1 LIBRARY V OF 0 EUGENE. OR Copies 10 Cents 72nd Year, Number 49 Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, February 16, 1956 Winter Takes Third Swipe at County Late Wednesday night the unofficial temperature in Hepp ner dropped to zero but by this morning had risen to 10 de grees and an overcast sky gave indication that a warming trend was on the way. Clouds and possible snow flurries were forecast for Thurday and Thursday night. Old man winter rolled up his sleeves and took another poke Tuesday night at Morrow county and the entire northwest as a big high pressure area moved in from Canada to drop temperatures to below zero and bringing some snow to the already well-beaten up states of Oregon and Wash ington. Snow started falling on bare ground around Heppner Tuesday evening and driven by a strong wind, soon caused sizeable drifts. Actually only about an inch of very dry snow tf ,41 Tuesday night and Wednesday morning but strong westerly winds which dur ing the night changed to cold easterly blasts soon had curbs and sheltered spots filled. The mercury dropped quickly soon after dark Tuesday and by Wed nesday morning the official low in Heppner was 8 degrees above zero. Clouds disappeared Wednes day but the bright sun had little warming effect as the thermome ter hung in the low 20s and brought practically no thawing. Roads Not Too Bad The state police reported late Wednesday that major highways were in good condition and large ly snow-free. No snow remained on the ground at Arlington Wed nesday and the Columbia River highway to Portland was report ed clear. Considerably more snow fell in the higher eleva tions and state highway crews at Heppner reported there was some drifting in the Eightmile area but that it was being handled by plows. Saturday, Sunday and Monday the temperature in Heppner rose well into the 50s and practically all the previous snow pack dis appeared in the three days. The frost coming out of the ground during that time however, brought many reports of extreme ly soft roads throughout this sec tion of the county. Many lead-in roads to ranches which were not heavily graveled were nearly im passable for a while The thaw caused some breakup of paved and graveled roads though no serious trouble has been reported. One pickup was reported dam aged Saturday when it broke through a road between Heppner and Lexington. As this is being written late Wednesday, weather forecasts call for even colder weather Wed nesday night and Thursday with GENERAL EDUCATION ON FARMER PROBLEMS SEEN NEED BY GRANGE The pending soil bank bill and the need for more education of the general public on farmer's problems were among the major items considered at a meeting of the Lexington Grange Saturday. O. W. Cutsforth, legislative committee chairman spoke on the soil bank bill which was fol lowed by a general discussion of the needs for more education on farm problems. It was pointed out that many people think that the farmer is one of the few be ing subsidozed, while in reality there are unknown and unpub licized subsidies in many other industries. The discussion led to the ap pointment of a committee com posed of Cutsforth, Gene Majeske and Jean Nelson which is to pre pare resolution to present to the next Pomona meeting. It was suggested that possibly some of the large farm machinery, fertil izer, oil companies, etc., who benefit directly from farming might be interested in sponsoring such educational advertising. Kenneth Smouse, agriculture chairmnn, gave a report on the Nation il Wheat League meeting in Portland and said that this county was well represented. He said attendance at the meeting was increased greatly over pe vious years Mrs. Edith Miller, home eco nomic chairman, reported that new officers were installed at the January meeting and she pre sented corsages to Mrs. Earl Evans and Mrs. Myles Martin, retiring chairman and treasurer. She also announced the next the chance that the mercury will drop well below zera in the early morning hours. A long-range fore cast issued early this week gave warning of the possibility of tem peratures as low as 30 below zero for sections of Oregon and East ern Washington during the late part of the week. The mercury dropped to-2 in Condon Wednesday morning. John Day Dam Subject of Meet The second area-wide meeting of persons and communities in terested in the problems connect ed with the development of the John Day dam was held last night at Boardman under the sponsorship of the Boardman commercial club. A representa tive group from the Heppner- Morrow county chamber of com merce attended the meeting. Boardman, along with Arling ton and other river communities face the assurance of being drowned out when the John Day dam is constructed. The present town of Boardman will be either partly or entirely under water after the dam is built, depending on what its eventual height may be. Aireal photos of Boadman were shown, with the shoreline drawn in as it would be with a dam height of 269 feet. This included all of Boardman from 1 miles west of town to 1 mile east of town, and showed that the high way, railroad, town, and cemetery would have to be relocated. Agreement was reached to have a meeting in Arlington at the Vendome hotel, 6:3o p. m. Feb. 27 to further discuss the problems, where W. F. Nelson, Executive Secretary of The Dalles Chamber of Commerce will tell of his experience working with The Dalles dam