HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES. Thursday. September T. 1967
THE
GAZETTE-TIMES
Heppner. Oregon 97836
Phone 676-9228
MORROW COUNTY'S NEWSPAPER
The Heppner Gazette established March 30. The Heppner
Times established November IS. 1S97. Consolidated February 15,
1912.
0 llfVi f UHISHIll
V-ASSOCIATION
WESLET A. SHERMAN
HELEN E. SHERMAN
ARNOLD RAYMOND
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Office Hours: 8 a.m.
until noon' Saturday.
to 6 p.m.,
Now about that Beach Highway
Perhaps East Oregonians could care less whether the
coastal highway runs over the sandspit at Pacific City or
clings to the mountain route. Maybe it is a welcome relief
to sit back and watch others jaw at each other without get
ting involved.
But those from the wheat and cattle country are still
Oregonians and are concerned about their state and its beau
ty. Many of them like to go to the beach occasionally, al
though quite a number can find little good to say for the
sand, the wet climate and the salty smell of the sea.
It's probably all .water over the mud flats now, since
crusading State Treasurer Bob Straub has made a federal
case of it and apparently has won the battle by going all
the way to Washington, D. C to enlist reinforcements from
the Democratic administration there. Waving the flag of con
servation, the Demo state treasurer has received the commit
ment from the Secretary of the Interior that to build a high
way across the sandspit would irrevocably impair the natural
beauty of the area and set a bad precedent for future high
way location along the coast.
Since some federal lands are involved, the Interior De
partment can and apparently has put the quietus on the
sandspit route.
So, while the case would now seem to be closed, with
Governor Tom McCall yielding quietly, we want to enter a
minority opinion for the sake of the record.
There have been a few things distasteful about this whole
proceeding, which has been vaulted far beyond its import
ance. It seems to us that despite the state treasurer's
sounding the clarion call of conservationism pure politics is
apparent here. Treasurer Straub, defeated for governor in
the last election, is diligently ambitious for higher office. The
coastal highway would seem to offer a cause that he could
exploit towards this end. By the same token we have no
right to question his sincere interest in conservation of nat
ural resources. This just doesn't seem to be that big a thing
in relation to all the other real conservation problems.
By gaining the blessing of the Interior Department, he
not only won his case but succeeded in humbling Governor
McCall in the process. The governor, who has been repre
sented as being mouse-trapped into supporting the sandspit
route and willing to backtrack, yielded to the federal ruling.
The Portland TV station where the governor once worked
flaunted the sandspit route as an unforgiveable sin against
mankind. It used the indignation that had been stimulated
by the beach bill in the legislature to fan the flames on the
highway issue. When the federal edict came, the commen
tator on TV the man who now holds McCall's former job
magnanimously excused the governor by saying, "Everyone
is entitled to one mistake."
Now, just what was the governor's mistake?
The sandspit road would give the public better access to
the beach, and it is this writer's opinion that it would not
destroy the beauty of the oceanside, would not impair the
public's use of the beach, and would not jeopardize natural
resources. Indeed, just a short distance north of Pacific City,
a highway runs right along the beach in the Tierra Del Mar
area.
This is particularly advantageous as an outlet where the
elderly and the ailing can get close to the water. A person
can pull his car off the highway and use it as a "headquart
ers" for a picnic or outing while the family frolics on the
beach.
Did the relocating of the Columbia Eiver highway at wa
ter level destroy the beauty of the Gorge? We hardly think
so. It did provide better access for enjoyment of the river.
Consider the use now being given such places as Rooster Rock
park.
Recently on a visit to the coast, we talked to a few resi
dents there. The opinion we heard which might not be rep
resentative was that the sandspit route would provide better
access for the public and make the highway and beach more
enjoyable for alL
Have you ever taken a trip along a stretch of coastal
highway where you expected some breathtaking views and
were disappointed when you had only an occasional glimpse
of the ocean? There are too many stretches of coastal high
way where one cannot even see the ocean.
"Why destroy our natural resources," said Treasurer
Straub, in effect, "when the mountain route would cost only
$500,000 more?"
Land 'a Goshen, Robert! Do you realize how we in the
wheat and cattle country would dearly love to have that
5500,000 on our highways when we are constantly told that
the Highway Department's tight budget permits only a little
occasional work here?
It just about makes a person in a hurry spit sand every
time he bounces along from Lexington to Butter Creek junc
tion over those crunching dips. Only a half million dollars
indeed!
We admire the humility shown by Governor McCall in the
conduct of his office. He took it "on the chin" in this case.
