Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1956)
1 I SKA ft y U OF o ORE . Copies 10 Cents Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, September 20, 1956 73rd Year, Number 28 Boardman Site Seen Possibility for Navy Ammunition Depot From The Hermiston Herald Persistent rumors that the Port Chicago, Calif., naval ordnance depot may be moved to the area now occupied by the Boardman bombing range flared to credi bility Monday evening, when Joe Tatone, mayor of Boardman, told members of the Hermiston cham ber of commerce that a San Francisco engineering firm has been retained by the navy to make a survey of the Boardman site to determine its possibilities for naval use as an ammunition depot. The firm of Arthur D. Lit tie, Inc., has been retained, Ta tone said. If and when the Port Chicago depot is moved to the Boardman area, approximately 4,000 per sons would be employed on the construction of the depot, it was brought out at the chamber din ner meeting, first held since the two-month "summer vacation". Tatone told chamber members that the 96,000-acre bombing range would be an ideal location for an ordnance depot, as the site is one mile from highway 30, the Union Pacific railroad arid the Columbia river, as well as a highway leading to Ordnance. Soft soil and rolling ground would provide an excellent ter rain, Tatone added. Artesian wells would provide ample water supply, and the altitude of 275 feet would meet naval require ments. It was pointed out at the meet ing that the Port Chicago depot, located north of San Francisco, has met with unfavorable public relations because of residents of the area objecting to the close proximity of such an installation. Tatone said the nearest produc tive farm land is five miles from the Boardman range. D. W. Bliss, manager of the Umatilla county housing author ity, said abont 100 houses would be available for workers and other personnel. It is understood that negotia tions for the Port Chicago depot transfer have been carried on for some time by Rear Admiral Gor don Rowe, Ret., former manager of the Port of Umatilla. At a Meeting Monday evening Curtis Simons, president of the Hermis ton chamber, urged that the Mor row county court and other au thorities be encouraged to expe dite the transfer. Second Lieutenant John Men gel, USAF, commanding officer at the bombing range said Tues day only a skeleton force is sta tioned at the range "scoring" bombs and maintaining the area. Lieut. Mengel's unit comprises 20 officers and men. The preceding story was told to the Heppner-Morrow county 14 krmhWX&'4-j?FK ii.'vwB'iiy'iu'ii 'ut whin WORKING TOGETHER Timber and Game REMEMBER BEi HAT 0AYS chamber of commerce Monday and action was taken immediate ly to offer the chamber's assist ance in obtaining the depot for the Boardman area. The Morrow county court has also advised mayor Tatone that it will help in any way possible. A check Wednesday revealed that no additional information, other than is included in the above story, is presently avail able. Registration to Vote Being Urged With only slightly over two weeks left before the deadline for voter registration, non-registered citizens of the Heppner area are reminded again this week that two special registration places have been established in downtown Heppner. Both Humphreys Drug Com pany and Phil's Pharmacy have been set up by county clerk Bruce Lindsay as special regis trars. Both stores are open every evening until 8 p. m. for the con venience of residents who are unable to get to the clerk's of fice before the regular closing time of 5 p. m. The downtown registration plan was proposed by the cham ber of commerce in an effort to Increase the number of registered voters in the county and nearly 100 persons have signed up at the two places in recent weeks. The sign-up drive was started by the chamber when it was discovered that Morrow county had one of the lowest percentages of regis tered voters in comparison to population of any county in Ore gon. Residents of other sections of the county may also register at their nearest town as there are registrars in Lexington, lone, Boardman and Irrigon. The deadline to register If a person is to vote in the November general election is October 6. o H. E. Instone Rites To Be Here Friday Graveside services for Herbert Edward Instone, 70 years of age, who passed away September 18 at Pendleton, will be held Friday, Sept. 21 at 2 p. m. at Heppner Masonic cemetery. The Heppner Elks lodge will be in charge. Mr. Instone had been a resident of Morrow county for many years, but complete obituary informa tion is not available. Sign-Up Date For Soil Bank Is Extended Sign up for the acreage re serve section of the soil bank program has been extended to October 5, it was revealed this week. The original deadline was Sept. 21. The extension of' time has dis appointed a number of county farmers who had signed up for the original 50 allowed under the program but had indicated that they wiuld like to take their entire farm out of wheat if there was acreage and money to go around, N. C. Anderson, county agent, said this week. The ex tension of time makes it impos sible to wait with wheat seeding to determine whether they could come within the