Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1979)
TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday January 11, 1979 GAZETTE-TIMES U UlVJ?DLJ U Sifting through Politics as a career? Better think twice T , J.: '.Of the TIMES! Ever think of making politics your career? That thought is bound to be uppermost in the minds of many youthful political aspi rants as they observe activi ties of this state's 60th Legislative Assembly during the months ahead. SALEM SCENE By Jack Zimmerman The craving to serve as an Oregon lawmaker appears to attract an ever-growing num ber of candidates each elec tion. In addition to satisfying this urge for public service, the role of Legislator appears to include numerous addition al personal gratifications. And there's always the chance legislative service will lead to even greater satisfactions. After all, haven't most of our recent governors risen from the ranks of the State Legislature? And all but one of this state's current delegation to Congress served first as lawmakers in Salem. But what the budding politi cian is likely to overlook is the fact those who attain higher office following legislative service are the exception. And if job security is a consideration, forget politics especially as it in volves the Oregon Legisla ture. Oregonians long have prided themselves with the fact their lawmakers rise from the ranks of the citizenry to serve part time and at the will of the electorate. Voters generally hold this power in all political jurisdic tions. But it may just be a little stronger as applied to the Oregon Legislature because of the traditional citizen lawmaker concept. Despite a concerted effort on the parts of some as pay and fringes have increased in recent years, less than a handful of Oregon Legislators can be considered successful profes sional politicians. Let's face it. The attrition rate at the Statehouse is high. Turnover in the House of Representatives averages more than 25 per cent every two years. Senators, who are elected to four instead of two-year terms, naturally serve longer. But the turnover of Senators is considerable as well. Cont. on page 8 LETTERS FROM READERS Teen behavior at disco nights is blasted Editor: This is my first letter to the editor and I'm sorry it's not a happy one. I wish that the problem I am writing about did not exist, but unfortunately I cannot sit silent any longer in view of what has happened. As most of you who are parents of junior high and high school kids know, there have been disco dances on the weekends at the American Legion Hall for the past couple of months. I was working with Mr. Ackley and Mr. Brisso, who unselfishly D.J.'ed these dances. I sat at the door and took admission and tried very hard to keep cigarettes, beer and pot out. Even though I asked kids to put cigarettes out before they came in, it never failed that there would be those who defiantly "lit up" indoors and I'd have to ask again and again until I felt like a very monotonous record. I worked with a lot of these kids when I worked (for no pay, incidentally) as pianist for the Junior High Chorus at the school two years in a row. When I was in day after day contact with them then, I felt that they were very, very special for the most part and there were very few truly rude nad crude kids, one or two at the most and I chalked their behavior up to preteen and teen years; certainly not an easy time of life for anyone. I have had my heart broken before, but it's going to take a long time before I will want to give up my time and energies to do something for the Heppner kids again. But I really don't blame the kids. I blame you parents! I will probably be ridden out of town, tarred and feathered for this, but it's the parents that I blame. Parents that raise little girls who are proud of how far they can spit snoose and how filthy they can talk and how much beer and hard liquor they can guzzle out in the parking lot, while getting into just any guy's car to do that and a lot more. Sitting at the front door of that Legion Hall I saw plenty. I don't have X-ray eyes, we couldn't close the door completely because the same kids yanked it off its hinges. I saw your children smoking, drinking, squirreling in cars and fighting in the parking lot. I have heard some of the filthiest, smuttiest lingo come out of these children's mouths. 13, 14 and 15 year-old boys and girls. I am no prude. I was ranch raised and there is hardly a four letter word that I have not heard used at one time or another, but this parking lot stuff was enough to make the dirtiest mouthed waddy blush. I have handled livestock that had more manners than some of those young ladies, not to mention the boys, and a wild bull can't be held responsible for his behavior! One might expect a wild bull to tear the door off its hinges if they ever went to disco dances! These were your children who were acting like this! I am appalled and saddened when dedicated teachers like Mr. Ackley and Mr. Brisso are let down the way that they have been for trying to bring a little entertainment into your kid's lives. Trying to get them off the streets and give them a fun filled place to come to on the weekends. In the short time that we provided dances, Heppner teenagers ripped off the door, scrawled obscenities in the ladies room (and I suppose the men's), broke furniture, ripped upholstery off the seats, gummed up the floors, ripped the sink off the wall in the men's room, urinated on the walls . and the floors, filled the toilets with broken beer bottles, whole rolls of toilet paper and