Page 4. THE GAZETTE-TIMES, Heppner. OR, Thursday, Jan. 6. 1977
By LAVON STARR
First of a Series
In 1941 the U.S. Air Force assembled 100,000 acres of land in
Morrow County branching it into use as a practice bombing
range to train pilots on low level bombing approaches.
Military and county people lived in harmony up until 1959
when the branch began to splinter. A near miss bombing incident
occurred on the driveway of the Garland Swanson residence,
lone. The castiron bomb with a smoke charge, for location
purposes, weighed in excess of 25 pounds. The bomb contained
no powder, however, and was not live.
Along with the public relations hinderar.ee of the bombing
accident the range itself was being examined by the Aero Jet
Company in 1959 as a possible site for testing its moon rocket.
That project eventually went to Florida.
Another bombing miss in 1960 on property between
Boardman and the bombing range, sent branch fragments deeper
into Morrow resident hides. Their attention focused on the more
comforting prospect of the Boeing Company's request to lease
the land in 1966 in connection with the National Aeronautics and
Bombing misses first steps
toward citizen-range alienation
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Space Administration (NASA) proposal to build the Saturn moon
vehicle. The vehicle was to be built in Seattle and barged up the
Columbia River to Boardman for testing on the 100,000 acres
Boeing was asking for.
Pending acquistion of the land, a lease was signed in 1960.
The 100,000 acres were assembled out of 37,000 acres of public
domain for defense purposes, 24,000 acres from the Northern
Pacific Railroad, 20,000 acres of Morrow County land which had
been taken for taxes during the 1929 1932 depression and 19,000
acres of private property. Private lands were sold to the state by
Wilkinson and Hynd properties. for ,.$580,000. The company's
lease runs until the year 2040.
In 1961 the Kennedy-Johnson administration took the
Saturn project from Seattle to Mishould, La. on the Mississippi
River. The moon vehicle was built in an abandoned arsenal.
Texas, Lousiana and Florida were to become known as the Space
Crescent of the South and the site for future space activity. It
was this action that lost the northwest any share in the $5 billion
space effort of the early '60's.
The Air Force abandoned the bombing range in 1956 as it
turned to electronic bombing practices and the U.S. Navy
claimed the range by priority. The Navy assembled 50,000 acres
of public domain in the east half of the bombing range and
continued bombing practice.
A letter to the Navy from Congressman Al Ullman, D-Ore.,
in August 1959 held the understanding with the Navy that it
would give up the bombing range on completion of the John Day
Dam Project. The project was completed in 1966. The
understanding, known as the "Intent of Congress," has never
been fulfilled by the Navy.
Three other bombing mishaps followed. In November 1962, a
bomb fell a quarter of a mile from the Robert Bafus home. In 1964
a misdropped bomb landed in an lone used car lot. And in
October 1968 a bomb hit near the homes of Mr. and Mrs. Basil
Rogers and Mr. and Mrs. Amos Shoemake. It left a crater
measuring 20 inches deep, 6 feet wide and 8 inches long. Such
accidents helped aggravate the festering military - civilian
relationship.
In the interim 1963 to 1969 period, the Port of Morrow
brought together 4,000 acres of waterfront property. Land use
was projected for commercial, industrial and commerce
purposes. It has grown into a prosperous industrial park today.
Seeing the vast economic potential of the area, the Port of
Morrow commission recognized the presence of the bombing
range as having a devastating affect on future development of
the area. It requested a "five year Navy orderly move" in 1969
from the Oregon Congressional delegation. The request was to
carry out the "Intent of Congress" that Ullman had previously
called for.
Twenty-three letters from the Port commission were
written to the delegation from June 1969 to March 1972. The
delegation made up of John Dellenback, Edith Green, Mark
Hatfield, Bob Packwood, Al Ullman and Wendell Wyatt as well
as Gov. Tom McCall all committed themselves to getting the
bombing range moved.
In 1974 the port was successful in attracting private utilities
to the power cluster site surrounding the Carty Reservoir about
12 miles south of Boardman. Portland General Electric proposed
nuclear and coal-powered generating plants at the site. But
before nuclear power could be developed the Navy Bombing
range would have to be moved for safety purposes.
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In waiting for the Navy to leave, PGE decided to take an
alternative site for its nuclear plants,at Pebble Springs near
Arlington. Due to the time lost in waiting on military action, it
became mandatory that PGE have a power plant on the Carty
site by 1983. Since the nuclear issue was still up in the air with
the Navy bombing range the utility company opted instead to
build a 500 megawatt coal plant. Nuclear plans are still in store,
however.
Were nuclear plants to be built in the Carty Power Cluster it
would result in, "the most multiple use power plant site in the
United States," says Rupert Kennedy, Port of Morrow manager.
Multiple use in that water used to cool the power plant would be
turned back to the soil through circular irrigation.
A recreation site would be created from the reservoir as well
as a wildlife habitat in the warm water coming from the plant.
Steam from the plant could be used in the cooking and canning of
vegetables and potatoes in the food processing plants. "This kind
of thing is what people are looking for," Kennedy said. "Right
now we have the only nuclear power plant permit in the
Northwest for private power companies.
Aside from the Navy making no attempt to budge until a
suitable site can be found elsewhere and the money obtained to
fund the move, the nuclear arrival is also being contested by
environmental opposition.
