Page 2, THE GAZETTE
Horse sense
EHVI-STV JOIVKR
A couple of yean ago this newspaper mounted a bruising
campaign against parking meters in the city. It was a logical,
brilliant, inspired presentation. To wind it up the citizens
were polled on the question of removing the parking meters.
About ISO people voted S to I to remove them. Virtue, at long
last, was about to triumph. Then the city council, members of
which are pledged to carry out the wishes of their
constituents (if they happen to agree with them), promptly
voted to retain them. So much for newspaper crusades. So
much for civic virtue.
Two years later the Gazette-Times is ready to adroit its
error in asking removal of the parking meters. They should
be allowed to remain. Before king, Heppner will be the only
town in Oregon (and maybe the world) with parking meters.
Then they can be bronzed, declared a historic monument,
and made a part of the United States Bicentennial museum of
the past. In 10 years school youngsters may be given field
trips to Heppner to see these famous and historic hitching
posts just as they are now provided field trips at taxpayer
expense to see the famous Shakespearean Festival at
Ashland. It makes me shudder when I think how near we all
came to getting rid of our only feasible claim to fame, aside
from the '03 flood. It just proves that our councilmen are
endowed with more wisdom than we credited them with.
Only recently the city of LaGrande hooded 400 meters on
a 90-day trial basis to find out if it would create bedlam in the
central business district. Retail stores wiU be asked to
compare their sales for the 3-month period with those of the
same period in 1974. If the results are the same as other cities
of America that did the same thing, they will show that the
stores never sold more goods, shoppers were never happier,
and the city cussed a lot less. And the meters will stay out.
And that's another step toward making Heppner s hitching
posts genuine relics of the past, worthy of preservation. Now
we're on a crusade to get all the other cities to take out their
meters, and for Heppner to leave her's intact. Our thanks
(and apologies) to the Heppner Qty Council for standing fast
in the face of the Gazette-Times' ill-advised and short-sighted
crusade.
It's too bad more people don't read their newspapers. If
you had read our leading daily recently you'd know that on
the West Coast women are using Preparation H to shrink
their wrinkles. This woman said it really works, only she
finds that when she gets tired her face tries to sit down. Then
there's Stanfield. the town that became internationally
famous overnight when the city council enacted an ordinance
forbidding animals to enjoy sex in public. It worked a
hardship on ranchers, some of whom had to check their
heifers into a motel in order to insure a calf crop and still stay
legal. Now the town's in an uproar again. Cody, a dog
belonging to the Dennis McLaughlin family, gave birth to
four puppies on July 10 and the chief of police has complained
that the dog violated the ordinance. Cody has defied the
council. She even nurses her four offspring, and right in
public, too! Contempt, that's what it is.
And those who do read newspapers don't have much
confidence in them. For example, this newspaper has
consistently criticized the public schools for their failure to
teach children to read and write, as they did so well 50 years
ago. We have called for taxpayers to turn down any further
requests for classrooms, higher teacher salaries and fancy
educational frills until students show signs of being able to
read and write and figure simple interest. We were accused
of conducting a sneaky, despicable vendatta against "the
kids." Well, if you read the editorial page of the Oregon
Journal on July 24 you would have read of a survey conducted
(not by a newspaper) but by the academically respected
National Assessment of Educational Progress and paid for
by the National Center for Education Statistics. The guts of
the article: "Less than one-half of the 17-year-olds and adults
could successfully determine the most economical size of a
product. Only 10 per cent of the 17-year-olds and 20 per cent of
the adults could correctly calculate taxi fare. One per cent of
the 17-year-olds and 16 per cent of the adults could balance a
checkbook." That tells the story of our educational system,
arrived at by a survey of 34.000 17-year-olds and 4,200 adults.
Morrow County is being prepared for a million-dollar school
building and remodeling project in September. As far as I
know not one dollar will go toward improving the school
children's capability to read, write and balance their check
books. Are we putting our school tax dollars in the right
places? And how can one little old weekly newspaper be so
consistently wrong. Believe me, it's disheartening.
Now that the city has tied the new water well into the
water supply system, all is not sweetness in Heppner
households where clean, good-tasting water- has been the
rule. The new well, it turns out, produces sulphured water.
