Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1978)
' ""-.:-. TWO The Gazette Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, April 13, 1978 LETTERS City Council needs to make a decision Notably absent from Heppner's proposed budget is any provision for water line improvements to the planned 24-unit apartment complex on Elder Street. This, despite the fact that the Gresham builder behind the project is banking on an assurance given by Mayor Jerry Sweeney that adequate water will be provided to the apartment site at city expense if the project materializes. Editorial Ken Hardy of Cason and Hardy Construction Co., was present at the Feb. 7 City Council meeting, during which Sweeney told him, "If the city grants the building permit (for the apartments) it's up to the city to make sure there is sufficient water". Although the statement was made by Sweeney without the benefit of a council vote on the question, it was made during the course of the meeting and in the presence of Councilmen Hubert Wilson, Cliff Green, Jim Rogers and Bob Jones none of whom asked the question be put to a vote and only Green having expressed an opinion to contradict Sweeney's assurance. Sweeney went on to tell Hardy he expected the building permit to be issued later in the month pending approval by the city building inspector. Since that time Cason and Hardy have run into a temporary roadblock becuase of difficulties in securing financing. But Hardy has said he is pursuing other financing options and hopes to soon proceed with the project. , Hardy left the Feb. 7 council meeting believing he had a consensus of the council behind him as well as the city's official assurance that water would be provided to the apartments at no additional expense to him; He told the Gazette-Times this week he is still operating under that assumption. The cost of replacing the estimated 600 feet of water line to provide adequate water service and fire protection for the apartments will be substantial. It should have been considered in the budgeting process. It wasn't. Whether the situation that presently exists came about through a lack of communication on the council or through a lack of foresight, it should be clarified. And now is the time to get it straight, before other contractors and developers bring similar proposals before the council. jms Where to write Federal Following is a list of Oregon and Eastern Oregon public officials for the information of readers who want to communicate with them: U.S. Sen. Mark 0. Hatfield, Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510. Member of Appropriations Committee, Interior Committee, Rules Committee and Indian Policy Review Commission. Portland office , Pioneer Courthouse, Rm. 107, 520 SW Morrison, Pertland, Ore. 97204, phone 221-3386. U.S. Sen Bob Packwood, Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C, 20510. Member of Finance Committee and Commerce Committee. Portland office, 1802 NE Halladay, Rm. 700, (P.O. Bos 3621), Portland, Ore. 97208, phone 233-4471.' U.S. Rep. Al Ullman, of the Second District, House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. Member of Ways and Means Committee. Salem office, 530 Center St. N.E., Rm. 330, (P.O. Box 247) Salem, Ore., 97308, phone 399-5724. State Gov. Robert Straub, State Capitol, Salem, Ore. 97310, phone 378-3100. State Sen. Ken Jernstedt (Morrow, Gilliam and other counties), 311 Pine St., Hood River, 386-1393. State Rep. Jack Sumner (Morrow, Gilliam and other counties), Route 1, Heppner, 676-5364. Picture Credit The State of Oregon's Energy Facility Siting Council met this week in Board man . Allen Nistad, (center) General manager of Kinzua Corporation in Hep pner, is vice-chairman of the Council. COMMENTS EDITORIAL i fA V - ; - y ; I v fx 11 " , ' 1 ' ?t ! - , , . Citizens can become involved in conservation Local citizens interested in conservation will have new opportunities for action under a law signed in November by President Carter. Although it has not received a lot of attention, the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977 may well be one of the most significant pieces of legislation in the history of the natural resource conser vation movement in the Uni ted States. The new law calls for a comprehensive look at our basic natural resources and ,; for better programs to protect ? and improve them. An impor tant part of the law is its emphasis on citizen participa taion in determining the future direction of national conservation programs which affect local communities. Under the law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service (SCS) will appraise the na tion's natural resources, de velop a five-year program to guide conservation efforts and evaluate the program's effec tiveness each year. The Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District, in co operation with SCS, will con duct an open meeting and workshop on the Resources Conservation Act May 2 in Boardman. Further informa tion about the meeting will appear in upcoming issues of the Gazette-Times or can be obtained by calling Dick ' McElligott of the Morrow Soil and Water Conservation Dis trict. In order to develop a truly responsive conservation pro gram, organizers of the meet ing must have the participa tion of concerned individuals, as well as local governments, farm and environmental