Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1977)
TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, Nov. 10, 1977 r VIEWPOINT LETTERS COMMENTS EDITORIAL Road hearing response a start Response to the Oregon Department of Tran sportation public hearing held in Heppner Tues day evening was gratifying. More than 60 persons attended the session and about half made a statement concerning Morrow County roads in the state system. The message to highway department officials was clear. People here want an improved road 1 Road hearing draws response Sifting through system. EDITORIAL At the same time, we see the County Court forming a citizens' committee to study and rec commend on county roads. The initial effort has been put forth by the government agencies responsible for roads and now the burden rests upon the citizenry of Morrow County. The officials can only act when they get input from the area's residents...such as the input that occurred here Tuesday night. We must be persistent, especially with the state, to realize the improvements most needed. Writing a brief and to the point statement of your feelings and the roads that you feel should have top priority, and sending it to the Depar tment of Transportation in the next week or so will have an impact on final decisions. The time is now, however, to make those statements or residents of Morrow County may well be driving on these same roads until 1983, as set forth now in the state's preliminary road plan. Fair Board asks for citizen input Last week's Gazette-Times carried the story on changes being made in the operation of the Morrow County Fair & Rodeo. Since that time, we have heard many commen ts, some supporting the Fair Board's decision and EDITORIAL some castigating their decisions. Whatever the outcome, whatever the final decision, all those concerned should make a real effort to meet the other side past the half-way mark. At stake in the issue is more than the obvious changes. At stake is the lifestyle a small com munity thrives on. ..that of pullilng together to make things happen. The Fair Board meets Monday night at 8 p.m. and then is the time to make your feelings known...not after a decision has been made. We've also heard some heartening comments this past week and it doesn't appear that any "final" decisions have been made...the Fair Board is meeting next Monday with an open mind. ..open to suggestions. 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 CM. 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 Pearson, Composing Justine Weatherford Local Columnist ...Continued from Page 1 lone farmer-rancher and Port of Morrow Commissioner. "Morrow County is exper iencing unexcelled growth," said Carlson, "and that growth is being accomplished with private money, not gov ernment funds, but we need a suitable transportation sys tem to accomplish that growth." He continued, "These new dollars being generated will pay for new schools and new roads." Carlson also outlined the need for ingress-egress to the Port of Morrow Food Pro cessing Park from I-80N. Presently, all traffic work ers, trucks hauling raw pro duct and trucks haulilng pro cessed foods must enter the industrial area through the' City of Boardman. Morrow County Judge D.O. Nelson backed up Carlson's statement saying the County Court supported access to the Port Industrial area and urged upgrading of Highway 207. This situation creates a remendous hazard for pass enger car and pedestrian raffic, especially in view of he fact that the main road borders directly on two sides of school property and play ground area. The Heppner-Morrow Chamber of Commerce in a prepared statement read by Terry Hager, asked for ODT reconsideration of priorities citing the economic growth and stability of Morrow Cou nty as being endangered by current road conditions. The Chamber statement urged quick action on upgrad ing Highway 207, providing access to the Port industrial area and reconstruction of the Lexington to lone highway. Comments made at the meeting and those submitted in writing within the next week or so will become part of the official hearings and will be evaluated by ODT staff before finalization of the six-year program early next year. Residents of the area con cerned with the condition of Morrow County roads are urged to make a written statement, asking it be made part of the official transcript and send it to W.E. Schwartz, Region Engineer, Oregon State Highway Division, P.O. Box 850, LaGrande, Oregon. Van Hubbard, 70, passes Van Hubbard, 70, lone, died in Heppner Tuesday, Nov. 8. He was born Dec. 29, 1906 in Dayton, Wash., the son of Eliza and Lida Vannice Hubbard. On Aug. 21, 1929 he was united in marriage to Loree Brill at Dayton. A retired rancher, Mr. Hubbard had lived in this area for 34 years. He was a member of Heppner BPOE No. 358 and the Dayton Methodist Church. Services will be held today, (Thursday), Nov. 10 at the lone United Church of Christ at 2 p.m. with the Rev. William Grahm officiating. Carl and Betty Marquardt will sing "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" with Rikka Tews accompany ing at the organ. Active pallbearers are Don McElligott, Dick McEligott, Cleo Childers, Alton Yarnell, Bill Padberg and Herman Blettell. Honorary bearers are Omar Rietmann, Gordon White, Charles Carlson, Pete Hams, Mike Matthews and Oscar Peterson. Concluding services and interment will be at Heppner Masonic Cemetery with Sweeney Mor tuary in charge of arrangements. Mr. Hubbard is survived by his widow, Loree, at the home; a son, Robert, lone; two daughters, Lillian Boyce, Heppner and Peggy Connor, Pilot Rock; a brother, Rodney Hubbard, LaCrosse, Wash.; two sisters, Frances McCauley and