Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1975)
EDITOR: Page 2, THE GAZETTE-TIMES, Heppner, OR., Thursday, May 22, 1975 Horse sense f By ERNEST V.JOIXKR Last Thursday afternoon, the Braves and Indians battled in a Little League game at Heppner. In the top of the second inning, Ian Cate, Brave catcher, came to bat for his second time. On Scott La Rue's second pitch Ian hit his first home run of his young career. As he headed toward first base, a spectator yelled to Ian, "Be sure you touch all the bases." By the time he was halfway to first the ball had cleared the left field fence. Ian heard the words of the spectator and hit the first base bag squarely with his left foot. Waving his arms jubilantly he rounded second and third base, making sure he touched each base. As he started for home plate his teammates ran to congratulate Ian on his first homer. And then it happened. Someone started a rhubarb near first base that Ian had not touched the bag and if this were true, his homer would be nullified and he would be called out. After some discussion with the first base umpire and then with the home plate umpire, who admitted that he had not seen the play at first, Ian was called out and his homer was nullified. Neither the Brave coach or the Indian coach shed any light on the call and play was resumed. Ian should be credited with a home run for he did touch first base as I watched him do so, however, his homer would not have changed the complex of the game. The Indians defeated the Braves by a final score of 17 to 3. Winning has its rewards, but this was uncalled for. If I had been the coach for the Indians, Ian could have missed all of the bases and I would not have registered any objection. I would not have had the heart to deny a youngster his first home run unless his homer could have affected the final score. In a recent issue of the Gazette-Times, Police Chief Dean Gilman. made the following statement, "Spring is here when the snakes come out to sun themselves on the hot pavement." Last Wednesday on the Pilot Rock highway I noticed two snakes sunning themselves. Friday as I journeyed to Boardman I saw another snake sunning itself. "Spring must surely be here, and Chief Gilman is correct," I mused. Then Monday the weather changed. It was no longer warm and balmy but downnghl cold. Then swidwsty it started to haiJ and then snow, later Monday night more snow. Sorry Chief, I can't buy your snake story . . . maybe next year. Two articles in last week's paper may bring a smile to some faces in Heppner. One of the articles was about four juveniles caught breaking windows out of road graders and the city's well house. As part of their punishment they were sentenced to work for a limited time for the city to pay for (heir mischievous deeds. In my estimation there is no better means of punishment for the youngsters. It is not the shame of working for the city that makes me feel good, it is the shame the boys will have when they are working. Justice of the Peace Dee Gribble meted out a good sentence when she ordered a 19-year-old to work for one week for the county without pay for littering the halls of Heppner High School. Whether this young man knows it or not. he is mighty lucky as Judge Gribble tried to contact Cliff Green and have him help shovel garbage at the city dump. She felt if he was that anxious to litter the halls of Heppner High, he could spend his time re-arranging the garbage at the city dump for a week. If these young people feel they have to relieve their emotions by breaking the law, when they are caught they should be made to relieve their sentences by doing manual labor. At a time when the residents of Heppner and the outlying areas are trying to fix up and clean up for the Bicentennial, why not allow these culprits to clean up around the courthouse or mow the grass at the Little League field? What would be wrong with having the next wrong-doer, do some of the landscaping about the new clinic? I would be willing to bet an old five -cent cigar that if sentences such as these are continued the young adults and juveniles will think t ice about trying to outrun the police or getting caught with beer in their cars. Back to the three "R's". If our modern schools are doing such a fine job of teaching our youngsters in both elementary and high school, why are our colleges offering so many courses in basic math and english? I know of colleges that teach english as a secondary language for foreign students that are overrun with students who have just graduated from high school who must take this special course. This is lower than any bonehead english taught in college: in fact this is a pre requisite for bonehead english. Most students are required to take one year of basic math in high school, yet w hen they enter college they fail the math lest. So. who has to pay the tab when these students enter college and can't read or write? Who has to provide the teachers so they can brush up for a year or two on english and math they should have learned in elementary school? Whenever the schools ask for an increase in their budget, the figures are based on a tax levy of an increase of the true cash value. As an example they say the tax levy would only increase the taxes on a $20,000 house by "X" amount of dollars To the average taxpayer a small yearly increase on a S2o.ouo house wouldn 