quota of money and acres alloted to the county. Morrow county's allotment is $847,219 which would approxi mate 31,000 acres at the aver age payment price. To date, $430,202.24 has been signed up in contract No. 1 which allows farmers to take out of production the first 50 of their wheat acre age allotment. This amounts to 15,752 acres. Those who have indicated that they would like to sign up for the remaining por tion of their, wheat, either in its entirety or in part, amount to $193,075.49 or 6,905 acres. It appears now as though there will be sufficient money and acres to go around to all who would like to sign up under the program unless mere is a Dig influx of farmers in the remain ing time. With this amount of wheat taken out of production arid the land to be seeded to barley, there is now a big demand for seed barley and the county agent reports that he has had many inquiries during the past week about sources of winter bar ley. There is also expected to be a later demand for spring barley varieties. Farmers who have Utah winter or Olympia barley seed for sale are asked to contact the county agent's office., o Catholic Conference Set for Hermiston Rev. Patrick J. Gaire, pastor of St. Patrick's church of Heppner will head a motor cavalcade of members of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the 16th annual conference of the C. C. D. to be held in Hermiston at the Oasis Theater, Sept. 24. Mrs. F. C. Cunningham of Her miston will give the address of welcome and preside at the meet ing. The keynote address, "Home visiting, the Priestly Heart's Inspiration and Joy" will be given by Rev. John J. O'Harra, S. J., Pendleton. Short addresses will be given by Confraternity members In cluding Mrs. Richard McElligott of lone, and panel participants will include Miss Shirley Kono- nen of Heppner. Rev. Gaire is one of the spon sors of the conference. o REA POWER TO BE OFF Columbia Basin Electric Co-op announced this week that power to all its users in the Rhea Creek, Eightmile, Hardman, Willow Creek, Shutler Flats and lone areas will be shut off from 3:30 to 7 a. m. Sunday, Sept. 23. Relocation of a section of the Hermiston feeder line is given as th e reason for the short shutdown. FRIDAY PROCLAIMED BY MAYOR AS START OF 1956 RED HAT DAYS Mayor W. C. Rosewall today I and more people each year; and proclaimed September 21 as the opening of the 1956 Red Hat Days campaign for better sportsman ship and urged all citizens to wear a red hat or a Red Hat Day button to indicate their com pliance with the Red -Hat Day pledge. This is the second year that sportsmen, land owners and land management agencies have joined forces to reduce the num ber of hunter-caused fires, hunt ing accidents and improve rela tions between sportsmen and landowners. The Red Hat pledge calls for hunters to be law abid ing, to respect the rights and the property of others and to be care ful with fire and firearms. Morrow county chairman for the state-wide campaign is Ralph Taylor of Heppner. Following is Mayor Rosewall's proclamation: WHEREAS, hunting 13 an out door sport that Is attracting more ngineers Asked Of Willow Creek Value Days Set Friday, Saturday In Heppner Stores Another Heppner-wlde Value Days is being held here this Friday and Saturday under the auspices of the mechants com mittee of the chamber of com merce and many excellent bar gains are being offered shoppers by local businesses. A two-page series of advertise ments of the individual stores taking part in the special promo tion appears in today's Gazette Times and handbills announcing the event have been sent out to all residents in the county as well as most communities in Gil liam and Wheeler counties. The selling event has been held two or three times a year for the past several years and has done much to promote additional buying in local stores - As an additional inducement to shoppers, the committee has ar ranged to have all parking meters hooded during the two days to provide shoppers with ample free parking facilities. o Cub Scouts Being Sponsored by P-TA; Officers Named New committee officers for the cub scouts, sponsored by the Parent Teachers association, named at a reorganization meet ing Monday night at the school include Jerry Daggett, chairman, Ed Gonty and Harold Laird. The new cubmaster is the Rev. Char les Knox and assistant, Ray Ayers. Cecil Hicks is Institution al representative.,- Plans were made for the sea son's first pack meeting set for Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p. m. at the multi-purpose room of the new school and application made for renewal of the charter for 1956-57. Ed Dick, P-TA presi dent, attended the session. Den mothers are Mrs. Ray Smith, Mrs. N. C. Anderson, Mrs. Ken Keel ing and Mrs. Jerry Daggett. o Civic League Slates First Fall Meeting The Heppner Civic League will hold its first meeting of the fall Monday, Sept 24 at 8 p. m. at O'Donnell's Cafe. Mrs. Ray Ta bor, kindergarten teacher, will discuss the class program and parents of kindergarten child ren are urged to attend the meeting. , New rummage sale co-chair men, Mrs. Ray Myrick and Mrs. Bob Jones will organize their committees and make plans for the coming sale. They have re quested all members