Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 1958)
LIBRARY U OF 0 E U G S H E . ORE. .1 ; ..i ! Harvesting of Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, June 19, 1958 County Grain Crop Gets Under Way Copies 10 Cents Nearly 70,000 Acres of Lost in North End Fire Runs From Boardman to Cecil A spectacular range fire that covered about 15 square miles in the northern end of the coun ty started on the Boardman bom bing range Monday noon. The fire, apparently caused by am munition demolition, was not brought under control until early Tuesday morning. Racing over between 50.000 to 70,000 acres of range land from Boardman to the highway from Cecil to Heppner Junction, the blaze was fought by nine fire trucks, army main tainer and private farm bull dozers and equipment. About 100 men were reported working on fire lines over the wide area and small crews were checking spot fires on Tuesday. No grain was burned in the holocaust, but wheat on the George Miller ranch at Cecil was threatened. All of the Hynd Bros range was wiped out and a few sections used by Dick Wilkinson, Grain Growers Offer Farmers Fire Help The Morrow County Grain Growers have fixed up a truck with a small fire fight ing unit for farmers. Any farmer having a fire can call the Lexington office phone 3-8423 and they will help if they can. Second Fire in Month Hits Farm Near Boardman By MARY LEE MARLOW The Boardman city fire truck was called out for the second time in less than a week Mon day morning to put out a fire on the farm of Lloyd Keller, three miles east, of town. Keller was burning some dead trees that he had cut down and the fire spread to the desert adjoin ing his place. While he was try ing to stop that the fire got to his haystack and to a truck load of hay by it. Mrs Nathan Thorpe who lives across the road from Keller, called the fire depart ment and men from town and neighbors responded to the call. The truck and haystack were destroyed and about 25 acres of desert burned. Just four weeks ago Monday, Keller's house burned to the ground while he was away from home. Wednes day of last week the fire truck was called to put out a fire at the home of Charles Nickerson in town. , "Nickerson had been burning grass around the place earlier, and wasn't home when the house caught. The building, owned by Mrs Mary Healy, was completely gutted by the fire. Daily Vacation Bible school at Community church ended last Friday, and pupils presented their program that evening. Theme of the school was "Ex ploring God's Wonders." Pupils recited memory verses and sang songs learned. Their handwork was exhibited in the church basement. Total enrollment was 59, with an average attendance of 54. 19 children received cer tificates for perfect attendance and six received certificates for missing only one day. Mrs Russell Miller entertained a group of girls at her home Saturday in honor of her daugh ter Patty's 12th birthday. She was assisted by her daughter, Mrs Harold Baker, and Mrs Ron ald Haas. . Present were Toni Taylor, Patti Partlow, Dorothy Rash, Eileen Ely, Brenda Bill ings, Diana Malone, Irene Potts, Lydia Hodges, Beatrice Rio, and Roberta Phillips, the latter from The Dalles, Ronda Haas, and Ronnie and Randy Baker. The Tillicum club met at the home of Mrs Ronald Haas Tues day evening of last week to in stall officers. Mrs Dewey West, retiring president, was install Continued on Page 8 Monday's Range George Rugg, Paul Webb, Camp bells and Krebbs. The Wilkin son sheep camp, located north of the power lines on Six Mile canyon which was a rough boun dary of the blaze at that end was not endangered. Fire trucks used on the fire all through Monday night Included two from Cecil, two from Arling ton, one each from Boardman, Irrigon, Ordnance, Umatilla and one from the bombing range Spectators were drawn to the area which was lit as bright as daylight by the flames. C J D Bauman, county sheriff, and state police directed traffic which jammed the Willow creek highway around 11 pm. Backfiring was started in the Cecil area between 10 and 11 o'clock at night. The conflagrat ion of heavy sagebrush and grass shot high flames and threw off heat like an inferno. Main damage from the fire could be caused, if strong winds started sand blows, Dick Wilkin son pointed out. Early snows al so would eliminate pasturing la ter in the fall. The two-way communication system on the Wilkinson ranches proved valuable in gathering men to fight the fire. George Rugg was called from the moun tains, Dick Wilkinson was called back from Portland and operat ions were coordinated by radio. Women at the Krebs and Hynd ranches furnished coffee, sand wiches, cake and pop to the men during the night. Later reports told of the flames getting out of control again Tuesday afternoon in the valley below Cecil near the Jack Hynd home. The wind caused the fire to jump the highway and rail road tracks before being finally brought under control by a crew of weary firefighters, some of whom had been on the job for over 24 hours. Damage however, still was confined largely to sheep corrals, well houses and sheep shelter in addition, of course, to the heavy stand of grass. Loss of life was confined to thousands of kangaroo mice and jackrabbits. 