' "' ,. TOO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Ore. Thursday, October 20, 1977 Sifting ilff iiBliii if r Q S3 h.f 3 T'fjg 35S SS SS S I Hff II Ill !a 1 through LETTERS 1 EDITORIAL J the TIME I I "A I Comment In a continuing effort to build a page in the Gazette-Times where opinions can be expressed by ourselves, by your legislators and public officials and most importantly, by you the reader we are taking this oppor tunity to hit on a few subjects in "comment" form. There will be few weeks that pass when you won't see either an editorial or a column greeting you from this corner of the Gazette-Times Viewpoint page. Also located on Page Two, will be either a feature picture sometimes light in nature, sometimes pointing out a potential problem or concern or an editorial cartoon about something in the greater Morrow County community. Then we have our "Sifting Through The Times" column, where we go back to years past and let you decide about the "good 'ol days". And, at the heart of the Viewpoint page there's a space for you. The Gazette-Times welcomes and encourages your letters on any subject. It's your turn to say what you have to say. Speaking of editorial cartoons, we ran such a feature not long ago concerning the City of Heppner's sewage treatment plant. It was signed "Mercury Pitchfork" and we have had numerous people ask who the masked penman really is. First about the name. There is a writer in our time whose use of words is best described by a familiar quote by Southey. It goes: "If you would be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams the more they are condensed the deeper they burn." The writer-philosopher we talk of is Richard Brautigan, who wrote a book of poetry entitled "Loading Mercury With a Pitchfork." Now the Gazette-Time's editorial cartoonist so like ' Brautigan's style and the book, that he penned his pseudonym from the title. As a matter of fact, the cartoonist tells us he likes the book almost as much as his anonymity. In our "We-know-it-isn't-funny-but-we-had-to-chucle" department this week we heard about the local farmer whose pickup had a "run in" with his Steiger Bearcat. It seems the farmer's pickup wouldn't turn over so he drove the Bearcat complete with drill attached over for a "jump". Jump the farmer did, jump the pickup did, and jump the Bearcat did right on top of the pickup. Seems the 'ol Dodge "weren"t no match" for the Bearcat. ' - -If .. t ' "' twav.-. -), sfi v J? - - :v -; .. - - ' ' . , ; . " ::iJfe 'i '''v'" J:. 'iw ,f - '"'v'v. , v ''.-...,.--... V - ...-I..;;" r'-.;.'- v-T J:::.:r'---'f " . !U:rv-rzr:: lYCX:; - --' - j tv i;-; '"" -77 '" " ' I B ..-- -, , V . ' , - - x J: ' ?;; ;" - v t ' V 4 - . f A number of things are happening in Morrow County and the mid-Columbia Region that require the attention of the citizenry at large. The Gazette-Times, being a weekly publication, tries to stick pretty close to home with its news content. Daily newspapers and the broadcast media bring you the state and national news you want and need. However, we feel a responsibility to bring forth to our readers issues that will have an affect on our standards and quality of living in the community we chose. Hence, in the weeks and months to come the Gazette-Times will be broadening its scope of news coverage for our readers. We urge you to look at the information provided, make your decisions and react accordingly. Some of those issues include the expiring moratorium on the Columbia River's waters. ..the Water Bonds measure coming before you on your Nov. 8 election ballot. ..a serial levy for voters in Heppner, that will provide a bridge across Willow Creek that will be safe for all vehicles.. .getting the Navy to release the bombing range lands to agricultural production. ..support of and control over industrial development that is expanding in leaps and bounds in Morrow County. ..and the list goes on. Steve Lindstrom, an lone boy that now manages the Port of Umatilla, made a comment recently when speaking to the Heppner-Morrow Chamber of Commerce. We think it not only makes good sense, but we think it is fundamental to all of us. Lindstrom said, "Don't lose sight of the regional problems that will have an impact on our local communities... for if we do, we will become the victims, instead of beneficiaries, of such development." Editor, I was a visitor in your city recently and visited the Museum and Library. I was so impressed with both of these places that I couldn't resist writing and doing some "bouquet throwing". I have seen quite a munber of museums around Oregon and none can compare with the Heppner one which is so well organized nd so efficiently marked and labeled and so clean and neat. The library and women working there deserve a great deal of credit. There