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Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, March 7, 1957
73rd Year, Number 52
March Starts Out to
Set Record
The March rainfall record
continued to be buried even
deeper under water as the
Heppner weather station re
corded another .24 inch of mois
ture this (Thursday) morning
to raise the month's total to
1.48 inches.
And still It comesl At press
time it was still raining, not
having slowed up since early
mcrning.
The old saying that "March
comes in like a lion", didn't quite
hold true in Heppner this year . .
or if it did, was a mighty wet
lion.
Rainfall at Heppner during
the first six days of March far
exceeds the 40-year average for
the whole month.
Since last Friday nearly every
possible form of precipitation
has fallen here rain, snow, hail
and even some just-plain-ice, but
all of it has been gentle and wel
comed with open arms by ranch
ers," cattlemen and most other
persons. Through Wednesday
morning the Heppner weather
station has recorded a total of
1.24 inches of moisture since the
start of the month, and that re
cord has been beaten by most
other weather stations in the
county. Gooseberry reports 1.60
Inches in six days and even areas
north of Lexington are enjoying
a drenching that has measured
as much or more than Heppner
received.
The heaviest fall of the week
occurred here last Saturday and
early Sunday morning when .99
inches was recorded making it
one of the heaviest sustained
rain storms seen here in many
years. The fall was gentle but
steady and there have been no
reports of any serious washing or
erosion. During much of the day
here there was a mixture of rain
and very wet snow which was
Mountain Snow
Pack Far Short
Of Normal Average
Water content of the snow
pack on Arbuckle mountain snow
course is 48 percent below the
fifteen year average and 62 per
cent less than last year at this
time according to snow measure
ments taken Thursday by Tom
Wilson of the Soil Conservation
Service. ,
An average of 11 inches of
snow with water content of 5.8
inches was reported compared to
51 inches with 15.2 inches, of
water last year at this time. A
water content of 11.2 inches is the
15 year average for this time of
year according to records of fed
eral and state cooperative sur
veys. Comparable measurements in
1955 were 38 inches of snow with
10.1 inches of water and in 1954
snow depth was 22 inches with
8.4 inches of water. Soils are
frozen beneath the snow but un
frozen in the bare spots. Snow
has completely disappeareed from
lower elevations except for drifts
on north slopes, Wilson said. .
Two days after the measure
ment was taken a heavy snow
fell in the mountains, and con
siderably more has been added
in the last few days, but none
of this recent fall was taken into
account in the above figures.
Out of City Firefighting Ban Reaffirmed
The Heppner city council Mon
day night reiterated its stand of
the past two or more years that
residents or businesses outside
the city limits cannot expect to
receive fire protection from the
Heppner fire department.
The matter came to the front
at the Monday council meeting
during discussion on providing
fire protection for residents in
the recently annexed area lieing
along the Heppner-Condon high
way. Some parts of this section
can now be reached from exist
ing hydrants and a small water
supply is available to all, but fire
hydrant quantities are short at
the upper end of the area. It was
pointed out however, that Hepp
ner fire trucks carry their own
water in sufficient amount to
handle nearly any blaze and in
that section would be close to
hydrants for refilling if neces
sary. Fire protection by city trucks
to areas outside the city limits
for Wetness
all snow in the higher elevations
and added close to a foot to the
short snow pack in the moun
tains. Wednesday rain fell continu
ously in Heppner but within a
few miles in all directions the
moisture came in the form of
snow. The ground was white
clear to the Columbia, it was re
ported.
Heppner's 1.24 inches for the
first six days of March compares
with .(8 during the whole month
last year. The 40-year averaee
is 1.10 and the average rainfall
for the past 10 years for the
month is only .99 inch.
At Gooseberry March has
brought 1.60 inches, February
1.00 and January 1.10. The mea
surement there since September
17 is 6.54 inches.
Temperatures and precipita
tion records here for the past
week are:
Max. Min. Prec.
Friday 53 28 . .
Saturday 53 36 .31
Sunday 47 33 .68
Monday 52 32 , .
Tuesday 46 28 .17
Wednesday 41 31 .08
Services Held Today
For Joel Barlow
Joel Barlow, 71, died March 4
at Pioneer Memorial hosDital
where he had been a patient
since October of last year. He
had lived in or around lone for
the past 35 years.
