Heppner gazette-times., March 20, 1975, Image 1

BESSIE WET2ELL
U OF ORE
NEWSPAPER LIB
EUGENE OR 0 7 403
The legislature
lominer explains controversial bills
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JACK SUMNER
"I would like to tell you of lome of the activities I am
involved in, and of some of the bills I have Introduced in the
Legislature, and the reason why," State Representative Jack
Sumner told the Chamber of Commerce Monday.
Sumner is a member of the Joint Ways and Means
Committee of the Oregon Legislature and was recently
appointed to the Emergency Board filling a vacancy created
by the election of Les AuColn to the Senate. He is also serving
his first year as chairman of a subcommittee dealing with
general government.
"The measures that come before us are Introduced by you
people," said Sumner, "and are referred to committees for
approval or changes. They are passed on to the Senate and
the House for their approval, then to the governor for his
signature,"
The Joint Ways and Means Committee is made up of
members of both the House and the Senate, while other
subcommittees are composed of either members of the
House or Senate.
At present he has meetings In the morning lasting until
noon and then meetings In the afternoon lasting until about
3:30 p.m. When the afternoon session ends he has phone calls
to make, which usually take the remainder of the day. "With
so much time spent in meetings, we hardly ever get a chance
lo see the public who is paying the bill," he said.
Speaking on the four controversial measures introduced by
Sumner, namely: Repeal of collective bargaining between
teachers and school boards; repeal of the teacher tenure bill,
collective bargaining at a state level with the state paying the
bill: and a measure prohibiting teachers from serving in the
legislature.
In repealing the collective bargaining between school
boards and teachers would enable school boards to spend
more time on issues rather than those of teachers and their
salaries.
In asking for a repeal of the teachers tenure bill, many
qualified leachers feel they have to support some personnel
who are not presently carrying their load. Many teachers do
not want tenure, as it is almost impossible to fire a teacher
once tenure has been established. "About the only way
possible to fire a teacher is to terminate his job, then all that
remains is for the teacher to go to another district and ask
that his job be re-instated. At present, teachers sign a
contract with the school board for another term; however, if
they choose to resign they may do so by contacting the school
board 90 days before school starts, and have their contract
pulled. Teachers can quit by giving 45 days notice prior to the
school term with no obligation to the school board," Sumner
observed.
If a state agency were responsible for the collective
bargaining of the teachers, and all salaries were basically
the same on a state-wide level, this would allow school boards
more time to act on more important issues. Teachers
salaries have doubled within recent years, and this year their
salaries appear to be on the increase, yet their salaries are
not on a state wide level. To sell the idea of salaries on a state
level would cost about $480 million; however, if the state paid
the tab with the various counties paying their fair share, this
could eliminate a lot of problems.
"At present there are 16 teachers in the legislature. As with
most professions there comes a time when there is an influx
of a certain profession in the legislature, and this needs to be
changed. With the present 16 teachers there are also their
husbands and wifes. so instead of 16 votes being cast there
are 32 votes cast. It would be better to have a variety of
persons in the legislature rather than teachers. If their terms
expire they can always go back to teaching," he added.
Dr. Wallace Wolff, M.D.. told Sumner that Umatilla and
Morrow Counties have taken the responsibility away from
the physician on malpractice suits. "Malpractice has gotten
out of hand, putting doctors out of business," said Dr. Wolff.
"In the State of New York some physicians and surgeons are
having to pay as much as $25,000 for malpractice insurance
per year," he said.
"In the State of Oregon, orthopedic and neurosurgeons are
paying as much as $9,000 per year for insurance. The doctor
has two alternatives. If he is close to retirement age he
retires. If not, he must add the cost of his insurance to the
patients' fees, and what does this do to his fees?"
"In a short while there may be four doctors practicing in
Morrow County, and with the amount of surgery these
doctors will perform they will have to pay an estimated
$16,000 for malpractice insurance, with the added cost passed
on to the public. As it now stands, many doctors will not
perform surgery, so they will not have to pass the added
expense on to their patients. A system should be worked out
that is both feasible and practical to the public," Wolff
explained.
Something feasible should be worked out where if two
patients sue two separate doctors for the same injury, both of
them would receive the same compensation. As it stands
today, one may receive a small fortune and the other patient
not receive any compensation at all, Wolff pointed out.
"The present system is not practical for the patient, as in
some cases the patient is entitled to compensation for an
injury, yet doesn't receive any.
Sumner responded by saying. "A bill has been introduced
where patients may be treated on the same level as those
receiving workmen's compensation benefits, where most
patients can be treated as employees." Another solution
would be to limit the amount of the suit filed against a doctor,
he said.
