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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1979)
TWO-The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday January 4, 1979 The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES Sifting through V7DLI Big decisions face local government Much activity looms ahead for local governments and residents in 1979 and to help ensure the right decisions being made at the right time, citizen involvement and understanding, as well as govern ment candor and frankness are imperative. The Willow Creek Dam is a reality and the Corps of Engineers will be moving ahead on the project as spring and summer arrive. Already discussion is taking place about relocation of the city's water line on Willow Creek; there are questions to be answered yet in regards to the flood plain after the dam is built. Pioneer Memorial Hospital's future has yet to be decided, and is the search for an additional Heppner doctor continuing? The Morrow County Court has two meetings scheduled for next week the first with the Corps of Engineers concerning the flood plain through Heppner, Lexington and lone, and the second with North West Medical Foundation, a group that recently conducted a study of Pioneer Memorial. While these meetings are informational and for the Court, city and chamber of commerce officials, public meetings will follow at which time area residents can become informed and make comments on the issues. City of Heppner residents should be considering whether or not additional monies should be allocated in the years ahead to increase the capacity of their water system. It could be done now, with construction of the Willow Creek Dam, at a great savings because the Corps will be picking up the lion's share of the tab. Tax monies will also be an issue in determining the future of Pioneer Memorial. Past experience and the North West Medical Foundation report clearly bear out that in regards to both continuing operations and possible capital improvements that are clearly needed. In addition to these major issues, county, and city governments and the schools will almost certainly need additional tax monies to operate and citizens should make their wishes known at the many public meetings that will be held in the months ahead prior to the time they cast their ballots at the polls. fLEIHHS FROM READERS Aho praises forum Editor: This letter is to cordially thank everyone attending and participating in the public forum on drug and alcohol abuse which was held last week at the Heppner Grade School. ' The interest shown is appreciated by the Concerned Parents and Teachers group, and is evidence that there are many individuals in our area who believe that problems in the Local schools can and will be solved through a cooperative effort. Sincerely, Rodney A. Aho ...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 few v 1 ft t t "are-: t -' , i r u f 5 y9 K ft 4 7 1 s f I I . -- Vr' j 'i & V'-Vj 7 3 J New ties with China should offer short-term gains to grain producers Oregon Farm Bureau Fed eration President Waldron Johnson said in Portland on December 27 that presidents of Farm Bureaus from 49 states and Puerto Rico felt that recognition of the People's Republic of China was a good thing, but that they were concerned that Taiwan would be "thrown to the wolves," like other nations from which the United States had withdrawn support. Johnson, interviewed short ly after his return from a meeting of state Farm Bureau presidents in Chicago, said that the People's Republic would offer an immediate market for Pacific Northwest grain, but that long range .benefits would go to Oregon farmers who grew specialty crops of fruit and vegetables for processing. "These will be the signifi cant future exports from Oregon. Once our technology has ben introduced, China's demand for our grain prob ably would dwindle. The PRC really wants our technology, not our basic commodities," he said. "On the other hand, Taiwan is an established customer for our wheat. We may lose this market in retaliation for President Carter's unilateral action." Johnson said that Farm Bureau leaders questioned the singular nature of the action more than the act. itself. With a threat of a gasoline short age, or much higher prices, imminent, Johnson said that Farm Bureau will encourage national development of an alcohol fuel supplement, which could be made from unmarketable agricultural surpluses. "The Ohio Farm Bureau already has researched it to the point where alcohol can be produced for 50 cents a gallon. The stage is set for a real breakthrough, I think." Three midwest states allow a three cent per gallon tax incentive to motorists who use the so-called "gasohol", Johnson