The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, January 2(i, 1978 THREE
Sammy Johnston honored by
Kinzua Corp. after 32 years
Sammy Johnston was pre
sented a gold watch from
Kinzua Corporation at a
J retirement dinner in his honor
on Thursday Jan. 19. Johnston
had worked in the lumber
division for more than 32
years, and was forced to retire
last July after a heart attack.
Bob Lankford, lumber divi
sion superintendent, said be
fore making the presentation
that Johnston was one of the
men he depended on most
when he first came to Kinzua
three years ago.
"I've never found anyone in
my life more sincere or
dedicated to his work than
Sammy", Lankford commen
ted. "I'm kind of glad I worked
....Budget
committee
deliberates
Continued from page 1...
known by the next budget
session.
Approved staffing re
quests for 3' teaching posi
tions at Riverside and A.C.
Houghton schools, a special
education aide at lone, a bus
driver in Irrigon and Vi
custodian positions at Hepp
ner Elementary and A.C.
Houghton.
The budget committee is
now studying the capital
outlay portion of the budget.
for the ouul " Johnston
remarked as he accepicH the
watch.
A Morrow County native,
Johnston became an employee
of Heppner Lumber Co., which
later became Kinzua, 32 years
ago, working for 16 years in
the planer mill and 16 years in
the sawmill.
Family members present at
his retirement dinner included
wife Lois; sons and spouses
Richard and Susan Johnston
and Greg and Debbie John
ston; daughter Pam and her
husband Jim Partlow; and
daughter Jennifer.
Thirsty farmers study
new reservoir project
' ' " )-l f
Sammy Johnson accepts congratulations from Bob Lankford
at his retirement dinner recently. Johnson's wife, Lois, looks
on.
Ila Albert plans trip abroad
Ila Albert, retired teacher
and long time Heppner resi
dent, is making plans for a trip
to Germany and the Scandi
navian countries. Mrs. Albert
has been spending the winter
in Mesa, Arizona. She will be
leaving for abroad next month
and plans to return in mid
March.
...Willow Creek Dam aired
Continued from page 1...
He added that if residents of
the area were in favor of
resurrecting the project the
county would "probably go
along."
Heppner Mayor Jerry Swee
ney said he would take the
issue to the people.
"If our elected officials
come forth with a solid
proposal that could benefit the
area I think we should take a
look at it," said Sweeney.
"We'll get some of the
Senator's people out here to
explain the proposal in a
public meeting and based on
the response from the citizen
ry we'll know which way to
go," said the Mayor.
One area in which the dam
would benefit Heppner, lone
and Lexington would be the
elimination of a flood plain
that currently exists through
those towns and down Willow
Creek. Under new flood insur
ance regulations cities and
towns located in flood plains
are being required to adopt
ordinances that prohibit fur
ther building.
In the case of Heppner that
ordinance would mean that no
further building or reconstruc
tion could take place in the
commercial district and much
of the residential area. For
instance, if a downtown busi-
EMTs to
"meet
Jan. 28
' At the Jan .17 meeting of the
Heppner Chapter of Emergen
cy Medical Technicians
(EMTs) it was decided that
future meetings will be held on
the second Tuesday of each
month. Meetings will take
place at Pioneer Memorial
Hospital.
Jan. 28, the EMTs will
conduct a special session to
familiarize members with
ambulance procedure and
learn where supplies are kept.
Members will be notified to
. the time and place of the,
session.
I At the last meeting, Sandi
Hanna, RN at PMH, gave
tnservice training on emer
gency child birth and transfer
ling babies in distress or
Expectant mothers in distress.
I, The next regular meeting of
the EMTs will be Feb. 14 at
Pioneer Memorial Hospital
beginning at 7:30 p.m.
ness was damaged extensive
ly by fire or other disaster,
nothing could be rebuilt in its
place.
In addition to flood protec
tion, the dam would also
insure water to irrigated
farms downstream that went
without water because of
drought conditions last year.
Irrigators that currently have
water rights from Willow
Creek would not be faced with
paying for water taken under
those rights, but a charge
would be levied for additional
waters used.
A date for - the public
meeting will be set in the near
future and will probably be a
joint session for all residents
of the county.
