LIBRARY
u or 0
EUGENE,
ORE
07403
Sales Tax Package Faces
Voter Verdict Tuesday
(Sample
Section 2).
ballot on page 2,
Morrow county's reentered
voters, like those In the rest of
the state, will go to the polls
Tuesday, June 3, to cast bai-
lots on the "sales tax package'
referred to the people by the
state legislature.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m
until 8 p.m. and the polling
places In the county will be as
follows: Riverside High School,
Boardman; the old school build
lng, Irrigon; lone City Hall; Lex
lngton City Hall; and the Coun
ty Courthouse, Heppner.
For this special election, the
four Heppner precincts and the
Hardman-Ruggs precinct will
all vote In the same place
the courthouse. Other voters
throughout the county will cast
ballots in their usual precincts.
The one Issue will be the on
ly matter on the ballot.
Constitutional Amendment
In voting, the public will ap
prove or reject House Joint Res
olution 8, a constitutional
amendment. It provides: 1. A
new tax base for school districts
to be established by combining
four 1969-70 items the districts'
operating budget, the basic
school allotment, the county
school fund levy (I. E. D.), plus
57o of this total. This new
school base could be increased
only 5 a year without a vote
of the people. No more than
two elections for this purpose
could be held in one year. 2. A
3 sales tax with proceeds ded
icated to the Property Tax Re
lief Account.
If the constitutional amend
ment is approved by the voters.
House Bills 1126. 1127 and 1055
will take effect automtically
These include: 1. A 3 sales
tax exempting food; drugs; wa
ter; motor vehicles and aircraft
fuel; animal life, feed, seeds
plants, fertilizer (limited to
that portion which will become
or used in the preparation of
food for human consumption);
food products; one-half the fuel
and electricity for industrial,
agricultural and agricultural ir
rigation purposes; meals in cer
tain public places (schools and
churches); motor vehicles sold
to nonresidents; new vehicles
purchased from out-of-state
dealers (for out-of-state use);
prescription medicine; - oigar
ettes; and several other items.
It is estimated that such a
tax will bring in $71.9 million
for the three-quarters of the
1969-70 fiscal year, and $101.2
million for the full 1970-71 year.
1. A ceiling on property taxes
of senior homeowners, begin
ning at age 65, provided the
home has a market value of
less than $20,000.
3. A partial refund of prop
erty tax to low-income home
owners or renters. It would be
paid in the form of an income
tax rebate, to families with in
comes of less than $3,500 per
year.
4. An increase in the Corpor
ation Excise Tax on financial
institutions from 8 to 9, and
on other corporations from 6
to 7.
Rate of the sales tax could
not be increased without an
other constitutional amendment
approved by the people. Money
collected from the sales tax
could be used for nothing ex
cept propoerty tax relief.
Projections Given
It is estimated that in 1969
70 if the referendum fails to
pass, the average property tax
rate is projected to become
$25.50 per $1,000 of true cash
value. If the referendum pass
es, the tax rate is projected to
be relieved an additional $4.21
per $1,000 true cash value.
Hence, the adjusted property tax
rate would become $21.29 per
$1,000 TCV. For the first year,
then, if this referendum is ap
proved, the average property tax
relief would be about 16.50.
In the year 1970-71 if the ref
erendum fails to pass, the aver
age property tax rate is pro
jected to become $26.70 per
$1,000 TCV. If the referendum
passes, the tax rate is projected
to be relieved by an additional
$5.58..per$lJ0X)0TCV,..This would
make the adjusted property tax
rate $21.12 per $1,000 TCV. For
the second year, then, if the ref
erendum passes, the average
property tax relief would be
20.9 or greater.
Opponents of the sales tax ar
gue, however, that lor tne aver
age person the sales tax pay
ments would exceed the prop'
erty tax relief that he obtains
from the tax.
Proponents say the measure
Is sound and vital to relieving
the distressing property tax
burden across the state. They
say that increase of the corpor
ation excise tax will help to
equalize the property tax sav
ings that the big concerns will
obtain from the sales tax.
School Pros. Cons Listed
The Oregon School Boards
Association sees both advant
ages and disadvantages in the
"package.
it cues these advantages:
1. Up-to-date tax bases for each
school district would add flex
ibility and stability to public
school finance.
