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Cbpies 10 Cents
HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1957
74th Year, Number 10
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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.
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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)
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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)
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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.
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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,
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.