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GAZETTE-TIMES
morbow couirm wrwspArti
Th Heppner Gazette etablUhed March ."M, 1SK.1 The Ilrrpner
Time rMablbhed November IS. 1WJT. loruioltdaied February 13,
1912.
ZTTT
IVIfAVII
rf iiimiti
ASSOCIATION
I
NATIONAL I0ITO1IAI
WES LIT A. SHERMAN
Editor and fubUht
HtLEN C SHE1MAN
Aociat Publisher
Subscription Rate: $450 Year. Single Copy 10 Cent. PublLhed
Every Thursday and Entered at the lt Office at Heppner. Oregon.
aa Second Clas Matter.
THE FLOOD OF DECEMBER, 1964
Control Projects Needed
It U pretty well established that the fVxxi of December. 1964.
la the worst In the Mate' history from the landpo'nt of the
general devastation done. Ai Its resident recover from the stag
terlnR blow and start period of recovery, this Is the best time
to think about control for the future. Became of it severity, the
flooding laid out a blueprint of trouble spots and showed very
well where control Is needed.
This Is true in Morrow county. We know that whenever a
flood of any proportion comes from surface water. lone Is liable
to suffer. It took a severe blow In August, 19G1, when a water
spout sent waters cascading down Rietmann canyon, and this
flood from melting snow repeated the damage with equal or
greater loss.
lone must have some relief. Army Engineers made some sur
vcy of the canyon In connection with the Willow Creek project
but nothing has come of It It may be possible that a series of
landfill dams in the canyon could check the runoff. A substan
tial ditch or spillway might be created to carry water down to
Willow Creek.
Possibility of aid for such a project should be Investigated
now before another flood comes and lone residents find their
city covered with muck and silt again. Congressman Al Unman
has sent a telegram to the county offering cooperation and any
assistance he can give. Perhaps he will be able to see what might
be done towards checking the perennial trouble spot of Riet
mann canyon.
Oddly enough. Willow Creek behaved itself in the upper
reaches on this flood, probably because snows in the mountains,
from which it is fed, did not melt as fast as they did on the
foothills.
The Willow Creek dam would help in controlling such a
flood as this because it could check the waters of upper Willow
Creek and those coming down Balm Fork. While Willow wasn't
flooding over its banks, it did contribute a substantial volume
to that rampaging towards the Columbia. It would not control
Shobe canyon flooding nor that of Hinton creek, although some
steps might be considered for the control of these waters.
Rhea Creek's flooding was devastating, and the project
now under consideration for a dam on this creek certainly should
be pressed. Where Rhea and Willow creeks came together was a
virtual sea of water at the height of the flood.
A channel clearance project on the creeks would be helpful.
If there were any way to get the Job done. Ione's second blow
came from the over-flowing Willow creek, thus getting the dam
age from both sides. Maybe there would be a possibility for fed
eral aid on such a stream deepening and widening project:
This type of flood, coming principally from snow melt,
found Heppner strangely secure and this is the town that is
conceded to be vulnerable to floods. It now seems that Heppner
is threatened not so much by a flood of this type as it is by the
water spout or cloudburst variety, and we well know how dev
astating these can be.
Pay lUer H.hhI oul. t tvn by the time the rtet reached the
bridge, Without an englnerr Wmmtrlj.-e la guide u. lu would
cent logical. Hut what about the tr.trtim?
It Mat an "Art t;l." all rlirht. but ahouldn't thi bridge
have U-en detuned l. Hithktan.t thi Ait tf 1 ;! Ttie c-nrr-ni'a
lnrlli'Min hnul. prove Inli-i. imij lx f the bildj;
hat wrrd to hake the public's roiifutetu In the Invincibility
tif such tru.turc.
Neither Snow, Nor Rain . .
