Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1975)
Pane 6. THK GAZETTE TIMES. Heppner. OR. Thursday. Nov. 13. 1975 World's largest spud Chickens without feathers plant nears completion The Fitzgerald Corporation is nearing completion o: construction of the world's largest fresh potato storage building offices and maintenance facility at Boardman. OR It represents a joint venture of a $3 million investment foi Sim-Tag Farms. The new addition raises Sim-Tag's investment at Boardman. OR to $16 million since August 1974. The announcement was made jointly by J R. Simplot. P.J. Taggares. and Jim Fitzgerald. Simplot is president of .TR. Simplot Companv and its many subsidiaries. Boise. ID Taggares is president of Chef-Reddy Foods Corporation and P J. Taggares Company of Othello. WA and also has an investment in Snake River Vineyards in Pasco. W.V Fitzgerald is president of the Fitzgerald Corporation and several other firms with headquarters in Bellevue. W A. The storage building w ill have a capacity for 80.000 tons of fresh potatoes and it will hold the potatoes at a 45 degree temperature and at a humidity of 95-97 per cent. The project also includes a giant maintenance facility for trucks, farm machinery and a new headquarters office building The project scheduled for completion Dec. I. is two weeks ahead of schedule despite the fact that financing had not been accomplished at the beginning of the project. This caused some delavs and self-inflicted labor problems. rit:gera d said In order to overcome the delays, the Fitzgerald Corporation went to two shifts and weekend overtime which is double the norma! rate. The expansion is the latest phase in the development ot the 16.600 leased acres. 13 miles west of Boardman by the joint venture. ... P J Taggares Co. is a diversified farming company with substantial farming and storage facilities in the Columbia Bain At Othello, a 3 million pound capacity cold storage facility is leased for 15 years to Chef-Reddy Foods Corporation bv Northern Enterprises. Inc. of which Jim Fitzgerald is a "major owner and president. A 60.000 ton fresh potato storage building is leased to P J. Taggares Company bv Techbuilt Corporation which is owned by Fitzgerald. Hie Fitzgerald Corporation is adding 20.000 tons of storage capacity as a $735,000 addition to the Techbuilt facility which the P J Taggares Company leases. Sim-Tag is growing the potatoes for use by the allied firms in the processing of frozen french fries and related products such as hash browns At Boardman. the company now has 13.000 acres under irrigation. The first crop of potatoes is presently being harvested. Approximately 1 12.000 tons will be trucked to Caldwell. TD and to Othello, on a prorated basis and will go directly into the processing plants at thoe locations. 8mmi tons of potatoes will be stored in the Boardman facility and 20.ooo Ions will be stored in the addition to the Othello facility The stored potatoes will be. along with thousands of tons of other potatoes in storage, drawn upon during the vear. It is anticipated that the plants in Caldwell and Othello will be running two or even three shifts until they are shut down for maintenance in late summer. 19,6. The 16 6io acres are sub-leased from Boemg-gri-Industnal Company on a 30 ear lease. Boeing Agn-ln-duirial Company in turn leases the ground from the State of Oregon Department of Veteran Affairs which in turn leases the ground from the State of Oregon. The Boeing Agri Indus'rial Company lease has approximately 6, years remaining with the State entities. BLM lands provide market for public i-o ..i.tuM fWnnrat ion Drovides turn key facilities for the food processing industry, food growers, and business parks for industrial users. The staff consists of architects, engineers, legal, financial and construction specialists. Lnder the name Techbuilt Corporation, the same staff designed and built the Boardman Gourmet Food Products. Inc plant -during the trying inflationary days of 1974 and early 1975. The Gourmet plant is comprised of three 15.000 ton capacity fresh potato storage buildings, a 10.000.000 pound capacity cold storage facility and a 100,000.000 annual pound capacity frozen french fried potato processing plant. Recently U & i. Inc. (formerly U & I Sugar Co.) purchased a 54 per cent interest in the Gourmet Boardman and Meolious. Oregon facilities and the leasehold interests of Fitzgerald in the cold storage building. Elk season off to good start Bureau of Land Manage ment national resource lands m Oregon and Washington are providing a virtual supermar ket of renewable products and uses for the public, according to BLM FACTS, an income, expenditure and statistical booklet released