Mr .Barlow was born to Jere
miah and Amanda Barlow in a
covered wagon in Decator county,
Kansas Nov. 2, 1885 on the wav
from Missouri to Kansas. He
came to Oregon with his oar-
ents in 1902 and settled at lone
where they lived until 1919. They
then moved to the Willamette
valley where his parents passad
away.
He returned to lone in 1925
where he made his home until
going to the hospital last fall.
His brother Daniel preceeded him
in death in October, 1956. He
had made his home with his
nephew Alvin Barlow for the
last several years. He is sur-
vived by 11 nephews and nine
nieces.
Services were held this aftpr-
noon (Thursday) at Creswick
Mortuary chapel with the Rev.
Charles Knox officiating. Inter
ment was in the Heppner Maso
nic, cemetery.
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1 2 3, 4. 5 .
Did You Get Counted?
If you drive a car and live in
Heppner its 10 to 1 you got
counted at least a half-dozen
times Tuesday and Wednesday.
Early this week a total of 32
automatic traffic counters made
their appearance on numerous
city streets the work of the
state highway department.. The
24-hour check presumably was
maae to give the highway de
partment a complete traffic oat.
tern check within the city.
-o ;
Maple Tree Blooms
Herald Spring
Spring must be just around
the cornerl
The first harbinger of warmer
times was noted this week in
a big maple tree at the corner
of Gale and Water streets. It
is in full bloom, the first spring
blooms to be reported.
has been banned for some time
and the council again pointed
out to such residents that fire
codes and equipment require
ments for town would not allow
sending trucks outside town to
fight fires. The council explained
that taxes paid by city residents
provided the department equip
ment and supported its operating
and maintenance costs. ShouldJ
a truck be out of town when it
was needed for a blaze within
the city limits, the council would
be in a position of being negli
gent in its operation of the fire
department, it was said.
A member of the fire depart
ment also pointed out to the
council members that city equip
ment is not designed to fight
fires where water mains are not
immediately available. Special
type equipment is used in rural
areas which is much different
from that owned by Heppner.
Aid Method Seen
The council was told that a
Power System
Modernization Set
For Entire Area
A major electric service im
provement project will sonn be
started by Pacific Power & Light
company which will greatly
strengthen the company's trans
mission "and distribution facili
ties in the Heppner-Jordan-Ione
area, according to J. R. Huffman,
local manager for the power
company.
The plans call for conversion
of the Heppner-Jordan transmis
sion line irom 22,000 to 69,000
volts and raisins of distribution
voltage in the Heppner area from
2,4UU to 12,500 volts. The overall
program, which will be completed
in 1958, is necessary to meet the
areas last-growing demand for
more electricity.
Huffman said work will get
under way as soon as possible
on the Heppner conversion. The
job, he explained, will require
the stringing of more than 34,000
ieet or new conductor and instal
lation of 116 transformers and
19 new poles. Cost of thp nroieet
will be about $46,300.
Included in the improvement
will be the installation of a new
system of "Fuse coordination"
which will minimize the effect
of line troubles and provide in
creased service continuity. The
new system will "pin-point" the
location or any line trouble and
automatically isolate that sec.
tion from the rest of the circuit.
Huffman pointed out that the
Heppner conversion will take
most of the year 'to complete.
Voltage increase on the Heppner.
Jordan transmission line is srhe.
duled for i958.
Special Lenten
Services Announced
Each Friday during Lent from
March 8 through April 12 noon
day prayers will bp held at All
Saints Episcopal church from
i:iu to 22o. Following this
brief service a light luncheon
for about 50c will be served in
the parish house for the benefit
of business people.
This special service is for the
benefit of the entire community
and things peculiar to the Epis
copal church will not be men
tioned. Local P-TA Meetinq
Set Back to March 20
The Heppner P-TA meetine
regularly scheduled for March 13
has been postponed one week to
March 20, it was announced this
wek. It is expected the state
P-TA president will be here and
founder's day will be observed.
HEPPNER MILL UNIQUE IN INDUSTRY;
OPERATING ON
Heppner Pine Mills probably
holds a present record that can
not be claimed by any other
lumber mill in the entire Pacific
Northwest. It is operating on a
six-day week while most other
mills and plywood plants are
cutting to a four-day operation
or have closed down entirely.