certainly is no excuse for anyone in Heppner to be bored or uninformed with all that wealth of reading material at their disposal. I do hope that the taxpayers of Morrow County do not begrudge the amount taken from their income to finance these two fine projects and will continue to support them. Sincerely, Edna Bauman Lyons 4603 SE 52nd. Ave. Portland, Oregon 97206 'Thanks for support' 'Impressed by museum' (Letters to the Editor Editor: The Soroptimist Club of Heppner has many persons, businesses, and organizations to thank for the success of last weekend's rummage sale in cluding: the Gazette-Times for pictures and stories; the Bank of Eastern Oregon for sponsoring our ad: a non-So-roptimist for her help; and others too numerous to men tion. We would also like to ST ATE ME NT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION As Required by 39 USC 3685 TITLE OF PUBLICATION: Gazette Times, Publication Number 240420. DATE: Oct. 1, 1977 FREQUENCY OF ISSUE: Weekly. A) No. of issues published annually :52. B) An nual subscription price: $6.00. LOCATION OF known office of publication: 147 West Wil low, Heppner, Oregon. LOCATION OF the head quarters or general business office of the publishers : Same as above. PUBLISHERS: G.M. and Delores Reed, Hermiston, Or egon 97838. MANAGING EDITOR: Terry M. Hager, 515 N. Elder, Hep pner, Oregon 97836. EDITOR: James M. Sum mers, 100 C Street, Lexington, Oregon 97839. OWNER: G.M. and Delores Reed, Hermiston, Oregon 97836. KNOWN BONDHOLDERS, mortgagees, and other secur ity holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: Charles and Dorothy Heard, 117 SE 6th, Milton-Freewater, Ore gon 97862. EXTENT AND NATURE OF CIRCULATION (Average numer of copies each issue during preceding 12 months, followed by actual number of copies of single issue pub lished nearest to filing date). A) TOTAL COPIES PRINT ED: 2220, 2275. B) PAID CIRCULATION: 1) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales :330, 365. 2) Mail subscriptions: 1446, 1443. C) Total Paid Circulation: 1776, 1808 D) Free distribution: 61, 58. E) Total Distribution: 1837, 1876. F) Copies not distributed, 1) Office use, left over, spoiled: 368,379; 2)Returns from news agents, 15, 20. G) Totals: 2220, 2275. I CERTIFY THAT THE statements made by me above are correct and complete. Terry M. Hager Managing Editor thank those who found use for some of our left over rum mage: the Neighborhood Cen ter; Jane and Bill Rawlins who found things to use in the drama class and Lutheran Church clothing drive; and the Jim Lankfords who took things to their mother's se cond hand store. Thanks also to Tom Gonty for use of his pickup for trips to the dump. The money we received will help with scholarships, trips and parties for senior citizens and numerous other uses. The rummage sale in October and the Turkey Hop in November are two events the Soroptimists have sponsored for several years. Again our sincere thanks to all, The Soroptimist Club UN Day set for observance Dear Mayor Sweeney: This is a personal letter supporting the United Nations Association of the United States of America's support for the nationwide state and city U.N. Day observance this October 24th. As Governor Bob Straub wrote when he named me Oregon Chairman for 1977: "We must all continue our longstanding commitment to make the United Nations a strong, workable tool for dealing with international problems." One thing we hope to do on the state level October 24th, is to bring to Salem foreign students from our colleges for the formal ceremony and then introduce them to various departments of state government in which they have a special interest. Perhaps you might want to apply this idea by introducing foreign students at your observance and then giving them a chance to become acquainted with your minicipal government scene. Sincerely yours, Frank A. Bauman EDITOR'S NOTE: Although Heppner has no foreign stu dents in town to show the inner workings of local government, Mayor Jerry Sweeney invites any and all native born citizens to drop by City Hall for an informal introduction to what goes on at the focal point of city operations. 