this week by the federal agency which manages 15 7 million acres in Oregon and 306. oou acres in the State of Washington. Timber, the nation's most valuable natural renewable resource, is the largest item. Nearlv 1 2 billion board feet, valued at S186.6jtf.3oft. were sold in the two states during the fiscal year ending June 30. Nearly all of this was market ed ni Oregon to produce lumber, plywood and various building boards for home and industrial construction Smallest item in the tally was 210 split rails valued at $10 Two cords of wood for arrows sold for $22 and there were other such items as $32 worth of pitch and $271 worth of huckleberry branches used for floral displays The spirit of pioneering is still alive with the sale of 3I.0)0 linear feet of log cabin logs bringing $28 The 21.608 cords of fuel nod sold for S23.0H7 to hundreds of do-it-yourself woodcutters, com pared with 8.705 cords the year before, indicating rising fossil fuel costs. Altogether, an income of $108,538,055 came from BI.M lands in Oregon and $83,716 frm Washington A total of $34,160,975 was spent for investments in the land, resource protection, and man agement of the resources in thf two states In addition. $.V).3.32.1R0.03 was returned to Oregon and its counties as their share of BLM income from timber sales, grazing fees, mineral fees, rental and sales of land, and other sources during the fiscal year. Douglas County was the largest recipient with tta' of $12.532.354 89, trailed by Jackson with $7.734. 4 15. Lane with S7.533 4.i3 52. and Josephine with $5.961.314 39. Hood River County drew the smallest check-$5 The State of Washington and Washington counties drew $24 3.33 .59 from ail sources. The week before the Rocky Mountain elk season opened, snow was falling heavily in every popular elk hunting area east of the Cascades. Elk hunters looked forward to a tracking snow and a spectacu lar opening weekend. On Thursday the weather warmed, the snows began to melt, and by Saturday few traces of snow remained below 4.500 to 5.000 feet. The snow at higher levels had softened and refrozen so that walking on it w as like treading on potato chips. The w eather was balmy and pleasant throughout eastern Oregon over the weekend and. where there was no snow, at least the ground was wet and quiet, providing excellent sta lking conditions. Opening weekend success was more than usually spotty, according to observations by Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologists and State Police In some areas hunters killed more bulls than anyone had anticipated and in others narv an elk was to he found The I'kiah unit near Bridge Creek Flats was the scene of spectacular hunter success. In camps along a three-mile stretch of road in that area. 37 bulls were counted hanging in camps on the second day. Elk were found at lower elevations than usual, apparently lured there by growth of early fall grasses. The newly opened Nore gaard Area in the Sled Springs I'nit saw heavy hunting pres sure as anticipated but hunt ing success was also fairly g.wxl over the weekend. Vehi cle access was restricted and few violations were reported In the popular Oiesmmnus Init of Wallowa County, hunting success was unusually poor The elk were not in the higher country as they usually are on opening weekend but had apparently dropped into the deep canyons where many huniers never found them. In general, hunting pressure was up in some northeastern areas and down in others. The same was true of hunter success. There was a greater percentage of branch -ant lered bulls in the harvest than there was last year, This was the result of a good escapement of bulls in many areas last hunting season which appear as more mature animals this vear. In the eithersex units of southeast Oregon hunting pre ssure appeared to be up. especially in the Grant County portion w here biologists said it had doubled. In spite of good weather, however, hunting success was only fair. After Nov. 5. the either sex portion of (he season closes and only bulls are legal for the season's remainder. Hood River unit, which is also open for either sex during the first five days of the season this year, produced little for the hunters who tried it opening weekend. Two elk were all that biologists or State Police learned of. , In nearby Wasco Unit, hunting was more productive and hunters were checked with 18elk in the country from Friends on south. More than half these elk had branched antlers. Overall, hunter conduct was excellent over the weekend The incidence of illegal cow elk and out -of season deer kills was very low and compliance with road closure restrictions was very good. Most hunters voiced approval of the road closure program, which