Page 2, THE GAZETTE-TIMES, Heppner, OR, Thursday, May 6, 1976
Salem
by Jack Zimmerman
cene
i
El
in,
F.RIF.(ERESA
For the first time in many years, perhaps in its entire
history, the City of Heppner will have to rely on voters to pass
a levy election to run the city for the coming fiscal year.
Voters will be asked to vote on $93,866 outside of the six per
cent limitation at a special election May 17
The budget committee has studied the budget and they
have reported there is no fat in the budget. If the voters do not
pass the budget the common council will have no alternative
than to cut some of the services now rendered to people of the
community.
J
For the past 20 years Police Chief Dean Gilman has waited
for the time when his department could give the people of
Heppner 24 hour police protection. He has finally
accomplished his goal. If voters fail to pass the levy the city
has no alternative but to release one of the police officers. If
this happens the people of the community would not have full
police protection 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A 20 year
dream wiped out by the stroke of the voters.
The public library is used by both young and old, however,
there is the cost of maintaining the library plus the salary of
the librarian. Perhaps this would have to be closed.
Presently the city streets are being kept in good repair and
are being washed clean. Another department the city
officials might save money, would be to terminate a position
on the city crew. Any repair or paving work would not be
completed.
The swimming pool could be closed for the summer. Most
communities depend on the money received from the
youngsters during the summer months to maintain the pool.
Last year the city grossed approximately $2,800 from the pool
and paid out nearly $8,000 for services, managers, help and
maintenance.
t While the pool is a cheap baby sitter for many parents,
costing only 35 cents per day per child, perhaps the pool could
be closed for the summer.
I The City of Heppner has the cheapest water and sewer
rates for small communities in the state. Perhaps residents
would welcome another increase in water and sewer rates.
Most of the smaller communities in the state have water and
sewer rates nearly double those of Heppner.
A portion of the increase in the city budget is due primarily
to the cost of living and inflation, however, most of the city
employees are still below the monthly salaries of other city
employees. If the city were to fire all of its employees in an
effort to meet the monthly cost to run the city, the city would
not have sufficient funds to operate the city for the coming
fiscal year.
r The decision will be up to the voters when they go to the
polls this month; however, before voting against the levy
take a long, hard look at the alternatives facing the common
council, then cast your ballot.
NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS . . .
The City Council wants to abandon the parking meters.
While the income from the meters amounts to approximately
$250 per month for a period of 7-8 months out of the year, it
also costs $50 per month to maintain the meters,
i While the revenue from the meters amounts to $1,800 per
year the meters have outlived their usefulness. They have
been in effect in the City of Heppner for the last 20 years and
all they have brought to the city is a pain in the neck. Each
time an officer writes some unsuspecting shopper a violation
the person swears he will never come back to Heppner.
5 If the city wanted to put the meters on a paying basis they
would have to hire another police officer to do nothing more .
than patrol the meters every two hours during the day.
While many people think the present police staff is capable
of doing this job they should take a look at the amount of
paper work the police officers are required to complete for
each arrest. They are bound to appear in court for major
offenses and spend a good deal of time with the district
attorney.
Some of the merchants may bellow about the removal of
the meters and others are bound to insist that employees will
park in the spaces of the various store, taking the parking
spaces of the customers. If the employers want to keep
employees from parking in front of their or any other
merchants store, a simple solution would be to notify the
employee he would be fired if they parked in the spaces
reserved for customers. Rather than jerk the meters at once,
the council recommends they be bagged for a 30 day period
and at the end of that time the Police Chief be consulted
regarding any traffic or lengthy parking problem.
At the June meeting the Common Council will make a
decision on the parking meters, whether they go or new ones
are to be installed. In the mean time enjoy 30 days of free
parking.
THE
GAZETTE-TIMES
THE GAZETTE-TIMES
The official newspaper of the City of Heppner aa4 lae
' County of Morrow.
CM. Reed. Pabtltner
Deloret Reed. Ce-publither
Ernie Crresa, Editor
Published every Thursday and entered at a
second-rlais natter at the pott office al Heppner,
, Orrgo, under the art of March . 1 171. ficotid-Uts
. pottage paid al Heppner, Oregon.
"I Have Decided I Will Not Run."
The mail pouch
EDITOR:
I certainly have no desire to become a weekly pen pal to the
Editor of the Heppner Gazette Times. However, the editorial
that appeared in last week's Heppner Gazette Times does
require some comment. If the editorial was written to incite
the public, then it has worked, because I am incited.
First, let me say that I agree wholeheartedly with about 90
per cent of the editorial. I certainly agree that the public has
a right to cast ballots on all public issues.
The main message I wish to convey in this letter is to
apologize to those people who went to the polls in Heppner
and did not have the opportunity to vote on the Blue Mountain
Community College budget and board of directors. Ernie
Ceresa expressed this point very well and I will not expound
on his comments. I can assure you that I will personally see
-that an adequate number of ballots are delivered to and
available at each polling place at next year's election.
