Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1975)
BESSIE WETZELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB EUGENE OR 07403 IN Whsttodo? Heppner merchants sliov; concern about recent bad check cases t4 p ft May get costly New city reservoir location in doubt Over .1 H-r toil of lime the ciiv allornov's office and the Cii Fngmecr have tried l negniiaie with the Patker lioMnil i i m it ,i 1 1 1 ,f i fur ihi' trwiwiir site near the high si In ml and we him now H'.ii hi d an impasse." said M.l V lit Surrlll'l. speaking Indue the llrpiinrr (umimui I 'mini it mi Miuiil.n infill ' U lalk jiImiuI deadline nine in a while and llns is a (Iradlinc," inniiiiued Mayor Nwi n' . as Ihe newl formed nruoliaimn committee coin Iuim'iI of Itnlx-il Jones. Hay ltn e and Jnil Rogers will h.ive In siititnii firm figures lo the roiini il In April 14 The rnminilli-c is In meet with ii ii('setilaiixes of the Parker llnMiiti (oi nii anon in an I'lloi t to negotiate tin1 terms of the n-scnoir sile (in April Hi, the bid for Ihe reset win has to be awarded, and il il Is not awarded it will ciisi the coiiiiiiunilx thousands nl dollars, wiih Ihe pussiliilily ol iii-M't gelling u reservoir." said Sweeney The contractor who submit led the low hid was $i; ,"iiK) lower than Ihe next low bidder for the protect and if Ihe pinied has to lie resubmitted, he will probably raise his puce ii'i jiHi Sweeney continued. "To 1'i-Mibmil Ihe bids. Mr, Ander son tells mo will conserva tively cost Ihe city SUNK), this include Ihe necessary adver tising and to revise Ihe job." So if it goes Ix-yond the April Hi deadline, we have lost JHi.nmi plus we have lost 30 davs of woi k lime Sweeney cnnlinued. "There is also Hie possibility of never receiving another bid as this one. for Ihe lime elemenl would make it impossible to gel Ihe same type of bid." 'Whether we gel the reser voir or nnl tlconds on reaching a negotiated agree ment with Ihis corporation by April 1.1. and il would have lo lie signed by them." said Sweeney. "If neilher party can reach an agreement thai is fair and equitable lo Ihe City as well a Ihe Parker llosmil corpora lion, then under the judicial system of the State of Oregon, a Judge would decide the case, mid you w ill be bound by what he lolls you," said Sweeney, "We are spending the lax payers money and Ihe council should bear In mind thai their duly is lo the laxpayr firsl. All wo can do Is hope a -'t vir t ' ',y, .. XLf v -Vjx. i V 1 Jf V i i ision is reached prior lo the sh-ci:iI meeting ol April 14 Al that tune eveiv thing rims! be siiMied by hold parlies " said Svti-enev Council members met wilh npii'MiilahMs of the cor mi.ilinii last niglil iWcdnes il.iv i lo negotiate Ihe terms Tbev were represented by Sieve Vndi rsoii cily engineer and In counsel al that tune Three allocation and repair h-i mils ueie approved by ihe count il 1 1 1 alteration to place Mocl siding on home of Arnold Spiiiiger. 54 V Jones Si . esti mated cost when completed Iki 2 alteration of Ma some building for Ihe expan sion of (Jardner's Mens Store, estimated cost when complel e s", mm ri construct f,K replace roof on dwelling of Robert Scliuntan. 315 landcn Wav estimated cosl M.TiiKl Coiinly Planner David Moon apix-aied beloce Ihe council and lold Ihe council thai l.iiluie lo piesenl Ihe Cily Planning Commission will) plans lor Ihe new clinic site was an oversight on his pad He llimighl Ihe approval of the building siii by Ihe common council wilh the recom mendation of the planning commission, was sufficient However, the city gave their approval wilh the stipulation thai plans for the proposed building site to approved by ihe pi. iniiiiig commission The plans wore presented recently to the planning commission and Ihey plan lo meet this week In approve Ihe plans, Consi ruction has started on the new clinic sile Reappraisal llillKleler and Bill Phillips have finished the reappraisal of Ihe residential pioperlies in Heppner The time required was a hlllo over I.ikh) man limn s of work divided between Iwo appraisers and a compu Inr assistant , A study of twenlysevon sales showed a tolal sales value of $.l92.7iio which had lieen assessed at $271,080. Accordingly, those sales Indi cated lhal the present value averages 145 per conl of Ihe original assessed value. In some Instances, bare land sales Indicated Inequities In the assessed values of the land which were corroded. Newer f-V , " W - - - - BLOOMING TRF.ES herald the arrival of spring. Area residents are anxiously awaiting warmer weather and blossoming trees thiit will soon appear locally. The rilv colored into an ai'iieiiienl with Richard Peck lor the removal of waste material I mm I ho present city iiiiiii The following stipula tions ,iiih lo Ihe agreement pie-i-nteil iii Peck for his ippioval Ihe terms, a roa sonahic length ol lime roipur ed lo cestui e ihe land in its i-Msiini; condition, be s)eci hod ami also the dump he cleaied ol all debris and s,il arable mail-rial, includ ing wire, tin cans. etc. The pieseni dump when cleaned iiiusi meet ihe requirements of Ihe DKt) II possible nego tiations will be made lo deed ihe ciiv dump lo Ihe county ami lo allow Ihe county to negotiate with Pel k The council voled in lav or of i. using ihe water and sewer rales willnn Ihe cily of lloppiicr olleclive July I The new rales for water will he raised one dollar )er month, I loin 5o lo $:i,5u per month with no exclusion for senior ciiiens. and Ihe sewer rales will he increased from $2 00 to ;? Mi mt month The added revenue will go Inward Ihe general fund i i'Hirl fi nm the director of Menial Health. Terri