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yp :A Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, January 29, 1959
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Copies 10 Cents
75th Year, Number 47
Ballot on School Consolidation Question
Shows Opinion Varied in Three Towns
Explanation Given
On Purpose of Vote
First incomplete returns on the
school consolidation ballot which
was sent out last week to resi
dents in the Heppner, Lexington
and lone school districts by the
Lexington P-TA, shows a variety
of feeling in the three areas.
The ballot asked residents to
vole "yes" or "no" on the quest
ion, "do you favor consolidation
of Heppner, Lexington and lone
Reorganization
Hearings Scheduled
For Next Week
Three public hearings will be
held next week in Morrow county
by the county school reorganiza
tion committee on the prelimi
nary comprehensive reorganiza
tion plan for the schools of the
county.
The hearings are scheduled for
Monday, Feb 2 at 8 p m at the
lone school cafetorium; Wednes
day, Feb 4 at 8 o'clock at the
Heppner grade school multipur
pose room; and Thursday, Feb
5 at 8 o'clock at the Boardman
high school.
Explanation of the proposed re
organization of the county into
a county administrative school
district will be given and any
resident of the county or any af
fected district in an adjacent
county will be "heard with refer
ence to changes proposed by the
plan.
Legislation on
Education Aids is
Compiled by P-TA
Of interest to local P-TA mem
bers and school patrons is a cur
rent series of broadcasts on the
progressive legislation affecting
schools during the present sess
ion of the Oregon legislature.
The series, "The legislature
and your schools," will cover
both public elementary and sec
ondary education and higher edu
cation. Oregon Education Assoc
iation executive secretary Cecil
Posey will provide the commen
tary and the programs will in
clude interviews with legislators
and other observers.
'Among the stations to carry
the programs are KEX Portland
at 7:45 to 8 p m Wednesdays.
Dates on other stations will be
announced later.
"Oregon Education" reported
the following NEA plan for legis
lation in the 86th congress.
"Massive federal financial as
sistance to schools, far more ex
tensive than the recently passed
national defense education act
and broader in scope, will be the
NEA's major legislative goal in
the first session of the 86th con
gress. The NEA's goal, its methods
and the local and state associa
tion effort required to attain the
objective were outlined last1
month to education representa
tives of 46 states, including Ore
gon. They met in Chicago to
lay the groundwork for passage
of a sharpened-up Murray-Met-calf
measure. A nearly identical
bill came close to passage in the
last congress.
"Real federal support of edu
cation is imperative if Oregon's
school system is not to deterior
ate," declared Posey following
the Chicago meeting.
Already drafted is a new Mur-ray-Metcalf
bill. It calls for $25
for each school age child in the
U S the first year. This would
mean a appropriation of $1.1
billion. In succeeding years the
amount would increase to $50,
$75 and $100 for each child from
5 to 17 years of age.
Oregon schools would receive
$11,439,850 in the first year of
operation under the proposea
law. The funds would be alio
ratpd tn the state educational
agencies for use in providing
school facilities ana raising
teachers' salaries.
into one high school." A break
down of the returns from the
three areas showed Heppner was
mildly in favor of the idea, Lex
ington strongly in favor, and
lone strongly against it.
By Wednesday, 49 percent of
the 864 questionnaires had been
returned for tabulation and they
indicated at 266 or 63.4 voted
yes, while 151 or 36.6 voted
no. There were six votes return
ed from undetermined areas and
these were equally divided, ;
yes and 3 no.
A breakdown of the vote show
ed the following:
Heppner, 569 ballots sent, 50
return
Yes, 193 or 67.5; No 93 or 32.5
Lexington, 102 ballots sent,
57 return
r r4 n m . r O A frf
les, m or si.o7o; no d ui o.-ivc
lone, 193 ballots sent, 37.8
return
Yes, 20 or 27.4; No 53 or 72.0
C J Friedrich, recording sec
retary for the Lexington P-TA,
said that ballots are continuing
to come in and that a more com
plete tabulation will be announ
ced next week. He will be glad
to give the current tally, however
to anyone who wishes it.
Explanation Given
Regardless of the outcome of
the vote, it will have no legally
binding effect on the eventual
outcome of the present school
consolidation and reorganization
question, though the vote will
give the county school board a
good idea of the wishes of resi
dents of the three areas.
There was some misunderstan
ding in the wording of the ballot
which stated that it was being
sent out at the request of the
county unit school board and the
reorganization committee. This
was not true, and the Lexington
P-TA today made the following
statement to clarify the purpose
of the vote:
"The Lexington P-TA wishes to
make the following statement:
The county unit and the reorgan
ization boards had nothing to do
with the ballot heading on the
poll vote recently solicited by the
Lexington P-TA. This vote was
taken to ascertain the thinking
of the south Morrow county peo
ple upon the high school consoli
dation issue so as to prepare a
brief to be presented to these
boards."
