Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 9, 1977)
BESS 1 E WETZELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB EUGENE OR 97403 i Strong support shown for pool An over-flow crowd of more than 40 persons jammed City Hall Monday night to question council members on this year's operation of the city swim pool. After more than an hour of discussion, the group was left with what was generally termed a workable proposal offered by Councilman Cliff Green. Green's recommendation called for interested parties to come up with $3,600 by July 1 the difference between proj ected revenue and projected expenses along with some kind of guarantee to meet financial responsibilities for the remainder of the year. "The city has absolutely no money for the pool other than the $2,600 currently budget ed," Green said. "We can carry it and we can operate it but we have no money to put in it." After deliberations at the previous council meeting, it was decided that $8,600 would have to be raised for the pool by July 1. Monday, Green amended that opinion, calling it a "ridiculous figure to raise by subscription." He added that his latest figure at least gives the pool proponents "some thing to work with." Mayor Jerry Sweeney ag reed with Green, saying, "I think its a pretty good solution. At least it's better than what you came in here with." Despite the financial prob lems forecast, Sweeney said the city, "hopes to open the pool this weekend." The opening hinges on the appoint ment of a pool manager and as of press time the position had not been filled. "Theoretically, we have enough to carry us through June," Sweeney said, "what we're worried about is July and August." Sweeney said formal budget action would have to be delayed until the budget hearing scheduled for June 20. For the interim, Sweeney appointed an ad hoc commit tee of Councilmen Green, Hubert Wilson and Jim Rog ers to meet with concerned citizens Wednesday at 8 p.m., in City Hall to further discuss the pool issue. In preperation for that meeting, approximately 10 citizens met Tuesday to consi der their options for raising the necessary funds. Plans were made for a major fund raising campaign. The group also discussed the possibility of contributing swim team funds to the city to raise the available salary for the com bined position of pool manager and swim team coach. Tntiinr mHpn Repairs sought J miUvX 1 VJLi'WV-J Several residents of the Lott-Rassmussen Addil this weekend The Morrow County Junior Rodeo returns to the Fair grounds this weekend with some 220 participants set to compete in the 18-event, two-day affair. The Saturday and Sunday competition will be the first of eight scheduled contests on the Western States Junior Rodeo Association circuit. Rodeoers will vie for individ ual honors in three seperate brackets: junior girls and boys from age 9 to 14; senior girls age 15 to 18 and senior boys age 15 to 18. Events will begin at 1 p.m. -i?'J.ft)...'-" 1 w if I I Inh ill I I f 3 ... -31 L," " U 1 i s BV :,? mm mm MMmmW it smm Jm iSfc mitwrnm Si Wm FTTMTJX T7r"T"i i P i Ivl P" VOL. 94, NO. 23 HEPPNER, OREGON THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1977 12 PAGES IS c Boardman OK's water district With a wave of its hands, the Boardman City Council virtually spent a quarter of a million dollars at its Tuesday hearing on a proposal water improvement district. The council unanimously approved the 800 acre district that will serve the Boardman South project The $273,500 project will involve one and one-half miles of 18-inch pipe leading from the city's water chlorination chamber, across the I-80N freeway to the Boardman South development. The bill will be paid in Bancroft bonds at approximately 5 per cent interest over the next 10 years. According to city engineer Steve Anderson, the cost for each benefited property own er, belonging to the district, will be about $325 per acre. Only two land owners object ed to being placed in the district. Land developer George Hansen objected saying, "I don't mind getting one barrel but it sounds to me like I'm getting both. That's the rea son I'm remonstrating." An other unidentified landowner objected in a letter stating that the property in question was not ready to be develop ed. Eighteen acres of Hansen's 48 acres in the district won't receive any improved water service from the district. That portion known as Hansen Phase Two is already ade quately served with water. The council allowed the 18 acres be removed from the district. With this final approval, Anderson can proceed with the surveying and design Continued on Page Three Hospital names Byrnes The Pioneer Memorial Hos pital Board of Trustees has announced that Robert O. Byrnes will assume the posi tion of hospital administrator effective July 1. Byrnes, 56, was selected from four applicants inter viewed by the Board last Friday. He will replace Ilene Wyman, who plans to fill the newly-established position of assistant administrator after more than six years of service as the hospital's main ad ministrator. With hospital expansion plans now in the works and the accompanying load of federal and state grant applications required, Wyman said the position of sole administrator was too much for one person to handle. She added that the dual administrator system would work to everyone's advantage. Byrnes, of Otis, has spent the past three years as ad ministrator of North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City. He previously spent five years as administrator of Anchorage Community Hospital in Anch orage, Alaska, and 