Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1977)
The Gaulle-Times. Ileppner, Ore., Thursday, April 14, 1977 THRfc-fc, Letter City Council's disregard To the Editor: My letter is pertaining to the City Council's complete disregard of public wishes. Twice last year, the city budget was defeated, indicating that the people of Heppner did not want a tax increase (on top of property evaluation increases) and did not wish to pay for city excess. The City Council then skirted the issue by increasing the water and sewer rates in order to cover part of the money lost in the budget defeats. To my mind, this is total disregard of the mandate to cut the budget. The water and sewer rates are nothing more than "indirect taxes" when these funds are used deliberately to supplement the general fund. This year on April 4, the budget request was again defeated. This time, because of low voter turnout combined with a seven (7) vote defeat, I understand the council wishes to put up the same request again. I feel the low voter turnout indicates very little publicity on the request and the feeling that a no vote means very little. Will the council again receive the money they want by the "indirect taxes" of water and sewer rate increases which do not have to be put to a vote? I also feel very put upon about having to vote 2 times in 3 weeks for 3 separate budget requests City of Heppner, April 4; Morrow County School, April 19 ; Blue Mountain Community College, April 19. It appears that these were set so as not to draw a very large vote and also to get in just before the new property tax values arrive. The people should make their feelings known on these issues. Thank you. Ronald C. Jones Sumner sees SB 430 as possible sleeper A warning to self employed persons is contained in Senate Bill 430. At the present time sole proprietors, partners and officers of corporations are exempt from workmen's com pensation coverage. But the above bill would require coverage and of course pre mium payments by the above described individuals who work on a job site with the tools of a recognized trade, craft or industrial occupation. This one could be a sleeper if passed and open up manda tory coverage of the self employed depending on the interpretation of trade, craft and industrial site. If you have any feeling on this one, let me know. Last week, the Oregon House of Representatives pas sed House Bill 2040, the Home owner and Renter Relief Pro gram (HARRP). Because of inflation, program eligibility was extended to those with adjusted gross incomes up to $20,000. The size of the pay ments was boosted also. In addition, the Elderly Rental Assistance program was combined with HARRP under specific instructions to the Department of Revenue that the elderly applicant receive the highest refund available from either pro gram. The minimum age for Elderly Rental Assistance participation was lowered from 65 to 58 years. The direct relief provided through the HARRP bill, along with the indirect relief from the state's Basic School Support program, provides the most massive taxpayer relief program in the history of Oregon. HB 2040 now is in the Senate Revenue and School Finance Committee for consideration. Democrats are holding to a promise to keep government in check. The Democratic Caucus recently considered a proposal from the House lead ership to slash $118 million from the Governor's budget. About $30 million would come from proposed increases in existing programs. The re mainder would result from not funding or only partially fund ing new programs. The feeling is that this is just not the time to get the state involved in a bunch of new programs or to greatly increase the size of state agencies. Students at colleges and universities sometimes have problems in deciding what professor would best meet their academic course needs. The Oregon House of Rep resentatives recently sought to help students by passing HB 2702 which would allow the publication of evaluations of faculty for student informa tion. The bill was referred to by some as a student con sumer bill. This week continues the rigorous committee schedule on the House side. From Monday through Friday of this week more than 100 bills will undergo public hearings or work sessions in the different House committees. Many of the hearings begin at 8 a.m., while others are run in the evenings starting at 7 p.m. It makes a long day, but the heavy scheduling should help us finish up the more than 2,600 measures which already have been introduced in the Senate and House and adjourn within the next 10 to 12 weeks. If you wish further infor mation about these or other bills, please do not hesitate to contact me. Jack Sumner, at 378-8815 or H276 State Capitol, Salem, Oregon 