Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 25, 1959)
L I BRARY U OF 0 EUGENE, ORE WeekendTires IBuim Grasslsnd b Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, June 25, 1959 Tl M ES Last weekend's hot weather brought Heppner its first major grassfire Sunday and before the flames were controlled between 700 and 800 acres of grass was blackened. The fire started about 1:30 Sun day afternoon from some weed burning at the northwest edge of town and before it was con trolled nearly three and one half hours later, it had denuded most of the hills north of Heppner and traveled east nearly to the Orval Matheny home on Hinton creek. Firemen experienced consid erable delay in getting to the blaze because the first three per sons to call in the fire failed to stay on the phone long Fire Location Vital to Firemen Heppner firemen this week had Just one request to make of persons calling in fire alarms "Please stay on the phone until a fireman answers to he can find out the location of the fire." At the start of Sunday's big grassfire three separate alarms were sounded before the person calling held the line long enough for a fire man to answer. Much of the time the fire alarm sounds automatically when the fire number is dialed, but the phone must be answered by a fireman for the department to know the location of the blaze and it requently takes a little time for him to reach the phone. Sunday's fire probably could have been controlled with much less damage had firemen not had to wait sev eral minutes to find its location. i -; enough to give firemen the lo cation of the blaze which at that time was not big enough for the smoke to be seen from down town. The alarm system was "on automatic" which resulted in three separate alarms being sounded before anyone waited long enough for a fireman to answer the phone. One city truck was later in capacitated when its pump blew up but by that time the fire had traveled so far up the hill that it was impossible for the city equipment to reach it. Much credit was given to the Morrow County Grain Growers Jeep fire truck for Its part in controlling the fire. The MCGG equipment was able to travel the rough area where city equipment could not reach and at one time pract ically had the fire under con trol when it ran out of water. Several pieces of farm firefight- ing equipment also aided in the battle. Heppner fire chief C A Ruggles this week reminded residents that fire danger is great and that a city ordinance prohibits any outside burning without permit. He also stated that no permits of any kind are being granted when the weather is extremely hot or windy. Another grass and range fire started shortly before noon Mon day on the Boardman bombing range but was apparently con trolled before it had covered too much area. It was fought by fire departments from Arlington, Boardman, Ordnance and Cecil but the extent of loss has not been reported. Both the Heppner and the bombing range fires burned over land which was denuded by flames last year. In just one fire last summer over 70,000 acres of the bombing range and adja cent lands was blackened. Copies 10 Cents 76th Year, Number 16 Second Budget Election Monday McNARY PRINCESS Miss Linda Rae Heimblgner of lone is one of the princesses for the Mc Nary Acqua-Capers to be held over the Fourth of July above McNary dam. She is the daugh ter of Mr and Mrs Ray Heim blgner. (Lyons Photo) L T "Monk" Coffman Dies at Cecil; Rites Here. Tuesday Funeral services were held Tuesday at 10:30 a m at Ores wick Mortuary chapel for L T "Monk" Coffman, who died sud denly Sunday at his home in Cecil. He was 69 years of age. Loren Thomas Coffman was bom November 22, 1889 in Stan- field and lived nearly all his life in the Columbia basin area. In the early part of the century he was noted as being one of the best mule "skinners" in this part of the country and for many vears worked on the Weather- ford ranch near Arlington where he drove a 16 mule team hauling wheat from the ranch to Arling ton. Mr Coffman is survived by his wife FlUabcth, Cecil; a son Jack of Vancouver, Wash and one daughter Nona. He also leaves three sisters, Myrtle Beard, Mc Minnville; Thelma Ray, Hay wood, Calif; and Bessie Endi cott, Portland; one brother, Or ville William, Elks National Home in Virginia. Services were conducted by the Rev Charles Knox and grave side rites were held at the Odd fellows cemetery in The Dalles Tuesday afternoon. Water Rate Jump Due July 1 Heppner water users will pay $1.00 more a month for their water starting with the July 1 billing as a result of a new rate schedule approved this week by the city council. The raise in minimum rates Will be used along with a spec ial levy to retire the $140,000 bond issue which was voted to improve the city's water feed line. The only change in the pres ent schedule is in the minimum charge which, for city residential users will now be $2.50. The minimum for commercial hook ups will be $3.00 and for out of town residents the rate will be $3.50. All classifications have been increased $1.00. Only the minimum rates have been raised under the new or dinance, all other schedules for larger amounts over the mini mum will remain the same. Even with the new schedule, the coun cil pointed out that the city's water rates are still below those charged in many other communities. Work on the new water line is exacted to start sometime next week. The contractor, Ev erett Den Herder of Medford, has already moved in equipment and the first shipment of pipe is ex pected to arrive about July 