is designed to restrict the overuse of vehicles in heavily roaded areas, and said they would like to see more closures. Hunters who have not filled their tags are hoping for a tracking snow before the season closes Nov. 19 Success during the remainder of the season will hinge on the weather. See the completely new Artie Cat 'Tantaia" ipeed. comfort and agilil. Thr best i.f both worlds being trosofd between Fltigre and Panther. (Demonstrations available now) Call Glenn Walker Conine Olds 511 S.E. Court Pendleton Phone 276-1921 Featherlesa chickens are nervous birds, but they might mean cheaper dinners. Raising chickens without feathers eliminates one step on processing the birds for market. And since a fourth of the protein in a broiler goes Into its feathers, a nude bird would yield more meat. Research into featherless chickens began in 1953 when Ursula Abbott, a professor of bird genetics at the University of California at Davis, found on in a batch of chicks she had ordered from New Hampshire. Since then, scientific breeding has produced hundreds or the genetic freaks, the National Geographic Society says. Entire nocks in laboratories wear only an occasional wispy feather. . . But there are several reasons why none of the smooth-skinned birds have appeared on supermarket shelves. Whether from embarrassment or whatever, he denuded fowl are extremely nervous and prone to develop stomach ulcers. Without their protective coats, they also are susceptible to chills Their feathered brethren can survive even freezing weather, but naked chickens shiver if the henhouse temperature dips even slightly. They get so miserable that they stop eating and simply waste aw ay." reports Dr. Ralph Somes. Jr.. who is studying the mutanis at the University of Connecticut. Although pre-plucked broilers could save processing costs, the birds use up so much energy rushing about trying to keep warm that they eat more than other chickens their weight. Anv profits to be made from featherless chickens are further reduced by the added cost of the fuel needed to keep 1 i.d., ti.tniw4 are experiement.ng with economical methods of fa.tr.i.ng 'hAnhe iSSX Maryland. Dr., Max Rubin and Dame. F Biglehave found .ha. under .he righ. Irn.pi Sil" r.ritherlo chickens need no. be higher than for ElaigMered, .he featherless birds ffi pW cent more .ban conventional rim-ken. fed h aar u ta diet. When cooked, the mutant, provided up to 16 p. r tint more meal . Th researchers believe that because denuded chickens arSore Z . ic they develop less fa. . which leads to less shri kage in .he oven Added servings delivered to .he dinner b e migh more than make up for .hose higher hralinf ; billa. And I ihefealherlcss chickens might thrive in sunny, oulhern Tie has drastically altered Jj late as 1934. more than 90 per cent of the chiike.i. on American tables were former layer., slaughtered af.er .heir eg7proluc.im declined. Chicken w as a costly meal reserved ror holidays and special occasions. Tod v chickens Ire specially bred to lie layer, or broiler, raised n ' factories" on assembly line feeding for quick "suits A chicken dinner now is an inexpensive meal, h, 973 8 four legged chicken was hatched near Indiana a. ,?. inedav, scientists may .urn .heir attention to th,. phenomenon, for the benefit of drumstick lovers every where t'.-f - u ' -.-.-u tint numbtf nom jnurT 'H -V- It'll keep ywi wirm and" vi" L- .L!.L uiltl lm if I .,v7Ai;y-xi rvM 'AAV' h A . Ml 'A NATIONAL fltOdRAPtOC NIWI IE Vice Ed's Precision Saw & Tool Sharpening Service Satisfaction Guaranteed Phone 676-9913 or 676 9281 Alfalfa Qf Hnnnner. Orezon miaiiM ' r r FARMERS!!!!- Grain Cleaned & Treated Bob Oswalt 422-7519 lone, OR. Friends and savers enter First Federal's Vni niuvwiii vour lliunkstflvliitf Turkey IMEE Thirty lucky families arc Uoiiig to In u free Xorlwst Temler Timed turkey In FlrM Fcilcriil's Mtf drawing. To enter. vMt First Fcdcrul Su lugs now: Save now with Insured Safety (25 to 50 fsOc f tn') iSSsai CONTEST RULES on Passbook accounts compounded daily on Saving Certificates, 11,000 minimum. 4 yr. (Certificate subject to sulmUnilul Interest cnuliy if funds arc withdrawn prior to maturity) 1 Anyone 18 or over may enter, except employes ot First Federal Savings and their families 2 Entry must be on official entry blank 3 No purchase or deposit necessary to enter contest which ends Novombor 20 4 Drawing will be held November 20 and the winners will be notified Turkey certificates may be redeomed at any store carrying Norbest brand turkeys and must be used by Dec 3t. 197S 5 Only one entry per person, please vk Sivt lirrt vuur rnmirv buildi Katlem OrrKitn First Federal aWns tOt t W Cowl MiHon lit ft IK) I Brwrtwaylt 3
