Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1973)
J IIKITNF.R MIRK.) GAZETTE-TIMES. Thurdy. Spl. 21. I73 imnmtmnmnnBiniroiiwiiiwiwwuiwtiiwiiiaroiiuwurwmiiiniiiiiww Horse sense F.HNFSTV. JOINER Roadside litter is costing taxpayers $800,000 a year to have the Oregon State Highway Commission pick it up. If motorists would stop dumping on the highways, this money would be freed for other highway programs-such as new highway construction, parks, bicycle trails. The (800,000 a year might buy two additional miles of highway per year. Many publications, including the astute Wall Street Journal, are capitalizing the first letter of words like government, federal, state, county, legislature, city council, congress, commission, board and agency. This tendency, I submit, is akin to deification of some earthly institutions. Capitalization of these words when they stand alone in a sentence puts them on the same footing with Christian divinities. God in Heaven remains proper, but should we also write Pie in the Sky? This trend, I assume, is to inspire in the reader a sense of reverence for, or awe and fear of, the various branches of government and their satellite agencies and commissions. But these bodies are the instruments of the people, and in this age of the acceptance of the use of lower case rather than capitalization, writers and editors should consider the psychological impact upon readers of equating government with God. Spelling government with a capital G is like writing: "President Nixon seems determined to have His Way." If other editors go along with this plan, I suggest they also capitalize People, too. The People own and support all the governing bodies. Don't they? Bill Weatherford's letter to the Heppner Planning Commission reprinted in the Mail Pouch, appears to be a sound approach to a problem now before the city and county planning commissions. On Sept. 17 a public hearing on relocation of the road around the proposed Willow Creek Dam was held with the Corps of Engineers. At that time, engineers explained the most feasible route for the new road would be down the left side of Willow Creek and enter the city on South Court Street. There were two objections voiced to the engineers' proposal, both coming from homeowner's whose property would be affected. 0 On Sept. 19 the planning commission wrote the city council that the planners did not endorse the Corps of Engineers' plan. Instead, it recommended the road to start at the dam, go behind the cemetery and exit at the Warren property near the Van Winkle Motel on the Heppner-Spray highway. The commission said it felt it would be better to divert the heavy traffic to the highway, which would keep traffic on Main Street. The planners were probably swayed from the Corps' plan because of the objection of four or five residents. It would be wonderful if public works could be effected without discomforting anyone. Unhappily, such is seldom the case. Someone always must be disturbed, which is why the government pays costs and damages to owners who are inconvenienced. What is happening here is that the entire Willow Creek Dam may be in jeopardy," even though $400,000 in cash is "lying on the table." What is also being endangered is the city's opportunity to get its water reservoirs and mains rebuilt and relocated at federal expense. This in itself is about $400,000 which the city can ill afford to lose. The city must either work with the federal authorities without undue delays or lose the entire project. If the project is lost, Heppner must still go ahead and at its own expense upgrade its water system. That means a whopping bond issue and more taxes to pay. The overall community good, it appears to me, is to leave the engineering to engineers, and get the dam started. The Corps of Engineers is leaning backwards to get along with the people of Heppner and Morrow County, but its patience is wearing thin. We should not forget that it is not incumbent upon the government to even consider the wishes of affected property owners. The right of eminent domain gives the government the right, even the duty, of condemning private property for public use, provided proper compensation is made. The delay of giving the Corps a "go ahead" could be interpreted by it to mean that Morrow County doesn't want Willow Creek Dam. The project can be scrubbed. If it is, it will probably never be revived. Those who have fought for years for this flood control project may elect not to do so again. Legislators who have carried the ball for the dam would certainly be made to appear foolish in the eyes of their colleagues if, after all this time, they find it isn't even wanted. It might make it hard for Morrow County to ever be . taken seriously again by them in matters of public works involving federal funds. I wouldn't want to miss the National Honor Society's Chili Feed at the high school cafeteria Friday evening before the Heppner-McEwen football game. Chili is one of my favorite dishes. The love affair with the fiery concoction led to my membership in the International Chili Appreciation Society, with headquarters in Dallas, Tex. Each year chili aficionados gather in