the legs of an antique table that was in the powder room, not to mention the fact that the girls found it necessary to throw used feminine napkins on the floor (not wrapped up in any way, folks) and scrawl more obscenities on the mirror and the walls of the toilet stall with lipstick and soap. Maybe I shouldn't get so pushed outta shape, the waste baskets were full of beer bottles and perhaps there was no room to dispose of a feminine napkin in the usual acceptable manner. I caught two eighth grade girls who had jammed the door to the powder room from the inside, so they could smoke their marijuana in peace. There was a fist fight in the ladies? room at our last dance. These kids were getting a service. I am sure that busy guys like Mr. Ackley and Mr. Brisso could have used their time and energy in more pleasant pursuits and I know I could have spent mine in more pleasant surrounding than sitting at an open door in 8 below zero weather ! They were charged a very nominal admission: one dollar. I can't believe how many tens and twenties that I changed. This should tell you something. These kids take and take and take and haven't been taught the fact that it's nice to sometimes say thank you when someone is doing something for you. They don't seem to think that giving is important. A little appreciation, a little clean decent behavior. These things would have kept the disco open, but I certainly can't blame the Legionaires for not wanting to rent their building for the purpose of disco dances for the youth of Heppner and the surrounding area when the massive vandalism and animalistic behavior on the part of your girls and boys is how they are repaid for letting them come there to dance. I don't blame Mr. Ackley and Mr. Brisso and myself for not wishing to do much else for the kids in Heppner. I am not so old, but I can remember when girls were clean and feminine and they spoke with a little respect and pride and I don't mean "boy what a great dirty word!" They took pride in being clean and classy and feminine and wouldn't have been caught dead with a plug of Days Work or snoose in their mouths. I ache because some of the kids who were clean and innocent two years ago when I was working with them at the junior high have gone wild as little jungle animals. Heppner is an affluent community for the most part, but you can't buy manners. Manners must be taught and it is not the responsibility of the school teachers to raise your kids to be polite. It's you parents (and I use the term loosely) that I blame. Sincerely and with a broken heart I sign my name, Judy Paine W.G. McCarty was sworn in as mayor of Heppner 50 years ago this week, replacing E.G. Noble, who had served at the helm of city government for a decade. During the same week in 1929, the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads authorized spending $25,000 to pave a portion of the Heppner-Spray road, and Ralph Harris of lone resigned as county surveyor. Heppner's town basketball team took a drubbing at the hands of Arlington, losing by a 30-15 margin. W.R. Poulson was high-point man for the low-scoring local team, which included Francis Doherty, Paul Aiken, Bill Bucknum and Raymond Ferguson. "Mademoiselle From Armentiers" was the featured attraction at Heppner's Star Theater. The Harold Becket home on South Court Street burned to the ground 30 years ago this week, with subfreezing temperatures hampering firemen from containing the blaze. Mr. and Mrs. Becket and daughter Sharon managed to escape to safety, but managed to salvage only a few pieces of furniture. The Becket house was unique in that Mr. Becket had performed all the construction work himself, starting in 1932. V.L. Carlson, the Gooseberry area's volunteer weather ,'ecorder, reported that the just-ended year of 1948 was the wettest recorded in history. A total of 20.77 inches of precipitation fell on the Gooseberry area, nearly double the norm of 12 inches. Twenty-five years ago this week, more than 300 persons turned out to take part in dedication ceremonies for Ione's new gymnasium, cafetorium and swimming pool. The major improvements to the school complex carried a pricetag of $225,000. During the same week in 195,4, the largest recorded steelhead ever was pulled out of the John Day River near the confluence with Service Creek by Redmond angler John Parkey. The winter-run steelhead measured 33.5 inches, and weighed just over 12 pounds. Beverly Diane Holm, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Holm of Heppner, was Morrow County's New Year's Baby for 1954. Heppner School Superintendent H. C. Reed won an honest-to-God door prize during the Heppner Chamber of Commerce meeting during this week 25 years ago. The door prize was, as you may have guessed, a door. John Mollahan was sworn in as Morrow County Sheriff during a Courthouse ceremony 10 years ago this week, replacing retiring sheriff C.J.D. Bauman. Bau'man was retained by Mollahan to serve as deputy. The new sheriff also hired Morrow County native Larry Fetsch as a new deputy. Fetsch must have liked the job, since he is the current sheriff. Five years ago this week, Elaine George resigned as Heppner's city recorder, to be replaced by Marshall Lovgren, the current city administrator. Police Chief Dean Gilman asked the city council for permission to stop issuing parking meter violations, since a spell of unseasonably cold weather was causing many of the meters to malfunction. During the same week, the 1974 Morrow County Fair and Rodeo Court was named. Selected queen was Sherry Kemp. Her court consisted