of the Lea gue to bring their rummage to the meeting so sorting can be started. Civic League president is Mrs. Larry Dowen who took over re cently from Mrs. Fred Sanders who moved to Pendleton. o Mrs. Melba Bornett of San Francisco, Calif, was a guest of Mrs. John Brosnan from Friday through Monday. WHEREAS, landowners, sports men, and land management agen cies have joined together for a second successive year in a move to reduce hunter caused fires and hunting casualties and to Im prove landowner, sportsmen rela tions; and WHEREAS, this program, hav ing the Red Hat as a symbol was an outstanding success last year and has demonstrated its popu lar appeal; and WHEREAS, there is a continu ing need for this kind of educa tional program in order that the desired ends may be obtained; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RE SOLVED that September 21 Shall signal the start of the 1956 Red Hat Days campaign in Heppner and all citizens are urged to wear a red hat or a red hat but ton on that date to signify their continued compliance with the provisions of the Red Hat pledge. W. C. ROSEWALL Mayor of Heppner DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES Senator Wayne Morse and Al UUman who are doing much of their Heppner Monday afternoon to See story below. Morse and Ullman To Be Here Monday For Reception Senator Wayne Morse and Al Ullman, Democratic candidate for Congress, will carry their campaign into Morrow county next Monday as they take part in a reception to be held in Heppner that afternoon. The af fair is one of the many being held throughout an 11 county area as Ullman and Senator Morse travel together to bring the Issues to the voters of the second district. The reception will be held at the home of Clarence Rosewall. Both Mrs. Morse and Mrs. Ullman will be present, as will Mr. and Mrs. Al Bunch. Bunch is county chairman for the Ullman cam paign. Other county Democratic leaders will also be here. - Following the reception which will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 the Morse and Ullman group will leave for Grass Valley where a dinner is being held for Senator Morse. o Many Local Students Leaving for College Among Heppner college stu dents returning to school this year include to Oregon State col lege, Jim Hayes, Dick Kononen, Terry Thompson, Mike Grant, vice president of the student body, Patsy Wright and Jimmy Wight man. Entering as freshmen are Adelia Anderson, Darrell Blake, David Cox, Rena Gillespie and Skip Ruhl. University of Oregon: Sally Cohn, Larry Mollahan and fresh men, Lance Tibbies, George Lit tle, Wayne Soward, John Brosnan, and Don Casteel. Eastern Oregon College of Edu cation: Mary Ruth Green, Jean Marie Graham, Stephen Green, Delbert Piper, Nancy Anderson, Mike Monahan, Bobby Gra'bill, John (Bud) Wagner and Connie Newman. Students at other colleges in clude Lowell Lee Turner, Port land State College; Lyle Jensen, Pacific University; Marilyn Mun kers, George Pepperdine college Los Angeles; Dale Osmin, busi ness college in Salem; Kay Val entine, business college in Spo kane, Wash.; Jo Anne Keithley, beauty school in Salem and Joan Wright, nurses training at Good Samaritan hospital, Portland. At tending the University of Port land are Jackie Monagle, Janies Monahan and Larry Lindsay of Lexington. o Hearing Called on Incorporation of Town of Irrigon A public hearing on a move to incorporate the community of Irrigon Will be held at 2 p. m. Saturday, October 3 at the court house. The Incorporation of the town has been talked by residents of the area for some time and only recently was the county court petitioned to set a date lor the hearing on the plan. A complete description of the boundaries of the proposed town can be found in a legal notice in today's paper calling the hearing. O-T Rev. and Mrs. George R. S. Lit tle left Sunday afternoon for San Francisco and Berkeley, Califor nia where he will attend a semi nary and Mrs. Little will visit friends. to Make Dam Proposal campaigning together, will be in attend a reception in their honor. Student Gain Seen in Schools The number of students in .the Heppner grade school continued to climb this week as registra tion figures compiled Wednesday showed a total of 373 youngsters in the first eight grades. This is an increase of seven over the starting day of the fall term. All classes are large but the fourth grade takes the honors for size having 60 students. Transfers brought a drop of one student during the past week in the four high school grades where there are now 116 students registered. The students by grades are: first, 53; second, 40; third, 53; fourth, 60; fifth, 31; sixth, 46; seventh, 42; eighth, 48. In the high school there 25 freshmen, 28 sophomores, 32 juniors and 31 seniors. County Schools Up Early registration figures from all county schools released by the county school superinten dent's office showed a gain of nine students in the county com pared with first day figures last year. All the increase was shown in the grades as high schools registered a big drop-. Totals are 1027 compared to 1018 last year. Elementary schools have 748 students com pared with 651 last year, and high schools have 279 this year against 367 a year ago. Enrollment