' " '-s w
Ph, 2, THE GAZETTE-TIMES. Heppner. OR. Thursday, June 17, l7t
aleiini
By Jack Zimmerman
C o m m u n i c a t i o n s ajuajuuua
HH.ieintDtim
& Comments
Proud, thankful
EDITOR:
After having served as Deputy State Fire Marshal for
North Eastern Oregon. I am transferring to the Willamette
Valley
I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to all of
the people involved in the fire and police services in Morrow,
Umatilla Union and Wallowa Counties for the support they
have given me. I have met many wonderful people and made
a lot of close friends. I am proud to have been associated with
the fire departments in this area, both paid and volunteer.
Jhcy are doing a great job in a hazardous line of work.
Again, thanks.
'i CLYDE E.CASTO
Deputy Fire Prevention Division
Office of State Fire Marshal
Church thanks paper
EDITOR:
' The lone United Church of Christ would like to thank you
for publishing all the articles and giving us such good
coverage for our barbecue and auction. June 5. We were also
very pleased with the ads you prepared for us.
We had our most successful year ever, a great crowd.
JUDY REA
Rebuttal to report
EDITOR:
I, too would like to add a few lines of rebuttal to Mr.
Cutsforth's ecological report on Tennessee. Kentucky and
. Virginia in April 22. 1976 issue.
In the past ten years my w ife and I have spent as much as
ten months at a time in our many visits to the areas described
by Mr, Cutsforth. Some of our nation's most beautiful and
immaculate scenery is comprised of such as Gatlinburg.
Tennessee and the Great Smokes, the Blue Ridge Parkway,
the Shenandoah Valley and I will include the Cumberland
Historical Park area. (My mother came to Oregon from
Cumberland Gap in 1893. She was reared in Virginia fifty feet
from Hancock County. TN from whence my father came in
lfKJH.
From Cumberland Gap one can visit all three states in two
minutes. Interstate 40 the entire breadth of Tennessee is an
excellent example of the pride of these people and many
beautiful homes are to be seen. No-whcre were we able to
drive 50 miles without seeing a house (those states have been
settled much too long for that), much less able to walk that
distance on plastic bottles. Homes are privately owned there
just as elsewhere and the land is not controlled by huge
corporations. Many years ago the giant coal kings 'stole"
the mineral rights from the landowners for as little as fifteen
cents per acre. They did not get the land with the minerals.
Company houses were built to induce the miners to live
where they would be readily available for work. The
companies never kept up these houses and they became the
most prodigious example of poverty. I might add that the
greatest amount of coal comes from the Cumberland
mountain that form the boundary of pari of Kentucky and
Virginia
We did not see evidence of processed or bottled drinking
water as the natural w aler did not seem to be "contaminated
f.r drinking purposes," tl question the syntax).
Ijttfiy may I add that the people of TeniM-ssee, Kentucky
and Virginia area a prtdeful people and very proud of their
heritage. If an outsider coinpatable with them he or she
wi!Unbeawareof it. Likewise if the person doesn't fit that
will also soon be realised
1 am certainly happy that such people as our past governor
ami a few others who want to keep outsider out of Oregon
rre nt living her in Oregon's formative yrars. Thou
outsiders were our ancestors and we would not be her today.
Anyone from Tennessee. Kentucky and Virginia is certainly
wrkiime in my home.
V, IK VIS RITCHIE
Milwauki. OR
1 niL vVTTT
BSzk'k'IMkiLl
GAZETTE-TIME
Editorial & Viewpoint
Peoples' values differ
It took a pair of special votes, but the city of
Heppner finally passed a levy over the six per
cent limitation.
On the first try for $93,866 outside the six
per cent, voters profusely balked. 239-93. a
margin of more than two to one.
Then the budget committee went to work.
They slashed the budget by $fio.000and sent a
levy of $32,138 back to the voters.
Even though the levy was substantially
lower the second time around, council
memlHTs and budget committee members
still were quite concerned that the try would
(.ill
One nl the pi ime reasons for voter concern
seemed t lie not on how the rates of their
wa'er increased I'll' on how and when they
were i!"inu ' iLi in that water.
The city's swimming pool opened Tuesday
with the possible stipulation that it would be
closed July 1 if the levy failed.
More than one swimming enthusiast was
flustered by this. They even went as far as to
say, not in jest, that they would rather see a
pool full of water this summer than an extra
policeman or an extra street crewman.
And extra only means necessary addition.
It just seems funny the things that people
place certain values on these days.
Personal protection from that night
dispatcher vs. a swimming pool ... If an
accident or burglary occurred, it'd sure be
difficult to call the Heppner pool for
assistance. Let's be thankful for this base
necessity levy passed.
we v
What's a reader want ?
ttii.i' docs a reader want to sec in a
new-p.M-r".' There are as many answers as
dine are readers to this question, proven by
the calls from disappointed or irraie reader
who didn't hcMlate to tell the Gazette Time
when they weren't happy with a certain news
story .
One anonymous newspaperman, no doubt
alter getting a thorough tongue-lashing from
an unhappy reader, wrote the following
;iiiscrs l 'he question.
What docs a reader want to mt in a
newspaper?
My name
- A Iront page s"ory telling how crooked the
city and county governments are most of the
time
-My wile's name
- A feature story telling 25 ways to cheat on
federal income lax and 2 ways to cheat on
state income tax
- My kids" names
-A story about the alfaif my neighbor is
h.iing
- More news alil lawbreakers.
