Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 1977)
BESSIE WET2ELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB EUGENE OR 97403 D.O. Nelson selected THE2 GAZETTE-TIME VOL. 94, NO. 24 HEPPNER, OREGON THURSDAY, Heppner Lions spearhead swimming pool survival drive The Heppner Lions' Club is now coordinating a major fund raising campaign aimed at keeping the swimming pool open and donations are ap proaching the halfway point, Dave Dollarhide told the Hep Port industrial well O&'d The Port of Morrow has awarded the contract for a second deep well at its industrial park to Stadeli Drilling Co. of Silverton. Work is expected to start immediately. Stadeli bid $71,172.80 for drilling the 525 foot well. The offer was $10,000 above the port engineer's Storch Corp., estimate. Port commissioners accept ed the bid on the condition that the provision for a sand screen could be negotiated. If the well was not plagued by sand, the additional cost of installing the screen would be ' a wasted expense. A $204,000 interim loan for the entire project will be financed through the Bank of Eastern Oregon at Pendleton. "Is it possible to put this much money into a hole in the ground?" quipped Commis sioner Louis Carlson. A Storch representative estimated the well drilling would be completed within a month. "We expect to have it completed and tested by the next port meeting," he said. The well will be used by food processors at the indus trial park. It will be located at Public invited Celebrating a 100th birthday is quite an occassion and Saturday, June 25, Heppner Masonic Lodge No. 69 is inviting the public to take part in their centennial celeb ration. In addition to an evening dinner and program at the HHS cafetorium, the lodge hall located above Gardner's Men's Wear will be open to visitors Saturday afternoon. The evening program be gins at 6 p.m. in the cafeto rium with a no-host barbecue beef dinner catered by Jim Rogers of the West of Willow restaurant. Persons attending the eve ning program will receive a copy of the Heppner lodge history, compiled by Harold Becket. Excerpts of the 100-year history are included in this article. Each person will also re ceive a commerative book mark made of deer skin. At 7 p.m. Saturday, the anniversary program will be opened by Worshipful Master ' Richard T. Wilkinson. Feat ured speaker will be Joseph W. Jarvis, Grand Master of Masons in Oregon. Entertainment will be pro vided by the Heppner High School Swing Band and vocal selections will be presented, featuring Shannon Kelly and Jim Ackley. 4 J ftW-" ' pner Chamber of Commerce Monday. Dollarhide said a minimum of $3,600 must be raised by July 1 to assure a full season of operation for the pool. "As of June 12, we had a the corner of Ullman and Columbia Streets. "The need for this well is coming up," stated Port manager Rupert Kennedy. Until new processing de mands requires the 1,000 gallon per minute well for full operation, it will be used as a back-up facility. The current well pumps 30 million gallons of water a month to the food processors at the park. That well was completed in 1974. "What we are doing is literal ly duplicating the system," Kennedy said. Land for a possible airstrip at the port was approved by commissioners. The 4.71 acres, owned by the Army Corp of Engineers, may also be opted for use as a freeway exit into the port. The 100-foot strip is a right-of-way that the port was given the option to buy 10 years after the completion of the John Day Dam. The dam was finished in 1966. The corp is asking $7,100 for the property. "If you had told us 10 years ago that we were going to have to pay that for it, Td to attend Masons celebrate Dave Harrison, centennial planning committee chairman for the lodge, said, "We certainly hope that members of the community accept our invitation for an evening of fine food, entertainment and fellowship." Editor's note: The following article is taken from a history of the Heppner Masonic Lodge compiled by Harold Becket. The ensuing story covers only a brief portion of the Lodge's early history. ..up to the time the present hall was constru cted at Us present location. That hall will be open to public tour Saturday, June 25. Persons attending a no-host banquet at the HHS cafetor ium that evening will also receive a complete copy of the history written by Becket. At our word, the history is interesting to Masons and non-Masons alike as it cont ains a history of Heppner and Morrow County as well. The town of Heppner began its existence in the mid-1860's, and it, with the surrounding farms and stock ranches contained a goodly number of young and progressive men who were Masons. ..some that were members of a lodge in at that time distant Um atilla. ..some members of the JUNE 16, 1977 total of $1,600 in firm pledg es," Dollarhide said. "More individuals, groups and or ganizations have to come for ward soon." A detailed list of donors will be kept and funds will be have died," stated Commis sioner Dewey West. Final decision for use of the land