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Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
VOL. 92 NO. 24
HEPPNER, OREGON
16 PAGES
20c
Queen's coronation Saturday
Put on your dancing duds this weekend and plan to
attend the coronation of Donna Palmer as Queenof the
1978 Morrow County Fair Rodeo. The coronation and
dance begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17, in the
rodeo arena at the fairgrounds in Heppner.
Donna, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Palmer
of lone, will be crowned by Mary Ann Proctor
Munkers, queen of last year's fair and rodeo. Attending
the new queen will be princesses Laurie Childers,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Geo Childers and Kim
Pettyjohn, daughter of Paul Pettyjohn Jr., all of lone.
Something new to the Queen's Coronation this year
s a big slate of entertainment in addition to the dance
and "Country Revue".v Vocal selections will be
resented by Laurel Beach of Portland, the Sweet
delines singing group4 and by the Marquardt family
f Lexington. Gene Rietmahn of lone wil accompany
le vocalists on the piano. Bob Stevens of Heppner will
esent a violin solo.
"I'm really looking forward to the entire summer
promoting the Morrow County Fair and Rodeo,"
jeen Donna told the Heppner-Morrow Chamber of
wnmerce during an apearance there last Monday,
nit Saturday night is really special and I hope we
tve a large turnout for the coronation and dance."
No stranger to the fair court, Queen Donna and her
vin sister, Debora, were princesses last year. Before
lat the girls were penant bearers for the court for two
ears. (
Donna's skill in horsemanship probably stems
torn the fact that she has been riding since she was old
enough to sit on a horse. An avid rodeo fan and
participant, Queen Donna's horse is Johnny Jo, a
mount she's had since the horse was a year old.
The 18-year old blonde is a business student at Blue
Mt. Community College, having just completed her
freshman year. Donna does bookkeeping for
Rietmann's Hardware in lone and fills in during the
summers swathing and baling hay, driving wheat
truck and moving sprinklers on her father's farm.
Queen Donna has two sisters besides Debora,
Anita who is a freshman at lone High School and
penant bearer for this year's court and Barbara
Gutierrez, a beautician in Hermiston and former court
member.
BMCC
Next year's tax rate to
support Blue Mountain Com
munity College will actually
be less than this year's, if
voters approve the $2,067,897
levy appearing on the June 27
ballot.
The lower tax rate is the
result of a May 31 meeting of
the college's budget commit
tee, called after the school's
proposed levy was defeated
for the second time in the May
23 election.
The committee-consisting
of the seven members of the
BMCC Board of Education
and seven community repre
sentatives removed the golf
and cross-country track pro
grams from the sports offer
ings, cut most of the opera
tions of the college museum,
and eliminated a full-time
instructor replacement from
the English department.
Those cuts, along with
budget slices in equipment,
supplies and other operating
expenses, brought a reduction
in the tax levy of $43,859.
The board also accepted the
committee's recommendation
of using interest earned from
a state building reimburse
ment account to lower the
previously-approved levy to
pay off bonded indebtedness.
Applying the interest low
ered the bond debt rate from
22 cents per $1,000 true cash
value to 14 cents per $1,000.
The net result is a proposed
tax levy of $1.84 per $1,000
assessed valuation, compared
to $1.88 this year, both based
on 1977 valuations.
levy
levy budget cut;
rate lowered
College President Ron Dan
iels said that the rate will
actually go lower when the
1978 assessed valuation of
Morrow and Umatilla Coun
ties is known.
Committee members gener-
Free swim
Saturday
The Heppner Municipal
Swimming Pool will open this
Saturday, June 17 at 1 p.m.
with a free day of dipping for
area residents, according to
Pool Manager Deborah
Byrnes.
After Saturday however,
admission will be charged and
season tickets stack up as the
best deal for swimmers.
Season tickets go on sale at
City Hall Friday, June 16,
priced as follows: Family,
$40; Adult, $20; Student, $15;
Daily rates are 50-cents for
those 14 and under and $1 for
15 and older.