-A classified d with a three -bedroom
house for sale for l-s than W.ono wtin nothing
down
Ivcss news alftut lawbreakers I was
pu ked up last night.
- An editorial blasting high hool teachers
1'ir tiring t liltcral with "K "
A picture ol the bridegroom instead ol the
bride when he is more handsome than she is
pretty.
-A picture of me on the orts page when I
howled a 1H1
- A front page picture ol my neighbor living
hauled out "f a bar by Ins wile,
- A lull page spread alxnit this deadtieal
across the street from who just had his car
rcjxissed.
- A front page story almul greedy
merchants, like the one who said I have to pay
lor my furniture or he'll sue me.
-More letters to the editor naming the
crooks we have in town.
-I pictures showing how cute every
body else's kids are. Mine are better looking
than the ones you have in the pjer.
- A complete biographical sketch )oiil lh
-most important cmen in town " And be
sure von sKdl my name right.
P.ut. seriously, this is your newspaper,
w riiten. edited and published for the people of
II. poer and Morrow County and the people
w ho ant to know w hat ' going on in Morrow
County
II you hae an Idea for a way or ways In
'winch the newspaper could do a Mtcr job fr
joii. write a teller In the editor or drop in
The ilior t nUays open
Gov. Bob Straub's concern for Oregon's future was
emphasized by his conference of businessmen, labor leaders
and environmentalists in Portland early this month.
Conducted in hopes of drafting legislative proposals to
revitalize the state's business climate without damaging the
environment, the two-day meeting was somewhat similar to
a meeting of the Legislature it was designed to influence.
It opened with an address by the Governor. It was
well-scripted in advance. It consisted largely of continuing
discussion between forces with differing points of view. And,
although consensus was achieved on many issues, results
won't be known for months to come. . . ,
The parallel between the conference and a legislative
session is perhaps more aptly applied to a special, rather
than regular, Salem meeting of lawmakers. Regular sessions
are much longer.
Officially entitled Governor's Conference-Oregon s
Future: Jobs and the Environment, the gathering also had
similarities to an earlier meeting of concerned business and
labor people (they left out environmentalists), who met,
discussed and circulated legislative goals aimed at
improving the economy.
A larger-than-anticipated attendance at the Straub
conference, coupled with the presence of many participants
from the earlier spontaneous gathering, moved more than
one observer to dub the Governor's group the Committee of
Three Hundred and Fifty.
On the other hand there was a uniqueness to the Straub
assemblage that tended to discredit critics who may have
come away wondering what had been accomplished. The
chief executive set the tone for this one-of-a-kind happening
when he urged participants to set aside prejudices and work
to achieve what's best for Oregon.
The fact the confab occurred at all was public recognition
with underlined gubernatorial emphasis that Oregon and
Oregonians can't get by forever without achieving a
practical balance between economy and ecology,
Straub made his attitude perfectly clear by Jolting his
opening day audience with a spur-of-the-moment suggestion
the meeting's title should have included profits, as well as
jobs and the environment!
Actually, the conference dealt with four major topics: 1.
Permits, Paperwork and Legislation; 2. Taxation; 3. Energy
and Environmental Considerations, and 4. Attraction of New
Industry and Expansion of Labor Force.
So-called white papers on each topic included specific
items for discussion and participants in the four separate
sub-meetings generally managed, at the insistence of
experienced leadership to stick to assigned subjects.
Generally, consensus was achieved on points such as the
fact government generates too much paperwork, people
don't want more taxes, we need more energy without doing
irreparale environmental damage and we should have more
jobs for people who want to work.
Specifically, participants recommended expanding efforts
to reduce paperwork by coordinating permit processes,
limiting bureaucratic overlap and duplication, reviewing
agency activities and tying the hands of lawmakers and
bureaucrats alike by requiring statements of intent to
accompany all new legislative proposals and regulations.
They asked for uniform statewide zoning language, a
master permit form and a statute of limitations of
declaratory judgements to protect defendants from frivolous
lawsuits aimed at delaying developments.
Those discussing taxation had more difficulty achieving
consensus and shocked others by recommending elimination
of the federal deduction when figuring Oregon Income
taxes-coupled with a reduction of taxes. They also asked for
complete overhaul of present taxes, slashing inheritance
taxes, raising pollution control credits and reducing costs for
Unemployment and Workmen's Compensation, even though
the last two subjects weren't on the agenda.
AH things considered, the Straub conference did obtain
data for legislative proposals (and welcomes additional ideas
by mail until July 1 ). It brought people of diverse persuasions
face to face.
But most important perhaps, it exposed a lot of
comparative newcomers to complexities inherent to the
process by which a relative handful of Oregonians create
laws that regulate us all.
A b ouilh e piciu r e
Two deer graze on open
field about two miles west
of Heppner. (G'T Photo)
THE
mr
IIETTNCa
GAZETTE-TIMES
The Heppner Gazette-Times
The official newspaper of the City of llrppner and the
County of Morrow.
fi.M.ltred. Publisher
Dolores Heed. Co-publisher
published every Thursday and entered a a
irond class mailer at the pl office at llrppner,
Oregon, under the arl of March 1. 151. Second data
postage paid al llrppner. Oregon.
JL