Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1979)
TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday February 1, 1979 The Heppner ' GAZETTE-TIMES Sifting through A' the uwut vyorio 2s 'I i ' i 4 - A A '4 ,4 4 Proposed Umatilla-Morrow court of no benefit here Related story page 14 The idea of establishing a joint district court for western Umatilla and Morrow counties is a bad one as proposed in a bill that will come before the Oregon Legislature this session. The County Court and local attornies went on record this week opposing the bill and will lobby against it in the Legislature. Their reasons for opposing the bill, which is sponsored by Umatilla County legislators, include the fact that it would abolish justice of the peace courts in Morrow County; the bill is not specific as to distribution of revenues; it doesn't state how many days a week the district court judge would sit in Heppner; and the fact that no one bothered to determine what kind of a case load the proposed district court would have. One Heppner attorney hit the nail on the head when he said the bill "coat-tails Morrow County officials to Umatilla County for justification of their expanded services.,, We hope local officials are successful in lobbying against the bill ; western Umatilla County officials have convinced the Oregon Supreme Court is recommending the new position and has earmarked funds for it in its next biennial budget. The combined court won't do anything for Morrow County. Picture credit A lonely tumbleweed odds to the starkness of a snow-covered field outside of Heppner. f - -.. -. Lift EUS FROM READERS Bellamy praises colleague Judy Paine follows up on teen problem letter Editor: House Minority Leader, Rep. Gary Wilhelms deserves the thanks of all Oregonians for his statemanship in helping bring order to the Oregon House of Representatives. At a time when it would have been easy for the Minority Leader to take cheap pot shots at the floundering Democrats, Rep. Wilhelms said 'W because such action would not have solved the problem, rather it would have rubbed salt in widening wounds. When asked to help mediate an end to the dispute, Rep. Wilhelms received complete backing from the Republican Caucus. His integrity and leadership are above reproach. He instilled a new confidence in the members of the Republican Caucus that our strength is in our unity. And unified we are. His role in helping get the House organized will probably remain untold to most Oregonians. But we sincerely believe that because of his honesty and integrity the House was organized much faster than it would have been. We thank Gary for his leadership and statesmanship. Bill Bellamy State Representative District 55 DEADLINES General News & Society Sports & Weekend Events Late-breaking News Classified Advertising Display Advertising Friday, 5 p.m. Monday, 5 p.m. Tuesday, 1 2 noon Monday, 5 p.m. Monday, 5 p.m. The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES 676-9228 Editor: , Thank you for allowing me to say what I thought via your paper. My letter wasn't very happy, nor were the things that I had to say very pretty. I also want to thank all of you concerned and supportive people who called and thanked me for my letter. It shows me there are people who do care about the kids and what's becoming to some of them. Editor, you chose not to print a post script that was on my letter. It said I know that all of Heppner's kids are not a batch of little rotters, just a few kids ruined it all for everybody else. It also said that "You kids know who you are!" You ruined it for a lot of innocent kids and for Mr. Ackley and Mr. Brisso and me and you really did a number on the Legionnaires. They did bend over backwards to give us a place to have a good time in. They tried and we three people tried. It's a shame. Thank you Shane and the rest of the student council. I loved your letter best of all. It makes me want to try again. I'm not a person who gives up very easily, especially when it comes to kids. I love you. So-o-o-o, whenever Jim and Audie decide they want to do Disco again, I'm willing to stick my head out again and I hope that if we are lucky enough to get a "next time,'' we can all work together... parents, kids, Jim and The Entertainment Company. There's no reason why Heppner's kids can't have a decent place to come to and boogie on the weekends if everyone cares, but Jim sure said a' mouthful when he said that you parents need to do your jobs and raise your kids with a little character and responsibility and you young people, he was right when he said that you need to be the best you can be in whatever you choose to do. It's a challenge to all of us to have to grow up. Some do sooner than others and some never do make it, but you and I, all of us, do live in America and Heppner is a rich community. I love Heppner and Heppner's people and I think that we've got a lot that is worth saving. It's up to us and nobody else and we've all got to pull together for good things to happen. I think that you kids who wrecked it all for everybody else are to be pittied and if there's anyone who wants to help pay for the damage, well I don t imagine the Legionnaires or Jim Ackley would turn you down. Jim shouldn't have to reupholster seats for free. Have a heart! He's a very tired band man ! I think that maybe a car wash or a bake sale or whatever, use your imaginations! There are lots of ways to work and earn money and I think that something like that would be a step in the right direction. That is with the money going for restoration of the damage that was done at the Legion Hall and maybe we can boogie again. First we need a place and right now we don't have one even if everybody did promise on a stack of Bibles that they were going to be good kids. It'd be nice if by spring we can have a place. I sure hope so. I miss all of you kids something awful and phasing out is just the bitter dregs. It's up to you now. I think that we have done more than our share. Now it's your turn. Judy Paine Heppner NASA teacher praises 'ladies and gentlemen9 Editor: Before arrivinng in Heppner I had some anxieties about speaking at the junior and senior high schools. I had read Letters to the Editor in the Gazette-Times relating incidents of student behavior unlike that evidenced by the more serious-minded youth I am privileged to address in secondary schools throughout the western United States. My concern was alleviated on Monday, January 29, when I spoke to Heppner students at their assemblies. Junior High classes attended a one hour morning session at which aeronautics and space were discussed. Senior High ladies and gentlemen spent the afternoon obtaining new knowledge provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I use the term "ladies and gentlemen" designedly because that is how these young people conducted themselves. The subject matter was not simple; the content was substantive, yet the student response was active, intelligent, courteous. There may be Heppner teenagers who are destructive, rude, ungrateful. I did not meet them. Worthy, positive citizens