Facing tho Facts
HEFPNEH GAZETTE-TIMES. Tbunday. May 1 196S
TO THE EDITOR
The furu should be quite clear to Morrow county voter
Monday wh-n they cast ballot on the l'JCa-KJ county scnooi
budget. Supt. Ron DanloU, the district director and the budg
et committee have frankly pointed out that the budget will r
considerably greater for the coming year.
An nalynl of the reason, however, shows that virtually
all the Increase Is due to factors beyond the control or tno
school administration and the budget committee.
Thus, when the election comes Monday, voters must de
cide whether they want to maintain a Rood school program
even though they, as taxpayers, may have to make some
sacrifice to do so.
Hero are some of the facts to be considered:
Fact No. 1 The amount of the tax levy estimated for
the ensuing year is $1,181,189, as compared with $1,016,401
for the current year. Thus, taxpayers will be asked to pay
approximately 16 more for school purposes for the coming
year, although the total budget Is Increased only about 8T.
Fact No. 2 Receipts, other than taxes, are down sharply.
This accounts for most of the difference between the In
crease of only 8 on the total budget and the 16 on the
expected tax levy. Receipts for the current year fell far short
of expectations. Those budgeted for the 1968-69 year other
than taxes are considerably reduced and placed on a more
realistic basis.
Receipts from some Federal programs, such as Public Law
874 (which partially reimburses the district for educating stu
dents of Federally-employed parents In this case the ord
nance depot) dropped sharply below the budgeted figures for
1967-68 and will be down for the coming year.
Receipts from state basic school support also will be down
somewhat. Receipts expected to come In for some district
programs, such as $3500 for aid to handicapped children,
never were received at all, and these have been cut out
Failure of the receipts to measure up to the budget means
that a deficit will face the district at the end of the current
year. While It Is difficult at this time to tell how much this
will be, the budget lists an expected deficit of $15,385. In
years part, receipts have held up so that ordinarily the dis
trict started with a substantial cash carryover.
In all, receipts other than taxes show a decrease of
$52,888 in the coming budget, and this Includes the $15,385
expected deficit.
Fact No. 3 Cost of Instruction Is up primarily because
of the Increases allowed on the teacher salary schedule.
Starting teachers with a bachelor degree and no experience
will receive $6000 per year. This Is an increase of $200 over
the present schedule, but is less than the $6200 asked for by
the professional negotiating committee. A check of other dis
tricts of similar size schools and enrollments shows that the
$6000 Is comparable with the approved scales in other areas.
In arriving at a decision on the salary schedule, the board,
however conservative Its inclinations may be, has to consid
er what it must pay to attract and hold teachers who will
provide the type of education that parents and school patrons
desire.
This Is an extremely difficult decision because they are
squarely in the middle. Most of the board members are ranch
ers and they full well know the tax situation. But they also
know the keen competition for good teachers and the import
ance of maintaining a good school program.
The increase In instructional costs for 1968-69 would have
been perhaps twice as great but for the fact that adjustments
in teaching loads have been made throughout the district so
that several teaching positions have been eliminated. How
ever, the, salaries for instruction will be up about $28,000.
It should be noted that the Instructional budget, includ
ing salaries and teaching supplies, accounts for 61 of the
districts total expected general fund expenditures. Thus, if
it is conceded that the district must provide a salary schedule
to hold good teachers and provide them with a reasonable
amount of supplies to do the job, that leaves only 29 of
the budget that could be considered for change, including
transportation, fixed charges, operation and maintenance of
plant, administration and the rest. But again, the district
has no control over some of these. For Instance, take a look
at
Fact No. 4 Fixed charges are Increased by a sharp
$27,825, and there isn't a thing that the district nor budget
committee can do about it! Increases in Social Security costs,
set by the Congress, will mean $6,500 more that the district
must pay in 1968 69 as it matches the payments made by its
employees. The district will pay $37,500 In Social Security
as compared with $31,000 for the current year.
What hurts even worse is the almost staggering jump in
payments to the Public Employes Retirement System, going
to $41,800 as compared with $22,000 for the current year, an
increase of $29,800. These are things that the budget com
mittee is powerless to change and must, accept.
Fact No. 5 Operation and maintenance of plant sections
in the budget are up. Part of this is due to nominal increases
in salaries for non-certified employes and part is due to
work that must be done to maintain standard school plants.
School patrons will recall that a state report during the
year listed Heppner Elementary and lone Elementary schools
as sub-standard and required certain work to be done to
make them "conditionally" standard. Failure to comply could
mean reduction of basic school support funds from the state.