will come at a later date. Port honors West The Port of Morrow gave tribute to its last active charter member last Thursday. Commissioner Dewey West, who has served on the commission since its inception in 1969, was presented with a pewter-type plaque. It was engraved with his name and terms of office 1969-1977. "Dewey is the last of our original commissioners," stated port manager Rupert Kennedy. West has indicated this was his last year because the time was right for retirement. "I've enjoyed my work with the port and this area so much. But I came to the realization that there are some other things I would like to be doing." He also said that were he to serve another term, he might begin to resent the time the position took. West has also served the Boardman community as mayor for 14 years. He was replaced by Gerald Peck last November. He has been recognized several times in the past for distinguished service to his country and community. Fishing is the main activity the former commission er is planning for the immediate future. He will continue as a member of the Boardman City Council. Masonic orders from which they emigrated. All shared a common desire in the ensuing years, and that desire was to have a Masonic lodge in Heppner. Several years later, in December of 1876, the Umati lla lodge became a "parent" and agreed to give birth to Heppner Masonic Lodge No. 69. Among the petitioners from Heppner were Frank Maddock, J.L. Sperry, Henry Heppner, O.H. Hallock, Geo rge Stansbury, A.S. Wells, H.H. Leatherman, J.L. Mor row and William Mitchell. It is interesting to ote that both Heppner and Morrow were among the men, before either their namesake town or county were officially formed. The newly-formed lodge got right down to business and held its first meeting in January, 1877, receiving its charter in June of the same year. Frank Maddock, a pioneer of the area, served as Worship ful Master that first year and the lodge met in a hall on the second story of a building housing a saloon. (Pioneers led the lodge) Maddock was a real pioneer that came to Oregon at the age of 16 driving an ox team. He later moved to Eastern Ore HEPFNEIf PAGES 15 c placed in a separate account outside the city budget. Dol- larhide said if extra money is collected it would be used only for future pool operation or for capital improvements to the facility. The fund will be established at First National Bank and the Lions' Club will oversee record keeping and all dis bursements toward pool ex penses. Donations will be ac cepted at either local bank. Lions' Club members Frank Pearson and Dollarhide, with the assistance of Butch Laugh lin, will answer any questions pertaining to the fund. They ask that donations be payable to the Heppner Swimming Pool Drive. gon with wife and four children and took up a cattle ranch south of Heppner. Maddock was a born leader, serving as Sheriff for six years after Umatilla County was formed which was the cou nty in which Heppner lay. He was captain of the Heppner volunteers when the Indian scare came in July 1878. J.L. Sperry, a settler of Willow Creek, was the second WM of the Heppner lodge. hr County i D.O. Nelson, Heppner, has been appointed by Gov. Rob ert Straub to the position of Morrow County Judge. Effective July 1, Nelson will succeed Paul Jones who announced his retirement May 16. Straub made his selection from a list of three candidates who also included W.W. Weatherford, Heppner, and Daniel Creamer, Irrigon. Nelson, 60, is a 30-year resident of Morrow County and is currently serving on the county Budget Committee. He will resign that post along with his chairmanship of the coun ty Fair and Rodeo Committee prior to taking office. Irrigon zone change proposal scheduled for public hearing In an effort to control rapid, haphazard growth in the Irrigon area, County Planning Director Don Burns has an nounced a proposal that would rezone more than 4,200 acres west and southwest of the city. The plan, subject of a public hearing June 27 in Irrigon, would change the zoning designations of much of the outlying areas from the cur rent one-acre divisions to five-acre "Farm" plots. The intention is to reduce conflicts between residential and farm ing activities. Burns termed the proposal and attempt to "get in step with good planning principles and seek a better transition from rural to urban areas." A 2,500-acre bounded by Road sought coal plant to A petition drive got under way this past week for the second time that asks the Morrow County Court to look favorably on constructing a short stretch of road connect ing the Carty Reservoir gen eratinc plant site with Ella Road iust or.tside lone. The pr'jtion points out that Portia i; ieneral Electric's 100 years here During his reign in 1878, Sperry also served as Sheriff of Umatilla County and that year led a detachment of volunteers from Weston to Pendleton on to Battle Moun tain for a confrontation with the Indians. Another pioneer, George H. Stansbury, is remembered for his buying the Heppner town site from