Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1978)
v 41 Nf ' Sifting through The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES '. t '. A t'.'T ??." !o .Sli r-.-tr the-TIMES EDITOR'S NOTE: Last week in this column appeared comments by Jack Zimmerman, a writer for Associated Oregon Industries. His comments favored the RARE II process currently being conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, which will determine future roadless or wilderness areas throughout Oregon and the nation. In an effort to present "both sides" of the story, the Gazette-Times publishes the following article which appeared in the September Earthwatch Oregon, a news publication of the Oregon Environmental Council. Citizens have until October 1 to make comments regarding specific roadless areas to the Forest Service. Conservationists unhappy with RAREU Oregonians are concerned about the fate of their remnant wild lands. Oregon has less land in its natural condition than any other western state. Our forests have suffered from overzealous development pressure, and only massive public outcries and timely appeals have saved these priceless treasures from a disastrous fate. Only Congress can designate lands as protected wilderness. In Oregon, less than two percent of the total land base has been so allocated, mostly on National Forest lands. Another five per cent of Oregon is unprotected National Forest wildland. These 3-million acres of de facto wilderness are being studied and categorized in the Forest Service's second roadless area review and evaluation RARE II. This is the final process for wilderness designation on National Forest land. Recommendations to Congress are expected early next year. When the RARE II draft environmental impact statement appeared last June, conservationists were dismayed. The long-awaited, comprehensive review of roadless areas had gone sour. Lacking specific information about any roadless areas, and comprehensive benefit-cost analyses of timber harvest operations, the program was a disappointment to conservationists. Oregonians were spurred to do the Forest Service's work for them, and began developing a comprehensive plan to integrate the public's desire for wilderness preservation with economic stability. By mid-July the Oregon Alternative to RARE II was nearing completion. Several dozen RARE II strategy meetings had been held around the state, and regional components of the plan were being refined. Over 85 conservation groups, sportsmen's and outdoor groups provided input into the plan to balance regional wilderness opportunities with economic realities. Their goal: to preserve critical wilderness lands and simultaneously . maintain current timber outputs. The Oregon Alternative is a grass-roots, balanced approach to roadless area allocation. Moreover, the Oregon Alternative maintains timber yields by using tax dollars for intensive management on developed lands in the national forests. Rather than spending money on expensive road building in undeveloped areas, the Oregon Alternative would invest those dollars in intensive management. It is much more efficient to concentrate wood growing in these areas (which are already mostly accessible) and leave the unroaded wilderness intact. Consider these examples. On the Willamette National Forest, the largest timber-producing forest in the country, the roadless areas could contribute 92 million board feet of lumber annually, at a cost of $2 million per year in perpetuity. If $1 million- were spent on precommercial thin ning opportunities that currently exist on the already-roaded portion of the Willamette, 125 mmbf could be obtained in increased growth. The other million dollars could be spent on other intensive management options. The Oregon Alternative proposes that 61 areas be designated wilderness while 44 areas would be allocated to further planning and 40 more areas would be non-wilderness. If the Oregon Alternative were adopted, Oregon's national forests would contain 3.94 million wilderness acres, and more than 11 million acres of commercial timberland. Timber outputs would remain at current levels. The Oregon Alternative lets everyone "Have their cake and eat it too." The Oregon Alternative will give us wood products and wilderness for watershed protection, for habitat for endangered and diminishing animals and plants, for our Northwest adadromous fisheries, and for a forest gene pool and research laboratory. All these wilderness uses are considered and incorporated with timber outputs into the Oregon Alternative. This is the only plan that leaves any options for our children and theirs. More information on the Oregon Alternative can be obtained by calling Oregon Environmental Council in Portland at 222-1963 or writing OEC, 2637 S.W. Water Avenue, Portland, OR 97201. i St. T i-, I '-i"-' ' ' ' . " - - - i v , , ' . : . , - - ' v- J v - - Session nets tax alternative It was a less-than-enthusiastic Oregon legislature that convened in special session the day after Labor Day. Faced with the task of developing an alternative to Ballot Measure No. 6 that the voters might accept during the General Election Nov. 7 more than a few lawmakers approached the problem with a doomed-if-we-do, doomed-if-we-don't attitude. SALEM SCENE By Jack Zimmerman An exclusive to Oregon's weekly newspapers The problem generated by a steamroller initiative petition campaign that gathered more than 200,000 signatures of discontented citizens was the 1.5 per cent property tax limitation proposal patterned after California's successful Proposition 13. Public opinion polls consistently predicted an over whelming majority of voters intended to support the measure. Local governments, heavily dependent upon property tax revenue, could see the handwriting on the wall. Initial reaction to results of the California experience were generating a near-panic situation in many governmental circles. Compounding the fiscal implications for public health, safety, and education, were flaws in the proposed Constitutional Amendment that made the California measure largely inconsistent with Oregon statutory requirements. As many as 53 questions were submitted to Atty. Gen. Jim Redden for clarification. His answers prompted Gov. Straub already determined foe of the initive to call what is generally accepted as the state's 18th special session of the legislature. The reasons lawmakers were reluctent to assume responsibility for generating an alternative to Measure Six are many. California solons tried the same procedure and lost heavily. Voters were leery of what they apparently figured was a politically inspired attempt to thwart their expression of deep discontent. And considering every member of the Oregon House of Representatives and more than half the Senate face their own constitutents at the polls also on Nov. 7, the political implications of involvement are serious to say the least. Never in recent history have Oregon lawmakers had to gather in special session to solve such a momentous problem on the vertiable eve of a General Election. In the same vein, Gov. Straub's opposition