Langtry, Tex., for the world's championship chili cook-off to select a new champion. So, it will be like the "good old days" to savor the types of chili prepared by Heppner chili artists. I hope some of it is heavy on the garlic and red chili pepper. A real "bowl of red" should open up the sinuses! AcX leV.O 40 ' I U.T1 'Ok) I Can I help?" The mail pouch OPEN LETTER TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION: The City of Heppner Planning Commission is responsible for objective reasoning in matters of structural and physical changes proposed within the city. No personal feelings, no personalities, no excuses. Objective reasoning only. A vote must be taken, recorded, and submitted to the city council. CONCERNING THE RELOCATION OF WILLOW CREEK ROAD: ' 1. The existing road is in a residential area; therefore, there can be no objection, environmentally, to reloca ting in a residental area. 2. The approximate 8 per cent grade and any conceivable direction changes (curves) are well within safety stan dards of any city in Oregon and of the State of Oregon. 3. Few people will be affected by dispossession or relo cation. Compensation will be made in kind or equal monetary value. 4. A separate consideration is the relocation of the reser voir belonging to the city. Under one condition it is re located by the Corps of Engineers, while under other conditions it is not. Conclusion: This commission can find no reason to disapprove the relocation of the road. This commission should approve the relocation of the road so that work can be started. This commission should then ask that a more compatible route be studied and perhaps be . negotiated. , ,..... W.W. WEATHERFORD, Heppner. EDITOR: In reference to your last two "Horse Sense" columns: we feel it's your right to use vulgarity, slang or whatever else you like in your column. Each week, it's the source of much amusement. What we found so interesting is the fact that it took you the entire column this week to defend what you did with the vulgarity in last week 's column ! If you had really believed in what you had done, this week's column would not have been necessary. 'If we see this letter in print, our opinion of you will improve slightly. GREG DAVIDSON, THOMAS WOLFF, Heppner. EDITOR: If everyone practiced what he preaches this would be a better and more peaceful world. You warned your readers that you would run your paper your way-to suit yourself, without their help. Yet in the same issue you started yapping how the city makes you so miserable because they had installed parking meters before you got here. Now the upset stir you have caused, if they are taken out, will probably cause a raise in our taxes to make up for the revenue they produced to help pay the officials who were on duty anyway. Then we can look forward to parking spaces being a scarce item as they were before. Morrow County people are a generous, peace-loving lot and can be proud of the fact that they have always accepted people for what they are and not by the color of their skin. A great big salute to Carol K. Porter of Durham, N.H., for her Christian letter of compassion for all fellow men. I think Mr. Otto Jorgensen's reference to your Horse Sense column, about reversing ends of the animal, sounds more appropriate, except your last glamorized full column of it would be a disgrace to that end of the horse family. As for your revolting, snide, degrading remarks about the ecology nuts, it's incredible that one person could harbor so much poisonous, cancerous, hate and venom for so many people in so many walks of life. Your need for such extensive explanation to express your dislike for people is a massive insult to the intelligence of your refined readers. Mrs. Chariene Papineau's letter has rated the highest commendation of the whole community for it's fine message. She stands big, tall and proper by Morrow County's measuring stick. We need more like her. Apathy is not her cup of tea. The fact that an up-and-coming historical town has become nearly a ghost town is no disgrace. If you would take the time to check on the origin of the people of Heppner you would find about half of them came from Hardman. In some families as many four generations now live in Heppner. To the fine pioneer families living there now, and the former ones, It consider your fun-poking mispelled, improper grammar canned items from Mayor Roy a slanderous insult to all of the people of Hardman and a disrespectful disgrace. "We reap what we sow." I love you too. LOIS WINCHESTER, Heppner. EDITOR: Thank you for publishing Mrs. Papineau's letter. And thank you for your lengthyreply, although I do not agree with the essence of your comments. I believe in accuracy. A man who is a despicable fellow might be called a dog. Does this accurately prove that his mother is a lewd woman? Not many people are able to read music. To be appreciated, it must be heard. Spoken words are easier understood, than those written. A piece of paper cannot smile or frown. It does not raise and lower its tone. Nor have I heard one chuckle. I am among those who share Mrs. Papineau's views. MRS. ESTHER BARNETT, lone. Tourists doci'f move here, fhey