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NEWSPAPER LIB
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Nov. 29 proclaimed
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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".
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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.
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