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It seems that for as long as they've been around, Mother
Nature and rather Time have never fouled up quite so badly
they did this year, 1976, in Morrow County.
When it was supposed to be hot. it was cold and wet. And,
when it was (and is) supposed to be cold and wet, it's dry and
pleasant.
So it has gone for Morrow County farmers this year. The
market not belnfc enough for farmers to cope with, the
weather threw a curve during harvest, bringing wet, rainy
weather; then In November and December, during the fall
seeding period, instead of the usually moist days, farmers
have had to put up with 50 and 60 degree weather, blue skies
and cold nights.
, Remember how It all started? .
In July, wheat growing forecasters said three weeks In a
row that "if the usual Morrow County sun comes out, we'll be
The editor
looks back
on 1976
stories by M il Phinney
Bigf
Perhaps the most unusual
story of the year was about a
strange and perplexing ani
mal, thought to be much like
you and me, who had the town
talking a month after a self
proclaimed authority ended
Its notoriety as a "fake."
The creature's name was
Bigfoot.
For more than 200 years,
Indians have told of a mam
moth beast, with monstrous
feet, they call Sasquntch.
Bigfoot became part of Mor
row County history in early
August.
This writer became aware
City celebrates fourth
with vigorous effort
The people of Heppner and
Morrow County teamed to
gether with an Independent
effort to throw the biggest
birthday party this part of (he
late has ever seen. They
started In Januury and when
their work culminated on July
4, 1976. this nation's Bicen
tennial anniversary, the lights
flared and Ihe bombs burst
and Heppner put Itself on the
Bicentennial map.
July 4 exploded during the
nation's anniversary after
work by several groups com
pleted work. Terry Hughes
headed up the giant display of
patriotism.
It was a day for all
Heppnerlles to remember. It
was evident late Sunday night
that those same lleppnerites
weren't Ihe only Americans
enjoying the day's festivities.
An estimated 2,000 people
sat In the fairgrounds, sat on
buildings, benches, In trees,
on lop of apartments. In the
road and any other comfort
able spot to view a gala array
o( colors In the fireworks
display by the Bicentennial
c mmlttee.
After church celebration
and the ringing of bells a! high
noon, a small parade formed
Confounded weather
Morrow County farmers this year to top the
stories for 1976.
The Gazette-Times named the five lead
stories of the year as the weather
predicament, the finding of Bigfoot tracks,
the three quick fires In lone, the political
scene, and the city's Bicentennial birthday
party.
The five stories are re-reported here.
Inxlde. find a month-to-month look back at the
city and county happening In 1978. the year
that was.
oof leaves
of the prints when Jay
Patterson, an anxious and en
thusiastic young man, burst
through the Gazette Times'
doors with what I thought to be
a hoax, but still, a story.
1 met Jay's brother, Guy,
and logging buddies later that
day above Cutsforth Park and
near Johnson Creek. Before
the day was over, I would have
seen more than too prints,
leading up one Side of a creek
bed to the other. , . ;J
Pictures were taken, but
even the best looking print had
little contrast in a photo of
simple brown clav or a Brassv
at the courthouse and wit
nessed the American U'gion
Color Guard and Heppner boy
scouts dedicate the new flag
pole, donated by the F.Iks'
bulge of Heppner. Mayor
Jerry Sweeney dedicated
1 lager Park about a mile up
the road.
The day started with a '
breakfast at Heppner City
Park. More than 300 enjoyed
the Bicentennial breakfast of
ham, eggs, and holcakes. The
American Legion and Legion
Auxiliary put the breakfast
on.
Al 9 30, the pace changed
over a few hundred yards lo
the Democrat Gulch school
house dedication. A super
turnout formed a semi-circle
around the one-room school
house and watched Matt
I liberty, Morrow County
school suiK-rintendent intro
duce former teachers and stu
dents of the facility that
Included Delia Scrivncr and
Marguerite Glavey, teachers,
and student Robert Scrlvner,
who each said a few words.
Jackpot team roping went
on all afternoon and baseball
and swimming activities kept
the youngsters busy.
