HEPPNER (ORE.)
$23,750
Some of more than 60 citizens from
Morrow County communities who attended
the Solid Waste Planning & Implementa
tion Project meetings for many months
must be wondering if their time, work and
money have been wasted.
Morrow County residents were told that
the problem of solid waste disposal is real
and urgent. They believed that a solution to
waste disposal nad been found-until the
Blackhorse site was summarily rejected a
couple of weeks ago.
Since $23,750 of tax money is involved,
and since there is now no known solution to
a pressing problem, let us review the
events.
The County Solid Waste Advisory
Committee began work last fall. This work
led to receipt of a grant from the state's
Department of Environmental Quality
(DEO) of $19,750 to which $4,000 in local "in
kind services were added.
Four mayors (Heppner, Lexington, lone
and Boardman) served on the advisory
committee. Each signed a resolution
Eledging his city's cooperation with the
ouniy of Morrow and its Solid Waste
Advisory Committee, and to do all things
necessary to solve the problem of waste.
John McDonald of Clark & Groff, Salem
engineering firm, was hired as consultant.
He made a serious effort to present facts
and information to the many sub
committees that were set up, ana which
listed 66 persons in their membership.
The County Planning Office notified each
person of each meeting and sent out many
Srogress reports during the months from
anuary through June, when the study took
place.
McDonald spoke to many organizations
in almost every area of the county,
presenting facts, showing slides, asking for
suggestions, questions and comment. He
presented cost studies ot various solutions
to the disposal problem.
The Gazette-Times for July 5 carried an
artist's sketch of the "approved" Black-'
horse site.
All hell broke loose in the Lexington area.
It was as if nobody had ever heard of the
months of hard work put into this expensive
piece of engineering.
the uproar prompted County Judge Paul
Jones, apparently speaking for the full
county court, to reverse and void the
findings of the study because "The county
has no desire to arbitrarily select a site that
does not meet with the approval of the
residents of the area."
It makes one wonder where the
"residents of the area" were during the
nine months of publicity that attendee! the
study.
Two facts remain: (1) Morrow County is
going to locate a solid waste disposal site
whether anybody likes it or not; and (2)
wherever that site is, somebody is going to
object.
In the meantime, does anybody know
where the county can find another $23,750 to
start this thing all over again?
Are those parking
meters necessary?
Parking meters on downtown Heppner
streets gross the city about $3500 a year m
revenue. , ,
Out of this $3500 must come the cost of
having an officer patrol the meters and
write tickets, and keep the meters in
repair. It is doubtful that any money
actually accrues to the city after all
expenses chargeable to the meters are
paid.
That makes them an investment of
doubtful value, economically speaking.
Just how badly does Heppner need
parkingmeters as a means of controlling
Aoliay study of parking shows that at
no time during this period were more than
50 percent of The metered parking in use.
Why should parking be regulated when
there is no parking problem 7
The city is now faced with the expense of
sending many of these parking meters to
the factory for repair. This will cost a great
deal of money, possibly the entire parking
meter collection for a year.
It is hoped that the city will give some
thought to ridding city streets of parking
meters, permanently, rney are expensive,
they are not needed, and they are ugly.
Whatever mon
removing the meters
up by tne aaaea gooawui mat wouia result
from making Heppner a place where
shoppers can come and not be taxed" for a
place to park while they spend money with
local merchants. Removing the meters
certainly would be a friendly gesture, in
keeping with the character of the town.
Where to write
JSen. Mark Hatfield. 463 Old Senate Office Bldg.,
Washington. D.C. 20510. .C. 20510
Sen. .Robert Pack wood. 8327 New Senate Office
bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510.
Rep. Al L'llman. 2410 Ray bum House Office BMg., .
Washington, D.C.20515.
Rep. Wendell Wyatt. 414 Cannon House Office BMg., $
Washington. D.C. 20515.
GAZETTE-TIMES. Thursday,
wasted ?
ev might be sacrificed bv
might well be made
i
August I. It73
REMEMBER THIS?
. .
55 YEARS AGO 1918
Glenn Freeman Sharp, young son of Mr. and Mrs. J.C
Sharp of Yewman canyon, was instantly killed Wednesday
morning when an automobile in which he and his two small
brothers were playing ran away down a hill and turned turtle
over a steep embankment in the canyon. The other children '
escaped with but slight injuries.