Pool hours are 1-5 p.m. and
7-9 p.m. Tuesday through
Friday, 1-5 p.m. on Saturday
and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. The
pool will be closed on Monday.
Miss Byrnes said swim
lessons will begin June 27 and
run for two weeks. Registra
tion for the lessons will be held
June 20-21 from 1-5 p.m. at the
pool. Hours of instruction are
9-10 a.m. for beginners and
intermediates and from 10-11
a.m. for advanced beginners
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Queen Donna Palmer
1978 Morrow County Fair & Rodeo
The 1978 Fair & Rodeo court has made
appearances at Arlington, Spray, the Jr. Rodeo in
Heppner, and the Umatilla Sage Riders Rodeo in
Hermiston.
The 1978 Morrow County Fair and Rodeo has been
stretched over two big weekends this year: August
18-22 for the fair and August 25-27 for the rodeo.
ally attributed the levy defeat
to a "tax revolt" and dissatis
faction with the now-concluded
faculty contract negotia
tions. Terming the final faculty
contract "a very good working
V "
Laying it
down
agreement," Board member
Bob Rietmann of lone said, "It
should be known that the
board came up with a very
satisfactory conclusion
78-79 salaries."
for
Joan Warren of Heppner watches for traffic as crews from the Highway Division's Heppner
Maintenance District repair the road between lone and Lexington. Recent warm weather has
been ideal for surface repairs.
THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1978
Election June 27
Inflation pushes county
An attempt to catch up with
inflation is the major reason
why Morrow County will ask
its voters on June 27 for
permission to exceed the six
per cent budget increase
limitation for the first time in
more than a decade.
The county budget proposed
for the coming fiscal year is
basically a no-frills affair,
which generally continues
programs already in exis
tence. There are no provisions
for new major construction
programs on new projects to
be launched. Passage would
basically mean that county
business would continue pret
ty much as usual.
The County Court's general
fund would rise to $246,655
above the six per cent figure,
if the budget is approved.
"This will go towards cover
ing increased costs due to
inflation, generally mater
ials and supplies that have
gone up in price," said Judge
D O. Nelson.
A certain amount of precar
ious fiscal juggling had to be
performed in past years in
order that the county budget
would remain beneath the six
per cent ceiling. "In the past,
deral) revenue sharing
funds had been used to offset
Fair premium books
sent to residents
Premium books have been
issued for this year's Morrow
County Fair, to be held August
19-22.
About 600 of the books have
been mailed to former en
trants and other interested
parties. Persons who may not
have recieved the premium,
books may obtain them by
contacting Fair Secretary Liz
Curtis at 676-9454. After Aug.
1, the books will be available
in county post offices and at
the Coast-to-Coast store in
Heppner.
Changes in this year's fair
program include an earlier
date for the 4-H Horse Show, to
be held on July 9. The county
open-class horse show will be
"O .-0..,
. 1
- ... 3
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taxes," Nelson said, a prac
tice that has annually resulted
in a reduction of revenue
sharing funds received by the
county. In addition, several
salaries for county court
employes had been taken from
the county road fund. "We're
trying not to do this sort of
thing this year," Nelson said.
The county court figures it
will also need extra money
due to recent law decisions
that broaden indigent defen
dants' rights to free legal
counsel. "We expect our court
appointed attorney fees to go
up, since the state has
expanded their responsibili
ties," Nelson said.
The county will also need
$125,000 to make up for money
paid back to farmers who
were overtaxed for their
pivotal irrigation systems.
The county had been listing
the systems in the improved
property tax bracket, but a
state tax judge recently ruled
that the irrigation systems
must be taxed as farm
equipment, hence the proper
ty tax rebates. State courts
had upheld the county's taxing
method on the pivotal systems
prior to the tax judge's ruling.
Nelson has estimated that
inflation has devalued county
held in early August.