of princesses Cassy Chapel and Mickey Hoskins of lone, and Michelle Evans and Patricia Van Schoiack of Heppner. Last year this week, Dr. Joseph Gifford of Heppner Medical Clinic announced that he was leaving Morrow County to accept residency in radiology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque. Gifford had been practicing medicine in Heppner for the previous three years. During the same week, the Rev. Wayne Smith took over pastoral duties at the Christian Life Center Assembly of God Church in Heppner. Ackley 6appalledP by dance conduct Editor: During my almost six years in the town of Heppner, I have dedicated a lot of my time and energies toward the benefit of the young people in our area. I've had many disappointments in the reactions of those young people toward my efforts, but nothing can top the failure of my latest venture. My partner and I had been putting on dances in the Legion Hall so the kids would have a place to go on weekends. We made a little spending money, with most of our reward coming from seeing the kids have a good time. Unfortunately, a number of the more mentally unstable variety must not have appreciated having a place to go on weekends. Due to the damage done over the last few weeks, there will no longer be any dances for the kids at the Legion SUBSCRIPTION RATE $8.00 In Morrow, Umatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere The Heppner GAZET II ilMlico) 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 Dolores Reed, Co-publisher Terry M. Hager, Managing Editor Rick Steelhammer, News Editor Eileen Saling, Office Manager Justine Weatherford, Local Columnist Gayle Rush, Composition Melissa Scott, Composition Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice Ron Jordan, Printer Hall. The best way to explain the type and amount of damage done is to just give you a list : Gum ground into the floor, beer bottles in the toilet, writing on the girl's restroom walls, one broken table, one ripped out sink, five or six seats with upholstery ripped and the stuffing torn out, part of the thermostat stolen, a door torn off its hinges, one broken door knob, one broken door panel, cigarette butts ground into the floor, toilet paper rolls and loose pieces of toilet paper jammed into the toilets, a used feminine napkin on the floor of the girls restroom, and constant urinating on the floor of the boys restroom. The American Legion bent over backwards to give the kids a building for their dances. They were willing to give what they could for the benefit of our young people. But, how can they or I continue with a good idea when the kids react with such contempt? I will probably begin phasing out my activities with young people. It seems like each year the animal instincts in our younger generation become stronger. There are very few young people I can honestly look at with a lot of respect anymore, and that is very sad. That goes against my entire philosophy of humanity. But, then a human must have human qualities, and not think they're being "neat" by emulating a wolf, a sheep or a turkey. The decent kids in our community are going to have to pull together and stop encouraging the activities of the few that are jeopardizing everyone's rights as human beings. Parents, I haven't got much respect for some of you, either. A lot of you honestly don't realize what your kids do, and some of you honestly don't care. I've been in a position to see a lot of things that you couldn't dream possible, and believe me, it is appalling. If you condone the kind of behavior that goes on in our area by a few of our young people, then I heartily recommend that you seek professional help, for your good and the good of your children. I've written a controversial letter or two in this paper over social problems in the past, and I expect to get a lot of static over this attack on attitudes of our young people. But, somebody's got to do something. School spirit is down and dirty, it seems like striving for achievement is at an all-time low, and respect for other people and their property is non-existant. Parents, I challenge you to do your jobs and raise your kids with a little character and responsibility. Young people, I challenge you to be the best you can be in whatever you choose to do and face all of your situations with the concepts of humanity that you were born with. Maybe then, parents and their kids can look at each other with respect and pride and be able to go to the zoo without feeling some sort of kinship with its inhabitants. Sincerely, Jim Ackley A very tired band man Christmas Basket program is lauded Editor: With the response for help in the Christmas Basket project, Morrow County can wejl be proud of their citizens. This year more people, organizations and business establishments came forth generously to make Christmas 1978 a more happy and bountiful time for our less fortunate, handicapped and senior citizens of the entire county. We of the Neighborhood Center wish to extend our thanks for your generosity and support. May the year 1979 be most successful and happy. Most Sincerely, Pat Brindle, Coordinator Picture Credit Walking down Willow Creek would be a soggy proposition during most of the year, but the current cold snap has made the stream a scenic route home for many Heppner schoolchildren. But Heppnerites have always found interesting ways of dealing with the cold. Photo insert shows snow carving of Abraham Lincoln created by the late Stanley Minor of Heppner in 1935. For years, Minor carved Lincoln's bust each winter, with the first big snowfall.