Sumner spoke briefly on the use of 2, 4D, saying that $90,000
has been set aside by the Department of Agriculture for the
slates of Washington and Oregon to continue further testing
during spraying time. A decision should be reached Friday
on the use of 2. 4D. and if the law goes into effect it will be
retroactive to Feb. 1, 1975.
Sumner also stated that he sees no reason why the
legislature should not be able to conclude its session by May
15 without the need for special sessions during the summer.
Next week's speaker at the Chamber of Commerce will be
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Martin. lone, who will show slides of their
recent trip to the Holy Land, which should be appropriate for
the Easter Season.
School levy wins
Morrow County residents went to the polls Tuesday and by
a margin of 57 voles passed the Morrow County School
District budget of $2,272,309 for (he fiscal year 1975-76.
The final tally of the county showed 290 yes votes against
211 nn voles, with the Boardman and Irrigon carrying the
budget by a near 21 vote.
A breakdown of the precincts follows;
V.VM
THE
Hii.irdinan
lone
Heppner
Irrignn
Lexington
Total
Yes
n
52
114
43
21
2M
No
28
55
9S
23
34
233
Elected to the Morrow County School Board were Irvin
ftatirh and Harold Snider. Winning post on the school
diw.ry committee were Virginia Grieb and Ron
Hague-wood, Heppner Lexington area, and Mike Palmer for
tin- lone area In the Boardmantrrigon area Kenneth
Hinadlx-n!. Barbara Hug and Franeine Evans were elected
tnpoMf innson the school adv isory committee All candidates
.,..V.'!'..rM!WM
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GENE PIERCE and Howard Bryant watch as Monty Evans
places a brand on a block of wood. Each person who brought
in a branding iron received a $5 donation from the Bank of
Eastern Oregon to the charity of his choice. Evans set 66
brands in wooden blocks during the bank's opening.
GAZETTE-TIMES
Vol.92, NO. 5
Heppner, Ore., Mar. 20, 1975
15c
School board sets 75-76 calendar
The Morrow County School
Board established the school
calendar for 1975-76 at its
Monday evening board meet
ing. Difficuliy was experienced
in trying to arrive at 177
student days and a total of 189
teacher days. School will
begin on Sept. 2. Christmas
vacation will begin at 1:30
p.m. on Dec. 23 and school will
resume on Jan. 5. Spring
vacation is again scheduled
for the fourth week in March
to coincide with college spring
vacations. School will end on
May 2H. 1976. Teachers will
have four half-day inservice
days during the year. The
board stressed that the days
not 1)0 work days scheduled at
the end of grading periods, but
inservice training days as
established during contract
negotiations with teachers.
Requests for unscheduled
field trips were again approv
ed by the (ward. Board
mem Ikts expressed the opin
ion that next year board policy
on field trips needs to be
rewritten. It was pointed out
that certain field trips, often
the belter ones, have not been
scheduled at the time the
field-trip section of the budget
is draw n up. The board agreed
that priorities need to be
established in terms of the
type of field trip as it relates to
courses taught and those trips
for which students need to
raise money to pay for the
trip.
Three music field trips were
requested and approved. On
April 18 Jim Ackley will take
the Heppner High School Band
to the Oregon Band Festival in
Corvallis. On April 19 he and
Mr. Buckendorf will take 65 to
70 band and chorus junior high
students, from Heppner Ele
mentary, to the Tri-Cities Jazz
Festival. lone High School
Band and chorus students will
travel to Warner-Pacific Col
lege, in Portland, April 30 and
May 1, to observe music
classes and participate in
music clinics. Enroute, they
will give a concert at Cascade
Locks High School.
The board approved a
.change in graduation require
ments for the county's high
schools. A total of 22 credits
will now be required for
MOV1KS TO BE SHOWN
AT IIKPI'NER HIGH
The Heppner High School
Student body will present two
movies Friday, April 4, at the
High School Cafetorium.
The movies are High Noon
and Les Mans, with the first
feature starting at 7 p.m.
Admission is $1 for adults
and 75 cents for grade school
students.
graduation rather than the 21
previously required. Only one
physical education credit had
been required. The board
Approved a second physical
education requirement.
' ' The board approved a long
range plan for kindergarten
through grade 12 career
education. Advisory commit
tees have been appointed for
three vocational clusters in
the district. The members of
the Heppner vocational agri
cull lire are Gary Grieb. Fritz
Culsforth. Ken Wright, Larry
"Mi!ls and Cliff Green. Advisor
of this cluster is Hall Whit-aker.
Walt Pilgrim is the advisor
for the Heppner secretarial,
clerical cluster. Committee
members are Lib Daggett.
