VOL. 94, NO.
Council approves library funding
The Heppner City Council
Tuesday approved a Library
Board request to allow opera
tion of the city library for the
1977-78 fiscal year through a
$2,700 donation from library
patron Amanda Duvall.
In approaching the coucil
with the request. Library
Board Chairman Ed Struthers
Pro-roaders
set meeting
Persons backing the petition
drive to establish a public
' road leading from Portland
General Electric's coal-fired
KrolVs
open for
business
Kroll's Department Store
opened this week at 167 Main
in Heppner . and a grand
opening is set for Friday and
Saturday, July 7-8.
Owned and operated by Bob
and Phyllis Kroll of Heppner,
the new store features a
complete line of basic ready to
wear for men, women, child
ren, toddlers and infants. The
store also carries a complete
domestic line.
Kroll said the store will be
open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday through Saturday.
This week customers may
sign up for one of many door
prizes to be awarded Saturday
at 4:30 p.m.
Although the office has a new
occupant and the mementos
have been cleared from the
walls and shelves, remnants of
the previous 12 years will
remain. .
For that period, recently
retired Morrow County Judge,
Paul Jones, directed the affairs
of county government and
played an important role in the
direction and development of
Morrow County.
After the Friday ceremony in
which D.O. Nelson officially
assumed the judgeship, Jones
paused to reflect on his past
years in office and offer some
insights for the coming years.
Regarding his successor,
Jones reiterated the feelings
expressed during the cere
monythat the county is in
capable and competent hands.
"I feel that in this case, as
with any change of administra
tion, the less impressions and
recommendations I make, the
better chance D.O. will have to
get firmly established on his
own," Jones said.
He recalled his own initiation
into the realm of county politics
when his predecessor, Oscar
Peterson, turned the reigns
over to him.
"I came into office with no
obligations and nothing pre
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LOCAL POSTAL PATRON
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HEPPNER, OREGON
said the board had accepted
Mrs. Duvall 's offer pending
council approval. Terms of
the donation call for the funds
to be used for librarian's
salary on reduced hours,
supplies and services and
books.
The Library Board will
administer the new fund and
generating plant at the Carty
site to Ella Road that goes into
lone, have scheduled an
organizational meeting for
next week..
Beecher Emert, who started
the petitions, said this week a
meeting will be held Tuesday,
July 12 at 7 p.m. in Heppner at
the West of Willow restaurant.
The public is invited to the
meeting.
"The time has come for
people behind the road to
become organized a little if
we're going to accomplish
what we want," Emert said.
He noted that persons back
ing the petitions would like to
get together with Boeing Vice
President Gene Norton to
discuss the company's oppos
ition to the road and deter
mine what alternatives there
are.
Last month, after the petit
ion drive was announced,
Norton made a public state
ment saying Boeing Company
was not interested in having a
road to the Agri Industrial
Park from the south.
Jones
conceived," Jones said. "I
wanted to turn it over to D.O.
with as much freedom as I
had".
Now that the exchange has
been made, Jones said he is
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looking forward to having some
time to himself and his family.
"People ask me what I'm
going to do, where I'm going,
will I travel," he said. "I really
have no long range plans and
just hope to take it day by day".
He did leave the doorway
open to the prospect of future
public service, saying, "I'd like
to feel I can be of some aid to the
community. If the opportunity
comes along, I'll be here but I'm
not going to prevail on anyone".
As for the role of county
THURSDAY,
the city will act as the
disbursing agent.
Struthers said the board is
still pursuing the library
district funding concept but
added that it is a lengthy
process and the Duvall offer
will serve as an intermediary
measure.
In other council action,
Mayor Jerry Sweeny announ
ced the assignment of council
member to various standing
committees effective July 1.
Citizens with specific prob
lems are asked to contact the
appropriate committee head.
Water
draws
The continuing saga of the
propriety of the city water
system entered another round
Tuesday as several council
members said they had rec
eived complaints during the
past week from people who
had no water pressure.
City Recorder Marshall
Lovgren inspected the system
and found a closed valve and
overheated pump at one of the
reservoirs. After opening the
valve, the pumps began oper
ating and the pressure was
restored.
