Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 1976)
BESSIE WETZELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB 'J G E . E OR 9 7 4 0 3 County JP Gov. appoints Gribble GA2ETTE-TIMES VOL. 3. NO. 22 HEPPNER, OK THURSDAY. July 15. 1976 S Pages 15c St htm, Mill 'f Iff flit !'itHt' 'ill h i,l h i iir, -Hit 'faf -r '!'!(' Ml., tfi - t lU outfit) ou It " 'tifiiWf f iimi'm rtri vlnu alona some time. late at night, and you see a couple of men. carrying metal cam and glowing sheets. don't be alarmed. They're trying to caicn moms. That's right. A former Heppner resident. John Rawlins, and a Cornell University friend, Tim McCabe, are spending part of their summer in Morrow County, doing graduate work in entomology, the study of Insects. Rawlins, son of Bill and Jane Huston Rawlins, left Heppner three years ago with a couple of county rattlesnakes to study herpatology, the study of snakes, at Cornell. But, according to Rawlins, "by mere chance", he came in contact with entomology and Dr. John Franclemont. "I was inspired by the people, and the whole subject matter," Rawlins said, "and I divided I would change my Ph.D. program to entomology." So the two insect hunters have started looking for species of moths in this country. They study a wide array of insect related subjects. "You don't become a grasshopper person or a snake person, you end up much more general." Rawlins said. "After a few years, you get proficient in most groups and that includes plants and animals." Both men have teaching assistantships at Cornell and will probably end up teaching at the University level to make their living. They are teaching introductory and systematic courses In biology right now. Rawlins has had a life long Interest In biology, becoming a snake specialist early in his 25year-span. Even in high school, Rawlins was studying snakes In the area. He even enlightened a few. There is not Just one poisonous snake in Eastern Oregon, according to Rawlins. "When people list the number of poisonous snakes in eastern Oregon, they stop and say 'well, the rattle snake' and that's It. Actually we have two poisonous snakes." Rawlins said the second one is the night snake, a small rear fanged snake. The efforts of it's venom on man are not known, he said. because the snake hasn't bitten man to anyone's knowledge. John attributes his first step toward his studies to his father. "For a dirt farmer," he said, "he Is an amaiingly Informed natural historian." Rawlins also said Kirk Horn, a former science teacher at Heppner High School, was the man who "pcrclpitated my Interest." McCabe, a Minnesota man. went to high school In Diworth, Minnesota, and attended both Moorhead State University In M(K.rehead, Minnesota and North Dakota State University In Fargo before transferring to Cornell for his graduate studies. tSo two young scientists, avidly studying at a major university in New' York, are In the west, wide open lands of Morrow County. Why? Timy wanted to go west to find a certain species of moth that little is known about. And John, well Morrow County is still his home, and living here in Heppner, made it convenient. So far, the duo has been looking and collecting moths in Rock Creek and Bull Prairie. Other trips are planned, including a sweep from Northern California up the Oregon Coast. Their system for nabbing the flying noctoids is interesting. They carry a large car battery. 12 volt, weighing sometimes as much as 40 or 50 pounds. They have a whole group of small black lights that run off the battery. They drive around till they find a likely moth habitat, checking vegetation or eyeing moth flightways ui dusk. They set up lights and suspend them in front of a white sheet. The black lights cause the entire sheet to glow and moths land on it. Equipped with a half dozen cyanide bottles, the pair goes about the early morning ritual, picking individual moths Irom the sheet and placing them in the cyanide containers. The cyanide, they say. Just knocks them down for several minutes, giving them time to decide whether or not they want to release it because it's a little worn or is a species that is common. Or. If it Is a live female, they may dump it out and let it recover. The female is transferred to a bottle till it lays eggs. The eggs are reared into caterpillars and finally moths and studied as a species. For a male moth, they Just leave it sit over night in the cyanide bottle and that kills It and keeps it "in pretty good shape." How's that for women's lib? "So little is known," Rawlins said. "People come through here quickly and will collect a few moths. They are stored