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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1979)
"r " 4 4 -sr Sifting through I .1 TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday March 1, 1979 The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES Wis Disaster area? Big deal Question: What's the difference between a county that has been officially designated a disaster area, an one that hasn't? Answer: Apparently, nothing. Nearly two weeks ago, Gov. Atiyeh granted disaster area status to the flood-stricken counties of Morrow, Umatilla, Sherman and Crook. Shortly after the governor made the announcement, a spokeswoman for the State Emergency Services Division contacted the Gazette-Times with a news release stating, among other things, that represent atives of the Small Business Administration, Farmers' Home Administration, Soil Conservation Service and other appropriate agencies of state and federal government would be dispatched to the flood sites. Once on the scene, the government representa tives would survey damage, meet with county officials, and be on hand to help residents fill out forms to receive relief, mainly in the form of low-interest loans, the Emergency Services representative indicated. If any of the promised government agency representatives has yet set foot in Morrow County, no one in the Courthouse is aware of it. Now, three weeks after the floodwaters have subsided, the county is still faced with the problem or repairing the $500,000 (a very conservative estimate, county officials acknowledge) worth of damages done to local roads, schools and cropland. At the same time, the county receives a steady stream of inquiries from citizens wondering where to turn for aid, and is placed in the awkward position of not being able to give satisfactory answers. The result? A continued erosion in the faith of the citizens towards their government's willingness to meet their needs in time of crisis. If the act of granting 'disaster area' status is merely a token gesture, devoid of substance, why not lay the cards on the table? We won't waste your time, if you stop wasting ours. Up for a vote? s urn - WSK.;. muni i - - r -mmuMm'2l:" iIi'mTii i iiw IIP I 4. 1 Th ;3i3fT Recent action by the Heppner City Council in recommending that the Willow Creek Dam issue be put to a vote of the people could be a giant step backward for Heppner residents. Unless voters are well informed of the implications of the flood plain currently designated for Heppner an emotional desire to not spoil the landscape with a rock-fill dam could override practicality. The flood plain puts severely restricts development and in most areas of the city flood plain management would prohibit construction. LEI EEIS 'ROM READERS Maas cites 'misunderstanding9 over Northwest Medical Foundation remarks Editor: After talking to a woman last week who was very concerned over what I'd asked about Northwest Medical Foundation, I'm convinced there's a real misunderstanding about my motives in regards to the Foundation specifically and the Seventh Day Adventists in general. I am not anti-Adventist. Nor am I working to keep them out of Heppner. Nor have I ever intended to attack their abilities as a medical group or integrity as a religious denomination. My comments, as fairly accurately reported in the paper, came in the context of a fact finding workshop in reaction to data the Hospital Board President had given me. I raised the question about what kind of evangelizing would take place through the medical foundation for three reasons : 1. In the Northwest Med. Foundation annual report, the Adventist Union President reported a five year evangelism program was under way to increase Adventist congregation al membership by 21,000, stating that the N.W.M.F., their doctors and dentists are the right arm in reaching that goal. 2. I had no prior experience with the medical arm of the Adventist denomination. 3. My job as a hospital trustee was to maintain high quality, total community medical care for a non-religious, county hospital. Part of that includes investigating organizations and their products that we are considering purchasing. Not knowing how the Adventist medical arm operated I had to ask the question how else could I find out? No organization should use a county operation for private expansion, should they? I knew that some religious hospitals had pushed their doctrines in the past. Until I found out this was not the case with the Adventists from someone who knew Adventist medical practice, I would have been negligent of my Board reponsibilities not to ask the question and seek the answer. My question was information-seeking only,- nothing more. It certainly was not intended as an accusation in any sense of the word. And it needs to be noted that I had that question satifactorally answered within two days of seeking the information a full week before the quote ever appeared in the newspaper. I'm sad that such a negative interpretation was placed on an honest search for truth. I held the past Adventist Pastor in high regard, and the present Bill Poole seems to be of the same quality. It's sad that people's assuming the worst may put my relationship with him in jeopardy. I would have made this statement two weeks ago if I would have realized that my questioning was so mis-interpreted. Thanks for the opportunity to speak. Good luck to Dan Sweeney and the Board, and thanks to the Court for the opportunity to serve. John Maas Heppner SUBSCRIPTION RATE $8.00 In Morrow, Umatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere The Heppner AZEHTE-IIME 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. (0 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 Weatherford, Local Columnist Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice Hospital trustee takes issue with Cantin letter Editor: I would like to quote from Mr. Cantin's recent letter to the editor: "It has been brought to the board's attention the run-down condition and apparent lack of maintenance of our hospital.1' When he presented the Northwest Medical Foundation report Mr. Blair was very complimentary about the maintenance of the hospital, which says: "In consideration that the facility is close to 30 years old the finishes show a high degree of maintenance. ..boilers and heating system have been well maintained and are in good condition... General condition of the electrical equipment