BESSIE WETZELL
U OF ORE
NEWSPAPER LIB
EUGENE OR 97403
'Flood plain main topic at
.Heppner planning meetiii
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MARCHING MOTHERS Barbara Watkins
(1), Debbie Koffler, and Rita Sporseen, show
what they'll be after tonight as the annual
March of Dimes Mothers March gets
underway at about 6:30 p.m. Pairs of mothers
will be marching on Heppner and lone to
collect those dimes and dollars to help fight
THE
VOL. 96 NO. 5
f1
Improvement
tied to
A six year highway im
provement program submit
ted last week to the Oregon
Transportation Commission
still shows Morrow County to
be out of the picture unless
voters approve a statewide
gas tax hike on the upcoming
May ballot and a vehicle
registration fee increase in
November.
No state road
projects planned
for Morrow County
until 1980's
The program was prepared
by the Department of Trans
portation, based on staff
studies and citizen comment
from 39 public meetings held
across the state last fall. In
Morrow County, the meeting
drew critical response from
residents who felt they were
being slighted in the schedul
ing of road improvements.
As a result of the citizen
response, the revised program
includes an additional $3
million overlay project for
Hwy.. 270 from the Bombing
Range Road to the Umatilla
County line. But the project,
along with three other road
improvements planned for the
county, all fall into the
category dependent on the gas
tax and registration increase.
If voters turn down the two
measures, all four of the road
projects for the county could
be shelved.
A separate part of the six
year plan Program B in
cludes only those projects
assured of implementation
regardless of the ballot mea
sures. No Morrow County
projects are included in the
grouping.
The other Morrow County
projects coming under Pro
gram A those dependent on
the ballot measures include:
A $1.2 million overlay
project on Hwy. 270 from
Lexington to the Bombing
Range Road.
$400,000 earmarked for
spot repairs on the Heppner
it "Sr 1
Mothers march tonight
AZETTE-TME
HEPPNER, OREGON
gas tax,
highway from I-80N to Lexing
ton. A $920,000 overlay project
for 4.9 miles of road from
Ruggs to Dry Creek.
In order to include the
Bombing Range Road-Umatil-la
County line project in
Program B, the department
had to drop the priority of
another Morrow County pro
jecta $1.3 million overlay
project on the Heppner-Spray
highway between Rock Creek
and the Wheeler County line.
With the juggling of projects
and balancing of budgets
expected to continue until the
Transportation Commission
meets again Feb. 22, DOT
officials say it is nearly
impossible to determine how
Martin
here today
Roger Martin, Republican
gubernatorial condidate from
Lake Oswego, plans to be in
Heppner today (Thursday) in
a "meet the people" cam
paign stop.
Martin will meet with resi
dents at the Courthouse at 9:30
a.m. and will take a tour of
Main Street to meet local
merchants. At 11:45 a.m. a
no-host luncheon will be held
at the West of Willow Restau
rant. Steve Peck, who with his
wife Cathy are Morrow Coun
ty campaign co-chairmen for
Martin, said ample time will
be given at the luncheon for
questions from the audience.
Inside this week
Willow Creek Dam straw ballot
On page two a straw ballot appears
on which readers can indicate their
thoughts on the Willow Creek Dam
birth defects through March of Dimes.
Mothers involved will be served refreshments
by Beta Gamma in the Bank of Eastern
Oregon after the march. All residents are
encouraged to leave on their porch lights if
they want to contribute to the cause.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1978
of highways here
registration fee Oil
the final program will unfold.
"Right now we're trying to
determine exactly where
we're at there are too many
projects and not enough dol
lars," said Bob Blensly of
DOT. As an example, Blensly
Operating budget of $3,479,760
Proposed school budget sees increase
Meeting for their third
session Monday, the Morrow
County School District Budget
Committee pared $58,699 from
the original 1978-79 budget
proposal and arrived at a
finalized figure of $3,479,760
visits
Martin is currently minority
leader of the Oregon House of
Representatives and has ser
ved in the state legislature for
12 years. He is a businessman
connected with an electrical
supply house and supports
small business, local control
and reducing the size of
government.
The House Republican lead
er says, "Government is too
remote from the people. It's
the people, their ideas and
ther courage that make this
state great. As governor, I
would spend one week each
month outside Salem, invol
ving the people in each town in
the decision making process."
"Flood plain" was the
crucial term for some 40
Heppner residents attending a
public hearing on the city's
draft comprehensive plan held
at the courthouse Wednesday,
Jan. 25.