in private collections or stored in museums. Fifty years later, Tim comes along and writes to all these collections and museums to find out what is available to the scientific world. Sometimes you know darn well something else is there, it's Just that nobody ever got there to collect it." The two scientists from back east are having a good lime in Morrow County, collecting hundreds of moths and a rattle snake or two. To some, it may be a creepy crawling experience, but to these two dedicated men, it's all in a day's work. County vote Finally . . . Delores Gribble is the justice of the peace in Morrow Countv. Although she'll be up for vote again in November, Delores Gribble was appoint ed by Gov. Bob Straub to fill a vacancy, the second time in her 13 year history at the court house. Mrs. Gribble has been clerk of the court since 1963, except for a two year stint at JP, filling the first vacancy. On Feb. 15, 1969, Lowell Gribble, her husband, resign ed from the post for personal reasons. Mrs. Gribble, Mr. Gribble's secretary, was ap pointed by then Gov. Tom McCall to complete that term on June 2, 1970. In November of that same year, Mrs. Gribble was de feated in an election by Charles O'Connor. But, again, she stayed at the court house, hired by O'Connor as his clerk and bookkeeper. In June 30 of this year, O'Connor stepped down from office. The county has been without a JP since then, except when Mrs. Gribble was appointed pro-tern by the court to fill the spot until the appointment by Straub. Mrs. Gribble, 60, a 26-year resident of Heppner, is the justice of the peace . . . again and again . . . and possibly again in November. needed & sloW Start but harvest is here ! . The Morrow County budget won't have to depend on voter approval this year. The county budget stayed within the six per cent annual limitation. The total budget for this fiscal year, already started July I, is $2,095,948. The county total proposed levy is $493,056. . Cuts in regularly funded areas kept the budget within the six per cent. Alcohol enforcement and dogs will not be funded at all this year. Last year, alcohol enforcement had a $400 bud get. Last year, dog enforce ment had a $500 budget. Other items stayed the same. The airport stayed at $2160, the same as last year. The law library jumped $50 to $1400 total and the Pioneer Memorial Hospital total rais ed $10 to $56,573. v The general road fund stayed the same. The hospital and road funds are serial levies and must stay even. The proposed fund this year for roads stayed at $145,000. The fair and rodeo, a state funded program, was budget ed for $70,890, up more than $8,000 from last year's $62,695 total. Revenue sharing monies are expected to increase this year. The year's budget calls for $181,000 while last year's bud geted total was $128,000. The general fund, also under that six per cent limitation, increased just a little more than $16,000. The budget last year of $258,367 increased to $274,703. The school fund stayed at $14,000 and the Boardman Vector Control budget upped itself to $2780 from last year's $2616 total. A separately funded mental health program jumped from xero to $86,847. NopppQiiilon. Hundreds and hundreds of acres of amber waves of grain, warmed by the sun, toasted to a swelling fanner's desire are relinquishing their stand . . . giving in to the choppers. Oh ... the pain of it all. The wheat fields turn from waving seas of yellow to a facsimile oi an overgrown stubble field. 'Quality good The harvest has been slow to start, according to Riley M unkers, Morrow County Gr ain Growers grain buyer and seller. But, Munkers said, the grain quality is good. By the end of - this week, he added, "we'll be going full blast." Get those combines in working order and grab your County sun can, then sweat and dust will make a wet shower look mighty good around 10 p.m. The North Lexington ele vator has already taken in about 10,000 bushel of red and white wheat, give or take a bushel. Some red wheat is being brought to the river elevator to and it is a dry land crop. Stan Kemp brought the first wheat to the N. Lexington ele vator on July 8. According to Stan Kemp heads for the next strip of wheat. (G-T Photo) You bet. Harvest It here, whether Mother Nature Is ready or not. dust cloths to wipe a sweaty face. If the sun starts beating down like the good old Morrow Council adopts budget With no opposition or proposition attending, the Heppner common council Monday night, approved the Heppner city budget, during a special meeting. The approved budget was in the amount of $135,004. revised from the original proposed