Since re-opening after the
winter shutdown manager Paul
Koenig has placed the plant on a
Saturday work schedule which he
hopes can be retained for about
14 weeks. As a result the em
ployees will receive the equiva
lent of 21 normal working days
wages approximately the
system of rural fire protection
districts is in operation in many
parts of the state and members
agreed that if residents of the
area within a few miles of town
were interested in forming such
a district the city would be quite
willing to contract to provide ade.
quate protection in the area. If
such a district were formed, and
a contract made with Heppner,
the city would buy a struck de
signed to operate in rural areas
and provide manpower for it.
With such a district and protec
tion residents there could re
ceive the benefit of lowered fire
insurance rates. The cost of pro
viding protection in a rural fire
district was roughly estimated
at between two and four mills
until equipment was paid for.
The maximum millage allowed
by law in a rural fire protection
district, without a special vote
of the people, is four mills, and
often insurance premium reduc
tions offset a good portion of the
Vehicle Stop Rule
At School Crosswalk
To Be Enforced
Heppner police and school of
ficials again asked local drivers
to use caution while driving
near school grounds and reminded
them that a full stop is required
at the recently installed cross
walk light between tho two
schools.
Tolice report that many per
sons are not observing the stop
requirements at the flashing red
signal, and warned that traffic
citations will be issued to all
offenders. The light was in
stalled about a month ago to re
duce the traffic hazard to the
youngsters who must use the
cross-walk.
A full stop for all vehicles is
required when the light is in
operation during school hours.
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World Prayer
Day Observance Set
Te World Day of Prayer service
will be held Friday, March 8 at
the Heppner Methodist church at
2 p. m.
The program committee of the
Union Missionary group is in
charge of the program and each
church group will have a part.
All Heppner women are urged to
attend.
Members of the committee are
Msr. R. B. . Rice, Mrs. William
Bergstrom, Mrs. Theta Stratton
and Mrs. L. D. Boulden.
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Heppner Student in
Running for State
FBLA President
According to a . recent an
nouncement made by the state
executive committee of the Fu
ture Business Leaders of America,
Jim Morris, Heppner high school
junior, will be one of two candi
dates for the 1957-1958 state presi.
dent of FBLA
About a month ago Jim sub
mitted application for the office
of state vice president. Any
school was permitted to submit
the names of candidates for state
offices but the credentials were
screened by the state executive
committee in a meeting at Cor
vallis February 16. At this
meeting the committee felt that
Jim had qualifications which
made it justifiable for him to be
a candidate for the office of
president.
The local chapter will now be
busy helping Jim with his cam
paign which is climaxed at the
state convention held in Corvallis
April 12-13. The elections are a
part of the final day proceed
ings. Each candidate for a state
office is allowed to speak and
to present his qualifications!
through literature and his cam-'
paign managers.
SIX-DAY WORK WEEK
amount lost by the men be
cause of the shutdown.
Koenig said as long as pine
lumber continues to move the
present operation will continue.
The fir market is still very
slow and the mill has about
one month's cutting of fir cold
decked, 4ut it Is hoped that the
market will pick up somewhat
before it Is necessary to start cut
ting fir logs.
The dull fir market has re
sulted in numerous mills in the
western part of the state shut
ting down completely and seve
ral ply-wood plants have drop
ped to a four or three-day week.
tax cost.
The council pointed out that
it is allowed to take city equip
ment outside of town only In
cases where it has mutual aid
agreements such as with the,
local mill or with other towns In j
the area who can supply help to
Heppner if needed in case of a,
major fire. It could also be1
called upon to aid other cities ',
under the state conflagration act
which has never yet been in
voked since its passage a few
years ago.
Among those areas which are
adjacent to town but still out
side the city limits are homes on
Hinton creek above the fair
grounds, homes and businesses
along the Heppner-Arlington
highway and further out the Con
don highway. None of these can
be provided with fire protection,
the council explained, unless they
wish to join In the formation of a
rural fire protection district.
" ' - . . ' . ' z
BANQUET FARE Some of the members of the Heppner high school
horns economics class who last week completely prepared and
served a banquet for 100 FFA chapter members and their parents,
tho first such undertaking the group has tried. Until completion
of the new home ec department in the school, facilities and equip
ment were not available for such a project. The class under the
direction of Mrs. Homer Hager includes both girls and boys. Shown
here carving the five 20-pound turkeys are, left to right, Connie
Anderson, Carole Andersen, Joann Brosnan, Frances Slocum, Phyl
lis Quackenbush, Judy Collins, and Peggy Applegate. (GT Photo)
Results of FFA
Projects Reported
At Annual Banquet
Labor income of $2,857.75 was
realized last year by members
of the Heppner chapter of. Future
Farmers of America it was re
vealed last Wednesday at the
annual parent and son banquet
at the Heppner American Le
gion hall.