or ganizations and other inter ested groups. Soil and water conservation programs in this country have a long and successful history of being locally initiated, locally planned and locally managed through conserva tion districts. The Soil and Water Resources Conserva tion Act of 1977 broadens this traditional approach to in clude even wider public in volvement which will not end at the district level. Although SCS must conduct the appraisal and develop the program under rigid time constraints, the opportunity for formal public participation has been provided throughout the process and ideas and comments are welcomed at any time. ...have something to say? The Gazette-Times welcomes letters from readers on any subject of general interest.Jetters should be not more than 250 words Letters From Readers Stranger a frightening experience Editor, It was starting to snow at our ranch on the night of April 5. I was preparting to retire at 11 p.m. when I heard a commotion in the yard. There was a light on in the kitchen and I looked out the window and saw a man coming up the walk. I went to the bedroom for a robe and awoke my husband. By the time I got back to the door, the man was roaming around in the large porch muttering and talking loudly. I was not too alarmed yet, thinking it was someone I might recognize. I opened the kitchen door and asked who was there. At the time the man came into view. I was startled by his appearance long stringy black hair, a hooded coat and a wild look in his eyes. I didn't see the ax he was carrying yet. He wanted to come in for hot coffee and something to eat. He couldn't tell me where he came from or where he was except he was broke, HO job, bt;eil Walking in the bilow in the mountains, with no fuel, etc. That wasn't enough for me to let him into the house. I offered a sandwhich and didn't think my husband would ever come. He said he'd sleep in the barn , I again asked where he was headed he said San Diego. I wanted to get to the phone. Paul appeared and ordered him to the road to wait and said that we would call the police. He reached down and picked up the ax lying on the porch where he had placed it. I shut the door and locked it and called our THEn GAZETTE -TIME The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow Published every Thursday and entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Second-class postage paid at Heppner, Oregon. G M. Reed, Publisher Dolores Reed, Co-publisher Terry M. Hager, Managing Editor Jim Summers, News Editor Eileen Saling, Officer Manager Elane Blanchet, Reporter Gayle Rush, Composing Chloe Pearson, Composing Justine Weatherford, Local Columnist Ron Jordan, Printer son to call the police. Our car was sitting in the barnyard and there was a pickup with two guns. We had a gun on the porch that Paul immediately got out and we waited. I locked the two screen doors and I could still hear him hollering. In a short time we saw him coming back with the ax over his shoulder. When he reached the yard gate, my husgand told him to come no farther, that he would shoot. The stranger said, "If I had a gun I'd blow your head off". We again told him to get to the road gate and wait, the police were on the way. He cursed and shouted all the way to the road gate. I again called the police and was told they were on the way. Our son took his wife and baby to Eddie Brosnan's and alerted the neighbors. They all arrived with the police Vic Groshens, Sheriff Fetsch and Simon Winters' rescue squad. Thank God for our alert officers in Morrow County. Do we appreciate them ! The anniversary of the terrible tragedy in lone, last year, was fresh on my mind. Many have come to our door stranded, but this was different. We always were able to let them in to use the telephone and call friends. How times have changed when we can't trust our fellow man any more. I had a terrible feeling of guilt along with fear for having to turn a hungry man away from my door. In conclusion, I will help on the petition drive in my , community, Butter Creek, so the Oregon voters can determine if they want a capital punishment law enacted. I believe it is a fair law to protect the innocent and punish the murderer. Kathleen Hisler Sifting through tine TTMEi " Heppner was getting set for a festive Saturday night this rs week in 1968, as plans for the annual band carnival were ,m announced in the Gazette-Times. The event, sponsored by the s PTA to raise money for special scholarships, was slated to' include a barbeque beef dinner; a dart toss, bookstore, fish 0J pond, fortune telling, country store, and other booths; manyx ize drawings; and a dance following the carnival.. i0 , - Slated to compete in the king and queen contest were .93 Christy Bradley and John Meyers, sixth grade; Barbara Sherman and David Eckman, seventh grade; and Debby)fn McLeod and Bruce Bergstrom, eighth grade; and Susan Melby and Jim Sherman, high school. gs Tum-A-Lum Lumber Company in Heppner announced . plans, to close its doors this week ten years ago. The building and supply business had been operating in the same site on5i. Main Street for 48 years, and was the smallest Tum-A-Lum yard still in business. Local manager Tim Moore planned to take over operation of the company yard in Pendleton after u, the Heppner closure. John Rawlins, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Rawlins, was