Providing information and
fielding questions on Hepp
ner's 100-y ear-flood plain,
which encompasses all of the
city's downtown area, were
Chuck Steele, Seattle repre
senting National Flood Insur
ance Administration, and Ron
Barrett, representing the Wal
la Walla Corps of Engineers.
Repeated questions from
the floor concerned the effect
extensive diversion and ter
racing work done by Heppner
Water Control District would
have on decreasing the flood
hazard area. Barrett stated
several times that, while the
work would be very effective
in cutting down damage from
minor flooding, he didn't think
it would significantly decrease
said the 1980 schedule includes
$14 million in overprogram
ming projects for which
there is no money unless other
funding methods are imple
mented. "I don't really see any
that will be presented at a
publid hearing Feb. 20
District Supt. Matt Doherty
said downward adjustments
can still be made at the Feb. 20
meeting, if they appear jus
tified. The meeting is sche
duled for 7 p.m. at Heppner
Elementary School.
The figure reached by the
committee, if it stands, would
tack an additional $1.07 per
$1,000 valuation on the current
tax rate of $7.58 per $1,000.
Major cuts in the originally
proposed budget came in the
area of capital projects and
improvements and capital
outlay for instruction and
support services. Doherty said
$30,000 was trimmed from the
capital projects and improve
ments category leaving
$22,200 to be prioritized by the
district administration.
Weather
HILowPrec
42 32 .20
45 32
45 29'
38 30 .11
42 33
34 31
41 28 .04
Wed., Jan. 25
Thurs., Jan. 26
Fri., Jan. 27
Sat., Jan. 28
Sun.. Jan. 29
Mon., Jan. 30
Tues., Jan. 31
Precipitation for Jan.
2.21
Normal 1.29
Jan. 1977 .36
Prec. Sept. 1, 1977 to Jan. 31,
19788.66
Prec. Sept. 1, 1976 to Jan. 31,
1977-1.69
Normal Prec. Sept. 1 to Jan. 31
6.13
the flood plain, which is
determined on the basis of a
100 year discharge, defined as
a 24,000 cubic feet of water per
second flow.
Barrett said the 1903 flood,
discharging 36,000 cubic feet
per second, was closer to a
300-year than a 100-year flood.
Bill Collins, Shobe Canyon
resident commented, "I know
that diversion ditches help. ..I
don't think there is any
possibility of it flooding like it
did in 1969 and 1971 as far as
Shobe Canyon is concerned...
our Water Control District is
doing a real good job."
Barrett expressed surprise
at the work done on the water
shed and promised the Corps
of Engineers would "take a
look at it" during its present
study. He said he doubted it
would have much effect in
event of a 100-year flood,
which would see Main Street
under approximately five feet
of water.
14 PAGES
15c
problem with getting all the
projects into the total six year
program," Blensly said. "Our
problem now has to do with
phasing the projects, lining up
the manpower and maintain
ing the workload."
A cut of $21,430 was made
from capital outlay for in
struction and support ser
Happy
Looks
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ECOAC Planner Marie Hall
said early in the hearing that
there were drafting errors in
the sketch plan map, and it
would not be used to deter
mine the legal flood plain for
insurance and zoning pur
poses. Chuck Steele provided co
pies of the official 1975 map
presently used by the Flood
Insurance Administration, but
warned no map is completely
accurate.
"The key is elevation, not
the map," Steele said.
He said to participate in the
national flood insurance pro
gram a community must
place strict limits on building
in the flood hazard area.
'Minimal' participation was
approved by Heppner in 1974
and made flood insurance for
new construction in the flood
plain mandatory. Federally
backed banks now must re
quire flood insurance for loans
or any financing of construc
v
Dam meeting Feb. 9
Residents of Morrow County
will have the opportunity to
make their own decision on
whether or not the Willow
Creek Dam should be con
structed at a public meeting
scheduled for Thursday, Feb.
9 at 7 p.m. in the Courthouse.
Steven G. Hickok, field
representative for Senator
Mark Hatfield, approached
local officials last week with
the proposal of building the
Willow Creek Dam under the
original plan authorized by
congress in 1965.