The stench is "outtasite." It is curing some people from
- drinking water, and should increase the wine consumption.
Bill Collins says it's a fine howdydo when you spent $350,000
for a new water system and it gets crossed up with a sewer.
He says everybody around his house went around casting
accusing glances at each other before they found out the
stench was coming from sprinklers at work on the lawn.
Another wag (who, as usual, declines to be quoted) injected a
biblical note into the sulphuric comment by shouting that
what we're going through here is just a sample of how bad it's
going to be in hell. Nobody is taking him seriously, of course.
The Heppner Volunteer Fire Department is one of the
best organized groups I have ever seen. By the time the fire
alarm sounds, until the trucks are rolling is a matter of
minutes. Last Monday they answered a fire call to the John
Ledbetter ranch. When they arrived at the Led be iter Ranch
the fire was across Sand Hollow Rd , on the Don Evans
ranch. Fortunately the fire was contained by the time the
volunteers arrived with their equipment. Had the fire still
been raging when the fire department arrived at the wrong
location the results could have been disastrous. The fire
department would not ha ve been at fault. Whoever phoned in
the wrong location should realize that the fire equipment is
old, the roads are narrow and winding and the trucks cannot
travel at excessive speeds. The fire depatment is willing to
help you 24 hours a day, so give them some consideration, at
least give them the correct location in the event of a fire.
THE GAZETTE-TIMES f
" MORROW C'Ol'N'TY'S NKWhPAPER
Box 337. Heppner. Ore. 9783
Subscription rate: $ per year in
Oregon, $7 elsewhere
Ernest V. Joiner, Publisher
,Published every Thursday and entered as
-second class matter at the post office at
illcppner, Oregon, under the act of March 3. 1879.
(Second-class postage paid at Heppner, Oregon,
- TIMES, Heppner, OR., Thursday,
July 31, 1975
V
The mail pouch
EDITOR:
I would like to make an addition to an article in last week's
Gazette-Times regarding living relatives to the Cecil family
settlers of earlier days.
Only three of the family were mentioned.
The late Norah Rasmus was the granddaughter of the
settlers of Cecil, OR. Her surviving family includes nephews,
John Cecil, Walla Walla. WA ; Darrel Cecil, Mearham, OR. ;
Vernon Cecil, Pilot Rock. OR.; Frank Cecil, Spray. OR.;
Percy Cecil, Heppner, Or.; as well as nieces Geraldine
Gates, Spray, OR. and Nadine Dysart, Walla Walla.
Great nieces and nephews include Kay Gorham, Heppner;
Gordon Cecil, Heppner; Jerry Cecil, Heppner; Ron Cecil,
Pendleton; Norine Edwards, Pendleton; Gene Cecil,
Meacham; Becky Cecil, Meacham ; Judy Alfred, Spray; and
Jan Stroeber, Heppner.
The family would appreciate these additions being made.
NORINE EDWARDS.
Pendleton.
Court house notes
Last week Juvenile Director
Carolyn Davis took four from
the county to visit the Oregon
State Penitentiary and the
Oregon Women's Correctional
Center at Salem. The two
young people and Heppner
Policemen, Chuck Holt and
Wayne Maxam, who made
this one-day tour with Direc
tor Davis were very impres
sed with the institutions.
The County Planning De
partment has issued zoning
permits for buildings to Er
nest and Lois Winchester for a
dwelling east of Heppner; to
Robert and Sally Diehl for a
residence near Ordnance; to
W E. Nelson for a soil lab,
office and truck scale off the
three-mile interchange south
of Highway 80; to Donald
Kamph for a mobile home
shed at Ordnance; two per
mits to Retha McCall for
residences in the Irrigon area;
to Taggares Simplot for a
scale house and office near
Boardman; and to Donald L.
Linnel, Boardman, for a
larger mobile home.
Assessor Everett Harshman
spent July 21, 22 and 23 in
Medford meeting with 32 other
county assessors and with the
State Department of Revenue.