Nona Sou el I. Mary Bryant
and Oista Venard. Committee
mem Iters for the lone secre
tarial, clerical cluster are
.Juno Crowell. Paul Pettyjohn.
Gene Rielmann. Karen Pal
mer and Donna Fetsch. Advi-,
sor for that cluster is Bob
Roital. Committees for the
Riverside agriculture and
secretarial, clerical clusters
are being appointed. A cluster
consists of a series of related
courses developed to give a
rounded view of a particular
career field.
The board voted to sell a
piece of property in lone to
Mr. and Mrs. Slein for $225.
Because the board had to buy
back the property once before,
w hen it was supposedly sold to
another party, it voted to sell
Ihis time by bargain and sale
deed wilh no warranty provid
ed. The board granted an ease
ment request made by the City
of Heppner to dig water lines
on disiricl property. Several
board members commented
thai the request was coming
kite.
Sup!. Matt Doherty reported
that pending legislation con
corning basic school support
looked as if it would pass. The
legislation, if passed, would
add SS2.390 in school support
monies to the district,
decreasing county taxes
approximately 50 cents per
SI. nno valuation. Board mem
ber Jack Sumner told the
board that it looked as if the
bill would pass. He expressed
the opinion that it is possibly
one of the better pieces of
legislation to come of the
current legislative session.
'Continued on page 2)
Lions Club sponsors Grand Old Opry star
Pat Roberts show
here Sunday
Recording Star Pat Roberts will bring his show to Heppner
High School Sunday, March 23, beginning at 4 p.m.
Also on the program are the Country Bugs, musical family
group. Roberts' rise to fame began June 9, 1973 when he stepped
out on to the stage at Ry man Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.,
the storied Grand Ole Opry. The spotlight picked out a
handsome young man in his mid 20s. He strummed his guitar
and started singing his hit single: "Listen to the rhythm of
the fallin' rain ..."
For a young singer in the country field, the Grand Ole Opry
is the Palace of vaudeville days, Broadway, the Las Vegas
Strip all rolled into one. Pat Roberts, standing on the stage
that was scuffed by the boots of Hank Williams, Red Foley,
all the greats of country music, had fulfilled one dream. He
was the first singer from the pacific Northwest to star on that
stage.
The Grand Ole Opry Spring of Pat Roberts quickly turned
into a Summer' of Stardom.
"Rhythm of the Rain," his first Dot record, was a national
hit. This was followed by "Thanks For Lovin' Me," another
big one for young Roberts. With the hits starting to roll out,
could an album be far behind? Nope. "This is Pat Roberts,"
produced by George Richey in Nashville, introduced the full
range of the versatile Roberts sound to the country.
It also spawned another single record, "I'm Gonna' Keep
Searching," another record that immediately broke into all
national charts as a top seller.
The Pat Roberts on the album is a singer of country songs
in a crystal-clear voice that takes every nuance from a
ballad, a young man who sings of love with a young man's
optimism and a young man's despair. "This Is Pa
Roberts" introduces a talented musician whose roots tie i
the rich, black soil of the Pacific Northwest and whose tale.it
rises as high as the Douglas fir of his homeland.
Pat was born in Seattle. His dad, Walt Roberts, was a
country music fan who last June took his first airplane
ride to Nashville to hear Pat sing on the Grand Ole Opry.
While he was growing up, Pat could look up to his uncle,
Jack Roberts, a country music star in the Northwest who now
is one of the nation's leading producers of country music
shows.
The youngest Roberts grew up with a guitar in his hand and
like many of his contemporaries, first found expression with
a rock-folk band put together in high school. Then he put in a
tour in the Air Force where he supplemented his airman's
pay with nighttime performances wherever he was
stationed. By then, though, rock was behind him. Pat Roberts
had gone back to his country roots.
Following his discharge from the Air Force, he started
playing the Northwest with his Uncle Jack's Drifters.
It was kind of tough at first," Pat recalled recently.
"There were the former musicians who had played for years
with the Drifters and I was pretty young. But there can be
only one leader and I had to be it."
Pat built his experience, step by step, playing lodges, small
fairs, a few clubs, honing his already sharp talent in front of a
variety of audiences. Today he's equally adept at a smart
supper club, on the concert stage with the Merle Haggard
Show (as he w as recently ) or at fairs throughout the country.
Pat and his w ife still make their home in Seattle when he's
not commuting to Nashville for a recording session, to the
southwest to work a concert date, to any number of cities to
perform.
The Pat Roberts Show is sponsored in Heppner by the
Heppner Lions Club. Advance tickets at $3.50 are available at
Peterson's Jewelers, Gardner's Men's Store and Murray's
Drug. Tickets sold at the door are $4.
oD M H
cl If CiX
o
PAT ROBERTS