Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 1974)
'Th cccidcntcl candidate' Harshman finds- himself running for office For a man who wasn't running for any public office, Everett Harshman did very well in last Tuesday's primary election. He received 61 write-in votes for Morrow County tax assessor on the Democratic Party ballot, which qualifies him to have his name on the November ballot if he ac cepts the nomination. V ; ' EVERETT HARnjUy Wafer improvement bonds sold locally A bid by the Bank of Eastern Oregon on Heppner's $450,000 Water Improvement Bonds w as approved unanimously by the Heppner Common Council Monday night. Previous sale of the bond had to be nullified after legal complications arose over certain provisions in the city charter. The City of Heppner came close to losing it's bond issuing powers since the city charter calls for bonds to be sold with an interest rate of less than 6 per cent. Mayor Sweeney noted at the meeting that this 6 per cent limitation is "totally unrealistic in today's banking world." The bank cut the margin close in its bid, which was set at slightly more than 5,98 per cent interest. The city charter should updated before the next occasion to sell bonds. In other action Monday night L.E. Dick asked the council to investigate some of the construction work cur rently being performed at the new Evergreen Terrece sub division. Dick said he has had problems talking with anyone who could give him an answer as to "what w as going on there behind my house." Dick said that neither the ex-city street superintendent, the city en gineer or the city council could answer his questions. "They have cut off access to the back of my iot and cut off mv view." said Dick, "and Question of money Uncertain fate for hospital BvI.lZCt'HTIS Morrow County voters re jected the $65,000 hospital levy by a vote of 703 to 495 in the May 28 election. Response by officials concerning (he fate of Pioneer Memorial Hospital is, "We don't know yet. We're working on the budge! now. We'll know more after the county budget committee meeting. It doesn't look good." The hospital board met with the county court Friday, May 31. The court instructed the board to make cuts in its But he also received 80 write-in votes for the asses sor's office on the Republican ballots. He will accept the nomina tion, he told the Gazette-Times Friday. "I would never have run for the assessor's office," he said, "but with that many people wanting to make the race, I wouldn't feel right if I didn't." I'm not sure they can alter the grade of the public street without a permit from the city which specifies exactly what they're doing." Mayor Sweeney said that since City Engineer Steve Anderson would be in Heppner Tuesday he and several members of the council would look into the problems of construction on the hill and notify Dick of the council's next move. Sweeney also noted in the discussion that other property owners have complained of dirt being rolled into backyards and other annoyances caused by the construction. The state highway depart ment requested the council to alter the present ordinance which restricts the size of petroleum deliveries to 1200 gallons. It asked permission to construct at a future date a 10.000-gallon petroleum de posit which would allow 8.000-gallon transports to enter the city. The council approved a resolution asking the city attorney to draw up an amendment which would cover the department need. In a letter to the council. Claude Petty of lone sent in a bid for the re-surfacing of the city hall roof. Petty said in the letter that while he was working on the roof of the town fire hall he noticed the roof on city hall needed work. Petty budget and return to the county budget committee meeting scheduled for June 6 at 7:30 a.m. Nothing is definite until after the Thursday meeting. Ilene Wyman, hospital ad ministrator, said she was "sick" at the outcome of the vote. "The county court has instructed us to cut our budget, but there are very few places we can do this. State and federal regulations are forcing our budget up. The requirements are feasible for larger operations than ours. We don't have the volume to He said he knew nothing about an organized effort to write his name on the ballot for assessor. "Something like this is pretty hard to keep out of the gossip." The 61-year-old rancher businessman knows "just about every foot of ground in this county," having done everything from herding sheep in the mountains for about 15 years and working 14 years with the Morrow County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, during which time he measured most farms in the county. The Harshmans own and operate a 700-acre ranch eight miles up Willow Creek. They raise about SO head of cattle on the irrigated pasture and rangeland. Mrs.. Elma Harshman, the former Elma McDaniel whom he married in 1933, operates Elma's Dress Shop and Elma's Flower Shop in Heppner. The couple have three children, Gay, 40, who lives with the Harshmans with his two sons; Mrs. Sandra Rill, the wife of a farmer at Eight Mile; and Tresa, 23, a secretary and receptionist for a Portland hardware com pany. Everett Harshman was born in Pendleton and moved with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Harshman, to Morrow County when he was 8 years old. His mother was a Sperry, who homesteaded land near Parker's mill above Hard man. The Sperry family also operated a stage stop on the Arlington to John Day freight route. Everett's grandfather homesteaded at Morgan, the place where Jody Morrison now lives. said he would do the work on the roof for $500 including materials. Petty noted that this offer would only be good for 30 days due to the rising cost of petroleum products. The council voted to have Hubert Wilson view the roof and make a recommendation as to the roof's need of repair. The