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!"
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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