'Tip of the hat... 9 Editor, The Morrow County Fair Committee would like to commend you and your staff for the pie-Fair coverage you gave us. It was truly appreciated. . Thank you, Morrow County Fair Committee Mildred Rauch, Sec. I I I I I Elks Calendar Thursday, Oct 20 Regular Lodge, 8 p.m. Kitty and Dinner Drawings Friday, Oct. 21 Happy Hour 5-7 Dinner 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 Seafood Dinner 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Live Music 9:00 - ? Tuesday, Oct. 3i Senior Ciuons Dinner 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 Senior Citizens 4:30 p.m. Pinochle 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct.27 Regular Lodge 8 p.m. Kitty and Dinner Drawings Klks and out-of-lou n guests only. B.P.O.E. 358 Heppner, Oregon j w.m guests omy. , I I I I I I I I I I I SET FOR THE SKIPPER'S TABLE... ...a special SIM00D BUFFET SATURDAY OCTOBER 22 SERVED ' $50 BRING IT ON MATE! I I i I l 6:30-9 p.m. j DANCING AT 9... I .ACKLIY & GREENUP ? A PLATE CRAB $ NOT AVAILABLE...SO C0MJNJ0Y OUR SPECIAL SEAFOOD BUFFET HEPPNER ELKS m P O P 35ft I I I I I I Elks and out-of-town guests only. In an editorial titled "Monday Deadline" in this week's Gazette-Times of 1967 it was interesting to note that some of the explanation of deadline necessity and production problems still pertains to the paper today. We pass it on: "When the weekly issue of the Gazette-Times is small, probably many persons are disappointed when their items do not appear in print. The paper can only be as big as its advertisers make it economically feasible to be. ..Seldom is a weekly issue printed that there is not a large quantity of materiaiheld over...The big problem is that too many news items... are received too late...When a mass of material comes in on Tuesdays. ..it imposes a burden on our small staff that means a frantic rush and working late at night to produce the paper..While writing this, we realize the difficulty of making the. point. To any who may not understand, we invite them to come down earh any Wednesday afternoon (Tuesday night in 1977) as the staff strives to squeeze perhaps 600 inches of type into a 400-inch "news hole". It probably hurts the staff more to leave out "live" material than it does the persons who are anxious to see it in print..." While the modern offset printing process of today makes it much easier to handle late news than in those "hot lead" letterpress days, it still pays to get your news in as early as possible. A front page story 10 years ago concerned local attorney Robert Abrams, who was in Washington, D.C. arguing a condemnation case in the Supreme Court. The case involved settlement for the riverfront property taken by the federal government in the Boardman area because of construction of the John Day dam. In this week in 1937, a Times story reflected consternation, expecially among railroad men, about the possibility of the mail contract being awarded to a truck company instead of the railroad. A petition had been circulated asking that "such steps be taken as be necessary to improve the mail service" and said mail service had been disrupted because of "the consistent late arrival of the branch train." A second petition, counteracting the first, was circulated on behalf of railroad employees who feared that "loss of the mail contract by the railroad company would result in tying up the branch train in Arlington instead of Heppner, necessitating the removal of their homes to that place." The runaway of two teams of horses caused considerable excitement in Heppner in 1917: "The four horse team of Chas. B. Cox, attached to a wheat wagon, became frightened at the warehouse near the depot on Friday morning and made a lively runaway.. .Just after crossing the bridge over Hinton Creek the team met with Luther Huston who was exercising his Percheron stallion. The animal became at once enthused with the excitement, whirled about and joined in the race. "Mr. Huston had the animal hitched to a light sulky and exercised all the strength he could muster but to no avail, and it kept him mighty busy dodging the other rig, telephone and electric poles and holding himself on the seat..." Today's readers will be pleased to know that neither men or horses were badly injured at the conclusion on the "race". Picture credit The grass er, cucumbers is always greener on the other side even if it takes a little work to get there. ..isn't that so, Boss. Letters Policy ALL LETTERS of general interest are welcomed, providing they are in good taste and not libelous. 250 WORDS IS about the maximum length we can accept, however, if you need more space, please use it. ALL LETTERS MUST be signed to be considered. If you wish to have your name withheld for good cause we will do so after contacting you for an explanation. TELEPHONE NUMBERS should be included. The number will only be used by the Gazette-Times to confirm it was you who wrote the letter. THE GAZETTE-TIMES reserves the right to refuse any letter it deems unfit for publication. LETTERS SHOULD BE addressed to Editor, Gazette-Times, P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Ore., 97836. THE GAZETTE TIMES Published every Thursday and entered as 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, Managing Editor Jim Summers, News Editor Eileen Saling, Office Manager Elane Blanchet, Reporter Laura Craig, Composing Chloe PearsonComposing Justine Weatherford Local Columnist V