named Heppner High School valedictorian of his graduating l1( class ten years ago, while Merri Lee Jacobs, daughter of Mr. , , ; and Mrs. Walter Jacobs, was selected salutatorian. It was decided this week in 1958 that the question of v whether or not Lexington High School should be discontinued should be placed before the voters. The decision was made at a meeting of the Education Betterment Committee where a )rj, panel consisting of Mrs. Max Barclay, Kenneth Peck, Eldon ( 1 Padberg, Alonzo Henderson and moderator Harold Beach, ii; discussed various aspects, pf whether or not the high school ,,; should, be closed and students transported to other schools , . before an anticipated union high school was constructed. ,k! Though the ultimate goal of the education committee was (jr; a consolidated school panelists admitted the realization of , that goal was a long time off, and the decision was made to ( t place the issue before the voters, . The Pomona Grange, meeting in a special session in ,. , Irrigon this week 20years ago, passed a resolution asking the . County Court to appoint a committee to circulate petitions to include the question of whether or not to form a Morrow County Port Commission on the November ballot in 1958. A 13-year-old lone girl was selected as queen of the Fossil Junior Rodeo 20 years' ago this week. Sandra Eubanks, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Eubanks, was chosen to lead the court over 11 contestants vying for the honor because of her display of excellent riding ability, according to a Gazette-Times report. ' The Heppner Soroptomists were fittingly launched on April 10, 1948, with a ceremony conducted by members of the sponsoring Baker group. Included in the evening event was a dinner for 50, prepared by Mrs. Clive Huston and Mrs. Grace Hughes, a speech by Mayor Conley Lanham in which he proclaimed the club's organization 'the biggest thing that has happened in Heppner since he first knew the town', and installation of officers. The first officers of the still active Soroptomists were Mrs. O.G. Crawford, president; Mrs. Fay Bucknum, : vice-president; Mrs. Frances Mitchell, treasurer; Mrs. Jesse Payne, corresponding secretary; Mrs. Edmund Gonty, recording secretary; and Miss Leta Humphreys, Mrs. Joe Hughes and Mrs. Grace Nickerson, executive board. Both sheep-shearers and growers alike agreed in 1938 that there was no need locally to take heed of the shear ers walkout declared by the union leaders of the CIO for Ore gon, California, Washington, and Idaho; "Local leaders see no reason for demanding that the CIO label be sewed on sacks containing wool of local growers. There is no contro versy over price or any other differences which should call for any threat of national boycott... because of non-appearance of the union label. ..the shearers believe. Some of the shearers are quoted as saying that all they can see in the threat is an attempt to make all shearers pay tribute to a union from which they have asked nothing.'.' Lexington residents passed a proposed $7,000 bond issue , to purchase the town's privately-owned water system by a 54-4 vote this week 40 years ago. Ownership of the system passed into municipal hands from Mrs. Elsie M. Beach and Mrs. Laura Scott. The Gazette-Times reprinted part of an editorial entitled t "Too much Censorship" this week in 1918: "Ever since a bureau of public information was founded at Washington and , a strict (wartime) censorship passed on all matter of news, there has been objections presented on the part of this liberty loving people. As the Pendleton Tribune says, 'the was ; department seems to be utterly lost in its policy or lack of policy in the matter of news censorship. It promises to keep the public informed on war conditions and then fails to do so. "...as long as nothing can daunt our resolutions, not even the painful, gloom of wounded and dying, then why should the facts.. .not be given to the people. The subject of press censorhip introduces the not time-worn phrase that 'the administration is above criticism", yet loyal and constructive criticism may yet prove to have been the salvation of democracy and the very thing that sped up the winning of the war so far as the United States is concerned. What mistake can the Government make taking a free. intelligent thinking people into its confidence?" Weather Community BILLBOARD ! Call 676-9228 Thursday AP' 13 Soroptomists, Wagon Wheel, noon Style show and card party, Nomad Restaurant, Board- man, 7:30 p.m. Friday April u Focus pn Women confab, BMCC, Pendleton, 7 p.m. .f Saturday April 15 I Women confab, BMCC, 9 a.m. I Lumberjack Show, fair grounds, 1 p.m. i Fiddlers' concert, 7 p.m.; I dance, 9 p.m., fair pavilion I Willows Grange,, potluck, I grange hall, 6:30 p.m. Sunday April 16 m I Wranglers potluck and play day, W. grounds, noon ' I Monday April 17 I Morrow County School I Board, A.C. Houghton, 8 p.m. 1 Tuesday April is 1 Lions, West of Willow, I Heppner, noon Wednesday April 19 I lone Garden Club, plant sale, I lone Legion Hall, 10 a.m. -4 p.m. HI Low Pre! Wed., Apr. 5 56 35 Thurs.,Apr.6 44 34 .15 1 Fri., Apr. 7 53 39 T . 1 Sat., Apr. 8 58 35 Sun., Apr. 9 65 34 Mon.,Apr. 10 71 40 j Tues.,Apr. 11 63 36 j HI Sponsored : By RAY BOYCE INSURANCE 228 N. Main St. Heppner 676-9625 4 i jh. jr-v m-m -
