter equipment for the city swimming pool which should have been here over a month ago. He told the council that recent phone calls to the Sparkler Equipment Company, low bidders to supply the equip ment, had not succeeded in locat ing the material, but that it sup posedly has been shipped from the factory. It Is hoped to have the filters Installed prior to the opening of the pool later this month. The street committee agreed to investigate a proposal made by Harold Sanders to change the lo-1 cation of Alfalfa street where it intersects the Balm Fork road. At the present time It cuts across, a section of his property making it useless. ' Alex Thompson, a member of the Heppner fire department, re- ported on his recent attendance at the state fire instructors train- ing school held two weeks ago at Lake Grove, near Portland. He took a week's intensive training on fire department methods and instruction. Many Honors Won The largest group of Morrow county 4-H club members ever to enter the ninth annual Oregon Wheat League fat stock and sale j at The Dalles will continue to walk off with top honors today as they piled up wins in both team and individual judging con tests, showmanship contests and with their animals. . Dick Ekstrom, lone came out wit ha whole armload of honors as his 4-H steer was judged the grand champion during the Wed nesday showing. This is the second year in a row that he has won this honor at The Dalles show. He is also a member of the 4-H livestock Judging team which took top honors Tuesday. 72nd Year, Number 13 . (GT Photo) Wheat Referendum To Be Discussed At June 16 Meet The Morrow county ASC com mittee and the extension service have made plans to hold another growers' mesting to discuss the 1956 marketing quota referendum at the Lexington Grange hall, on Thursday, June 16 at 8 p. m. All wheat growers are urged to attend for an interesting and in formative program, it was said. J. R. Beck of the state extension service will discuss the wheat problem in general and E. Harvey Miller, state ASC chairman, will discuss the marketing quota regulations and how they will ef fect the farmers. Bob Taylor, Wheat League representative, Is expected to have some interest ing observations to add ' to the program. Further discussion will follow on the use of diverted acres and making better use of the ACP program. The marketing quota referen dum -vote will be held Saturday, June25 at the local voting places in the county. Each eligible wheat producer will be notified by mail by the ASC office as to ! his voting place, it was reported. D . A I J KeServatlOnS ASKed por Park U$e Directors of the Cutsforth forest park asked this week that any organization or crour wishing exclusive use of the park at any time during the coming summer,1 register with Bradley Fancher. Fancher said that several or- J ganizations have already signed up for the park which is open to the public at all times except j when it has been reserved for 'special occasions. I THE DALLES (Special) A team of sharp-eyed Morrow county boys won the 4-H live- stock judging contest here Mon day at the ninth annual 4-H and F. F. A. fat stock show and sale. Phil Emert, Dick Ekstrom and Ball Brannon, all of lone, beat out a Sherman county team in Judg ing beef, sheep and swine, in competition with 22 4-H teams. Emert and Brannon were mem bers of the 1954 county fair win ning judging team and repre sented Morrow county at the P-I in 1954. Champion individual judge among 159 contestants was Jean Ross, Moro, who teamed up with Jimmy Coons, also of Moro, and Portland Attorney Killed After Talks Over Custody of Boy District attorney Bradley Fancher said Wednesday afternoon that the Preliminary hearing in the murder charge against Mrs. Avent has been set for next Monday at Heppner. Ralph Currin, Pendleton attorney, will represent Mrs. Avent A charge of first degri'n ir.uilcr wns filed Monday against Mrs. Ann Whitney Avent, 3S, following the shooting late Saturday after noon of Dellmore Lessard, 57, a prominent attorney and former state senator. Lessard was killed instantly by a bullet from a 38 caliber revolver which several wil nosccs said was fired by Mrs. Avent. The shooting occurred in O'Donnell's Cafe in Heppner at about 5:30 p. m. Mrs. Avent, a slight blond woman who is the mother of two children, heard the charge made against her at an arraignment on Monday afternoon before justice of the peace J. O. Hager. It was filed by district attorney Bradley Fancher and the complaint had been signed by Sheriff C. J. D. Bauman, one of the officers to arrest Mrs. Avent within minutes after According to the report of in- vestigating officers, Mrs. Avent and Lessard had been seated in a ' booth in the bar section of the' restaurant where she was em-j ployed as a bartender, discussing a proposal presented by Lessard that her ex-husband, Fred Avent' of Portland be allowed to take. their son Kim, 13, to Portland, supposedly to be placed in a pri vate school in or near there. Les sard was representing Avent as his attorney. Waitresses in the