Jim Rogers' roast beef
I 1 f N.
going full blast by the end of the week.'
That didn't happen and when a cloudburst rushed over
acres and acres of wheat with pummelling hailstones and a
good amount of rain, those forecasters hid under umbrellas
and "sat out the storm." ,
In early August, the rainy downpours ripped through
topsoll, virtually destroying acres of wheat and setting a
record for the most rain in an August since anyone can
remember. .
The next issue of the Gazette-Times, on Aug. 12. had the
same unwanted iieadlirw: 'Pounding rains scar summer
fallow, delay harvest again.' After a slow start, the harvest
was again thwarted by the untimely rains of August.
"Uneasy" was the term many farmers used in late August
as they looked bewildered toward fields that had turned to
mud in what was usually a pretty ary momn.
threw a wily curve at
imprint.
Even though he always
questioned their authenticity,
this writer told himself that
something had made the
prints. He didn't know what,
but something other than
human, he thought.
The reason humans were
ruled out is simple: it doesn't
seem possible that anyone in
his right mind would take the
time and effort to supply the
hills with hundreds of prints.
It didn't seem logical that
even a 200 pound man could
leave prints inches deep in a
uniform stride. It just wasn't
dinner in the evening pleased
the palates of at least 400 at
the fair pavilion and led into
the giant fireworks display
that night.
All I., all, July 4. 1976. will
always be remembered as the
nation's Bicentennial. But
around Heppner, it will be
remembered as a community
effort and success, too.
Three fires char
Septemberwasn't the nicest time for some people in lone.
Three people were arrested and still face an arson trial in one
of three separate fires thai burned apartments, a house and
business In lone this year, 1976.
Three people were in custody Sept. 16 and lodged n Ma. ion
County Jail, arrested In connection with a Mate that
destroyed a home Ir. lone. The house, often referred to as the
Old Swanson House, was gutted by early morning fire Aug.
' Arrested were one owner, Viola Jay Jackson. John Kielh
Alexander. 18. and Vonnle May Masi. 24. all of Gervals.
The Irial Is undergoing a change or venue at this writing
and will more than likely not come up before a Judge In Ihe
. county of Morrow.
Two other fires didn't produce arsonists, but they dul
blacken some property.
In July, towards Ihe end. fire routed one building, left
another charred and could have ravaged Main Street In lone
TBMiW ftm EDHPFMEI2
. (SAfETTE-TMES
VOL. 93. NO. 4 HEPPNER, OR. Thursday, Dec. 30. 1976 19Pages
mystery
sensible to believe that a man
would do such a thing.
Perplexity. Nine days later,
after two heavy August rains,
the tracks were virtually
gone. Even this writer, who
saw the original prints, could
not see the same tracks nine
days later at will.
A leading, self-proclaimed
authority on Bigfoot from The
Dalles, came with a pair of
assistants, who watched the
area, and discounted the",
tracks and called them fake.
To some, even the discount
was somewhat of a letdown.
The story made many papers.
Bombs bust burst In
'r I 'i """i
The rains continued through the start of the Morrow
County Fair and fair officials thought the weather had a
large turnout planned.
But finally, at the end of the fair week and the start of
football season, the skies turned blue, enabling local growers
to put their harvest machines to work, full time.
As soon as one farmer had completed his tasks, he'd pass
up a day of rest to help a neighbor in Mother Nature's
peculiar grasps.
Harvest completed, Morrow County farmers relaxed a bit,
readying for the fall seeding period and looking forward to
more of that same rain in November and December.
The August rains caused many a weed to grow and
farmers, not knowing that the weather had completely
turned itself inside out and gone haywire, plowed those weeds
up. When they did, the moisture went with them and many
including the front page of the
San Francisco Chronicle, and
was heard over radio stations
in the area.
It stirred quite a hub bub
between non-believers who
stood strong and the ones that
were a little inquisitive about
such a being.
Whatever made those
tracks, came to the Heppner
area and left in a matter of a
couple weeks. Whether they
were faked or not, some 21
inch barefoot tracks made a
lot of people wonder.
v
air.
lone property
If it hadn't been for quick action by the lone volunteer fire
department.
