Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1963)
L I BRARY U OF 0 E U G c E , ORE Property Tax Ratio tkmqe To Affect Urban Values 80th Year 'Number 23 GAZETTE-TIMES Substitution by the State Tax Commission of the property tax assessment ratio of 19 per cent of true cash value instead of the assessor's posted ratio of 25 per cent or true cash value in Mor row county will have the effect oi increasing the true cash value figures of many properties in urban areas of the county. Such property owners will pay taxes on the higher figures un less, by appeal, they succed in getting relief from a hearings officer who will be sent to Hepp ner to hear their cases. These facts became apparent alter a recent hearing with the commission in Salem when five counties of the state were held to be delinquent in completing their farm reappraisal programs, Subsequently, the State Tax Commission published a notice in the Gazette-Times that a sales-ratio study had determined that the average ratio of assess ment in Morrow County was 19 per cent on the 1963-64 roll. District Attorney Herman Win ter asked for clarification of the action and received a letter from C. H. Mack, chairman of the State Tax Commission, explain ing the matter. Assessor Rod Thomson later received a letter from Harry J. Loggan, director of the valuation division of the commission, adding further de tails. While utilities' assessments will be reduced to 19 per cent of true cash value at the state level, bringing the total utilities' valuation down some $600,000 in Morrow county for the 1963-64 fiscal year, urban property both residential and commercial will remain on the records at 25 per cent of true cash value since it is too late in the year for the assessor to change these records. Urban property is assessed at the 25 figure because reap praisal of the city properties was just completed through the as sessor's office. The legislature two years ago established all counties' ratios, except Mult nomah at 257c. However, the commission is required to sub stitute its own ratio findings if the ratio posted by the assessor is 10 per cent more or less than the commission's findings. , Farm properties in Morrow county are figured by the tax commission to be actually on the rolls at 17 or 18 per cent of true cash value. Just now start ing is a farm reappraisal pro gram designed to establish new -true cash values on farms after which the ratio of 25 per cent required by state law, will be applied. However, it is expected that this will require two years for completion. Meanwhile, with the assess ment at 19 per cent for utilities, about 18 per cent for rural prop erties, and the urban property remaining at the actual 25 per cent on the assessor's records, some urban property owners will feel the blow when tax statements are delivered in the fall. Mack explained it this way: "The most apparent immediate effect of the ratio substitution THIS BRUSH crew of the Heppner forestry district performs on important Job of clearing and piling slash and brush to be burned in the fall. Men also are trained fire fighters and are ready for fires at an instant's notice. From left are Don Kenison, Pendleton; Ralph Piper, lone; Ron Creswick, Heppner; Vic Kucora, Portland; Dave Fitzwater, squad leader, Astoria; Gary Caret son, squad leader, Pendleton; Fritz Morehouse, Pendleton; Bernie Livingston, Michigan; and Foreman Ray Smith. Heppner. (G-T Photo) District Foresters Keep Close Contact (This is the second in a series of articles on the Heppner Ran ger district, U. S. National For est). By WES SHERMAN When a person travels roads of the Heppner Ranger district by Jeep or pickup, he may never see a soul for hours. But rest assured the forestry boys are on the job throughout the district. They keep in constant surveil lance of all parts of the big "timber ranch" and they are in close touch with each other so that they know pretty well what Is going on in all parts of the district at all times. A timber management crew may be working on an upcoming forest sale in the Mallory creek area; the suppression crew may be working around Madison Butte; the brush crew may be busy over along the Happy Jack road; the lookouts are on duty on Tamarack, Wheeler Point and was the reduction of assessed valuations of utility and public service companies which, by law, must be assessed by the Com mission instead of the county assessor. Instead of using a mul tiplier of 25 per cent againt the true cash value of each com pany, a 19 per cent multiplier had to be used by the Commis sion. "Locally, the effect of the ratio reduction is less noticeable, but just as important. No change was made in the assessed values determined by the assessor and entered on the 1963 assessment roll. However, property owners must now divide the assessed value of their property by 19 per cent rather than 25 per cent to determine the true cash value. Group to Start Campaign To Restore Agents Budget A group of county residents will organize Sunday evening to conduct a volunteer campaign for funds to guarantee full res toration of the county extension service budget. They will meet at the fair an nex at 7 p.m. Sunday to complete plans and get the drive under way. Anyone interested in help ing is invited to attend the meet ing. Goal of the drive will be $3400, the amount that was cut from the budget at the county budget hearing on Juno 28. This campaign plan was form ed after nine