Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1978)
BESSIE WETZELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB EUGENE OR 974Q3 Melissa uawn iiausaer claims 'first baby' title Morrow County's official first baby of 1978 was finally born at Pioneer Hospital on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 5:04 p.m., over two weeks into the new year. The wee daughter of very proud parents Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hausaer of Lexington, named Melissa Dawn, earned the gifts offered to the first baby of the year by arriving two weeks ahead of schedule. Delivered by Dr. Joseph Diehl, Melissa weighed in at 6 pounds V4 ounce, measuring 19'2 inches long. She joins a sister, Candice Renee, in the Hausaer family. The first baby's grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Clarance Hausaer, Baker; and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Latka, Red Bluff, Cal. Her great-grandparents include Mr. and Mrs. Tom Marlatt, Heppner; and Hilda Ystad, Astoria. Melissa's father, Mike Hausaer, is a night foreman at Kinzua. The son born to Mr. and Mrs.Jeff L. Kubin of Pendleton at Pioneer Memorial Hospital on Jan. 10 unnamed at press time last week, has been named Troy David. He was ineligible for the gifts and official First Baby title because his parents are residents of Umatilla County. Little Melissa and her parents will be the recipients of gifts offered to the year's first baby by Pioneer Memorial Hospital; Cal's Cafe and Lounge; Coast-to-Coast Store; Lexington Lumber Yard; Ray Boyce Insurance; Columbia Basin Electric Co-op; Case Furniture; Kroll's Department Store; Peterson's Jewelers; Court Street Market; Turner, Van Marter & Bryant; Cal's Arco Service; Lebush Shoppe; First National Bank; Shoe Box; Cole's House of Fashion; Pettyjohn's Supply; Judy's Fabric & Macrame; Bank of Eastern Oregon; Central Market; Morrow County Grain Growers; Murray's Drug; and the Gazette-Times. Melissa Dawn Hausaer rests comfortably in her mother's arms after accepting the news that she is Morrow County's first baby for 1978. The proud parents are Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hausaer of Lexington. if." . ( .. jrA Chamber seeks members The Heppner-Morrow Chamber of Commerce membership drive for 1978 is currently underway according to President Don Cole. Members and prospective members will receive a letter and questionnaire that will be followed by a personal visit from a special membership committee. Cole said the Chamber has set a goal of attracting membership from the entire retail business area of Southern Morrow County. Fair Contest underway for new emblem The Morrow County Fair & Rodeo for 1978 is seeking ideas from area residents for a new emblem or logotype that will be "representative, eye-catching and simple" in design. A $25 Saving Bond will be awarded to the person who contributes the winning idea and the Fair Board pointed out that artistic talent in drawing up the emblem was not necessary...it's the idea that counts. Judging will be done by a special committee comprised of local citizens and Fair Board members. Persons interested in sending their ideas should consult the advertisment on page 10 of this issue of The Gazette-Times. i irl Zfq A pry 771 P771 frrl 7TH FT 77 T ( i 11 5- f VOL. 96 NO. 3 HEPPNER, OREGON THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1978 10 PAGES 15c Structures, improvements needed.. . o miMaoin as kedfops cJhiooIs Assuming Morrow County School Board members don't undergo a change in viewpoint between now and Monday, county voters will be presen ted with a $4.8 million bond issue designated for a new junior high building in Irrigon, a new grade school in Boardman and improvements to existing school facilities throughout the district. At their regular monthly board meeting Monday, the School Board agreed on the $4.8 million figure and set March 14 as the date for the bond election. The Board will meet again Monday, Jan. 23, at Riverside High School to consider adopting the figure and the date in a formal resolution form. The meeting in Boardman will begin at 7:30 p.m. Most of Monday's four hour meeting in lone was taken up with discussion of the bond issue after district architect Bob Smith offered prelimi nary cost figures for the construction and improve ments. Smith also showed Board members preliminary designs of the two proposed school plants. For the proposed junior high m building in Irrigon, Smith estimated a cost of $1,836,850 which would include construc tion costs and site prepara-. tion. Smith said his estimate worked out to $40.35 per square foot. An estimate of $1,872,750, or $38 per square foot, was offered for construction costs and site preparation on the proposed Boardman elemen tary school. Smith estimated an addi tional $200,000 would be needed to purchase equipment for the two proposed build ings. Also included in the bond issue discussion were: Construction of a new multi-purpose room at A.C. Houghton Elementary.1 Esti mated cost $351,750. Construction of a new shop facility at Riverside and remodeling of the present shop for home ec facilities. Estimated cost $456,875. Remodel shop facilities and home ec facilities at Heppner Junior High. Esti mated cost $61,800. Remodel library facilities at . Heppner High School. Estimated cost $11,440. . Rennovate boiler system at lone School. Estimated cost 13,000. , The total construction and remodeling costs, coupled with the $200,000 for equip ment purchases was esti mated at $4,795,465. Tacked on to that amount would be architect fees and bond fees which would push the total -requirement aver the $5 mil lion mark. With board members reluc tant to present such a large amount to the voters, cost saving measures were discus sed before the board arrived at the $4.8 million amount. Boardman youth charged with robbery and kidnapping A 17-year old Boardman youth was remanded to adult court Tuesday, Jan. 17 on a petition filed in juvenile court. ' The youth is charged with kidnapping, armed robbery, recklessly endangering another person and driving while under the influence of intoxicants. Kennth L. Plant was taken into custody shortly before dawn Sunday at the Texaco station in Boardman by Ore gon State Police. The OSP said the youth was stopped for "suspicious driv ing" and after pulling into the Texaco parking lot he held troopers at bay with a 20 guage shotgun and a rifle. Plant then moved to the service station where he held the attendant at gunpoint while he removed about $80 from the cash register, ac cording to police. f. The boy's father was called to