John J. Kelly of Heppner this week purchased the George
Perry sheep ranch on Rock Creek. This deal involves 3,500
acres of land, the large portion of which is range land
situated in Morrow and Gilliam Counties, and included in the
deal is 2,000 head of sheep, a number of horses and farming
implements.
Walter Becket was in town Sunday looking for a hand to
help him on the little combine. He has been borrowing from
his neighbors during the past week and managed to get some
threshing done, but it is now up to him to get a man of his
own. His grain is going about 15 bushels to the acre so far,
and he is of the opinion that the most of his grain will not
exceed this yield.
While in the lone area last week, County Clerk Waters
made a visit to the section recently struck by hail and reports
that it is certainly barren waste now. Several of the most
promising wheat fields of that end of the earth were wiped off
the face of the earth.
Frank Turner came near getting caught underneath an
overturning threshing machine at the Turner farm in Sand
Hollow Saturday. He came out with a badly bruised hip and
duly thankful that it was no worse.
37 YEARS AGO 1936
L.W. Briggs, county treasurer, and Mrs. Briggs each
received injuries when the Briggs' car collided with a street
car in Portland Sunday.
Donald E. Turner, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Turner of
Heppner, scored 71 hits out of 75 shots in the rifle competition
at Camp Bonneville last week, winning the commanding
general's trophy to basic company B.C.M.T.C.
During the past week several people have experienced a
skin poisoning, the orgin of which has not been determined. It
is the belief of some that mosquito bites are responsible,
while others think it may be a weed of some sort. Whatever
the cause, the victims report is an unpleasant experience.
J.G. Barratt, Joseph Belangerand K.B. Ferguson returned
home Friday night from ST. -Paul, Minn., where they
accompanied a shipment of Mr. Barratt's lambs. The lambs
were loaded out of Spotted Robe, Mont., where Mr. Barratt
and Henry Krebs have a summer ranch, and were taken
through to St. Paul without loss of a single lamb. A favorable
market was struck on arrival, with a good sale reported.
The two little boys of the Ed Medlock family, who live
near Winlock, met a fine sleek cougar while out in the timber
a few days ago. The packer for the sheep of W.S. Steiwer, who
uses that range, reports having noted the remains of at least
14 fawns that had been killed in the past month. Evidently
this cougar is not on a diet.
Ethel Bleakman, telephone operator at Tupper, is raising
four orphan pine squirrel babies. They take their dinner out
of a medicine dropper. Like most babies, they are becoming
spoiled and if their hot water bottle gets cold or their dinner
isn't exactly on time they all cry in unison.
I 1e mm
X - j " , - F-A K - I
"I don't know what vou call 'em here, but in Boston
they're prime and choicer'
Six v tt MttfeSs.
"Do you think they'll ever learn?'
o o
. . REMINISCE!
W LSZS-L -I
Mayor of Hardman
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
, Ever now and then a news
Item comes along that gives
proper attention to the plus
side of living in this country.
The fellers at the country
store discussed some of em
after Clem Webster brung one
to their attention during the
session Saturday night.
Clem had saw this piece
about Social Security, and he
said he was pleased to report
that he was drawing pay
munts on money that the next
generation of workers will pay
into the system.
Farthermore, he said, he
probably will wind up gitting
10 times in Social Security
benefits what he ever paid in.
Serious, went on Clem, he
was glad he was drawing now
stead of paying later. He said
he couldn't foller the figgers in
the paper, but he said it looked
to him like Social Security is a
case of digging holes to fill up
holes til final the hole
s wallers ever body.
The percent of the popula
tion that is working and
paying is going down ever
year and the precent of s
loafing and gitting paid is
going up, was Clem's words.
Bug Hookum said Clem's
trouble is he don't understand
about fluid currency. To keep
this country going, Bug allow
ed you got to keep the money
moving. If the Guverment was
to stop taking in and paying
out fer a month, Bug said, the
hole economy would fall
apart. Its just like if the
average working man was to
fergit to cash his check and
make his paymunts for a
How the dam will
Continued
doctors and dentists.
The most detrimental effect
on the communication system
by the flood control project is
v the observed lack of informa
tion about the project possess
ed by the people of Heppner.
Gardner's study recommend
ed that the Corps utilize the
communication networks in
the town to a greater extent in
providing information about
the proposed Willow Creek
project. More information
concerning project centers
such as local establishments
and additional meetings would
help enlighten the residents.
Presently, many of the citi
sens are confused about the
status of the project. A feeling
exists that a major change is
being planned for the com
munity but that the people are
having no part in formulating
the change.