2. Local voters will have an
opportunity to express their ap
proval or disapproval of new
Droerams at the polls without
fear of totally destroying their
school system.
3. Reducing property taxes
should help schools by making
voters more receptive to Improv
(Continued on page 8)
Picnic on Friday
To Attract Many
County Oldtimers
One of the most enjoyable oc
casions of the year for former
residents, county oldtimers and
even some of the newcomers
the annual Pioneer Memorial
Picnic will be held Friday at
the fair pavilion, starting with
registration at 10:30.
This will be the 16th annual
event, and Carl Troedson of
lone is chairman. It was learn
ed some time ago that it is fu
tile to plan an impressive pro
gram because most of those who
gather want to spend the time
reminiscing and visiting. There
fore, Chairman Troedson has
kept the formal program to a
minimum.
A memorial service will be
held at 11:30 a.m. with Gerald
Rood, commander of Heppner s
American Legion post, in charge
of the honor guard. Taps will
be sounded by Gene Rietmann.
The buffet lunch will b at
noon with Sans Souei Rebekah
lodge in charge of the kitchen.
Invocation will be by Pastor Ru
dolph Mensch of Hope and Val
by Lutheran churches. Rainbow
Girls will serve.
During a 15-minute period,
starting at 1:45, guests will be
recognized and door prizes will
be given for the oldest one at
tending and the one traveling
the farthest distance.
Election of officers for next
year will follow. Benediction is
scheduled for 2:15 by Pastor
Mensch.
The Golden Age club will
conduct the registration. Mrs.
Wallace Matthews is secretary
for the picnic.
After the event, those attend
ing are invited to join the
crowds at the intercollegiate re
gional rodeo which will be at
the adjoining rodeo grounds
with the performance starting
at 3 p.m.
CoIIeg
e (Regional Rode
Fifteen crack college rodeo
teams from Oregon, Washington
Idaho and Montana will be In
Heppner this week end to par
ticipate In the Intercollegiate
rodeo finals at the Morrow coun
ty rodeo grounds.
Sponsoring the thue-aay ro
deo here is the Blue Mountain
Community College Rodeo club,
and the BMCC team, which has
made a fine showing through
the season, Is counted upon to
show some of the top perform
ers.
The event will kickoff Friday,
May 30, with the first show at
3 p.m. Others will follow on
Saturday and Sunday with
grand entries scheduled to start
promptly at 1:30 p.m.
Teams will, participate from
these colleges: western Mon
tana State of Dillon, Mont.: Mon
tana State University, Bozeman;
Eastern Montana Mate, Billings;
Northern Montana, Havre; Uni
versity of Montana, Missoula;
Treasure Valley Community
College, Ontario; tverett com
munity College, Everett. Wash.;
Eastern Washington College,
Cheney, Wash.; Yakima Valley
College, Yakima; Washington
State University, Pullman; Uni
versity of Idaho, Moscow; Lewis
and Clark Normal, Lewlston,
Idaho: Walla Walla Communitv
College, Walla Walla, Wash.;
Eastern Oregon college. La
Grande; and Blue Mountain of
Pendleton.
Blue Mountain men's team, gram for the men calf roping,
headed by such performers as bulldogging. saddle bronc, bull
Bill MeCoin. Mark Rosenberg 'a'D
and John Rhoden. won one of Wom wl" !al'. prt '2
breakaway roping.
the Intercollegiate rodeos earlier
in the season and has ranked
high in other meets through the
year. They together with other
teams will be working for the
right to enter the National Fi
nals In Deadwood, S. D.
College women will partici
pate with their teams, too.
Among the outstanding contend
ers Is PattI Pettyjohn McCoin,
Burs wife, who Is from lone.
She Is favored to be the nat
ional collegiate winner in bar
rel racing.
Six events will be on the pro-
Six men compose the men's
teams and three women are on
each women's team.
Jim Bothum and Les Kamm
are scheduled to be judges for
the 3-day rodeo, and Bob Cham
bers will be announcer.
First show of the rodeo will
start late (3 p.m.) in order to
avoid conflict with the annual
Pioneer Memorial picnic at the
fairgrounds. Those attending
are invited to round out their
day by Rolng to the rodeo.