Another statement was sent
out this week to residents in the
lone district by lone school sup
erintendent, Dallas Shockley and
was prepared through consolida
tion with Fred Martin, chairman
of the county reorganization
committee. It stated:
"Your attention is called to the
questionnaire which has been
sent out by the Lexington P-TA
in reference to school consolida
tion. "The Lexington P-TA has not
been authorized by the Morrow
county reorganization committee
to circulate such a questionnaire.
"Any such presentation by the
reorganization committee would
be required, by law, to include
a school location, a transporta
tion plan, and a comparative cost
study. These studies are under
way but have not been comple
ted. "A discussion of school consol
idation will not be a part of the
official February hearings on the
formation of a county admini
strative unit."
It is emphasized that the vote
has no legal backing, however
it can be useful in future con
siderations by either the county
unit school board or a county
administrative board.
WEATHER
Hi Low Prec.
Thursday 33 23 .08
Friday 52 30 .01
Saturday 57 42 .16
Sunday 57 30
Monday 48 33 .01
Tuesday 54 43 .09
Wednesday 49 34 .80
Rainfall for the week, 1.15,
for January" and for the year, 2.40
Inches.
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COW rLLHo CHOOSE OFFICEr.3 Mrs Raymonl French, center, was elected president of the
Mcnow Count Cow Belles at the organization's recent annual meeting. Other officers for the
corning y?ar ere, from l?ft Mrs Don Robinson, second vice president; Mrs Floyd Jones, third
vice prv'.-font; -r Gvrdon O'Erien, secretary; and Mrs George Rugg, first vice president. Com
mii'ee Iicals appointed at the meeting includsd Mrs Rugg, publicity; Mrs Herb Ekstrom, father
of the year; M.s Bob Brmdle, 4-H beef demonstration; and Mrs Jones, beef promotion.
(Wilson Photo)
Week's Ralnfa
Brings January
Average Way Up
Tuesday brought the heaviest
rain of the new year to the
county and the entire past week
was by far the wettest of the
winter. It rained on six of the
last seven (lays, according to the
Heppner weather station report.
Tuesday's storm, which was
general throughout most of East
ern Oregon dropped .80 inch of
moisture on Heppner, and other
weather stations in the county
reported as much as one inch
during the day. The temperature
was warm until late afternoon
when a few flakes of wet snow
fell here, but did not stick. Rain
fall has totaled 1.15 Inches at
Heppner in the past seven days
and brings the January total to
2.40 inches, considerably above
normal for the month.
There were a few reports of
high water in isolated places
from the Tuesday storm but as
far as is known- there was no
great amount of field erosion or
washing.
Practically none of the precipi
tation fell as snow in the moun
tains which are practically bear
of any snow cover except in the
highest elevations.
Gun Club Shoot Nets
Dimes Drive $275
The annual March of Dimes
benefit merchandise shoot held
last Sunday at the Morrow Coun
ty Gun Club netted the drive
$275 it was reported this week.
It was one of the most profi
table benefit events held this
year in the county.
Predators Kill
Stock in County
The U S fish and wildlife ser
vice reports that stock and game
losses to predators between Oct
5 and Dec 27 in Morrow county
amounted to 5 sheep, 4 chickens
and one turkey. Coyotes or bob
cats accounted for all the losses.
Carl McDaniel, federal trapper
for this area reported that dur
ing the past 20 days a total of
ISC predators have been killed
by hunters in Oregon. Taken
were 286 coyotes, 143 bobcats, 7
bear and 50 fox. In addition 56
porcupines, 23 skunks, 100 rac
oon, and 32 badgers were taken.
EXAMINER COMING
A drivers license examiner will
be cn duty in Heppner on Tues
day, Feb 10 at the court house
between 9:30 a m and 3:30 p m.
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Fred Crump, Former
Morrow Resident,
Dies at Seattle
Vord has been received of the
death, January 23 in Seattle of
Fred Crump, 73, following an ill
ness of about two weeks.
Mr Crump was born November
20, 1885 in Morrow county. His
parents homesteaded in the Sand
Hollow area and lived there for
many years.
He is survived by his widow,
Claudia of Seattle; a sister, Lula
Wheeler of Port Angeles, Wash
ington, five nephews and four
nieces.
Funeral services were held in
Seattle where he had made his
home for several years.