In view of these items, the maintenance and operation
of plant portions of the budget are up by a total of $31,227.
Fact No. 6 Some sections of the budget have been de
creased. That for transportation has been cut by nearly $4000
as the directors made adjustments on contract bus runs. The
amount for health services is down very slightly.
Now, in watching the directors and the budget commit
tee at work, it is evident that they have made every effort
to keep costs at a minimum. Substantial cuts have been
made in the area of supplies and equipment. But the sad
truth is that the major items mentioned above still control
the budget and are responsible for the hikes expected.
Patrons should consider the fact, too, that the coming
year's budget is an honest and realistic one, This should re
flect in a sounder administration in future years because re
ceipts have not been overstated and deficits should be elim
inated. Every effort has been made to hold costs down. Supt.
Daniels has told administrators that no more orders for this
school year are to be placed unless they are of an emer
gency nature.
On the budget committee with its lay members and school
directors are some of the soundest thinkers in the county. As
one watches them work, he gets the feeling that they are
faced with the inevitable the budget, because of the fac
tors mentioned above, has to be increased despite their best
efforts to keep it down. If any of the rest of us served on
the committee, we would have to come to the same conclus
ions, assuming that we are genuinely interested in good
schools.
Despite the increase in the budget, Morrow county will
not face as stiff a jolt as many. The total budget will cost
taxpayers here approximately $13.50 per each $1000 true cash
value of their property. This includes the levy both inside
and outside the 6 limitation and that not subject to the
6 limitation.
At Echo, for example, the budget calls for $15.70 per
$1000 true cash value on the amount outside the 6 limita
tion alone. At Hermiston it is $21 for the amount outside
the 6 limitation!
The present school administration has taken a forthright
approach on this budget. It has laid down the facts, planned
for a realistic budget, and dedicated itself to continuing a
fine school program.
There Is every indication to believe that the school sys
tem now is the best it has been since the formation of the
administrative district. Great progress has been made in in
struction, in physical plants, in facilities, in curriculum and
in adminlstraton.
Your vote for the budget Monday will be a vote for
more taxes, there is no doubt of that But those who realize
the value of a sound school system and what it means to
our children will gird for the blow and vote yes on the budg-
THE
HEPPNER
GAZETTE-TIMES
HepPM Oigoo 17836
Phots S 76-8224
MORROW COUNTY? NEWSPAPER
The Heppner Gaette established March 30. 1K83. The Heppner
Times established November 18. 1837. Consolidated February 15,
1912.
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Chaff ani Chatter
Wes Sherman
IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG to get
a response on how tightmiie
and Gooseberry got their names
after the query we printed Irom
Giles French in last weeKS pa
per.
Mrs. Eugenia Huston of Hepp
ner who was reared in tne
Gooseberry area (located near
the Gilliam county line almost
due west from Heppner) came
in Monday to report that Goose1
berry Springs was a camp
ground in the early days be
tween Arlington and the inter
lor. It got its name from a wild
gooseberry bush that grew at
the spring.
"When the Dostoffice was es'
tablished, they adopted the
name from the spring," Mrs.
Huston said, "and the commu
nity was known as Gooseberry."
et
AT THE SAME TIME, she
brought In a clipping of a col
umn written by D. H. Talmadge
from the Oregonian or a good
many years ago. It concerns this
community of Gooseberry, and
we will reprint portions of it
because of its historical inter
est.
'Not long ago I was looking,
half idly over a map of Oregon,"
Talmadge wrote. 'The name
'Gooseberry, a dot in Morrow
county, caught my eye. It seem
ed to me an odd name. I search
ed for it in the list of Oregon
postoffices and failed to find
it. iNor was it to be lound in
the census list of Oregon cit
ies and towns.
A paragraph, intended to be
interrogative, was then printed
in this column with a view to
satisfying my curiosity in the
matter. Perhaps it was of no
great importance, but I want
ed to know the why and where
fore of 'Gooseberry.'
Among the results of that
paragraph is a letter from Mrs.
Ruth Adkins of Coquille, a let
ter at once interesting and informative."
The column then quoted Mrs.
Adkins' letter, as follows:
When the pioneers came to
that country they found rolling
hills, covered with sagebrush
and bunch grass, peopled with
coyotes, jack rabbits, ground
squirrels and rattlesnakes. Not
prepossessing, you mav sav.