Of the various clubs and
associations in Heppner, only
the Chamber of Commerce
has officially endorsed the
project. There are about 30 of
these organizations in town, a
large number for a village the
size of Heppner. In relation to
floods, the clubs function well
in helping needy people after
-such a disaster has occurred.
The social impact concludes
that Heppner can effectively
absorb the changes brought
TKB S
GAZETTE-TIMES
MORROW COUNTY'S NIWIWII
Mrw: Hnmr, Oft.. t7M. Tel. 47411. P.O. m S7. 5
Tte Mimr 0it ntaMttlMd Mrci M, int. TIM R
HWW IHM HMtlllM Nv. IS, MM. CUMlW !
; is. mi. f
r rwvfvwv . fovvpsyvasfff pvWVOrsiNnBpnnr eassvatf nbnbbi Ifwwsnnwwf
S PnWiiMn aim. B
iriml V. Jinr Plllr 8
1 inM Ctrtu . ........ Hmfm-tfr fi
If: SUBSCRIPTION RATCS: SS pur vr to Orn M f
jjl IMrrt SimiHc y, IS CI Hit. Mll IS Mill- 8
lTS, Th Ratniur
adTnbvMStodicMf
couple weeks. As long as the
money keeps running thru us,
we never can be sure who's on
the short end of the deal, was
Bug's words.
Looking to more plus things,
Zeke Grubb said he had heard
Senator Sam Ervin say on TV -that
holding them Watergate
hearings was "taxing his
patience." Zeke said he hoped
none of them other senators
paid attention, cause he was
privileged now to pay all the
taxes he was able to enjoy.
Zeke said he recollected he
got a notice some years back
that he had been selected to
give a pint of his blood. The
permotion put out by the Red
Cross said that he ought to feel
privileged cause his blood
could be used to save some
body's life.
Zeke said it was a big plus
fer the Guvemment to draw
out his taxes and buy birth
control pills fer some pore
devils in Ubangi so he don't
have to go all the way over
there and do it.
Actual, salesmen has been
taking the plus approach fer a
long time,' Bug said. He said
he has been gitting mail fer
years from the Reader's
Digest that tells him he
already may be a winner afore
he is even in the contest.
And Bug said he gits mail
regular telling him he has
been selected to invest in land
in Arizona.
Mister Editor, all the talk on
the plus side reminds me of
the writing I saw onct on a
tombstone. It was "I was
expecting this, but not yet."
. Yours truly,
MAYOR ROY
affect Heppner
From Pg. 1
about by the construction of
Willow Creek Dam and lake.
Among the report's suggest
ions aimed at strengthening
the planning stage of the
project by working more
closely with the local citizenry
are an improved flow of
information from the Corps to
Heppner covering such items
as strength, permanence and
aesthetics of a earth-filled
dam, recreation potential and
irrigation potential and asso
ciated costs.
Gardner also suggested that
community leaders be in
formed of the approximate
number of incoming con
struction workers including
when they will arrive, the
number of school children and
whether or not there will be
minority groups present.
Also suggested are the
possibility of holding a local
vote on whether or not to build
the dam, incorporating local
units of Heppner in the project
planning and computing a
local benefit-cost ration for
the city.
Copies of the report are
available upon request from
the Army Corps of Engineers,
Walla Walla District, Building
602, City-County Airport,
Walla Walla, Washington
99362.
BMIItl
Horse sense
By
KIINKHT V. JOINER
mm avtt wi mi par wttM Mm pMiriM f al "
Last week two men were fined $305 each (or 60 days in
jail, as they may elect) for shooting a doe, and out of season
at that. According to state police, Morrow County hat a
reputation of being tough on game violations of this type, and
the word is out among hunters that If any of them hanker to
hoot deer out of season they had better do it somewhere else
in Oregon where judges tend to be more "social scientists"
than they are here. The act that few violations occur In
Morrow County Is testament that a swift, hard-nosed
approach to Justice for offenders deters people from
breaking the laws. Judge O'Connor gets our hearty clap on
the back for moving quickly and firm In this matter.
Of course, nobody is going to convince dedicated
anti-death penalty advocates that capital punishment is a
deterrent to capital crime. I believe it is. For example, there
have been a good half-dozen people I would have killed
during my life, except for the possibility of having my own
ended at the end of a rope! But if I could have been certain
that I would have been sentenced to a plush, country
club-type prison, operated by do-gooders with a passion for
rehabilitating me with fine food, fine medical attention, fine
recreational facilities, libraries, movies, and chances of
earning a college degree and being turned loose before I was
too old to run for Congress, I would have done society a favor,
and strangled the whole six of'em.