97310. Hermiston meet to consider transit plans A public hearing on the Umatilla-Morrow Transit Pro ject has been scheduled at the Hermiston Civic Recreation Center Thursday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m., for the purpose of considering alternative tran sit proposals to meet the transportation needs of work ers in the region. Federal Highway Adminis tration funds totaling $79,130 have been granted, subject to a public hearing and finalizing of the grant application, to assist in providing public transportation services for workers in Northern Morrow and Umatilla Counties. The principal purpose of the project, developed by the East Central Oregon Association of Counties in conjunction with local industries and agricul tural employers, is to provide an employee transit system for daily round trips from residential areas to job sites. Board names fair grounds caretakers Morrow County Fair Board announced this week that new caretakers are now living on the Morrow County Fair grounds. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wallace have been named to the post. The Fair Board is request ing that anyone or groups wishing to use the facility please call 676-5111. With summer creeping up rapidly, the board has urged all groups to begin scheduling their planned events now. Jernstedt eyes legislative indecision Work accomplished by the regular daily Senate sessions is moving at a very slow pace, primarily because bills are not being acted upon fast enough in committees. While committees appear to be working hard, they just don't seem to be making many decisions. In my opinion, a large percentage of the bills under consideration should be tabled and forgotten. Governor Straub has asked the federal government to declare 21 Oregon counties drought disaster areas. Six of the 21 are in my nine-county senatorial district and several of the others are neighboring counties, so I am well aware of the problems they face. Identifying the problems is easier than solving them. I was sorry to see one proposed attempt at relief, cloud seed ing, fail to pass the Senate. It might not work, but if it brought any additional mois ture to any part of the state this year, it would have been worth the try. I have commented previous ly on SB 461, which would allow a judge to issue an administrative inspection warrant to a public officer for investigation and inspection if there was a probable cause to believe that a state or local law was being broken. I believe this bill is a fishing license for every state agency with regulatory functions. And just about every state agency has some regulatory function, plus a list of all-purpose rules. Every session of the legis lature is cursed with some very bad bills, but at least we now have the use of some tools which have the capability of exposing some of them. One such tool is a computer system which has the text of all bills introduced this session in data storage banks. With a bill such Building Materials Sale O S-green 2x4 special farm grade stud. Mixed specie 92" long $50 per unit (240 pieces) Heppner Mill Sold by unit only Sale starfs April, 18, ends May 6. (8 am - 3 pm M-F) ; Case Furniture ! Weekend Hide-a-bed Fall Fabrics New Additions ; Bed pillows Blankets Bedspreads Sheets Pillow cases Furniture We also have Martin Seynour Paints & supplies Case Furniture Main St. Heppner as SB 461 around, I began to wonder if there might be more like it. So I asked the com puter to look through more than 2,600 bills introduced so far this session, searching for the phrases "administrative inspection warrants" and "en ter private property." I found that at this writing there are at least five bills which include this language and authorize state agencies to find some excuse to come on your property. SB 249 gives the Director of S nil 5 . ' Calendar Thursday, April 14 Regular Lodge 8 p.m. Kitty Friday, April 15 Dinner Live Music Saturday, April 16 Dinner Live Music Tuesday, April 19 Senior Citizens 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20 Senior Citizens 4:30 p.m. Pinochle 7:30 Thursday, April 21 Regular Lodge 8 p.m. Kitty Elks & out of town t guests only For more information, call 676-9183, ext. 37 inzua Corp Specials 30 off 50 off to our Store Towels Wash cloths Dish towels Dish cloths Hot pads throws the Department of Environ mental Quality (DEQ) the right to enter private proper ty, without the owner's per mission, to control oil supplies which might enter a body of water. Members of the Senate were so concerned about this measure that we managed to Visitors from La Grande at the home of Mrs. Ruth Reid last Sunday were her son and daughter-in-law, Ronald and Virginia Reid, and their son, Robby. ei nine Pumps by LayneS Bowler Meeting Tomorrow's Agricultural Needs Today. Since 1882 Simplified design for ease of installation and service. Readily available standardized field replaceable parts. Distribution Centers Alexandria, Minnesota (612) 763-3158 Garden City, Kansas (316)275-5971 Kearney, Nebraska (308)234-1914 Lubbock, Texas (806) 797-3401 Memphis, Tennessee (901) 278-3800 Pasco, Washington (509) 545-9546 Twin Falls, Idaho (208) 733-3284 Layne & Bowler, Inc. Memphis, Tenn. A MARLEY CO. lbn-2 1 Business Directory MEDICAL SUPPLIES C.B. SERVICE TITLE INSURANCE TOOLS HERMISTON DRUG Terry's CB Consulting MORROW COUNTY ED'S PRECISION SAW & Service ABSTRACT & TITLE CO. TOOL SHARPENING SERVICE F ree prescription Mail Service. 