't damage the pocket book too much, but how many $20,000 homes are there in Morrow County? What about the w heat rancher whose ranch has been reassessed at Si0.oi)0. What will his share of the taxes amount to for the coming year? And I will also bet there are more wheat ranches in Morrow County than there are $20,000 homes. One of the best remarks to date on last week's editorial on the schools w as an older gentleman who said, "The only thing that has changed in the school system in the past 50 years, is that now the schools have flush toilets." There is an error in next to the last paragraph in last week's Horse Sense column. A complete line was inadvertently omitted, changing the entire complex of the sentence. The sentence should have read: Dorothy Krebt hit the nail on the head when she LISTED THE COMPLAINTS SHE HAD BEEN TOLD in her reference to BMCC as a "play palace "etc.. as the sentence was taken from another source. EC. Excess speed brings crrest Charles Lee Davidson, 17, Heppner, was cited by Hepp ner City Police for attempting to elude a police officer and for violation of the basic rule last Friday night. He was checked by city police with radar traveling in excess of 80 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. City police pursued David son, however, he refused to stop and sped toward Lexing ton. The city police radioed ahead to the Oregon State Police patroling the area. Davidson was clocked by the Oregon State Police at 89 miles per hour in a 55 mile zone. He appeared in Justice Court Tuesday before Justice of the Peace Charles O'Connor and pU"d guilty to the two charges of speeding and not guilty to the charge of eluding the police. Davidson asked for a court appointed attorney and trial has been set for June 12. Justice of the Peace O'Connor has not as yet assessed any fines or sentence for the charges of speeding. 'Thanks. Everybody Needed That." The mail pouch Remember the Hurdnian Reunion at the Community Hall. June 15. There will be a poll uck dinner at noon. Oh. come on. fellas, give the school administration a break! Morrow County has a school system of which we can be proud. Three in our immediate family graduated from Heppner High School and went to Oregon State University. I know from their experiences that Heppner enjoys a reputation for consistently putting out good students. The class size has a lot to do with it. Our kids get personal attention when they need it. lone High School has an excellent program as far as it goes But size here is a hindering factor because it just isn't feasible to offer the wide range of subjects really needed these days for so few students. How ever, one of the important aspects is that our system is responsive to local wishes, and if vou lived on the far side of the lone School District, you'd have no need to ask why these people do not wish to travel to Heppner for school every day. There is a logical solution to our expanding needs though. Instead of piecemeal, palched and inadequate measures that we would he forced by the state to change shortly, we could build a really adequate consolidated high school for South Morrow County at Lexington and give all students of the area an equal opportunity. We need a new junior high in Heppner b.-ill and the present high school could lake care of this. The present lone High School could be used for their elementary school, which we also need badly. Possibly this sounds more cxjiensive. but in the long run. not so. And while I'm on the subject of schools. I hope I've heard the last of downgrading the necessity for gymnasiums. I don I believe the countr) side needsa bunch of fat. sedentary kids And as tar as the ability of our athletes goes, the last Rose Bowl team from )SU was captained by Dick Ruhl. a Heppner llitfh graduate. Most of our athletes aren't going to coach or major in physical education; however, so don't turn out tor sports when they reach college. And not because they don't think I hey can make it. but because of the tremendous amount of tune involved. The people of Morrow County have always in the past demonstrated their interest in the quality of education ottered their children. This has been clearly evident in local MipMirt. Unfortunately, we are going to be called on to do more when it is difficult to merely keep going. This poses a problem for all concerned. Dow ngrading what has been done ccrtaint) isn't the answer Constructive planning for what is best oxer a reasonable period of lime is necessary. We can also hope Ihiil the new industries will help laxwise with the added expenses of new construction, but more people are protected f"r 'he future and we have to fare this fact. I hope the people of Morrow County continue to support their school administration. Anyone thai has to deal with parents, public opinion and personnel midst escalating taxes has a problem or two. This doesn't even lake into account the kids their main concern. MEG MURRAY Heppner EDITOR: Recently a dog was brought into my home. Part of an ear was missing and she had a gun shot wound in the top of her head. The infection in both the head and ear was so bad that I got sick trying to get it cleaned out and had to have a neighbor lady come in to clean it. After putting medication on the wounds and feeding her. she has turned out to be a beautiful bird dog. Someone that had to be a little touched