Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 1969)
t I SRARY u or o EU5ENE. ORE. ! 97403 Teachers Offer to Hold Present At a special school board meeting Tuesday niqht dir ectors voted to propose to teacher a salary schedule of $6300 base, increments ot $220 per Tear and district payments ot S6.S0 per month towards the health insurance coverage of each teacher. The proposal will be submitted to the teachers' negotiation commit tee for consideration. Morrow county's public school teachers Monday night offered to hold to the present $t'000 base on the current salary schedule with Increments re maining at the present 4. pro vided that the school district pay the lull health Insurance cast ($13 per month per teach er). 85th Year Heppner, Oregon 97836, Thursday, February Year's First Baby Born; To Get Many Prizes Although the new year was 33 days old when Jerry Alan Blanckaert was born Sunday, February 2, in Heppner's Pioneer Memorial hospital, he was tho first baby of the year and there by wins the 29 prizes offered by local merchants. Sgt. and Mrs. Jerry A. Blanck aert of the Condon Air Force Station are the parents, and the boy is their first child. He weighed 7 lb., 15 oz. when he was born at 10 p.m. Sunday. In some years of the annual contest, the year's first child has arrived on New Years day, but it is not without precedent for the No. 1 baby to arrive some time in February. Prizes that will go to young Jerry and his parents have a total value of between $200 and $250. Included is 25 off the hospital bill, $45 in cash or sav ings accounts, $30 in gift cer tificates and many merchandise prizes. The Gazette-Times will fur nish the parents a letter of in troduction to be used in collect ing the gifts. The full list is as follows: Surprise gift for dad, Fulleton Chevrolet Co.; $5 savings ac count, Bank of Eastern Oregon; $5 in merchandise, Case Furni ture Co.; $5 in merchandise, Central Market; $5 off on elec tric bill, Columbia Basin Elec tric Co-op; $5 gift certificate, El ma's Apparel; $5 savings ac- Willow Company Reelects Officers Members of the Willow Creek Improvement Company conven ed for their annual meeting at the courthouse Monday night, heard a talk by Quentin Bow man, field representative of the State Water Resources Board, and reelected all officers for the ensuing year. Bowman suggested steps that might be taken to maintain in terest in the project towards its eventual culmination. "If you do not continue con tacting your congressional dele gation, the Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation, as well as getting other enti ties, such as the county and city to do the same, you very like ly will lose priority to the more recently planned projects," he said. He also told of concern about the decline in ground water that may be coming about with the increased drilling of wells. Reelected officers in the com pany are Herb Hynd, president; Lewis Halvorsen, vice president; Herman Winter, secretary-treasurer; and Dick Wilkinson, Don Evans and Kenneth Cutsforth, directors. Thirteen were present at the meeting. Speaker Urges Willow Dam Activity "Keep in contact with your congressman; keep a systemat ic show of support." This was the advice of Quent in Bowman, field representative for the State Water Resources Board, to the Chamber of Com merce if the organization hopes to assure eventual construction of the Willow Creek dam. Bow man spoke to the Chamber Monday. The same advice, he said, ap plies to the City of Heppner and to the county. "It is official now that the Corps of Engineers' capability for using detailed planning funds for the next fiscal year is $250,000," the speaker said. However, this sum was not in cluded in President Johnson's budget. "It usually takes about three But the district board. In spe cial meeting at Lexington, did not agree to this proixwul. and the salary issue (or l!-70 still stood unresolved us of Tuesday. The proposal was mude by the teacher negotiation committee with Adrian Cook, chairman, an spokesman. It was a considerable conces sion from the first proposal of the teachers, made In Decem ber, when they asked that the base salary for a teacher with bachelor decree and no exper ience be raised from the pres ent $6000 to $H00, that the an nual Increments pay Increases) be raised from 4 to 5, and that the district "participate" in the teachers' health insurance plan by assuming some of the cost. GAZETTE-TI count. First National Bank of Orccon: shirt for dad, Gardner's Men's Wear. One vear subscription, The Gazette-Times; first shoes, Gon ty's; 10 gallons of milk, Hager's Dairy; electric bottle warmer, Hennner Auto Parts: $5 in clean- ine HeDDner Cleaners; $5 for savings account, Heppner Nor fias Co.: 10 gallons of gasoline, Jack's Chevron Station; $5 for savings account, Lott's Electric. A diaper stacker, Murrays Rexall Drug; $5 for savings ac count, M & R Company; $5 in merchandise. MiLadies Apparel; $5 for savings account, Morrow County Grain Growers; swortn of infant's merchandise, Pen neys; sterling silver cup with name engraved, Peterson's Jew elers; $5 in merchandise, Pet tyjohn's Farm and Builders Supply. Twenty-five percent off on hospital bill, Pioneer Memorial Hospital; $5 for savings account, C. A. Ruggles Insurance; 12 reg