In this year's art show at the
fair, the public will be able to
choose winners through spe
cial "people's choice" awards
to popular exhibits. Art work
will also be awarded ribbons
based on opinions of judges.
Another new feature at this
year's fair will be a tobacco
spitting contest.
This year's fair will be held
during a weekend, the first
time it has been so scheduled
since the 1960s.
It begans earlier than it has
for several years so that the
rush to move exhibits to Salem
for the Oregon State Fair will
be minimized by its earlier
completion.
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income by about 10 per cent.
The total county budget in
cluding a $195,000 road serial
already approved by voters
will come to $776,093 for the
coming fiscal year. According
to figures from Assessor
Everett Harshman's office,
the budget increase would
mean that county property
owners would have to pay an
extra 68 cents per $1,000 of
real property over last year's
rates. Last year, property
owners paid a total of $1.55 per
thousand dollars in property
to underwrite the county
budget. Under the proposed
budget, the amount would
climb to $2.23.
The millage rate may ac
tually be less for the new
budget, since funds antici
pated to be recieved through
News Briefs
Sen. Ken Jernstedt
to visit chamber 9 Lions
State Senator Ken Jernstedt of Hood River will be a guest
at next Monday's Chamber of Commerce forum and Tuesday
he will give a program on the legislature for Heppner Lions
at their noon meeting. Both luncheons take place at 12-noon,
West of Willow Restaurant.
Jernstedt represents Morrow and other counties in the
state legislature.
Alternating days sought
for watering Lawns
Because water demand increases as the summer sun
burns hotter, the City of Heppner this week suggested that
residents use alternating days for sprinkling yards.
City Foreman Randy Krueger said there has been an
increase in water consumption and to insure adequate
supplies of water at all times for fire protection, residents are
being asked to join in a voluntary sprinkling program.
"Those living on the east side of Main Street should
water on the even-numbered days of the month and
residences on the west side of Main should water on
odd-numbered days," said Krueger.
"With everyone's cooperation during the peak irrigating
season, we shouldn't have any trouble keeping adequate
supplies of water in the reservoirs," said the city foreman.
Real Estate firm opens
office in Heppner
Robert W. Harris, formerly of Toledo, Oregon,
announced this week the establishment of Far Western Real
Estate in Heppner.
A real estate broker for the past 18 years, Harris said he
has been coming to Heppner for a number of years to enjoy
the hunting. Seeing the need for a realtor he began making
plans to move his office here.
Harris said he will handle commercial, residential and
farm real estate and property management. Although he
hasn't located an office yet, Harris said he plans to open one
on Main Street within a few weeks.
Harris and his wife Luella are living in Heppner and
persons interested in contacting Harris should call 676-9015.
Elks picnic Saturday
at Cutsforth Park
The Annual Heppner Elks Picnic will take place at
Cutsforth Park Sunday, June 18, according to Gene Hall,
chairman. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. and continue all day.
The Lodge will furnish beverages and hot dogs and picnic
goers are asked to bring a salad and dessert in addition to
their own table service.
There will be games for both adults and children.
Weather
by Don Gilliam
budget
timber offset money were not
subtracted from the $776,093
total budget.
Harshman noted that the
average county millage rate
has dropped over the past five
fiscal years, from $21.30 per
thousand dollars in property
in 1973-74, to $12.27 in 1977-78.
Compared with increases in
everyday costs, such as food,
shelter, and medical care,
Harshman stated that county
government costs to taxpay
ers have been "a pretty good
bargain," since they have
failed to rise proportionately.
County leaders have ap
peared, and made plans to
appear before public meetings
in lone, Boardman, Lexing
ton, Rhea Creek, Irrigon and
Heppner to lobby for passage
of the proposed budget.
Hi Low Pre.
Wed., June 7 83 52
Thurs.,June8 88 46
Fri.,June9 75 50 .02
Sat., June 10 65 48 .09
Sun., June 11 80 47
Mon.,Junel2 77 52 .10
Tues., June 13 72 50 .27