Mildred Thronson, both of Dayton; seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Contributions may be made to the lone United Church of Christ Memorial Fund in Mr. Hubbard's name. Letters to the Editor Thoughts given on Fair and Rodeo Editor: ' Last week's edition brings the Fair & Rodeo split news. It seems some hasty decisions have been made on both issues. After reading the Fair story, we discovered the 1978 Fair is expanding to four days. Exhibits on display Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday as Family Day. Monday and Tuesday are reserved for livestock judging big deal ! The stock will arrive on Friday and will be in place for no reason until Monday. Could it be that a move to separate the livestock section from the rest of the Fair is underway? Persons enter ing animals shouldn't be expected to enter animals three days prior to them being judged. Is this giving the exhibitor a better deal as the G-T quotes Mr. Hisler? Is the livestock show not a major attraction for this "new breed" of fairgoer we expect to attract to a weekend fair? In 1977 the Horse Show was held on a Sunday and with less participation from the North End than usual. Could we assume that our North End audience, anxiously awaiting a weekend fair is not interested in viewing horses, cows, sheep, etc.? The Fair Committee will have to work that out as it pertains to their area of concern. I would like to see the Rodeo Committee given an equal chance to work out their problems and put on the type of show they feel they can work with. Why don't we have an active, working Fair Board, meeting and planning with their Fair and Rodeo Committees? Maybe their problems could be resolved if time were taken or maybe too much time has been spent. Perhaps some members serving for so long a time have grown tired of their duties! I understand the Chamber's Merchant Committee would like to see a jackpot rodeo here perhaps that committee should try their hand at putting on such a show. They could find out first hand the pros and cons of the issue. There are a few vacant lots down town and portable rodeo chutes and equipment is yours for the rental fee. A jackpot contractor will furnish everything including the chute help for a fee. Presto you're in business and right down town where you can catch every buck. Sounds great and we'll support you, but don't try to compete with Condon's Fourth of July festivities. Over in Gilliam County so much of the population has left, there's a lot of people to come back and that's what makes their celebration so successful. But, there are so few left at home to stage a rodeo, the sponsoring Fair Board hires the help to run the show to the tune of a $900 labor bill. All you volunteer Committee members please take note! As Mrs. Murray stated last week, Heppner is indeed fortunate. No matter what type of rodeo is staged, each business surely can't expect a given amount of revenue. But that remains their problem to solve. The Court is an issue at stake in this split. This is an area I feel most qualified to discuss. In summers past we spent three sessions of traveling some 2,000 miles supporting and advertising the MORROW COUNTY FAIR AND RODEO. A daughter as a pennant bearer pays all her own expenses. A daughter on the Court joins a team of five girls accompanied by a chaperone. In 1974, the total Court -related cost paid by the sponsoring Fair & Rodeo Committees split 50-50 was $1,560. In 1975 the cost was $1,500; 1976 funds were reduced to $1,189, the Rodeo paying $799 and the Fair $390; in 1977 total funds were $1,174, the Rodeo picking up $854 and the Fair $320. Compare these costs to the expenses of nine families traveling with the Court and see who's bearing the brunt of this promotional game for the Morrow County FAIR AND RODEO. Look to the money funded in 1974 and compare with 1977 and maybe you'll realize why fewer girls are trying out. And why do the girls try for the Court. The Court has a history of representing the County continously for the past 57 years. As we travel around we find this is a tradition hard to match. Our 57 years of Rodeo here compares only to the Pendleton Round-Up. When a Fair Board member says she cannot see using Racing Commission funds to promote Rodeo, I believe she should investigate how the Round-Up, along with all our neighboring County Fairs are using Racing Funds. The question seems to be how will this split end up? What does the future hold for the Fair and Rodeo? So, I looked into the crystal ball and heres the final scene: "...and so it goes... some sentimental old Fair and Rodeo Court Queens got together today and erected a memorial stone etched with this epitaph... HEPPNER RODEO 1922-1977 "Victim of Foul Play" RIP. Kathryn Campbell Van Schoiack Heppner, Oregon UNICEF thanks Editor, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the fine people of Heppner for their many contributions to this years UNICEF campaign. The children at Heppner Elementary School collected almost $130 for this worthy cause. Thank you again. Sincerely yours, Courtney Riser P.S. Congratulations to the children also for their fine work in collecting the money. You should be proud of yourselves. "AUTUMN" T'is Autumn; My favorite sea son, We feel her nip in the air. See her vivid paintings Like galories, everywhere. Summer's harvesting is past On her heels comes Autumn; Season next to least! Jack Frost nipped the leaves Bush and trees flaunt their gorgeous colors Reds, yellows, gold and brown, He'll nip again and again Till leaves come tumbling down Here and there orange gold pumpkins peep out, Questing the stillness. This sudden chill that lies about. Gathered in are foods for man and beast With a bonus to