Yet I can imagine them stop
ping and gazing for miles across
the hills, gashed here and there
with canyons, occasionally a
creek deep between the hills,
and far, far to the north a flash
of blue from the mighty Colum
bia.
"As thev gazed, don't vou sud-
pose thev had a vision of these
hills covered with golden wheat
fields, as they are today, with
nere ana mere a wnite farm
house down in the canyon, out
of the wind, and flocks and
herds In place of the wild
things?
"Now in a few places in these
hills, nature, thinking perhaps
sne naa oeen too harsh, gave
me country a spring of clear,
cold water. Wild things came
mere to quencn their thirst, and
willows and flowers and grass
grew abundantly.
"Such a place was the orig
inal Gooseberry springs."
CONTINUING, "This was a stop
pine place in the old davs
for freighters on their long trip
to The Dalles for supplies. Then
came Jacob Young from Mis
souri, and built his home lust
below the springs. The water
then was used to irrigate the
trees and tne fruit and goose
berry bushes which he and his
young wife, Mattie, planted and
tended so caretully. Roads were
built, and the sections of coun
try northwest of the springs be
came Known as Gooseberry.
-jnow wnen tnese pioneers
came they brought with them
shrubs, plants, trees and seeds
trom tneir old home, and it was
found that the gooseberry alone
would thrive without irrigation
in this new country. Imagine,
v. xi., a ianu wunoui wild Iruit
of any kind!
"The gooseberry to them was
not a sour, green berry on a
prickly bush, but a delectable
fruit for sauce and pies and to
be canned for use during the
winter. Every ranch there has
its gooseberry bushes, and the
housewives gather and can the
fruit as did their mothers and
grandmothers, even though now.
with quick transportation, other
fruit is available in season.
"If the name of Gooseberry In
trigues you, here are some more
land marks in that country: Dry
Fork, Democrat gulch, Hail
ridge, Six Dollar, Butter creek,
Jack Rabbit canyon, Porcupine
canyon, Sweet Milk canyon, But
termilk canyon, Black Horse,
Sunflower flat, Dutch Billy
creek, and many others.
"That part of the country
north of Black Horse was nam
ed The Banana Belt' by S. E.
Notson when he was county
school superintendent. Mr. Not
son is father of Robert Notson
of The Oregonian, and at pres
ent district attorney and Repub
lican state committeeman."
.
BACK TO THE PRESENT: The
G-T editor is glad that he
recognizes some of the names
in the letter of Mrs. Adkins, but
a few of them don't ring a bell,
such as Six Dollar, Sweet Milk
canyon, Buttermilk canyon and
Dutch Billy creek. But we ve on
ly been here seven years and
haven t had time to search out
all those places!
We can't tell from the cud
ping just when that article was
printed, but some advertising on
the back gives the clue that it
was a good many years ago. An
automobile battery, 6 volts, 13
piates, is listed lor SJ.yb, an
electric alarm clock $1, and 3-
piece bedroom set for S3d.
nob Notson is still with the
Oregonian, having recently
Deen named puDiisner as most
everyone here knows.
OLA MAE GROSHENS also
came to our rescue on the
names. She used a codv of Lew
is A. McArthur's 'Oregon Geo
graphic Names." published in
1944, to get the information.
As explained in the book.
"The post office at Eiehtmile
takes its name from Eightmile
Canyon, which was' so named
because its mouth was about
eight miles up Willow Creek
The Rhyming Philosopher
FRUSTRATION
WHENEVER T MENTION SOME SYMPTOM OR SIGN
OF ILLNESS ATTACKING MY VIGOR,
THERE'S ALWAYS SOME BOOR LIKE A NEIGHBOR OF
MINE
WHO CLAIMS THATS WHAT HFS GOT. BUT BIGGER.
THE DOCTORS REPORT SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY
GEARS,
PRESCRIBING A RARE COSTLY TONIC:
BUT THE JOKER NEXT POOH HAS HAD IT FOR YEARS
WITH COMPLEXES NEAR ASTRONOMIC.
EACH SPRING ! PLANT RADISHES. CABBAGE AND CORN
AND FERTILIZE FAR. WIDE AND HANDSOME:
THEN OFF TO GO FISHING FOR SALMON AT DAWN,
WITH HOPES TO GET LUCKY AND LAND SOME.
REGARDLESS WHAT WHOPPERS MY PUMPKINS WILL
SCORE.
