Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 1977)
Uwiolc k . - to ll OF ORE NEWS PAPER L I 3 tj n eroaratie weeiKeMOi Fair Board moves to jackpot rodeo, other changes noted The Morrow County Fair & Rodeo an annual, week-long symbol of the rural lifestyle here takes a different shape for 1978. The Fair Board, which oversees and controls the purse strings for both the fair and rodeo, decided recently to, 1) have the fair one week and the rodeo a week later, both on weekends; 2) discon tinue the RCA approved rodeo and go with a jackpot event, 3) cut the number of girls that appear on the prestigious Fair & Rodeo Court from five to three. The dates set for the 1978 fair are Saturday through Tuesday, Aug. 19-22, about a week earlier than past years. The rodeo is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 26,27, with a Morrow County THE VOL. 95, NO. 43 State-wide and local issues on Tuesday ballot Oregon voters will go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 8, to cast their ballot on two state-side measures thatwould create loan funds for irrigation projects and the development of non-nuclear natural energy resources. At the same time City of Heppner residents will decide the outcome of a special serial levy for construction of the Morgan Street Bridge. While complete explanations of the ballot measures and the Heppner special levy appear in The choice of replacing or abandoning the Morgan Street bridge across Willow Creek will be determined at the polls Tuesday as Heppner voters cast their ballots on a special levy election. An $18,000, five-year serial levy for a new structure was placed on the ballot by the City Council in September. Accord ing to the county assessor's O Ul Ballot Measure 2 calls for the establishment of an Ener gy Conservation and Produc tion fund of more than $350 million to be used for support ing development of hydroelec tric, geothermal, solar, wind, wave, industrial waste and other non-nuclear energy sources. The measure amends the Oregon Constitution to permit 1 authorizes water loan A Water Development Loan Fund will be created for Oregon farmers if voters approve Ballot Measure 1 at the polls next Tuesday. Essentially, the measure authorizes the State of Oregon to sell bonds up to 1.5 per cent of the true cash value of the state's taxable property or an estimated $658.5 million in 1978 to create a fund from which farmers may borrow. These funds could be used for water storage, irrigation through wells or pumping show tentatively set for Fri day evening. Moving the fair up a week and to a weekend will attract more viewers, Fair Board members feel. In add ition, it will take the Morrow County Fair out of conflict with the State Fair, enabling more exhibitors to leave their prize winning exhibits here for local fairgoers and still give them time to make the State Fair. The reason both events can't be held on the same weekend is limited exhibition space that is also used for rodeo dances and a lack of parking. "We'd like to keep them together and we're working on getting some more land for parking," said Paul Hisler, chairman of the Fair Board. "We think we can improve Morrow Couniy's award winning newspaper... GAZETTE-TIME HEPPNER, OREGON Last chance office, the levy, if passed, would amount to approxi mately 30 cents per $1,000 valuation. The estimate is based on projected city valua tion increases at an eight per cent interest rate. The $18,000 would be added to the $103,000 available in federal and state grant funds for the new bridge. The bridge has already been closed to bus loaning of the state's credit for management, conservation and development of natural energy resources which are non-nuclear in nature. Accom panying legislation which would go into effect upon the approval of Ballot Measure 2, requires that the energy resources pay back the money loaned at a higher interest rate than the rate paid by the plants and pipelines, and water drainage. Differing from ballot mea sures proposed to voters in 1972 and 1974, the ballot measure proposed this year is aimed at the small farmer or family farm. Large, out-of-state corporations, for in stance, could not benefit from nor participate in the Water Development Loan Fund if it is created. Operating like Oregon's vet erans home and farm loan programs, the Water Develop ment Loan Fund would cost the quality of the fair by moving it up a week, give our exhibitors a better deal and increase participation and attendance, especially from the North End," Hisler said. Also split, however, are feelings about the changes between members of the three groups that plan and carry off the dual extravaganza each year. The Fair Board made the decisions and, for the most part, have the blessings of the Fair Committee. Sitting on the other side of the fence is the Rodeo Committee, which does not look favorably on two of the Boards decisions. The Rodeo Committee does not want to see the RCA approved status dropped from Continued on Page 3... THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, following stories, it is important to note that only the Heppner special levy is a tax measure. The state-wide ballot measures have no relationship to taxes paid by Oregonians. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Heppner for all precincts at City Hall; in Lexington at City Hall; in Irrigon at the North Morrow County Off ice Building; in lone at City Hall and in Boardman at the Greenfield Grange Hall. for bridge and truck traffic and city engineer Steve Anderson has flatly told the City Council that "the bridge is shot." According to mayor Jerry Sweeney, state law requires an inspection of bridge struc tures every two years Dy a professional structural engi neer. Anderson made the most recent inspection last year and at that time urged the state on the bonds. The bonds to be sold would not exceed one per cent of Oregon's taxable property value. In 1976 that amount was $350 million and the measure would establish a maximum bonding limitation of $439 million. The measure does not in crease taxes. It is a self-supporting development fund in Oregon taxpayers nothing. The fund would be created by bonds issued by the state and those bonds would be retired through repayment by farm ers using the funds. Repay ment would include all cost incurred by the state in setting up the fund and administering it Repayment is secured by liens on the farmer's or developer's real property, and all real property irrigated or drained by the project. The lien taken by the state is prior Fair dates change In an effort to boost attendance and give exhibitors a better chance to show their accomplishments, the 1978 Morrow County Fair will begin on a Saturday and continue through the following Tuesday. August 19-22 has been scheduled for the 1978 fair. It is felt that more people will have an opportunity to participate and view exhibits at the fair over a weekend instead of during the week as in years past. Also, by moving the fair up one week, a scheduling conflict between the local fair and the State Fair in Salem is avoided. Last year about half of the exhibits at the Morrow County Fair were removed immediately after judging so they could be taken to the State Fair. Following is the 1978 Morrow County Fair schedule: Friday, Aug. 18 Exhibits arrive. Saturday through Tuesday, Aug. 19-22 Exhibits on display, with Sunday tentativ ely set as "Family Day"; Monday and Tuesday reserved for livestock judging. Friday, Aug. 25 Morrow County Open Horse Show (tentative). 1977 12 PAGES Council to make a decision on closing or repairing the bridge. "I'm sure the bridge would be condemned on the next inspection," Sweeney said. "There's no doubt about it." Sweeney said if the levy is defeated, the city can not reapply for grant funds for a two year period and then the city can only ask for a maximum grant of $50,000. which revenues from the energy projects will pay back the costs of the bonds without requiring state tax funds. Funding would be available for public and private utilities or agencies involved in devel opment or conservation. Utili ties and agencies currently operating in Oregon will have priority in funds allocated and energy developed. fund and superior to all other liens and property claims. Proponents of the fund maintain that Oregon's drought this past year stress the need for a comprehensive state-wide water development plan and they feel Ballot Measure 1 would be the first step in that direction. Passage of the measure could have a tremendous effect in Morrow County where about 30,000 acres of Continued on Page 3... 15c Grain Growers meet Monday The annual business meet ing and dinner of Morrow County Grain Growers is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 7 in the pavilion at the fair grounds. Grain Growers Manager Larry Mills said a 6:30 p.m. dinner will be followed by the business meeting and pro gram. Election of four direc tors and five associate direc tors will highlight the business session, along with reports by Mills and Steve Green of Pendleton, according to Ron Haguewood, MCGG president. Dr. Warren Kronstad, pro fessor of agronomy at Oregon State University will speak to the group on "Food and the CBEC The main pavilion at the Morrow County Fairgrounds in Heppner will be the site of the 33rd Annual Meeting of Columbia Basin Electric Co operative scheduled for this afternoon. Registration will start at 11:30 a.m. with lunch following at 12: 15 p.m. and the business meeting getting un Day Care Center The Heppner Child Develop ment Center, closed since Oct. 1, will reopen on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at its temporary facility in the 4-H Annex at the fairground. The opening, termed "al most an anti-climax" by one observer, follows months of effort by the Center's Board of Directors and other advocates to find a building to replace the Seventh Day Adventist gymnasium which had been the Center's home since its beginning three years ago. The Morrow County Fair Board recently agreed to allow the Annex building to be used as a day care facility for a six-month period as a stop gap solution. As soon as the Rodeo Committee wants RCA approved show only Although the decision to drop Rodeo Cowboys Associa tion (RCA) sanctioning from the Morrow County show, members of the Rodeo Com mittee and others interested in seeing the RCA rodeo pre served, haven't given up. Bob Mahoney, chairman of the Rodeo Committee, told the Gazette-Times that a "new proposal" will be sent to members of the Fair Board by the end of this week. "We're going to try to put on an RCA rodeo next year," said Mahoney. "We've had three meetings since the Fair Board decided to drop RCA last month and we've come up with some ways to cut expenses and hopefully in crease revenues." Mahoney said Rodeo Com mittee members and most of Highway plan has little for Morrow County Representatives from the Oregon Department of Trans portation will meet with World Population". Kronstad has been closely associated with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Cen