Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1973)
L ! IJAY u or o EUGENE, ORE 97403 Clint Agee is Elks Exalted Ruler At ceremonies here recently, Heppner Elka Lodge members installed a new set of officer. Clint Agee is Exalted Ruler. Esteemed Leading Kniffht. Bob Mahoney, Esteemed Loyal Knight, Dean Naffziger. Esteemed Lecturing Knight, Dale Holland. Glen Ward ia secretary. Treasurer is Ed Dick. Jim Cason ia Tiler. Inner Guard is Jerry Ander son and Chaplain, Don Ball. Organist is Ken Turner. Trustees of Heppner Lodge: Cal Sherman, Darrell Padberg, Jerry Daggett, Gene Orwick, Gene Hall. Lightning Interrupts Power Some lightning storms last week caused a number of power outages in a number of spots in the county. Lightning caused a fire in a fence row shooting flames up three feet high in grass there on the Keith Rea ranch. The rain soon arrived and extinguished the fire which was very close to their home. Lightning splintered a pole at the Paul Tews ranch and damaged another transformer. Paul received a brief shock while washing his hands. Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative quickly responds to such troubles and Line Supt. Bill Gentry had linemen petrol ing affected areas to check on damages. Boom Causes Outage A "close call" caused an outage Monday morning, April 9 for the Lexington, Heppner Lexington highway, upper Sandhollow, Gurdane, Little Butter Creek, Big Butter Creek and Hinton Creek areas. A big boom truck operating for a contractor setting up a new steel building at the north edge of Heppner hit a main feeder line out of the Heppner Substation. A ball of fire resulted and the oil circuit breaker opened at the substa tion. Some of the tires nearly melted off the truck as a "scared" equipment operator observed smoke and fire. The outage resulted from the boom truck getting into the line effected the Columbia Basin consumers on that circuit from 8:11 a.m. to 8:34 a.m. Fire broke out on a pickup truck at the Ralph Beamer ranch Saturday afternoon. It was near some gas tanks and the firemen answered the call as the wooden bed of the truck burned. We've been informed that this area also had prisoners of war during the Korean War. John Lewis Smith, now of Walla Walla who is the son of Mrs. William Smith. Norman Griffin, half brother of Marlene Gray, now of Beaverton. Randall Petersons recently visited Stanley Minor at St. Anthony's Hospital. He said he seemed somewhat better. Mr. Minor had been in the hospital for some tests. He is to have some surgery when he is strong enough, we understand. SOLID WASTE MEETING CHANGED The solid waste meeting scheduled for April 23 has been changed to April 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the County Courthouse in the courtroom. Bowls 600 Inetia Can tin Joins the 600 Bowling Club. On April 10 at Fiesta Bowl, she bowled a 192. 222. 195 for a total of 609 pins. She bowls for Peterson Jewel ers on the Tuesday, night Sparetimers League. mil Free want ads will be available to all 6th graders wanting to earn money for the 6th grade Outdoor Program. Ron Ward - Pull Rye 676-9195. COth Yesr! THE Heppner, Oregon Good Friday Worship Schedule On Friday, April 20, the South Morrow County Ministerial Association will offer a series of worship opportunities for the community. The theme of these worship services will be "The Seven Last Words of Christ"; and they will be held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Heppner. There will be seven worship services consisting of twenty minutes each. You are invited to worship during all or any part of these services. The schedule for these worship services and the men who will be speaking at each one is as follows; 1:30 "Father, Forgive Them For They Know Not What They Do" (Rev. Forest Godin-Church of the Nazarene) 1:50 "Today You Shall Be With Me In Paradise" (Rev. Don Burwell - Assembly of God) 2:10 "Woman, Behold Thy Son" (Rev. David Blackaller-All Saints Episcopal) 2:30 "My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me" (Rev. Mark Johnson-Hope-Valby Lutheran Parish) 2:50 "I Thirst" (Rev. William Arthur-United Church of Christ) 3:10 "It Is Finished" (Rev. Ed Cutting-United Methodist Church) 3:30 "Father, Into Thy Hands I Commend My Spirit" (Rev. Gus Nikander) It is the hope of the ministerial association that the community will take advantage of these worship opportunities on Good Friday, April 20. At 8:00 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal the recording, "Jesus Christ Superstar", will be played at the Rectory, 340 Green St. Easter Week Services CATHOLIC HOLY WEEK SERVICES Holy week services at the . Catholic, church will begin on Palm Sunday, April 15, with the Palms being blessed at 7:30 Mass. Holy Thursday Service will be at 5:30 p.m. On Good Friday the Unveiling of the Cross and Communion will take place at 2:00 p.m., with Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. All these services will be at St. Patrick's in Heppner. Easter Sunday Masses will be at the regular times: 7:30 and 11:00 a.m. in Heppner and 9:15 a.m. in lone. lone United Church of Christ Maunday Thursday services will begin at 6:30 with a potluck with services following. There will be confirmations and one baptism. Easter Sunday there will be breakfast at 8:30 with worship service at 10:00. There will be no church school that morning. Two Hew Firms Two new firms have open ed in Lexington. One of them the Midway Cafe and Pool is in the front of the IOOF building. Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wheaton have paneled the walls, lowered the ceilings from 15 feet to 8"4 feet, tiled the floors and added new lights and fixtures. They have added two rest rooms. Their counter has seven stools and there's tables and chairs. This new recreation spot is serving light refreshments and specializes in all kinds of sandwiches. It is a place all members of the family can go for snacks and games. Terrel Benge 97836, Thursday, April 19, 1973 LUTHERAN CHURCHES The Hope and Valby Lutheran churches will have a combined worship on Good Friday start ing at 6 p.m. with a potluck and the worship service following immediately. This service will be at the Valby church. The Easter Sunday service at Valby will be at 8 a.m. and will be followed by Easter breakfast at 9:00. Hope church will serve a light breakfast and coffee on Easter Sunday from 10:15-11:00 with worship service at 11:00. Church of the Nazarene The Sunday school and wor ship services will be combined on Easter Sunday for a lVz hour service which will include the Easter story shown on flannel graphs. There will be no service on Sunday night. METHODIST SERVICES Methodist Church Sunday, 9:45; Worship service at 11:00 a.m. Continued on Page 6 Open, Lexington This week they anticipated having the new front window installed. A new outside paint job is due soop too. NEW BUSINESS OPEN IN LEXINGTON Willard "Bill" and Harry Noble have opened the Chevron Station in Lexington and are adding a machine shop and electrical wiring service. The are now doing welding but some of their heavy duty machinery will not arrive for a few weeks. Both men have a wide experience in the machine and electrical business. Mary Benge ,.,v ) T 0 ' (i :$m,M 1$ -.?:. "n L 1!' IT MUSHROOMED It first started out as a small affair but as Topsy in Uncle Tom's Cabin, "It growed"...the Mike Benge affair that was so successful and rewarding. The planners were Glen and Joyce Ward, Darrell ami Alvina a T r;" , vision of Spokane will be in gg ? g Red Crti potluck dinner will a Biuutiv held at the Amerjcan Lpgj,,,, rwMmrmmmmmM- Ha) Larry Lindsay Mr-prvor wil1 provide gen- eral information on the Red Named tO Cross Basic First Aid Course it . n written on a 5th grade level that University ISOarais taught in the elementary Larry Lindsay has been elected to the Board of Regents for the University of Portland. Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay were recently in Portland where Larry attended a meeting of the board and they both were at the dinner which followed. Larry fills the chair on the board held 12 years by B P. Barney Doherty, Pendleton. Lilfle League FINAL BASEBALL TRYOUTS The final little league tryouts will be held this Saturday, April 21, at the Little League Field in Heppner. There will also be a clinic conducted for the boys at this time, so both lone and Heppner boys will meet in Heppner at the Little League Field at 10:00 a.m. . Boys who are already on a team are asked to please wear their uniforms. All boys inter ested in Little League are urged to be there. FIRST NATIONAL UP IN DEPOSITS & LOANS First National Bank of Ore gon reported first quarter earnings rose 16.8 percent to $4,000,818, or 75 cents per share, from $3,425,091, or 65 cents per share, a year before. Income after calculating gains and losses on security transactions amounted to $4,001,197 for the 1973 first quarter compared with $3,470,358 for the 1972 quarter. Deposits increased 13.6 per cent from the 1972 first quarter recording of $1,842,018,818 to a record first quarter high of $2,091,658,453. First National's 130 statewide offices reported loans outstand ing of $1,323,826,008, up 15.5 percent from the $1,146,599,954 at the end of the first quarter last year. Resources were $2,443,374,495, up 14.2 peicent from last year's three-month total of $2,139,180,914. the Heppner branch reported deposits of $8,097,445 and loans of $6,633,201 as of March 31. Caparable totals for the branch a year ago were $7,438,730 in deposits and $5,884,613 in loans. Honor Roll On the Dean's List for winter term at Eastern Oregon College is Thomas Stewart of Irrigon. On the Honor Roll is Evelyn Black of Boardman. LaVene VanMarter, Jr. mtSjA..j J " q ; Red Cross First Aid In Schools Info Here April 2G Clint Pryor, director, Safety school and the Multimedia Aid Course taught in high schools. Special guests to hear the presentation will be