residents met with the county court Wednesday morning. They received assur ance from the court that it would be willing to take $3400 from the county's emergency fund when the $8250 allowed in the couny's portion of the extension service budget is exhausted, if such ac tion is legal and if the funds have not been depleted in the emergency fund by some other pressing need. District Attorney Herman Win ter has stated the opinion that to take the $3400 from the emer gency fund now after the budget was finalized at the hearing would not be legal. However, he believes that it may be construed as an emergency when the $8250 is gone because it would then mean that there would be no funds at all for the extension service and the total program would have to be dropped un less relief were forthcoming.. Although the court passed a motion to the effect that it would restore the funds if legal and if the money is available when the extension budget is exhausted, it was decided to pro ceed with the program to raise the voluntary fund to assure the state extension service that the money is in hand for the full budget and thus make it possible to retain all three agents. This will also make it possible for the county court to certify to tne state extension service Madison Butte; extra protection men will be on the job in var ious areas; and firemen will be on duty at Bull Prairie, Tupper Guard Station and Ditch Creek guard station. Travelling the roads may be C. R. (Chuck) McLean, fire con trol assistant; Ray Williamson, resource assistant; Dave Had dock, engineering assistant; or the district ranger himself, War ren S. (Sam) Miller. Radio links them all together. Through a powerful relay station near Tupper Guard station that is channeled through a micro wave station to Heppner and relayed to the headquarters in the Gilliam and Bisbee building by telephone line, all stations and mobil units can talk with headquarters. In turn, the homes of Mc Lean and Miller in Heppner are eauippfd to receive and transmit messages, so they are in contact 0 f O r : This has the effect of increas ing the true cash value of many properties, and, if the true cash value so determined is greater than the actual true cash value of the property, the owner has the right to appeal to the Tax Commission for relief. "For example, a property with an assessed value of $1,900 would now have a true cash value of $10,000. ($1,900 divided by 19 equals $10,000). "With the ratio of 25 per cent previously in effect, the alleged true cash value would have been $7,600 ($1,900 divided by 25 equals $7,600)." If true cash value of a per son's property were $7,600 as (Continued on page 10) that the annual budget is re stored to $11,650. According to the plan devised by the committee who attended Wednesday's court session, the $3400, when collected, will be placed in a bank in escrow with a careful record of the donors. With the court's assurance that it will restore the budget later in the year from emergency funds, it is likely that the amounts contributed will be re funded in full to the donors. However, if for some reason the county cannot pay all or any part of the $3400, it would be necessary to use some or all of the contributed money. W. G. (Jerry) Nibler, state ex tension agent, recently advised the county that it had until Sep tember 1 to give assurance of the funds, or one of the three agents would be taken from the county. County Agent Nels An derson said Wednesday that he had received official word, too, that the staff would be reduced by one agent. It is the intention of the com mittee, however, to have the money collected before Septem ber 1, assuring retention of the full staff. Spokesman for the committee Wednesday was Kenneth Smouse of lone. Others in the group were Mrs. E. M. Baker and Bob Jepsen, lone; Mr. and Mrs. An drew Skiles, Irrigon; Mike Whitesmith, representing the Heppner-Morrow County Cham ber of Commerce; Mrs. Doug Drake, Dick Wilkinson and Wes Sherman, all of Heppner. Both Commissioners Gene Fer guson and Milton Biegel indi cated that they had no objec tion to restoring the budget from the emergency fund within their legal limits. Beigel made the motion that put the court on record as favoring the action when the allowed budget of $8250 is depleted, and each mem ber of the court agreed to the action. through the nights and during holidays with men and units in the field. Lookouts and crews in the field report hourly. This net work thereby keeps all in a close link, so that, in case of fire, instant action would result. Communication and organiza tion are two key words on the district Once a fire alarm is sounded, the men are organized to move. Their "crummies," rigs for haul ing men and equipment, are al ways ready to go, tools sharp and packs stowed and ready to hit a fire trail. They figure that at any time of day or night a crew will be en route to a fire within four minutes after an alarm is sounded. Those on the suppression crew sleep with their fire fighting gear ready to hop into. Lookouts Kirby Schwinck on (Continued on Page 4) Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, August 8, 1963 Full Schedule Planned First Drowning Victim Claimed At Bull Prairie A 17-year-old Hood River youth Friday became the first fatality to be recorded at Bull Prairie reservoir since the rec reational site was opened last year. Glen Douglas Baith drowned in some 15 to 20 fpet of water near the spillway Of the reser voir about 5:30 p.m.' on that day as he was attempting to swim out to a boat that had drifted from shore. i State Policeman Jim Gordon said the body was brought up from the bottom 12 minutes later by Jon Carothers, U. S. Forest Service employe. Bob Canton wine, in charge of the Bull Prairie Guard station, and Car others administered mouth to mouth resuscitation for two hours, but the young man failed to respond. 