11 years as assistant administrator of Ballard Community Hospital in Seattle, Wash. He is married and has two children. both days and gate admissions are set at $2.50 for adults and $1 for students. Featured along with the competition will be a Saturday night dance from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., with music provided by the Jim Ackley group. On Sunday morning a cowboy breakfast will be served at the Fairgrounds by members of the Heppner American Legion from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Breakfast prices are $2.50 for a full plate and $1.25 for half-plates. Dance tickets are priced at $2.50. Coordinating this year's rodeo are Chairman Bob Steagall and Secretary Bev Steagall. Directors include: Bob Mahoney, riding events; Bob Montgomery, roping ev ents; Dick Sherer, grounds; John Wilgers, donations and awards; Jerry Dougherty, dance and Kite Healy, track events. Curt Robinson, Pendleton, will announce and Hermis ton's Bob Conforth will act as clown. A very special trophy will be awarded the all-around best performer at this weekend's Junior Rodeo. The rotating trophy is being presented by Inez Erwin and Shirley Clark, the widow and daughter of Heppner's best-known cow boy, Harold Erwin, who died on June 29, 1976. Harold Erwin was active and well known in rodeo circuits of the Northwest for more than 40 years. He was honored as Grand Marshal of the Pendleton Round-Up's Westward Ho parade in 1971 and had been Grand Marshal of the Morrow County Rodeo parade in 1968. It is most fitting that Harold's memory is being perpetuated by his widow, Inez, who has just completed over 20 years of teaching Heppner children, and by their daughter, Shirley Clark, Fort Lewis, Wash., who spent all of her youth in this community. Several residents of the Lott-Rassmussen Addition No. 2 subdivision addressed the HeDDner Citv Council Monday concerning the lack of road maintenance in their area. Pointing specifically to Canyon Drive, Summit Drive and Sage Hill Drive, the residents urged the council to place the roads in high priority when considering areas scheduled for paving next year. The 5-year-old roads have never been completely paved and current construction in the area has further deteriorated their condition. Grants pending At Tuesday's Lexington City Council meeting, Pendleton engineer Val Toronto reported that final decisions on pending FHA and EPA federal grants would be available in 30 days. If approved, the two grants would finance 73 per cent of a proposed city sewer system. The remainder of the $550,000 project would be financed by a city bond election. lone well delayed An approximate three-week delay in the drilling date for Ione's new city well has resulted in further watering restrictions for city residents, according to lone Mayor Robert Drake. At Tuesday's city council meeting it was decided that quadrant watering times would be changed to 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., instead of the previous hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drake said the well pump had been screwed down another five pounds and pumping capacity had dropped to 175 to 200 gallons per minute. Lebush expands Hal and Virginia Whitaker, owners of the Lebush Shoppe in Heppner, announced this week the opening of Lebush Shoppe II in Boardman. The new store is located in the lower level at the Dodge City Inn in Boardman. "We feel that with the increased growth in Boardman, the people of the area need a moderately priced, quality clothing store," said Mrs. Whitaker. The Lebush Shoppe II is one of the first retail trade businesses to locate in Boardman. The shop will carry the same lines of junior, missy and queen, women's clothing as does the Heppner store, plus a line of casual-sport shoes will be added. A grand opening will be held at a later date. Ripple appointed Morrow County Grain Growers' General Manager Larry Mills announced this week the appointment of John Ripple to manager of the firm's chemical and fertilizer department in lone. Ripple, 25, comes to Morrow County from Colfax, Wash., where he was associated with Cenex fertilizers and chemicals for the past three years. Ripple will be married later this month in Colfax, after which time he and his new wife will reside in Heppner. Majeske tapped for Conservation Award The phone call came about 5 a.m., before the first cup of coffee could jog the senses into order. After a couple of minutes of Roy Martin's early morning humor, the nature of the call dawned on Gene Majeske. Last year's winner, Martin, was informing Gene he had been selected as the 1977 Morrow County Conservation Man of the Year. At a more reasonable hour last Friday, sitting in the kitchen with his wife Alice, Majeske was still a bit overcome by the award. "To me, it's a real honor," he said. "It really makes me feel good about all the work that's gone into this place." "This place," is Majeske's 1800-acre Lexington ranch. It has been in his family since his father bought the land in 1922 and since then, working the ranch has become, says Gene, "pretty much of a family affair." Gene and Alice have raised three children of their own on the ranch and Majeske now leases the property from his mother, Frieda Majeske, of Heppner. The oldest son, Donald, is a sixth grade teacher at Mc Bride School in St. Helens and comes back each summer to help Gene. Daughter Ginger now lives near Echo with her husband, Burke O'Brien, and their three children. Youngest daughter, Debbie, was just married two months ago to Vilas Ropp. The