were present at this program. They deserve commendation as do their parents, teachers and administrators who have motivated and encouraged this positive attitude. Clarice Lolich Aerospace Education Specialist Jury duty is considered to be a pain in the neck at best to most modern day Morrow Countians. That's why the story of a Hardman area juror 50 years ago this week seems all the more remarkable. Civic-minded W.T. Reynolds of Hardman did not let a massive snowfall serve as an excuse for ducking jury duty. According to a Gazette-Times account, the Hardman man "came in on horseback, and reports of increasing snow in his - vicinity led him to believe it may be necessary to walk and break a track for the horse in order to get it home. Reynolds said his horse is adept at following his tracks through the drifts." The snowfall was so severe during this week in 1929 the week that Reynolds made his trek-that the Hardman stage, carrying the U.S. mail, was forced to turn back after reaching Heppner Hill. Also serving on Morrow County Circuit Court jury duty, during that snowy week a half-century ago were lone hotelkeeper George Ritchie and lone grain buyer Louis Balsinger, who reported to the Gazette-Times that they found making the trip to the Heppner Courthouse "not a little inconvenient." Jurors who braved the snow found Charles Bookman and John Gilman guilty of operating a distillery for the purpose of manufacturing intoxicating liquor. Both were fined $50 and sentenced to time in the state penitentiary. Five other civil cases were defaulted, based on the failure of the defendants to appear in court, possibly due to the severe weather. Kinzua's town team basketball team took a beating in more ways than one 30 years ago this week. After losing to Condon during a Wednesday night road trip, the returning players' car went over . a 15-foot embankment and landed on its roof near Dyer Park. None of the players suffered serious injury. During the same week in 1949, the Gazette-Times carried a story datelined from Hong Kong. According to the story, the Eugene Millrace well known by local U. of 0. grads was also namesake for a 15-year-old Hong Kong youth, Eugene Millrace Chau. It seems that the youth's father, King Y. Chau, a 1938 graduate of the University of Oregon, was so taken by the Millrace, that he nostalgically christened his son in its honor. Luckily, the "Fishbowl" at the student union of the Eugene campus had not yet been built, or there might have been a Eugene Fishbowl Chau. Tragedy struck Morrow County 25 years ago this week, when Lexington crop duster J.W. "Kit" Carson was killed when his Stearman biplane smashed into Reservoir Hill just south of Heppner in heavy fog. According to a Gazette-Times account of the crash, "many persons in Heppner heard the plane hit the ground, as it had only a few seconds before come in over the business district at a very low level, attracting much attention..." Carson had filed a flight plan at Pendleton indicating that he had intended to fly to Klamath Falls, where his wife lived, but due to the bad weather landed at Lexington. From the Lexington airport, he called the Kilkenny Ranch on Hinton Creek, where he kept his spray equipment, and was told that at the moment, the ranch was free of the fog that blanketed the Heppner area. He apparently lost his way in the fog, and came in over Heppner at less than 100 feet in altitude before pulling up quickly, causing a "roar that was heard all over town." The crash followed within a few seconds, as he was apparently unable to climb over the hills south of town. During the previous year, Carson had married Ruth McPherson, who had been widowed two years prior to that when her first husband the owner of the flying service for whom Carson worked was killed in a plane crash. Ten years ago this week, Harold Kerr was named Morrow County Extension Agent, replacing Gene Winters , who left to serve an assignment to Jordan. Kerr, a native of the Lakeview area, had been serving as a Crook County extension agent. During the same week in 1969, eight inches of new snow did not prevent Lexington paperboy Jack Yocom from delivering copies of the Oregonian and Oregon Journal. Yocom kept the good graces of his customers by saddling up his horse, Cindy, and delivering the papers on horseback. Five years ago this week, Curtis Culp, a former state policeman assigned to Heppner, returned to Morrow County to fill in for a city patrolman attending a course in Salem. Culp had resigned his state police post and left the Morrow County seat two years previously, after finding the pace of life in Heppner "too hectic." To get away from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan Heppner, the Culps moved to Dunster, British Columbia, where they built a log cabin and took up subsistence farming along the banks of the Frasier River. Culps' brief return to Heppner provided him with "seed money" for the coming year. 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 Soling, Office Manager Melissa Scott, Composition Ron Jordan, Printer Terry M. Hager, Managing Editor Justine Weatherford, Local Columnist Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice 'Supportive environment' needed to prevent drug abuse Last week I wrote about how families can help prevent drug abuse. But family members are not the only people to provide help. Different people do different things to help prevent drug abuse. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, prevention means being there when a friend needs help. Problems that seem too big for one person alone can usually be solved if others help. Growing up is never easy and sometimes drugs seem like the best way to get away from problems. People might feel better about themselves when they're high, but it's always a round trip. Not only ai the old problems still wnitinc. but often new ones are caused by drugs. The important thing about prevention for the younger off their frustrations. The ways to help depend on the people. By Larry Gordon Morrow County Mental Health Clinic people is in helping each other over the rough spots and problems that sometimes lead to drugs. Sometimes people can talk their problems over with parents, or a counselor or teacher. Sometimes friends can listen and help solve personal problems. Some people just like to sit alone and think, or listen to music and sort out what's on their minds. Some people get involved in a really active game and work Remember, young people are subjected to group pres sure from their friends. This pressure can either encourage or discourage drug use and abuse. Young people, so influenced by the opinions of their friends, have the ability to control the atmosphere in which they live their daily lives. They could make everyday life more pleasant for them selves by being friendly and doing nice things for each other by taking respon sibility themselves for each other's happiness. So next time: Say hello, smile and see what happens. Be an advocate for yourself and others. Build a supportive enviro ment for yourselves. (Don't depend on adults to do it for you!) 7