council left further action on the repair to City Recorder Marshall Lovgren. Councilman Bob Jones gave a report on the possibility of updating the city's pool table law. Ordinance 158. Jones said the ordinance would be im possible to amend and that it should be abolished since it hasn't been recently well enforced. The ordinance was put into effect in 1916 and has such provisions as allowing no liquor to be served in pool halls, allowing no minors, and closure on Sundays. "Need less to say. the ordinance is outdated." said Jones. The council agreed to abolish the law but intends to set up a new pool table-place of amusement ordinance which would require permits. In final action, Randy Lott appeared again to question certain problems which have held up building permit is suance in the Lott-Rassmus-sen addition. The council agreed to research the files on the Lott construction prob lems and re-affirm the city's official stand on the matter. meet these costs, but we must meet the requirements any way." Requirements causing the soaring costs are mostly for the nursing home section of the hospital. More personnel is being required. Aides will no longer be allowed to perform housekeeping chores. A social director and therapist are being required for the nursing home. Mrs. Wyman indicated that these people might pos sibly be hired on a part-time basis. She is currently ne gotiating this with the State (Continued on page 6) The Harshmans have lived on the Willow Creek ranch since 1963. Previously, they owned a cattle and wheat ranch at Hardman, running registered Hereford cattle on their 3,500 acres and 7,000 acres of leased land. They sold the ranch in 1954 and in 1955 bought a motel at Port Angeles, which they operated for three years. They returned THE GAZ Vol. 91, No. 16 Daniels gets Ron Daniels, Morrow County Superintendent of Schools, has been named president of Blue Mountain Community College at Pen dleton. . He was selected at a meeting of the board of directors Monday night to succeed Walter McCrae, who has headed the college since its founding 12 years ago. Arnold Seeborg, dean of students, told the Gazette Times Tuesday morning that Daniels was chosen from 166 applicants from 35 states and British Columbia, and that he was one of the few aspirants who does not have a Ph. D. degree. The directors felt, Seeborg said, that Daniel's special administrative qualifications, plus his high popularity in the area, gave him a special edge over other applicants. He is expected to assume duties of the president's office some time in July. Council tightens trailer rules The Heppner City Council met briefly Thursday night for a bookkeeping session which resulted in the passage of several resolutions. Two of the three resolutions which needed council action for the National Flood Insur ance Program had already been approved, and the third was approved at the meeting. The "A" resolution which was passed dealt with flood plain management and flood in surance requirements. A letter to the council from Shockman Bros., contractors, Hermiston, contained a bid of $4,349 lor razing the burned out building remains on Main Street. It was pointed out that this cost would tentatively be divided among the three property owners involved, James Hager. The Bank of Eastern Oregon and Everett Harshman. The council a greed that if one of the property owners did not wish to cooperate with this plan that the city would pay the reluctant owner's payment and put a lien on the property to regain the funds. In other action the council discussed the hiring of a new city street superintendent to replace Bert Corbin who abandoned the job last week. Turner Foundation board to meet The Lilian C. Turner Foun dation board will meet Sat urday. June 8. at the Lexing ton Grange Hall, starting with a 6:30 p.m. pot luck dinner. Lilian Cochran Turner was born in 1886 in Shutler Flat (now in Gilliam County), the daughter of Samuel and Teresa Cochran. On Dec. 25, 1909 she was married to Frank Turner. Mrs. Turner belonged to the pioneer breed of self-taught teachers as she instructed hundreds of students through out Morrow County from 1925 until her retirement in 1943., Former students attest to her dedication as an educator. At the time of her death in to Morrow County in 1959 and bought the dress shop, the ranch in 1963 and the flower shop in 1969. Just before World War II, he worked in a Portland shipyard for a year. Harshman says he has no special qualifications for the assessor's office. "I am a farmer and businessman; am against high taxes, which I probably can't do anything ETTE Ifit Heppner, Ore., Thursday, June Daniels has been in Morrow County for the past 13 years, first serving as principal of Riverside School. For the past seven years he has been Superintendent of Morrow County Schools. Prior to coming to Morrow County he was superintendent of Harper, Idaho, high and elementary schools. He received his educaton at the College of Idaho, Caldwell. The 40-year-old educator administrator and his wife, Eileen, have three children: Pam, 16. Vicki. 13, and Scott, 10. The girls are students at Riverside; the boy at Irrigon. Daniels will stay on as superintendent here until there is an orderly transition of work to his successor. The school board will meet tonight to begin the process of selecting a new superinten dent. He and his family will move to Pendleton when housing ' can be secured there and the The council agreed that the personnel and budget com mittees would investigate the increasing of Marshall Lov gren's salary as he will be dividing his time between the street superintendent's job and city recorder's job. The council's final action centered on stiffening of trailer house use permits within the city limits. It had been noted that the permits were not being properly used and penalties for misuse were not being enforced. The coun cil established a resolution to correct future difficulties. The council's new resolution basically states that any time a trailer home of any length is moved on or off property within the city limits, the city must be notified of the action. Included in the resolution are provisions that every new trailer must have a permit and cannot use the permit granted to the previous lot resident. A fine of not more than $100 will be imposed for violators of the new ordi nance. The resolution provisions apply and its only to trailer homes which are to be hooked up to city sewer and water utilities. 