Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1978)
TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Wednesday November 22, 1978 Sifting through The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES 7DHnPDC0? Salem Scene An exclusive to Oregon's weekly newspapers BY Jack Zimmeran Victorious candidates for seats in the Oregon Legisla ture may become more disap pointed with the outcome of this year's General Election with each passing day. Although initially pleased that voters propelled them into office or restored their membership in that lawmak ing body, the growing disap pointment may stem from the way voters responded to the 11 measures on the statewide ballot. Seldom has the electorate been faced with such an array of emotion-laden issues. And each boasts an extensive history of legislative debate. How handy it would have been for busy legislators if voters had settled those issues at the polls. The people voted. But the problems remain. Technically, the Legislature has only four or five specific duties to perform during its odd-year regular sessions. It must appropriate money to run the state its institutions, judiciary, executive depart ment, etc. It must raise revenue sufficient to cover those appropriations. It must enact regulatory legislation applying to franchised enter prises, such as utilities. And fourth, it must provide care for the wards of the state. This item of business includes public education and welfare and those two subjects have grown in scope enough to be considered the Legislature's fifth official duty. According to law, once those four or five functions have been performed, our law makers can go home. But it doesn't work that way. Appropriating money to run the state and agreeing to a tax program that will raise cor responding revenue have be come such gigantic tasks as the size of government has increased that nearly six months are required to do those jobs. In the meantime, the fourth and fifth responsibilities are 'osely tied to the first two and cne third the subject of regulation has grown to en compass some aspect of almost every human endeav- -or. So while the budget settling Ways & Means and Revenue Committees struggle to balance income with outgo, the rest of our lawmakers become occupied with literal ly thousands of bills dealing with everything under the sun. How nice it would have been indeed, if voters had dealt decisively with those issues on the ballot. Measure No. 1 sought reform in the manner we elect appellate and tax court judges. The people turned it down but the issue is far from dead. No. 2 granted the Senate confirmation power over gubernatorial ap poinments. By passing it, voters have sustained another task for a portion of that overworked lawmaking body. No. 3 sought more revenue for highways, roads and streets. Its failure dumps the problem of financing adequate main tainance of deteriorating thoroughfares right back in the Legislature's lap. Failure of No. 4 will not halt the perennial movement to create more people's utility districts. And passage of the denturist measure is bound to prompt continuing pressure from dental and medical profes sions for modification or outright repeal. Failure of Measure 6 and 11 provide basis for the greatest legislative disappointment of all. Lawmakers certainly re cognize the overwhelming desire of their constituents for property tax relief and limit ing government spending. But the voters turned down both the people's own initiative and the legislature's alternative. Back to the old drawing board. Failure of the initiative that would have prohibited state funded abortions probably won't blunt the movement to halt the practice and passage of the limited death penalty measure already has drawn a storm of protest from lawyer members of the Legislature, who doubt its legality and already are preparing modifi cations. Passage of No. 9 likely will see electric utilities seeking some other formula for financ ing construction of new gener ating facilities. And failure of No. 10 won't keep lawmaker from modifying the state's land use law. Meanwhile, Legislative Council, the bill-drafting arm of the Oregon Legislature, reports it already has receiv ed a record number of requests to write bills for introduction when our law makers convene in Salem Jan. 8. Little wonder then if some Legislators are disappointed at least part of the election results couldn't have been different. r , tjLJu ' . , Ct' ; i , - t . v " , w . ; I - - - - - . ." 1 1 A 9 Li. n h 1 , V 1 t jT"" " L lL ."4. . w' , v "mmm m '" '4, '4' r: i R.EE FROM READERS Proposed Portland rail system is defended Editor: I noted with interest the letter in the November 9 Heppner Gazette-Times by Tom Armstrong of Portland regarding the proposed light rail commuter line between Portland and Gresham, Oregon. Unfortunately, much of the information supplied in that letter was misleading, and some of the "facts" were simply untrue. True, the Portland-Gresham transportation project will cost $161 million. But of that figure, less than $44 million is for about 14 miles of electric railway; almost $64 million is for widening about 4 miles of the Banfield Freeway, and the remainder is for other auto-related projects such as road alterations and auto parking lots! On a cost-per-mile basis, that works out to be $15.9 million per mile of road; for the railway, only $3.14 million per mile less than one-fifth as much. Put another way, $44,000,000 for 14 miles of light rail line will take a lot fewer tax dollars than a new urban "freeway," typical costs of which range from $50,000,000 to $100,000,000 per mile. The light rail line is projected to handle about 20 per cent of the transit ridership of Tri-Met by 1990, which translates to well over 50,000 people. This projection is the equivalent of Parent group is forming Editor: We, the following, would like to form a group of parents and teachers in which together we could improve, help and support our public schools. We know there is a drug and alcohol problem; there are discipline problems and communication could be improved. We would like to assist somehow to make our schools better. All concerned parents and interested teachers are encouraged to meet Monday, Nov. 27, at 7:30 p.m., Heppner Elementary School Multipurpose room. There are strong and weak points ot our schools and our goal is to do what we can to facilitate our youth in gaining the best education possible. Dan and Rarbara James Bethal and Paul llcinrichs Steve and Vicki Tollefson Paul and Jeanne Sumner SUBSCRIPTION RATE $8.00 In Morrow, Umatilla, Whseler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere The Heppner ETTE-TME Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper 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 Rick Steelhammer, News Editor Gayle Rush, Composition Dolores Reed, Co-yublishs' Eileen Saling, Office Manager. Kyra Query, Composition Ron Jordan, Printer Terry M. linger, Managing Editor Justine Weatherford, Locai