jus? spend money "Wtiofto mess I con'r find my horse and git oufto this mud cavse the tand is blowing o hord I con'r see Oregonians who take a dim view of visitors from other states relocating in Oregon will be cheered by the new Bat telle Pacific Northwest Laboratories report compiled for the Oregon State Highway Division. The report says only 0.4 percent of tourists visiting Oregon later move here to become permanent residents. However, visitors from other states have "cheered" the Oregon economy by spending more than $558 million here in 1972, the report finds. Tourism expenditures in Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla Counties by out-of-state visi tors amounted to $175 per resident in 1972. Of the 16 regions covered in the Battelle Report, Lincoln County showed the highest revenue per resident, $1,467. In Clatsop and Tillamook Counties the average was $1,137. According to the Battelle Report, the total 1972 travel revenue from out-of-state vis itors in Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla Counties amounted to $10,721,000 with approxi mately $5,024,000 of that spent during the summer quarter. The 1972 tourist revenue for the three county area repre sented 1.92 per cent of Oregon's total revenue from out-of-state visitors. Visitors to Oregon spent an estimated $588 million in 1972 for a total impact of $1,418, 000,000 on Oregon's economy. The latter figure takes into account the "dollar spinoff" or additional spending gener ated by visitors' original expenditures. In a prelimi nary report issued several months ago by the Richland, Wn., independent research firm, revenue from out-of-state visitors was estimated to be $459 million for 1972. The Battelle study was commissioned in 1972 by the State Highway Division in an attempt to isolate some fac tual answers to questions being asked about tourism. The final report bears out that tourism is an important in dustry in Oregon and has continued to grow, benefiting every sector of Oregon's economy. Visitor's primary expenditures were concentra ted in the hotel-motel and restaurant facilities, substan tial sums were spent on groceries; gas, oil and other car expenses; apparel; rec reation; other modes of trans portation; and general mer chandise. Because of the indirect and induced effects resulting from serving visitors, the Battelle report shows that numerous other industries ultimately benefit. These include: busi ness services, finance and real estate; agriculture; utilities; transportation and warehous ing; construction; paper and wood products ; chemicals, plastics and drugs; fabricated metal products; industrial machinery; and wholesale trade. Visitors purchased $127.6 million worth of food and service in Oregon restaurants, or almost 23 cents of every tourist dollar spent. Expendi tures for lodging amounted to $111.4 million, or approxi mately 20 per cent of every dollar spent. Approximately $64.7 million worth of gro ceries was purchased during 1972 by visitors, primarily by those staying with friends and by camping parties. Total employment gener ated by Oregon traveler activity represented 61,850 jobs, according to the report. This is slightly lower than the estimate of 64,000 direct, indirect and induced employ ment opportunities in the preliminary report. On the -basis of Battelle's estimates and data supplied by the Highway Division, the annual number of visitors traveling to Oregon by car for pleasure is expected to rise from 9,330,000 in 1972 to 13,120,000 in 1980. THE GAZETTE-TIMES i THE M GAZETTE-TIMES MORROWCOUNTY'SNEWSPAPCN M AdeYau: Mepemar, Or., 7tM, Tel. SH-M2S, P.O. IV. j i TIM Hcmmt Gaiatta wm MtaMlslw Mare M, IMS. TM 53 3 Hwmt TilMI HlitlitM Nw. II. Ilf. ClMliM FM. M I MwMwr: NatMnat Nawiaiaf At., Omil Nmrtpotr jg J I MiMrs Aim. fft Irtnl V. Jaiar f H 4 ErM Cr - aiy-laai M S SuaSCMimON HATES: SS pvr yaw In Orltw. MMMr iM on. IS cwH. UiM vail or. cm- 8 ; g MuwMtm kvttMia. SI. H Mayor of Hardman DEAR MISTER EDITOR: Pa alius said that two lawyers could make a good living In town where one would starve to death. All a feller has to do to come around to thinking that a heap of our confusion Is caused by lawyers is to git called to jury duty. Three fourths of our congressmen and state legislators is lawyers, so they git to make the laws and then Interpret em, and that leaves the average citizen scratching his head . on both counts. I was reading recent where a Jury In Boston heard lawyers fer both sides argue a case fer four hours. After mulling over what they was told fer six hours, the jury sent out to ask the judge who the defendant was In the case. I onct heard a feller say that law Is the oldest perfesslon, cause It says In the Bible that "in the beginning there was chaos." Actual, Mister Editor, I reckon it's another case or the chicken or the egg. Folks git themselves into some strange fixes, and they depend of the lawyers to get em out. Fer instant, I saw by the papers where this movie actress couldn't git a divorse cause she couldn't prove she was married, and the same week a woman was suing a actor fer alimony, but she never was married to him. In most states It's agin the law fer a feller