Traditional to the potal M-rvloe U the quotation, "Neither
snow, nif rain. nr heat, nor gUmnt pf rUht Maya thim url-r
from the sulft completion of Ihvir apiMtited rouii.U"
Well, the flood put a dent In the indomitable reputation of
the puttal srrvU-e, and like many parts f the ataie. Marrow
county was without mall service for four day. Put no one I
going to taunt the department about It for their record U ad
mirable. Probably mt of our residents can never recall a
previous tingle day In I heir lives when the mall did not arrive
at Its destination, except on holidays and Sundays.
Our pot office crew did a fine lob trying to crt the mail out
and In, with t matter Prlcoll making many phone rail trying
to find route and ways and means of living up to the old
quotatloa When the mall finally arrived, the tff worked
through the niht to get out the big load and kept windows
open through the day Sunday until 3 p.m. to serve the public.
DrUcoll avt that the public n very cooperatve and un
complaining. Thi. then. 1 apparently a tory of god cooperation
on both side and how that the public, prone to make an
Uaue of some minor Irritation, can stand major mUfortuncs
w ith lesser complaint.
Better Information Needed
A has been pointed out by several source, thi flood tory
was one of the biggest news atorles of all time, since every
community, every area, had a major story of Its own to tell.
It taxed newspapers, radio and television to tell the ttory ade
quately.
It seems to point up a real need for consideration, too
the need to provide an official report, free from rumor, not
to tell of the drama and tragic aspects of the flood but to give
the public the information It vitally needs. It seem to u that
the state might have designated a particular time on a particular
television or radio station to bring to the public official re-
porta on roads, communications systems, when? supplies could
be obtained, what dangers may be encountered, and what
should be done. News of the flood has been on a catch as -catch-can
basl. and people caught In the holiday time have been
endeavoring to grope their way across the state with only vague
highway reports to go on. It would have been a big help to
all. Including those trying to make restorations, it there were a
central information agency set up In various areas to provide
otuciai imormation. and ir a daily telecast and radio program
had been provided for authentic information. This would have
saved a great many people who were try ing to do vital work In
the emergency, a great deal of harassment
The Good Neighbor Helps Out
This Is the sort of crisis that brines out the real rooWi
In people, and it is heartwarming to realize how rood neirhbor
spring to the task to help a fellow man in trouble. The story of
the AI Bunch elevator loss Is a good case in point Friends and
neighbors gave up their Christmas eve celebrations to come out
In the wet and cold to help salvace eraln. Thev worked rlrht
1 through Christmas, and instead of eatlnjr turkev. ate cold tand.
wiches. Probably there were more persons, snui? In their hnmM
who would have been glad to fall to and help. If they had
known how to go about it
May the bright star sparkle above the hparfs rf th wvt
I neighbors. Didn't they best exemplify the true spirit of Christ.
masT
Chaff .nd Chatter
Wes Sherman
rM'IW put a rilmp In family
iluouiM pun lor many, out
human Ingenuity find wt (
felting hiiti; done If the Will
U ttiorig enough. It ap'ared a
if Itmiiy iv!ii'i.i fcluU.iil Would
be kept away from their holiday
homi-otming, but tttoM of ihent
made It here detplte all the road
closure. Some manned to fly
o IVitJIrlon. others took irv
uitout route through Wakhlng
ton. some were luk en route
for a while but managed to g't
through later, and some got
home via normal route Just
hi ad of the storm. Hill Wctvr,
coming from th U of O, toped
by IIoihIou iktwl on tiie ;nn
.Hjntiam fur a time and then
trove to Heppner via the Spray
road. He lust made It through
when Impact of the storm hit.
No Doubt About Levy Need
There were doubts In some residents' minds about the need
for a county road serial levy obviously at the time of the Novem
ber general election since it was voted down then, but there Is
no doubt of the dire need for it now. Virtually every section of
the county took heavy damage on roads in the flood, and it is
going to take considerable money to restore them to make them
usable and safe. The current serial levy will carry the current
needs until July of 1965 but at that time more money will be
needed to continue programs. When the matter comes up again,
as it surely will, it should be passed with a very strong vote.