Columnist Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice 35,000 auto trips, which means substantial decreases in traffic congestion for those (like possibly Mr. Armstrong) who still want to use their autos, as well as accompanying reduction in air pollution. The light rail line will provide faster and more attractive service than busses in more comfortable, more spacious vehicles which are electrically propelled. They will be quieter than automobiles and drastically more energy efficient and enviromentally less disturbing, which will serve to keep Mr. Armstong's neighborhood stable and unspoiled and will assure the further development of the central downtown area of Portland. Without the light rail system, they will not be able to transport the number of people to the planned new office buildings by any other means, bus or auto. The freeway widening, on the other hand, will do nothing to meet the need for additional traffic capacity between 1-5 and Gresham . It provides no buses or other vehicles to carry travellers. Road building does not diminish petroleum consumption. It does not curtail air pollution which spreads far beyond the metropolitan area. It does nothing to mitigate vehicular collisions, which drive up the cost of auto insurance. Road building greedily consumes land diminishing the area subject to taxes, which means increased taxes for Morrow County residents to offset the diminished receipts from metropolitan area contributors. Funds proposed to build and equip a light railway .will be spent to accomodate Portland area travel, whatever the technology selected. To serve a given magnitude of traffic, a railway will consume , less funding than equivalent" roarj-vehicle projects, this means more funding available for badly needed road improvements in portions of Oregon where travel density is insufficient to warrant railway construction, such as Morrow . County. . . Many paving contractors, petroleum companies, highway bureaucrats, trucking tradespersons, auto dealers, . et al, jealously seek to maintain the virtual monopoly they hold on land transportation. By stirring up an antagonism in outlying counties such as ours, they aim to scuttle any proposal for utilizing the advantages of railway technology for Portland area passenger service.. This is truly unfortunate, because when viewed from a broad perspective, . localized rail development serves to directly or indirectly benefit everyone throughout the state. Tndeed, I intend to write to my legislators tfls Mr. ' Armstrong wisely suggested, but my letters will be to support and encourage further development of rail travel whenever and whn . , possible. - J - - Sincerely, Rodney A. Aho Oregon Association of Railway Passengers DEADLINES General News & Society Sports & Weekend Events Late-breaking News Classified Advertising Display Advertising Friday, 5 p.m. Monday, 5 p.m. Tuesday, 12 noon Monday,5 p.m. Monday, 5 p.m. The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES 676-9228 the TIMES The Thanksgiving holiday season 30 years ago this week was spent marooned in a blizzard in Nebraska by Mrs. Leonard Pate of Heppner. The blizzard the worst in the Midwest in recent years struck while the Heppner woman was traveling by bus to attend her father's funeral. A heavy snow storm, whipped by 85-mile-an-hour winds, prevented the bus from negotiating a hill, forcing the vehicle to back two miles into tiny Creighton, Neb. a town that was already filled with stranded travelers. In Creighton, Mrs. Pate and her fellow storm refugees waited and passed the holiday season as best they could, without the benefit of electricity or ample breathing room. A white Thanksgiving also greeted Morrow Countians 50 years ago this week, when more than an inch blanketed Heppner. While the snow was falling during that week in 1928, James Thomson Jr., then an employee in his family's Main Street grocery store, was packing for an adventure. Thomson, along with Heppner railroad depot manager E.C. Amspoker and Crocket Sprouls, departed their hometown for Seattle, where they boarded a steamer bound for Yokohama, Japan, to begin a three month tour of the Orient. Amspoker had made several trips to the Far East, and was able to share his knowledge of the area with his younger companions. After Thomson returned several months later, he went on to operate the Thomson Brothers grocery. He retired this summer. Sixty years ago this week, Heppner schools opened after a forced, five-week vacation due to a nation-wide influenza epidemic. School buildings were thoroughly fumigated and aired prior to their re-opening. School officials planned to cut down play hours for the remainder of the year in order to make up for the study time lost to the epidemic of flu. During the same week in 1918, an estimated budget for Morrow County government during the coming year was published in the Gazette-Times. Salaries for the sheriff, assessor and schools superintendent were set at $1,200 per year each. The county clerk was allocated the biggest paycheck a whopping $2,000 for the year. A total of $1,570 was set aside for the care of the poor, while $3,000 went for "scalp bounties" on predatory animals. A total of $500 was budgeted to feed the county's jail inmates for a one-year period. LeRoy's Famous Jazz Orchestra of Portland was booked for an appearance at Heppner's fair pavilion this week in 1918, for a county Peace Celebration Ball. A man arrested by Heppner police on a vagrancy charge 25 years ago this week turned out to be wanted by the FBI for car theft in California. Harold Fairchild of Gardiner, Ore., purchased about $60 in clothing from Wilson's Men's Wear, paying with a counter check written on a Portland bank for $74.05. Store manager Delmar Jordan was naturally suspicious of the transaction and summoned the police. A check of fingerprints was made after it was learned that Fairchild had no account at the Portland bank, revealing that the vagrant was on the FBI wanted list. Ten years ago this week, the lone Cardinals lost a bid to advance to the finals in state football playoff competition, when they were steamrollered 66-26 by the Huntington Locomotives. During the same week in 1968, Navy officials told the local Chamber of Commerce that the Boardman Bombing Range was "absolutely vital" to military flight training. Picture Credit The ever-noticeable housing shortage in Heppner will be helped somewhat as a six home subdivision on Chase Street gets underway. John VanWinkle of Heppner's First Federal Savings & Loan and Jerry Murrell of J & D Construction in Boardman, look over plans on one of the homes on the hill overlooking Heppner. VanWinkle said his company's financing of the project exemplifies First Federal's committment to the community to help alleviate housing problems. 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, 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. (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. ...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
