Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 1957)
i L I B R A R Y U OF 0 E U G E r - f 1 Cbpies 10 Cents HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1957 74th Year, Number 10 me .n FLOOD AT ITS PEAK Last Friday evening's flash flood was caught at its height by C. A., Ruggles as water was lapping at buildings in the extreme west end of town. This photo was taken from the Birch street bridge across uttie damage was done in town though youngsters had a field day after the water went down catching fish that had been stranded in puddles in fields. Thousands of fish were killed. 5) ". - . f - r i I K 1 - " "-.. ... ' F y- - I mil' Hri ' i "'f' MmA MUDDY DELUGE roars ifnder the Alfalfa street bridge at the east city limits of Heppner. Before starting to recede the water raised at least another foot to put it well up on the bridge stringers which here were still above the surface. All city bridges and sewer line crossings withstood the water but water department crews had many anxious moments before the water started to drop. (GT Photo) Sk ' ' ..... .' ... - '""tN RISING FAST Heppner police chief Dean Gilman watches the rising waters from the Alfalfa street bridge. Water was not at peak when this picture was taken and some of the clumps of willow trees in the center background were uprooted and washed downstream. ( GT Photo) r HEAVY DAMAGE TO FIELDS along Balm fork is shown in this photograph taken Saturday morning of one of the Osmin fields. Water still stands in holes gouged as much as four feet deep in this recently leveled land. Section of field closest to camera was above water, but in many places in vicinity water covered entire fields, and the road. Crops in all fields reached by the water were completely obliterated. Some alfalfa fields along Balm fork looked as though they had been sliced with a knife the upper part green with alfalfa, the lower scrubbed clear down to rock and gravel. The worst of the "spout" hit a mile or two upstream from this field. 'GT Photo) Schools Slate Graduation All schools in this immediate i area this week announced plans I for commencement exercises to be held for graduating seniors and eighth graders who will step up into high school at the be ginning of the next school year. Heppner high school will grad uate 29 students at commence ment exercises slated for 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 at the gym nasium. Graduation speaker will be Francis Nickerson, executive secretary, state committee on high school-college relations for the state board of higher educa tion. Nickerson is the son of Mrs. Grace Nickerson and is a former graduate of Heppner high school. He has attended Oregon State College and graduated from the University of Oregon. He also took ... Willow creek looking upstream. i advanced work at Northwestern University and the U of O. Heppner eighth grade gradua tion exercises will be held Thurs day evening, May 23 In the gym. lone will also hold its exercises Wednesday evening in the school cafetorium when 12 seniors will receive their diplomas '. and awards. Guest speaker will be Dr. Elwayne Lieuallen, president of Oregon State College of Education at Monmouth. The program will also include eighth grade gradu ation. The Lexington commencement program is set for Thursday eve ning May 23 in the school audi torium. It will be a combination program for both the seven high school seniors and the eighth grade class. Dr. Frank Bennett, " j M to Water Peak Highest Since 1943 Cloudburst A flash flood reminiscent of others in past years, descended on Heppner from Balm Fork just before dusk last Friday evening causing much excitement in town, but only minor damage. Not so lucky were the farm lands along the creek canyon where the cloudburst struck, for the equivalent of a good siz3d farm washed down Balm and Willow creeks with the flood of water which measured nearly eight feet in depth at its peak. Many persons had kept a weather eye peeled at the heavy black clouds which lay over the hills to the south and east of Heppner most of the afternoon, but it was 6:20 p.m. before the first word of trouble came from Mrs. A. L. Osmin, who lives about four miles up Balm Fork from Heppner. She called Heppner fire chief C. A. Ruggles, who with as sistant chief Robert Penland and Red Cross Blood Drawing Slated Here on May 28 A quota of 100 pints of blood has been set for the coming visit of the Red Cross Bloodmobile, it was revealed this week by Tom Wilson, chairman of the Elks committee sponsoring the blood- mobile visit. The annual blood drawing will be held Tuesday, May 28 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Heppner Metho. dist church and the committee has high hopes that the quota can be exceeded. The Eiks have mailed donor sign-up cards to all local members but Wilson em phasized that the cooperation of all residents is needed. Anyone between the ages of 18 through 59 years is eligible as long as they have had no disease or phys ical difficulty which might dis qualify them. Registered nurses who will as sist with the drawing are Mrs. Don Hatfield, Mrs. Mervin Leon ard, Mrs. Phil Blakney and Mrs. Jack Angel. Helpers will be Mrs. Pat Brindle and Mrs. D. O. Nelson. In charge of nurses aides will be Mrs. John Newman, typists who will assist are Mrs. Roice Fulle ton, Beverly Baker, Sharon Cuts forth and Mrs. Tom Wilson. Mrs. Velma Glass will be in charge of the canteen. The need for a heavy donation of blood at the coming drawing was emphasized by Mrs. O. W. utsforth, county Red Cross chair man who pointed out that at the last drawing here in April 1956 only 20 pints were obtained, but that local residents have required the use of 68 more pints of