Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1977)
v p p r ir- f i' f v r 0 I p - k-'c 1 ' F w r w f rr r f ? r r- -" r- ' - BESSIE WETZEL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB EUGENE Oft 9 74 0 3 Nov. 29 proclaimed n U-4 jtS ssa ns y Ii'iM' '!"" j. ,.,"iM.if i-ji-jjith nmmnuwiMn IIJI Nil m l!..irill!,llU...llf . ' : . : r " 1 Old Man Winter made his mark throughout Eastern Oregon this week and threatens Thanksgiving holiday travel for many. Late Tuesday afternoon more than a foot of the powder had hit ground in Heppner unofficially. Kids didn't seem to mind as school was shut down early and steep hills provided sledding trails while the "flatlands" around the library made a great Fox and Goose field. Motorists should listen for travelers advisories before venturing out for Thanksgiving. Tuesday, Nov. 29 has been proclaimed "Edna Turner Day" by Heppner mayor Jerry Sweeney to honor one of Morrow County's most gallant and best loved women on her 84th birthday. Edna, who has been a resident in the Pioneer Memorial Hospital for the past seven years, was a first and second grade teacher in Heppner for most of her 33-year career and also taught in Lexington for several years. She was known as a firm disciplinarian, but, as she commented to the Gazette-Times recently, "All my children could read when they left me." Declining a party for her birthday, "Too much fuss," she said, some of her friends formulated the idea of having a special day set aside to commemorate the occasion, inviting friends and former students from near and far to send birthday greetings. Though unable to get around much she had both legs amputated several years ago due to complications of diabetes Edna is far from inactive. She spends most of her time making handicraft items including dolls, crocheted hangers, knitted strawberry pot holders, net scratch brushes and any other projects her busy fingers devise. The most popular item and best seller is her clown doll, with 120 hand-sewn circles of colorful materials forming arms and legs over a wire skeleton. Edna said her dolls are now in homes all over the country and even in foreign countries. One was recently sent as a gift to a little girl in Saigon. So popular are the dolls that Enda said she has never had a chance to fill all her orders before new ones came in. She gives credit to a friend, Mrs. Bill Bergstrom of lone for showing her how to make the dolls and fill many enjoyable hours. "I'd go crazy if I didn't keep busy," the productive octogenarian stated. The keynote of Edna's entire life has been 'keeping busy', often overcoming adversity that might have defeated a less courageous person. She was born Edna Carmichael to parents John and Effie Carmichael in Lexington on Nov. 29, 1893. Edna's long teaching career began at age 18 when she took over a one room schoolhouse up Hinton Creek in the Dee Cox area. She subsequently went to college in Monmouth to get her teaching credentials, graduating in 1915. Edna taught in Waldport and Kahler Basin near Spray before marrying Harry Turner and becoming a farm wife and mother to her husband's little girl, Ruth. A son later died infancy. Soon after her husband died years later, the Lexington School Board approached Edna and she resumed teaching. After two or three years in Lexington, she switched to the elementary school in Heppner in order to be closer to home. There she taught two and a half generations of Heppnerites how to read and write. Even after retiring in 1960, Edna was called back to duty as a tutor by parents concerned about their children's lack of reading ability. Edna recalls helping one seventh grade boy who had a sharp memory but couldn't read the simplest words. "I'll never forget how thrilled he was when he showed me his first 100 per cent on a spelling test," Edna commented. She said that some parents have even asked her to tutor since she's been in the hospital but said, "taught long enough." Though Edna's teaching days are over, her influence will long be felt by the many who received their educational initiation in one of her classrooms. The Gazette-Times joins the community in saluting Edna Turner on her 84th birthday, Tuesday, Nov. 29, "Edna Turner Day". f j " ft i mi mamnma fwwa mtjrmmmn 7Hr' fP i.LV ill i II II j I 4 it IS I ! t . Vv t vi In a t..3B afcjt Iff V1!'! ' VOL. 95, NO. 47 HEPPNER, OREGON WEDNESDAY. NOV. 23. 1977 10 PAGES 15c Fair Board sticks with jackpot rodeo In a special meeting Mon day night, the Morrow County Fair Board upheld an earlier decision to schedule a jackpot rodeo with a three-member court for next August. The meeting was the second in as many weeks with the Rodeo Committee and Fair Board meeting to resolve the issue of dropping Rodeo Cow boys Association sanctioning from the Morrow County Rodeo. At the meeting Monday night Rodeo Committee Chair man Bob Mahoney said his group was asking to put on an RCA rodeo in the same manner it has been for the past seven years. Mahoney said the commit tee planned to cut back on purses and restructure dances to help bring the financial picture into focus. Last year the rodeo lost about $2,500 and the previous year about $2,000. At the outset of Monday evening's