TWO-The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, February 16, 1978
Sifting through
the TIMES&
The time is now
to act on
A
A
Willow Creek Dam
Again this week the Willow Creek Dam project heads this
column's priority list.
As more information on Heppner 's flood plain is,
compiled and made public, coupled with a tight schedule in
EDITORIAL
which a decision on the dam must be made by local officials,
we feel the issue of whether or not the dam is constructed is a
top priority subject for the entire community.
The implications of allowing the flood plain to remain
where it is (please see page 11) in Heppner are drastic and
depressing.
The bottom line is a Flood Damage Protection Ordinance
that will virtually stop any further construction of business or
residential structures in the flood plain which encompasses a
major portion of Heppner.
Secondly, Senator Mark Hatfield has made an offer to
residents of Heppner they can hardly afford to refuse.
The Senator has said that he will make every effort to
secure funding for Willow Creek Dam under authorization
established by congress in 1965. The same authorization
supported by the majority of people living here at that time.
We don't think the Senator would have made the offer if he
didn't think the chances were pretty good for obtaining the
funds. ..political figures don't go around looking for an
Albatross to hang around their neck.
Looking back over the years, numerous individuals have
worked hard to secure the dam. Then, time and time again
the project became the victim of politics and funding was
never secured.
Unfortunately, many of those people who know the value
of the dam are simply battle weary and probably a little
skeptical.
No one can assure appropriation of funds at this time but
all indications are that the Willow Creek Dam stands a pretty
fair chance in this year's congress.
Why the rush after all these years? Because to be
included for funding Senator Hatfield must know by
mid-March the wishes of the people of Heppner, and with the
pending flood ordinance Heppner can't afford to wait.
The necessary meetings must be held in the next 30 days
' a.id city and county officials should make their decisions
based on the input of the citizenry concerned enough to
attend those meetings.
Picture
About 10 Heppner volunteer firemen rushed with three
fire engines to Dick Wilkenson's ranch on Willow Creek
last Thursday evening only to prove helpless against a
large haystack fire. The approximately 100 tons of hay
was nothing but a smoldering mound by the next
morning.
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providing they are in good taste and not libelous.
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LETTERS SHOULD BE addressed to Editor,
Gazette-Times, P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Ore., 97836.
THE
GAZETTE
TIMES
Published every Thursday and entered as second-class
matter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon, under
tfis Act of March 3, 1879. Second-class postage paid at
Heppner, Oregon.
The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner
and the County of Morrow
G.M. Reed, Publisher Dolores Reed, Co-publisher
Terry M. Hager, Managing Editor
Jim Summers, News Editor
Eileen Saling, Office Manager
Elane Blanchet, Reporter
Gayle Rush, Composing Chloe Pearson, Composing
Justine Weatherford Local Columnist
Credit
v
Too
Editor;;- ', i ' V ' ' ' ' t .. J.'.
The giving up of the Panama Canal would be about the
next worse thing to giving up our guns as it also would create
a dangerous threat to the security of America.
The Panama Canal belongs totally to the United States
both by treaty agreement and by outright purchase. It's pop
ular name is "The Panama Canal" but in reality it is "The
American Canal" at the Isthmus of Panama: It was built and
paid for by the people of the United States at a cost
approaching seven billion dollars.
At his moment an alliance of Communists, Leftists,
American Big Businessmen and Liberals out of touch with
reality are working to transfer the control of the Canal to the
regime of the Pro-Castro dictator of Panama, General Omar
Torrijos. There can be no question that General Omar
Torrijos is a strong-arm dictator who maintains close ties .
with Castro and the Soviet Union and yet there are those in
high places of our government who are continuing the drive'
to hand over the Canal to Torrijos.
We must not be misled by those who say our loss of the
Canal would not affect prices, taxes, and our National
Defense. We must understand that the things we buy will rise
if the use of the Panama Canal were denied us by the
Communist regime which wants us to let them take over the
Canal. Those extra thousands of miles around the cape will
OBITUMliS
Omar Rietmann
Lifelong area resident Omar
Rietmann of lone died Satur
day, Feb. 11, 1978, at Pioneer
Memorial Hospital in Hepp
ner. He was 84.
The son of Morrow County
pioneers Paul Rietmann and
Margaret Glock Rietman, he
was born in lone on Aug. 9,
1893.
Mr. Rietmann was a mem
ber of the lone United Church
o Christ, lone Lodge No. 120
AF&AM, Heppner I.O.O.F.
Lodge No. 66, and Willows
Grange.
He was owner and operator
of Rietmann's Hardware in
lone for many years.
Survivors include a son,
Gene Rietmann, lone; two
brothers, David Rietmann of
lone and Robert Rietmann of
La Hambra, Cal.; two sisters
Anna Stith and Alice Peterson,
both of The Dalles; and three
grandchildren.
His wife, Elaine, preceeded
him in death in 1969.
Funeral services were held
on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m.
at the lone United Church of
Christ, with Rev. William
Graham officiating. The con
Letters to the Editor
much invested to give up canal
gregation sang sacred selec:
tions, accompanied by orga
nist Rikka Tews.