to feed his own slop to his own hogs, and I read where the Massachusetts Barber Licensing Board says it's $100 fine or 90 days in Jail fer a feller to cut his own youngun's hair in his own home. This matter come up at the country store Saturday night, and the fellers was general agreed that they ain't no way we can live these days without running afoul of rules we don't understand. Zeke Grubb said if a feller stayed in bed all day they probable would come out with a tax on all sleep over six hours a night. Practical speaking, Mister Editor, lawyers Is like they say about wimmen, we can't live with em and we can't live without em. Fer instant, I'd like to see a Jaw that says all eating places has got to furnish a good supply of wood toothpicks, and I'd have to find me a real sharp lawyer to git the idee going. Another law I'd favor is one agin all neckties, or at least a amendment that would allow a feller to wear two ties in the winter and not have to wear one in hot weather. Clem Webster come down strong on my side on both counts. And a law that Clem would add to the list is one that would make barbershops stock a few up to date magazines. He said he was waiting fer a trim the other day and read this piece where drycleaners say 55 per cent of necktie stains is caused by gravy. Clem said they ain't thut many folks that can afford enuff meat to make that much gravy these days. Personal, Mister Editor, the only time I wear a necktie is to church, and I can't ever figger if it's cutting off my wind or the preacher is hitting to close fer comfort. Yours truly, MAYOR SOY. Sen. Hatfield's v big joke By LESTER KINSOLVING An anti-abortion amendment to the U. S. Constitution has been introduced by the unlikely twosome of Senators James Buckley (Conservative-N.Y.) and Mark O. Hatfield, Oregon's usually liberal Republican Senior Senator. This proposed amendment (co-sponsored by Senators Hughes of Iowa, Bennett of Utah, Curtis of Nebraska and Bartlett of Oklahoma) was promptly denounced by Notre Dame law professor and anti-abortion leader Charles Rice, as being: "Fatally ambiguous, because it avoids the clear cut term 'moment of conception' . . . Instead, it opens the door to the morning-after pill. . ." The proposed Buckley-Hatfield Amendment specifies that "Unborn offspring at every stage of their development" are "human beings" as well as "persons," as the term person is mentioned in the 5th and 14th Amendments. Even more astounding than this proposal to bestow U. S. citizenship upon all American embryos is the amendment's provision whereby this very same citizenship-in-utero may be arbitrarily (and even temporarily) canceled: "This Article shall not apply in an emergency (undefined) when a reasonable medical certainty (How can a certainty be unreasonable?) exists that continuation of the pregnancy will cause the death (instantaneous? eventual? probable suicide?) of the mother." That this proposed amendment is not only ambiguous but a pinnacle of absurdity as well was clearly demonstrated at the Southern Baptist Convention in Portland, by Senator Hatfield, in person. The attractive and generally intelligent senator was asked during a press conference about the attempt of one young Pennsylvanian to run for the state legislature - byt petitioning a court to declare him eligible under the age requirement - on grounds that he had been conceived in time. (Hatfield: "I never thought about that.") Would the senator be willing to introduce legislation providing tax exemption for all "unborn children" - and requiring their mothers to procure extra passports while pregnant and abroad? (Hatfield: "No.") Senator Hatfield, a devout Baptist, has become a'regular speaker - sometimes preacher - at church conventions, and even at Mayor Richard Daley's Prayer Breakfast in Chicago. He was, therefore, asked just how one of these embryonic citizens can be baptized if it is too tiny to determine its sex -or even to be seen with the naked eye? Hatfield: "I'm from a tradition that doesn't practice infant baptism." (This thigh-slapper - from a senator who, presumably, expects to be taken seriously on the very serious issue of abortion - got a lot of laughs.) From a more serious vantage point than Oregon's funny . senior senator, the Jesuit magazine America, as well as the Catholic-edited magazine Commonweal, have both taken a very dim view of supporting either this Buckley-Hatfield amendment, or total prohibition amendments offered by Maryland Congressmen Lawrence Hogan and North ; Carolina Senator Jesse Helms. Notes Commonweal: "The 'official' church response to the Supreme Court decision (on abortion) has been an embarrassment; episcopal fulminations and full-page dead-fetus pictures in the diocesan press." "But now the judges and the legislators know that the bishops, with a few exceptions, are no longer strong moral or political leaders. They lost theit credibility by their, dogmatic opposition to birth control." "What should the church do now? ... Support responsible birth control so people will learn to decide about a child before it is conceived." w - r It b best to read the weather forecasts before we pray for rain. (Mark Twain)