The three women in the
southeast comer, first floor,
are still doing a bit of furniture
re arranging. Treasurer Mc
Daniel says she keeps busy
with daily postings; assistant
tax collector Fetsch seems to
have constant re-indexing, a
never-ending job. Mrs.'Irby,
who holds a new position put
into operation July 1, has had
her salary as county tax
collector established by the
county court.
Other court business which
was conducted at the regular
meeting in Irrigon last week,
included the acceptance of a
bid to blacktop the old and ne.v
car parking Iota near the
courthouse. An agreement
"You Are Probably Wondering
Why I've Called This Meeting Of
Supporters Of iVIy Energy Program..."
was reached to rebuild and
straighten and resurface the
taxiway at the Lexington
Airport from the landing strip
to the UJown area. This will
be done with airport improve
ment funds already in the
airport account.
The court heard representa
tives Shirley and Zearl Gil
lespie, from the Boardman
Cemetery District requesting
information on the use of a
strip of property along Colum
bia Avenue.
A request from the County
Planning Commission for tui
tion fees for several members
of the commission to attend a
short course in Eugene was
approved. Tile court also
approved a new fee schedule
for the Minning Department.
During office hours last
Thursday Judge Jones per
formed a wedding uniting
Faith Elaine Elizabeth Johns
with Larry Lee Ulrich.
NAVAL GRADUATE
Coast Guard Ensign Normal
W. Williams, son of Mr. and
Mrs. C.A. Williams of Lexing
ton, OR, was graduated from
Aviation Indoctrination School
at the Naval Air Station.
Pensacola, FL.
The three-week course In
cludes Instruction In basic
aerodynamics, aviation phy
siology and engineering.
Students also undergo ex
tensive physical fitness train-!
ing and learn land and tea
survival techniques, Upon
graduation, (hey proceed to an
advanced phase of the Naval
Aviation Program, leading
toward their destination as .
naval aviators. i
A 1974 graduate of Portland
State University with Mas
ters degree in History, he
joined the Navy in February
1973.
YCC Program nears
season's completion
After their Strawberry
Mountain weekend trip of July
19 and 20, the Youth Conser
vation Corps group camped at
Tupper and had a busy week
working and learning.
Monday and Tuesday, they
worked at the C.C.C. Spring,
the Skookum game enclosure,
Nine-Top Spring restoration
and camp cleanup, Copple
Butte Trail and on fence rollup
at Long Prairie.
These evenings they learned
about cattle ranching from
Dick Wilkenson and about
range management from
Shirley Rugg and Art Gal
braith. Wednesday and Thursday,
the work crews were at
pumper ponds on Alder and
Swale Creeks and doing cold
patching at Bull Prairie and
continuing fence rollup at
North Jones Prairie. Wednes
day evening after dinner there
were interest sessions and
softball. "Thursday evening
some of the campers came to
Heppner.
Friday's work included pre
paring barrier posts (limbing,
peeling and notching), finish
ing work at Nine-Top Spring
and Government Spring, and
working at Tupper on the fuel
break and painting the shower
complex. That evening the
groups prepared for small
group weekend activities
which gave them the choice of
.gold panning in the Llkhorn
Range, floating on the Minam,
or returning to the Strawberry
Mountains.
This week Monday, they
continued working at Fair
view Camp, painting tables at
Bull Prairie and at Penland
Lake where they also worked
on picnic sites and did slash
piling on the entrance road.
That evening was free time.
This Tvevlay they Installed
barrier posts and painted at
Fairview, continued various
projects at Bull Prairie and
Penland Lake, and had a
Softball and volleyball game
with the Forest Service Fire
Crew campers from Opal
Meadow.
Yesterday and today they
continued working at Bull
Prairie graveling trails,
cleaning up the entire picnic
grounds and piling slash. Last
evening they had free time
after dinner and tonight they
have the option of coming to
Heppner.
Tomorrow, Aug. 1, they will
learn of erosion control and
will observe the Elkhorn
Umber sale well as get In
some work at Fairview and
Bear Creek. They will join In
the dancing at the Hardman
Hall In the evening. Saturday,
Aug. S will be a work day at
Skookum and Bull Prairie
where they will finish barrier
posit and bumper logs. Satur-(
day evening they will review
slides and video tapes of this
year's camp experiences.