I must say also that our records show that we did prepare
election packets for the five polling places in Morrow County,
and the number of ballots included in those packets were as
follows:
800 Heppner Consolidated Precinct
400 lone Precinct
400 Irrigon Precinct
300 Lexington Precinct
300 Boardman Precinct
When it was reported to me that the Heppner precinct did
not have a sufficient number of ballots for those voters who
appeared at the polls to vote. I immediately checked our
records and on finding that 800 ballots were supposed to have
been sent to the Heppner precinct, I tried to determine what
had happened to the other 400 ballots.
At this point no good would be served by trying to pinpoint
one person who was responsible for the shortage of ballots at
the Heppner precinct. Suffice it to say that we delivered the
material for all five polling places to Lexington and from that
time until the time the material was turned over to the
election board, the envelopes which contained the election
material had not been opened. The people in our Business
Office are firm in their conviction that the 800 ballots were
included in the envelope when it left this office, but it is
obvious that the 800 ballots were not delivered to the polling
place or part of them were misplaced at the polling site.
The investigation I have conducted has failed to determine
where the problem may have occurred. I see no point in
pursuing it further because even though I regret that all
Heppner voters did not have the opportunity to vote on our
budget, the fact remains that had all the people who did not
vote cast a "no" vote, it would st'll not have affected the
election results.
So, please accept my apology for this unfortunate error and
let me assure you that we will be sure that the number of
ballots delivered to each polling place will be more than
adequate for all those who wish to vote. I have always been a
firm believer in large voter turnouts, and it is most
unfortunate that an error somewhere along the line resulted
in the Heppner precinct not receiving the number of ballots
that our records show were sent to that precinct.
I hope it will not be necessary for me to write to you again
for at least a year.
RON DANIELS
President. Blue Mountain Community College
EDITOR:
Coming across "la WalsinghamVdiatride in your April 16
issue, while sojourning in Arlington, aroused my interest.
Her ire at the humane information supplied by humane,
compassionate people, is rather ludicrous, but it points out
her complete disdain for our exploited wild and domestic
creature, for near the end her hypocrisy is seen as she uses
the words "suffering and agony", the Great Swamps
National Park Wilflife "Refuge" deer herds dying of
starvation and from attack from dog packs. At this point her
hatred of dogs is most evident. And may I ask. "Why
haven't these surplus deer been transported to other areas,
less inhabited, rather than always target for the hunters?"
This is real wildlife management, there is no such word as
I conservation among hunters and Game Commission.
CBS's "Guns of Autumn" was an actual integration of how
most hunters behave, and I have learned through
observation at close range. It shocked the A.R. and the
N R. A. to have the non hunting public see them as they really
are , hence the legal proceedings. While you are attempting
to illuminate funds to Humane organizations, you better look
into the files of the above, and note the millions allocated to
discredit the humane movement, thru specially placed
propaganda, and to undercover groups to find anything that
could be used against humane organizations.
Your N R. A. whose ranks are swelled by military brass
and prominent congressmen, see to it that all legislation
continues to be pro-weapons and pro-hunting.
You went to great lengths to protect the American
"Humane Society" who has made a mockery out of their
blindfolded "supervision" over the treatment of rodeo stock.
Lastly, regarding juvenile vandalism, you are most
assuredly condoning it, when you ask, "How could this be
misconstrued as a deterioration of parental responsibility?"
A child's actions, away from home, does reflect good or poor
guidance.
Take a waltz Kay.
MRS. JEANNE DAVIS
Portland, OR.
r As Others See It
EDITOR:
Enclosed check for $7 for extension of subscription to the
Gaatette-Times for one year.
Still Interested In Heppner-tho see very few names of
residents of our times. Mrs. H. born in Heppner; self born in
Pendleton. Both graduates of Heppner Public School (on the
hill), class of 1913, HI IS.
E.O. HENDRICSON
INA (JONES) HENDRICSON
Just To Hear?
The county school board has
called a special meeting next
Tuesday evening to "hear" from
patrons about the recently re
jected school budget and serial
levy.
Note the word "hear."
That's apparently all the board
plans to do. Members have al
ready said they expect to make no
cuts, or only small ones, In the
budget.
We don't think this is the way
to go. Only about one-third of the
voters supported the budget last
week. The other two-thirds turned
thumbs down.
The board should enter Into a
public meeting on the budget with
open minds. To do less is Inviting
another defeat.
UHiTiIWJT1iriTTTr'l II III 'ill' I'HI I ll "" ' Mtn"nrriwm iiMo'irnm
Newport News Times
Descriptive reactions to Gov. Bob Straub proposed
Oregon Power Authority range from "sheer brilliance to
barnyard expletives unlikely to appear in family
newspapers. .
Those most enthused about the plan designed to reduce
electric bills for residential and rural user are residential
and rural users now paying for privately generated
electricity. , , 4. ,
Those reacting more cautiously tend to question practical
application of a state-wide non-profit power distribution
system. And expressing their concern In earthy terms are
holders of some 43,000 Jobs now dependent upon the same
power the Governor proposes to give to residential and rural
users. .