Butter Creek farmers, hard put to find water for their crops,
are studying the possibility of tunneling the precious liquid in
from the John Day River watershed to the south.
Lowell Saylor said Tuesday that a feasibility report
completed last November indicated the project looked "very
favorable."
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Columbia-Blue Moun
tain Resource Conservation & Development Project, Saylor
outlined the efforts being made by Butter Creek farmers to
enhance their water resources, including the development of the
oft discussed Snipe Creek project (formerly called the Teel
Project).
He was part of a four-member panel that featured Milo
Prindle, Kinzua Corporation, Heppner; Darrell Learn, state
Department of Water Resources; and Herb Huddleston, Oregon
State University Soils Department. Moderator was Stafford
Hansell, former director of the state Executive Department.
Key points included:
A new soil survey has been completed in Morrow County
and one is currently underway in Umatilla County;
Kinzua Corporation is in the process of constructing a new,
$4 Vi million sawmill that will allow the wood products firm to get
back to commercial thinning;
Studies are presently underway to determine Oregon's
need for Columbia River water.
But it was Saylor, a second generation Butter Creek farmer,
who drew the most interest as he explained steps being taken to
improve the water outlook in the county's principal hay growing
area.
Farmers have had to rely on the dwindling flows from
Butter Creek, an "extremely erratic" stream, according to
Saylor, to irrigate their crops in the winter and early spring. By
summer, when other areas of the county are irrigating. Butter
Creek has gone dry.
Saylor said land leveling operations are being used by
farmers to conserve and make better use of the scarce water.
Sprinkling is also catching on but is expected to take several
years to fully adapt to the area. Deep wells, in an area already
considered a critical ground water source by the state Water
Resources Department, are out, as far as Saylor is concerned.
He said the water table in the area was unstable and has
been declining for the past several years.
Last year, the beleaguered farmers employed an unique
method for recycling water called "lateral pit wells." Water from
Butter Creek and flood irrigation is trapped 25-30 feet below the
surface and moved through pipes laid in gTavel-lined trenches up
to distances of 2,000 feet.
The pumping costs are about a fourth that of deep wells,
' Saylor said.
Timing was a problem last summer. It was too dry to
produce good flows- but the "prospects look good," the past
president of the Oregon Hay Growers Association said. Farmers
are hoping to use the innovative system during the hot, summer
months to enhance their crop prospects.
Still on the drawing boards is a long-range solution to the
growers' problems the Snipe Creek project
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The project, in one form or another, has been kicked around
since the early 1900's. But last spring, the talking turned to
action and the Butter Creek Irrigation Association was formed.
Its purpose was to raise money to study the proposal
Saylor noted the federal government studied the project in
1970 and termed it feasible. But the chance of getting federal
funds was seen as" never," the Butter Creek farmer said. Private
capital was viewed as the only way of getting something started
on the project.
Under the proposal, water would be lifted from Camas
Creek above Ukiah and dumped into the 4,400 acre reservoir. An
approximately three mile long tunnel would feed the Butter
Creek area from the reservoir.
Donkey
Basketball
Saturday
7:30
Heppner High
Gym
I IN PROGRESS THRU JAN. 31 !
I Choose Two Pairs Of Shoes-- Pay For Highest Priced 1
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I Infants Thru Adults Sizes C 1
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BEEF
LINKS
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HAM Qc I oTlsmoNtD Jli-pk"
SHANKS Wn FRANKS $" ogC
PORK SPARERIBS 18 99c
Mracte
KRAFT MIRACLE WHIP
SALAD
DRESSING
QT
KRAFT
MACARONI
& CHEESE DINNER
4$l
llfHEATIES CEREAL 89c
BLACK PEPPER ...SCHILLING 4z
DARIGOLD BUTTER $1 .23
PINK GRAPEFRUIT JUICE TN 63e
MD BATHROOM TISSUE 4-PACK
iSS? Lorge Eggs
TURNIPS, RUTABAGAS, CARROTS
Qrcnfjos -4
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Tomstooi
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PRICES EFFECTIVE
January 26, 27, 23
GROC. 676 9614
MEAT 676-92SS
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