Polio Decline is
Noted in Oregon
Only 26 cases of paralytic polio
were reported in Oregon during
1958, far below the 345 cases
listed as median during the past
six-year period, according to pro
visional figures released recently
by the state board of health.
An additional 14 cases of non
paralytic or unspecified polio
brought Oregon's total 1958 case
load to 40, compared to 146 for
the median period.
Dr Samuel B Osgood, state
edidemiologist, attributed most
of the decline in paralytic polio
to widespread use of Salk vac
cine. He warned, however, that
too few persons in Oregon have
the recommended three-shot pro
tection to precent at-least scat
tered outbreaks.
Lexington
By MRS H V SMOUSE
From the Oregon Centennial's
slogan "Know Your Oregon," the
Morrow county home extension
service chose for the theme of
January home extension unit
meetings, "Know Your Morrow
County."
Previous to the January meet
ings, members of the various
units in the county wrote the
history of their town or commun
ity. These were collected, printed
and bound in pamphlet form by
the home extension service.
The Lexington unit wrote the
story of Lexington and adjacent
country, its early settlement, by
whom, how town was named, its
schools, churches, businesses, etc.
The presentation of this story
of Lexington was given at the
unit meeting held at the home
of Mrs W A Ruggles on January
21 and conducted by her.
The pamphlets on "Know Your
Morrow County" were presented
to the 26 members and visitors
present.
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Soil District
Annual Meet Set
"Stubble Mulch Farming in the
Columbia Basin" will be discuss
ed by Verle Kaiser, agronomist,
Soil Conservation Service, Spo
kane, at the annual meeting of
the Heppner Soil Conservation
District Tuesday, Feb 3, at 7:30
p m at the Lexington Grange
hall, district supervisors have an
nounced. In addition a short business
meeting of the Lexington Blow
Control District to elect two dir
ectors will be held after the
genera meeting.
Included on the Conservation
District program will "be a brief
progress and financial report,
statement of conservation objec
tives in the district for 1959, a
film, "Mountain Water" and re
freshments. Supervisors of the Heppner dis
trict, which covers 1,330,660 acres,
are Raymond French, Heppner,
chairman; Don Peterson, lone,
vice chairman; Raymond Lun
dell, lone, treasurer; N C Ander
son, secretary; John Wightman,
Heppner and Alvin Wagenblast,
Lexington.
Directors whose terms expire
on the Lexington Blow board
are: Kenneth Smouse and Fred
Nelson, both of lone.
Other members of the board
are: Roy Martin and Robert Kil
kenny, Lexington.
Area Early
This was followed by various
members and visitors adding to
the story bits of history they
knew or had heard from parents
or pioneers of old days and old
times.
Mrs Roy Campbell told of the
early school in Lexington, having
a picture of it taken in 1890. It
was located on the lot north of
the present Barnett house on the
highway. A one room school
house with an enrollment at one
time of 108 pupils and one teach
er. She also told of the formation
in 1892 of the Social Ridge school
by C N Peck, Jos Eskelson and
William Campbell. School opened
in 1893 with 14 pupils, taught
by F E Miller whose salary was
$30.00 per month.
Mrs R B Rice reported on
schools northeast of Lexington,
the Devine, Strawberry, Hodson,
Black Horse and Alpine schools,
the later one being taught at
one time by Mrs Clary, assisted
by Miss Rosela Daughtery, now
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ARTESIAN WELL approximately 12S gallons of water a minute
is flowing from this well brought in last weekend on the Tom
Michos ranch between Heppner and Lexington. It is the- first
artesian to be brought in in this immediate area in many years.
The well is located alongside the new house which will soon
be occupied by Mr and Mrs Art Watkins and the water started
to flow at 202 feet. A piece of stovepipe is being used to lead
the flow of water from the 8-inch casing and it is flowing about
one-third full. (GT Photo)
Lexington Youth
Wins Honor ot
Portland University
Larry Lindsay, son of Mr and
Mrs Alex Lindsay and a senior
at Portland University was se
lected as the University's "legis
lative intern" with the oppor-
unity of spending a week in
Salem under the guidance of any
legislator he would choose.
Larry had hoped to serve under
Senator Yturri of Ontario as he
considers him the outstanding
legislator of the Oregon Senate.
A letter from Senator Yturri
stated that he would be glad to
give Larry "all the help and in
struction possible during his stay
at Salem. Larry, with one of his
instructors, will also attend a two
lay seminar at the legislature
during the first week of Feb
ruary. Lindsay has maintained a four
point average throughout his col
lege course at Portland Univer
sity. He likewise maintained such
an average in high school during
his four years at St Joseph Acad
emy, Pendleton. Here he was
outstanding in debate and other
speech activities winning three
first places In state "B" speech
tournaments.