Projects of the chapter which
has 15 members were listed as
supervised farming projects of 17
beef, 23 sheep, 22 swine and 200
acres of grain land. So far there
s approximately $3,237 invested
in projects.
There are three registered
Hereford chains in the chapter.
Larry Fetsch received the Cuts-
forth chain, Ned Clark the
Harshman chain and Jackie
Struthers the Sears chain. They
give the boys a good start on
raising registered stock.
Through the cooperation of the
county court and the fair board
the chapter this year has started
a feedlot to be used for livestock
feeding programs of the chapter
and for Individuals who don't
have a place for their supervised
farming- projects. Much work
had to be done to get the lot into
shape and the chapter members
have cooperatively purchased
four tons of hay and six tons of
grain for use at the lot.
Larry Fetsch is chapter presi
dent and acted as master of cere
monies at the banquet which
was put on by the Heppner high
school home economics class un
der the direction of Mrs. Homer
Hager, L. L. Robbins is the chap
ter advisor.
New 15-Unit Motel
Open For Business
The new 15-unit Northwestern
Motel located on the corner of
Main and Baltimore streets
opened last week, the third such
business to be started in Hepp
ner in recent years.
The U-shaped concrete block
structure is owned and operated
by Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Piper and
offers strictly modern facilities to
travelers. There are 13 one-bedroom
and two two-bedroom units
in the building in addition to the
manager's quarters. No formal
open house is planned, but the
general public Is welcome to look
over the building at any time,
the Pipers stated.
Mineral Society
Studies Formations
The Morrow county Gem and
Mineral society met Feb. 19 at
the John Newman home where
the group continued its study of
rock formations. It was an
nounced that mineral shows will
be held at Eugene April 13 and
14 and at Sweet Home March 16
and 17.
Mrs. C. M. Wagner showed a
film on Canadian wild life.
o
IONE P-TA, TO SPONSOR
MINSTREL SHOW MARCH 15
A minstrel show, the Condon
Cotton-Picking Minstrels, will be
presented Friday evening, March
15 at the lone school cafetorlum
starting at 8:30. The program is
being sponsored by the lone
P-TA.
METHODIST YOUTH AT
DISTRICT MEETING
Those going to the district
Methodist Youth Fellowship at
The Dalles Friday, Saturday and
Sunday were Carol Kay Ander
son, Janice Martin, Susan Mc
Quarrie, Celia Boulden and Renn
Harris. They were accompanied
by Mrs. Lester Boulden.
Local Seniors
Win Elks Awards
Jay Sumner, recently announ
ced as one of two recipients of
the local region Elks "Most Val
uable Student" award, was this
week announced as winner of
first place for boys in the district
division at La Grande.
Mary Jo Stewart, the other
local region first place winner,
was given a second rating at La
Grande loosing the district first
place to Gaye McEwen of Pen
dleton. Mary Jo will receive the
benefits of a full tuition scholar
ship to Eastern Oregon College at
La Grande should she decide to
attend college there.
Both young people went to La
Grande March 3 to take part in
interviews held to decide the dis
trict award winners. Competition
at1 La Grande included seven
girls and seven boys from the
schools ranging in size from that
of Pendleton to Boardman.
Jay will now be entered in the
state competition against the
other Oregon boys. There will
be a similar competition held for
girls and then the first place
boy in the state and the first
place award winner for girls will
compete against each other for
the "Most Valuable Student from
Oregon" award. This competition
will be hold at Bend March 16
Both local winners will receive
a $200 scholarship and Jay re-1
ceived an additional $50 award
for placing top in the district.
Second place in the local contest
went to Shirley Kononen, daugh
ter of Mrs. Kay Kononen, and
Alice Faye Stewart, sister of the
first place winner. These winners
will receive $100 scholarships.
Judging for the awards was
based on scholarship, extra-curricular
and out of school activi
ties, personality, leadership, per
serverance and resourcefulness.