In the background-and possibly obscured by a
misconception the plan will create new power-lurks a
critical electric energy shortage likely to occur as early as
1978.
The Governor has emphasized his plan doesn't create any
new juice. It simply provides a vehicle by which Bonneville
Power Administration can reallocate the power it now
provides to high energy consuming industries. Contracts
with those industries begin expiring in 1983. Straub wants
Oregon to be first in line for that power if it's diverted to other
users.
That much of the plan is acceptable to everyone-except
the industries and those who work for them.
Oregon's private utilities long have supported reallocation
of BPA power. Sixty-nine per cent of BPA's firm energy sales
to utilities last year went to Washington. Twenty-three per
cent was sold in Oregon and 8 per cent in other states.
By law, BPA must serve preference customers first. They
are defined as public bodies and cooperatives serving
residential and rural users. Washington has more publics
and co-ops. Under the Straub plan, all of Oregon would fit the
definition. -
While Oregon private utilities support BPA power
reallocation and that federal agency currently is readying a
reallocation plan for release 18 months hence they fear the
public may be lulled into ignoring the impending shortage.
Since they have to charge more for the power they
generate than BPA charges for cheap hydro-energy churned
in the Columbia River system, they also may be pondering
problems they'll have serving industries now served by BPA.
Since those industries use more power than domestic
users, it might appear there would be a surplus under the
Straub plan and the state could sell the excess to private
utilities. Then the privates could mix it with their own power
to serve the industries.
It appears to be a neat package. It takes existing power,
shuffles distribution, reallocates end users and gives
preferred domestic users a reduced electricity bill.
Gov. Straub admits there is one big flaw. Congress could
decide the aluminum industry is in the public Interest and
grandfather existing plants into BPA's customer mix. That
would mean the power they're now using wouldn't be
available for reallocation to the Oregon Power Authority.
Meanwhile, the shortage is coming. And since there is no
prospect for additional cheap federal hydro power, private
utilities are left with the task of additional generation.
Private utilities are privately financed. They depend on
investors for developmental money. And investors expect a
profit on the money they give to private utilities to generate
more power.
As the cost of generating electricity increases, the cost of
privately generated Juice Increases. As the cost of this
energy increases, the cost of products produced by
dependent industries increases. If customers can afford the
higher prices, things work out okay. If they can't, then things
aren't so neat.
If the aluminum market sours, jobs end. And aluminum
isn't the only product involved. Many of Oregon's industries
are energy Intensive.
Right now most new generating projects have been
delayed from three months to three years by slow equipment
deliveries, court suits and other tactics by environmental
groups, financing problems and a drop In workforce
productivity.
Mayor of Hardmon
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
Clem Webster allowed during the session at the country
store Saturday night that whoever said that crime don't pay
didn't reckon with the white collar boys In the Watergate
break in. Most of em that got off or got out after serving time
got well writing books about their version of true confessions,
declared Clem, and the crime opened the way fer outside
people to write books and make movies about the Inside they
don't know nothing about.
But what set Clem off this last time was where he saw In
the papers that Dwlght Chapin was being paid at the rate of
$45,000 a year while he was serving eight months In the pen
fer lying to a Watergate grand Jury. It come out that Chapin
had a deal with a Insurance company that called fer his pay
to keep going. Clem said you can't figger people. Folks used
to say a man had to at least look honest to sell used cars, but
here we got a case where a company has been paying $45,000
a year in the belief that folks will stand In line to buy
insurance from a proven liar.
About all that proves, broke in Zeke Grubb, is that It's
human nature to work things to the best advantage we can.
Zeke had law this piece where people are taking advantage
of Medicare and food stamp laws everwhere. This one study
in New Jersey showed, fer instant, that wheel chairs, hospital
beds and other equipment was being rented fer up to six
times what they cost to buy outright. A $188 wheel chair was
rented for six years for $1,080. and a bed that cost $280 was
rented 58 months for $1,(500, Zeke said, because the law allows
patients that pay 20 per cent of the cost to choose between
renting and buying, and they'd ruther stretch out the
payments of their part.
As fer food stamps, Clem went on, it's another case of the
honor system. The Guvernment trying to help folks eat better
has got the honor, and the folks has got the system. Checks
have showed that doits eat better in families that ue fond
stamps. You can'l buy regular dog food with the stamps, so
folks buy hamburger and even top grade beef fer the dogs.
Clem passed along one story where this feller using food
stamps took one of his good home-cured hams by the grocery
store and sold it. He used some of the money from the sale of
the ham to pay his share of his month's supply of food
stamps. Then he took the stamps to the grocery store, bought
his ham back and he had enough cash money left to git
haircut and take In a picture show afore heading home with
what he left with. Of course, Clem said, that ! jest story,
Bug llonkum said he thought Clem was going to say the
feller used his extra cash to buy bonne which would be
helping the food situation. Bug had saw where the corn and
wheat left from making liquor Is being tested fer use Si
protein filler in sausage and other meats fer people.
Yours truly,
MAYOR ROY.
t