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As bureaucratic gears con
tinue turning towards a Navy
commitment to vacate its
Morrow County bombing
range, the Port of Morrow
Friday gave a cool reception
to an appeal supporting even
tual dispersal of the land to
predominately small" farming
interests.
Ken Turner, Morrow County
representative of Resource,
Conservation and Develop
ment (RC&D), told Port
members his association in
tends to hire a coordinator to
work towards securing the
the fY .
0 a f77rrprnprrT,
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VOL. 94 NO. 2!
Mousing group formed
At the first meeting of the
newly-formed East Central
Oregon Regional Housing
Authority (ECORHA), the
board of commissioners en
tered into agreement with the
Umatilla County Housing
Authority '"to apply for De
partmentSv.of Housing and
Urban Development HUD)
rent subsidy funds.
Serving Morrow, Gilliam
and Wheeler counties,
ECORHA consists of a board
of nine commissioners, three
from each county. At the
organizational meeting held
last Tuesday in Condon, Paul
Jones of Heppner was elected
News
Evans
Vern Evans, a retired Kinzua employee and
long-time resident of the area, was named Grand
Marshal of the 1977 Fair -and
Rodeo Parade this''-"'"
week by the Heppner-Mor-row
County Chamber of
Commerce.
Evans has worked many
years with the Morrow
County Rodeo and is a Gold
Card holder or lifetime
member of the Rodeo
Cowboys Association, an
honor received by few.
Friends
females
Ladies of the area that fall victim to the inevitible
flat tire are hereby forewarned that Les Schwab Tire
Centers will no longer carry out their advertising vow
of "Ladies Flats Fixed Free."
The company doesn't want to discontinue the
service, mind you. but it seems some disgruntled group
or individual thought the service was discriminatory
against males and took the issue to the Oregon
legialature to be corrected.
Efforts were made by Les Schwab to have the
Oregon Public Accomodations Act amended to allow
this assistance to women drivers, but the bill failed in
.the Oregon Senate after being passed by the House.
Schwab commented, "We've always enjoyed this
part of our business, to provide the ladies with the
extra special attention."
Sharpen your blade
Log cutting and axe throwing enthusiasts are urged
to sign up now for competition at this year's Morrow
County Fair. The contest will be held at 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 24.
Deadline for entries will be Aug. 10. Entries,
consisting of name, address, phone, age and what you
want to compete in, should be sent to the Morrow
County Fair Board, Box 464, Heppner.
The axe throwing is reserved for persons 18 and over
and participants must furnish their own axe. Log
cutting competition is broken down by saw engine size;
under 2 cu. inches, 2-3 cu. inches, 3-4 cu. inches, 4-5 cu.
inches and unlimited. Again, participants must furnish
their own saws.
land for small farmers rather
than allowing it to be purchas
ed by corporate concerns. He
said the hiring hinges on a
pending CETA grant of
$12,000.
"Things seem to be moving
in that direction," Turner said
of the possible bombing range
shift to Washington. "And if
the Navy vacates abruptly, we
might be caught short in our
dispersal process."
After reviewing Turner's
presentation, Port members
opted for a more conservative
stance of : 1) agreeing to assist
HEPPNER, OH FXi ON
chairman and Suzanne Jepsen
of lone, secretary. Peter
Barker of Condon will serve as
vice-chairman of the body.
The third commissioner from
Morrow County is Vera Cooley
of Irrigon. All three were
appointed to the positions
earlier this month by the
county court.
The need for a housing
authority was determined by
the three county governments,
due largely to increases in
population, particularly in the
Boardman-Irrigon areas of
Morrow.
In addition to joining the
Umatilla County Housing
briefs
tapped
of 'flat'
foiled
t
S V
UM "
1 1 X
the Navy in the shift, and 2)
agreeing to assist in the
development of the land
leaving open the question of
who is to occupy it.
Turner said RC&D com
posed of the Soil Conservation
Districts and County Courts of
Morrow, Umatilla, Grant,
Gilliam and Wheeler counties,
along with the accompanying
Ports is firmly committed to
allowing small farmers first
shot at the land, should it
become available.
"With a full time coordin
ator, we'd be ahead of the
THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1977
Authority in applying for the
Section 8 HUD, or rent
subsidy, funds, ECORHA will
use the administrative offices
of the UCHA.
"Because Umatilla has al
ready set up offices, complete
with a full-time secretary, we
did not feel there was a need
for the duplication of ser
vices," noted Mrs. Jepsen.