Governor Hatfield Was Right
When the last legislature cut the proposed Civil Defense
budget to a token amount, Governor Hatfield strongly protested,
but the legislature's action stood. The governor went ahead
and held together an emergency organization on what was
available. He established an emergency center in the basement
of the capitol building which brought some undercover taunts
and jibes.
The current emergency should be enough to bring a few
red faces among the legislature's opponents of Civil Defense.
The emergency command post in the basement has been a real
nerve center in this crisis, which well emphasizes the need for
an effective Civil Defense organization.
Control Dams Helped
As the awful damage of the flood is considered in the areas
where the monetary loss was the greatest, we might pause to
think what it might have been if the Willamette River flood
control projects had not been in place Hill3 Creek and Lookout
Point on the Middle Fork of the Willamette; Cougar on the Mc
Kenzie; and Detroit on the Santiam.
Without these dams, the Army Corps of Engineers has
pointed out. Eugene, Albany, Salem, Oregon City and Portland,
would have taken terrific damage. The dams cut 15 feet off the
crest of the flood at Eugene, seven feet off the crest at Albany,
10 feet off at Oregon City and 4.5 feet off at Portland.
They said that without the Willamette dams, all Portland
bridges would have been carried away but the St. Johns bridge
and that water would have flooded up to S. W. 5th Avenue. Ore
gon City's main business section would have been covered, Salem
flooding would have been close to the 1861 record, and large
residential areas of Eugene would have been lost.
This is food for thought for any who may oppose such flood
control projects.
What About the John Day Bridge?
The most stunning single aspect of this flood was the almost
unbelievable loss of the John Day River bridge on the Colum
bia River highway. The layman has almost a blind faith in the
skill of the engineers who design such structures and the men
who construct them. They assume that the bridges are sound and
secure against all hazards.
The John Day bridge did not prove to be invulnerable to the
onslaughts of Old Mother Nature, and the first reaction from
official sources was that its loss was an "Act of God."
Tendency was for the public to accept this at first until pic
tures revealed the old highway bridge and the two railroad
bridges to be still standing and relatively undamaged.
One conjecture has it that the bridge was designed for slack
water on the theory that the rising pool of the John Day dam
would surround its pillars. Thus, onrushing waters from a John
Boardman Schools
Present Annual
Public Program
By MABT LEE MARLOW
Boardman "Isle of Christ-
mas Dreams" was presented bv
the Boardman Grade school at
the annual Christmas proeram at
the school last Tuesday night
There were about 40 children
who participated as characters
in the play, with 50 other dudIIs
taking parts as the pajama children.
The Riverside Hie-h school
chorus sane Christmas carols
and Mrs. LaCombe and Mrs. La
Vern Partlow sang "O Holy
Night."
Following the program, everv-
one was given a sack of treats.
"Sons from Heaven" was thp
theme of the Christmas proeram
at the Boardman Community
tnurcn sunaay mgnt it was the
story or the origin of the song,
"Silent Night." Special numbers
were presented also.
Each person present received a
sack of treats.
Cemetery Meeting Set
The annual meetine of the
eoaraman Kiverview Cemetery
Maintenance Association will be
neid at the citv hall Mondav.
January 4', at 2:00 p.m. for the
purpose of nominating one direc-
tor.
There will be a New Year's
Eve Watch service at the Board
man Community church, start
ing at 9 p.m. and lastinc until
midnight. Everyone Is invited.
Holiday visitors at the horn nt
Mr. and Mrs. Leo Potts were their
sons-in-law and daughters. Mr.
and Mrs. Howard Bundy of Arco,
Idaho, and Mr. and Mrs. Delhprr
Houston and children Lea, Ar
lene and Donald of La Grande.
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Allen anH
children Stacie. Stuart and
Stephanie of Walla Walla wpre
Christmas visitors at the home of
Alien s parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Arthur Allen.