155 Rock street P.O. Box 356 Title Insurance Open9a.rn.to7p.rn. Heppner Office in Peters Bldg. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Gifts for all occasions. "Fox Hunter" Ch. 19 Ph. 676-9913 or 676-9281 Snack Bar Terry Carter 676-5192 676-9912 HePPner Alfalfa St. Heppner FURNITURE PRINTING HOME REPAIR INSURANCE jjjr !M UMATILLA READY-MIX RAYROYCP r-S - m323 t WEDDING INVITATIONS KAlBuat' -TjSj 1 I JTf INSURANCE AGENCY - BUSINESS FORMS Y-i WILCOX FURNITURE 'ntiVJ!? uu - AND APPLIANCES PRINTED ENVELOPES Health, Fire, Auto, marine Group Plans See us before you buy your BUSINESS CARDS Open every weekday, color TV or stereo system. and Saturdays & Sundays RayBoyce 676-5384 254 W. Hermiston Ave. GAZETTE-TIMES if necessary. 567-2201 Hermiston 676-9228 676-9496 Ph. 676-9406 or 989-8467 676-9625 Heppner CONSTRUCTION MONUMENTS FURNITURE LAUNDROMAT Circle "D" Trenching SWEENEY MORTUARY "r Cf. Licensed & Bonded HOUSE" DISCOUNTS ' .:. IT Vermeer Trencher Cemetery, grave markers. - I4"widex8-deeD Granite, Marble, Bronze Curtis-Mathes TV Cvt&Ji 680 Case Hoe 24-Hr. phone Quasar TV, Norge & - Septic Tanks, Etc. 676-9600 or 676-9226 Adm.ra appliances Mf! If Dump Truck for Hire Also serving lone & Largest selection of UU H Lexington furniture in the area. Main St. Heppner Robert Duncan 2200 N.F. Hermiston HEPPNER 989-8493 Heppner P.O. Box 97 567-8960 LAUNDROMAT AUTOMOTIV E MEDICAL SUPPLIES W ELDING BUILDING SUPPLIES " ' "" MEDICAL CENTER JIM S WELDING " Serving all this area PHARMACY SERVICE See us for all your for over 20 years. building supplies Freemailingserviceon We feature Boysen Paints. JONES RADIATOR prescriptions. Either in the shop or SERVICE Hospital Supplies on the job. Open Mon.-Fri., 9-6 p.m. Hydraulics, hose & fittings TUM-A-LUM LUMBER Sat. 9-1 p.m. CO. 1315 North 1st St. Located in the Medical Jim Barrett Tim Moore, Mgr. Hermiston, OR 97838 Center, 1100 Southgate, Riverside Ave. Heppner 432 SE Dorian 276-6221 Ph. 567-6916 Pendleton 276-1531 Bus. 676-5816 Home 989-8176 PENDLETON OPTOMETRIST AUTOMOTIV E FLOOR COV ERING DR. E.K. SCHAFFITZ SHERRELL CHEVROLET M&R FLOOR COVERING . Optometrist INC- Carpet, linoleum, ceramic Jh$ f" 1 tile, kitchen cabinets. f f nTTT r3 i Free estimates. I for Rent Next to Hotel Heppner L n , ,,i All work guaranteed. Complete Sales & Matt Hughes $8.00 a month Service 422 Linden Way V676-9465 Heppner 3rdiMain Hermiston 676-9418 Heppner J 11 11 11 .s defeat it, but unfortunately it was reconsidered the next day and passed. I hope it will be defeated in the House. SB 250 gives the DEQ authority to investigate pos sible solid waste and noise violations. SB 904 includes adminis trative inspection warrants as part of a major bill on drug control. Ik Grassmaster'" rotary mower by Toro self-propelled Model 20562. 'Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for model Heppner " HB 2158 maintains the priv ate property entry rights for various environmental quality agencies as they are merged into a single Department of Resource Management. I also found ten laws already in existence giving various persons and agencies the right to come on your property and do something. This is a dan gerous situation at best. Who dlQK3 f Iniree jotss. Act now and save $40 on l engineered by Toro for complete The Grassmaster bags clippings In Fall, Visit us today and save $40 on the do-it-all mower the Grassmaster, in three models. Hand push model, promotionally priced as low as $179.95 until April 30, or while promotional models last. Price I shown Haven't you done without a Toro long enough? Pettyjohn's Supply knows how many additional statutes or measures author ize this kind of action, but do not use those exact phrases? So even though some of the bills that we are asked to consider have little if any merit, at least we have some powerful research tools to discover some of the flaws prior to considering the measures. any Grassmaster, quality Spring - to - Fall lawn care. or mulches your lawn. it vacuums up leaves. after April 30: 299ir Now only: 259,s 676-9157 i-