ter. Weather by Don Gilliam Wed., Oct. 26 58 41 Thurs., Oct. 27 50 30 Fri., Oct. 28 61 35 .01 Sat., Oct. 29 62 40 .03 Sun., Oct. 30 53 42 Mon., Oct. 31 53 38 .06 Tues., Nov. 1 65 41 .03 Precipitation for October .36 Normal for the month 1.29 1976 .24 annual meeting derway at 1:15 p.m. Members will hear reports covering the fiscal year end ing June 30. Secretary-Treasurer Paul Tews will comment on some aspects of financial operations which showed re venues of $1,524,836 for the year and margins of $177,525. Energy sales were up Center is operating smoothly in its temporary home, the search will be on for a more permanent base. Terms of the contract with the Fair Board specified Oct. 24 as the starting date of the six-month occupancy period, but difficulties were experi enced getting a necessary sanitarian inspection. State Sanitarian Jim Frost from Pendleton finally conducted an inspection on Monday, Oct. 31 and the building was certified for use later that day by Margaret McBride of the Childrens Services Division. Kathy Hazen, temporary director of the Center, said that day care hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. . the people that work the rodeo are "flat opposed" to a jackpot rodeo. "If it comes down to a jackpot rodeo or nothing, the rodeo people you have work ing now won't have a thing to do with it," said Mahoney, adding, "although we'll may be try to put together a Morrow County show." Rodeo Committee members are also upset with the Fair Board's decision to break with tradition and cut the size of the Fair & Rodeo Court. "If they insist on dropping back from five to three girls on that court, we won't have anything to do with that either," said Mahoney. While the Rodeo Committee doesn't like the idea of splitting the fair and rodeo over two weekends, they say interested Morrow County residents in Heppner at the courthouse on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 to discuss the preliminary six-year highway improvement program and its effects on the county and the state as a whole. Two House bills hav been referred to a voter approval which will determine future revenues for state highway improvement. House Bill 2140 would increase the state gas tax by two cents and will be voted on in the May, 1978 primary election. House Bill 3261, which will be on the ballot in the November, 1978 general election, would re establish annual vehicle regis tration and increase the annu al auto license fee from $10 to $20. The six-year plan to be discussed Nov. 8 is divided into two parts: Program "A" outlines improvement pro jects planned if both bills are approved at the polls, increas ing the Department of Trans portation budget by over $200 million. Projects planned un 11,894,535 kwhs for a total of 121,198,212 kwhs sold for the year. Co-op President Van Reit mann will also detail some financial strengths of the Columbia Basin Electric Co op. Rietmann will talk about recent line improvements and opens Tuesday Mrs. Hazen said mothers who wish to use the Center and have not already registered from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mail Christmas packages early Heppner Postmaster Hubert Wilson announced this week the recommended dates for, mailing letters and packages to assure timely arrival for Christmas. Nov. 8 is the date recom-. mended for mailing of inter national surface mail to mili tary personnel living over seas. Military air mail should be mailed by Nov. 21. that can be lived with. The Gazette-Times asked Mahoney if the Rodeo Com mittee felt they had been properly heard before a dec ision was made. "Well, a special committee was formed by the Fair Board in September and the decision was made on Oct. 10," said Mahoney. "During that time, the special committee never met, never came up with any recommendations." "Only after the decision to cut RCA was made have a group of us been able to get together and try to come up with a way of cutting our losses," Mahoney said. He noted the rodeo lost about $2,500 last year, $2,000 the year before, while it Continued on Page 3... der Program "B" assume the existing level of state and federal funds will be main tained. Under program "B" mere are no highway improvement projects planned in Morrow County for the next six years. Only normal maintenance will be undertaken on state roads in the county if the house bills are defeated. Under program "A" four improvement projects are on the docket: a 301 mile overlay-widening undertaking on the I -80N -Lexington high way beginning at milepost 8.7; a 4.9 mile overlay-widening project on the Ruggs-Dry Creek section of the Wasco- Heppner highway beginning at milepost 4.9; a 9.9 mile overlay-widening project on the Lexington-Bombing Range Road; and an 11 mile overlay project on the Hepp-ner-Spray highway beginning at milepost 14.8. More detailed information about the six-year plan wfll be available at the Nov. 8 discussion. today the problems associated with the severe "frost storm" of last February. Manager Dave Harrison will show a few color slides concerning the Co-op opera tion. An election of directors for three-year terms will be held. their children can contact her at home this week, 676-9409, International air letters to persons overseas should be in the mail no later than Dec. 5. On the domestic front, surface mail to Alaska and Hawaii should be mailed prior to Dec. 1. Domestic parcel post should be mailed by Dec. 12 and letters and cards sent in the continental United States should be mailed by Dec. 16. i
