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TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday January 25, 1979
The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
UDCIOEPeDCTO
VST-
Pioneer Memorial
needs direction
from board
Pioneer Memorial Hospital's future as out
lined by the Northwest Medical Foundation
(NWMF) in their recently completed survey
points to the need for a concerted effort by the
hospital board 'to develop a firm and complete
management plan.
Hospital board members have complained in
the past that "no authority is given them with which
to make their decisions enforceable"; claiming the
County Court overturns their determinations.
Oregon State statutes clearly state otherwise.
The Pioneer Memorial Hospital Board of Directors
has clearly defined statutory authority and perhaps
they should familiarize themselves with that
authority.
At the same time, the Morrow County Court
should clearly separate themselves from hospital
operations and decisions; and back the board on its
recommendations and determinations.
The NWMF report shouldn't be used as the sole
instrument in deciding the hopital's future, but, it
clearly outlines some basic problems: administra
tion and management; the need to improve
facilities and upgrade equipment; the need to
attract more doctors to Heppner, Boardman,
Condon and Fossil; and the need for broad-based,
community support.
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A meeting of the Doctor Search Committee held t
recently for election of new officers fell short of the
needed quorum. Only two members Kent Good- ,
year and Dan Sweeney of the more than 30
members showed up; The search for physicians for
Heppner, Boardman and -the tri-county area
appears to be at a standstill. What now?
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LEIf iHS FROM READERS
'Humane education9 may help solve teen problems
Editor:
You were kind to print the two sordid expose letters
about the actions of our local young people. It is most
honorable of the letter writers to expose these vandal acts
rather than sweep them under the rug and pretend they did
not happen. Most people think if juvenile criminals were
exposed by name and not hidden in closed courts, that there
would be less crime and violence. These letters are most
certainly good proof of how very badly we do need Humane
Education in our schools. "The lack of humane education is
the principal cause of crime and violence. "...The Journal of
Education.
To the young people who do know better these letters
should be encouragement for them to hang in there and give
Angus Assn. leader has 'beef with
Carter Administration cattle policy
Dear President Carter:
The message your administration is sending to beef
cattle producers is being received loud and clear.
Unfortunately, I doubt the message they are receiving is the
message you think you are transmitting.
I represent 35,322 producers of Angus cattle who are
working to increase the production of high quality beef cattle
in this country. And they will, if they are allowed to make
reasonable profits on their investment, get a return for their
labor, and are confident that these reasonable returns will
continue for at least a few years. They need this assurance in
order to justify investing in long range production expansion.
These American Angus Association members represent
more than 106,000 consumers. This is not a lot of people
compared to the total population, but agriculture producers
consume more products per capita than other segments of
the population because they buy goods for production in
addition to what they need for day to day living. Cattle
producers therefore are extremely conscious of rising costs
and the need to keep inflation under control.
It is for these reasons that I am concerned about
the communications gap between you and cattle producers. I
believe that you are trying to encourage beef producers to
expand production. But your actions and comments along
with those of Secretary Bergland are having the reverse
effect.
Livestock producers received no federal subsidy when
they were losing their shirts. Many producers in business in
1974 went bankrupt. Others lost their life savings at
retirement age, with little chance of ever making it back.
Many of the producers that survived did so by increasing
their debt load and almost all survivors found other sources
of income.
Those losses incurred by livestock producers were a
subsidy to consumers who enjoyed beef from 1974 through
1977. priced below the cost of production. These low prices
helped keep the inflation index down, and made your
administration's inflation fight look better than it deserved in
1976 and 1977.
Beef prices in 1978 moved to profitable levels for the first
time since 1973. Instead of praising cattlemen for helping
keep inflation down in previous years and pointing out to the
public that the new higher prices were justified, you and your
administration spokesmen started to label beef an inflation
leader. And this at a time when beef prices still had not
reached the level of a few years earlier.
Administration efforts to expand production should have
started in 1976 when cattlemen were still losing money. But
nothing was done. The solution to the problem, then as now,
was to assure cattlemen that profitable times were just
around the corner and could be counted on for some time to
come. This would have helped slow herd liquidation and
brought about earlier expansion.
To make matters worse, your efforts in 1978 and 1979 are
still not doing this. Expansion of beef imports by 200 million
pounds in 1978 and an additional increase of 78 million pounds
in 1979, has discouraged beef cattle expansion. The same is
true for your veto of the beef import bill. These actions say to
cattlemen that long term herd expansion may not be
profitable. It encourages them to take profits now rather
than to retain cows and heifers for breeding and future
expansion. To put it briefly your actions have made
cattlemen leary of the future.
Cattlemen, agricultural producers, and all consumers
are waiting for signs that you are going to take a realistic
approach to slowing down or stopping inflation. As President
of the United States you are in the best position to curb deficit
spending and bureaucratic inefficiency.