The gutted building was owned by Art Stefani, Jr., lone. In
which the offices of Bl County Chemical Company and
LockcRoom Athletic Equipment stores were located.
The tin roof of the Monte Crum building kept the attic fire
from spreading to the next building, and the fast action by the
lone firemen, ripping through to the ceiling to reach the fire
with hoses, also thwarted the flames.
An apartment that almost took blaze was kept cool by an
owner armed with a garden hose on the porch.
' A third fire in lone tore through one floor of an apartment
building in early September. It was the second in two weeks
for lone firemen.
Two juveniles were charged with first degree burglary
after a break-in and the fire. The Juveniles reportedly
admitted being In the apartment and admitted smoking
there.
L
fT TK5
Politics, 1976 style
Politics came back to Hep
pner, too, this year. Primaries
for the national offices pre
ceded the campaigns and the
general election that elected
James Earl Carter in Novem
ber. It was a year of two city
elections and a few closely
contested races here at home.
To some, it was a creative
campaign during the April
primary campaigns. Remem
ber cartoons that depicted
Jimmy's Ethnic Mountain as
a molehill and Jerry's fumble
of the nomination football?
Cartoonists slapped Hubert
Humphrey the hardest, but in
farmers haven't seen a muddy pair of boots since.
November turned out to be one of the three worst months as
far as precipitation was concerned. An average of 1.43 inches
in November turned out to be a poor .77 this year. The 1976
three month fall seeding period, September through
November, is the worst on record since the records began in
1911.
And that wierd weather, termed a "drouth" by many, is
still baffling the county's farmers. A good rain last weekend
and an inch of snow were sights that made farmers smile, but
this week's 60 degree plus weather is drying that darn dirt out
again.
The Gazette-Times counts this story as the top story of the
year. The weather has spoiled many a pocketbook and
vacation. If it continues on its unusual and unwanted path, it
could leave an economic disaster in its wake.
Bigfoot prlnfs spotted on hills.
TJl
the end, after
....after both the main can
didates, Jerry Ford and Jim
my Carter, attended rallies
less than 100 miles away in
Pendleton.
....after Carter lost to
Church in Morrow County,
337-304. and Ford beat Ronald
Reagan. 684-411. in those May
primaries.
....after campaigning began
all the way back in Sep
tember. did Hubert become obscure
and Jimmy tuck the presi
dency in his pocket in what
many described as an "almost
come from behind win by
President Ford."
Politics was big in the city
and county, too, as well as the
entire state.
In the local contests. ..the
top political tale would have to
be the city of Heppner's two
time question In the levy
contest.
Voters in the city defeated
the budget levy for the fiscal
year 1976 77 by a vote of more
than 2 to 1. The final tally
showed the residents voted 93
yes and 259 no in the May vote.
The operating budget pro
posed to be financed by the
voters amounted to $93,866,
more than the preceding year,
that amount outside the six
per rent limitation.
The budget committee lop
ped more than JiiO.ooO off the
first budget and asked the city
to okay a proposed levy of
$32,138, one which cost the'
residents about $2.77 per
$1,000 of true cash value.
The voters said yes to that.
If the city voters had balked at
that levy, taxpayers would
have had to settle for the ta
base of $39,137.
Primaries ran about the
same as the general election
in respective races in the
county seats. Jones beat
Weatherford in the Democrat
ic party and Creamer was
unopposed in the Republican
party. At the offset, Jones
trimmed Creamer for the
county judge post.
Miller and McCoy, In op
posite parties, received the
same 579 votes in the pri
maries. In the November
finale, Republican McCoy
eased by Democrat Miller tot
the commissioner spot.
(Some of the voters atti
tudes came after a can
didates' fair on Oct. 21. It was
sponsored by the American
Association of University
Women in Heppner. 16 can
didates cam lo the fair.)
Democrat Parrish beat Re
publican Winter In the first
fail by eighty votes, though
they were in separate parlies.
In the second clash In the
general, Parrish won by 450
votes.
Other county seats weren't
contested. Some city elections