This honor recalls an editorial
in the East Oregonlan at the
time his team won state honors
in debate. "Perhaps there are
some future public office holders
in the making on that team."
2nd Coffee Day Due
For March of Dimes
The March of Dimes "coffee
day" held last Saturday at Winn
Dee's Snack Shop was so success
ful that the operator's, Mr and
Mrs Winn Crist, are going to
do it all over again next Sat
urday. Containers for the Mirch of
Dimes were placed on all tables
and patrons dropped their coffee
money there rather than into
the cash register. No tally has
been made, but the idea was
declared very profitable to the
drive.
Insurance Agency
Plans Open House
Mrs Adon Hamlett, owner of
Swanson & Hamlet Insurance,
lone, will hold an open house
for her new office at the Ham
lett home on 3rd and B streets
Wednesday, Feb 4 from 2 to 5
p m. The agency recently moved
into the remodeled quarters from
a downtown location.
The agency handles General
of America and other lines of
insurance and is pay station for
PP&L and lone TV.
History is
Mrs Alec Lindsay.
Mrs Ray Dolvcn described the
early days of Ben and Mrs Swag
gart homesteading on the then
called Penland Buttes, but now
called Swaggart Buttes.
Mrs Harry Dinges showed a
map she had made of early day
roads, comparing them and their
location with the present high
ways. Mrs Burton Peck had a paper
written by her husband, of his
recollections on the historical
steps required in binding togeth
er seven quarter sections of raw
sagebrush land in Clark Canyon,
upon which Kenneth Peck won
the title of State conservation
man of the year in 1956. Some
of these recollections will be in
cluded in the supplement to the
story of Lexington, which Is now
being collected and written.
Many old pictures of pioneers.
schools, picnics and gatherings
of all kinds were brought and
displayed. Of interest to many
was a copy of one of Lexington's
Country Fair
Planned to Note
State's Birthday
In observance of the Oregon
Centennial, the Lexington P-TA
will sponsor a celebration on Feb
ruary 14 with an old country fair
theme, it was announced this
week by Mrs Ellwynno Peck, P
TA president.
The celebration will be held at
the Lexington 10OF hall and
booths will be sponsored by or
ganizations throughout the coun
ty. There will bo contests for the
best costumes for men and wo
men, and high and grade school
students. There will also be a
basket social and old time dan
cing. The affair will start at 6:30
in the evening.
Mothers to March
Friday Night
More than 35 Heppner women
have volunteered to march Fri
day night during the Mother's
March on Tolio, one of the final
events of the month for the
March of Dimes.
Co-chairmen for the Mother's
March are Mrs Elmer Schmidt
and Mrs N C Anderson.
The volunteer Mother's March
workers will make the rounds of
Heppner between 7 and 8 o'clock
to pick UP contributions to the
fund. Residents who wish to
make a contribution are asked
to leave their porch light on to
indicate that they wish to help.
The workers will not make a
general canvass, but will stop
only where the light is burning.
Earlier this week a coffee hour
was held at Mrs Anderson's for
the volunteer marchers; and on
Monday a dime-a-dip luncheon
was held by Mrs Schmidt with
proceeds going to the March of
Dimes.
The drive officially ends Sat
urday night.
Eluta Campfire Girls
To Give Programs
The Eluta Campfire Girls will
present a program for their par
ents on Sunday, Feb 1 at 3:00
p m In the basement of the
Methodist church.
Monday evening the girls will
be guests of the Heppner Mo
ther's club, who sponsor this
Campfire group.
Both programs are part of the
requirements to qualify them for
the Wood Gatherer's rank.
Noted
early day weekly newspapers, the
Lexington Blade, published in
1890. The paper was brought by
Mrs Orris Padberg.
A skit, depicting the activities
of early day homemakers, of
churning butter, sewing strips
of rags together to be woven into
rugs and carpets, of quilting bees,
setting hens and raising chick
ens, together with some of the
local gossip was given by Mrs
J A Troedson and Mrs II V
Smouse, dressed in old time
dresses, long aprons and sun
bonnets. After a short business meeting
conducted by Mrs Frank Schrage,
a Dutch auction of white ele
phants was held. The proceeds
to be used for the Lexington
unit's part in the Morrow County
home extension service's dona
tion for the national home dem
onstration meeting to be held In
Portland this fall.
Refreshments of homemade
cookies with tea and coffee were
served by the hostesses, Mrs W A
Ruggles and Mrs H V Smouse.