in the head decided to feed her poison. Since they had the enjoyment of feeding her. I sure w ished they could have sat back and watched the animal running around our yard as hard as she could, hitting her head against the gates, and finally knocking herself out against a building. By the way we had found a ranch where she would have had plenty of acreage to run in. The family felt very fortunate to get such a pretty female who had been spayed. But this weekend was too long to wait, wasn't it? Now- sit back, laugh and make fun of us. You've accomplished hurting us. seeing an animal die in pure pain and not being able to help the poor thing. LOUISE SULLIVAN EDITOR: EDITOR: My son decided they didn't want to receive the paper any longer, so I didn't renew it a year ago. After living there over 45 years I was surprised but that was it. I enjoy my paper and hope I get over sometime soon to see all the changes. Everyone I meet from there says the same thing. New people, many changes, that is what I thought the business people wanted. I lived 45 years on a ranch up Willow Creek and 13 years in Heppner and I miss it. I still hand my paper over to my neighbor, he says now he don 'I like it because you are an athiest he is sort of queer. Anyway I will continue to gel the Gazette more power to you. MRS. RALPH J. THOMPSON Pendleton the SOVEREIGN STATE of AFFAIRS In response to your May 15. 1975. Horse Sense Column, I'm afraid that I became lost in your reasoning The last part of your article refers to "facts presented by a School Board Member". Yet. the quote you refer to is from the SiiM'rintendent of Public Schools, or al least thai is the way it is .set forth in the second paragraph The rest of your facts seem to be about as accurate as the conclusions which you reach. First, in response to whether the Morrow County Sc hools are doing an adequate job of leaching. I think if you would look al the facts, you would have to answer "yes". I specifically refer to one Bill Jepsen. who is a recent product of Morrow County Schools, having attended both lone and Heppner schools and graduated in the class of 1972 The last information I had. Mr. Jepsen had a 4 0 grade aerage in pre-vet medicine at WSU. And to further remind you of some of the facts. Mr. Jepsen also played on the East West Shrine team the year he graduated. If you would bother to look al the record and facts. I think you will find that Morrow County Schools have contributed their share of professional men and superior students. I ran personally think of the Tibbies brothers, one of whom is a Doctor, the other a Lawyer, Steve Pettyjohn, an engineer, John Rawlins, studying for his PHD in Biology, and Rev. Rene Harris, an Episcopal minister, and I am sure that the teachers and other members of the community could add to this list tremendously. As far as athletes go, the Captain who led the last OS I J team in the Rose Bowl was none other than Dick Ruhl. a Heppner High graduate. Mr. Editor, I would suggest that you take a look al the facts. Along w ith looking al the facts as far as the students are concerned, I would suggest that you do the same as far as Blue Mountain Community College budget is concerned. If there was a lot of "fat", in thai budget, it was the first time Ron Daniels ever allowed such a thing to happen. I think any of us thai worked with Ron over the years, recognize his qualities as an honest, candid school administrator, and whatever went into the Blue Mountain budget had to pass a very close scrutiny from Ron before it was entered in the budget. Also, Mr. Editor, I would suggest that you look at the plans of the new P E. facility at Blue Mountain. The P.E, facility was specifically designed lo try to meet the requirements of a wide range of students and not spectators. Having been a member of the Board of Directors at the time the facility was designed. I know that it was to be designed for student -oriented activities and not for the spectator sport lo which you seem lo refer in your rather fuzzy article. In closing. Mr. Editor, I suggest that you take a look al the fads of education in Oregon, rather than the prejudices you have built up from California. ROBERT B.ABRAMS. Heppner BOYD and Wood "The parti you need arc right here some place!" ABOUT SW. AUfcAWJ I GOOJOTO Ms s ir z ii -rz ii 1 1 v s r i . i imm .JTCAT. u fWM -x 8 V , J II v- WM mmu 1 I I AK niuw r I B Mayor of Hardman DEAR MISTER EDITOR: The session al the country store Saturday night turned Into a free for all discussion that give ever Item on the agender no more than a lick and a promise. The only time the feller thai runs the store got a word in, he reminded ever body that II was Mark Twain that said "truth la the moat valuable thing we have, so let's economize it," but ol Mark didn't have the fellers in mind when he passed along that advice. It was Zcke Grubb that allowed that the world has never moved faster and had less of a Idee where it is going. In the past six months, Zcke said, we have gone from shortages of everthing to a shortage of shortages. A year ago. beef had disappeared, now Zcke says he saw by the papers where the big packing houses is renting refrigerated boats to store beef til they can find a market for it. Last fall, people would come by the house begging to buy scrap paper to recycle, now you can't give paper away, and sugar that nobody