1. Wheat Allotment Applications Due At ASC Office The ASC county office is now accepting wheat allotment appli cations for certain farms, it was announced this week by V R Rietmann, chairman of the coun ty Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation committee. A producer who intends to seed wheat for 1960 on a farm on which no wheat was seeded for harvest as grain in 1957 and for which a 1958 and 1959 allotment was not established, irrespective of whether or not wheat was seeded for harvest as grain in either 1958 or 59, and who de sires to be considered for an allotment must make applica tion for an allotment, according to Rietmann. The application must be made in writing and must be made by July 1. Application forms may be obtained at the local ASC office. The ASC office also stated that when a commodity is placed un der price support in farm stor age, the producer should realize that he is mortgaging the con tents of . an entire bin even though he may borrow on only part of the value. The "ever normal granary" seal that Is placed on the bin should be thor oughly understood and abided by. None of the mortgage com modlty should be removed from the bin for any mason without the written consent of the ASC county committee as the seal states, it was stated. Non-observance of the condit ions stated on the seal, when affixed to a bin under price support loan, could result in loss of the privilege of obtain ing farm stored loans in the fu ture. Additional information can be obtained at the ASC office. I . . .v I 5 I 1 i. 1 - " - Chest X-Rays or TB Tests Required of School Employees All employees of Morrow county schools are reminded that either a negative chest X-ray or negative tuberculosis skin test is required in order to obtain a school health certificate for the 1959-60 year. Chest X-rays can be obtained without charge from Pioneer Memorial hospital on the first Wednesday of each month be tween 7 and 8 pm. Tuberculin skin tests (patch tests are not acceptable) must be obtained from a private physician. Since the school health cer tificates must be Issued through the local health department be fore being filed in the county school superintendent's office, all employees are urged to have their X-rays or tuberculin tests before September. TELEPHONE LINEMEN, Bill Black, left, and C K "Chuck" Prlnslow, pause to straighten their equipment which is used to put the proper tension on telephone wires being strung south of Hepp ner. Both men are from Salem. They are working on one of Pacific Telephone's largest rural projects in the state. NEW PHONE LINE TO IMPROVE SERVICE TO HARDMAN AREA Cow Belles Plan Brand Placemats Officers of the Morrow county Cow Belles today urged all mem bers of the Morrow County Live stock Growers association who wish to have their brands and names on the planned placemats to send in their names and $1.00 to Mrs Floyd Jones. The Cow Belles are planning to have printed several thous and placemats which will pub licize the use of beef and will carry the names and brands of paid up members of the county livestock association, tach mem ber who wishes his name brand to be on the placemats will be charged $1.00 to help defray costs. WEATHER Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Hi Low 77 48 83 54 90 59 90 53 85 45 82 54 81 55 Prec, .11 Rainfall for the week, .11; for June, .88; for the year, in ches. First National Records Big Jump In Loans, Deposits Record high June bank depos its were reported by First Nat ional Bank of Oregon when the statewide bank submitted its June 10, statement of condition figures In response to a call by the comptroller of the currency. Deposits of $840,804,145 were reported, which topped the pre vious mid-year mark of $794,390, 100 set on June 23, 1958. The current figure represents a gain of $6,315,471 over the March 12, 1959 bank call deposit total, which was a new record for that period. Loans for the 79 First National offices amounted to $462, 935, 447, an Increase of $81,346,819 over a year ago and also a new June record. Loans are up $Jl 812,356 since the March call The Heppner branch of First National reported June 10 depos its of $5,758,098 and loans totall ing $4,233,766, "according to J H Bedford, manager. At the same time he released comparable totals for the branch for the June 23, 1958 call for bank statements. On that date, deposits were $5,156,237 and loans were $3,629,026. 'The present boom in lumber, construction and other phases of our economy are important fac tors in this impressive overall bank deposit picture," C B Steph enson, bank president said. Retail sales of consumer goods continue at a record rate in some areas and bank debits con tinue to increase, which reflect the vitality of our state's econ omy, Stephenson added. Construction news are nearlng the mid-way point in Pacific Tel ephone's $113,500 project to pro- vide rural telephone service In the area south of Heppner to Hardman, according to manager Dallas Short. Work on the Improvement has turned into the toughest encoun tered by telephone crews. Dog ging holes for nearly 300 tele phone poles required 500 pounds of blasting powder. Cost of the dynamite work alone ran nearly $4,000. Telephone employees cna the digging and clean -out ol holes after blasting was com pleted by a Portland contractor. The project involves tne plac ing of 54,000 feet of aerial cable, 320 telephone poles, 180 anchors and 170 miles of telephone wire. The company plans to make joint use of 315 R E A power poles also, Short said. When the work Is