ular cans of milk, Thomson's Grocery; $5 in cash. Turner, Van Marter and Bryant, Insur ance; and a diaper pail, West ern Auto Store. Mustangs Drop Wahtonka 49-37 To Lead League In a tight defensive battle the Heppner High Mustangs wrested the western division lead from the Eagles of Wah tonka Tuesday night on the Eagles' home court. The game, originally scheduled for January 31, but cancelled due to bad roads, was a see-saw battle un til shortly before the close of the third quarter, when Heppner ran away from the tiring Eag les, 49-37. The score stood at a 13-13 tie at the beginning of the second quarter. Wahtonka led 28-27 at the half, but Heppner had built a fragile margin of 36-33 at the third quarter buzzer. A change in the Mustang defense strat egy held Wahtonka to five points in the third, and four points in the final quarter. Only 23 fouls were whistled. Heppner sank 11 of 16 tries and Wahtonka 5 of 11. Both teams were poor in field goal percent age, at 31 each. Cal Ashbeck whisked in 13, John McCabe and Gary Kemp each totaled 9, Jon O'Donnel 8, Larry Pettyjohn 6, and Pat Kil kenny and Mel Ashbeck made 2 each. In the preliminary, Jayvec coach Ed Hiemstra played Dave Gunderson, John Hall, Lee Hu son, Steve Kemp and Matt Mur ray until the closing seconds in an easy 60-43 win. years of detailed planning be fore the 'blue prints' for the project are in form to be put into the hands of a contractor," he said. "For this reason you should continue to ask your Congressman to request funds for this detailed planning now and work with Judge Paul Jones, Chairman Clarence Rose wall of your county water re sources committee, and the City of Heppner, Granges and others to keep up a systematic and continued show of support in the request for additional plan ning funds." An effective priority date is in the State Engineer's office for the Willow Creek Dam and Reservoir as a result of the joint efforts of local groups and oth er agencies, Bowman said. "A letter to the State Engin In essence, this latest move by the committee, which has been given power bv vote of teachers of the county to act for them, would hold salaries for the coming year exactly on the same schedule as the cur rent year. But the $13 per teach er on the Insurance plan would cost the district about $13,500 per year, not Including insur ance payments for non-certified personnel. In setting up the tentative 1969-70 budget, which was pre sented at the first budget meet ing on January 28, Supt. Ron Daniels, budget officer, includ ed a figure of $15,700 for dis trict payments on Insurance and made no provision for Ralary In creases. The board had voted to pay $10 per month for all em- 6, 1969 . W,- ' , ..... r i : rii IT WAS A REAL BATTLE with the wind and drifting snow for a Heppner High photo shows snow plow clearing the main road were deep. Snow Slowly Melts Despite Added Fall As temperatures warmed gent ly this week, the heavy accum ulation of snow melted slowly and seemingly prepared to de part for the season after a six weeks' visit. But on Wednesday morning a new covering of 2V inches was on the ground, bringing at least a temporary setback to the cold weather period. With no sign of a feared Chin ook in sight, the snow melt through Tuesday was consider ed ideal for obtaining maximum benefit from the moisture it con tains and for preventing heavy runoff or flooding. While the snow has been a blessing here towards alleviat ing drought conditions of the past three years, it has also taken a toll on some fronts. Road damage has been heavy and costly to the county; calv ing and lambing has been dif ficult for some livestock grow ers; wildlife has sutlerea some losses; and there have been numerous accidents, most of them minor, as a result of the storm period. Drifts Close Roads Drifting snow late last week was probably the hardest to deal with of any condition throughout the six weeks per iod. Trucks jackknifed on the highway, one big rig blocking the Condon highway near the Clark Canyon junction; school buses were unable to cover some of the routes; snow plows got stuck in drifts, and in one case a rotary plow, sent to their aid, also became stuck. A Hager's Dairy truck was un able to negotiate the icy corner at the bottom of the hill com ing down from the high school and went into the ditch last eer once a year may be in or der to explain the progress of the investigation. You should note that the project was auth orized by the Eighty-ninth Con gress, is awaiting federal fund ing, and that Bureau studies are continuing." In suggesting that the con tinuous contact be kept with Congress, the speaker said, "As they shuffle the papers, it is important that the Willow Creek project keeps coming up on top." City Responsibility Stressed He also suggested that some one on the city council should learn what the city's channel responsibility is and that it be prepared to meet any financial obligation that may be requir ed. While this may not be (Continued on page 8) Scale if Full Insurance Paid; Board Demurs plovees of three-fourths time or more. Including the non-certified staff, as participating in the Insurance plan, but had re jected any salary increase. In his message, Daniels said that anv additional costs on salary settlement would need to be added to the budget figures. The board's demurral on the latest teacher proposal hinged on two points: 1- That the base of $6000 is not high enough to attract new teachers In view of the high settlements being reached In other districts around the state. 