could afford now is rotting In warehouses cause nobody wants II. Actuai. declared Zeke, trying to control the economy of this country is like holding a armful of gords underwater. You push one down here and two pop up over yonder. If you change the flow of goods and services In one direction, the river runs over Its banks In another, was Zeke's words. Clem Webster was full agreed with Zeke. Clem had saw where the new postmaster general, Benjamin Bailar, got going fast with his first official act. He went before Congress to say the Postal Service "simply cannot tolerate delays In rale adjustments." In English. Clem said that means mail rates ain't going up fast enuff to suit the new man. At the same time, Clem said, the public is expected to tolerate new $75,000 kitchen in the postmaster general's office fer his board to use onct a month, and the public ain't supposed to complain when the Postal Service admits helping the CIA and FBI open our mail so we can be spied on. And the new kitchens is catching, Clem allowed. The secretary of agriculture had to git him one fer $150,000. and USDA official said the new dining room wasnecessary to bring the secretary's quarters up to a level "comparable lo those of other cabinet secretaries." While the kitchen-dining room contest goes on, Ed Doolittle said he had run acrost s report by the National Taxpayers Union that shows our federal Guvemment is in debt more than $5 trillion, and that flggers down to $114,800 fer each of us. The 1976 federal deficit was put at $52 billion two months ago. but now it looks more like $75 billion. The Interest on our debt is $57,000 a minute, and climbing. Mister Editor, I saw where newborn girl's lifetime earnings is put at $34,000 and a boy's at $59,000, Between em they won't make enuff to pay what one of em starts off owing. Yours truly, MAYOR ROY. Prophet or, profit? By LESTER KI.VSOI.VING On the anniversary of the birth of the Rev. Martin Luther King. Jr.. his former assistant, the Rev. Jesse Jackson of Chicago, led a march which was announced in advance to all possible media as "seven times around the White House." i But frigid weather plus the distance around the entire White House complex were enough to make Jesse's encirclement something less than Joshua's around Jericho.) Less than three months later, the Rev. Mr. Jackson led an anniversary observance of Dr. King's death. He electrified some 3,000 marchers in Memphis by announcing : "I believe the FBI and the CIA were involved in some way or another with the assassination of Dr. King." He went on to urge an investigation to see if there is not some sort of link between Dr. King's death and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and his brother. Sen. Robert Kennedy. Apparently the national horror and dread fascination at these three assassinations is such that not even the exhaustive investigations of the Warren Commission are sufficient to deter attention from even the wildest contentions of assorted conspiracies. FBI agents constantly risked their lives to protect Dr. King They conducted one of the most massive manhunts In history in order to apprehend his killer. But since the FBI, along with Ihe CIA. is currently under Investigation by Congressional and Presidential committees, there is a sort of open season for even Ihe most strident and irresponsible excoriation. And the Rev. Mr. Jackson is adept at such things, just as he is in milking the martyrdom of Dr. King. This may serve its purpose In detracting public attention from a recent expose of the Rev. Mr. Jackson, published in Manhattan's New Times magazine. In an article entitled "The New Hustlers." former TIME writer Robert Sam Anson reports: The Rev. Mr. Jackson accompanied by two bodyguards-agreed to campaign for Sen. George McGovern in the California primary. They spent nine days campaigning, for which they charged no fee. Just "expenses." In the amount of $38,000. (When no more money was provided, "Jackson spent the rest of the campaign sitting on the sidelines.") The Senate Watergate Committee uncovered among White House memos a report from black Nixon assistant Robert Jones. The memo detailed a Jones meeting with Jackson In Chicago and included the following Interesting information: "Jackson is now seeking support for the new group (PUSH: "People United To Save Humanity") ... and is anxious to meet with the President." "Jackson subsequently denied that he sought either federal funds or a meeting with Nixon," reported Anson, who went on In this article to emphasize: "Not that every black politician or organizer is a hustler. There are the Julian Bonds and Tom Bradleys and Ron Dellums . . . who cannot be bought." This column attempted to contact the Rev. Mr. Jackson about Anson's reported $36,000 "expense account" from the McGovern campaign. Two assistants (the first of whom insisted on learning my question) explained that the Rev. Mr. Jackson was in meeting and therefore not available for comment. One of these assistants added: "Nobody else In PUSH Is allowed to talk Jo Ihe press." THE CAZETTE-TIMES, MORROW COUNTY'S NEWSPAPER Box J37, Heppner, Ore 783 Subscription rate: $6 per year In Oregon, $7 elsewhere Ernest V. Joiner, Publisher Published every Thursday and entered as a aecondclass matter at the post office at ' Heppner. Oregon, under the act of Mtirch J, 1879. nm nna(ila mtil h It