Putting the blame for much of our inflation on the beef
cattle industry will not even slow down inflation's growth.
Worse, it will cause cattlemen to hold back on plans for
increased production, and will work against your campaign
promises of reducing inflation to manageable levels and
balancing the federal budget in 1981.
Sincerely,
C.K. Allen
Executive Vice-President
American Angus Association
the community a better impression of themselves. It is hard
for me to believe that young people could change so much in
20 and 30 years. I loved to give parties tor my kids, and,
during those 18 years it was customary for all of the kids to
make the rounds and express their thanks and appreciation
to all chaperones and helpers with the parties, dances and
good old fashion school picnics. I agree with Judy Paine and
Jim Ackley that the parents are much to blame for allowing
kids to get in such despicable, disrespectful ruts of apathy. I
always will think we all are to blame for not putting more
pressure on our legislators for making pot, marijuana,
grass or whatever they call it legal. By allowing everybody to
just have a little is just a big fat cover-up and encouragement
that everyone should have a little to do the modern "in"
thing!
During my 18 years of parties for kids I had only one
disappointment. In those days the Soroptimists gave the kids
hay rides and parties in the mountains. fqr Halloween
entertainment. I thought it would be fun to help, so I filled a
five-gallon stone crock with cookies and took most of my
years of collections of homemade and store made Halloween
decorations to the mountain cabin above the forks of Willow
Creek, that the late Frank Wilkinson was generous enough to
let us use. We had two bonfires going, coffee made and soft
drinks ready. The spooky lighted decorations were on the
picnic tables and hung around the grounds in trees. In a few
minutes a few thoughtless kids darkened the grounds and
dampened our party spirits for all of us by throwing all
decorations in the creek. That was the end of my energy for
that kind of parties, so I know how these people feel who have
given their time and talent for the good of all young people in
the community.
For the last 13 years my pleasure and satisfaction has
been achieved by speaking up for the speechless, helpless,
defenseless animals. Many of my friends are saying, "The
more they see of some people the more they think of their
dogs." Who can blame them when hoodlums act like the
letters describe? No animal has ever stooped to do the things
that people do; so these heathenish vandal actions should not
be compared to animalistic behavior. This statement is an
insult to the animals' intelligence and morals. No turkey,
wolf, sheep or any animal for that matter would be caught
doing those vile, insidious, destructive deeds.
At the best of the motels I've never been turned down
with my dogs (of course that was before I got a dozen). They
all said to me, "dogs are less trouble than some children,
dogs don't wreck TVs, plug up toilets, burn holes in bedding
and steal things."
Just before Christmas I subscribed to several Humane
Magazines for the Heppner High School Library. I hope the
kids will find time to read them. They could get some good
tips on manners, kindness and how to have worthwhile fun
and make this a better world to live in.
Sincerely,
Lois Winchester
-i ; J
Sifting through
the TIMES
It was a bad week for bunnies in .Morrow County 50 years
ago, when about 75 residents of the Alpine area took club in
hand gathered at the Kilkenny ranch on Lower Sand Hollow
for a rabbit drive.
According to a Gazette-Times account of the event, "the
drive started at 11 o'clock at the Mike Sepanek farm,
rounding up a large portion of the rabbits in the canyon
bottom for a distance of some four and a half miles, past the
Kilkenny house to a point where a pen had been constructed
to receive them. The drive netted in the neighborhood of 3,000
furry denizens of the sage land.
"The Alpine Farm Bureau, sponsors of the drive, were
hosts to the visitors, providing a bounteous luncheon at the
end of the drive, which was devoured in large quantities by
men, women and children who were made ravenously
hungry by the long tramp through the snow and the execution
ceremonies.
"B.G. Sigsbee, manager of the Star Theater, was in the
thick of the drive, grinding away at his movie camera in
hopes of having some good pictures to throw on the local
screen at a later date. E. Albee, who had been stationed at
the Kilkenny farm for two months trapping and hunting, was
given possession of the dead rabbits for removal of their
pelts. In timing Mr. Albee, it was found he could skin two of
the animals in a minute.
"Providing the snow remains on the ground, the Alpine
Farm Bureau will sponsor another drive at the same place
next Sunday."
In more demure action in Morrow County during the
same week a half-century ago, the possibility of opening up
the Columbia River to wheat barge transportation was the
topic of a lengthy discussion at the Morrow County
Courthouse.
Members of the Eastern Oregon Wheat Growers League,
embittered over a recent rail rate hike, gathered in Heppner
to hear W.W. Harrah of Pendleton tell them that "open river
transportation was not only now a possibility, but almost a
certainty provided farmers want it." Opening the Columbia
to Eastern Oregon grain traffic would result in a 20 per cent
drop in transportation costs, Harrah said.
Heppner's VFW post was continuing a drive to complete
payments on a new ambulance 30 years ago this week.