assist in getting him out of the service station and while the boy was being distracted, a Boardman police officer jumped him from behind. During the struggle one of the firearms discharged into the ceiling of the station. Plant was taken to the Northeast Oregon Regional Youth Center in Pendleton and appeared before Morrow County Judge D.O. Nelson Tuesday morning. The motion to remand Plant to adult court was not contested by the boy's attorney, according to District Attorney Dennis Doherty. Gifford leaving clinic Dr. Joseph R. Gifford, Heppner physician, announced this week that he will accept a residency in radiology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque. Gifford, who has been associated with the Heppner Medical Clinic for the past three years, will terminate his practice here on Jan. 31. Dr. Gifford and his family expect to move to New Mexico about March 1. Budget session Monday Members of the Morrow County School District Budget Committee will hold a work session on the budget on Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Riverside High School in Boardman. The committee is expected to examine areas of the budget calling for new staff as well as increases in purchased services, supplies, and capital outlay. Most increases are due to cost of . living increases, inflation and rising enrollments. Parish meeting Sunday The parish of All Saints' Episcopal Church will hold its annual parish meeting Sunday, Jan. 22. It will be held in conjunction with a pot luck lunch after morning worship. Among business items will be the presentation of the 1978 budget. A junior warden and three members of the vestry will be elected. Fr. Kenneth Miller will present his report and a talk about the directions of the parish for the coming year. Comprehensive plan meeting date changed Residents of Morrow County cities interested in responding to the Draft Comprehensive Plan should note a meeting time and place change for the Morrow County informational hearing. On the draft plan maps sent out to residents earlier this month the meeting was scheduled to take place Monday, Jan. 23. The meeting has been rescheduled for Jan 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Courthouse in Heppner. by Elane Blanchet Weather watching has long been a favorite occupation of Morrow County residents and mankind in general. A discussion of weather conditions and forecasts, comparisons with past and worse years, and other weather connected trivia can cften be expanded into a good hour of conversation, especially at this time of year. Heppner's official weather watcher is Don Gilliam, who once a day records maximum and minimum temperatures and any precipitation at the small weather station at his home on the corner of Chase and Jones streets, data regularly sent to the Environmental Science Services Administration for inclusion in official national records. Heppner is considered unique among all of Oregon's cooperative weather stations. It not only has remained continuously in the same location for 67 years but observations have been taken by three generations of the Gilliam family during that period. On September 1, 1911 Frank Gilliam became the observer and continued until March 1933 when the position was passed on to his son, Leonard. Len Gilliam remained observer until his death in April 1966, when he was succeeded by his son, Don, who expects to be watching weather here for years to come. A climatological summary printed by the weather bureau for a 30 year period, 1938-67, states: "The more than 57 years of records kept by the Gilliam family are among the most complete and accurate available for Oregon stations." Seven observers preceeded the Gilliam family at the Heppner weather station, established in :i889. either within the city or close to it. The first observer was Arthur Smith who served until 1895, followed by H.T. Bagley from 1895-96, then briefly, by R.E. Smith. Arthur Smith took over observations again in July 1897, serving until March 1900. Ill-fated J.M. Kernan took over observations in January 1900 and perished with his entire family in the 1903 Heppner flood. Don Gilliam said that his grandfather Frank was mayor at the time of the flood but, luckily, he and his son Len were in Portland when the flood hit. Oscar Borg reactivated the station in 1904, succeeded by George Whitel and Ralph Kenton who turned over the observership to Frank Gilliam in 1911. A glance through the statistics compiled during the 89 years existence of the Heppner weather station shows 110 degrees recorded in August 1898 to be the record high and a minus 21 degrees recorded in February 1932 the record low. A precipitation record was set in December 1964 when 4.40 inches fell in one day. In the last 40 years the greatest amount of annual precipitation was 19.23 inches, recorded in 1942. The least was 7.81 inches in 1939. A record 36.8 inches of snow fell during January 1916, while 12 inches in one day in Dec. 1919, also set a record. The rainfall experienced during harvest in 1976 set a new monthly record for August. Don Gilliam makes his observations every day at 7 p.m. Two thermometers, ..one registering the maximum temperature and the other the minimum for the day, are housed in a box-like structure on a stand, with louvered doors allowing air circulation. Two rain gauges measure daily precipitation, one recording not only how much, but at what time of day it occurred. Gilliam sends a weekly report to the Environmental Services office in Portland and compiles a record of his weather observations once a month for the national headquarters in North Carolina. Enjoying his official weather watching duties, he commented: "The only real handicap is that it kind of ties you down. Someone has to be there everyday to make the readings." Gilliam observed a curious pattern in the three generations of weather observers in his family: "My granddad was 57 years old when he started and served for 22 years, my dad was 47 and was observer for 33 years and I was 37 when I took over." If the pattern holds, Don, the latest Gilliam in a line of weather watchers, will serve 44 years, retiring in 2010 to make it an even 99 years of continual weather observing in the family. Don Gilliam goes through the once-a-day chore of reading the high and low temperature guages in his weather box. The Gilliam family has been the official weathermen for Morrow County for three generations. i " -v-"" T -v '-'., r- it , - "H 7 i v. : . -. " ' " -1 j , , , ' ' 1 M .. Ji " u, i, m . j "'-iHtatwiM., - . L .. I " , ' . .. , " ; i, v .. w,.wtsw- I. ' .jj- v.v.,..yaw!P 1- ' . .a p I