share Nature's Horn of. Plenty; Autumn's, bill-o-fare! Katherine Farrar the TIMES The lone Cardinals were front page news ten years ago this week as they prepared to fight for the district 8-man B football championship in Prairie City on Saturday. The teams was editorialized as the "Fighting Fourteen", the total number of lone players. While the Cardinals piay be out of championship contention this year, one editorial comment continues to ring true: "Ione's Cardinals have made records in sports throughout their history far beyond a normal proportion for their size. They have the quality called "heart"-or strong desirewhich is one of the most important virtues in athletics." , Another front page item in 1967 concerned work being done on the reconstruction of Heppner 's swimming pool. It seems strange that city residents who ten years ago voted for a $110,000 bond for swimming pool reconstruction .can't even manage to pay for pool operation today. Young Rick Barnett of lone, age 14, was a thrilled hunter in 1967 when he shot a spike elk near Meacham. A state-wide flu epidemic closed Heppner schools this week in 1957. Only 52 high school students our of an enrollment of 134 had been present on Moncay absenteism of more than 61 per cent. The elementary school fared better only 112 absent out of 365 but officials closed both schools. A total of 5,815 cases of flu were reported in Oregon this week 20 years ago, a figure which experts said was probably only five or ten per cent of the total. One out of every five Oregonians were expected to have Asian flu before the epidemic ran its course. The Gazette-Times in 1937 was published on Armistice Day, Nov. 11. The lead paragraph in a story about celebrations for the holiday seem rather ironic today, three wars later: "Peace reigns in America today on the 19th anniversary of cessation of hostilities in the war to end war'. Only on the gridirons of the country today will American youth be asked to pit their strength against the enemy, and that not in the interest of annihilation but rather in celebration of a time when those young men of the preceding generations were removed from the dangers of annihilation." The story ended with a warning.. .and a prayer for peace, less optimistically echoed today: "War clouds come and go. But we in America have one major war in every twenty years to remind us of the possibility of recurrence... The spirit of Armistice day is the rejoicing at dawn of peace. Its message is a world made secure against future war, that this peace may be everlasting." County Judge Bert Johnson and Commissioner George Peck made public their dissatisfaction with the state Highway Department's work or lack of it in Morrow County before the Lions Club. The Judge quoted a letter written to the department: "This county and the people of this county believe that they have not been dealt with fairly by you in the past in the matter of improving the secondary roads and the completion of the primary road from HejDjmer to Nye Junction as provided for in the-session laws of 1937..." Does anything ever change? .Yes! ! Land prices! From the 1937 Gazette Times: The stock ranch of Lotus Robison, known as the Hardman ranch, comprising 4,040 acres was sold to Raymond Wright of the same district for $22,225." That averages out to about $7.26 per acre. Classroom needs explained to school planners The Morrow County School District Long Range Planning Committee was informed at a Oct. 27 meeting in Lexington that the district's 10 new classrooms completed this fall in Boardman and Irrigon are already nearly filled to capa city with an increase of at least 126 students expected before school opens next fall. Matt Doherty, District Su perintendent, told the commit tee that by the most conserva tive estimates the district population will increase by 200 students by the close of the 1978-79 school year. The total Morrow County district count stands at 1621 students as of Sept. 30 an increase of more than 500 students since fall of 1973. The county's growing population is attributed to increase agri business, related food proces sing industries, and power plant construction in the north end of the county, with Kinzua expansion the major factor in Heppner. Crowding is currently being experienced at schools in Boardman and Irrigon and at Heppner Elementary School, while lone schools and Hepp ner High School have ade quate space to accomodate additional students. It was noted that a large segment of south Morrow County is not assigned to either the lone or Heppner attendance area. Students of the areas attending the school of their choice, with no effort by the district to equalize the burden on the schools. This has resulted in a heavy student load at Heppner Elementary while lone has enjoyed a low teacher-student ratio. The committee recom mended that the school admi nistration prepare some type of feasibility study indicating how better use could be made of current facilities to balance dassloads. The growth problems in schools in north Morrow County can only be resolved by adding no less than eight to ten more classrooms and this is seen by the committee as only a temporary solution. Committee Chairman Irv Rauch directed Supt. Doherty to meet with the local Plan ning Committee in Irrigon and Boardman to review popula tion trends, . community growth factors and interim and long range solutions, with a report expected at the next meeting. It was generally agreed that a bond issue for new buildings will be needed but the date of a bond election is not expected toe set until after the nex meeting of the committee, planned for Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the District office in Lexington. .