couple lives in Depot Bay where Debbie is a beautician and Vilas works in the commercial fishing and construction industries. For the past 13 years, Alice has found time to pursue her favorite hobby, ceramics, in the small shop located near the house. She teaches classes, sells supplies and has "a house full of pieces." Although Gene lists his favorite leisure pastimes as rebuilding guns and hunting, the operation of the ranch keeps him plenty busy. A big project in the last few years and one of the main reasons he received the conservation award has been the installation of more than 13.5 miles of drainage ditches. The ditches follow the contour of the hills and help stop erosion from the fields. "I put in the biggest part of the ditches In 1974-75 and they were 75 per cent cost-shared," Majeske said. Others were put in last year. At the first mention of the ditches, Majeske pointed to the cooperation he has received through the years from the Morrow County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Soil Conservation Service. He also mentioned O.J. Kemmerer of Ukiah and the late Dick Meador of Heppner, who helped him build the ditches. Majeske said for a long time he was reluctant to try the ditches because of the area it took away from available crop land. The farm land lost occupies about 15 acres or a little more than an acre per mile of ditch and also involves another 2,600 feet of farm over. The Morrow County Conservation Man of the Year is presented annually to the county rancher who, in the view of the judges, best exemplifies good practices of conservation and general farm management. The award is co-sponsored by the Oregon Wheat League and the Morrow County Soil and Water Conservation District. This year's winner is Gene Majeske of Lexington. His name will be placed with other county winners to be considered for the state award made later in the year. A tour of 1977 Conservation Winner Gene Majeske's farm and other points of Interest will be held Wednesday, June 22. The tour will start at 9 a.m., at the Morrow County Fairgrounds. The first stop will be at the varsity trials on the Frank Anderson ranch south of Heppner. From there, the tour will move to Tad Miller's ranch to view a new set of variety trials. Both locations were established by Dr. Chuck Rhode of the Pendleton Experimental Station. Rhode will be one of the tour leaders. Chemical fallow plots at the Pat Cutsforth ranch will be the next stop. Chemical company representatives will be on hand to discuss the purposes of the plots. The tour will wind up at Gene Majeske's, south of Lexington, at noon for a sack lunch. After lunch, the group will tour the winner's farm. Everyone is welcome. This leaves him with 1,435 acres of crop land all stubblemulched along with 366 seeded acres of range land. Majeske also has 20 acres of pasture near Hermiston for his 35-40 head of cattle. Now that the benefits of the ditches have become apparent, Majeske is planning to lay out new ditches along with a new diversion dam. Also planned are some new waterways to go with the 1,800 feet he already has. 1 r I r fa :i) I si- y v-y V i v 1 -f 1 f - -V - 1 1 t .' ' - - J ; ' . '" ,. Conservation winner Gene Majesle (front) surveys drainage ditches on his Lexington ranch with County Extension Agent Harold Kerr. "After last year's August water spout, we wouldn't have been able to farm 300 acres towards the canyon without the ditches," he said. Majeske has tried to seed them with bunchgrass, but he says he hasn't had too much success in growing the grass. "At least it's all seeded down," he said. The planning and cutting of the ditches is a precise business in which both the location and the height are important. The height has to be planned to allow for a proper farm over area for the implements, but if they are not the proper height, they have to be placed closer together. All of Majeske's ditches are open-ended to allow for farm over and still arranged to catch the drainage. "In this area, people have gotten pretty conscious about the ditches. Some people have told me they thought my ditches are too high, but I'm real pleased with them so far." Majeske would like to be as pleased with the outlook for this year's crops. With the 10-11 inch annual rainfall the ranch normally gets, he mainly sticks to Hyslop and McDermid wheat varieties and Steptoe and Flynn barlies. But he adds, "I've tried most of the new varieties as they came out." He has been in a good position to keep up with the latest trends, having served as Marketing Committee Chairman oi the Morrow County Wheat Growers, Vice Chairman on the Board of Directors of the Morrow County Grain Growers and a lifetime member of the Wheat League. During a tour of the ranch with County Extension Agent Harold Kerr, Majeske just shook his head as he surveyed the fields. "I've seen some pretty fair crops off this land and ther again, I've seen some pretty poor ones," he said. "This year looks like a pretty poor crop of wheat. I don't know if we'll make half a crop. We've got to look for some alternatives." Majeske said this year's crop was reminiscent of the firs I three years when his father was working the ranch. "1923, 24 and 25 were real short crops and it was quite a struggle," he said. Returning to the house after the tour of the fields, Majeske paused to consider what was behind him. "One thing about farming is you have to like it or you wouldn't be doing it. I'm pleased with what I've done .here and you just have to believe that tomorrow will bring something different and better." L.