The rent subsidy monies
would apply to low income
families in the area that are
currently spending more than
25 per cent of their income on
housing.
Under the program, HUD
Dr. Lee Hazen and Co.
set up shop in Heppner
An energetic and enthusi
astic dentist has located in
Heppner because he likes
what he "sees, hears and
feels" about the community.
Dr. Lee Hazen, 35, opened
his offices this week in a new
split level building located
next to the Heppner Medical
Clinic on Thompson Street
behind Pioneer Memorial
Hospital. Patients should use
the Clinic parking lot entran
ce, and for appointments
persons should call 676-9011.
An athletic sort, Dr. Hazen
said he and his family, wife
I 1 l..
Open wide
, s!t""f i ...
game and could proceed with
our plan rather than let some
corporate take the whole
deal," Turner said.'
Plans call for the division of
the 40,000 Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) owned
acres into 640 or 960-acre
tracts.
"If we need to seek a
dispersal possibly a lottery
to bring in 40 to 50 farmers, it's
going to take some doing,"
Turner said. "The word from
some corporates is that we
can't get that many farmers,
but with proper organization I
HEPPNER
8 PAGES
15c
would pay landlords or prop
erty owners the difference
between the fair market rent
of the leased unit and 25 per
cent of the family's gross
income.
If the HUD monies are
received, Umatilla would re
ceive 40 per cent of the funds
and each of the three counties
covered by ECORHA would
receive 20 per cent of the
funds.
The four counties are at
tempting to receive funds for
about 100 rental units.
Kathy and daughter Steph
anie, enjoy skiing, boating,
"and if time would allow,
several other outdoor hobbies
and activities."
Although a newcomer to
Morrow County himself, Dr.
Hazen's relatives on his fath
er's and grandmother's side
(Simons was the name) lived
in Heppner during the time of
the big flood.
"Everyone I've met here
has been extremely friendly
and helpful," noted Hazen,
"and I feel the Heppner area
is fortunate in having a broad
1... i x
ill . ujtiv -
Dr. Lee Hazen opened his dentistry offices in Heppner this
week in a new building located next to the Heppner Medical
Clinic on Thompson Street. The office is equipped with the
most modern dental equipment and is designed for patient
comfort throughout. Working with Dr. Hazen are Patti
Ralston and Annette Snyder, both of whom worked with the
Dentist at his practice in Gresham.
think we can."
Although RC&D did not gain
the Port's support on the small
farm vs. corporate farm issue,
the two groups apparently
agree on the importance of
developing the land through
irrigation.
"The whole key is revenue
bonds for irrigation with the
state guaranteeing credit,"
Turner said. "We need 'the
Port's help in selling the
bonds."
The water bonds will be the
subject of a November 8
state-wide referendum and
Turner emphasized that if
passed, the bonds would
require "No subsidy what-so-ever".
"We've got to get off dead
center and work to set up
irrigation districts," Turner
said.
Port Manager Rupert Ken
nedy echoed Turner's state
ments on the importance of
forming an irrigation dis
trict. Going one step further,
Kennedy said, "We would
endeavor to put at least 20,000
acres in the Sand Hollow area
under irrigation. It would be a
shame if we didn't add it on."
But with the opportunity for
such massive irigation pro
jects on the horizon, Kennedy
leveled criticism at state
agencies and the governor's
office for what he called "a
less than aggressive approach
in seeking a fair share of
Columbia River irrigation
waters".
"If Oregon doesn't assert
itself in this water business
before they turn the spigot off,
we're going to find ourselves
on the outside," Kennedy said.
"The people of Oregon are not
aggressively seeking their fair
share like Washington is."
Kennedy said Washington
...continued
page 3
base of young business and
professional people and a
community where people in
general are of the enlightened
type."
Dr. Hazen comes to Hep
pner from Gresham. Assisting
him at the office here are Patti
Ralston and Annette Snider,
both of whom worked with the
doctor at his Gresham prac
tice. Dr. Hazen is a graduate of
Oregon State University, the
University of Oregon Dental
School and served two years in
the Army as a dentist.
-vr.
Headed
home
Comprehensive Plan
tops county priority list
Comprehensive planning
will be a main order of
business as Dave Moon re
turns to direct the Morrow
County Planning Office.
Moon, back on the job after
a two-month absence, said the
County is in the beginning
stages of revising its 1971
Comprehensive Plan and he
hopes to have a finished
product by July or August of
1979.