its original owner and surveying and laying out the original town. Stansbury -J' 1 1 This early day photo of Heppner shows the present day location of the Heppner Masonic Lodge. The building housing W.S. Leezer's hardware and implement store is where Ay D.O. Nelson ...new County Judge Fourth Street to the west, Nevada Avenue to the south and Ordinance Road to the east would be excluded from the change and would retain its current one-acre designa tion. "This area is already built up and is subsequently non compatible with intensive farm use," Burns said. "The area is potentially urbanizable at some future date and potentially serviceable with city services." Irrigon has already annexed a 20-30-acre portion of the area and the possibility of further annexation remains open. Burns said the most likely direction for growth of the city is generally to the west, but added that at least 160 acres coal fired plant site is "located approximately equal distance between lone and Boardman." Ella Road takes off at lone and continues as a paved two-lane road to the edge of the Boeing Agri-Industrial Park. From that point to the Carty site is approximately later sold out to another Mason. T.W. Ayers. The decade of the ISSO's was a good one for Heppner and for the Heppner lodge. Business improved with the coming of more and more settlers and the population increased rapid ly. Toward the end of the 80's there were about as many people in the area that was to become Morrow County as there are now. One of the petitions received " TV Judgeship According to the Governor's legal counsel, the County Judge post will be on the ballot of the next general election and the appointment is not valid for the duration of Jones' unexpired term. Nelson was a dry wheat farmer and potato raiser in the area between Lexington and Boardman before moving to Heppner six years ago. He was instrumental in the estab lishment of Morrow Produce, a potato packaging plant in Boardman. He sold the opera tion in 1973 after moving to within the current city limits remains undeveloped along with numerous other lots in the city boundaries. By containing development to the one-acre zoned areas, Burns said the county would be in a better position to provide municipal services to areas of higher concentration. Beginning evidence of scat tered development is placing hardships on the county's ability to maintain safe roads, adequate law enforcement, sewers and school bus routes. Burns pointed to problems resulting from a 10-unit de velopment known as Desert Delight, located near inten sive use farm areas southwest of Irrigon. Dust control and traffic hazards from overuse from Cart y Ella Road four and-a-half miles. A petition asking the same thing of the County Court that was circulated a couple years ago received no attention from the Court. At that time some residents of lone and Lexington had mixed emotions about the early in the year of 1880 was that of J.D. Locknane. The story goes that this gentleman arrived in Heppner with his family at a time when the need of a town marshal! was being particularly felt. It seems a wild bunch of cowboys were causing a ruckus on their weekends in town... raising cain in general. Hearing of a new marshall they mounted their horses and swept the streets yelling and Gardner's now stands. The Belvedere Saloon is the of Murray's Drug Store. Heppner where he owns farm and pasture land in the Hinton Creek area. Nelson said a keynote of his administration will be to maintain with county resi dents concerning government policies. "As long as the people know the reasons behind the ac tions, they've always been very fair," he said. After eight-years of partici pation on the County Budget Committee, Nelson is well aware of the financial prob lems he will face but he adds, "I'm optimistic enough to think the problems can be worked out." of narrow roads have plagued subdivision residents. The proposed zone change would restrict developers from buying outlying farm land at reduced prices and subdividing for housing. "The sporadic development really makes it difficult to coordinate services in those areas," Burns said. The approximate 4,200-acre area considered for the five acre designation is bounded by the Umatilla County line to the east, Patterson Ferry Road to the west, the Colum bia River to the north, and the West Extension Canal to the south. See....Zone page 4 road and the inevitible growth it would bring the small towns. Beecher Emert, lone, is spearheading this petition drive. "I think the road would benefit the county as much as it would lone," said Emert, "this is the type of industry we should encourage and help." shooting. The next time they came by Locknane walked out in the street and cooly shot off the hat of the leader, taking a lock or two of hair at the time. End of discussion. J.B. Sperry was the area representative to the legisla ture in 1882 and he introduced a bill to set off a county from Umatilla Conty to be called See.... Masons page 3 location 1 .' -4 r-m i " -w- -
