Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 1977)
TWO The Gazette-Times. Ileppner, Ore., Thursday, June 16, 1977 i 4 1 IIUU(.('. iiom:iim AN -5 "I IONF ill I'I'NI It TO BORROW and too tomorrow Sifting through the TIMES Bv Tom Franks There are a few people in Heppner who have given me free suggestions about the conduct of my life. There is nothing wrong with the advice, if the advice and the intent of the advice are the same. Reminds me of some advice I got when I was about 13. I was mowing a small lawn on the weekend for a wealthy woman. Her financial status, and nothing else, was the envy of the community. "Tommy, there are three things you need to do to get ahead in life. First, if you want to get something done, always go to the top man on the totem pole. Second, toot your own horn because nobody else is going to toot it for you. Third, you don't smile enough. Smile and play the fool, and everybody will love you but always stay one step ahead of them." She asked me to remember the advice, which I have. Fortunately, she didn't ask me what I thought of it. Few of us do when we give advice. The first item about going to the top man sounded reasonable. The second item seemed to have merit but the third item left me cold at 13 and still does. The woman who handed out the advice followed it herself. She went to the top man, she tooted her own horn when necessary and she smiled a lot and played the fool. The trouble was that nobody loved her and regardless of how much she played the fool, everybody knew she was smart as a fox and always one step ahead of them. Even when she started to slip physically and mentally, you could bring up the subject of money or business and watch her mind shift gears. Money and business were the only things her mind could hang its hat on as she progressed in years. Finally, she even slipped to the paranoia that someone was after her money. She was jumping jets from one city to another, claiming that the FBI was after her money, the last time I saw her. To the best of my knowledge, she was placed in a rest home and I have no doubt that the government did get her money, after it passed through the hands of some distant relatives. To blow a hole in her second suggestion about tooting your own horn, let me toot somebody else's. Toots this week go to Don Penney, city utility foreman, for all the personal hours he has spent repairing run-down equipment, fixtures and systems at the Heppner swimming pool. Toots also go to Nathan Walsingham, John Kenny, Bill Campbell, Don McFvven, Cary Tole, and Kevin Curnutt, who helped Bill Dial clean the pool. A late toot also goes this week to Rev. Mark Johnson who took an unpopular stand in recent arguments against capital punishment. While I don't agree with all his reasons, I too have my reservations about state administered death. A final toot to the parents of the swim team who are thus far conducting a successful fund drive to keep the Heppner Pool open. Citizens in Baker County have had to take similar steps to keep the hot springs pool open in Haines. The leg work being done by swimming team parents has been successful only because of good community response thus far. In addition to donations, pool use is still the key to a successful season. This week in 1967, the Times carried a front page story concerning the "possibility that Morrow County will have a sizeable fish impondment constructed in 1968 with legal size fish ready for the catching in 1969." Several locations were still being considered as members of the Game Commission, Forest Service officials and the Morrow County Court toured the sites. Water recreation was big in that issue, which also featured a picture of Heppner youngsters enjoying the opening of the municipal pool. "This will be the last summer of operation for the old pool, which will make way for an improved pool as a result of the recent city bond election." Ten years earlier, the Times ran a headline that unfortunately is out of the question for the current year: Excellent Grain Crop Foreseen in County; Storage Problem Nil. "Prospects for a bumper grain crop in the county appear continually brighter as harvest time nears, but nearly all ranchers are holding their breath in hopes that no more unusual weather, which has plagued the county all winter and spring, will diminish the high yield possibilities." It seems that any optimistic statement in which the weather is involved has to, have some kind of qualifiers tacked on. But with the financial outlook appearing bright, the Times also reported the approval of plans for Heppner's second bank the Bank of Eastern Oregon scheduled to open in mid-September of 1957. This week in 1947, the Times reported some convincing voting results that left little doubt as to the preference of District I voters on the 1947-48 budget the tally was 37-1. Gazette-Times, June 17, 1937:, Coulee Crickets Attack Forest. "An outbreak of Coulee crickets, which has already cleaned all vegetation from about two sections of national forest land in the neighborhood of Opal Guard station, threatens to become a serious menace to grazing on the national forest land and, if the spread of these crickets goes unchecked, to the wheat growers of the county." By the way, in those days the Times was going for 5 cents an issue or $5 for three years. A decade earlier, the Times ran an ad for the Star Theater's latest feature, Hands Across the Border. "Fred Thompson with his famous horse, Silver King. Five solid reels of action melodrama, roaring laughter and thundering thrills." The front page of the June 14, 1917, Times reported, "The present high price of sheep has made these animals a safe and convenient medium of exchange, as shown by a deal made last week where 100 head of sheep were exchanged for a late model eight-cylinder Oldsmobile." Open letter to farmers HIINNIMWIHIIIIHIIIHHUHIIMIIHIIN Letters to the Editor 6 Why give away dedicated street?' Editor: I am on duty at the police phone during many evenings and most nights. I have had many persons call in for instructions on how to get to the high school. They can see the building up on the west hill, but have trouble finding the street to approach it. Now I have learned that the City Council is giving away the 60-foot strip that is dedicated and needed to bring Morgan Street to the state highway. This is a terrible mistake. School busses and people coming from out of town to games and school events need quick, direct access to the high school. When I am asked for directions, I would like