restaurant said that just moments prior to the shooting Lessard had come to the counter and asked for one of the O'Donnels, owners of the res taurant, saying that he needed some help and that Mrs. Avent had threatened to kill him. The shooting occurred In the front part of the restaurant when Mrs. Avent entered that section of the building from the bar car rying the gun which she had covered with a white coat. Drop ping the coat she began to fire the gun, it was reported, but it clicked three times before strik ing a shell. In attempting to get away from the woman, Lessard dodged be hind a cigarette vending machine which stood near the door. The first bullet fired struck the ma chine and it appeared that he tried to push the machine over on Mrs. Avent wihout success for the second shot struck Lessard in the right temple killing him al most Instantly."" After the fatal shooting Mrs. Avent returned to the bar section and laid the gun on the bar with her hands on it where it was taken away from her by one of several persons who happened to be in the place at the time but did not realize what was happen ing until after hearing the shots. Police Come Quickly. The first officer to arrive on the scene was state policeman Laurence Kezar who was eating at a restaurant across the street to which one of the O'Donnell waitresses, Mrs. Verla Carr, ran for help. Kezar entered the cafe only minutes after the shots were fired and placed Mrs. Avent under arrest. Sheriff Bauman and city police officers were also on hand In a very short time to aid the state patrolman. The gun which Mrs. Avent al legedly used belonged to Miles Mclntyre of Heppner and had been left in the restaurant by him some time ago for safe keeping. It had not been left loaded though it was in a holster and ammuni tion belt which held several shells. It was kept underneath a counter in the office part of the bar. It Is surmised by officers, though not admitted by Mrs. Avent, that after Lessard left the bar to go to the restaurant, she obtained the gun and placed three shells In it. The story told offi- cers however, is vague as to the exact sequence of events at that time. The gun held three shels which had been placed in the chamber in such a position they did not come into firing position until the trigger had been pulled three times, Continued on Page 6 at The Dalles Show Jeanette Belshee, Wasco, for second place team standing. Russell Dolven, Lexington won fourth place In the individual judging. At the time of this writing there are several other classes still to be shown and contests to be held which may add more laurels to, those already collected by county youngsters but follow ing is a list of winners as com piled by county agent N. C. An derson up to Wednesday noon: Dick Ekstrom, grand champion 4-H steer. Bill Brannon, lone, reserve champion showman In hogs; grand champlo npen of 4 fat the shooting occurred. 5 -5- 7 f X- VICTIM in Saturday's fatal shoot ing in a Heppner restaurant was Dellmore Lessard. Portland attorney. Funeral services were held today in Portland. Cut Courtesy Oregon Journal) Dead Attorney Well Known in State Dellmore Lessard, 57, who was killed by gunfire Saturday in a Heppner restaurant, was a promi nent Portland attorney with the firm of Lessard, Granet and Cre itz. He had been a state senator and at the time of his death was serving as Guatemalan consul in Portland. Lessard was born in Minnesota and' had moved to Portland in 1905. He also lived in Walla Walla and Bellingham, Wash, in earlier years. He served in World War I and was a graduate of the University of Southern California. lie was vice president of the Port land Lions club, a former state chairman of the America First committee, past chairman of the Willamette Democratic Society, a member of the Eagles lodge, the American Legion and other or ganizations. He started the practice of law in Portland in 1921. He was regis tered as a republican In 1926, changed to democrat in 1931 and changed back again to republi can in 1942. He served In the state senate during the 1935 and 1937 sessions and was defeated when he ran for Multnomah county district attorney in 1938. He was well known for one case he handled, the defense for Ed ward and Joseph Lessard, who were not related to him, over the harpooning of Portland's famous whale in October, 1931. Lessard is survived by his wife, Goldie, whom he married 14 years ago, and two children by a former wife, one of whom lives in Port land and the other in Idaho or Montana. The body was taken to Cres wick Mortuary and later to Port land where funeral services were to be held. hogs; and second place for single hog. Beef Joe Palmer, Lexington, third place. Hereford Dick Ekstrom, second place with different animal than above. Hereford Jerry Anderson, Hep pner, second place. Shorthorn Billie Doherty, Lex ington, third place. Hereford Skip Emert, lone, fourth place. Sheep Dennis Doherty, Hepp ner, first place for white face fat lamb. Sheep Janet Palmer, Lexing ton, third place, white face fat lamb. tContinued on page 6)