City Foreman Don Penney
said the system was designed
to work with the valve closed
although a malfunctioning
mercury valve was deemed to
be the culprit in the lost-pressure
mystery.
Criticism was also leveled a
steps down
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HEPPNER
JULY. 7, 1977
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General chairman for the
committee covering general
government, police, fire and
personnel is headed by Hubert
Wilson and committee mem
bers include Robert Jones,
Jim Rogers and Larry Mills.
A second committee headed
by Cliff Green deals with
water and sewer utitlities,
streets, pool, parks and plan
ning. Other committee mem
bers are Warren Ploch'arsky,
Jones and Rogers.
Fire Chief Forrie Burken
bine pointed out two street
areas that pose fire hazards
when used as parking areas.
system
debate
the automated pump regula
tor located in City Hall which
Councilman Cliff Green called
a monstrosity and about which
Councilman Larry Mills re
marked, "that turkey hasn't
worked since we got it."
After more discussion about
the system, Green comm
ented, "We've got to make a
decision soon," to which Mills
agreed and added that the
problem was "which decision
we should make."
"We have a City Engineer
telling us one thing (about the
water system) and the man
. we hired to operate it
(Penney) tellilng us another,"
Mills said.
Mayor Jerry Sweeny called
an executive session for Thur
sday and said he hoped that "a
lot of the questions would be
resolved."
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He told the council that cars
parking in an area behind the
high school and in a cul-de-sac
behind the medical clinic
prevent access by fire or
emergency equipment. The
matter was referred to Coun
cilman Green's committee to
look into the possibility of
designating the areas as fire
lanes.
Burkenbine also said he had
received complaints from ad
jacent property owners of
three properties where weed
overgrowth also posed fire
hazards. He asked the council
to advise the property owners
of the problem and to take
measures to correct it.
The council moved to fill a
gaping hole on Morgan Street
near the high school while
leagal proceedings drag on to
determine who exactly is
responsible for the improper
installation of water piping in
the area.
Sidewalk sale
Heppner merchants are hit
ting the streets Friday with
their annual Summer Side
walk Bazaar a one day sale
that includes fun as well as
bargains.
Part of the fun will be
provided Friday afternoon
when Don and Malcolm Mcln
nes will arrive in town with a
four-horse draft team and
wagon. The teamsters will
give shoppers a Main Street
exhibition and free rides will
follow.
but legacy remains
judge, Jones said he has seen
marked changes since the time
he took office.
"County government is much
more complex now," he said.
"The formation of administra
tive districts (East Central
Oregon Association of Counties,
ECOAC) has been a big help but
it requires a great deal of the
county official's time".
He pointed to recent trends in
health insurance and welfare
policies that have placed great
er emphasis on local govern
ment control.
"I've seen more and more
evidences of local control over
the years." Jones said. "And at
no time, any time, have I
favored anything that would
give away this local control".
"Local government is right
here in this courthouse," he
said, gesturing with a sweeping
motion through the air. "The
people do have a voice and
anytime a man who wants to see
the county judge is refused, it
will be a sad day for local
government".
Jones said several laws
passed in the last few years
open meeting laws, for in
stancehave been instrumen
tal in bringing county govern
ment closer to the people.
"The people are more involv
ed now than ever before," he
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Mga D.O. Nebon occopM a bit of advice from his predecessor. Judge Paul Jones after takng office here
krtMdDy. Between Jones and Nebon standi Ed Sufvan, legoj counsel for Gov. Bob Straub, who ad
RaWftored tfM ooHi of offico.
Judge Nelson settles in
as new county leader
More than 50 friends, relativ
es and well wishers were on
hand Friday at the Courthouse
as D.O. Nelson was officially
sworn in as the new Morrow
County Judge.
Nelson sat at the head table in
the circuit courtroom along
Youth in town that day will
be sure to enjoy the free
swimming during the after
noon hours provided courtesy
of downtown businesses. Par
king will be frep also.
Several civic groups and
organizations will also have
booths on the street. The
Heppner Rebekah lodge will
have a white elephant sale and
will be peddling dippy dogs;
the Lexington Rebekahs' will
have baked foods, bread and
said. "There have never been
any attempts from my office to
withhold any information of
court activities my door has
remained open".