"The main problem with this (nuclear power question)," said
Kennedy, "is that a bomb was made with nuclear power before
anything positive and useful was done with it."
Eosfern Oregon
ealt
Bob Ewall, Tri-County
Health Services head, talked
to the Heppner-Morrow Coun
ty Chamber of Commerce
Monday about a new Eastern
Oregon Health Systems Agen
cy. Ewall told the chamber that
a Health Systems Agency, the
combination of four pro
grams, had been developed
into one agency with local
boards made up of health
consumers and providers.
The EOHSA is the agency
conditionally designated to
serve the 18 counties of East
ern Oregon. The agency will
gather and analyze health
data and prepare a plan which
will contain a detailed state
ment of goals for improving
the health of the residents in
Eastern Oregon by increasing
the accessibility, continuity,
and quality of health services,
while restraining costs.
Upon full designation, the
EOHSA will review the appro
priateness of services pro
vided by hospitals, nursing
homes and other institutions
within the area. It will also
recommend approval or dis
approval of applications for
new health service or medical
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Wind rips former
Heppner couple's home
Dale and Joan Grey, former Heppner residents who recently moved from Boring, Ore., to
Mt. Airy, No. Carolina, had the misfortune to lose their partially built new home due to a
severe storm With a funnel cloud and heavy winds.
The wind ripped off sub-flooring from the 90 ft. long structure. Debris landed on a car and
pickup truck, causing damage to the vehicles. Dale, who was working on the building with
two other carpenters, was buried in the debris and suffered three broken ribs. The other
men received scrapes and bruises. All three were transported to a nearby hospital where
they were treated and released.
Dale's father, Dock Grey, lives nearby and will be remembered by older Heppner
residents. He left Heppner and returned to North Carolina in the 1940's after working a
number of years for Jim Monahan and Frank Wilkinson.
here
facilities projects. In addition,
the agency will review and .
approve or disapprove pro
posed projects within the
health service area under
several Federal health pro
grams. A majority, between 51 and
60 per cent, of the governing
body of the agency are to be
consumers with the remain
der being providers and local
elected officials. The 30 person
board of directors will be
made up of at least one person
from each county. In Morrow
County, Warren McCoy, coun
ty commissioner, is the repre
sentative. Ewall is one of
three Umatilla County repre
sentatives. In order to assure local
input into the development of
BMCC lists honor names
Blue Mountain Community
College singled out 251 stu
dents for academic achieve
ment during the college's fall
term just completed.
Heading the list were 102
students who earned grade
point averages of 3.5 or better.
Of this number, 15 received
perfect 4.0grades. Another 149
received grades of 3.0 or
better, averaging Bs or better.
From Heppner, Shannon
Kelly and Carl Lauritsen had
4.0 grade point averages.
Sandra Palmer and Jillene
Robertson were also on the
honor roll.
From lone, Lauretta Pie
ning and from Irrigon, Pam
ela Schemeder topped the list.
Named on the Dean's list
were Terry Crowder, Board
man; Tami Toll and Dave
Caretaker
possibility
The Morrow County Fair
Board is entertaining the
possibility of hiring a live-in
caretaker for the county fair
grounds. Liz Curtis said Monday that
the board is toying with the
idea and asked that interested
couples contact Floyd Jones
or herself. She said the couple
may be asked to bring a
trailer onto the grounds.
Worden, Heppner; Arlynda
Aldrich, Dennis Cheney, Kim
Gutierrez, Richard Keene and
Jerry Pettyjohn, lone; and
Steve Doherty and Keith
White, Irrigon.
a health system plan, subarea
councils are being developed
in various areas of Eastern
Oregon. These area councils
will identify local needs, assist
in plan development, review
projects and make recom
mendations to the EOHSA
board of directors regarding
local health care issues.
The counties of Morrow,
Umatilla, Wheeler, Grant and
Gilliam will comprise one of
the subarea councils. Five
persons from each county will
make up the 25 person board.
Ewall will be making a
sweep to cities in the counties
to accept nominations for
persons to serve on the coun
cil. .
Ewall will be in Boardman
on Jan. 19 and Heppner, Jan.
20, for meetings with local,
persons.
Doctor Wallace Wolff ex
pressed "discontent" with the
medical aspect of the pro
gram. He said that in all the 18
counties, there was only one
practicing physician. Wolff
said he'd favor at least one
physician for the 25 person,
five county subarea council.
Ewall set other meetings in
the area. The county court and
hospital board will meet Jan.
12, and the EOHSA, 18 county
board will meet in Heppner for
a two day meeting on Feb.
18-19 for their regular, two
month business meeting.
mmm (
n MM
Ladies Slacks
by
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Terri Jr. Byer, &
Tea Party Jr. Sizes
A few Boys Coats
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Girls
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Sizes 7- to 14
Nylon Car Coats
Jr. Sizes
Sweaters by Garland & Collage
Ladies Long and Short Dresses
Linens
Odds and Ends
Sheets and Towels
13 off
Juniors Jeans
by
San Fransico Pantworks,
Lov & Stuff
Mavericks
Sweaters
Ladies Pant
Suits Separates
Jack Winter &
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13 off
Toddlers
Railroad striped Coveralls
1 piece with zipper
$5.00
S, M, L, X L Reg. $12.00
Heppner
676-9426