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.