Interest in seeing the dam
built has increased in recent
weeks as the cities of Hep
pner, Lexington and lone
vices, which includes items of
equipment and materials but
does not involve teaching
birthday,
These first graders from Mrs. John
Edmundson's class look wistfully at one of the
11 coconut-covered carrot cakes created by
the cooks at Heppner Elementary School for
the birthday parties last week celebrating
Peter Rabbit's 75 anniv ersary. It was served
with punch to the youngsters in the library
only a few minutes later.
tion in the flood zone. Build
ings constructed before the
program was adopted are not
required to carry flood insur
ance unless refinancing or
mortgages are desired.
Steele said about 50 Heppner
residents now carry flood
insurance worth about $2.5
million dollars. The new Corps
of Engineer study will update
and refine current informa
tion and delineate a 'flood
way' and 'floodway fringe',
replacing the term 'flood
plain'. The study will be used
to set new rates for flood
insurance, depending on the
location of the property in the
hazard area. Property in
sured up to the time the new
study information is adopted
will still be insured at a
standardized rate, presently
25 cents per $100.
The city will be required to
pass stiff ordinances limiting
construction in the flood
hazard area if it wishes to
finalize comprehensive plans
required by the state. Each of
those cities has a major
problem with flood plains that
include existing commercial
and residential areas.
After the comprehensive
plans are completed the cities
will be required to adopt
ordinances prohibiting further
construction in the flood plain
unless that construction meets
federal flood proofing require
ments. In most cases flood
proofing of commercial struc
tures would add 50-60 per cent
to the cost of construction.
If the Willow Creek Dam
were built the flood plains in
those cities would be virtually
personnel. Also, the commit
tee trimmed $7,011 from the
insurance category by chang
Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit celebrated his 75th birthday last week in
Heppner with not one but 11 birthday parties held in his honor
in the Heppner Elementary School library. The parties were
attended by approximately 250 youngsters in gardes
kindergarten through four and in addition to marking the
famous bunny's birthday, were intended to encourage the
reading interests of the young students.
The special day was the culmination of a month of half
hour library sessions devoted to the stories of Beatrix Potter,
who wrote not only "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", but such
favorites as "The Pie and the Patty Pan", "Tales of Mrs.
Tittlemouse", "Tale of Squirrel Nutkin", and 24 others.
Librarian Sue Jones has been holding story telling
sessions in the library for each class once a week, and the
study of the Beatrix Potter tales were "just more elaborate."
Library assistant Nancy McElhany drew scenes to
illustrate many of the stories, fourth and fifth grade art
students under the direction of Ron Forrar created a garden
background for the bulletin board for Peter's party, and a
live baby rabbit owned by fifth-grader Tom James was
loaned for the youngsters enjoyment.
An extra touch was provided by two stuffed Peter
Rabbits, complete with jacket and brass buttons, made from
patterns by Mrs. McElhany's mother. And the best treat of
all were the 11 birthday cakes baked for the parties in the
shape of a rabbit. Cooks for the occasion were Betty
Christman, a former Wheat League Bake-Off cake winner;
Bebe Munkers, Betty Galbraith, and Fay Seitz. The cakes,
topped with fluffy coconut, were made with what
else? carrots.
Mrs. Jones said that the Peter Rabbit party and the
special treatment of Beatrix Potter's stories were part of a
continuing effort in the library "to interest primary children
in reading". She commented, "This has been really fun; the
children have been very responsive."
And with youngsters clamoring to check out books ones
about rabbits were especially popular the effort to interest
children in reading appeared to be succeeding.
continue participating in the
insurance program. Steele
said that no flood insurance
will be available for communi
ties not in the program.
Heppner Mayor Jerry
Sweeney asked if variances
would be allowed and said "I
think you're going to kill
business downtown" with the
building restrictions. Steele
said the city could opt for
variances, but added, "I don't
see it being quite that serious..
..There are many, many ways
to design a commercial build
ing to be flood proof and be
eligible for flood insurance."
The question of what effect
the construction of the already-authorized
Willow Creek
Dam would have on the flood
plain was put before the two
men.
"Except for Hinton and
Shobe Creeks, it would pretty
much eliminate your pro
Continued on page 3
eliminated.
In order to proceed with
construction of the dam fed
eral monies would need to be
appropriated by congress.
Hatfield said the necessary
funds could be obtained by
including the project in the
massive Public Works Ap
propriation Bill passed each
year by congress. The Senator
is willing to do just that if he
gets assurances of support
from the county and the cities
involved.
City and county officials are
now looking to the people for
direction and urge attendance
at the meeting next Thursday.
ing the fire insurance deduc
table amount from $1,000 to
$25,000.
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