and system was found to be in good condition. ..Though the building is about 28 years old, it is in very good repair. Apparently it has had both good care and light use." Mr. Cantin obviously disagrees with this part of the report. Mr. Cantin refers to budgeted items that have not been purchased. I assume he refers to the capital expenditure section of the budget. Approximately 75 per cent of this money has been spent or committed. The rest will be purchased if funds are available and the need for the equipment continues to exist. Financial reports of income, expenses, and balance sheets are furnished to the board and the County Court monthly. It should not be difficult for Mr. Cantin or any member of the public to find out "how and for what their money is being used." L.E. Dick Doherty praises lone cleanup volunteers Editor: It is difficult to give enough credit for the tremendous effort put forth by the citizens of the lone area in cleaning up in the aftermath of the recent flood which caused such heavy damage at the school and in the community. Volunteers spent days in the school cleanup, furnishing their labor, equipment and supplies. Everything from shovels to trucks were made available from citizens for the task. This tremendous effort resulted in a loss of only three actual school days. The Citizens and the school staff working shoulder to shoulder in the deep mud showed a kind of determination and dedication which is a credit to the community. The Morrow County School District also wishes to thank the many businesses who assisted with equipment and personnel and the individuals from other communities who volunteered their service. All of this helped to get our educational program rolling with the least amount of lost time. Sincerely, Matthew P. Doherty, Superintendent, Morrow County School District the TIMES Fifty years ago this week, the Gazette-Times reported that "the advent of several state prohibition officers at Heppner this week has caused no little consternation among those inclined to dabble in the forbidden spirits." The state officers' visit proved to be a fruitful one, with six local men charged with selling illegal alcohol, and each receiving fines ranging from $100 to $150 in Heppner Justice Court. While the week was a bad one for the six local bootleggers, it was even worse for three farm families, whose homes burned to the ground. The F.E. Everson home southwest of lone was demolished by flames when a defective flue stopped up, sending fire through the walls. An overheated flue on a cook stove was blamed for a blaze the following day that destroyed the farm home of William and John Clark below Lexington. The Clark brothers were in the midst of the lambing season activities when fire destroyed their home. The Hinton Creek farm home of Mr. and Mrs. J.I. Hanna went up in smoke after the couple's daughter attempted to start a fire in a cook stove using a more than adequate dousing of coal oil. When the coal oil ignited, it sent flames into some nearby curtains then spread through the rest of the house. Not even a change of clothing was salvaged from the home. Luckily, no one was injured in either of the three blazes. Thirty years ago this week, the Lexington Jack Rabbits earned a district playoff berth by defeating Boardman 31-29, and Fossil won its district crown by defeating Moro, Parkdale and Condon during tournament action in Arlington. During the same week in 1949, Heppner City Council members rejected a proposal to give themselves token payment for their services, but passed an ordinance setting the salary of the mayor at $50 per month. Both lone and Heppner had basketball teams in district playoff competition during this week 25 years ago. Both the Cards and the Mustangs won their first games, with lone edging Mount Vernon 56-52 and Heppner beating St. Marys 44-35. lone, winner of 22 consecutive games at that point, managed to advance to the semifinals without the aid of ailing starting players Dennis Swanson, Tom White and Herb Peterson. During the same week in 1954, Morrow County Sheriff C.J.D. Bauman was trying to track down the thieves who jimmied a door to the Boardman Post Office and made off with more than $300 in cash, not to mention a large quantity of stamps. Ten years ago this week, Heppner High School students Jerry Healy and Sue Ellen Greenup were named the winners of the Heppner Elks scholarship contest. Also in the news that week 10 years ago was H.H. Miller of the Vitro Corporation, who told a public meeting in Heppner that a nuclear power plant in Morrow County is "ten years away." Heppner's Karla Weatherford won local competition to advance to district finals in the Oddfellows' sponsored United Nations Speech Contest, and the Heppner Mustangs advanced to district basketball tournament action for the fifth consecutive year. The U.S. Forest Service purchased an option from O.W. Cutsforth to acquire a 655 acre tract of land in the Kelly Prairie area in order to develop a 200 acre lake, and then-Governor Tom McCall re-appointed Heppner's Jerry Sweeney to a two year term on the State Board of Funeral Directors. Eighth grade science students at Heppner Elementary were preparing to launch "Operation Egg Drop" at the Lexington airport during this week in 1968. Class members packed raw eggs in packages of their own design, in the hopes that the eggs would not be damaged after they were dropped from an airplane operated by Jack Sumner. The exercise was designed to show students the problems scientists encountered in creating a landing craft for a soft descent on the moon. Students could not attach parachutes to their landing packages, since parachutes would not be feasible in a lunar landing, due to the absence of atmosphere on the moon. Inez Meador, the eight graders' teacher, predicted that the event "could be a smashing success." Five years ago this week, the Morrow County School Board adopted a budget for the coming school year that exceeded the six per cent limitation by more than $1.07 million. ...have something to say? The Gazette-Times welcomes letters from readers on any subject of general interest... letters should be not more than 250 words DEADLINES General News & Society Sports & Weekend Events Late-breaking News Classified Advertising Display Advertising Friday, 5 p.m. Monday, 5 p.m. Tuesday, 12 noon Monday, 5 p.m. Monday, 5 p.m. The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES 676-9228