Admission to each show la $2
for adults, and two for the price
of one ($2) for those of ages
6-15. Pre schoolers will be ad
mitted free.
Cowboy breakfasts will be
provided at the fairgrounds
Saturday and Sunday mornings
from 7 until 11 a.m. with the
Morrow County CowBelles put
ting on the breakfast Saturday
and the American Legion doing
the job on Sunday.
Dances will be held Friday
and Saturday nights at the fair
grounds, starting at 9:30 p.m.
with the Western Gentlemen
furnishing the music Friday
night and Sheldon and His Cow
pokes Saturday night
86th Year
THE niSi
EflEPFMEn
ETTE-TIME
Number 14 A Few More Drops
Another .34 Inch of rain came
this week but May Is still be
low normal, Don Glllam, offic
ial weather observer, reports.
One day's temperature climbed
to a very warm 90 degrees, how
ever. That was on Friday. Com
plete report for the week is as
follows:
Heppner, Oregon 97836, Thursday, May 29, 1969
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Price 10 CentS Tuesday
HI Low Prec,
75 42
82 48
90 55
80 56 .02
78 44
67 45 .01
67 41 .31
imm
i"i:;r
T
Farm Deferral Reduces
Valuation $11 Million
School to Dismiss
At 1 p.m. Thursday
Heppner Elementary school
will be dismissed at 1 p.m.
Thursday (today), the last day
of school in the county, Alan
Martin, principal, announces.
The elementary school de
cided to dismiss at the early
hour because testing is con
cluded at the high school here
at noon. Thus, buses will de
part at 1 p.m. on their last
trip of the year in taking the
students home.
SECOND GRADERS in the class of Mrs. Lucile Peck (back to camera) proved to be an interested
and alert audience when they toured The Gazette-Tunes plant Thursday. Mrs. Wes Sherman,
co-publisher, (upper left) is explaining to them how news is gathered and processed for the
paper. The youngsters have published a little paper of their own and were profuse in their
"thank you" letters following the tour. (See Chaff and Chatter column, page 2). G-T Photo).
Heppner Seniors Receive Diplomas,
Achieve Honors at Graduation Ceremony
Seated under the banner, edge, and this is good, but it
Larry Mills Named
Manager of MCGG
Larry Mills of Odessa, Wash.,
has been employed by the board
of directors of Morrow County
Grain Growers, Inc., to be man
ager of the cooperative, Barton
Clark, president, announced
Tuesday.
Mills, currently operations
manager of the Odessa Trading
Company, will assume his du
ties here about June 15. He and
his family were here recently to
visit with officials of the coop
erative and to get acquainted
with the county.
Included in the family are the
wife, Betty, and two children, a
daughter who is a sophomore
in high school and a son in the
upper elementary level.
Mills has been with the Odes
sa firm for the past 11 years.
The family has purchased the
home of Mrs. Rose Marie Stroe
ber in Heppner.
Mills will succeed Harlan
McCurdy, Jr., who recently re
signed as manager of Morrow
County Grain Growers. .
"America's Destiny is Our To
morrow their class motto
Heppner High School's seniors
received their diplomas at com
bined baccalaureate-commence
ment Sunday afternoon.
Many of their number were
awarded scholarships and other
recognitions for academic a-
chievement with presentations
being made by Principal Dick
Carpenter, in his last public
appearance at the school, and
by others in the community. Car
penter has accepted a new po
sition at Central-Linn High
school as principal.
The seniors heard addresses
by the Rev. Melvin Dixon and
by two of their number, Terry
Peck, valedictorian, and Sara
Miller, salutatorian.
"We live in a time when our
know-how so far surpasses our
know-why," the Rev. Dixon
said. "We clamor for more knowl-
Judge Jones to Appeal
For Willow Creek Project
County Judge Paul Jones
will leave by airplane Friday
morning from Pendleton to
keep a scheduled appoint
ment Monday in Washington,
D. C, to plead for appropria
tion for the Willow Creek pro
ject here.
He will appear before a sub
committee on appropriations
with the appointment arrang
ed by Congressman Al Ull
man. Judge Jones has compil
ed a six-page brochure to pre
sent to committee members to
tell the need for the project
He will be allowed about five
minutes to make his presen
tation. Quentin Bowman, Salem, of
the State Water Resources
Board will also be in Wash
ington, D. C, to speak for pro
jects in Oregon endorsed by
the board. He has advised
Judge Jones that he will in
clude the Willow Creek pro
ject in his presentation and
said that this project is rated
by the Water Resources Board
as among the top three in the
state in priority.