teachers involved in this instruction on these levels, school principals and others interested. All officers of the Morrow County Chapter are urged to attend, as well as First Aid instructors and their wives and-or husbands. Mrs. W. H. McCoy of Irrigon has said she would serve as the Red Cross representative in Irrigon. Representatives are being sought for Boardman, lone and Lexington. Anyone interested in serving in this capacity from these areas is also urged to attend. The meat will be furnished by the chapter. Carnival Coming Apr. 28 Have you circled April 28 on your calendar? Do something to remember that is the date for the annual Heppner Band Carnival at the Fair Pavilion. Mrs. Jack McTimpeny is chairman of the supper which starts the evening's activities. Barbecued beef, hot dogs, salads and desserts will be served from 5 until 7 p.m. Carnival activities will run until 10 p.m. The American Legion is in charge of the Bingo. Classes and organizations will have booths. A prize will be given for the best decorated. White Elephants are wanted for Farm Legislation Meeting Tuesday April 24, Morrow County Farm Bureau will host Dick Rankin, The Dalles who is vice president of the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation and Otto Steinke, Arlington, who is director of Region 1. They will be here to explain the approximately 50 bills dealing with Workmen's Comp ensation that have been intro- PETE SKOW BUYS FLATT'S Pete Skow has purchased Flatts Lumber Transport. They haul chips for Kinzua and have a fleet of five chip trucks. They are in the process of building a new facility on W. Linden Way. This will be the shop which has been housed in Lexington. Our sincere apologies to Gene and Donna Orwick who several years ago purchased the freight line now Pendleton-Heppner Freight line from Bill Flatt which they continue to operate. Glen Ward presents Mike with flag hkli flew nver Nation's Capital hri last POW's arrived. 15 cents Number 9 McCall's Tax Discussion Governor Tom McCall's tax reform measure that goes to the States voters in a special election May 1, will be discuss ed in two public meetings in Morrow County. Representative Jack Sumner and School Superintendent Ron Daniels will appear in public meetings at Heppner High School at 8:00 p.m. on April 23rd, and at Riverside High School at 8:00 p.m. on April 24th. The meetings are being sponsored by the Heppner Soroptimist Club and the Heppner-Morrow County Chamber of Commerce. Superintendent Daniels will present a brief resume of the tax plan and its effect on the Morrow County School District. Representative Sumner will comment on the plan and be available to answer questions. The audience will meet around tables so that notes may be taken. Coffee and snacks will be served by the two sponsoring organizations during the evening. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MONDAY joiin Mcdonald of the engineering firm Clark & Groff will speak on the progress to date on the solid waste problem in Morrow County. the Band Parents' Country Store. Anyone having some thing to be picked up is asked to call Mrs. Dale Boner at 676-9461 or Mrs. Bob Davidson at 989-8402. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Yocom are chairmen for the dance with music by Piccadilly Band. Door Prize Students of the 5th and 6th grade are selling tickets for the RCA portable TV to be given as the door prize. Proceeds from the sales will be used to finance part of the Outdoor School to be held May 7 -11 at Tupper Guard Station. duced into the 1973 Oregon Legislature. The vast majority increase benefits to injured employees while a few are direct attempts to correct the problems causing high rates in Oregon's Workmen's Compen sation system. Three bills stand out as having the greatest impact on employers, specif ically farmers and ranchers. They will also talk on the Governor's Tax Plan. Farm Bureau supported de velopment of a state OSHA plan to avoid the confusing duplica tion of some of the different State and Federal standards and dual set of Federal and State inspections which would compound the confusion. They will also speak on this Occupa tional Safety and Health Admin istration plan. Hundreds At Mike Benge Day Celebration Heppner'i Mike Benge Day was everything that It should have been. More than 500 friends and families were there to greet him with cheers and tears. The flags were flying and the band played. The audience joined the choir joyously as they sang "God Bless America". The Fair Pavilion was filled for the joyous occasion to welcome Mike home from five years in Communist prison camps. The Heppner band was directed by Larry Hildebrandt. The lone Choir led by Miss Sherrie Bahr. The two long tables laden with every kind of good food soon acommodated four lines to have the group served in about an hour. It was truly an informal family affair. The Rev. David Blackaller of All Saints Episcopal Church gave the