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
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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)