budget of $158,710. Taxes necessary to balance the budget are $62,552. The general government department was cut to $60,371; the swimming pool went to $8830; the sanitary department was budgeted for $1666; the police department. $50,558; the fire department, $8343; the library depart ment, from the general fund is $4236; The road fund resources Increased from the proposed budget to $35,111; water utilities is $69,400; sewer operation budget is $29,500; fire department equipment and building re quirements total $12,000; sewer improvement requirements were listed at sero; swim pool sinking reserve fund is listed at $10,623; Flood damage sinking reserve require ments totalled $9168; the street equipment $2009; police equipment was cut to lero; land reserve requirements was $2000; flood damage bond proceeds totalled $6718; water Improvement bond sinking was $40,055; water improvement bond proceeds listed at $8500; revenue sharing was listed at $16,925. Total budget requirements totalled $59,846. Munkers, Kemp's grain quali ty 'looked good." Munkers has no production reports but guessed that the yield would be about 25-28 bushel per acre of wheat and 1500 pounds per acre of barley. Kemp, wiping dirt from his face as he jumped down off a combine Monday, said the "grain is not as good as it looks." Kemp said it had "good quality but it's not shelling out." Lyle Peck brought the first load of barley into Lexington July 3 and had an early bicen tennial celebration. Farmers should take pre caitions this time of year to prevent fires In the dry fields. Some of the new devices on new cars and pickups can cause quick flame and an even quicker field loss. Reports from the Oregon Crop and Livestock Reporting Service Indicated that winter wheat in eastern Oregon Is "heading rapidly but not evenly." By the end of this week and the start of next, combines should be cutting at all hours of the day and night in Morrow County. Council stops bank's try at mobile bank In a short, ten minute special meeting, the Heppner common council balked at an attempt by First Federal Savings and Loan to build temporary, garage-type structure for a mobile bank. By lack of a motion, a mobile banking facility, may not be built In Heppner. Last week at the regular meeting. Orrn Allison, managing officer at First Federal Savings and Loan In Pendleton and Bert Amdt, promotions, told the council that they wanted to include Heppner In a three-town mobile banking service. The bank, they said, would be In the form of a 31 foot motor home, equipped with hanking necessities, Including a safe, lobby and a desk. The hang up last week was fire codes. The bank officials said they wanted a pole type structure for easier salvage in the event that a permanent structure be built. That would not meet codes. The bank officials said permanent banking facility could be built if the population of Heppner reaches 3.000. That view was the same for Arlington and Board man, the other two parts of the three-town touring bank. The proposed schedule would have seen the bank In Heppner two days a week, in Boardman two days a week and In Arlington, one day a week. The bank garage, revised to be built with concrete block according to the application for a building permit presented Monday night, would be a 12 by 36 fool frame with a porch and landscaping. It was slated to be built on the corner of Main Street and Central Street, Just south of the Arco Station. The building, according to the application presented, would cost $12,265. The banking facility met the city's toning codes last week. This week, with the revision that the building be built with concrete blocks, it met the fire codes. But the council still balked at the temporariness of the building. Mayor Jerry Sweeney told the council members they w ould never see 3.000 people in Heppner, the amount needed by First Federal, to feasibly try a permanent banking facility. The three man council had two opposed and one neutral member. Warren I'locharsky, the neutral member, entertained a motion to table the application bid till the next council meeting. His motion received no second from either Ray Boyce or Jim Rogers, who voiced their disapproval of the facility. Amdt, First Federal's promotions manag er, said the banking firm, was "prepared to meet the city's codes" Monday night In a telephone interview. He said the building would be permanent built on a concrete foundation with concrete block. He said he did not know what the hang up was. Arndt said that he would discuss the matter with Morris Groves, contractor, and come back with revisions u they were needed
