BESSIE WETTELL
U OF ORE
NEWSPAPER LIB
EUGENE OR &7403
it'
If'
Cf-Wfflt4 I '"Mil,
"W"?! -f-f i i jf
ZibTT
IE," 11 1FH1C3
"7 J
11 f
. " -
VOL. 94, NO. 47
HEPPNER, OR.
Thursday, January 6, 1977
10 Pages
15 c
ublic opinion' wins
Snowfall produces cold, but fun filled days for Heppner area youth. Here, a
boy masters plastic ski on way down hill near high school. (G-T Photo)
Sumner prepares for fourth
term as eight county rep.
State Rep. Jack Sumner, D-Heppner, is preparing for his
fourth term in the Oregon House. Though identified by residents
of this area as the Morrow County representative, Sumner also
represents Gilliam, Sherman, Jefferson and parts of Wasco,
Clackamas, Marion and Linn counties.
Multi-county representation is a result of Oregon's move to
equalize the counties in their number of house representatives.
"I've lived in Morrow County for over 30 years, I earned my
living there," states Sumner, "I'm intimately aware of the
problems residents face."
Now living in Salem, until the end of this session, Sumner
has no planned visits back to the county. I'm available on request
in the afternoon and evening," continues Sumner. "The session
- meets everyday and an all-day visit would mean my missing a
day's session. But I will be going up during the weekends
occasionally."
Hearing from county residents usually involves concerns
about road conditions, governmental bureaucracy and interfer
ence, zoning, school finance and problems of local government
officials. Inheritance taxes share a majority of concern with
people contacting the representative.
"I don't hear from enough people though," said Sumner. He
has received no word from Morrow people concerning the
Boardman Navy Bombing Range in the last two years. Sumner is
writing a bill, encouraging state support of removal of the
bombing range, to be presented early in the session. No bill has
ever been presented to the Oregon legislature dealing with this
matter.
Each week Sumner writes a newsletter to 20 (daily and
weekly) newspapers and radio stations. "It deals with what's
happening in the legislature and what's going to happen," he
said.
One-third of Sumner's voter contacts are by phone. Hearing
opinions by mail sometimes results in a resident simply
'encouraging him to vote yes or no on an issue. "I would really
appreciate it if they would include why they feel this way," said
the representative. "I like to know how they feel legislation is
going to affect them, nothing fancy just in their own words, and
include return addresses especially on petitions."
Last session, the Morrow representative served on the
Oregon Ways and Means Committee. Dealing with the fiscal
budget, monetary and billing concerns of the state, the
committee meets 10 times a week. "I hope to be re-named to that
committee," notes the legislator.
Sumner is against equalization of the tax base for the state
of Oregon. "Our county valuation is going to double in the next 10
years. Once the coal fire plant (Portland General Electric) starts
paying taxes we will have a countywide equalization. Maybe our
taxes won't be going down but they won't be going up either and
that's the real savings."
Other industries entering the county will also take on a
share of the tax burden. Oregon is presently assessed at $30
billion on the tax rolls.
"A $1 billion nuclear plant," says Sumner, "would be
one-thirtieth of the taxes in Oregon. Why should we share that
revenue with the rest of the state. Portland has never shared any
of its industry tax with us."
I . . r- t
' . .,4'-'":. ift-'' - '
b ' ' I
I H - IV ' ' 1
-. I
" ' j
aVv . i
- I
A r - V
If f ... .
Jack Sumner
Sumner was approached last year with a petition by some
Morrow County residents wanting a road connecting Boardman
and lone. The road would run through the PGE Carty Reservoir
development. "I signed the petition," states Sumner. "It could be
very advantageous to the development of lone. Though I think
much of the future development will be taking place in the north
end of the county."
lone residents who oppose the road have said they prefer
that the development stay in the north end of the county.
franchise
too
"Let's stay with what we
have. Public opinion about
this council is not good. We
said we wouldn't tax on to the
city with hidden little taxes. If
we do, it'll look like we're
doing what we said we
wouldn't do," councilman
Jimmy Rogers said.
"Measuring public opinion
versus $1,000" Monday night,
Heppner's Common Council
agreed on a 20 year, two per
cent franchise fee settlement
with Columbia Basin Electric
Company.
Discussions concerning the
50 year expiration of an old
franchise agreement has last
ed more than a month. Part of
the council was in favor of
upping the franchise fee to
three per cent to generate
additional revenue for the fi
nancially strapped city.
But Dave Harrison and
CBEC vowed that if the city
did raise the fee, the electric
company would "billback"
customers for the additional
fee.
After about 45 minutes of
discussion and research Mon
day, it came down to four
councilmen for the two per
cent fee and two plus the
mayor wishing to increase the
fee.
Mayor Jerry Sweeney came
lone fire
Arson charges dropped
against Gervais woman
First degree arson charges
were dropped this week
against Vonnie Mae Masi, one
of three persons indicted in
1976 for a fire that gutted a
home in lone.
Three people were arrested
in mid-September for setting a
blaze that destroyed the Old
Swanson Home in lone. Along
with Masi, 24, John Kieth
Alexander, 19, and the owner
of the home, Viola Jay Jack
son, 42, all of Gervais, were
arrested.
