Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1978)
TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, September 7, 1978 Sifting through The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES nr- - the TIMJKS RARE II has effect on many The United States Forest Service wants help. It is completing a nationwide study of national forest lands not yet penetrated by roads and is inviting public participation. Officially designated as roadless areas, some 3.1 million acres more than 10 times the size of Multonomah County are involved in Oregon's portion of the national study known as RARE II (Roadless Area Review and Evaluation). SALEM SCENE By Jack Zimmerman An exclusive to Oregon's weekly newspapers Purpose of the study is to determine how much of the roadless land to set aside for wilderness designation and how much to release for multiple use, a concept blending recreational access with fores try, grazing and mining. When the study is complete, the Forest Service will make its recommendations to Congress probably shortly after the first of the next year. USFS already has produced a volumi nous environmental impact statement for the roadless areas and now wants the public to express itself regarding use of these vast lands. If you own a camper, travel trailer, mobile home, offroad vehicle, outboard motor, ski boat, snow skiis or even a rifle and fishing pole, you should make certain, your wishes are known. Most recreation connected with the foregoing will-; be; banned or at least become more difficult ' to enjoy on any land designated as wilderness by Congress. Most people consider any sparsely populated, relatively undeveloped area a wilderness. They achieve a wilderness experience by visiting almost any forest as long as it isn't jam-packed with other human beings. But Congess is much more definitive. When it designates an area a wilderness, that means no human access except on foot or horseback. It means no roads and permanent structures. It means no ski lodges. It means no cabins, camp shelters, fireplaces, water systems or even toilets. Offroad vehicles and outboards are banned. Wilderness means the land remains as it is. No one is allowed to harvest its timber and reforest the land for future genera tions. No one is allowed to mine its mineral deposits or graze livestock on its grasslands. Oregon currently has 1.3 million acres of wilderness 8.4 per cent cf the state's national forest land. It can be visited only by hardy backpackers and those affluent enough to rent horses and other pack animals for lengthy excursions. Wilderness visitors represent about 2 per cent of the population. The remaining 98 per cent is expected to conduct its outdoor recreation on multiple use lands or go without Wilderness designation doesn't preclude hunting, angling or cross-country skiing. But it limits those activities by each individual's physical endurance and stamina. Demand for forest recreation mostly non-wilderness in nature is expected to double by 2020. The demand for wood products also will double in the same period. Sizeable increases in congressionally designated wilderness lands will do little more than increase already growing pressures for grazing, timber production and recreation on existing multiple use lands. If you have an opinion on this subject, write your views and .send them immediately to: USFS Pacific Northwest r - r- ;e V-'f'j.'il-' '.f , ; c J ! ' i. li' f 'L " J ' ' ? "i. I '.' r 1 1 t" St - 4 . i It i'. t ", i ' it I ' I t i ' ' ' I , t' i I ' ' i 1 ( , ' ' 1 ' t f I r I;, ' i ' ,i : i i V;: ,f- t " r ?ir !1- 1 ' i '.' .; 5 , " , , .1 1 ;5f . ' . : k ! t J l',f 'Is, it .1, I 1US '..ir, i' K ' . ' I C Is ' (' ' I V L . 1 . i i .j ..i Region (R-6), P.O. Box 3623, Portland, OR 97208. Deadline for receipt of public expressions involving establishment of more wilderness areas on national forest lands is Oct. 1. 5 1 , .. . ' , ; Maps and complete descriptions of each roadless area under study are available at all USFS officers. Opionions relating to specific roadless areas likely will have greater impact on the final forest service recommendation than simple pro-con statements regarding wilderness and multiple use generally. Congressional creation of more wilder ness in this state's national forests should be a subject of great concern to all Oregonians. In addition to providing recreation, our national forests contain a significant inventory of timber upon which our largest industry depends in great measure. Each acre of forest withdrawn from that inventory creates additional pressures on that industry, the jobs it provides and the economy as a whole. Where to write Federal Following is a list of Orpgnn and Eastern Orpgnn 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, Portland, 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, 1002 NE Halladay. Rm. 700. (PO. 