Along with the increased
complexity of county govern
ment has come staff expansion
and more departmentalization.
"We have a full-time planning
staff now which was unheard of
when I came to office." Jones
said. "Also, 12 years ago the
Sheriff was operating with no
deputies and there was no
juvenile department outside of
the judge's office. The scope of
government has greatly chang
ed and will continue to change".
Looking ahead, Jones pre
dicts major activity in the road
department.
"Demands for new roads and
more maintenance increase
constantly," he said. "When
the road levy expires this year,
it will require an expanded tax
base especially as the North end
continues to grow".
Jones said when he took
office, the county's assessed
valuation was in the $80-100
million range. Now, it is
conservatively estimated at
$235-250 million and Jones
expects it to jump to $500
million in the next three years.
"Morrow County is no longer
going to be a small county,"
with outgoing judge, Paul
Jones, and the governor's legal
counsel, Ed Sullivan, repre
senting Gov. Straub.
Jones, who announced his
retirement on May 16 after 12'2
years in office, said he was
looking forward to leaving the
Friday
punch; the Soroptimist Club
will sell commorative Court
house plates ; the Garden Club
will have plants, bulbs, dish
gardens, produce and garden
related baked foods on sale;
the Child Development Center
will have baked foods; HHS
cheerleaders will sell snow
cones and the HHS dance
team will have baked goods
while the Morrow County
Health office will give free
blood pressure tests.
Jones said. "Nationally, we're
second in potato production,
second in grain production and
our industrial payrolls from
Kinzua and Gourmet are boom
ing," lie said. "The day of
viewing Morrow County as a
small agricultural county is
over".
Acknowledging that most of
the development is centered in
what is generally referred to as
"the North end," Jones shakes
his head saying, "I've spent 12
years trying to do those things,
that would prevent people from
distinguishing between the
North and South".
"But it's so hard to do with the
different characteristics of the
areas like soil composition
and transportation outlets
available there," he said. "I've
tried to lessen the emphasis on
that area but then, we just
finished approving a new med
ical clinic for Boardman. It's a
hard point to get around".
With the planned develop
ment of the Boeing Corporation-owned
land looming as a
key to the unification or division
of the county, Jones was asked
about the current drive to
convince Boeing officials of the
need for an access road from
the lone area.
"I've been on the record in
favor of the road but I've always
judgeship "with mixed emo
tions". "But I'm leaving with full
knowledge that the man selec
ted can take over and do a fine
job." Jones said. "When I made
the decision to retire, D.O. was
one of the men I had high hopes
would accept the position".
Sullivan presented Nelson
with an official document sig
nifying his appointment and
said the governor, "sends his
personal congratulations and
best wishes for the future".
"This is a bit of a day of
sadness with the retirement of
Paul Jones. ..a giant among
county officials," Sullivan said.
"His wisdom and guidance will
be missed".
To the new judge, Sullivan
said, "You have some big shoes
to fill and you have the
qualities integrity, devotion to
duty and plain common sense
needed for the job".
Following introductions by
Nelson of his relatives in the
audience, including his wife
Delpha, his parents, children
and grandchildren, the oath of
office was administered by
District Attorney Dennis Doh
erty and a new era in the history
of the Morrow County judgeship
began.
run into a stone wall with the
Boeing people," he said. "The
area is important for the county
but Boeing is calling the shots".
Jones said if the plan to move
the Navy Bombing Range was
realized, it would open 40,000
acres in the area to agricultural
use and would be a big step for
the county.
From the beginning of his
administration, Jones said one
of his main priorities has been
to keep land available.
"It seemed we negotiated at
least once a month for the
return of North end land from
the Bureau of Land Manage
ment," he said. "Finally in
November of 1967 our efforts
culminated with the sale of
almost all the BLM land. We
worked hard for that one".
Now, with Navy negotiations
progressing, the opportunity
may again present itself, Jones
said.
"If it were possible for young
men who wanted to farm to
obtain financing for developing
the bombing range, we could
see farms and houses with
families and it would be good all
the way around," Jones said.
"It's important to open up the
county to the people as much as
possible and in the past 12
years I've done my best".
His efforts have been, appreciated.
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