4-H Summer Camp To Be June 26-30 At Herren Creek In preparation for the annual 4-H summer camp to be held at the Herren Creek 4-H camp ground June 26, through June 30, plans are being made now. Approximately 75 young boys and girls enrolled in 4-H club work along with older 4-H mem bers acting as camp counsellors will take part in the four days of camp craft sessions, nature study hikes, camp fires, singing, games, stories, soft ball and oth er recreation. Parents, leaders and those in terested in 4-H club work will spend Sunday, June 22 with a clean up day in preparation for the camp. Tents will be set up, beds and mattresses moved in and other details taken care of. Pot-luck dinner will be held at noon and anyone interested in the camp is invited to attend. Valbv Church To install Minister Rev Verlyn Kraxburger will be the speaker at Valby Luther an church at 9:30 am Sunday, June 22. Sunday school will fol low the service. Dr S C Siefkes will also be at the service which will be the installation service for Rev John Rydgren, who will serve as reg ular minister for the Hope Luth eran church in Heppner and Val by church. The annual picnic of the Val by church and Sunday, school will be held Sunday, July 6. All members and friends are wel come. Mr and Mrs N D Bailey at tended the Rose festival in Port' land last week. TTE MRS CLINTON AGEE (Janet Howton) a June graduate of Pacific University at Forest Grove who will teach physical education at the Heppner high school this next year. Residents Urged Not to Waste Water; May Face Rationing All city water users were as ked today by city superinten dent, Vic Groshens to use care in sprinkling and irrigation dur ing the hot weather or they may be threatened with water ration ing. Groshens said this morning that the city is pumping 700,000 gallons a day, the maximum that the feeder main will carry, but that local use has been going over that amount for, the past several days and is depleting reservoir reserves. He asks that residents sprinkle only in the early morning or evening and do not leave water running all night. "With resonable care we will have plenty of water for every one, but we can't afford to waste it," Groshens said. Youngsters Asked to Treat Park With Care; Keep Bikes off Walks The Heppner city council and police department this week again reminded youngsters of two problems always facing the city during the summer. They are treating the new city park with care and bike and horse back riding in the downtown area. Softball and baseball playing on the main section of the park has been prohibited because grass there is still quite new and is easily trampled out. The lower, fenced end of the park is avail able for youngsters' games, though it is small. Riding of bicycles on side walks in the business area has been prohibited for some years, and police again remind young sters of this ruling due to the danger to pedestrians. There have also been several recent reports of broken store windows caused by leaning bikes against store windows, and police report this practice " will have to be stopped. Horseback riding in the down town area is also discouraged. Morrow County Girls In Neptune's Court Miss Mardine Baker, daughter of Mr and Mrs E Markham Ba ker, lone, and Barbara Ander egg, Boardman, will be princess es of King Neptune's court at the first McNary Aqua Capers July 4-5 on McNary Lake near Hat Rock State park. Eight other princesses from the area will complete the court. The show is by McNary Aqua Capers, Inc, a non-profit corpor ation composed of sportsmen from Umatilla and Morrow coun ties, to promote greater recreat ion on McNary Lake. The pro gram will include water ski and air shows, boat promenade and water pageant, cross-lake swim ming, demonstrations by the Tri- Pass Ski club of Eugene and fireworks. Events will start at 1 pm, July 4 and end at 6 pm, July 5. PUG 75th Year Number 15 Grass Bl aze Businesses Agree To 3-Day Closing Over The Fourth Fifty-two businesses in Hepp ner, Lexington and lone will be closed over the three-day Fourth of July holiday, it has been an nounced. Business men have signed an agreement to close during Friday and Saturday, July 4 and 5. Grocery owners pointed out that final delivery of fresh pro duce into the area would be made on Thursday and no more deliveries would come in from wholesalers until Monday. Business that will close include the Heppner Market, Norah's Shop, Wilson's Men's Wear, Mor row County Creamery Turner Van Marter and Bryant, Peter son's Jewelry, Thomson Bros, Connor's dress Shop. Gonty's Heppner Bakery, Gilliam and Bisbee, Heppner Variety, Hepp ner Hardware and Electric, Her man Howard Barber Shop, Cen tral Market, Central Meat Mar ket, Pacific Power & Light, Hepp ner Cleaners, Heppner Laundry. Farra's Shoe Service, Lott's Electric, Ambrose Chapin's Bar ber Shop, Heppner Gazette Times, Case Furniture Co., Hepp ner Red and White Store, Rug gles Insurance, Way's Electronic Service, Heppner Sla u g h t e r