by schools shows Heppner 373 grade, 116, high; Lexington 77 grade, 30 high; lone 102 grade, 44 high; Board man, 66 grade, 30 high; Irrigon, 123 grade, 65 high; Hardman 5 grade. Esther E. Wilson Dies Here Wednesday Esther Adaline Wilson, 83 years of age, passed away Wednesday at Pioneer Memorial hospital fol lowing a long illness. Her home was in lone. Mrs. Wilson was born June 26, 1873 in Toronto, Canada. Surviving are her husband, Warren Wilson, of Minnesota; three sons, Leroy H. House; Law rence W. House, St. Paul, Minn.; and Robert R. House. Lancaster, Ohio; one daughter, Sara M. Aldrich of lone; a sister, Mrs. Nettie Suydan of Los Angeles, 13 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have not been made pending word from the family. O i Two Cars Damaged In Tuesday Crash Two cars operated by Terry D. Blevlns and Mrs. Edna Fetsch, both of Heppner, sideswlped Tues day evening just west of Hepp ner and were considerably dam aged but no one was injured In the accident Blevins told state patrolman William Labhart that the steer ing mechanism of his car had come loose Just before the crash and he was unable to control the vehicle. He was arrested by Lab hart for failure to drive on the right side of the road and for having a void foreign vehicle license. He was cited to appear in Justice court. Blevins was alone in his car and in the Fetsch car were Mrs. Fetsch, Bobby and Marlene Fet sch and Toni Hartman. Resurvey New Cost and Construction Plans Requested As a result of Tuesday night's meeting of the Morrow county water resources planning com mittee with members of -the planning division of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, it was voted to ask the Engineers to reactivate and complete its sur vey for a flood control and irri gation dam on Willow creek Im mediately above Heppner. Present at the meeting which attracted over GO interested residents of the Willow creek val- ley, were Edward C. Franzen. chief of the engineering division of the Corps of Engineers and Howard A. Treston, chief of the survey division of the Corps, both of Walla Walla. Franzen was introduced bv J. O. Turner, head of the flood con trol committee of the county group, who explained the his tory of floods in the area and called for unified support for the construction of a dam. Franzen told the group that the original survey for a multipur pose flood control and irrigation dam was made by the engineers In 1945 but that further action was dropped because of the lack of any particular interest by resi dents of this area. He said that if it was now desired, the corps should be asked to make a r survey of the proposal, which it could do because of prior auth orization for such work by Con gress. Size Told in Report . Franzen said that the original survey called for a concrete dam 1,275 feet long at its crest, and 100 feef high to be built just be low the forks of Willow creek and Balm fork. It would have a stor age capacity of 5,000 acre feet of which 3,400 would be for flood control, 900 acre feet for irriga tion and 700 feet for dead stor age. He told the group that the survey could well be brought up to date as fo costs and other factors, pointing out that in many cases an earth iill dam could be built more cheaply than one of concrete. He also pointed out that an earth fill structure is frequently safer than would be a concrete dam. Original cost estimates of the darn were set at $5,230,000." A surey would bring these figures up to date. Franzen said that 110 acres of land would be in cluded in the reservoir area and water would be backed up Wil low creek one mile and Balm fork about three-fourths of a mile above the dam. Irrigation Value Discussed The value of the irrigation benefits which would be derived from such a dam were discussed at length by interested parties and the enginers, Franzen pointed out that the dam would be primarily for flood control, but that a portion of its capacity would be 'available for irrigation storage (900 acre feet for irri gation and 3,400 feet for flood control). The cost of such Irri gation water was brought up by a farmer in the lower end of the valley and the engineer replied that after a resurvey was made it would be possible to give an accurate water cost figure. There are about 7,000 acres of land In the valley that might benefit from the additional water. It was emphasized that ranches which now have water rights on Willow creek would continue to get their alloted water free, and that they would only pay lor such additional water as they de sired to buy. Franzen said that if a resurvey Is made, public hearings will be held in the area to determine Just what the peo ple wanted and to advise them of the plans. It and when a dam is built, it will be patterned after the desires of the residents, he said. The value of having a large pool of water which could help in restoring the lowering water table in the county was discussed and the recreation value was talked briefly. Following the discussion, the group voted unanimously to re quest the engineers to make a re survey of the proposal. Presiding at the meeting was Newt O'Harra, chairman of the county water resources planning committee. Quentln Bowman, Continued on Page 6