The humility is a virtue that is hard to deny. It would have
seemed good, though, to have seen him stand on his haunch
es on this issue, even though he might have had to go down
bloody and bowed against the power of the Democratic fed
eral administration.
It may be conceded that Treasurer Straub has convinced
himself that he believes in this "cause", and his unrelent
ing zeal is a great virtue if he really is convinced. But since
he is still suffering the sting of defeat at the hands of Gov
ernor McCall and still looking for higher office, a Doubting
Thomas might be brash enough to believe that he was say
ing one word for the state and its people while speaking two
for his political future.
In any event, it probably can be safely said that East
Oregonians would gladly give up digging mollusks in the
mud at Pacific City if the Highway Department could see fit
to devote a few hundred thousand clams to the highways
here.
Sr HEFFNEK
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
Af I asjcQtin
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
.. ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
REGGIE PASCAL
Linotype Operator
RANDY STTLLMAN
Apprentice
JIM SHERMAN
Pressman
Cfnola Tnnv 1A Cents Piihllshed
the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon,
Monday through Friday; 9 jo.
J-K. Salem Scene
Traffic ToU Decine
Prompts Look at Laws
Good news of a dramatic de
cline in Oregon highway fatal
ities in the last month prompts
another look at life-saving
measures passed by the 1!H7
legislature in coping with this
ma jor social problem.
The good news is this: Ore
gon's traffic death toll was run
ning behind the record count of
HHifi at the same midpoint in
August. The reassuring factor is
the sudden drop from July,
when Oregon's deadliest Fourth
of Julv week-end in history had
pushed the toll to 25 ahead of
the 298 highway deaths record
ed at the same time in 1966.
Although traffic safety legis
lation sometimes is mentioned
as one of the session's biggest
letdowns, actually the 1967 leg
islature accomplished more than
is generally believed. Many rec
ommendations of the Traffic
Safety Commission were reject
ed, but the commission itself
was placed directly under the
governor's jurisdiction, move
which increases its stature over
its previous spot within the
Dept. of Motor Vehicles.
Strong support from many
quarters failed to promote pass
age of bills to require periodic
re-examination of drivers for re
newal of licenses and to require
annual safety inspections of mo
tor vehicles by counties. The
legislature also rejected meas
ures to set maximum speed
laws, to require safety belts in
trucks and buses and to impose
minimum sentence of 10 days
for second or subsequent con
viction for driving under the in
fluence of intoxicating liquor.
New Laws Promote Safety
But lawmakers did enhance
Oregon traffic safety through
many bills, some of which be
come law September 13. Among
these is a new law requiring
slow-moving vehicles to pull off
two-lane roads and let backed
up traffic pass. On highways
with more than one lane mov
ing in one direction, vehicles are
to use the left lane only if trav
eling as fast or faster than oth
er traffic moving the same dir
ection. After September 13, the law
says police officers may, with
reasonable cause, stop drivers
and inspect their vehicles for
safety and equipment require
ments. Another law will allow
officers to impound a vehicle if
the driver has a suspended li
cense or tries to leave the scene
of an accident. Such a driver
also will face permanent license
suspension, and possible $1,000
fine, five years in prison or both
if he causes property damage or
personal injury to another while
driving.
Motorcyclists must burn head
lights and tail lights at all
Happiness is a Cool Day
Now that we can see our typewriter again without the
distortion of looking through beads of perspiration, we'd like
to join the Li'l Old Rainmaker in hoping that the hot spell
is at an end.
Tuesday's touch of cooling rain gave hope that the three
months' drought is over. But Oregonians whose webbed feet
are so cracked and swollen from lack of moisture are still
cynical. They won't believe it until the dark skies blot out
all traces of the sun and until Willow Creek runs full.
The Tuesday rain shut off all possibility of setting a
new record for a dry streak, but Don Gilliam still holds with
the idea that the average temperature for the summer is
probably the highest on record. It would take considerable
research to establish the fact for sure.
But after going through three months of heat, the public
would be in a mood to aver with emphasis that this was a
record, with no "ifs" or "ands" about it.
The heat came, you will recall, just at the time school
ended in the spring, and it continued until the kids returned
Tuesday. This makes it almost phenomenal as if they had
a special dispensation that would keep up a temperature
suitable for daily swimming in June, July and August.
Looking back, we're rather proud of the way our peo
ple beat the heat Our ranchers suffered their lumps on the
grain crop, but now they are looking to another year.
The public who used forest lands in this area still can
not be called responsible for a single forest fire, which is
certainly a record in cooperation.