1 Beith was on an overnight camping trip with his father, W. K. Beith of fit. ,3, Box 605, Hood River. Their pickup truck was parked on the north shore of the lake near the dam. When Glen noticed the boat drifting from shore, he swam to wards it, but about 20 feet from shore he started back, appar ently in trouble, the state police man reported. The foresters, near the guard station on the west side of the lake, noticed the young man threshing in the water and rushed to his aid, al though they were considerable distance away. Apparently the father was not in the immediate area at the time. Both Carothers and Canton- wine are trained in first aid and immediately after recover ing the body started on their A- i I . ! 1 . ... enuris 10 revive mm, dui witn out success. State Officer Gordon was In the area when he received a call from Arlington headquarters and went to the scene to assist. Later Creswick Mortuary was called and Oliver Creswick brought the body to Heppner after the med ical examiner of Grant county, in which Bull Prairie is located, was summoned by phone and gave permission to take the body here on condition that Dr. Wallace Wolff, acting medical examiner for Morrow county, ar range for an autopsy if neces sary. No autoosv was conducted. The body was taken to Anderson tuneral Home in Hood River Saturday afternoon for final ser vices. There was no indication of the reason for the accident except that it might have been caused by a cramp, panic or some phys ical ailment. However, Beith was an athletic-type youth and ap peared physically strong. Carothers and Cantonw I n e were credited with doing an ex cellent job in their efforts to revive the youth and for their speed in recovering the body. WEATHER By LEONARD GILLIAM Hi Low Thursday 79 47 Friday 87 52 Saturday 90 53 Sunday 91 55 Monday 90 55 Tuesday 91 54 Wednesday 91 53 Prec. Here Are The Vote Standings In The Gazette-Times Campaign Listed below, in alphabetical order by districts are the boys and girls who are working in the Gazette-Times subscription campaign, together with vote standings up to press time. NOTE: These standings are comparative, and while they do show the place each worker is in, do not reveal the exact vote count. This is in fairness to the workers. District One (Heppner, City) Gimbel, Rirky 676-9247 52,000 Green, Kelly 676-9435 58,000 Healy, Jerry Mike 676-9929 59,000 McLeod, Bill 676-5573 57,000 O'Brien, Sherri Lynn 676-9602 48,000 Pratt, Kevan 676-9909 56,000 Smith, Amanda 676-9725 50,000 Stillman, Randy 676-5844 54,000 Stockard, Billy 676-9684 51,000 Struckmeier, Earl 676-5515 48,000 Van Schoiack, Jimmy 676-9167 55,000 District Two (Outside Heppner) Asher, Valerie Spray 637-2554 19,000 Bowman, Vic Kinzua 768-2478 - 46,000 Boyer, Jimmy Monument WE4-2295 49,000 Buchanan, Bobby Irrigon 922-3(381 47,000 Halvorsen, Frank lone 422-7107 61,000 Hiigd, Gary Boardman 481-2510 19,000 Lane, Steve Lexington 989-8109 53,000 Townsend, Sue lone 422-7215 60,000 Vinson, Alvin Lexington 989-8492 55,000 "Your subscription new or renewal can mean 1st prize for your favorite worker." CAMPAIGN ENDS SAT., AUGUST 17 AT 6 P. M. - 1 PRINCESS LOUISE POINTER Princess Due for Fourth in the series of rodeo dances will honor pretty Princess Louise Pointer of Lexington at the fair pavilion Saturday even ing, August 10, starting at 10:00 p.m. She is sponsored by the Lexington Grange. A slender 5-6' brownette, Princess Louise was a popular graduate of the lone High school last year, where she was valedictorian of her class. She has lived her entire life on the rancli home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Don Pointer, near Lex ington and attended grade school there. Her first three years of high school were at St. Jo seph Academy in Pendleton, transferring to lone for her sen ior year. Princess Louise has been a rid ing enthusiast since she was very young and loves to ride purely for her own pleasure. Be sides riding as a hobby, she en joys working in leather crafts, helps in cooking for their family of eight and enjoys athletics and sports. In fair and rodeo appearances, Louise will be mounted on her own quarterhorse, "Copper." The horse is used to royalty as she has been ridden by rwlncesses in two other courts. As an honor student, the at tractive princess has experienced a busy four years of high school activities. In lone she held the office of senior class secretary treasurer, as well as student council representative of the 'XT Lo uise H onors Girls' League. At St. Joseph she was chosen for membership In National Honor Society in her sophomore year and was a mem ber her junior year; served as student body treasurer in her junior year; was a member of girls' chorus for three years, and held offices of secretary-treasurer of the Pep club her sophomore year and of vice president her junior year. When a sophomore, she was a princess in the home coming court and in the winter bail court. Princess Louise has two older brothers, Hank, 22, and Tom, 19. Others in the family