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.
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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.
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VOL. 96 NO. 3
HEPPNER, OREGON
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1978
10 PAGES
15c
Structures, improvements needed.. .
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miMaoin as
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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.
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