SOME NEIGHBOR BOASTS HIS ARE TITANIC;
AND OTHER FOLKS' FISH WILL WEIGH TWICE MINE OR
MORE:
COMPETING BRINGS NOTHING BUT PANIC
BUT NOW rVE DECIDED THAT SOMETHING MUST GIVE:
FRUSTRATION I'LL MANAGE WITHOUT IT.
MY VENTURES IN FUTURE AS LONG AS I LIVE
I'LL TRY, BUT TELL NO ONE ABOUT IT.
HARRY W. FLETCHER
from the Columbia River. The
name was first used by pioneer
stockmen."
As to Gooseberry, the book
corroborates the information
given by Mrs. Huston: "Goose
berry is a locality west of Hepp
ner near the west edge of the
county. The place was known
as Gooseberry Springs at least
as early as 1872 and was well
known to cattlemen. It was
named for a large wild goose
berry bush just above the
spring. Gooseperry post office Is
shown on the 1887 post omce
list, but it has been out of ser
vice for a good many years.
There are many places in east
ern Oregon named for wild
gooseberry bushes."
We had the good lortune to
meet the late Lewis (Tarn) Mc
Arthur in 1947. He was then
president of the Oregon Histor
ical Society, and came to Dal
las for a visit after we had edit
ed a 100-Dace historical book
let on Polk county history in
connection with the county's
centennial.
He told us that he had read
through the booklet and found
it to be complete and accurate
except for one thing. We had
said something about the "be-
whiskered pioneers." Tarn Mc
Arthur maintained that the or
iglnal pioneers to Oregon were
clean shaven, and the growing
of beards didnt become fash
ionable until later on.
WHAT A GREAT contribution
McArtnur made in recording
Oregon history! His valuable
book is just one part of it.
And thanks, ladies, for your
help on the local names.
Proud of Larry
To the Editor:
In the article about Larry
Cook In last week's Issue, the
line stutlng that nine awards
were made gives the erroneous
lmression that nine of these
awards were given at the same
time. This impression definitely
dims the luster of the honor
given Mr. Cook, because the fact
is that he was the only one in
the State of Oregon to receive
that honor this year. Probably
nine awards have been made,
but only one each year.
For this reason it is easy to
see how Royal Arch Masonry,
and, for that matter, Heppner as
a whole, can be proud of this
member of our community.
Harold L. Becket,
Deputy of the Grand High
Priest, Royal Arch Masons
of Oregon
) community!
BILLBOARD Jl
For Weed Spraying
Call on
Me ID
oyer
Owner-Gar Aviation
FIELD MAN Jim Pettyjohn
Spraying-Dusting-Fertilizing-Seeding
DRY OR LIQUID FERTILIZER APPLICATION
A GOOD JOB AT A FAIR PRICE
You Can Find Us All Year Around
AT THE
LEXINGTON AIRPORT
Phone 989-8422
Coming Events
TRAVELING PIE SALE
Friday, May 3, from 3 p.m.
By Jaycee Wives
Call Mrs. Jerry Samples or
Mrs. Tom Wilson for orders
for pies, delivered
OES SOCIAL CLUB
Saturday, May 4, 1:45 p.m.
Heppner Masonic Hall
Members urged to attend
GOLDEN AGE CLUB
Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m.
All Saints' Episcopal Hall
Potluck dinner, followed by
entertainment
Guests welcome
MERCHANDISE SHOOT
Sunday, May 5, 10 a.m.
Morrow County Gun Club
Amateurs welcome
ART SHOWING
Sunday, May 12, lone Amer
lean Legion Hall, 12:30-5:30
p.m.
Paintings of art students in
area of Dr. McDevitt on
display
Public welcome
TEENAGE ROAD-E-0
Local competition, Sunday,
May 18, fairgrounds. 1 p.m.
Sponsored by Morrow County
Javcees
Enter now at School, Jack's
Chevron, Ford Garage or
with Jerry Hollomon
SPONSORED AS A PUBLIC
SERVICE BY
C. A. RUGGLES
Insurance Agency
P. O. Box 247 PH. 676-9625
Heppner
I Chevrolet's special savinas bonus
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IMPAIA CUSTOM COUPE
Anyone con offer you Just about
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during, his 68 Savings Explol
200-hp Turbo-Fire V8, Powerglide
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2. Any Chevrolet or Chevelle with
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end whitewalls.
3. Any regular Chevrolet with 250-
Check these Bonus Savings Plans, hp Turbo-Fire V8, Turbo Hydra-
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savings on power disc brakes ond
power steering when you buy any
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covers and appearance guard items.
GM
1