Active casket bearers were
Harold Rietmann, Wayne
Rietmann, David Rietmann,
Bob Rietmann, Bill Rietmann
and Zan Rietmann.
Paul Pettyjohn, Kenneth
Smouse, Leo Crabtree, Verl
Akers, Charles O'Connor and
Oscar Peterson served as
honorary bearers.
Concluding services and
interment were at High View
Cemetery in lone with Swee
ney Mortuary handling the
arrangements.
Contributions may be made
to the lone Church of Christ
Memorial Fund.
Richard MacKinnon
Richard Daniel MacKinnon,
62, died in Heppner Feb. 8.
He was born Oct. 26, 1915, at
Holbroke, Ore. Mr. MacKin
non was a construction line
man for many years and a
member of I.B.E.W. No. 125,
Portland. He was also a
member of the Eagles Lodge,
The Dalles, and at the time of
his death was manager of the
Heppner Elks Club.
.Jfl'.
add billions to the cost of food and materials now shipped
through the shorter, faster Panama Canal.
, As for our defense, our military would be forced to build
an expensive two-ocean Navy immediately! We could not
risk having our entire Navy trapped in the Atlantic or Pacific
Ocean.
America was caught sleeping before World War II at a
cost of billions of dollars and hundred of thousands of
American lives. We were able to survive, but next time
around, we may not. It was a steep price we paid for
unpreparedness. Now, America may be sleeping again;
certainly we are being misled, lulled to sleep and lied to. It is
not true that the Canal is out of date or unable to handle big
ships.
What is needed now, is for Americans of all political
parties Democrat, Republican, Independent and others, to
make their feelings known to President Carter, their two U.S.
Senators and their Congressmen.
The American Canal at the Isthmus of Panama, is vital
to our economy and essential to our national defense. It is
U.S. property and we must let Washington know, in no
uncertain terms, that we intend to keep it. Don't let President
Carter give it away!
Carl M. Marquardt
Lexington, OR 97839
He was married to Delores
(Dee) Kosse at Stevenson,
Wash., on Feb. 11, 1960.
Mr. MacKinnon is survived
by his wife, Dee, Condon ; two
sons, Richard, MacKinnon,
Rohnert Park, Cal.; Terry
MacKinnon, Milpitas, Cal.;
three brothers, Oren MacKin
non, Portland, Roger MacKin
non, Wenatchee, Wash.; and
Jack MacKinnon, Yacolt,
Wash.; four sisters, Grace
Easley, Cottage Grove; Fran
ces Clifford, Marge Philips,
and DorothyLangford, all of
Portland; and six grandchil
dren. Funeral services were held
Monday, Feb. 13, at 2. p.m. at
the Rigdon-Ransom Colonial
Chapel in Salem, with the Rev.
Edwin Smelser of the West
gate Assembly of God Church
officiating. Sweeney Mortuary
of Heppner was in charge of
local arrangements.
Clarence Nelson
Clarence Lee Nelson, 79,
died in his home in Spray on
Wednesday, Feb. 8, 1978.
He was born on July 16, 1898,
at Middleton, Oregon, the son
of Nels Nelson and Tillitha
Boone Edmanton Nelson. He
9
ll
was married to Bernadine
Britt in Fossil on Nov. 18, 1934.
Nelson was a member of the
Spray Assembly of God
Church and for many years
operated his own sawmill at
Winlock and Dutch Flats.
Survivors include his wife,
Bernadine, Spray; one daugh
ter, Connie Spivey, and son-in-law
Glenn Spivey, Kinzua ; one
brother, Charles Nelson, Fos
sil; and two grandchildren.
Funeral services were held
on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the
Spray Assembly of God
Church at 1 p.m., with the
Rev. Steve Emerson officiat
ing. Carolyn Britt and Patsy
Keimig sang a duet, while Sid
Britt was soloist. Carolyn
Britt accompanied on the
organ.
Active casket bearers were
Charles Nelson, Jr., Robert
Nelson, Ray Britt, Johnny
Nelson, Marvin Britt and Roy
Britt.
Honorary bearers included
Claude Britt, Clyde Britt,
Edgar Cress, Jack Sitton,
Elvin Britt and Ed Tilly.
Concluding services and
interment were at the Spray
Cemetery with Sweeney Mor
Heppner merchants were getting primed for a big
Washington's birthday promotion, ten years ago this week. A ,
front page story reported they were offering a powerful
incentive to local shoppers 1,000 small cherry pies were to
be given away with purchases during the sale days.
Sheila Luciani, 17, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George
Luciani, was selected as princess on the 1968 Morrow County 1
Fair and Rodeo Court, representing the Lexington Grange.
Sheila planned to ride her favorite quarter horse "Honey" for
official appearances. j
Many recommendations made by six committees at an'
important Morrow County Town and Country Conference, 20 ;
years ago this week, chaired by Kenneth Peck of Lexington,
were destined to have a long-range effect on the county: i
"The studies and recommendations covered every phase
of county life from crop and livestock problems, conservation
and land use, government, taxes, schools, roads to industrial
development and problems arising from forseeable
increases in population in the next 10 years.