"The main reason for re
doing the plan is not that it's
not correct, it's just that the
nature of planning keeps
changing," Moon said. "The
plan was outdated six months
after it was completed."
To help with the planning
tasks, Moon said the depart
ment will hire another staff
member, probably by August
1. Applicants are now being
screened by Moon and a list of
two or three will be forwarded
to the County Court for
selection.
Although the new planner is
needed, Moon will be faced
with an additional problem of
where to put the new person.
"We definetly have a space
problem," Moon said looking
around his Courthouse office.
"We might have to shuffle
back and forth with our office
in Irrigon."
Recent personnel changes
have also posed a problem
Offer made for
Irrigon school site
The Morrow County School
Board approved Monday an
offer of $2,000 per acre for a
potential 28-acre school site
south of Irrigon.
The land, belonging to A.H.
Robbins, Portland, will be
used when growth dictates
the need for a new school in
north Morrow County. Should
the Robbins offer not be
acceptable, the board said it
would accept any other rea
sonable price.
The board also considered
sites from four other land
owners. "Most other available
property in the area had
multiple ownerships and
would be difficult to straight
en out," explained Morrow
Supt Matt Doherty.
In other business the board:
Passed a joint resolution
to consolidate with the Uma
tilla Intermediate Education
District (IED). The consolida
1
Rick Smith churns for home on the last leg of the individual
medley at the Heppner Invitational swim meet here last
Sunday. More than 150 swimmers from Hermiston, Hood
River, White Salmon and Prineville competed in the meet.
Story, results and more pictures on page six.
with the planning arrange
ments of several cities in the
county. The county planning
office is currently under
contract to '" the cities of
Lexington, lone, Heppner and
Irrigon to provide planning
assistance in the development
of Comprehensive Plans for
the four communities.
The contract run to Sept
ember and until recently, the
cities were assisted by Don
Burns of the county office.
When Burns left the county for
a job with the East Central
Oregon Association of Coun
ties (ECOAC), the cities were
left on their own and Moon
said the contracts would not
be renewed.
"The arrangement kind of
presents a conflict for us,"
Moon said. "The county is
responsible, by statute, for
coordinating the city planning
and it's hard to really review
the results when we're the
ones doing the actual planning."
One option open to the cities
is to contract the services of
ECOAC to assist in the
Comprehensive Plan
development.
By concentrating efforts on
the county Comprehensive
Plan, Moon said he hopes to
get better public response on
the planning issues. He said he
is interested in forming citiz
ens involvement committees
to work on individual elements
tion came as the result of too
few students in the district to
warrant the county's own IED
program. Morrow County
gets $61 per child from the
federal government. The dis
trict decided it could build a
HHS classes of '25-'29
set for reunion
Saturday, July 23, and
Sunday, July 24, members of
the Heppner High School
classes of 1925 through 1929
will gather for joint reunion
activities.
The opening events will take
place at the Elks Club a
social hour beginning at 5:30
p.m. on Saturday will preceed
the 6:30 banquet there. After
the banquet there will be time
for more socializing and
of the plan such as transpor
tation and housing.
"When we get into the plan a
little deeper, we can begin to
implement ordinances to as
sure compliance with our
decisions," he said.
Other than the work on the
Comprehensive Plan, Moon
said planning action is "fairly
quiet, especially in this area of
the county."
In the Boardman area,
Moon is working on establish
ing planning directives for the
Urban Growth Boundary
which extends outside the city
limits. The Comprehensive
Plan for the city of Boardman
was one of the first in the state
approved under LCDC guide
lines but further work is still
needed on the boundary area,
Moon said.
He also expects activity to
pick up soon with the recent
sanction of a $20,000 state
grant for joint economic study
by Morrow and Umatilla
counties. The purpose of the
study is to compile and
interpret labor and employ
ment statistics to facillitate
projection of ecomomic trends
for the area.
Moon said the study will be
handled primarily through
ECOAC with possible contri
butions from other organiza
tions such as the recently
formed Morrow County Ec
onomic Development Asocia
tion. better program if it would
pool these monies with that of
Umatilla County.
Accepted the resignation
... continued
page 2
dancing.
On Sunday, July 24, mem
bers of the five classes are
invited to the Claude Graham
home north of Heppner for a
continental breakfast between
8 and 9:30 a.m.
The former students will
then go to the Morrow County
Fairgrounds to visit from
10:30 a.m. on. They will join
for a picnic meal beginning at
1:30 at the fairgrounds.