Also going to Washington,
D. C. for Congressional com
mittee appearances will be
some 25 leaders in water re
source development represent
ing the Inland Empire Water
ways association, of which
Oscar Peterson of lone is a
director. The association has
strongly backed the Willow
Creek project.
Judge Jones' trip east is
being made at the urging of
Cong. Ullman, who, with other
members of the Oregon Con
gressional delegation has
pressed for appropriation for
the local project. The project
was authorized by Congress in
1965 but appropriation has
been delayed principally be
cause of the demands of the
Vietnam War.
The Heppner-Morrow county
Chamber of Commerce is con
tributing $200 to help defray
expenses of Judge Jones' trip.
He is first vice-president of
the organization and will rep
resent it as well as the coun
ty. Mrs. Jones will accompany
her husband on the trip, her
first to the nation's capitol.
They plan to return Wednesday.
is not good only for itself."
New Resolve Needed
He told the seniors that there
should be a new resolve among
them for a "great infusion" of
love, courage, faith, hope and
wisdom.
"The challenge comes to ev
eryone of us that we can be
very much alive with meaning,
purpose, and direction," he said.
Declaring that the older gen
eration has given the younger
generation "a pretty messed -up
world," the minister told the
seniors to find the good in it,
take it and build upon it.
"We are the crowning act of
God's creation. Let us not let
Him down," he urged.
In her salutatory, Miss Miller
said that graduation, a once-in-a-lifetime
experience, receives
much emphasis.
"But the actual ceremony is
not important," she said. "We
will be the same people after
graduation."
She told her classmates, "Each
one of us must now accept the
responsibility for our own lives.
But what do we want to do with
ourselves? We must use what
we have learned in high school
to make our futures a success."
The salutatorian said that she
felt Socrates had the key to
(Continued on page 8)
Morrow county's assessed val
uation will be cut by $11,023,170
as a result of farm land defer
rals this year, Mrs. Joyce Ritch,
special county assessor, said
Monday.
Applications granted for the
1968-69 roll decreased the coun
ty valuation by 3,717,360, but
for the coming fiscal year the
number of applications for farm
deferrals increased. A total of
246 filed this year, as compared
with 144 last year. Thus," the
valuation loss for 1969-70 tax
able year will be about $ 7,000,
000 more than 1968-69.
Total valuation for 1969-70 is
figured by the assessor at $90,
290,685. On the 1968-69 roll it
was $97,319,003. Without the
farm land deferrals the valu
ation would be $111,313,855 for
the ensuing year.
ixss oi the valuation wm De
reflected on the 1969-70 tax roll,
71 Pints Given
Af Blood Drawing
Seventy-one pints of blood
were donated at the Red Cross
blood bank visit here Tuesday.
This was 19 pints less than the
quota but a considerably better
response than many or the prev
ious prior drawings. Six or
eight willing donors were rejec-
ieu lor pnysicai reasons.
Jaycee wives assisted with the
drawing and with recruiting of
donors. Mrs. Gene (Faye) Pierce
was in charge of arrangements
as blood program chairman for
the Morrow county chapter, Red
Cross.
and it will result in sharply
higher levies to property tax
payers who are not benefitted
by the farm land deferral.
Mrs. Ritch was unable to say
at this time what the Increase
in property taxes might approx
imate around the county. Bud
gets of many of the taxing ag
encies and districts have not
yet been certified to her, and
she has not yet received figures
from the State Tax Commission
on valuation of public utilities.
It is expected, however that
the utilities valuation will be
about the same as for 1968-69.
Indications are that budgets
of most taxing bodies will be
Increased. The county school
district budget was increased by
some $42,000 over last year. Oth
ers, though they hold within the
6 limitation and consequently
do not require a vote, may,
nevertheless, Increase to the 6
limit.
Combination of the decrease
in valuation and increase in
budgets bring of the prospect of
considerably higher tax rates.