Among the local contributors to the fund was Margaret
Phelps of Phelps Funeral Home. In a letter to the
Gazette-Times, Mrs. Phelps wrote: "For fear that some of
my friends may feel the ambulance will interfere with my
business, I want to say that I am 100 per cent for it."
Twenty-five years ago this week, many residents of
Heppner, lone and Lexington appeared at a Chamber of
Commerce meeting in Heppner to complain about an
upcoming reduction in mail service.
The U.S. Post Office was planning to discontinue seven
day a week service to three towns effective Jan. 31, 1954, as
part of a nationwide cost-cutting program. Towns that were
not situated along major rail routes were being dropped from
the seven-day service.
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Aalberg sold the Heppner Bakery to
Arnold Grotte of Portland during the same week in 1954, and
announced that they intended to move to Portland. Thieves
broke into the Gilliam and Bisbee Hardware Store, making
off with two rifles, a pistol and numerous boxes of
ammunition.
Cattle prices were not exactly astronomical in the area
25 years ago. Steve Thompson of Heppner topped the
Hermiston Livestock Auction with a 1,040-pound whiteface
that went for 16.2 cents per pound.
Injuries were in the news 10 years ago this week, most of
them due to the semi-hazardous recreation opportunities
afforded by a heavy snowfall. Heppner High student Keith
Curnutt suffered a concussion and was confined to bed for
several days when the inner tube he was riding down a
slippery city street collided with a post. Kristi Haguewood,
then 12, lost control of her innertube-sled, landing in a ditch
and striking solid ice. The accident made it temporarily
impossible for her to sit or stand, and X-rays were taken to
see if any bones were broken. Jimmy Raymond, then seven,
was involved in a similar accident that resulted in a
fractured left elbow.
But an accident may have saved the life of a Heppner
serviceman stationed on the aircraft carrier U.S.S.
Enterprise. John F. Cole suffered a concussion the day
before one of the carrier's planes accidentlly dropped a bomb
while being carted off the flight deck, seriously damaging the
huge ship. Since Cole was confined to sick bay, he was not
able to join with fellow fire team members in fighting a blaze
on the deck. Three members of Cole's fire crew were
seriously injured in the incident.
Five years ago this week, Heppner High football
standout John Boyer was named to the nationwide high
school All-American first team roster. The defensive
halfback and offensive split end had never gone out for
football prior to his senior year, fearing that to do so could
have brought down his grade point average.
Former governess advises on youth discipline
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
$8.00 In Morrow, Umatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere
The Heppner
AZETTTE-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 os 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 Jordon, Printer
Editor:
I was very interested in the stories about teen behavior.
Having been a baby nurse and governess for 20 years, caring
and raising children from infancy to teenage for wealthy,
career and professional people.
I can readilly see the evolution to these turbulent times,
and why so many of our young people are copping out, taking
pot, resorting to bullyism and vandalism. They are angry as
they feel cheated, unfulfilled, at society and their parents for
creating this busy world. These kids want family love,
comradship, togetherness and for someone to sit down and
listen to them. They realize that their fathers have to go to
work to support the home, but when the mother goes to work
with high promises of new clothes, personal radios, TV,
weekly allowances if they help with the housework, the
children are excited, but when they come home daily to an
empty house, late meals, TV snacks, dirty house, no clean
ciothes, the excitement of rewards goes quickly out of their
minds and they start to roam the neighborhoods, become
sullen, refuse to obey curfews (if any) and everything starts
getting out of hand.
It all starts with a good foundation. When babies start to
crawl and get into every nook and corner, or they refuse to
eat unless they can feed themselves, this is when their
tempers get started. I counter this with strong and loud
"No's." I feed the children till about the age of two when I
feel they are ready to eat neatly. The best and safest place to
keep the children to the age of three is the old playpen while
busily occupied. They can eat and sleep there. Of course they
try to climb out, and again I use my loudest voice ordering
them to remain, telling them that as soon as I have time I'd
read them a story. From the age three they are taught to
dress themselves, perform their toiletries and put away their
clothes and toys. At four they are shown how to wash their toy
dishes, empty waste and garbage containers. At five they
often are allowed to do the family dishes, sweeping and yard
work and have and maintain their plot of garden which they
learn about and plant themselves. I also teach them their
ABC's, to count to 100 and they further learn when I take
them on shopping tours. They have also been taught how to
make several kinds of sandwiches and are being taught
cooking skills which is so necessary in later life.
From six on is school. I insist on their parents eating the
main meal with the children, listening to them, seeing their
projects and accomplishments and to discuss their present
and future plans with the children.
Today's parents are putting their children on a pedestal
and worshipping them like idols, instead they should make
their children "tow the line", obey and teach them to help
themselves. But you can't start after they are 12.
Deidre Davis
Medford, Ore.
RUBBER STAMPS MADE TO ORDER
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