Since their arrest, Alex
ander has pleaded guilty to
second degree arson and has
turned state's evidence. Ms.
Masi's indictment has been
dismissed this week and Ms.
Jackson is to appear in court
in Umatilla County on Feb. 3.
Morrow County District At
torney Dennis Doherty cited
various reasons for the dis
missal. Doherty said that there was
"not sufficient evidence to
create a reasonable prospect
that the state can meet its
burden of proof beyond a
reasonable doubt."
Doherty said Masi was
"periphally involved" and
that he had to question
whether her involvement to
incur liability was a matter of
fact or matter of law.
Alexander, turning state's
evidence, furnished informa
tion concerning involvement
that was not previously
known, also.
Doheriy said he could not
justify expenditures of public
funds which would be required
to try this case in Umatilla
County.
He said 13 witnesses from
five different counties, travel
ing a total of 3,700 miles in
order to attend as witnesses,
was too high a cost.
Doherty said that in the
interest of justice, it would
best be served by dismissal.
On Dec. 28, Alexander
pleaded guilty to second
degree arson. He was sen
tenced to three years formal
probation, $750 fine and resti
tution to the lone fire de
partment and Albert Akers, a
land owner next to the burned
house.
right out at the meeting and
said, "If it came to tie, I'd vote
for three per cent right now,
I'll tell you that."
Councilman Cliff Green was
the first to speak in favor of
retaining the two per cent fee.
"I don't see any reason to
raise it, Jerry (Sweeney),"
Green said. "First, Columbia
Basin is not outside the com
munity. We are all members
of it. We're going to end run
around voters who said no to
the budget."
Councilman Mills, along
with Green, Warren Plochar
sky and Jimmy Rogers were
for the retainment of the
original fee, echoed Green.
Mills said that Sweeney's
comparing the telephone com
pany and Columbia Basin was
like "apples and oranges."
Sweeney was the leader in
the council's bid to change the
franchise fee. He told the
council that the franchise fee
"used to equal" the city's
payment for street lights.
Sweeney said, "the biggest
single customer for Columbia
Basin is Heppner, who, ac
cording to the mayor, pays the
Coop more than $14,000 an
nually. Sweeney said the Coop
franchise fee amounted to
$3,660 a year.
Sweeney also told the coun
cil that the city had changed
over from light bulbs to in
candescent lights, which he
said, required less electricity.
Sweeney compared some
other towns of comparable
size, in the 1,000 to 2,500
population level. He said the
"majority" had three per cent
(Continued on Page 2)
Dime phone call gives
mother ride of her life
"Welcome to the Equestrian Arts" was the opening
line of a letter received by Mrs. Dale Holland,
Heppner, this week. Funny thing, though, she doesn't
ride horses.
Last week, Mrs. Holland and two of her children,
Dale and Diane, were in Tri-Cities, Wash., looking for a
health food store.
Mrs. Holland stopped at a Safeway store to check
directions. She found a phone book next to a
mechanical horse. She had to lean across the ceramic
four legger to read the book.
Uncomfortable as it was to lean, she draped a leg
over the toy horse to check for the store's location.
Quickly, Dale came to the rescue and dropped a dime
in the slot.
The horse took off and if that wasn't enough of a ride,
Diane hit the fast button and off Mrs. Holland went, on
a ride to nowhere on a horse with no name and a phone
book clutched in her hands.
To say she was embarrassed, Mrs. Holland says, is
an understatement. People walked by, she said, and
looked kind of puzzled to see an adult woman riding a
child's ten cent horse.
"If I would have thought, I'd have yelled "runaway
horse or something," Mrs. Holland said.
Anyway, the ride over, Mrs. Holland climbed out of
the saddle and proceeded, slightly flushed, away from
the pony and the store.
But the end was not over. She received a letter in the
mail this week with a Pendleton postmark. "I don't
know anyone in Pendleton," she declared.
She said she read the letter halfway through before
she figured out the writer was talking about her horse
ride in Tri-Cities.
Here's what the letter said:
"Dear Mrs. Holland,
"Welcome to the Equestrian Arts. A good
performance is enjoyed by participants and spectators
alike and being able to read a book while horseback has
been equalled only by the itinerant preacher of a past
era.
"Total control of the horse is a must at all times, and
please remember never to dismount until the horse
runs down.
"The enclosed equestrian equipment may assist you
in your future endeavors.
"The Western Horseman is a good informative
periodical and the Wranglers of Heppner are a most
enjoyable group."
Yours Truly,
Saddle Sore
Mrs. Holland maintains she knows no one by the
name of Saddle Sore or anyone from Pendleton for that
matter. She didn't think anyone she knew saw her in
Tri-Cities, but evidently someone did.
Riding horses is not a recent hobby and probably
won't begin to be, but nevertheless, Mrs. Holland has
a sterling silver horse bit, about a half inch long. She
doesn't know what to do with it, really, but if she has
her way, she won't be putting it or another dime into a
mechanical horse's mouth.