llirni was read asking Ihe cily for liinils in Ihe future for the (Missible hiring of another psvclinlngisi to help Ihe pre sent director. The letter was tabled unt il a later meeting vv lien ihe council can decide on I be exiia amount of funds available for Ihe required wni k Cily Kngineer. Steve Ander son commented on the pos sible reconstruction of a new complete homes increased in assessed value a htile more than the average, whereas Ihe older homes increased a little less than the average. In some instances greater increases In assessed value reflected ex tensive remodeling or addi tions to the dwelling. Kleter and Phillips each express their appreciation of the (Miiples emigration In Ihe re -inspection of their homes. The incidence of superficial insM'clions is less than S per cent . The complete records of Ihe Morrow County Assessors office were of special benofil as well ns the cooperation of Ihe assessor and his personnel "t i 'i i ' ill iriiin'iiii brnli'e no Morgan Sit eel. and gave an esiunalod cost of v. mm for Ihe construction of a new concrete bridge if federal luiuls are available lo pay Ihe remainder of the costs Fed eral binds wtll pay for 90 per cent ol ihe construction and ihe cost lo ihe city for the n mauling In pec cent will amount lo ft. nuo Anderson also -xiinicd out lhal Ihe existing bridge could possibly lie repaired h ihe city crews, however. Ihe bridge is narrow and (x-rhaps in another three veais would require more oiense and maintenance A lei lor ol assurance was read lo the council from P.icilic Northwest Bell slating that thev ami Iheir contractors are Imnded and Ihey see no reason why they should have lo xisi an additional $1,000 IhuhI lor Ihe work Ihey are planning lo complete in (he area Cily Attorney. Robert Ah ciiiis. mint mod the council lhal quick results were achieved when Pacific North west Bell had boon notified I hex would Ik required lo post bonds for work wilhin Ihe city limns He also recommended ihe council accept the letter of assurance and forego the 'Misting of the $1,000 bond. The Chief of Police report lor the month of March consisted of the following: arrests. I. reckless driving, It: minor in possession. I: disorderly conduct. 41 Money collected from parking meters Sl'17 45 Rolx-rl l-owe. representing Pioneer Memorial Hospital, asked Ihe council for a slop sign to be placed near the vicinity of Thompson St., and the road In Ihe subdivision, as some of Ihe residents are driving at excessive speeds, l-nwc also requested a sign wilh Ihe words "Slow" and "Quiol" bo placed near the hospital rone. He also requested Ihe city Investigate the ossihility of widening the road near the hospital adja cent lo the Rev. Godin's house In help alleviate the traffic problem. 1-owe recommended Ihe city widen the street on the hospital side four feet. He luri her asked that the new pavement be sealed as there are many cracks and a seal coal would prevent any furth er damage to the roadway, hiwe further recommended Ihe city locale and identify all cily waler valves within the (Continued on page 2) Morrow County District Attorney, Dennis Doherty, told the Heppner Merchants Association that the new community atmosphere will affect the merchants ability to accept checks and open new charge accounts. In recent weeks several bad checks have been passed in Heppner and the merchants are becoming aware of future possibilities that more checks will be passed. At the regular noon luncheon of the Merchants Association, state police, sheriff, city police and the district attorney presented their views on the course of action the merchants should take to prevent getting "stuck". Oregon law states that it is a crime for a person to make, pass or draw a check knowing that it will not be honored. It becomes difficult trying to prove that the person knowlingly passed the check as the law also states a person is innocent until his guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Doherty stated further that to help prosecute and prove beyond a reasonable doubt, the merchants assistance is needed. When accepting checks from persons new to the area, four simple steps should be taken. In the upper left corner of the check have the employe or owner accepting the check put his or her initials, the drivers license number of (he person cashing the check, address or other identification of the individual and if any change was given over the purchase price. A drivers license number when run through the computer will give enforcement agencies the information necessary to identify the person and perhaps where to locate the offender. A merchant receiving a NSF check should notify the writer by registered mail of the NSF check and allow 10 days for payment. In the meantime however, the district attorney should be notified. If after 10 days restitution is not made, further action may be then be taken. Doherty and the other law enforcement officers in attendance, stressed that merchants take extreme care in accepting 3rd party checks, out of stale checks and checks from strangers unless they carry a bank courtesy card or other suitable evidence of competency. If suspicious of an individual, try to obtain his car license and then notify the city police or other enforcement people and they can stop THE Vol 92. No 8 County earns interest Due to the unusually high inleresi rates during Ihe latter part of fiscal year 197.174 and Ihe early pari of 1974-73. the County Treasurer has been able lo earn extra income for Ihe county Svlvi.i McDamel reports lhal Ihe lol.it inleres! earnings (lining 197:1 74 was $18,274. This amount was surpassed between July 1. 