said. Sugarcane appears to be the best source, since it is storable, it provides the most economical source of carbohydrate, and its by products may be used for other purposes, he added. "Once we whittle down our vast grain surplus, we could plant one of the available 20 varieties almost anywhere in the country. It would be an excellant cash crop, and one which would not be considered part of the world food supply," he said. Johnson also mentioned an effort to ease government regulations on business and agriculture by calling for a one year moratorium on government regulations for a period of assessing their benefits against their costs. Also, he said there will be an effort made to tie the federal budget to a percentage of the Gross National Product. These and other matters will receive the attention of delegates to the American Farm Bureau's annual meet ing in Miami Beach, January 14-18. Johnson will represent Oregon Farm Bureau's 8600 member families. The American Farm Bureau now has a membership of more than three million families. Oregon Cattlemen's Assn. hires Ray ISovotny as membership chief Picture Credit It looks like a pretty solemn occasion as four Heppner city councilmen are sworn into office by Mayor Jerry Sweeney. The new councilmen were elected to their posts in the November election. From left are Ron Forrar, Frank Pearson, Joe Miller, Butch Laughlin and Sweeney. SUBSCRIPTION RATE $8.00 In Morrow, Umatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere The Heppner GAZETTE-TIME 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-publisher Eileen Saling, Office Manager Melissa Scott, Composition Ron Jordan, Printer Terry M. Hager, Managing Editor Justine Weafherford, Local Columnist Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice Ray Novotny, former Extension Agent in Harney and Malheur Counties, has been hired by the Oregon Cattlemen's Association as membership coordinator, ac cording to Bill Ross, Jordan Valley, President of the 3,0UU member cattlemens associa tion. Novotny retired from the Oregon State Extension Ser vice last September. He will continue to reside in Ontario. Novotny will work under the supervision of Donald Osten soe, Executive Vice President of the association. Ross, who was just re elected President of the assoc iation for another year, said "building membership in our association will be my top priority for 1979. I think it is possible to obtain between 800 and 1000 new members. In creased membership will help strengthen our financial base and give us additional clout in the legislature in Salem and also for many programs affecting our industry in Congress." Ross also said that other objectives during his adminis tration for 1979 will include a more improved marketing system; animal health pro grams; private and public land issues and a number of other industry programs which are vital to the cattle interests of this state. Ross will lead a delegation of approximately 30 OCA mem bers to the National Cattle men's Association annual meeting in Kansas City begin ning Jan. 23. DEADLINES General News & 5.cie'y Sports & Weekend t!s Late-break inq Ne w Classified Adver'is" ..; Display Ad ve'tismy 1 r u'iuy " . ' nd(n ) " 1 Fuesdu, '..( ,m Monday 5 p.m. Monday 5 p.m. The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES 676-9228 the TIMES A packed house turned out at the Star Theater in Heppner 50 years ago this week to witness the premiere appearance of talking movies in this city. The Star's owner, B.S. Sigsbee, was impressed with the instant popularity of the "talkie" with local folks, according to a Jan. 3, 1929 account on the event. "A large crowd taxed the capacity of the Star Theater, evidencing a wide public interest in this latest development of the cinema," the Gazette-Times reported. "Patsy Ruth Miller in 'Beautiful but Dumb' was the featured attraction, with talking sequences provided by one of the many methods devised for making the silver screen speak." During the same opening week of 1929, a group of Morrow County lawyers pooled their resources to purchase an ornate desk set for outgoing sheriff George McDuffee, who was defeated in the November election. M L. Case, owner of the Fair Store building in Heppner announced that his tenants, Phelps Grocery and M.H. Kopple dry goods, were trading store locations in the lower level of the building. Morrow County aviation enthusiasts were trying to raise $3,670 in local funds in order to receive a federal matching grant of $7,000 in order to build the airport facility at Lexington 30 years ago this week. Leading the drive to build the airport facility was former Lexington Mayor Alonzo Henderson. Nine airplanes were already making use of a roughed-in landing