meeting Fair Board member George Luciani said he was willing to let the Rodeo Committee put on an RCA show for another year. Fair Board Chairman Paul Hisler and member Floyd Jones countered with a com promise, saying they felt the fair Board could agree to an RCA show if the Rodeo Committee would agree to a three-member court instead of the traditional five-member court. Asked by Hisler if the Rodeo Committee would agree to this proposition, Mahoney said. "We're asking to put on a rodeo just like last year. ..and if we don't have the support of girls trying out for a five member court we'll probably have to drop back but if we do have the support we should have a five-member court." The Fair Board evidently felt that answer was a "no thanks" as discussion moved on to other areas, skirting a decision. boys Association sanctioning purses and restructure dances Hisler and member Floyd we re skihb " P"1 -o.-... ASCS head to speak at OWGL meeting 1H ariminictra. nine srhpdnle in the various nf the wheat convention will be Also announced at the will be Frank Tubbs. Ada Ray Fitzgerald, administra tor of the Agricultural Stabili zation and Conservation Ser vice (ASCS), will be the featured speaker at the 50th annual convention of the Ore gon Wheat Growers League to be held in Pendleton Dec. 4-7. Some 600 wheat farmers are expected to be on hand to hear Fitzgerald explain the latest government farm programs. As head of the ASCS, Fitzger ald is charged with imple menting farm programs de veloped by the Administration and Congress. His agency "Mr. Fitzgerald is the top man", said Tad Miller, Hepp ner, president of the Oregon Wheat Growers League. "He is doing a good job in working with farmers across the United States and we look forward to welcoming him to Oregon". It is hoped that Mr. Fitzger ald will be able to announce the latest regulations concern ing the 1977 farm program, according to Miller. The USDA recently revised some of the regulations concerning the farm program and the set-aside provisions. A large number of farmers have already planted their 1978 crops, said Miller, and should have really known provisions of the program early in the fall. "We should really know the provisions of the 1979 program right now", said Miller. "We farm in a summer fallow area in Oregon and have to plan our operations two years in ad vance. We hope that . Mr. Fitzgerald will help us in observing this two year plan ning schedule in the various regulatory areas in which he operates. We are very pleased that he is coming". Another speaker at the 50th convention will be W.R. Bry an, executive director of community services of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Goodyear has long been active in conservation services and maintains a research and experiment farm in Arizona where conser vation practices are develop ed. Bryan, a past international president of Lions, Interna tional, travels 125,000 miles per year speaking to various groups. Umatilla County farmers are showing their hospitality at the convention by inviting other farmers to dinners in their homes during Monday night of the convention. This unique hosting venture will allow farmers to become better acquainted with each other while they observe farming operations other than their own. A seminar devoted to farm ing in drought periods will be given Tuesday morning at the convention and will feature research people paired off with farmers who actually use some of the practices. The seminar will end with a question and answer period where farmers can talk on a one-to-one basis with the "experts".. ..either researcher or farmer. Important machinery dis plays will be shown in the parking lot of the Pendleton Armory along with displays inside the Armory. All events of the wheat convention will be at the Pendleton Armory. The Oregon Wheathearts cake baking championship will take place on Monday of the convention. Winners from the county competition will have a "bake-off" on Monday at the Pendleton High School where they will compete for state honors. The winner of the state-wide competition will be announced at the banquet on Tuesday evening. Also announced at the banquet will be the winner of the OWGL Conservation Man of the Year. This award is given to the farmer who displays the best conservation practices as observed by fellow wheat farmers who were county conservation win ners from the past year. This award, sponsored by John Deere, has been given by the OWGL for 30 years. Master of ce.emonies for the banquet will be Frank Tubbs, Adams farmer and chairman of the Oregon Wheat Commission. This year marks the first time in 12 years the conven tion has been out of the Portland area, he said, and it marks a return to the "grass roots" ...where the wheat is grown. The convention will close on Wednesday, December 7, with the general annual meeting, presentation of resolutions, and election of officers. JLPCJJLcilliy ClllCro UJLfUL for Sumner's seat Bill Bellamy of Culver, who came withing 400 votes of defeating incumbent Jack Sumner in the last District 55 State Representative race, has announced his candidacy for the next election. Belamy, 27, says he has overcome the obstacle of name familiarity