1974 and April I 1975 when the interest income amounted to 21.827. She explained that Ihe funds horn-filing from the interest income are: the county gener al fund, the county road fund. Ihe revenue sharing fund and Ihe county fair fund By in vesting some of Ihe funds early al Ihe higher rales the county gained extra interest before the lower rales 'Rapidly falling interest rates are great for borrowers, but Ihe county treasury will feel Ihe difference." Mrs MiDan icl points out. Wine tasting Saturday Saturday Ihis area's firsl vvino iasling parly will be held b om J until 8 p in at Ihe Klk's Club Seven different varieties ol Oregon wine and eight varieties of Bandon. Oregon cheeses will bo offered to those who attend. The Soroplomisl members have boon selling tickets in person and through the mail lor several w eeks. Tickets w ill lie on sale al Ihe door also. Joseph Coulombe is Ihe even ing's wine master. The pro coeds are slated for the club's scholarship program . During and afler the party hollies of the various wines and one half pound loaves of Ihe Handon cheese may be purchased. Wine expert Coulombe is a member of both Ihe Oregon Wine Grower's Association and Ihe Wine Grower's Coun cil of Oregon and Is helping promote grape growing and winemakuig on a commercial basis in Oregon. He teaches wiuemaking and winolasling al several colleges and at Ihe Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. GAZETTE-TIMES Heppner. OR . Pickets hall of Gourmet Carpenters of Local 933. Ilermiston went on strike agnmsl Techhuill Corpora lion last Friday at noon and shortly afterwards pickets were placed al the scene of Gourmet Foods new plant in ISoanlman The dispute arose over the payroll checks Ihe men are receiving and the refusal of ihe local banks lo cash them. Presently the checks must be deposited for collection only and are sent either to Bellevue or Seattle. Wa.. for collection. The present process takes from sev en to nine days before the cariM-nlers receive their wages 4ft iKv, 3 l : ' I :C h i:fi ,i m f jl j A ; :d- : PICKETS OF CARPENTERS LOCAL 933 stand In front of the Gourmet Food Plant In Boardman. The pickets are striking against Techbuilt Corporation., builders of the new plant. The men are, from the left, Leo Lytle, Buck Sullivan, business agent of the local and Ira Bozarth. The sign held by Bozarth reads, "On Strike Carpenters L-933. Techbuilt Corp. checks not cashable." them for a routine check. If an individual doesn't give the needed information freely, the merchant can be sure that something is amiss. It is difficult, costly and often a waste of time to try to prosecute unless the merchant has obtained the above mentioned information, stated Doherty. A person who has passed a bad check and moved to another state can only be extradited if the necessary information is available. If the check amount was for less than $200 it is a misdemeanor and the offender cannot be extradited. Other pitfalls facing the merchants are shoplifters and proving who may have the right of possession in a conditional sales contract. Apprehending a shoplifter may prove very costly as in many suits the defendants have been awarded large sums of money for his "embarassment" for being stopped and accused. Right of possession in a conditional sales contract depends upon a determination of a specific agreement to the contrary, a person in lawful possession of property shall be deemed to have a superior right of possession to that of a person having only a security interest, even if legal title to the property lies with the holder of the security interest pursuant to a conditional sales contract or other security agreement. Ken Belcher. Manager of the Heppner Branch, First National Bank of Oregon expressed concern with the use of counter checks. He stated that this branch is the only one in the State of Oregon that still issues counter checks. He recommended the use of counter checks be discontinued here also. It may cause some inconvenience for a short period of time but in the long run would be well worth it. He further staled that when in doubt, the use of a bank charge card would be better than accepting a doubtful check. The merchants are presently studying a proposal to unite and have a standard form for new people in the area to fill out when writing checks. This form would contain all the information needed by law enforcement agencies to start proceedings if necessary. When in doubt, contact the law enforcement agencies or the district attornev for assistance. Apr. 10. 1975 completion Food plant Normally a week's wages are withheld from Ihe carpen ters as a wailing period: however, w ith Ihe added delay the men feel they have lo wait al least three weeks before they can cash their checks. Other crafts working in the area completed their work day although the carpenters formed a picket line. Plum bers and filters scheduled to work the swing shift Friday honored Ihe carpenters picket line and refused lo cross the line. Presently there are two shifts of plumbers and fillers working on Ihe completion of , lun'tf' 4 15c the plant, which according lo estimates, should be complet ed in another two lo three weeks I'ntil a settlement is reach ed, and negotiations are completed the other crafts working on the project will honor the picket line. According to reports Tech huill Corporation is suffering financial difficulties and the payroll money is deposited with the local bank by the L'nigard Bonding Company. Spokesmen for either firm could not be reached for comment. .. ...ui