Next Sunday their final
week begins with a restful
morning, guests for a barbe
cue dinner at I p m. and with
instruction on fisheries mana
gement from Errol Claire of
the Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Commission in the evening.
Monday will be given to field
experience in fisheries mana
gement under Errol Claire
and to stream cleanup and
habitat improvement in the
area. That evening after
dinner, Ralph Burcham will
instruct them on trapping
techniques and pelt prepara
tion. Tuesday and Wednesday,
Aug. 6 and 7, campers will do
work on Wilson Creek on
stream cleanup and habitat
improvement and do some
erosion seeding.
Next week Thursday is
labeled "Finish all Projects
Day." That evening when they
come to Heppner the campers
will sing for the patients at the
Pioneer Memorial Hospital.
Their final day and evening,
Aug. 8, will be devoted to
Tupper Camp cleanup. After
Friday's dinner they will have
a campfire ceremony to end
their summer experience. On
Saturday they will all depart
for home by 11 a.m.
Heppner District Ranger
Sam Miller says that this
second year's YCC Camp
gained from. the first year's
experience. He states that
"the campers have learned
many outdoor skills and some
have grown considerable In
self-confidence. They have
seen much of this part of the
state. They have worked on
many projects that were
helpful to the Forest Service."
Ranger Miller says that It la
impossible to tell if the
program will be continued
next year as it depends on.
federal funds being available.
He anticipates that because'
the program has been to
worthwhile It may continue.
He praised the planning done
by Dave Olcott, camp director.
VIsIT ON BIRTHDAY
Weekend guests at the horn
of Mr. and Mrs. Archie
Padberg wert Mr. and Mrs.
Edwin Tucker, Salem; Mr.
and Mrs. Gordon Ross, Can
by; Eldon Tucker and family,
km; and Teresa Whita and
daughter, Sabrina, Pendletoti.
All wert visiting to eel-,
brste Mrs. Padberg's birth-,
day, July 21 Her family
surprised her with silver
dollar for every year.
A drop In guest was JuaniU
Moore of liermlston.
Mayor of
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
I been going to church fairly regular tinea my Pa dJdnt
give me no choice In the matter.
I kept on going after I growed up and my old lady give ma
aomepun of a fighting chanct to decide fer myself whuther to
go to preaching or face the consequences, meaning her, not to
mention the Devil. ,
I even took in the services during my short hitch In the first
war to end all wars, when I had plenty of reasons not to. I
would say I've gone to church all my life, but I hope I ain't
yet.
After all this time I can truthful tay It's a habit I'm
thankful I never broke. Herbert Hoover liked to My that the
Good Lord don't count the time a feller spends fishing, and I
like to think that would hold fer telling In church. I alius took
the view that church was fer the here more than the
hereafter. I figger if I do my best with this life, the next one
will Uke care of Itself.
I mention going to church because one of the fellers come
to the meeting at the country store Saturday night with this
report by a marriage counselor at Purdue University.
Dr. Wallace Denton there says what folks need to keep
their marriages healthy Is more fights.
I am full agreed with him, because what he't talking about
is talking out your problems Instead of sulking over em. He
said as long as you fight fair and give the other party as much
ss you Uke, you'll build a strong bond between you.
Me and my old lady have been carrying on like that as long
as we been together, and even now when she gives more than
I can Uke I ease out of the bind by deciding I got pressing
business to Uke care of out of earshot. In a little while, the
storm passes and we're both ready to deal the cards fer the
next hand.
Mister Editor, the church builds on this same kind of
fighting. You git bunch of different people together and
you're bound to have difference of opinions. But the church is
one place where If you don't agree with somebody, you try to.
You find a way to git around the differences because you
want to. You know It s fer everybody's good that you do, so
you do.
To give you some Idee, my old lady and the wlmmen In her
church circle have been fighting among theirselves as long
as I've known em. They squabble about this and that six days
a week and they praise the Lord together on Sunday, and
through it all they are the best of friends.
I recall onct the men in the church fell out about putting a
kitchen in the basement. All we could agree on was that we'd
better let the wimmen work It out. We did and they planned
the kitchen to everybody's satisfaction.
I ain't an expert on religion or married life, but I am of a
mind that fighting flavored with love is good for whatever
ails both of em.
