Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1979)
FOURTEEN The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday March 1, 1979 mmm. if County's 'King of the Road' Doc Sherer retires at 70 IT'S OUR ANNUAL SPRING j0- 4. "'I While John Denver may have made a fortune singing about "Country Roads," Har old "Doc" Sherer has made a career out of fixing them often with a less than ade quate budget. Probably no one knows more about how to get from one place to another in Morrow County than Sherer, who says that he has "walked every road in the county" at least once during his 42-year association with the county road department. That association came to an end Wednesday, when Morrow County's "King of the Road" served his last day as county roadmaster and began retire ment. Sherer joined the county road department at the age of 27 in 1936, giving up a job with Pacific Power & Light "and milking 22 head of cows" to become a truck driver and rock crusher operator for the county. He was named supervisor in 1943, before the job title was changed to roadmaster around 1950. He's seen a number of changes in the county road system since that time. When "Doc" joined the road crew, nearly all county roads were dirt, and it was consider ed a luxury to live along a road based with crushed rock. As time progressed, the county road network expanded, more miles received a crushed rock base, and a few more were oiled. In present-day Morrow County, the county-maintained road system stretches 1,080 miles, including 385 miles of paved roadway. Under Sherer's supervision, county road crews have built their own bridges, altered road routes, and performed other tasks for which many counties would seek outside help. Probably the largest single accomplishment performed during Sherer's tenure was the development of the Bomb ing Range Road, connecting southern Morrow County to the Boardman area. Rather than growing in size, the county road crew has decreased in number over the years. "It's been as high as 24, 1 I ,1 ; ...I " J ii, ii II it hmmmur h. , " 'jju.-tt 5 Store Hours: 9 am - 6 pm Friday 9 am -8:30 pm ,J'M. 1 A IT x t m. m m ii i We aren't just a cowboy store ... we fit the whole family needs. DUO l i I MtM M ' : I m-vivjvur: mm m-m 310 N. Fourth Pasco County Roadmaster Doc Sherer and now it's down -to 10," Sherer said. "I could use twice the crew." But some things don't change. The road department has always been hard pressed to maintain roads to the public's satisfaction with funds that would often have difficulty filling a good-sized chuckhole. Springtime thaws have always played havoc with the county road system, and sporadic floods have continued to present Sherer with a variety of engineering puzzles. And if there's a complaint about a county road, for decades the buck has stopped with "Doc." I've been here so long I've made as many enemies as friends," Sherer said. Last year, when one unruly citizen informed Sherer that he planned to distribute posters calling for the roadmaster to be fired, "I said go ahead, I'd even help. ..We get lots . of criticism, some of it warrant ed and some of it not." In 1948, voters failed to approve the county budget, resulting in the layoff of all road crew members except for Sherer and the idling of all road maintenance equipment. "Then," he recalled, "a water spout hit and took out six bridges. Since I was the only man in the road department, I went and put out detour signs it was all I could do." Sherer credits the storm with prompting voters to approve the county's first road serial levy, approved shortly after the incident. Sherer, who has served under six county judges, stated that one of the plea sures of his job has been that "I've always had a good court to work with. They've always backed me up 100 per cent." Sherer's praise is returned by the county's current chief executive, Judge D.O. Nelson. "Trying to replace him is going to be something else," he said. ,'T hate to see him leave, but I can understand it. With the money he's had available, he's done a great job." "I guess I'll be glad to get away from all the problems, but I kind of hate to leave, too," said the retiring road master, whose animated vital ity belies his 70 years. "From Irrigon to the top of the Blue Mountains it's always been a challenge." But few men can enter retirement knowing their life's work can be measured in the thousands of miles. Well Be Closed Thursday, March 1 Sale Starts Friday, March 2 - Open Sunday - March 4th -1 1 to 5 Men's Poly Filled Coats tS 50 OFF Men's Down Filled Coats 35 OOFF Men's Miscellaneous Rfioy TO UU ON 52 ISSUES BY ACTING NOW. GAZETTE TIMES Subscription Special Have the news of Southern Morrow County delivered to you each week! Please start my subscription to the Gazette Times $6 New Subscription Q $6 Renewal $5 Senior Citizen PAYMENT ENCLOSED BILL ME Name:: , Address: . City: State:. Zip:. Mail Coupon to.- Gazette-Times, P O Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836 Men's 1 f Men's 1 ( Sweaters I I Leather Vests I I Priced J To 30 OFF J I ' es' ' JiiP FASHION 1( HI Wi liiii I tn y v ffdt Miscellaneous I One Group 1 f u I Gift Items II Belts I I ncc I ToUU OOFF J 10 wwwu.. j One Group Men's Down Filled Vests One Group Men's Leather Coats tS 40 OFF 50c O0FF One Group Men's Short Sleeve Shirts Limited Sizes Super Priced Lee & Wrangler Men's Jeans Discontinued Styles, Checks and solids, Reg. up to $15.49 Now $9.49 Ladies' Tempo Down Filled Coats & Vests One Group Men's Shirts Values to $22.00 "S 30 off Men's Irregular Shirts Values to $22.00 Now $8.49 Ea. Selected Felt Hats Fine Fur Felt Hats Limited Sizes Super Priced 40 rO OFF One Group Misc. Ladies' Coats Up To 507 OOFF f One Group Ladies' Leather Coats One Large Group Ladies' Blouses tS 60 off One Group Ladies' Suits & Coordinates Marked Down To Sell Fast 40 'OOFF Over 700 Pairs Men's-Women's-Kids' Boots Factory Defect, Close-out and Discontinued Styles, Famous Names SUPER SAVINGS One Group Ladies Slacks tS 50 OOFF Lee & Wrangler Disc. Styles Kids' Jeans Checks & Solids Reg. up to $14.49 $7 Students $84' Kids Kids Miscellaneous Coats & Jackets Up To 50 rO OFF Many - Many Other Items At Super Savings Too Many To Advertise You'll Be Surprised SALE STARTS FRIDAY, MARCH 2 Close Thursday, March 1 Open Sunday - March 4th -1 1 to 5 310 North Fourth Pasco, Wash. 509-547-2321 ft; s.