for 15 years. Later the same evening the P-TA will hold a meeting in the school gym nasium. A resolution was passed to hold further meetings each third Wed nesday of each month, and a community council was suggest ed to handle the problems aris ing from the construction of the dam. CIVIC LEAGUE TO MEET The regular monthly meeting of the Heppner Civic League will be held next Monday at 8 p. m. in the kindergarten room at the Heppner high school. Alice Wag ner will be in charge of the pro gram on care of the hair. She will also demonstrate hair styl ing. meeting would be Feb. 17 at Mrs. Earl Evans' home. Considerable discussion was held on the coverage of farm meetings and programs in local papers. Many saying they would like to see more farm news In county papers as Morrow's eco nomy is based on farming. Lyle Cox was elected lecturer to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mrs. Audrey An sted. Later Mr. and Mrs Clem Stock ard showed pictures of their re cent trip to Pasadena and of the rose parade and Disneyland. Members of the supper commit tee were Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Cox, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Majeske, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Cutsforth and Mrs. Leonard Munkers. John Day Fishing Conditions Brighten With Cold Weather Steelhead fishing on the John Day river in the vicinity of Kim berly and Monument was re ported as excellent last Saturday, but warm weather early this week caused a rapid rise in the water and stopped all fishing by midweek. Ice was also causing trouble in the river by Tuesday and Wednesday. The state police reported that should the weather stay cold there is a good chance that by this weekend the water will clear and drop considerably again of fering good fishing conditions. Fishing last Saturday was re ported the best In some time. TO ATTEND STATE MEETING The Heppner high school students. Miss Joann Erosnan, left and Miss Judy Collons will leave next week for Corvallis to attend the annual state Future Homemakers of America meeting held on the OSC campus. Judy is the new president of the Heppner FHA chapter and Joann the recently elected secretary. Both girls are honor roll students and have been active in many other fields. Mrs. Homer Hager, school in structor and chapter advisor will accompany the girls to the meet ing. Story below. (GT Photo) Heppner Students To Take Part in State FHA Meeting OREGON STATE COLLEGE The Future Homemakers of America chapter at Heppner high school will be one of 99 Oregon chapters participating in the an nual state FHA meetings Febru ary 24 and 25 at Oregon State College. FHA is composed of high school girls taking home economics classes. Oregon's membership now totals 4,000. The local chapter has 15 girls enrolled. Theme for this year's eleventh annual meeting is "FHA'ers Face the Future". One of the high points of the meeting will be awarding of state homemaker degrees, the state's top award for high school home economists. They go to outstanding members who meet school, home and com munity program requirements. New state officers will also be named for the coming year. State Traffic Deaths Up in January Thirty persons were killed In Oregon traffic accidents during January, two more than died in street and highway crashes during the same month a year ago. The figure, released by the state traffic safety division, is "tentative," based on reports of known deaths from state, city and county law enforcement agencies. At the same time, the safety office announced that the 1955 traffic death toll has been re vised upward to 410 as a result of the death of a woman injured in an October accident. The state's death rate for last year which illustrates the num ber of persons killed in each 100 million miles of travel has been set at 5.92.- The previous year it was 6.2. Safety men said the state has recorded slight drops in the death rate every year since 1952. These death rates' they said, mean that on a mile-for- mile basis, the state's roads are be coming safer. Mr. and Mrs. James Drlscoll spent Sunday in Walla Walla visiting their daughter Janice who is a student at St. Paul's Pa rochial school. F fO & i n PART OF THE CAST of the play "Kessie of the Hills" which Is to be presented Friday night at the Lexington school auditorium by the Lexington Thespians is shown in this photo. The play is being given as a benefit for the Lexington Christian church, and the Cub Scouts. Shown are, front row 1 to r, Mrs. Orville Cutsforth, Mrs. Jim Angell, June Cooper. Back row standing, Ted McMillan, George Irvin, Delpha Jones, Jo Irvin, Bill Nichols and Jim AngelL Almost overlooked in the front row is "Rags" who is reputed to be one of the best actors (canine) in Morrow county. I Hll.l February Named As Heart Month Urging all citizens and organi zations to support the 1956 Heart Fund, Heppner mayor Mrs. Mary Stevens this week designated February as American Heart month in Heppner. The Heart fund drive, conduct ed by the Oregon Heait Associa tion, and affiliate of the Ameri can Heart Association, has a local goal of $350 and the cam paign will be conducted in this county from February 1 through 29 with John Hartman, Heppner as general chairman. In proclaiming Heart month, Mrs. Stevens pointed out that the heart and circulatory diseases are responsible for more than 52 percent of all deaths in the Uni ted States annually