Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 1976)
BESSIE WET2ELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB EUGENE OR 97403 I iifppn.fr oh Thursday, Dec. H, 1976 14 Pages VOL. 93, NO. 41 HhPPfrfcK. OK. i : 1 1 . - U ROUTH Could mean economic disaster in wheat fields p - - i . If " ) County agenf Harold Kerr holds a couple young struggling wheat sprouts In a handful of dry North Lex. soli. By Wll C. Phinney Editor, Gaxette-Times Nobody it arguing the facts. There hat been dam little moisture since August and that rain was lost in cultivation and evaporation. If hollering helped, the sklea would have opened up long ago. You can bet there are more than one farmer in the area who a hoping it'll rain before thU paper and this atory hit the treeU on Thuraday. If U doesn't rain soon, it could, seriously, mean economic disaster in Morrow County. That's a heavy line, but it'a true. Harold Kerr. Morrow County extension agent, calls the "serious situation" a "drouth." He's plain talking about the problem. "If it turns off real cold with no moisture in the ground, there's a good chance of killing off the wheat crop," Kerr said emphatically. ' The soil is just dry." he said. A trip to the furrowed fields will tell that. A blind mia can feel the dust running through his fingers. Kerr adda another chapter to the story. "We need rain more than snow." he said. "If it snows and the ground freeies, we're liable to get a snow run off when it thaws. The surface will thaw before the ground." That meana erosion. Kerr said, however, that there's hardly enough moisture in the ground to freeie. If bad can be good, that's the only way. Kerr, forecasting the worst, aaid a farmer can rested with spring wheat or aeed with winter wheat up till about Feb.ttf Befor then." Kerr aaid.tnsmaoT Hy know if he a lost his stand yet." "If we get the right kind of winter, we can have the right kind of crop." Kerr said. What about the August rains? They set records them selves. But that was in August. The rain is needed in November and that ground Just hasn't been able to hold the moisture that long. "The August rain helped." Kerr said. "But the ground didn't save much. It evaporated and cultivation drew it out." That August moisture was the fast good drops of water this county has seen, outside of a couple sprinkle. The problem fa not scientific one to deal with. "Every day it doesnt rata, it makea it worse." Kerr said. "The aame amount of August rain would have done a lot more good in October or November." Farmers in the area echo Kerr's thoughts, but they add their own. too. "It's getting kind of rough." Roy Martin, the 171 Conservation Man of the Year in Morrow County said Tuesday. "You have to go back to 1967 to get a comparison." In that year. Martin said he raised wheat on 4-5 inches of rain for the entire year. In 1967. he said his North Lex. ranch took on three small rains from May through the year. His records showed so-ioo degree weather with northeast winds that dried the soil even mere. "You could smell the wheat cooking." Martin aaid. noting that in 1967. there were II straight days without rain. What about 1976? "It s a different kind of falL" Martin (Continued on Page 6) ByMPJLch15 Child center faced with move Only months after finances lowed a Nov. opening, the Heppner Child Development Center is strapped again. Thia time It Isn't financial problem. The center la crying out for help in finding another build ing to house the children presently taking advantage of the city's child development center. The center has been occupy ing the Seventh-Day Adve ntisl Church gymnasium for two and a half years. But, due lo growth in the church. It was decided this week that the center should find another building so the church could utilize the gym for programs and a possible school. Much credit roust be given to the members of the SDA church, who have unselfishly J V. provided the gym, church kit chen, classroom and rest rooms rent free to the center. The church has grown from three children two years ago to 15 today. Pastor Lloyd Perrin said a school may be planned for the building and that it would be utilized with programs. The church and center set March 15 as the date of de parture, but Perrin said it could be extended to June 1 if needed. Perrin said the church members were "really sen sitive" because they know the center is a "valuable asset to the community." Perrin said the church w as "interested in the center" but decided on the move "in terms of church grolh." Linda Johnson, spokesper son Monday for a group of center board members, said the board was "totally grate ful to the church" and that there were no bad feelings. The center is now in need of a new building. The building would have to be pretty large, to house 22 children, including infants. Monica Swanson, center supervisor, said the building would preferably have two restrooms, an outside play ground area, and a couple Holly Hoyt While the Heppner Child Development Center toy with a major mo-e, It also will bt feeling tha ncrgrtic grip of a new manager. Holly llnyt, 13 year-old Troutdale woman, has started at the center under Ihe super vision of Monica Swanson. Ms. Swanson will be In that supervisory position for the next six month. , Ms. floyl has a bachelor of science degree In child development from the University of Washington, She said she "really love It here" and lhat she will find Ihe lak "challenging " Saying , she' looking forwsrd to taking over. Ml Hnyt aaid that the move won'i be "tremendous deterrent lo any energy I was planning to extend " Li I VV r s A: l r J V . ' i I : w( Jr i i - " Climbing to the county court house clock tower Is no easy chore. See page for feature story different rooms would be "more practical" but not necessary. The plea for help will be part of a meeting of parents, the board and staff on Thursday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the center. The persons interested will discuss and explain the move with ideas of a new building. The board will also be ex panding. There are six board members at present, includ ing Anne Doherty, Linda Johnson, Joyce Crasser, Carol Goodyear. Ken Lemley, and Nova Caylord. Two more persons will be added to the board. The board also wished to publicly thank again all the donors that helped them through a financial crisis In October. Their doors are open again, but they need new doors, now. " F : w v iff N; " p'C Bert Huff. First Na tional Bank of Oregon vice president, spoke Friday at the Heppaer. Morrow Ctualy Farm City Banquet. The banquet drew more than V persons in( the Elks' Lodge for a dinner, served by Jim Roger and honor pre sentations. The Morrow County livestock Association meeting preceded the Farm-City banquet. Some of Huff's re marks are on page seven. Picture and story about award win ner appear pages four and five. Bert Huff& Larry Mills (G-T Photo) Tod Miller elected OWGL President E H. "Tad" Miller. Hep pner, was elected president of the Oregon Wheat Grower League last week at Ihe OWGL annual business meet ing in Irtland. The Oregon Wheat Grower League Is a statewide organiiation com posed of nearly 9.W0 Oregon wheat farmers with office in Pendleton. Tad Miller follows in the fontsirps of his father, E II. "Miller, who was president of the OWGL in ! Tad still farms on the J600 acr ranch located In the north Lexington area between Lexington and Heppner In Morrow County. The Oregon Wheat Grower League celebrated It 50th anniversary in February of this year. The OWGL has been active In foreign market de velopment for Oregon wheat and established the first U S. commodity office In Tokyo, Japan. This led to the forma tion of Western Wheal As sociates and promotion of other U.S. agricultural pro ducts overseas. Tad and hia wife. Melba, have four children; Michelle Burn (Mr. Don. Pendleton; Mark, who recently graduated from t University of Idaho and who h.ts deckled to stay home and help his dad farm; Nancy. IJ and Steve, I Tommy Martin wa recent ly fleeted Morrow County Wheat Grower Ugu preni cVnl and Jim Snxwi. vice-president. I L. f F. M. 'Tod Miller ft m - i I