Hotel Heppner
Sale Revealed
Sale of the Hotel Heppner to
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Mattoon of
Oswego has been announced by
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Van den Bie
sen, the former owners. The Ma
ttoons took over operation of the
hotel March 1.
Mr. and Mrs. Mattoon plan to
operate the hotel themselves
though he will continue to run
The Mattoon Company, a power
and telephone line construction
company which he owns and has
been operating out of Oswego.
The company has done consider
able line construction work in
the Pendleton and Pasco areas.
The new owners plan an ex
tensive renovation of the build
ing and will do some remodeling
in the future. They have one
son, Kerry.
The Van den Biesen.'s had
owned the business only a short
time, having purchased it last
fall. They planned to return to
Portland.
o
State Income Tax
Representative Due
A representative of the state
tax commission will be in Hepp
ner from 3 to 5 p. m. March 20
at the court house to aid tax
payers in preparing their state
income tax returns, the commis
sion announced today.
They will also be in Condon
at the court house the same day
from 8 a. m. to noon.
City Park Fund
Receives Donation
From Former Club
The Heppner city park fund
was the beneficiary of a dona
tion of $77.58, the gift of the now
defunct Heppner Lions club. The
money was accepted by the city
council Monday night.
Former officers of the club,
which disbanded more than a
year ago, had given the city a
check for $92.58 about a week
ago, the balance in the club's
treasury when it disbanded, but
after the presentation was made
the club received a bill for $15
which it had not known was out
standing. The council accepted
the money and agreed to pay the
one bill the balance of the
money to be used for improve
ment of the park.
Immediate graveling of the
block-long street leading from
Water street to the Seventh Day
Adventist church was ordered by
the council Monday when it
was advised that an agreement
had been reached among property
owners and money was available
for the improvement. The street
previously had been curbed and
it had been originally planned to
ask for paving, but sufficient
funds were not available to hard-
top the block.
The council received nn'o hid
from Glen Smith for the pur
chase of a triangular piece of
city-owned land in lot 28, block
11, Mt. Vernon addition. The hid
was for $50 and the council ac
cepted the offer.
An application for a class A
package beer license was ap
proved for Central Market and
droecry. The council also nr.
dcred an application be filed for
state aid, under a special fund,
ror the paving of south Court
street from the court house to
Join with a former state-aid job
about three blocks south. The
request is for 1958 funds.
Gasoline Ordinance Read
An ordinance governing the
storing of gasoline or other
similarly inflammable liquids in
amounts over five gallons was
passed to its third reading. It will
be considered again for final
passage in April. The ordinance
also prohibits the dumping of
gasoline into any type storage
tank from vehicles or combina
tion of vehicles havlnc more
than 1200 gallons capacity. Pre
sent bulk gasoline plants now
operating within tho citv limits
are exemped under the ordinance.
I he council instructed the citv
recorder to contact the owner of
the old unoccupied Mover build
ing on Water street and request
Its removal as a fire and health
hazard. It also issued instruc-
tions that TV pole guy wires be
adequately marked to eliminate
the danger of persons walking
or running into them, discussed
the keeping of livestock within
the city limits without a city per
mit and Instructed the recorder
to advise several property own
ers of dangerous sidewalk con
ditions which should be corrected.
o
Extension Unit Sets
Two-Day Meeting
The Heppner extension unit
will meet Tuesday, March 12 at
10:30 a m. and Wednesday,
March 13 at 1:15 p. m. at the
home of Mrs. Al Fetsch.
The March project is Embos
sing thin metals and the leaders
are Mrs. William Heath and Mrs.
Riley Munkers. They will have
supplies for making the pictures
and they may be purchased at
the meeting. The cost will pro
bably run between $1.00 and
$2.00 each.
Each person is asked to bring
a sack lunch on Tuesday and the
hostess will serve beverage and
dessert for a small charge.
Lyle Jensen Pledged
To PU Honorary
Pacific University Lyle Jen;
sen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln
Nash of Heppner, has been Ini
tiated into Pi Delta Epsilon, na
tional journalism honorary on
the campus of Pacific university.
Jensen is a sophomore journal
ism major and a graduate of
Heppner high school where he
was active in school publications
and sports. He is presently as
sistant sports editor of the col-
cge newspaper.
MEETING DATE CHANGED
The Rhea Creek grange meet
ing date has been changed from
March 15 to the 20th it was an
nounced today. There will be a
potluck dinner at 6 p. m.