to be able 'Compassion for both....' Editor: Your continuing battle of letters people vs. coyotes could be humorous if there wasn't the hint of tragedy involved. It has been proven beyond a doubt that coyotes can survive without man, but it has yet to be proven that people can survive without coyotes as part of a naturally balanced environment. Why not have compassion for both or are we too shallow in our feeling for all other forms of life? We have put such great emphasis on buying power that money seems to have become God to society today. We do know for certain that this feeling can produce no thing but evil. Sincerely, V.I. Johnson Seattle, Wash. to say turn off the highway where you see the sign "To High School" (two large, new signs that should be erected on either side of the new Morgan Street extension) and drive directly up Morgan Street to the school (crossing the new bridge for which funds are already dedicated). Presently I am directing persons to turn at the Union Oil station and this leads to much confusion, as they don't make the next two turns correctly and are delayed and confused. I know that presently heavy trucks and buses are forbidden to drive across the old Morgan Street bridge however, I understand that it will be replaced soon and that the dedicated street, along the lines where the TV poles are already standing, should surely be paved and used. When the business property beside it was purchased, the buyers knew what they were getting. It would be nice if anyone could talk the City Council out of 60 feet of additional property. Surely a good many other citizens must feel like I do. They must resent the council giving away our dedicated and needed street property. Sincerely, Winn Crist Dear Friends: An increasing number of national headlines tell of financial problems being faced by the American grain farmer. Those headlines really aren't new news to those who try to make a living producing grain. But, they do indicate a growing public awareness that current prices are at a disaster level for the individual producers. Yet, the general public cannot and will not do anything to assure financial health for grain farmers. So, you ask, what can be done? As I see it, we only have three choices. We can continue to let the five major inter national grain companies and speculators set prices as they are doing at present. Integral to this method is the companies' reliance upon U.S.D.A statistical projections, resulting in a speculator's market with ever increasing pressure for lower prices and placing the producer in a defensive position about what to plant. Our second option is to plead with the federal government for increased loan levels, elaborate storage and reserve programs in effect, a kind of high class welfare program which maddens the average taxpayer and is a delight to assorted bureaucrats. The final choice is for producers to ' organize for bargaining. This assumes that the farmer, like every other business-person, has a right to price his product. That price has to include a cost of production plus a reasonable profit. Adequate prices allow for good management and planning. Such prices naturally are good for the economy beyond our gate. Cost of production plus a reasonable profit is the one guarantee of individual freedom for a farmer. What freedom is there when each of us individually asks the buyers what their price is today? Only with adequate prices can producers themselves manage so-called carryovers or reserves, which are called inventories in any other business. The National Farmers' Organization, through years of trial and error, mistakes and organized opposition, has designed a plan and program for collective bargaining, which is functioning. Even skeptical "experts" agree that 30-40 per cent of the production, when organized and factually presented in this plan, will control price. Then, you ask, why aren't farmers flocking to join the National Farmers' Organization? My assessment of the local situation is as follows: Original members lost their enthusiasm when we were encountering our most difficult problems. When grain prices skyrocketed, lots of people assumed that farmers were to be on easy street forever and consequently didn't need to be organized. In conclusion, ask yourself these questions: Does high or low price glut the market? Are you tired of simplistic and threadbare "supply and demand" explanations? Are you hoping that a natural disaster elsewhere will put money in your pocket? Have you seen a concise analysis of the so-called 1,100,000,000 bushel wheat carryover? Are you curious about what solid NFO members have learned and altered over the years? Did you know that the international carryover of cereal grains per capita is the lowest in modern history? Are you finally ready to examine what can be done? Sincerely, . Ray Jergeson Columbia Area Grain Director National Farmers Organization TE 7-255 BE HIS PRIDE & JOY on Father's Day, June 19 Send the Handsome Bunch Ten crimson carnations form a towering salute to nature loving Fathers everywhere, on Dad's own special day. And, whether your floral gift for Father's Day is going near or far, our 14,000 fellow Teleflorists make delivery nearly anywhere as simple as a phone call. Visit us soon or call us today. 7 FLOWED SHOP 676-9426 Heppner h m tsai ran ia is - P ji l fill & 10110 i"5?,AI:,i"5 19 t liiii'i Coronation I cologne, aftershaves, cards, & candies 1 JL . ,, ,, .,. ,., , ,. .mmmmmi , u ,. Iff'- d--h If ffis&& Bill I LigJ. ( f Nn I Father's Day j j I Phone 676- 9158 HOURS 8 to 6 Cards & GlftS 5 I " I agl515M51gl515l5'S15' A. L. r Queen Mary Anne Proctor THE " .P HEPPNER s t 4 Greenfield Grange 579 ofpioardman and The Morrow County Fair & Rodeo Board invite you to attend the Coronation of Queen Mary Anne Proctor and Princesses Teresa Proctor Krynn Robinson Deborah Palmer Donna Palmer GAZETTE-TIME: Published every Thursday and entered as a second-class matter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Second-class postage paid at Heppner, Oregon. The official newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow. G.M. Reed, Publisher Dolores Reed, Co-publisher Terry M. Hager, Business Manager Jim Summers, Editor Eileen Saling, Office Manager Justine Weatherford, Local News Georgia Seal, Composing Janene Searle, Composing Saturday, June 18 Fairgrounds Pavilion 8 p. m. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.- Dancing Barnstorm Next Dance June 25 Honoring W (f "fr "if" W "T if? k j ....I - . J f(-, ... wr-n-.ar-j- 'i-