Yours truly,
MAYOR ROY.
iyjonuivjent news
Mrs. Bud Engle
Miss Sherry Pflugrod. dau
ghter of Mr. and Mrs. Edvern
Pflugrod of Hamilton, and Mr.
Gary Schultz were married
June 30 at Aldrich Park in
Pendleton.
They are living in Hamilton
where he Is employed by the
bride's parents.
A shower was given the
newlyweds July 20 at the Oral
Leathers home in Long Creek.
Dorothy Jordan and Arthur
Gienger were married July S
at Wmnemucca, NV. The
groom is the son of Mrs.
Crystal Gienger. The couple
are living on his ranch which
was formerly known as the
George Gienger place.
Crystal Gienger has moved
to John Day where she is
employed.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Enoch Jr.
of Ritter are the parents of
daughter, Angela Ann, born
June 28 at Pendleton Com
munity Hospital. The infant
weighed pounds, 10 ounces.
Maternal grandparents are
Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Heise of
Monument and maternal
great grandparents are Mr.
and Mrs. A C. Heise of Ritter.
Bill and Joe Elder and Vera
Gardner of John Day attended
the Snake River Stampede at
Boise last week. Vera Gardner
spent several days with her
aunt, Mattie StubbJefield, be
fore returning to her home in
John Day.
Mrs. Gary Engle accom
panied her mother, Mrs.
Joavs Enright to Bend Mon
day to be with her sister, Mrs.
Dave Rounds of John Day.
Mrs. Rounds underwent
surgery resulting from Injur
ies she received In a one-car
accident between John Day
and Mount Vernon Sunday
night. She was flown to Bend.
Mrs. Bob Blakesle of the
Rudio Ranch suffered a bro
ken arm Monday from a fall at
the ranch.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Scott,
Imperial Beach, CA. plan to
visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Sam Scott, July 31.
The Monument Grazing Aa
tociation held their regular
monthly meeting at the Gary
Engl noma Monday evening.
All member were present
except Dan Capon and Cliff
Riech.
Mr. Fred Shanks left Mon
day for Fall River Mills, Ca to
spend the week with her,
mother Mrt. Percy Crelghton.
Hardman
Jerry Cupper, Portland, and
son Cody, Seattle, WA, visited
his grandmother, Mrs. Mattie
StubbJefield and other rela
tives Thursday while enroute
to LaGrande to visit his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Cupper.
Scott is stationed at Coro
na do Naval Air Base. He was
married April to Miss
Melissa Hall. Thia will be the
couple's first visit home since
their marriage.
Mrs. George Stubblefield,
Mrs. Jim Stubblefield and
Mrs. Leonard Osborne are
planning a household shower
for the newlyweds at 2 p.m.,
Friday, Aug. 1 at the city
park.
Three ranches were sold
last winter and spring so there
are some new members. Bob
Blakeslee and Sherman Per
kins of Montana purchased the
Rudio Ranch from Bill Mc
pherson. The Riechs, from
Dallas, OR bought the Johnny
Shaw place (formerly known
as the Joe Post place) and Art
Leyendekker, Yakima Valley,
purchased the Jessie Emery
ranch.
The Harold Reynolds and
Norris Stubblefield families
and Charles Bam spent last
weekend camping at Bull
Prairie.
Mr. and Mrs. Gus Peterson
and sons, Ture and Lonnie
spent last weekend at the
home of Mrs. Tad Hardesty,
Eugene.
The occasion was the seven
ty firth birthday of Mrs. liar
desly's mother, Mrt. Esther
Dobbins. Mrs. Dobbins is Mr.
Peterson's aunt. She was a
resident of Morrow County for
many years.
Roy Peterson, son of Mr.
and Mrt. Gus Peterson, went
to Pasco Sunday, July 20. He
passed his flying test and
received his private pilot
license.
Mrt. Wanda Miller returned
home July If after spending a
month visiting her mother at
Kress, TX and relative In
Amarillo. She returned by
way of California, visiting in
SanU Barbara and Bishop.
Her daughter Nlckl, who
' drove back with her mother,
returned to her horn In Salem '
by plane earlier.
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