Mrs. Marie Golden of Port.
land has been a visitor the past
tw0 weeks at the home of her
daughter, Mrs. Roy Partlow.
Visitors at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Harold Kress on Christmas
were their sons-in-law and
daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Del Rob
ertson and son Kevin of Walla
Walla, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank
lin Ball and daughters Barbara
and Karen of Hermiston. and
their son and daughter-in-law.
Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Kress and
children Brian and Dee Ann of
La Grande. The latter also visit
ed at the home of Mrs. Kress'
mother, Mrs. LaVern Partlow.
Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Carpen
ter had as guests Christmas their
sons and daughters-in-law, Mr.
and Mrs. Larrv Carpenter and
children Cindy, Larry and Lyle
of Renton. Wash., and Mr. and
Mrs. Marvin Carpenter and chil-
dren Annie and Johnnie of Uma
tilla.
Students home for the holi-
Flood Cripples
Monument Area
n Homes, Fields
By MARTHA MATTtSON
MONUMENT Monument
rancher were hard hit by hlk'h
water which flooded the field,
basement, reliant, wathtne out
bridge and fill up and down
the river. A few people have not
been able to get to town, some
have had to walk In mud to the
hills then Into town. Mr. and
Mr. Lonnie Harris came up the
river, walking up the track tie
to town. The water was up to
the roadside between Past Time
and the Smith houiM. ran In some
at Owen Smiths house, filling
the basement. It filled the Leo
Flower yard and into the house
of Lonnie Harris. The Harold
Cork ranh fields were flooded
almost to the road. There was
no trafflec at the Rex Dick corner:
power was off and Christmas eve
was spent with use of candles
and kerosene lamps. Dayvllle
was isolated with bridges out
and the gorge overflowing. Rain
came down each day for 4 or 5
days and snowed again Saturday.
D. L. Matteson came in from
Enterprise Thursday for Christ
mas week end with hi folks, ,
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Matteson.
and his brother-in-law and sister
and family. Mr. and Mrs. Mary
Llppert drove to John Day on
Monday.
On Tuesday the flood started
so school was turned out at noon.
Mrs. Jim Crocker drove to John
Day last Tuesday, got caught In
Mt Vernon by high water on
Birch creek and Dayvllle bridge
out and had to stay until Wednes
day evening before coming
home.
Ernie Johnson and Mr. and
Mrs. Harold Llppert and three
sons were Christmas dinner
guests of Mrs. Francis Noland
and children.
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Howell
and two sons of Spray were here
Sunday to visit his folks, Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Howell.
Guests Christmas day and eve
ning at the Jack Cavender fam
ily home were Mr. and Mrs. Rex
Dick, Maynard Hamilton. Mr.
and Mrs. Buzz Moran and child
ren and Dick George.
and the Ninth jUntUm htchway
tufft-trd koine ni)'r wanhouU.
to figure
days from college included: Chloe
McQuaw. Pacific University at
Forest Grove; Larry West. Port
land State: Keith Gronoulst
University of Portland; rat Part
low. Johnnie Partlow and Sharon
Donovan. E.O.C La Grande: Pat
Miller. Marylhurst College; Jim
.wnier ana tueen Kly, Blue
Mountain College. Pendleton.
Jim and Ted Hoffman. Clark Col
lege, Vancouver, and Leonard
Bedford. E. O. C
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mulhol-
and and children Josie. Gerl and
Don of Wichita Falls. Texas, are
spending the holidays at the
home of Mrs. Mulholand's oar-
ents. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Baker.
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hibbard of
Boise. Idaho are spending the
holidays at the home of their
son and daughter-in-law. Mr.
and Mrs. Forrest Hibbard.
ii I . Hiirx ivira. r. 1 m t'r liiMnir nr . , rn m w- a '
di .,.. . r v.: , livirs. r.urii wuore, mr. arm ivirs.