to the measure and the differing attitude of his challar.gcr, State Sen, Victor Atiyeh, also produced apprehension among the politically astute. Many objected to endangering their own futures for the sake of a session that might tend only to influence the outcome of the gubernatorial campaign. Then there is the makeup of the special session. While this Legislature was considered one of the most experienced in recent years when it met in regular biennial session in 1977,' its complexion has changed considerably. Eight v. 7 THE GAZETTE -TIMES 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 af Heppner, Oregon. G.M. Reed, Publisher Dolores Reed, Co-publisher Terry M. Hager, Managing Editor Rick Steelhammer, News Editor Gayle Rush, Composing Chloe Pearson, Composing Justine Weatherford Local Columnist Ron Jordan, Printer members of the House are lameducks, who will not face voters this November for a variety of reasons. Four House members are appointees filling vacancies created since the regular session. The Senate has three appointees, two of whom have creditable legislative experience. The third is a lameduck beaten in the Primary, as is one of the House appointees. Also, there was the Constitutional requirement involving approval of executive appointments and consideration of the massive number of vetoes exercised by Gov. Straub following the regular session. Both activities contain the potential for political peril as does the fact legislative leadership might not be able to control the urge on the parts of some lawmakers to stray from the task at hand, digressing in favor of non-essential business. And, of course, there was the possibility the Assembly could not agree on any acceptable alternative. A joint committee of 21 lawmakers spent a week prior to , the special session seeking a plan to present to their colleagues. Gov. Straub offered a plan. Sen. Atiyeh proposed conforming Measure Six to Oregon law and the committee came up with a scheme of its own. When the inevitable occured, lawmakers quickly approved executive appointments, agreed to override three of twenty gubernatorial vetoes with relative dispatch, had the House leaning toward the preliminary committee's proposal and the Senate mulling changes the House likely would accept. Meanwhile, it was interesting to observe the lone individual primarily responsible for all this fuss was off on another crusade. Jim Whittenburg, who authored Measure Six in the first place by raising the tax limitation by a half per cent on a copy of Proposition 13, had publicly supported Gov. Straub's plan over his own, and been largely disowned by many carriers of his petition was busily pursuing a write-in campaign in his own behalf to unseat the state's ranking member of Congress, Ways & Means Chairman Al Ullman. 1LEWEC3S . Thanks for jacket purchases... more on sale . Editor: The Heppner Lions would like to express appreciation to the many, many people who have purchased Heppner Mustang jackets in support of the band uniform fund. The response to the project has been excellent. The project is being brought to a conclusion now. Anyone who is still interested in ordering a jacket should contact a member of the Lions Mustang jacket committee to place an order. " " A special thanks is extended to Phyllis Kroll of Kroll's Department Store for providing the Mustang jackets for the project at cost. -; Again, a big thank-you to everyone who purchased a Mustang jacket. John Edmundson Robb Rush Lee Hazen Frank Pearson ...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 Sixty years ago this week, Morrow Countians attending the Pendleton Roundup witnessed an unscheduled stunt act that had fatal consequences for a Umatilla County amateur rider. Jack C. Jenkins of Pendleton had asked that his "daredevil fire ride" be placed on the roundup's program, but rodeo officials refused, saying there were already too many trick riders on the bill. During a Saturday afternoon intermission in the Roundup, Jenkins decided to give a performance without official consent. Dressed in two pairs of overalls, over which he wore a gas-soaked pair of courduroys, Jenkins climbed on his horse and struck a match. "Instantly, he was enveloped in a mass of flames and his horse began whirling around," the Gazette-Times reported. "He fell from his horse and started running down the track. Not knowing at first but that it was some act, guards near the man made no attempt to assist him until he started running." The guards finally caught up to Jenkins and put out the flames with an extinguisher and blankets. He died the following day. Jenkins' friends told authorities that the amateur stunt rider had believed that while riding his galloping horse, the flames would be swept back from his body by the wind. The same Morgan Street Bridge that is in the news this week made the front page of the Gazette-Times in mid-1928, when Heppner City Council authorized its construction. The new span was needed 50 years ago to replace a condemned bridge on private property that had been serving the Morgan Street neighborhood. During the same council meeting a half century ago, city officials authorized the construciton of a second bridge one spanning Hinton Creek at Elder Street. It would be nice if the 1978 city council could bid the Morgan Street replacement at 1928 prices. Gay M. Anderson of Heppner won a $50 rifle from Peoples Hardware for bagging the biggest buck during the opening week of the 1928 Morrow County big game season. Anderson's prize stag tipped the scales at 226 pounds fully dressed. Charles Wilcox of Lexington placed second in the county-wide competition, with a 213-pound animal. Ten years ago this week, morrow County Extension Agent Gene Winters was re-assigned to Amman, Jordan, to serve as an agronomy specialist and party chief for a Jordanian wheat research project. Winters began work in Morrow County in 1965. He told the Gazette-Times that while he enjoyed living and working in the area, the "opportunity to specialize in technical agriculture appeared too good to turn down." During the same September week in 1968, the Heppner Mustangs started the grid season on a positive note, thrashing the Condon Blue Devils 26-0. Later that week, ground was broken for construction of the new Colunbia Basin Electrical Co-op building in Heppner. Five years ago this week, the' Gazzette-Times sponsored an informal poll in order to determine if Heppner residents favored removing parking meters from downtown streets. Residents responded by a 5-1 margin in favor of ejecting the no-armed bandits. One year ago this week, Heppner City Foreman Don Penny was relieved of his duties by the city council. The council also agreed to place on the ballot an $18,000 serial levy to help in the funding for a new Morgan Street Bridge. 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 O. Hatfield. Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC. 20510 Member of AnnrnnrinMon? 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. (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. i X, jh .J.,- 4 -- 4 .., , .. . -"I.