Fire crews were on top of the situation every minute in
the woods, and prevented all of the many little lightning
fires from turning into conflagrations. Any one of them
could have been another Ditch Creek fire of 1961, but fed
eral and state foresters and private operators were alert and
ready.
Too often we look back on a fire tragedy and say, "If
only this camper had put out his camp fire, this whole area
would not now be devastated." Or, "If only this cigarette
smoker had used his ash tray . . ."
So far this year, this is the season that the camper did
put out. his fire and the smoker did use his ash tray.
It has been a busy season for the Heppner Fire depart
ment, and the men have gone to many grass and range fires.
Their work has been tremendous, and one wonders now how
the .area ever got along without the rural fire department.
For every fire they go to, there are hours of cleaning up
and taking care of equipment afterwards.
Neighbors on ranches and everyone in general have pitch
ed in whenever a grass fire emergency occurred. People in
Morrow county don't have to have a reason to help out
they just help out.
One day we saw a rancher from some 20 miles from
Heppner whose face was red and perspiring; his clothes were
dirty; and his hair was rumpled.
"What happened to you?" we asked.
"Oh, I was fighting fire out in Clarks Canyon."
"But," we said, "you don't live anywhere near there."
"No," said he, "but I happened to be passing by."
It reminded us of the mountain climber who declared
that he sought to climb Mt. Everest simply because "it
was there." This is the kind of spirit that makes men great.
Our people haven't always kept cool, although they have
run the sox off persons like Randy Lott, Ray Ayers, and
Matt Hughes on air conditioners and cooling problems. But
despite their occasional grumblings, they have worked to
gether to beat the heat.
Whether Old Sol is finished with us yet remains to be
seen. Chances are it won't be long until we'll be putting
on another blanket at night and hoping for a glimpse of
the sun the next day.
Right now, happiness is a cool day.
And everyone has earned it.
by Everett L Cutter
times on Oregon highways after
! September 13; after next Janu
, arv 1 thev will he required to
i wear protective headgear ap
proved by the Dept. of Motor
Vehicles. Tractors and other
farm or construction equipment
operating on highways at
speeds under 25 mph. after Jan
uary 1 will need a "slow mov
ing vehicle" emblem attached.
A bill to allow use of metal
studded tires between October
I and May 31 in areas prone to
Inclement weather, already was
signed into law hv Gov. Tom
McCall and took effect April 19
because it carried an emergen
cy clause.
Long Rang Bills Passed
Looking ahead, the legislature
approved several bills of more
long-range promise to Oregon
(traffic safety. One of these, al
ready mentioned, places me
Traffic Safety Commission dir
ectly under the governor's of
fice. The commission received
no added funds, but the move
is expected to enable it to work
more efficiently with the fed
eral government in assuring
state compliance with federal
safety laws.
' Another successful measure
created on Interim Committee
on Highways and appropriated
$25,000 for its studies before the
next regular legislative session.
Besides studying questions con
cerning ownership rights of
Oregon's beaches, the commit
tee will examine gas tax re
funds to cities and counties, fi
nancing of highways and roads
construction, truck regulation,
beautification, licensing, motor
vehicle inspections and other
safety measures.
Because the condition of
roads, streets and highways is
basic to motor vehicle safety, it
is worthy to note that the leg
islators approved a gasoline tax
increase of one cent per gallon,
effective September 13. Money
raised will provide additional
funds for construction and
maintenance of safer thorough
fares. Although the lineup In new
laws may be weak In some
eyes, there is little question in
anyone's mind about the fact
that state officials are concern
ed and are trying. If the new
laws will help to keep Oregon's
lower 1967 highway fatality rec
ord below last year's tragic toll,
then it can be shown they are
working in the right direction.
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Connor and
family traveled over the Labor
Day week-end to Springfield.
They were guests there of Con
nor's brother and sister-in-law,
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Connor, and
family. Gary has started anoth
er year of coaching in the
Springfield High school.
Chaff and
Wes Sherman
VK SKK hv a recent Issue of
the Woodburn Independent
that one of our old compatriots,
Martin Jurgcnson. returned re
cently from a camping trip to
Suttle Lake.
"When the wind died down
that evening," he writes in his
weekly column, "we had Utile
winged visitors. Now, we don't
claim the title as the most suc
culent Item on the mosquito's
menu, hut we'll darn well bet
we aren't far down the list."
(Ed. Note: You can say (hat
again, Martin).