2. That the dis trict should not pay full cost of the insurance plan. Position Chanqe Noted As the matter stood as of Tuesday, It represented a rath er peculiar twist In the negotia HEPPNER MES Thursday. No one was hurt. For a while, the routes to Pen dleton from here were closed by drifting snow, and the Condon highway was also closed. The mail truck couldn't get through to Condon. But the trend towards warm er and better weather started Saturday and by Tuesday, the ice on the city streets was slow ly being converted to slush. Heaps of snow that had accum ulated by streets and sidewalks were receding but Wednesday's snow added a little more. As late as Monday, 35 of the county's rural roads remain ed closed while crews worked to open access to all sections. Plowing Costs High County Judge Paul Jones said that the $750 per day cost for snow plowing, that he had pre viously estimated, was a "very minimum" figure. On Friday the county had declared an emergency and applied to the state for a loan through its (Continued on page 8) Ll W j A $550 DEAN'S FUND for use in assisting studen's attending Blue Mountain Community College has been established by the Pendleton Masonic Lodge. Robert Abrmns, (right), Heppner attor ney and chairman of the college board of directors, received the money for emergency fund from Bob Hale, master of the Pendleton Lodge. tions from the original presen tation bv the negotiation com mittee: The teachers sought a higher base, but this was re jected by the board. Now the teachers would settle on the present base, but the board pre fers a higher base. The change by the board apparently has been Influenced bv the high set tlements around the state. At the regular January school meeting, the board had present ed Its latest counter proposal: A $6400 base but decreasing In crements from the present 4 to flat increments of $200 for each added year's experience or for each step up In training. In their deliberations on this proposal, the teachers decided that they could not accept the smaller Increments. Number 50 Price 10 Cents ----' few days during the week. This behind the school, where driits i School Census Shows Decrease School census in Morrow county, taken as of October, 1968, shows a decline of 79 children from the census of two years previously, October, 1966. Ron Daniels, superintendent of Morrow county schools, report ed recently. Present total is 1360 as compared with 1439 in 1966. Of the current total, 669 are boys and 691 are girls. In 1966 there were 713 boys and 726 girls. Covered in the school cen sus are all children of ages four through 19. The school census was taken by four different organizations, including the lone PTA, the Ir rigon PTA, the Boardman Tilli cum club and the Heppner Jay cee Wives. Figures by ages are as fol lows (with the 1966 figures in parentheses): Four-year-olds, 65 (78); 584 (78); 686 (87); 777 (100); 881 (85); 988 (100); 1087 (94); 1189 (112); 1296 (106); 13103 (91); 14105 (115); 15 97 (75); 1699 (99); 1784 (84); 1872 (72); and 1947 (65). "The 4 Increment has been a previous settlement &nd Is not an Increase," Cook said. He add ed that anything less than the present i would be unaccept able. The $6400 base $200 Incre ment plan of the board would lessen the current salary posit ion of teachers with longer ex perience and higher training In the district while offering a bet ter salary Inducement to start ing teachers. $6300 Base Defeated A motion by one of the dir ectors Monday night proposed that the board offer $6300 buse. Increments of 3', and $8 per month per teacher towards the insurance plan. The motion was defeated. In presenting the proposal to Estacada Firm Awarded City Drilling Contract F & S Drilling Co. of Esta cada. low bidder among three contractors seeking the job of drilling another city well, will be offered a contract on the Job as a result of action taken by the city council at its February meeting Monday night. A motion was approved to tender the contract, contingent upon the firm's filing of a re quired bond. The F & S bid was to drill 200 feet at $14.80 per foot, with a 30 ft. casing at $7.35 per foot. Set up charge will be $300 and testing will be at the rate of $13.65 per hour. City Supt. Vic Groshens said that he could not say how much the total job would cost, depend ing on depth required and time needed. Drilling of the last city well required less than $6000, he said. Two other bidders were A. C. Plaque Honoring Late Bill Farra Presented Monday A plaque honoring the late J. W. (Bill) Farra and recog nizing new equipment pur chased for the volunteer fire department in his memory was presented to his widow, Mrs. Ida Farra, and the City of Heppner by Fire Chief For rest Burkenbine at the council meeting Monday night. The equipment consists of a Scott Air Pack unit, valued at more than $300, which was purchased from donations by organizations and individuals as a fitting gift to honor the man who served as a volun teer fireman here for some 20 years. Mayor