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 (MorrowrGilUam and other -counties), 311 Pine St., Hood River, 386-1393. State Rep. Jack Sumner (Morrow, Gilliam and other counties). Route 1, Heppner, 676-5364. GAZETTE TIMES Picture credit Carving on a wall of an abandoned shack along a trail into the John Day county depicts a "Chinaman" complete with 'pigtail' and artists Initials. Fair praise given Editor: I would like to thank personally all the Morrow County people who helped make this our first weekend fair such a fine success. There are many who deserve a personal thanks but it is impossible to do this. My special thanks go to the lovely King and Queen, who traveled from their home in Pendleton and took the time to be present during the Fair, family fun night and the parade; to the many exhibitors, superintendents and everyone who was there to help out. Also, I do not want to forget the Morrow County Fair and Rodeo court who added so much by their presence, the fair board and most of all to that wonderful, hard-working fair committee. Again, I must say that Morrow County people are the greatest in the world. Delpha Jones Fair Committee Chairman ...have something to say? The Gazette-Times welcomes letters from readers on any subject of general interest...letters should be not more than 250 words Fifty years ago this week during the opening of the 1928 big game season, a local sportsman who was either a very good n nAnM kni hneirtnA tha main nnwpp linA taiilt0 f A ui a, veijr ywi oiiul uaggcu u " 0 Heppner, leaving the city without electricity for nearly two days. Later that week, Heppnefs brand new stop sign ordinance took effect, requiring for the first time that automobile drivers stop at intersections to "The Oregon-Washington Highway", or Main Street. The ownership of the Heppner Hotel changed hands in early September of 1928, with Mrs. J.P. Cochran and her daughter, Dayal, of Canyon City taking over the hostery's operation. Mrs. Cochran pledged that "it will be our endeavor to make the working man in overalls feel just as much at home as the first class tourist." Sixty years ago this week, Morrow County stockman Nels Justus was en route to Chicago with nine railroad cars full of market-bound sheep.During that same week in 11918, Sand Hollow rancher Harry Turner and Lexington schoolteacher Edna Carmichael were married. A farm auction at the Peterson & Eskelson Ranch southwest of Lexington was a major social event during this week in 1918. The two ranchers sold their Morrow County holdings so that Eskelson could move to Colorada and to allow Peterson to move to Canada, where he had purchased another farm. Farm equipment sold for $6,682 during the auction consi dered high prices during those pre-inflation days. Attesting to the healthy financial condition of the bidders was the fact that nearly all transactions were made in cash. The Lexington Red Cross pur three roosters on the auction block during the farm sale, to raise money for war relief efforts. Patriotic Morros Countians bought the birds for $83.50 not chicken feed, even by today's standards. Many Morrow Countains were digging mud from their basements and clearing debris from their yards 25 years ago this week, after flash floods swept through the area. Soil erosion ran from 50 to 175 tons per acre along fields in Blackhorse, Clark, Eightmile and Valentine canyons. Normally dry Blackhorse Creek in Lexington spilled out of its bankd, filling basements and washing out gardens. A railroad bridge between Heppner and Lexington washed away, and the highway connecting the two towns was covered with mud and water in several places. Atotal of 1.3 inches of rain fell in the Eightmile area within less than 45 minutes. During that wet week in 1953, three Morrow County youths left for the equally damp climate of the Willamette Valley to begin classes at Oregon State University. The three entering freshmen were Michael Grant of Heppner and Rudy Bergstrom and Don Bristow of lone. Heppner cowboy Floyd JOnes aboard his favorite mare "Lucky", won the amateur roping contest at the 1953 Morrow County Rodeo. Cornett Green was a close second Five years ago this week, Richard Ekstrom, a 1955 lone High School graduate, was m. named Seattle District manager of the Social Security Admistrarion. Later that week in 1953, state police game inforcement officer Vic Groshens Jr. arrested two men for killing a doe out of season. Appearing in Heppner Justice Court, the pair pleaded guilty, but protested that "we killed it for the meat and didn't spoil any of it." "But you did open the season a little early," replied Judge Charles O'Connor, as he handed them each $305 fines. I Update Your" j "Outlook" j !) 0 The Heppner hi The Heppner GAZETTE TIMES Job Printing 676-9228 uii Ml L7. nOOO N Kl 1 1 N...,.-mlnrr-mn-nm-, , , - , , J THE 'GAZETTE -TIME The Off icial 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. i G.M. Reed, Publisher Dolores Reed, Co-publisher l erry M. Hager, Managing Edit Rick Steelhammer, News Editor Eileen Saling, Officer Manager Gayle Rush, Composing Chloe Pearson, Composing Justine Weatherford Local Columnist j Ron Jordan, Printer 676-9228