blood, other than from walking donors which does not count against the Red Cross blood bank, than have been donated to the bank by res idents of the county. Under the Red Cross plan each county is expected to supply at least as much blood for the bank as it withdraws for patient use, but during the past year the county use has far exceeded donations. No prior sign-up for donors is required and all will be accepted any time between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m. Persons wishing to sign up for a specific time are asked to contact the chairman, Tom Wilson or leave word at the Elks lodge. Programs a president oi eastern uregon col lege of Education at La Grande will be the speaker. All other county schools will hold exercises- sometime during the week, but exact dates were not available. AIR BASE OPEN HOUSE DATE CORRECTED. A story In last week's Gazette Times carried the incorrect date for the open house to be held at the Condon Air Base in observer ance of Armed Forces Day. The time is Saturday, May 18 from 1 to 5 p.m. Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Ruggles were In Pasco on Saturday to attend the Shrine ceremonial there. i police chief Dean Gilman, sheriff C. J. D. Bauman and state pa trolman William Labhart drove up the stream about two miles to check the progress of the flood. One crest had already reached the first bridge above town, which was not of sufficient height to cause trouble, but as the men watched the sceond wave came down the canyon and the group rushed back to town to sound a warning. Using the city siren and fire trucks, persons living along the banks of Willow creek were warned of the water in ample time to be prepared to move out if necessary. The ; precaution proved unnecessary, though the crest of the flood was reported to be higher than any since the flash flood of 1943, and theSvat ers overflowed stream banks in many places and surrounded jmall buildings in the lower end of town. Budges Not Damaged City crews and firemen kept watch on bridges throughout the length of Heppner and at times fear was felt that some of them, and adjacent sewer crossings rnight be damaged as logs, debris and clumps of willow trees rolled along with the head of chocolate-colored water. None suffered any damage though several bridges had only inches of clearance above the stream at its peak. Hundreds of persons gathered to watch the flood roll through town . . . the older, more sea soned residents of Heppner from a safe distance, the younger from bridges and close range not being as well aware of the po tential danger of a "waterspout" as were those persons who have seen them before. Field Damage Heavy" . The downpour or "spout" cent ered in an area about four or five miles in length along Balm Fork, the western side of the storm being located about three miles southeast of Heppner. Balm Fork carried the bulk of the water, though some damage was reported from Sanford Can yon which empties into Rhea creek above Ruggs. Some of the Osmin ranches fields along the creek bottom suffered the heaviest damage from the flood with several, which had recently been leveled, being obliterated. Some of the Continued un Page 5 Joann Brosnan Wins UN Irip A reconsideration of the judg ing in the district United Nations Pilgrimage contest held March 30 at Pendleton resulted in the Heppner winner, Miss Joann Bros nan being chosen as co-winner. As a result she will leave here July 11 for the New York trip. Miss Brosnan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Brosnan, placed first In the local contest and competed against 16 other stu dents in the finals. Originally an Inskeep boy from Irrigon high school was named winner by the judges who took nearly two hours to make the decision, but later they advised the I.O.O.F. youth committee that they felt both Inskeep and Miss Brosnan were entitled to the trip. She was ad vised of the change early this week. Joann Is the third winner, of UN contests from Heppner high school in the six years that it has been held. She will leave here July 11 for Portland where she will join other Oregon winners. The following day the northwest group will leave Spokane by char ter bus. She will return home August 8 after two cross-country trips and a week in New York. Students Win VFW Poppy Contest The VFW auxiliary of Lexing ton held a poppy contest with students from the Lexington and Heppner schools participating. William James Steagall of Lex ington won first prize and Judy Schmidt and Libby Van Scholack of Heppner tied for second place. The judges were Mrs. Al Bunch, Heppner; Mrs. Don Hatfield, Lex ington and Mrs. Norman Nelson, lone. GD IF mm Itl - &iw. 1 JL .sfe'ilMiwiilnt .. AiAimi irn li mi mi I i i iiilriir mmmmmrni-wmrmmrltm BURTON PECK, left, Lexington rancher, this week was named Morrow county of the Year." Mr. Peck is shown with his wife and son, Tames, who assists See story adjoining. (Wilson Photo) Burton Peck, Lexington Rancher, Selected as Conservation Man A homesteader in Morrow county over 50 years ago, Burton Peck, Lexington, has been named the county winner of the "Soil Conservation Man of the Year" award for 1957, a selection com mittee has announced. Conservation practices on Peck's 640 acra wheat ranch south of Lexington, which he acquired in 1925, include 608 acres of strip cropping recently established, 40 acres of crested wheat grass, la dak alfalfa and bulbosa and two acres seeded this spring of pube scent wheatgrass and fescue grass. Peck utilizes all his stubble, occasionally subsoils in the fall to catch winter moisture and has Field Day Set at Ranch of State Conservation Man A conservation field day tour of the Kenneth Peck ranch near