Richland, were holiday visitors bi.i... . .Mu.n. i for
Now famllle have
Hit bow to get the tvllrfc'ian
bail, to fchoul. but It wont be
uulle Die Uk II M to ii I Uo tii
hum. Condition wrm to b get
Unit tit back low aid noimal
every My.
Tlin FRANK ANPFItSONI ml
rd out on a scheduled Irlp o
Hawaii when tht storm kepi
them from getting to I'ot'land
Ut week. They got raiiL'ht out
of Arlington with the John Pay
ptliiife down. Jim Mot. he, o ir
faithful 7.4-llert'ih ar ac.
man. got t aught there, too, aUtng
with another family. The .hre
got acqualntrd. and ufrilng
the tame plight, drove up a
driveway at rctMeno out of
Arlington and the born owner
Invited them In. II fed them a
fin supper, put them up fr the
night and cav them a hearty
breakfast In the morning, Nent
da, Frank led Moli on a
baokroads route via Olex to
Flghtmil country that made It
J nimble fir McGe to gel to
leppnerr. HI cuMotnerr her
thought he must be a ghiml be
rause no on thought It pmuttble
at that lime for a person to get
through from The lalle. Al this
point, w don't know how Jim
ever mad It bark to Tb Dalle
in time for Christmas. One Idea
he mii coiutlderlng was that bis
wile mlL'ht orlne their motor
boat up the river and pick him
up. but that might have been
tough, loo.
BOD IVSPAIN got hi bread
truck through lo Hi Dalles
late last week, crossing the river
and (hen coming bark over and
finally proceeding via ome rim-
striatum road. F.n route home
he wasn't bothered with any
traffic lrause everything waa
KUptxised to be closed. A sur
prised slat policeman top-d
him a Bob was homeward
bound and asked, "Where the
heck do you think you're
Bob replied calmly, "I'm going
to Arlington."
"Oh. no you're not!" the cop
exclaimed. But that just what
Bob did. He was In Heppner next
day putting bread In the grocery
stores.
FOLKS SHOWED an Indomitable
Christmas spirit despite the
bad weather. Homes had beaut
iful holiday decorations that
look a lot of doing In bitter cold
and rainy days to Install. Those
wno did such a good Job deserve
real congratulations because It
helped to brighten a rather mis
erable holiday season. Surely
would have been dismal had
Christmas come and gone with
out some gay bright lights to
hi In i beer In lh fa of lh
iti'iiu.
Not many rntetrd lb rtlesl
but her wele some dandy job
of deotiatliig
i:vef)oi la always thinking
up Idea for lh J)i-vr a pt
JvU. but we think If would b
hio If " lively gioup Ilk
this would try to get rveiy il
dent lo do soot t hrlkima light
Ing. i-ven If lust on or two coT
oled bulb. Ileppner txtuld al
lain fame as a t'lulklma card
tow i. and atttaot bundled of
lUltof What a beautiful kighl
It would ! la rsnne down lb
Condon highway bill and th
coloied light all over lh town
WE ARE mot ordain than ever
now that Gartte Time ad
rrtlsing !)- Our Chevy ai
a hubcap last week In lh deep
snow, and w put a "loaf ad in
lh (latklfled section. On t'htUt
ma day (Hlln Huston railed
a M sld be bad found It. II
later brought II down to u and
wouldn't lak a rent of reward
W certainly appreciate hi
klndnewi, and If b ever o
anything, we'll that h get
free advrrtUIng to recover It
THEY SAY (rgon Slat doesn't
have mui h chanc In the Ko
Bowl tomorrow, but there's an
old Kuhl that say a war I
never over until the last battle, la
fought. v ran h way out on a
limb, but we truly think the
Beaver have th stuff lo put It
over Lr all concentrate on an
victory, especially out of
loyalty lo our native on. Dlok
Kuhl. and mayb lhy ran ovr
own lh dojH-strr Jut a they
did against Syracuse.