You think that exaggeration? Look at Bobby Seale, the
California Black Panther who beat at least one murder rap,
served time under the tender ministration of a "modern"
penal system, was pronounced a "useful and rehabilitated"
citizen by a gang of psychiatrists (most of whom ought to be
in jail themselves); ran for Mayor of Oakland this year and
was danged near elected!
You may recall how cattle rustlers were dealt with in an
earlier day. They were dispatched at the nearest cottonwood.
But people got to feeling so much love for each other they
gave it up as a concession to social consciousness and a
growing concern for the sanctity of human life. Now, if you
can believe the cattlemen's association, there is more cattle
rustling going on today than ever before. In short, when
rustlers were hung, with or without trial, there was precious
little rustling compared with the runaway incidence of
rustling today.
As for the sanctity of human life, if we believe history
(and I do) we know that through the ages human life has been
the cheapest of commodities. Still is. We scrape 50,000 of
them off the highways each year. We write off another 50,000
in Vietnam, all without much concern. Citizens of Heppner
may feel themselves different in this respect, and I'm sure
they profess a reverence for human life. On the other hand,
there is a story on page 1 of this newspaper concerning the
social impact of Willow Creek Dam on the community.
Researchers found that in spite of the disastrous flood of 1903
that claimed 247 lives (said to be the worst flood fatality in
U.S. history, per capita-wise), the dam's construction as a
means of preventing similar floods was a minojs, .
consideration in local assessment of the value of the dam.
The number one interest of the people of Heppner, according
to this study, was the recreational potential of the dam! So if
the people really treasure human life, why have they waited
70 years to demand that the cause of that fatal flood be
corrected? I'm not criticizing, I'm just interested in having
someone explain why it is more important in the public mind
to have a fishing hole outside town than it is to end a threat to
human life.
Americans ought to tear themselves away from the
continuous entertainment known as the Watergate Comedy
Hour long enough to find out who's kicking them in the
breadbasket. Not long ago the cost of living in this country
was boosted because of the sale of American wheat to Japan.
Saturday, Washington announced the sale of 500,000 tons of
wheat to China. This comes at a time when the price of wheat
is at an all-time high of $3.60 a bushel in the Heppner area.
This could send the price to $4. Great for farmers, who will
enjoy the feel of the money temporarily. But in the long run,
they too will have to pay just like the rest of us.
The Nixon policy is to drain this country of its substance
to buy the friendship of Communist countries. In the sale of
wheat and other grains, Communist countries are getting
preference over friendly nations who would like to buy
American wheat. Neither President Nixon nor the Congress
has learned the lesson of history-that there is no way to buy
the friendship of a Communist nation. Communist rulers will
use us as they always have, just so long as it serves their goal
of world domination. And while they smile and drink toasts to
President Nixon, all the time they are despising us for our
weakness in trying to buy their friendship. In the final
analysis it will be as it always has been; the free world
against the slave, capitalism against collectivism, the strong
against the weak. And for this approaching showdowns we
are now engaged in making ourselves weaker by building the
strength of our adversaries.
Before World War II we drank saki with the Japanese
and sent them millions of tons of scrap metal. Many ah
American soldier came home with some of that scrap metal
in his rear-end. We tried to buy the friendship of Fidel Castro
in Cuba, with disastrous results. We did it in Korea and in
Vietnam. We refuse to learn from experience, as if history
were nothing more than a dull novel. We refuse to profit from
the lessons history affords, so each generation must repeat
the same errors.
A few years ago I heard Sen. Mahoney of Oklahoma tell a
crowd what would happen in this country if a Republican
adminstration was elected. It would be just like it was the
last time a Republican administration was elected, he said.
And in order to illustrate the value of profiting from
experience and history, he told a story that went something'
like this: "If you want to know what a cowboy does when he
comes to town and gets drunk on Saturday night, all you have
to do is remember what he did the last time he came to town
and got drunk on Saturday night."
Our problem is that nobody remembers what the cowboy
did when he came to town on Saturday night and got drunk. If
we did, we could handle our foreign and domestic affairs
much better.
auMoinma
"I need a refill... I ran
out farther down the
road than I thought"
4