Then In a recent Issue of The
Forest Log In one of our favor
ite columns, "The Lost Forty,"
was this excerpt:
"One fisherman told of mos
quitoes so large thev attacked
an Insect -proof tent In which he
was cowering. Foiled from dir
ect attack by the heavy canvas
the huge creatures Inserted
their beaks into it, evidently
hoping to 'feel out' the victim.
In desperation the camper seiz
ed his hand axe and clinched
all the protruding bills. This
turned out to be mistake. The
pests flew away with the shel
ter, leaving him exposed to the
merciless stragglers. He defend
ed himself with the axe the rest
of the night."
Just back from Minnesota Is
our son. Bill, who was camp
counsellor for the Richfield
Methodist church in Minneap
olis. On a canoe trip with his
young charges, he swatted at a
skeetcr buzzing around his
head, accidentally hitting his
classes In the process. He
knocked them off and the $-10
specs are still lying at the bot
tom of one of Minnesota's
10,000 lakes.
NOW the "Lost Forty" talks of
listening to mosquitoes as
large as hummingbirds crash
ing Into the metal on the side
of his camper. Well, maybe they
don't grow as big as humming
birds, but they get pretty good
sized. We might submit the photo
at the top of this column as evi
dence, but we wouldn't want
to deceive vou.
I This picture is really more of
an X-ray than It Is a photo, but
it does show the parts of this
mortal enemy of campers and
most of mankind.
We were working In the dark
room one time when one of
those whining dive bombers
came by our ear. Eventually it
decided to land and unfortun
ately for It, chose to alight on
the glass carrier plate that we
had out of the enlarger.
We swatted Mr. Skeeter with
a vengeance, put him on the
carrier plate and ran the en
larger full strength. Then we
exposed his crumpled frame on
some sensitized paper and got
the result above.
JURGENSON continues: "We
kept getting the feeling that
all the mosquito dope we ap
plied merely served as a dress
ing for the appetizer because
those blasted little things al
most took off with us.
"They must have a new breed
up there, too, because about 90
per cent of the things landed,
loaded up and were gone with
out so much as a hum.
"We usually have been able
to defend ourselves a little by
listening real close, but those
things either didn't have any
or they were breaking the sound
barrier coming to the feast."
Another paragraph from The
Lost Forty tends to confirm Jur
genson's remarks, because he
was camping In Santiam coun
try, about which J. E. Schroe
der, state forester, writes:
"One of the most vicious
strains of this dangerous insect
is found near the summit of the
Cascades. Called muse a Presby
terii, it ranges for about a mile
north of the Santiam Pass along
the Skyline. It uses the swarm
coyote technique, with succeed
ing waves lurking along the
trail and attacking in relay
fashion. One reportedly was so
impudent it was observed try
ing to unscrew the cap on a
repellent bottle. An angler
hiker trying to outdistance his
tormentors, hightailed by us
gasping that he was somewhat
PAY YOUR BILLS
WHEN DUE
and
KEEP YOUR CREDIT GOOD
Pioneer Service Credit information is most valuable
No commissions charged on collections
All money is paid direct to creditors
Pioneer
service co., inc.
et
SINCE 1926
The Merchants' and Professional Men's Organization
HANDBILLS WITH ACCOUNTS FOR SALE
OREGON IDAHO UTAH NEVADA DIVISION
Division Office: Eugene, Oregon
WATCH FOR THE GREEN AND BLACK
Chatter
HA.
AS BIG AS HUMMINGBIRDS?
like a high flying pilot who
goes on oxygen, except he,
being a mouth breather when
exerting strenuously, was on
pure mosqujtoes."
BUT WE wouldn't think Jurgen
son would be so vehement
about Oregon mosqultose In
view of the fact 'hat he halls
from Minnesota. If Oregon mos
quitoes are big as humming
birds, Minnesota skeetcrs sure
ly are as big as turkeys. Could
lie that's whv succulent Martin
left Minnesota.
THE LATK AL LAMB who once
visited the great Albert
Schweitzer In Lamborene, Afri
ca, confirmed the fact that this
remarkable man would never
kill a living ihmg, not even a
fly nor an ant.
How he held his peace when
these little buzzers whined
around, we'll never know. He
truly was a great man.
BESIDES the matter of mosquit
oes, the big thing of Import
ance we have to resolve in our
mind this week Is: "Are the
chairs harder at school board
meetings or at city council
meetings?"
School board undoubtedly
gets the ruxl because these
meetings are good for a mini
mum of four hours. But once
In a while the H I directors
launch Into an executive session
and this gives a guv a chance
to stretch "dem bones."