AS WE boot lh old man with
the scythe out th door with
lh leaky rain ran In hi band
and th Icicles In hi beard, w
ay to you, "Happy New Year!"
N COMMUNITY I
) BILLBOARD V
vwr . - JLx
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford
Howell of Wall Creek near
Monument
Mrs. Katie Enrlght and two
sons. Joanie Miller, Clifford How
ell and son Sam drove to John
Day on business last Tuesday
where they got caught at Mt.
Vernon ofter the roads were
closed by high water and bridges
washed out. Thev were able to
get home Wednesday night
MAT WmmS. .nd children JjZSVh SrV7vSdpiSSK
had as Christmas Day guests JC'" 1 i h tyiJTI o
m pi ion Mr inX Mr. drove to Portland December 9
fE.ftf "Wlnia.XlMr- ?d Mrs, Page Dulaney and
and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Milt
carron.
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Linton and
daughter. Lori. returned to their
home in Bandon after spending
Christmas week visiting at the
home of Mrs. Linton's parents,
Mr. and Mrs. N. C. Anderson.
Mr. Linton is a teacher in the
Bandon schools.
Mr. Dulaney's mother from Mis
souri, and Mr. and Mrs. Mead
Oilman.
Couple Weds In John Day
Miss Joanie Miller and Sam
Howell were united In marriage
at the Canyon City courthouse
in John Day last Thursday. De
cember 24. The bride Is the dau
ghter of Mr. and Mr Mil lor on
'the W-4 Ranch. The croom is
BATTERY TROUBLE?
SEE
FORD TIRE
SERVICE
FOR ALL YOUR
Farm and Commercial
BATTERY NEEDS
We Have The All New
HEAVY DUTY ARMOR PLATE
Truck and Tractor
Commercial Battery
GROUP 1-H.D.A.P. (145 amp)
I6.75
a rew days. Mrs. torrest
stayed at McMinnvlllc to be close
to her husband who Is In the
hospital at Salem.
Mrs. Elmer Ashcr went to
Arizona to visit her sister for two
weeks. '
Coming Events
HEPPNER HIGH
BASKETBALL
Tuesday, January 4
Heppner at Condon
Friday. January 8
Heppner at lllot Rock
Jayvee came. 6:.T0 p.m.
Varsity game. 8:00 p.m.
:upport the Mustangs!
HEPPNER PTA
Regular meeting Wednesday.
n. u. p m. High School
Multipurjoe room.
PUBLIC CARD PARTY
Holly Hetx-kah Lodg. Lexing
ton IUOF Mali. Saturday,
Jan. 2. 8 p.m. Bridge and
Ilnochle.
4 II LEADER'S BANQUET ..
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 6:.T0
p.m. Episcopal Parish hall
HAPPY NEW YEAR
TO ONE AND ALL!
SPONSORED AS A PUBLIC
SERVICE BY
C. A. RUGGLES
Insurance Agency
P. O. Box 247 PH. 676-9625
Happoav
now, see why
they call it
the
beautiful brute
NEW(
AS LOW
AS
CORE
EXCHANGE
N. Main
Most All Sizes In Stock
FORD S TIRE
SERVICE
PH 676-9481
Heppner
,'JEEP' GLADIATOR
Designed and built for 4-wheel drive. That's why
the Gladiator is so tough. And that same toughness
is now available In 2-wheel drive tool It's powered
by the Tornado-OHC OverHead Cam engine. Has
a single lever for 4WD. Comfortable ride. Wide
cab. Comes in 120" or 126' wheelbase. 7' or 8' pick
up boxes. Stake or pickup bodies. Single or dual
rear wheels. GVW's to 8600 lbs. See your 'Jeep'
Dealer todayl
i f KAimmm Jmj commomATtONMm t, on
Farley Motor Co.
HEPPNER, OREGON