W. C. (Bill) Collins responded with words of ap preciation for the memorial gift, which will be used to save lives and property in the spirit of the former assistant fire chief. The plaque and equipment memorialize Far m's devotion to the depart ment, his willingness to serve his fellow men, and his many hours of volunteer work for the community. The plaque will be placed on a wall of the city hall, but the Air Pack will be put in service to help aid firemen In the protection of life and property. Farra died December 5 of a heart attack after fighting fire at a residence here. Contributors to the memor ial gift and plaque include: The Heppner Volunteer Fire men, the Chamber of Com merce, the Soroptimist club, the Odd Fellows lodge, the Heppner Elks, Morrow County Jaycees, C. E. McQuarrie, L. E. Dick, Orville Cutsforth and Randall Peterson. hold to the present salary ached ule and asking for the lou-l payment on the Insurance plan. Cook said. "The Morrow county teachers, recognizing the prob- Ih. l.viiavprt nf Mnr. it-urn v - - row county, feel the Insurance request is tne most economiou Increase the board could grant." He pointed out that an In crease on such a benefit would not bring a hike In tho district s fixed charges (such as Social Security. Workmen's Compensa tion, and retirement payments) that a salary increase would bring. Cook pointed out that with a $6000 base on the salary sched ule the county would have one of the lowest, If not the low (Continued on page 8) Englehart of Hermiston and R. J. Strasser of Portland. Work may be started some time in February, Groshens said. By passage of a resolution that had been prepared by City Attorney Bob Abrams, the coun cil authorized Heppner's partici pation with other cities of five counties in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act. It Is expected that total cost of the program to train and up grade officers and to expedite law enforcement would be $4161 for the five-county district (Umatilla, Morrow, Wheeler, Grant and Gilliam). The feder al and state governments as sume 90 of the costs, accord ing to the understanding of the city councllmen, and so Hepp ner's cost, sharing the 10 with other cities in the district, would be minor. Chief of Police Glen Kolkhorst recently attended a meeting in Pendleton on the matter and highly endorsed the program, Mayor Bill Collins said. The chief was expected to report on the program Monday night but was unable to appear because of illness. Through the program, it is ex pected to send city officers to take state ponce training in inu future, as well as to participate In other activities to upgraae law enforcement. Willow Project Push Asked Councilman Jerry Sweeney re ported on the suggestion of Quentin Bowman of the State Water Resources Board that the city should write Congressmen to continue Impressing them with the importance of the Wil low Creek project. He also said that the council should determ ine its responsibility on the creek channel in order to be prepared when the project is funded. Mayor Collins said that he had been approached about the city purchasing the Assembly of God church building, across from city hall, on the theory that the city might have use for the building, which is also adjacent to the fire hall. After some discussion the matter was turned over to the city services committee, Jerry Sweeney, chairman, for Investi gation. The same committee was asked to work with Jaycees in seeking a site for a proposed shelter for students awaiting school buses near the city park. Councilman Clyde Allstott said that Columbia Basin Electric will provide heat for the shel ter which the Jaycees have been asked to construct, tie said that some consideration is hplnc plven to providing a building that might be used for a small community Kitcnen at the park in summertime, with a coin-operated range. Old Truck In Trouble Supt. Groshens reported that the city's snow plowing activi ties came to a halt recently when its 1946 model truck's dif ferential went out. When repairs were attempted, the problem was compounded by axle troub le. Difficulty has developed in finding parts for a truck of that vintage, he said, but it is hoped that repairs will be made soon. The 1946 model is the only vehicle available for snow plow ing duty, he said. It had been hoped to use it for clearing slush from the streets as snow started to melt, thus permitting the runoff water to be carried away. Mayor Collins appointed W. C. Rosewall, former mayor, to a position on the city planning commission, and he re-appointed John Venard and Glen Ward to the city budget committee. Wilkinson Reports Minor 'Avalanches' Along Willow Creek Snows last week produced a phenomenon that Dick Wil kinson said he has never seen before. He reported seeing a small avalanche start on rolling hills a few miles up Willow Creek from his ranch home. It gain ed momentum and reached sizeable proportions as it hit the creek. Sweeping on across, it dammed the creek under an accumulation of snow and debris of some five or six feet in depth, he said. Within a short time the stream cut back through it. Later in driving back up the canyon, he noted four other minor avalanches that had started from the weight of the heavy snow accumula tion, he said.