and are the leading cause of all deaths In this area. Almost 800,000 deaths were caused by these diseases in the United State in 1954. "There is a. need for greater scientific knowledge to control the heart and circulatory disea ses", the mayor declared in her proclamation. "This can be de veloped only through intensive readjustment and research pro grams." In her proclamation Mrs. Stev ens urged all citizens to support the 1956 Heart Fund. Chairman Hartman also an nounced today that Sunday, Feb. 26 has been designated as Heart Sunday. A house to house can vass will be made on that day, he said. Chairmen for the spe cial day will be announced later, Hartman said. Oil Furnace Cause Of Saturday Alarm Faulty control equipment which allowed a furnace to fill with oil before igniting was the cause of a fire call Saturday afternoon to the Heppner American Legion hall. The building was filled with smoke when firemen arrived but no fire damage resulted to the building. o Mr. and Mrs. C. N. Jones are In Portland visiting their daughter, Miss Loma Mae Jones and their nephew Don Jones who is recup erating from surgery. Carnival Planned For Band Benefit Plans were made for a band benefit carnival to be held April 7 at the Heppner fair pavilion at the monthly mooting of the Heppm'r band parents club Mon day evening at the high school. The carnival is planned to be bigger and better than before and Phil Blakney, on behalf of the chamber of commerce, ac cepted co-sponsorship of the car nival. The chamber will operate one booth for which it will re ceive one-fourth of the net of that booth to apply on the field light ing fund. It was decided to give the old band uniforms to the Boys Town of the West at Camp Columbia and the old caps and capes will probably be given to the Salva tion Army. Committees for the carnival in clude Bill Cox, chairman; Mrs. J. R. Huffman, food chairman; Mrs. Al Bunch and Mrs. Randall Mar tin art and publicity. One band uniform has been purchased so far this year and it is planned to buy a band banner and drum majorette outfits later. Mrs. Alvin Bunch was installed as vice president of the organi zation. She was absent at the regular installation. Refreshments wee served by Mrs. Oliver Creswick, Mrs. Huff man and Mrs. Cal Sumner. Coon Questionnaire Asks Voters' Aid Congressman Sam Coon has mailed out a legislative opinion questionnaire to more than 46, 000 residents of the Second Dis trict of Oregon. Coon stated, "During this ses sion of Congress we have before us questions of vital importance to you. I wish that you would help me in deciding on these is sues by answering the questions on my questionnaire. Any com ments on other issues that you care to make will be appreci ated." Coon's 1956 questionnaire asks for opinions on nine important issues: agricultural policy, aid to education, the John Day Dam, Oregon power development, road construction, labor policy, foreign aid, debt and taxes and postal rates. Special Taxpayer Service Announced by Revenue Offices District internal revenue ser vice director R. C. Granquist has announced that Monday of each week has been designated as tax payer assistance day for the Port land internal revenue district throughout February and March. All offices in the district in cluding the Pendleton office at 204 Byers building will have ample personnel available on those days to furnish information and service to taxpayers in the preparation of their 1955 income tax returns. From April 2 to 16 the Pendle ton office, and many others, will remain open continuously to aid taxpayers, it was announced. o TOUR PICTURES SEEN AT GRANGE MEETING Henry Baker of lone showed pictures of his recent European tour at the meeting of Rhea Creek grange Sunday. Mr, and Mrs. Lincoln Nash of Heppner were accepted into mem bership In the grange. o Floyd Tolleson of Portland, for mer resident of Heppner, was a weekend visitor here. jr? r- " " ' v , 1 PLANNING THE DETAILS fcr the county-wide Red Cross drive which will open here Morch 1 are county and state heads of the organi zation who met early this week at Heppner. Left to right are Eick Brunner, chairman of the lund drive; Jack Bailey, Morrow county Red Cross chapter president; Ray Vester, Portland, natonal vice-chairman of the 1956 fund campaign; and Harold Berentson, Portland? manager of the Multnomah county chapter. (GT Photo) Unander Tells of State's Problems State treasurer Sig Unonder, speaking Wednesday in Heppner on the 97th anniversary of the statehood of Oregon, told a size able group of county Republicans some yf the history of the state and of the problems that must be faced in the future. Unander's talk was given Wed nesday noon at O'Donncll's cafe under the sponsorship of the Morrow county Republican een tral committee. He said the state has been and still is suf fering with growing pains with schools and water problems be ing among the most Important. He listed conservation as the key to the state's future. Oregon has the third highest degree of seasonality in employ ment of all states due to its type of employment and industry which is based on lumber, agri culture, tourists, mining and fish ing. To Oregon's credit however, Unander said, is its educational and highway programs which are among the finest of all states. The treasurer told of the im provements now being made in the numerous state institutions and plans for the future. Unander was introduced by