are Donna, 12; Mark, 11, and Charlie 9. All children are at home and help on the family farm. The family are members of St. Pat rick's Catholic church in Hepp ner. During grade school years she was a member of a 4-H Live stock club. Continuing her education, the honored princess expects to en roll at the University of Portland this fall, where she plans to ma jor in elementary education. She will be assisted by scholarship aid from the Lexington PTA. Her interest in teaching has devel oped through helping in church summer school work the past two years. Attendance at the summer dances has been very good, with lively music furnished by Leon nig's orchestra. Next week's dance will honor the queen of the court, Queen Sandra Eub anks of lone, with her public coronation planned for down town Heppner preceding the dance. Second Cash Bonus Offer Announced in Contest (Pictures on Page 6) Workers In the Heppner Gazette-Times subscription cam paign have shown such interest in the extra cash prize offered that a second cash award is an nounced by the campaign man ager. This new $10 cash prize will go to the worker In either district who secures the most points on subscription sales cither new or renewal from now until the campaign closes at 6 p.m. Sat urday, August 17. Subscriptions turned in this Saturday will count 7 points for each year, those reported next Wednesday will count 6 points for each year, and those hand ed in the final day will count only 5 points for each year. This new prize is in addition to the first cash prize and the original 10 Cents for Fair 5-Day Run Set to Start August 19 Machinery has been set in mo tion preparing for the 1963 Mor row County Fair which opens on Monday, August 19, accord ing to Joe Hay and Esther Kir mis, Morrow county agents. Many outstanding events have been scheduled for this year's fair including an outdoor style revue, 4-H pig scramble, live stock auction sale, 4-H FFA, and open class livestock shows, 4-H livestock showmanship and dem onstration contests, and a 4-H saddle horse show. "We expect this to be one of the best fairs ever, if people continue to bring in their ex hibits as they have in the past," Hay said. "Large numbers of exhibits make for a more color ful and interesting fair," he added. Many improvements have been added to the fair grounds this " year. It will be hard for fair goers to realize that this is the same fair grounds. Some of the improvements which have been made include a new floor and new lighting in the main fair pavilion, oiling of the parking areas to keep down dust, a new livestock barn, additional wash rack space for livestock, and many others. Several changes have been made in this year's fair sched ule to eliminate conflicting events and make the fair more enjoyable for everyone. The 4-H saddle horse show has been moved to Monday, starting at 9:00 a.m. Livestock will be re ceived at the fair grounds all day Monday. School exhibits must be in place by 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, when judging begins. Four-H and FFA livestock will be accepted until UUQO a.m. Tuesday morning. Open class entries will be open throughout tbe day, Four-H and FFA members will test their livestock judging abil ity in the 4-H and FFA live stock judging contest at 1:30 Tuesday afternoon. This is a much looked forward to event for 4-H members with livestock projects as the top judges in both the junior and senior div ision are awarded plaques for their judging abilities. Scores from the contest also help de termine which club members will represent Morrow county In the 4-H livestock judging con test at the State Fair in Salem. Four-II Home Economics con tests in the junior and senior division are also scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Starting Wednesday morning at 8:30, FFA livestock will be judged. Four-H livestock judg ing will follow at 9:J0 a.m. with swine first, then beef, dairy, and sheep in that order. The 4-H live stock showmanship contest will start later in the day. All open class enterics must be in place with the exception of livestock and flowers by 9:00 a.m. Live stock and flower entries are open until 10:00 a.m. Starting at 9:00 Wednesday morning will be 4-H Home Economics judging for style revue. This year's revue has been moved up to Wednes day evening again, there will be no conflicts wilh the judging of open class livestock this year as they are scheduled to be judged on Friday morning starting at 10:30. Thursday, August 22, will be a busy day at the fair starting at 9:00 a.m. with 4-H Home Ec onomics demonstrations and continuing the 4-H livestock showmanship contests. At 1:C0 p.m., the all-around champion (Continued on Page 10) cash and bicycle awards announ ced at the start of the campaign. Subscribers are reminded the subscription price in the trade area will increase to $4.50 per year on September 1. Campaign workers are anxious to collect as many orders as possible at the $4.00 per year, $7.50 for 2 years and $11.00 for 3 years be fore the end of the campaign. Interest in the campaign has increased rapidly this week as parents and friends from the var ious neighborhoods and commun ities got behind their favorites to help them win the best prizes and highest honors. First vote standings of the workers, and pictures of each in this issue of the Gazette Times will spark the final week of enthusiasm among the boys and girls who are working in the campaign.