blessing. Speaking without notes but from his heart, Mike said there were two things he missed the most: his freedom and children. "Freedom which too many Americans take for granted". A crying baby was taken out, a tired little cowboy who took a run and then a slide on the pavilion floor were all music in Mike's ears and eyes. There were many children present. . What are my plans? "Right now I'm kinda political". While Mike is still on the payroll of the Agency for International De velopment better known as AID, he is spending his own time and own money to carry his views on a speaking tour "to tell the truth about Vietnam". He said he believed the United States should aid in rebuilding North Vietnam hospitals, schools and public health pro- grams. "But we shouldn t give a dime to further their political ideology or industries." "We should not spend one dime until they live up to the agreements they signed in Paris." They knew what they were doing when they murdered 4000 at Hue. They knew prison ers were to be allowed to write and receive letters and pack ages. They weren't. They knew the International Red Cross should be allowed to visit the camps. They knew the sick and wounded and those held the longest were to be released first and they weren't. , He said he believed in amnesty. He feels that those people who left at time of conflict should be given a chance to come back if they ' show sincerity in wanting to do something for our great country". They should serve , two years in the armed forces, the Peace Corps, poverty programs or other volunteer organizations." Other POW and MIA In speaking of more prisoners and of those missing in action, he said "There's more. We have information that the Commu nists are holding 350 to 550 prisoners. Don't believe them. They are not trustworthy. They have broken every agreement they ever made." He urges everyone who will to get up petitions and write letters to urge Congress not to give a dime until all of the MIA are accounted for. A complete and satisfactory accounting of all of them that were over there should be made. "We should not let any communist humiliate us Keith Rea again". "I would not be here today if it weren't for the bombing of Hanoi. That's the first time we brought the war to the leaden of the Communists." "I thank our president and our govern ment for the determination they showed in continuing the fight ing. That's the only thing that got us out". He asked Aileen Ware of Hermiston whose son, Spec 5 John Ware, is missing in action to come to the microphone. He pinned a MIA pin to her sleeve. He closed his talk by playing a recording "Don't Forget The Eagles" written and sung by Dolph Drogue of the American Security Council. Mike's mother, Mrs. Terrel Benge says she will get the address which will be printed in the Gazette Times so those who want may order the record. Prior to Mike's talk, Morrow County Judge Paul Jones pro claimed the day as Mike Benge Day and paraphrased a verse from the Bible "and lo there was rejoicing throughout Mor row County". Jack Sumner who had gone to school with Mike said he had invited Mike to the Oregon House of Representatives to talk. Three city keys were given him from Heppner by Mayor Jerry Sweeney, from Lexington by Mayor Gene Orwick and from lone by Mayor Bob Drake. Bob reminisced with an incident that occurred on the school bus he was driving between Mike and another boy. The boys were fighting and he suggested they step out of the bus to finish. They got off and Mike turned to Bob and said "What are you going to do?" "I'm going to . All at once the finish the route fight was over because no one wanted to walk home. Don Bristow an lone City Councilman and class mate of Mike s paid tribute to Mike who he said went to Vietnam "not to kill but to heal, not tear down but to build up." Herb Ekstrom Jr. presented Mike with a tape recorder that organizations of the area had provided. Keith Rea presented the community gift, an electric portable typewriter. Glen . Ward, chairman of the whole show, presented Mike with the flag that flew over the Nations Capitol on the 29th day of March, the day the last of the prisoners came home. Senator Packwood was instrumental in securing the flag for Morrow County to present La Verne VanMarter acted as master of ceremonies. Seated at the head table were members of Mike's family. They were his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Terrel Benge, Mr. Benge's sister, Mrs. Luola Rehfield of Eugene, Mike's sister, Mrs. Joan Hughes, his niece, Teresa Hughes and his nephew Terry Hughes, home from Oregon State for the occasion. The Rev. Edwin Cutting gave the closing prayer. Order the record, "Vietnam: The Hawk, The Dove, The Owl" by Dolf Droge, by writing: Friends of Phil Crane Com mittee - P.O. Box 214, Mt. Prospect, Illinois 60056. The colors were advanced by the memherS of Scout Troon 6S1 who then led in the pigg of Allegiance. ' i Ik Judy Eea Cliff Wood Phot