House, Court Street Market, Tum-A-Lum Lumber Co., Anderson's Builders Supply-Bank of Eastern Oregon, Lois's Beauty Shop, Jeanne's Shop, Kay's Fountain Lunch, J C Penney Co., Carl F Spaulding, Beauty-Mode Shop and Moyer's Cafe. Lexington businesses closing will be Hatfield's Grocery, Ni chol's Red and White Store, Lex ington Oil Co-op and Lexington Cafe. At lone those closing will in clude Bristow's Grocery, Mc- Cabe's Meat Market, Swanson's Grocery. Richard M Greer Gro cery, Omar Rietmann Hardware and Melvin Melena Builders Supply. Also sienine is Mel Brady who delivers bread to the three towns. Businesses that will remain open include the First National Bank, Phil's Pharmacy, Hum- nhrevs Drusr Store, Rosewall Mo tor Co., Fulleton Chevrolet Co., Farlev Motor Co.. Empire Ma chinery Co., Ella's Grill, O'Don- nell's Cafe and service stations. Former Resident Dies In Mesa, Arizona George William (Bill) Corbett, former resident of Heppner and the Eiehtmile area, died June 1 at his home near Apache Junc tion, Arizona, according to word received here. Survivors include the widow, Nellie, Mesa, Arizona; a stepson, Maurice Smith, Tacoma, Wash; a stepdaughter, Mrs Helen Ster ett, McMinnville and nine grand children. Services were held June 4 at the Garden chapel with burial in Mesa. Republicans Schedule Committee Meeting The Morrow county Republi can central committee will meet Tuesday evening, June 24 at 8 pm at the Robert Penland home in Heppner. The purpose of the meeting is to elect officers for the coming year and it is urged that all interested persons plan to at tend. Pine Mills Secretary Receives Promotion Mrs Jean Mallory, secretary at the Heppner Pine Mills for the past two years, has been pro moted to the position of secre tary to Maurice Hitchcock, own er and operator of the White Swan Lumber Company. The Heppner mill Is affiliated with the White Swan organization. Mrs Mallory and daughter, Donelle, left Wednesday for White Swan. i . BILLY DOHERTY. 16. son of Mr was judged grand champion Oregon Wheat League-sponsored 4-H and FFA fat stock show and sale at The Dalles last week. Billy won the champion 4-H beei showmanship before competing in the grand champion contest. mm wjy ii .lam Mimmm &( rv D,,Q M o ' riwvi. -t-z? - j s MIKE GRAY, 15, son of Mr and Mrs Merritt Gray, Heppner, is shown with his reserve champion Hereford at the Oregon Wheat League fat stock show and sale at The Dalles last week. Mike is a member of the Heppner high school FFA chapter. Foreign Students From II of 0 Visit In County Four foreign students at the University of Oregon are visiting and working in the lone, Lex ington and Heppner areas , this summer. Guest at the home of Mr Vnd Mrs Milton Morgan, lone is Pe ter Giacomimi, 20 of Rome, Italy who entered his junior year last fall at the University and win graduate next spring in politi cal science. On his return to Italy he will study further for a degree in his own country. Miss Lena Graslund of Sweden will arrive this week for a va cation at the home of Mr and Mrs Don Heliker, lone. Miss Graslund was a freshman last year and is studying liberal arts. Miss Lei Uemura of Hilo Ha waii arrived last week at the home of Dr and Mrs Wallace Wolff in Heppner where she will be employed for the remainder of the summer. Miss Uemura en tered her freshman year at the tiniversitv last fall and will con tinue there next year in liberal arts. Guest at the home of Mr and Mrs Orville Cutsforth, Lexing ton, is Miss Johanna Segers, an exchange student from The Ha gue, The Netherlands. A iresh- man last vear. Miss Segers is majoring in psychology and will return to her homeland in July to continue her studios at the University of Leiden. Mr and Mrs Cutsforth were the first in the area to entertain foreign stu- New Extension Agent Arrives Here June 15 Miss Esther Kirmis, newly ap pointed county extension agent in home economics arrived in the county June 15. Her first responsibility was that of accompanying the Mor row County delegation to 4-H summer school being held on the Oregon State college campus this week. She will be looking forward to meeting the homemakers of the county in the next few weeks as she works with the various groups in their Home Economics programs. WEATHER 4 Prec. .01 .07 Thursday , Friday Saturday ( Sunday , Monday Tuesday Rainfall for the week .08, for June .95, for the year 10.19 inches. Hi Low 73 50 72 52 75 47 79 55 82 52 87 54 91 60 .v. v j , JS - -TV. . ... and Mrs W J Doherty, Lexington, 4-H livestock showman at the dents in their home when they I invited a Japanese stuaent xo their ranch last summer. Mr and Mrs Loyd Howton, lone, were expecting Miss Lissi Olesen of Denmark as a vacat ion guest but received word this week that she would be unable to come. "The people at the University are very much impressed with the generosity and interest which these people are showing in our foreign students," accord ing to word received from Fran cis Nickerson, executive secre tary of the Oregon state system of higher education. "We hope to make the pro ject a continuing thing on a year to year basis. Certainly it will