City council, though. Is mak
ing with a challenge. Once was a
time when meetings were nev
er more than an hour, but they
are now stretching as much as
three.
We don't know what their
chairs are made of. but we
know for sure that they aren't
soft pine.
When the late Jos. Nys was
city attorney, he hRd an uphol
stered chair In the council
chamber, which proves that he
was a wise man. Bob Abrams
succeeded to It but It Is gone
now. Attorney Abrams manag
es to find a captain's chair both
at council and school board,
which Is a little easier on his
temperamental back.
Even those of us with fat
padded sitter-downers seem to
leave a little hide at each meet
ing. Knowing that both council
men and school directors arc ac
commodating people, we're sure
that they will take care of this
situation. If the chairs are too
hard for visitors like us, they'll
set aside a spot for standing up.
DICK CARPENTER talked to
the council Tuesday night
about a plan to Improve the
road to the high school the one
connecting with Fulton Canyon.
In the course of his presenta
tion, he said that out of the
entire student body, only five or
10 students now walk to school.
Reminds us of the father tell-
Pioneer
Pondcrings
Bv W. S. CAVEflHILL
Another Way of
Land Acquisition
In addition to the homestead,
the early settlers had other
wavs of getting title to public
lands. One was the Timber utld
Stone Act, which permitted any
one to select 100 acres of land
and declare It nioro valuable
for timber ami stone than for
agriculture. After prescribed ad
vertising, the applicant secured
title by paying $100 for the
quarter section.
For a number of years the
situation provided a bonanza
for "Umber locates" who charg
ed the applicant $100 per claim
for locating. Sometimes the
timber shown was not on tho
claim filed. It might be jun
iper covered ridge. Fur some
time the Long Creek Ranger
was the best paying weekly In
Eastern Oregon due to the pub
lication of "Umber notices.''
The creation of National For.
cuts stopiM'd that racket, but the
Forests are still spotted with
Timber and Stone act calms.
Recent Idaho visitor were Mr.
and Mrs. John Prlvett and Kim.
They visited her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Ed Yenne. and brother In
I'ocatcllo and Rupert, Ida. The
I'rlvetts, on vacation, then went
on to Eugene to visit his brother
In law and sister, Mr. and Mrs.
Allen Brown and family. From
Eugene they went on to the
coast and stoped at Sea Lion
Caves. A stop at the Portland
Zoo was a must, so they spent
u day there and continued on
home Labor Day.
Mrs. Laeu Nelson, her
daughter Diane, son Gary Dick
and grandson David Dick, ami
Mrs. Karl Hull were week end
visitors ut the home of Mr. and
Mrs. A, G. Pleper. Mrs. Nelson
and Mrs. Hall are daughters of
the Plepcrs. Army IVt. Gary
Dick was on leave from his sta
tion at Fort U-wls. having been
recently transferred from Ft,
Leonard Wood, Miss.
Ing a friend how he had man
aged to cure his son's habit of
being late to school every morn
ing. "All I did," he explained,
"was to buy him a car of his
own."
"Just how did that slop him
from coming late?" Inquired
the friend.
"Why he had to get there ear
ly to find a place to park."
NOW WHEN I went to high
school, you never saw a ve
hicle parked around the build
ing. A team of horses just
wouldn't stand that long In one
place.
Coming Events
HEPPNER HIGH FOOTBALL
First Home Game of Season
Friday, Sept. 8, Heppner Ro
deo Grounds
Heppner vs. Enterprise
Support the Mustangs!
FAREWELL DANCE
Saturday, Sept. 9, 9:30-1:00
Heppner Fair Pavilion
Last dance by The Hench
men, popular Heppner
combo
Farewell to college students
Everyone welcome!
LEGION & AUXILIARY
MEETING
Regular monthly meetings
start Mon., Sept. 11, Leg
Ion Hall
Potluck dinner, 6:30 p.m.
Important business meetings
All members urged to attend
FREE COLOR MOVIE
Full-length Musical Motion
picture, "World's Apart,"
for all ages
Saturday, Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Elementary Multi-purpose
room
Sponsored by South Morrow
Ministerial Assoc. No ad
mission TURKEY SHOOT
Sunday, Sept. 10, 10:00 a.m.
3', 4 ml. E. of Lexington on
Hwy. 74
Sponsored by Morrow County
Rifle & Pistol club
Public Invited
SPONSORED AS A PUBLIC
SERVICE BY
C. A. RUGGLES
Insurance Agency
P. O. Box 247 . PH. 676-9625
Heppner
J COMMUNITY 1
BILLBOARD K