strip at Lexington, and more were sure to come if an improved facility could be built. Henderson and his supporters were eyeing a 17 acre parcel adjacent to the existing landing strip on which to build the new facility. But airport supporters had their work cut out for them; in order to receive the federal matching funds, the $3,670 in local funds had to be raised by a Feb. 1 deadline. During the same week in early January of 1949, three newcomers to county politics were sworn into office in ceremonies at the courthouse. Sworn in as the new Morrow County Sheriff was C.J.D. Bauman. Installed as a new county judge was J.G. Barratt, and taking the oath to become the county's new district attorney was Ralph Currin. At the end of the list of those sworn to new terms of public office, according to the Gazette-Times coverage of the event, was "Jarvis Chaffee, sanitary engineer, otherwise referred to as the courthouse janitor." On the other side of the world during that week in 1949, Staff Sgt. Jack Shaffer of Cecil was busy in Germany, operating a complex radio navigation system to enable Allied flyers to successfully take part in the Berlin Airlift. Holiday vacations lasted longer than expected for many employees of Kinzua Corporation's sawmill operation at the town of Kinzua 30 years ago this week. Several of the Kinzua mill's departments remained closed following the end of the holiday season, due to a breakdown in a power generator. The mill industry was also in the news 25 years ago this week, when it was announced that the Heppner Lumber Co. was being sold to Maurice Hitchcock of White Swan, Wash., and the firm of Dant & Russell, Inc. The change of ownership resulted in changing the name of the facility to Heppner Pine Mills, Inc. Paul Koenig was named to manage the mill under the new owners. The two principals among the former owners of the mill, Orville Smith and P.W. Mahoney of Heppner, retained their holdings in the North Fork Timber Co. operation at Monument. During the same week, the first shipment of Morrow County grain was made from the new Morrow County Grain Growers barge facility at Paterson Ferry on the Columbia. The maiden shipment from the new dock consisted of 25,000 bushels of holdover wheat destined for Portland and points beyond. At that time, more than 1.8 million bushels of the previous autumn's grain crop was being stored, awaiting better prices. Moses Duran, butcher at the Central Market, was found dead in his jeep during this week in 1954, after suffering a heart attack shortly after shooting a coyote. Duran became the object of an intensive, two-day, air and ground search, after he failed to return from a bird hunting trip to the Umatilla area. Aerial spotter Howard Arthur of the Umatilla County Sheriff's office and Heppner aviator Orville Cutsforth were the first to spot Duran's jeep, located in a field on the Glenn Campbell Ranch not far from Butter Creek Junction. When ground searchers arrived at the scene, Duran's body was found sitting in his jeep, aiming his shotgun through a raised windshield at the body of the coyote he had shot, some 60 feet distant. Tire tracks indicated that he had chased the animal for a considerable distance before getting close enough to shoot it. Ten years ago this week, Morrow County schoolchildren received an unexpected vacation, when the mercury plunged to eight degrees below zero, closing schools for four days. Blizzard conditions that accompanied the cold snap brought area traffic to a standstill. The high temperature reading for Monday of this week in 1969 was three below zero. When an attempt was made to start up the county's school buses on Tuesday, only one out of five would respond. Sheriff C.J.D. Bauman, who was sworn into office during this week 30 years ago, was honored for his years of service during this week 10 years ago, upon his retirement. Army Capt. Bob Nichols, a 1961 graduate of Heppner High School, was awarded the Silver Star medal for bravery during combat in Vietnam during this week a decade ago. Tragedy struck in Heppner five years ago this week, when a predawn blaze broke out in the home of 60-year-old Mary Edna Hutchens, resulting in her death. The fire was spotted early Jan. 1 by neighbors holding a' New Year's party near Mrs. Hutchen's Court Street home. Heppner fireman responded quickly to the alarm, but the home was engulfed in flames and inaccessible when they arrived at the scene. Fireman were also hampered by subfreezing weather and spectators. i WW Professional Results! Gazette - T!mtlPiinting -Heppner, Oregon ror a jod well done... try us! Get the finest aualitv anri wr. Printing vice at rates you can afford! We're fast! 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