be a significant contribution to international good feelings on the part of everybody concern ed," Nickerson, a former Hepp ner high school graduate, said. Funeral Services For Ralph R Justus Will Be Friday Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm at Folsom's Funeral chapel in Pen dleton for Ralph R Justus, 65, who died Tuesday in Walla Walla. Mr Justus was born July 8, 1892 near Heppner and had liv ed here all his life until about three years ago when he and his wife moved to Pendleton. He was a member of the Hepp ner Masonic lodge, Ruth chapter OES and the Heppner Elks lodge. His wife, Hilda, survives him. Rev M B Ketcham will offic iate at the service and inter ment will be in Olney cemetery at Pendleton. STUDENTS HOME FROM SCHOOL Among students who arrived home from Oregon colleges this week are Lance Tibbies, Mary Jo and Alice Faye Stewart, Don Casteel and Sharon Cutsforth, University of Oregon; Shirley and Dick Kononen, Meredith Thomson and Jim Hayes, Oregon State college and David Cox and Wayne Soward, Eastern Oregon College of Education. Jay Sumner will remain for summer school at OSC and Jan et Wright will return from OSC following 4-H summer school where she is working as a stu dent advisor. Tommy Gonty Is visiting his brother and sister-in-law, Mr and Mrs Raymond Gonty at Ren ton, Wash for two weeks. Harvesting of Morrow county's 1958 grain crop got under way this week and by Wed. bar ley was coming in to both the Lexington and North Lexington elevators of the Morrow County Grain Growers. Some cutting was reported north of lone Monday. Max Barclay and William Do herty started hauling to the North Lexington elevator Wed nesday morning and shortly af terwards barley began coming in to the Lexington elevator from the Adolph Majeske and Duvall ranches. Elevator operators reported the early barley was of good quali ty and indications were for a high acreage yield. Wheat har vesting is expected to start in the north areas by July 4 or earlier. The hot weather of the past few days brought on rapid rip ening of all grains and there have been some reports of wheat being hurt by the high tempera tures. In some fields the wheat is still partly green and soft and fear was felt that the heat had caused damage, but general indications are that the county as a whole will enjoy one of its largest crops in history. Al Lamb, Morrow County Grain Growers manager, said Wednesday that the co-op is shipping heavily against govern ment orders from all stations ex cept Ruggs and North Lexing ton which are already empty. Shipping has also started again from Paterson which was down for a short time because of high water in the Columbia. Radio System And Generator To Aid Defense Civil defense operations in Morrow county gained headway last week when the county court approved purchase of a 30 kilo watt standby generator for the Pioneer Memorial hospital and plans were outlined for Install ing a base station and control cable for radio communications. The hospital generator has been ordered as a civil defense surplus unit. The present gener ator is 3 kilowatt. The unit and other civil defense equipment are purchased through the civil defense program under match ing funds with federal monies covering 50 percent and state and county funds 25 percent each of total costs. The communication system for civil defense and law enforce ment calls for the laying of 10, 000 feet of cable from the court house up the hill where the cross is located and south to the hill where the Wilkinson ranch base station is situated. The cable to the county base station will be large enough to Include several lines. A five-year rental has been secured for the base station. The two-way county communi cation is expected to Include a mobile unit in the county sher iff's car, the county roadmaster's car, the city police car and a car In Boardman at present. A remote control will be installed at the Heppner hotel to receive calls when the sheriff's office Is not open. Officials expressed hope that the system may get in operation within the next - one or two ' months. The cable has been or dered but not yet received. Also operating from the base station will be a communication system for the Heppner Pine Mills which received its license last week. It expects to go into operation shortly after the Fourth of July and will have radio equipment in three of its six logging trucks, in the crew truck and a unit each for the engineer and jammer. Al Lamb To Head Democratic Group Al Lamb was elected chair man of the Morrow County Dem ocratic Central committee Tues day evening at a meeting at the home of Mr and Mrs Newt O' Harra in Lexington. Mrs Clarence Rosewall is the vice chairman; Mrs Paul Brown, secretary; L E Ruhl, treasurer and O'Harra, congressional com mitteeman. , Plans and organization for the coming campaign were discuss ed at the meeting. Mr and Mrs H C Wood of Port land are visiting in Heppner this week. Weekend guests of Mr and Mrs Henry Happold were his brother-in-law and sister, Mr and Mrs Hank Hall and the Hall's dau ghter, Mrs Diane Zimmerman of Oakland, California.