1948. a bond was found in her belongings which she desig nated was to be used to further Morrow County students' education. A foundation was formed shortly thereafter with the requirement that voting dele gates must be former Lilian C. Turner students. Members were assessed dues and staged money-making pro jects to add to the original sum. The foundation has been inactive in recent years as applications have not been made. However, this year it has received requests which will be reviewed. about. But I have worked for wages, known the headaches of farming and ranching, and , suffered the problems of the businessman," he said. He is still a standby ap praiser for the ASCS, and recently attended a training school for appraisers in Spo kane. He is called upon for appraisals in cases of disas ter, and has done appraisals in B1CC Daniels home in Boardman is sold. "I cannot announce any plans for policies to be carried out as president of Blue Mountain Community Col lege," Daniels said, "but it is not too soon to point out that I will be working to improve the role of the community college in providing correlation with high schools in the two-county district in the matter of graduation requirements. I feel there must be more Inter-agency group Representatives of city and county governments met with leaders of county service and volunteer groups Tuesday to form an inter-agency board in an attempt to coordinate efforts among the county's organizations. A steering committee had been previously formed After discussion concerning the need for this type of board was discussed by members of the steering committee, it was agreed to set up the board. County Planner Del Smith was appointed chairman of the group, and Liz Curtis of the American Association of Uni versity Women was appointed vice-chairman. Birdine Tullis of the Oregon State Extension Service was elected secretary. The board of directors includes Don Cole, represent ing local schools and the t I J n 1 Tf , f! K si r 7 ('..; K 0 ; - Washington and California. He will conduct an active campaign for the assessor's office, which carries a salary this year of approximately . $9,700. . Harshman has no criticism for the incumbent assessor, Mrs. Joyce Bergstrom. "She has always treated me with courtesy and cooperation, and I think much of the criticism TIMES 6, 1974 presidency communication between high school graduates and the college." , Daniels said he was en thusiastic about the job at Blue Mountain. "It's partly because BMCC is one of the better educational facilities in Eastern Oregon. But I have mixed emotions about leaving Morrow County. I have been here 13 years, and I have made many friends. We have special problems in terms of growth, and I have guilt Lion's Club of Heppner; Ray Boyce, representing the city council; Lindsay Kincaid for lone and the lone Lions Club; Howard House of the Irrigon Lions Club; Gene Orwick, representing the City of Lex ington; Carolyn Davis of the, Juvenile Department for the county; Elva Sanders, for the city council of Irrigon; and Gene Trumball for the city of Boardman. It was suggested that the group could work together to reduce duplication of pro grams, and could serve as a strong unified body to ac complish goals in the county. One specific need discussed extensively by the group was the problem of obtaining a doctor for the area. It was hoped that the group could serve as an auxilary committee to the county court . i f f - CAi-' . VN U i in Dorothy and Clint Agee, above were honored at a family potluck farewell party at the Elks Club, May 29. More than 150 friends, students and faculty attended and presented the Agces with a money tree as a parting gift. The Agees were active in school and other community affairs, and are moving to South Dakota. Mary McLeod was chairman of the affair. directed at her actually comes from state laws and regula tions over which she has no control." He has no idea what changes would be made should he be elected. "All I . can promise is to be as fair to everybody as the law allows." One thing he will not do to be elected; he will not make speeches! feelings about leaving them unresolved. But I have a responsibility to my family, educationally and financially, and an opportunity like this one doesn't come very often. "I appreciate the fine co operation I have received during my 13 years here, which was my reason for staying in Morrow County. The staff, teachers and the people have made my tenure so enjoyable that I was not interested in other superin tendences." formed and the hospital board in gaining a doctor. As Jim Bier said. "We're ready to go to work, but we don't know what to do." One project the group has sought to establish was the opening of an office in the north end of the county for the county agencies to use. This has been already accom plished through the county court, and an office for the county has been set up in Irrigon. Another goal of the group is the possibility of setting up car pools from Heppner to the north county areas. It was agreed that Mrs. Tullis would draw up a calendar which would show month-by-month when members of various agencies would be traveling so that rides could be shared to save taxpayers money. i ! l lif : ; - I I "4 f-' m i v