lone has been scheduled for Saturday, May 25 with a full program set for all visitors. Peck last fall was chosen state onservation Man of the Year, the first Morrow resi. dent to ever be accorded the honor. The program which has been set up by the county conserva tion committee will start at 10 a.m. at the ranch with a film on the operation of the Peck farm. Others on the program will include Vernon Munkers, presi dent of Morrow County Wheat growers association; Jack Smith, vice president of the Oregon Wheat Growers League; Jim Mil ler, Farm editor of The Oregon- Ian; Don Thompson, chairman of the state Conservation Man of the Year committee; Jim Hunt, Wasco, a member of the same committee. The more formal part of the program will be held during the morning and at noon lunch will be served to all visitors through the courtesy of the Morrow Coun ty Growers. During the afternoon a tour of the ranch will be held so visitors can have an opportun lty to view firsthand the numer ous conservation practices that won the state title for Peck. Peck was named county Con servation Man in 1953 and re ceived the state award last win ter at special ceremonies In Port land. The tour and field day will mark the climax of the county ob servance of state Conservation Week, May 19-25. o GOC PICNIC PLANNED All members of the Ground Ob server Corps and their families are invited to a GOC picnic to be held Sunday, May 26 at Hat Rock state park on the Columbia river above McNary dam. It will be a potluck affair with coffee, soft drinks and Ice cream furnished. relay filled several gullies to make till age possible. One of the six coun ty wheat fertilizer trial plots of the extension service is located MAT HALVORSEN, Morrow coun. ty pioneer rancher who died Saturday at the age of SO years. Mat Halvorsen, 90, Taken by Death Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at the lone Community church for Mathias Halvorsen, 90, who passed away May 11 at Pendleton. He was born In Gudbransdalen, Norway on July 24, 18C6, the son of Ann and Halvor Sangro. He had four brothers all of whom came to this country and took the name of Halvorsen when they became naturalized. The only sis ter stayed on the home farm and kept the family name of Sangro when she married. Mr. Halvorsen arrived in Lex ington in 1888 from Quebec, Can ada and he lived in Morrow coun ty the rest of his life except for about one and one-half years spent in Lonerock. He worked in a store in lone for Joe Woolery in 1894, later opening one of his own with Bert Mason. After selling his Interest to Mason he turned to farming from which he retired in 1946. He was married to Mary Pad berg Lieuallen In July 1900 and was a charter member of the Val. by Lutheran church. Survivors are two sons, Lewis of lone and Henry of Medford; two stepdaughters, Mrs. Vela Eu banks, Portland, and Mrs. Letha Harr, Blackfoot, Idaho; 12 grand children and 13 great-grandchildren. Rev. Merlin Zier conducted the services and interment was in the lone Oddfellows cemetery. Cres wick Mortuary was In charge of arrangements. J i Conservation Man him on his farm. on the Peck ranch this year. A lifetime rancher, Peck has improved and held his soil in place on the ranch, a portion of which he has farmed for more than 30 years under lease from W. ,C. Sievers, Portland. He is assisted by his son, James, with the farming operations and gives the younger Peck much credit for following many of the conserva. tion practices. Several tons of rock have been hauled off the ranch by Peck since moving there. In addition to his wheat oper ation on slightly over 600 acres of the land, Peck runs about 80 head of Herefords by renting pasture, buying some hay and turning thorn on the stubble. All cattle are vaccinated and rOte none powder is used to control insects and grubs. Trees are a special Interest of Peck who has planted over 500 trees in areas where none grew before including 50 locucts, 25 Ponderosa pine, 25 mulberry, 30 Austrian pine and 200 caragana. Trees shade the ranch buildings and a garden supplies Mr. and Mrs. Peck with fruit and vege tables. Sweep-stakes for his dry-farmed products were won by Peck for his display in the first Morrow county fair in 1913. At that time Peck . farmed with 24 head of horses and later owned the first combine in the county. Over the years he has consistently won blue fair ribbons on his grain, grass and garden entries. Mr. and Mrs. Peck, who cele brated their golden wedding an niversary in 1954, homesteaded In the Rhea creek area for 16 years, beginning in 1906. A son, Harold, now operates the home, stead ranch. Peck's father ranch ed in the Clarks canyon area, coming here from Ohio in 1893. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Peck are Harold, James, Donald of Pi lot Rock; Bud, Heppner; Glover, Parkdale; Mrs. Millard Nolan, Lexington and Mrs. Paul Morey, Portland. They have several grandchildren and greatgrand children. Peck is a charter member of Lexington Grange, has been mas ter two years, a member of the Morrow county Farm Bureau and has been a cooperator with the Continued on Page 6 700 Gallon Artesian Well Brought in on Sand Hollow Ranch An artesian well flowing an es timated 600 to 700 gallons of water a minute was brought In on the O. W. Cutsforth ranch on the east fork of Sand hollow last week. The heavy flow of water was struck at only 49 feet. The well drilling was exception. ally easy, Cutsforth reported, saying he struck a two-foot hard pan at 24 feet and was drilling In shale from there down. After the flow started the 12-lnch hole washed out to 18 inches and an 18-lnch casing was put in. It will be capped and the water used to Irrigate about 40 acres of alfalfa.