"Highlighting the well over 250 recommendations.. .2343
suggestions that the formation of a Morrow county port
commission be investigated.. .discussion brought ouL.that if
this area is to get its share of industrial development along ,
' the banks of the river, a port commission could be useful,
"...it was also felt it would be wise to establish a county
planning commission which might carry out many of the
recommendations made at the conference.
"...The six main committees and their chairmen...were
conservation and land use, Alvin Bunch; home and
community living, Mrs. Norman Nelson; public education,
Gene Cutsforth; livestock, Gerald Swaggart; farm crops,
Tad Miller who gave the report for Frank Anderson,
chairman; and youth activities, Mrs. E.M. Baker..."
Another front page story this week in 1958 reported that
an 'anonymous donor' had offered to put up sufficient money
for the construction of a Morrow County museum building,
provided it be located in Heppner. Today, 20 years later,
county residents have that 'anonymous donor' to thank for a
museum to be very proud of.
The lone library also rated front page space in that issue
of the Times: "The lone library, through its librarian Mrs.
Echo Palmateer received congratulations for an excellent
operation from officials of the Oregon State Library."
Much space in the Gazette-Times published this week in
1938 was given to an account of a well-attended meeting on
soil erosion with several officials from Oregon's Soil
Conservation Service giving detailed information on the
causes of erosion and possible preventative measures. The
lead paragraph was unusually lively for an article of the
kind: "To the casual passer-by the grange hall probably took
on the aspect of a smoker as some 150 farmers gathered to
wrestle with the age-old problem of soil erosion and fertility.
County Agent Joe Belanger was umpire, the audience passed
judgement, and after the dust settled, a close decision was
given to water erosion..."
Buried on an inside page of the Times 40 years ago was
this account of an accident we don't see too often anymore:
"Alvin Pettyjohn was treated at a local doctor's office this
morning for injuries received when a team ran away with
him on the Krebs brothers ranch at Cecil earlier this
morning. A bad gash below the left eye, and cuts across the
left temple and behind the ear required surgical treatment.
He was brought to town by John Krebs."
How many readers are aware of the 1918 Boardman gold
strike? This small item was printed in the Times 60 years ago
this week: "Gold has been discovered in Boardman, Morrow
County's new thriving town on the Columbia River, and
Ferdinand Emberger, who made the discovery came to
Heppner the last of the week to file a mining claim.
According to Mr. Emberger, considerable dust has been
found in the sand along the river and he has been making
good wages in placer mines. Mr. Emberger is the blacksmith
at Boardman and has charge of the town pumping plant."
Albert Bowker, local agent for the Heppner Garage,
announced his new 1918 Buick models in the Times: "The
New Buick Line for nineteen-eighteen is complete from
every standpoint of finish refinement, comfort and service
and provides a car for every demand. '
tuary in charge of arrange
ments. Ethel Bleakman
Ethel Bleakman, 74, Her
miston, died Friday, Feb. 10,
in Hermiston.
She was born April 23, 1903,
in Saskatchewan, Canada, the
daughter of John and Sadie
Rogers McDonald, who had
lived in the Hardman area
prior to moving to Canada. In
1905 the family returned to
Hardman.
She was married to Kenneth
Bleakman in Heppner in 1924.
They lived for many years in
the Hardman-Heppner area.
In 1948 they moved to Hermis
ton. Graveside services were
held at the Heppner Masonic
Cemetery Wednesday, Feb.
15, with Burns Mortuary,
Hermiston, in charge of ar
rangements. Mrs. Bleakman is survived
by her husband, Kenneth,
Hermiston; a daughter, Neta
Rae Sweeney, Chelan, Wash.;
a brother, Hubert McDonald,
Federal Way, Wash.; two
sisters, Eva Robinson, Hepp
ner and Hazel Saling, Echo;
and four grandchildren. Three
brothers, Clifford, Raymond
and Lewis McDonal preceded
her in death.
Sarah Rhodes
Funeral services were held
Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Fol-som-Bishop
Funeral Chapel,
Pendleton, for Sarah Mae
Rhodes, (nee Burnside), Pen
dleton. She was born in Portland
April 27, 1943. She came to
Heppner as a small child,
grew up here, and attended
the Heppner schools. She had
lived in Pendleton for the past
thirteen years.
She was married to Earnest
F. Rhodes, in Reno, Nevada,
Aug. 31, 1974.
Mrs. Rhodes was a member
of the Fraternal Order of
Eagles Auxiliary 28, Pendle
ton. She is survived by her
husband, Earnest; two sons,
Norman and Randy; and two
daughters, Tina and Tammie,
all of Pendleton; parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Kirk, Herm
iston; two sisters, Beverly
Sherman, Heppner; and Lor
etta Nelson, Pendleton; three
nieces and two nephews.
Contributions may be made
to the American Cancer Society.
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