complete, about 43 families In the area will be able to secure better teleDhone service, and future growth will be provided for by Pacific Telephone, Short said. -telephone linemen are now engaged in placing the aerial wires, and in tightening them in their permanent positions. Phone cable will be placed on poles later this month. Support ing strands have already been secured in position, Short said. Work on the project is sched uled to be complete by the end of October. TD Assn Donates to Hospital Project The Morrow County TB and Health association recently do nated $50 to be used toward the purchase of a 16mm movie pro jector for use at Pioneer Mem orial hospital. The projector has been purchased and was recent ly presented to the hospital by the Pioneer Memorial hospital auxiliary for educational and entertainment purposes. Attack Claims Harry T O'Donnell Harry T O'Donnell, 74 passed away Sunday afternoon at Tio- neer Memorial hospital. He had suffered a severe heart attack early last week and had been under treatment for six days. Harry Thomas O'Donnell was born September 9, 1884 at Vir ginia City, Nevada. He came to Heppner 27 years ago and had operated restaurants here until a few daya before he was strick en. He was a member of St Pat rick's Catholic church and the Heppner Elks lodge. Rosary was recited Tuesday evening and funeral services were held Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock at St Patrick's church with the Rev Patrick J Galre officiating. Interment was in the Heppner Masonic cem etery. Mr ODonnell Is survived by his wife Claire, two sons Harry Jr, and Russell and three grand children, all of Heppner. He also leaves one brother George of Cal ifornia. Creswick Mortuary had charge of arrangements. NOW EMPLOYED AT WELFARE OFFICE Miss Ann Coleman, who com pleted a general office operatic course June 12 at OTI in Klam ath Falls, has been employed by the Morrow county public wel fare commission. She will re place Mrs Vern Evans who has resigned effective July 1. - Revised Budget $25,000 Lower Than Previous Voters of Morrow county will go to the polls again next Mon day, June 29 to express their opinion on the budget for the operation of the county's schools for the coming year, mis will be the second time they have voted on the budget, the first one being badly defeated early in May. The budget on which voters will ballot Monday calls for total general fund expenditures of $773,093 which reflects a reduc tion of about $25,000 below the original budget. Of this amount $1-15,286.18 is outside the six per cent limitation. The reduction was made by ordering the clos ure of the Hardman grade school and transportation of the pupils to Heppner; elimination of grade five through eight at Lexing ton and transportation to Hep pner or lone; and combining of the 7th and 8th grades at Board man and Irrigon in the Irrlgon school. Since tho revised budget was prepared and the date set for the election, residents in many com munities complained at hearings and board meetings at the re duced services and facilities, and the board will give voters the option to reinstate all the ser vices pared from the main bud get. This will be done at another special election to be held on July 11 calling for a special supplemental school levy ol n,, 950. ' -'; If both the revised budget and the supplemental levy are ap proved by the voters the county's school system will operate in the same manner as was planned under the first budget which was defeated. The election will be held from until 8pm next Monday and voters will vote by precincts as in a general or primary election, the same as was done at the first election. The polling places will be the school house in each precinct with all four Heppner precincts to ballot at the multi purpose room or the Heppner grade school. Mr and Mrs Carey Hastings, Mr and Mrs Frank Connor and Mr and Mrs Tim Rlppee were in Hood River visiting at tho home of Mr and Mrs Roger Con nor and family and also attend ed the first communion of Mary etta Connor. A Centennial Year Historical Feature "-4 June Graduate of EOC Named On Honor Roll Mrs Jean Marie Graham Da mon, who graduated from East ern Oregon College, the first of the month, was named on the spring term honor roll at the college. Mrs Damon's parents, Mr and Mrs Claude Graham, were in La Grande fo rthe graduation exer cises. Houseguests Wednesday through Saturday at the home of Mr and Mrs Harry Bongers were Mr and Mrs Ivor Davles of The Dalles. Mr Davies took Phil Blak ney's place at the drugstore while Mr and Mrs Blakney and three children were vacationing in Portland. John and Maryetta Connor of Mr and Mrs Carey Hastings. Mrs Frank Connor and Mrs Max Buschke spent Monday and Tuesday In Portland on business. ie. I j,t '. a & - a- . r A , t urn I yp 1 t ) A-f- 'ti- r ft: ' t . m - mi ft.. f i!0 r It1, Sfr J f-t :Y r t 1 HEPPNER'S FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE This is one of the few re maining pictures of the first school ever built in Heppner. It used to stand on Gale street approximately where the Heppner Clinic building is now located. This photo is the property of Mrs Elsie Lacy Elger, Portland, who at one time lived In Blackhorse and was a teacher in the school It was taken about 1890. Two years later. In the spring of 1892 fire destroyed the building and classes were moved to the Methodist church to finish the year. Later in 1392 the next school still known as the "old school", was built on what is now known as hospital hill and it was occupied until about 1913.