and is confi dent he will be elected in 1978. "The people in District 55 need a strong voice for agriculture and forestry and I am well qualified to fill that role," Bellamy said. "There is a job to be done in the legislature that just is not getting done." Bellamy holds a degree in agricultural education from Oregon State University and is currently the vocational agri culture instructor at Culver High School. District 55 includes all of Jefferson, Sherman, Gilliam and Morrow counties and parts of Wasco, Linn, Marion and Clackamas counties, making it one of the largest legislative districts in Oregon. Bellamy said he made his decision to run after strong encouragement from "good friends." He pledged to run a people oriented campaign one that emphasizes the need to send responsible representation to Salem that involve the "peo ple back home." Bellamy is a native of Moro in Sherman County. He has worked in Culver for four years. Merchants plan $500 merchandise giveaway Heppner area merchants will start their 'Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town Bonanaza' with a special Gift Guide section in next week's Gazette-Times. Randall Peterson, chairman of the merchants committee, said the highlight of the Bonanza will be a $500 cash merchandise giveaway for patrons shopping participating stores. Drawings will be held each Saturday Dec. 3, 10 and 17 with nine winners each week. To be eligible, customers must register at participating stores. There is no obligation to buy and one entry will be given for each purchase or one for each $10 of merchandise purchased. As the meeting dragged on several rodeo committee members left and eventually Mahone; and the Gazette Times left the meeting in hopes that a decision would be reached. In announcing their decision the Fair Board said it stayed with the earlier move in terminating RCA affiliation in favor of a jackpot rodeo in an effort to make the Morrow County Fair and Rodeo a better production for the community. Fair rated With a merit rating of 700 points our of a possible 1,010, the 1977 Morrow County Fair received the 17th highest point total of the 36 county fairs rated by the state County Fair Commission. The ratings were released last week by the Commission which rates the fairs on a non-competitive basis each fair is individually evaluated and more than one fair could end up with the same rating. Among the factors consi dered in the ratings are how well the fair fits the needs of the community, the year round use of the fairgrounds and how well industries of the county are represented at the fair. Each rating point has a dollar value when monies from the County Fair Com mission's share of the state's parimutual take from racing are apportioned out to the counties. The exact amount of money the Commission will receive has not yet been determined, but it is expected to be slightly in excess of $400,000. The fair in Josephine County was the leading point totaler with 879 points, followed by Douglas County with 855, Lane County with 815, Gilliam County with 783, Clackamas County with 788, Tillamook County with 787, Coos County with 773, Polk County with 767 and Sherman County with 764. News briefs Lexington sewer goes to the polls Lexington voters are expected to turn out in force next Tuesday to decide whether the city will issue $250,000 in general obligation bonds for construction of a new sewer system. The County Clerks office Tuesday listed 155 registered voters in the poll book with another 14 having registered since the book was compiled. Lexington city officials estimate there are about 195 eligible persons of voting age in the city. Registration for the Nov. 29 bond election will continue up to and including voting day. The City Hall polling location will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If passes, the bonds would be added to EPA and FHA grant funds to finance the $549,285 collector system and treatment plant. The total amount of grant funds available will not be known until after the election, since the federal agencies are reluctant to mke firm committments until voters decided whether to pfoceed with or scrap the sewer project. With final grant applications still unknown, Mayor Lee Padberg and City Council members stated in a letter mailed to residents last week that the project would be abandoned if it was determined user fees' would exceed a maximum of $12.50 per month. Elementary picture retakes Wednesday Picture re-takes for students at Heppner Elementary School have been rescheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 30, instead of Tuesday, Nov. 29, as originally announced. Elementary students have been informed of the rescheduling but parents of pre-schoolers and other interested parties should take note of the change. City foreman backs meter pack If you haven't already done so, now is the time to pack your water meter to prevent it from freezing. City Foreman Paul Sumner said newspaper, old rags or a piece of wall insulation are well suited for the purpose. In the event of an extended period of sub-freezing weather, it might be advisable to leave a faucet in our home on at a slow drip during the night, Sumner said. aappy