Mrs. Verner Troedson of ,Ione, vice-chairman of the county Re publican committee. Also pre sent were Mr. and Mrs. Collis Moore of Wasco, Mrs. Unander; mayor and Mrs Omar Rietmann of lone and Mrs. Mary Stevens, mayor of Heppner. Mrs. Moore is a candidate of Republican natio nal committeewoman. Savings Bond Sales Continue High Sales of Series E and II Savings Bonds continued high in Oregon in January, according to figures just released by Ted R. Gamble, chairman of the Oregon Savings Bonds committee. People of the state bought $3,938,283 worth of these high grade treasury securi ties last month. "Although sales were well ahead of December's, they could not be compared with those of January 1955", Gamble said, "for that month set our peace-time sales record at a fantastic $5,418, 659, a figure which is apt to stand for a long while. Compared with any other since World War II, last month's sales were ex cellent." In spite of the all-time high set by bond sales in January of 1955, nine of Oregon's thirty-six coun ties showed better totals this January than a year,. ago. "Sales of E and il Bonds in Morrow county in January were $22,989", said county chairman Jack Bedford. "In January of 1955 they were $16,000." Savings Bonds sales nationally in January were $572,000,000, about $1,000,000 less than in January, 1955. Sales exceeded total redemptions by $122,000,000. A Salty Story Salt can be a dangerous wea pon, according to a news item received this week from the GT's Monument correspondent. Darrel Farreng of Monument suffered a broken toe one day last week when he dropped a block of salt on his foot. Not long afterwards salt caused a second casualty when Darlene Boyer dropped a block on her foot while loading some in a car. When in Monument it might be wise to Bteer clear of all salt f ' f -T Forest Report Shows Use High, Fires Low in 1955 Though 1955 was characterized by many large forest fires in the forests of the west, the Umatilla national forest suffered a fewer number of fires than the five year average in the forest, the annual report released this week by supervisor C. .M Rector, Pen dleton, revealed. Despite the exceptionally dry weather during last August, only 54 fires were eported in the area during the entire year. The five vear averace is 73. The fires were all small and the total area burned did not exceed 25 acres, the report said. Other sections of the report In dicated that the success of deer hunters throughout the forest was about the same as the pre vious year, but that elk hunters bagged more animals in l9ao than in former years. A major use of the forest was for crazing with 7,050 head of cattle and 19,900 sheep securing summer pasture from the forest range land. . Another 1,075 cattle and 3.975 sheep grazed under free permits issued for the use of intermingled private lands lo cated within the forest boundary. The service reported that re creation use of the forest is in creasing every year with more persons packing Into remote areas than ever before. One of the bie events of the ski year was the SDout Springs Olympic ski training camp held during No vember and December. The u. S. Nordic team made the springs, located near Tollgate, their head quarters. Camping and picknicktng ia cilities were still crowded and not holding up under the increaed use, but some additional main tenance funds were received to start correcting te shortages in this line. Maintenance was completed on over 1.100 miles of road and 810 miles of trail throughout the for est during the year and In the Hermner area three miles of the Penland Prairie road was gravel ed. Also, over 25 miles of new roads were surveyed. There were 129 timber sales of forest timber during the year and of these 120 were small with val ues of less than $2,000. 35 million board feet of timber was cut from forest lands during the year under sale and exchange agree ments which netted the govern ment $570,000. Headquarters for the Umatilla forest is in Pendleton and there are six districts under the super vision of rangers. V. L. Krel meyqr is district ranger of the Heppner district. He came to Heppner last fall replacing Wayne West who was transferred to Portland. March of Dimes Receipts Nearly Equal Last Year A total of $2,148.50 has been turned in so far in the 1956 March of Dimes drive in Morrow county, it was revealed this week. The figure is only slightly below the nearly $2,500 collected in the countv last vear and there is still one community to report. All Areas of the county nave reported in to drive chairman Floyd Sayers with the exception of Irrigon, but when that is re ceived it is hoped the figure will nearly equal last year's drive. Following is a breakdown of the donations from communities. School and special efforts are in cluded in the total for each town as they were reported previ ously: Heppner, $1,409.99; Lexington, $158.75; lone, $328.91; Cecil, $75.00; Hardman, $36.83 and Boardman $139.02. The report from Irrigon is expected within a few days, it was said. o Skin Care Extension Unit Project Mrs. N. C. Anderson and Mrs. Lewellyn Robbins presented the project lesson, care of the skin, to 13 members of the Heppner extension unit Tuesday afternoon at the Al Fetsch home. Present were Mesdames Wil liam Heath, Al Fetsch, N. C. An derson, Henry Rauch, Ray Bailey, Lewellyn Robbins, Kemp Dick, Ray Drake, Lee Scrivner, William Turner, Kenneth Keeling, Paul Warren and Douglaa Drake.