Columbia Basin
Pays $15,158.11
As Tax Donations
Cowboy Breakfasts
Offered to Public
At College Rodeo
A hot, hearty breakfast will
be offered to rodeo fans and
performers this Saturday morn
ing by members of the Morrow
County CowBelles organization,
who will cook and serve break
fast at the rodeo grounds, from
7 to 11:00 a.m., preceding the
Saturday performance of the
college rodeo.
The menu will include pan
cakes, beef sausage, eggs and
coffee and admission will be
$1.35. The public is invited to
attend.
Members of the American
Legion Auxiliary will be on
hand Sunday morning, June 1.
to offer breakfast to the public
prior to the Sunday performanc
es of the rodeo.
Sunday morning breakfast
will start at 6:30 a.m.. and will
run until 10:30 or 11:00. Break
fast menu will feature ham and
eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns and
either coffee or milk, all for
$1.50, announces chairman Mrs.
Mabel Heath.
i
I ft f f
WW:
FRANK HALVORSEN
EDDIE SHERMAN
lone's 2-Man Team Ties
For 3rd in State B Meet
Columbia Basin Electric Co
op, Inc., has made payments to
three counties Morrow, Wheel
er and Gilliam totaling $15,
158.11 as tax donations for the
1968-69 year, Harley Young,
manager, announces.
Morrow county received $4,
794.29, Gilliam $5,419.71 and
Wheeler, $4,944.11.
This Is addition to the pay
ment of 2 of the gross revenue
of the utility in lieu of ad val
orem taxes, which is required
by Oregon law.
At the time of the exchange
of utility properties with Pacific
Power and Light Company in
1964, the cooperative agreed to
make up any difference in tax
receipts to the counties which
might occur as a result of the
acquisition by the cooperative.
The $15,158.11 represents these
payments for the current year.
with tne donations, total tax
es paid to the counties are as
follows: Morrow, $12,820.63; Gil
liam. sn.345.52: and Wheeler.
$5,656.96, totaling $29,823.11.
Included in the total is the
2 of the gross revenue as re
quired by Oregon statute. Bro
ken down, this is as follows: .
Morrow. $8,026.34: Gilliam. $5.-
925.81; and Wheeler, $712.85.
franchise tax paid to the cit
ies in the three counties Is an
additional $6,678.30. This is dis
tributed as follows: Heppner,
$2,850.44; Condon, $2,139.90: Fos
sil, $903.06; and lone, $784.90.
lone High school had only
two entrants in the Class B high
school track meet at Pleasant
Hill Friday and Saturday, but
the "two-man gang" was pow
erful enough to bring back a
third place trophy for the Card
inals.
Between them, Frank Halvor-
sen and Eddie Sherman, scored
38 points, enough to tie lone
with Wasco county for third
place in the B championships.
Sherman won the 100-yard
dash and the 220. Halvorsen won
the high jump, placed fourth in
the high hurdles and fourth in
the low hurdles.
In making the excellent show
ing, the two-man team was in
competition with approximately
50 high school teams in the
state.
Wallowa captured the track
championship with 62 points,
and Gilchrist was second with
54. Thirty other schools placed
in the meet. Scores of some
nearby schools were: Umatilla
8, Arlington 8, McEwen (Athe
na) 6, Prairie City 4, and Con
don 2.
Sherman ran the 100 in a time
of 10.2 and the 220 in 23.0. Hal
vorsen cleared the bar at 6'2" In
the high jump, an inch below
his 6-3 of last year. He ran the
high hurdles in time of 15.4
and the lows in 21.2.
Sherman also was the only
man to win two first places in
the meet. This brought 20 points
for lone and tied the fleet-footed
star with Alan Mayhew of
Wasco county for high point
honors. Mavhew scored his 20
on a first in the discus at 137-4,
fourth places in the shotput and
long jump and fifth in the pole
vault
Lucore to Take
Pendleton Post
Loren Lucore will assume
duties as fire dispatcher for Um
atilla National Forest Service,
effective June 15, with head
quarters in the supervisor's of
fices in Pendleton. He has been
employd as fire control officer
for the Heppner Ranger District
for the past five years, and was
notified of the new appointment
last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Lucore and fam
ily plan to move to Pendleton
as soon as they can complete
housing arrangements and dis
pose of their home here. They
have been active in community
work during their years here
and he has helped with many of
the extra educational tours
sponsored in the interest of
conservation.