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Rodeo dance
coming
March 17
Grand jury returns indictments in
Heppner drug investigation
Thirteen indictments 12 of
them secret were filed last
week with the Morrow County
Circuit Court Clerk, stemming
from last month's grand jury
probe on drug traffic in
Heppner.
The non-secret indictment
charges Noel Gay Harshman
Jr., 22, of Lexington with the
manufacture (growing) of
marijuana, between May 1,
1978 and Jan. 9, 1979, in his
home in Heppner. Harshman
was arrested in Oregon City
on Jan. 11, after Heppner City
Police, armed with a search
warrant from Justice Court,
allegedly discovered illegal
drugs in his home. On Jan. 22,
Harshman's bail was set at
$7,505, and he was released
from jail after a 10 per cent
security bond was posted in
his behalf.
According to a statement
from District Attorney Dennis
Doherty's office, "the con
tents of the secret indictments
will become public when the
persons charged are arrested
on the charges or are arraign
ed in Circuit Court. A circuit
court judge is scheduled to be
in Morrow County next on
March 12."
The grand jury reportedly
heard testimony from nearly
20 witnesses many of them
Heppner High School stu
dentsduring two full days of
proceedings in February. The
grand jury met again on
March 1 before handing down
the indictments.
According to Doherty's
statement, "a substantial por
tion" of the grand jury's
proceedings was "devoted to
inquiries into violations of
laws relating to controlled
substances. Although the
grand jury has not completed
its inquiries into related
VOL. 97, NO. 10
- xtr wri li'.- i..---"
The first Rodeo dance of 1979 will be held Saturday, March 17 in the Pavilion at the Fairgrounds in
Heppnerwith the rock and roll group 'Quad" providing the live music. Helping to kick off the 1979
Morrow County Rodeo activities will be the Fair & Rodeo Court, led by Queen Debra Palmer.
Flanking Queen Debra are Princesses Lori Edwards of lone and Jennifer Wenholtz of Irrigon.
Debra, a sophomore at Blue Mt. Community College is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee
Palmer her mother Mary Ann, serves as court chaperone. Jennifer is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. John Wenholtz and the princess is a junior at Riverside High School in Boardman ; and Lori is
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Edwards and is a junior at lone High School. The dance will last
from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and the price of admission, is $2.50 per person.
matters, it had reached a
point where it felt it could file
the indictments found to date.
I cannot be more specific than
this without running the risk
that any further comment
could be construed as a
violation of the statutory
prohibition against disclosing
facts concerning any indict
ment while it is not subject to
public inspection..."
Doherty continued that
"everything we have done and
will do is intended to be
constructive and to accom
plish two things: Assure that
known violations of the law
are scrutinized to determine
whether formal charges
should be pursued; advance
the cause of ensuring com
Steep increases seen in county
property tax valuations
Property owners in Morrow
County can expect something
extra in their property tax
statements this year a larger
bill, in most cases.
County Assessor Everett
Harshman told the Heppner
Morrow County Chamber of
Commerce Monday that
homeowners in Heppner can
expect their homes to be
valued at an average rate of 24
percent higher than last year.
Homes in the lower end of the
value scale will experience an
average increase in valuation
of 28 per cent, with homes in
the higher value end averag
ing increases of 19 per cent.
On the other side of the coin,
land in farm use classifica
tions will experience an aver
HErrNEIi, OREGON
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pliance with the law to the
maximum extent possible."
Information gleaned in the
grand jury probe could pos
sibly result in "some actions
less formal than criminal
prosecutions," Doherty
stated. "These could include a
broad range of alternatives,
such as juvenile court pro
ceddings, administrative pro
ceedings within the school
system, formal contacts with
parents, etcetera.
The District Attorney noted
that there "may not be any
public body other than the
grand jury with the means to
conduct a reliable inquiry into
a subject of broad public
interest, such as the 'drug
problem.' The grand jury has
age decrease of 10 per cent.
Harshman said Morrow
County's total value has not
yet been computed, but it is
expected to be "around $400
million. I feel it will be a little
over that, but to be on the
conservative side, we'd better
figure on $400 million."
Adding to the difficulty in
tabulating the county's total
value is the fact that tax
assessments for commercial
property are being challenged
by Portland General Electric,
operator of the Carty coal
fired power plant, the Union
Pacific railroad, Pacific
Power and Light and Pacific
Gas Transmission.
The assessments being chal
lenged by the corporations,
11IV AAVJ'JJ'llCj.
AZETTE-TME
Morrow County's
sir J
the power of subpoena. It
receives testimony under
oath. It can compel testimony
from hostile as well as
non-hostile witnesses. As with
any power, there can be a
potential for abuse; however,
so long as the grand jury's
, powers are exercised within
reasonable constraints it has a
great potential as a source of
public information based upon
Us investigations into dif
ferent matters."
But, Doherty pointed out,
the grand jury's potential for
public information "cannot be
realized" since grand juries
"are now prohibited by statute
from issuing reports which
provide their general findings,
determinations and recom
mendations on such subjects."
totaling some $16 million,
cannot be included among
funds expected to be collected
for budgetary purposes. The
assessments are currently
being disputed in the Oregon
Supreme Court. Should the
county prevail in its assess
ment of the firms, funds
collected would go into the
general fund.
County Assessor Tom Mc
Elligott blamed a "tight
housing market" in Heppner
for the increase in valuations
for tax purposes, since the tax
rate "is based on what you
could sell your house for at the
first of the year." The main
yardstick for measuring home
Cont. on page 3
Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
THURSDAY, MARCH 8,
City to sponsor public meeting on
dam prior to March 28 vote
Heppner City Council voted
Monday to set March 15 as the
date for a community-wide
discussion on the proposed
Willow Creek Dam.
The meeting will start at
7:30 p.m. in Heppner Elemen-
tary's multipurpose room.
Council members and repre
sentatives from the Army
Corps of Engineers and Feder
al Insurance Administration
are expected to be on hand to
answer any questions.
The meeting will probably
be the last public forum on the
Willow Creek Dam prior to
March 28, when Heppner
voters are scheduled to make
their feelings on the subject
known at the polls. In Feb
ruary, the council voted to
authorize the public election,
after Mayor Jerry Sweeney
tried fruitlessly to bring the
council to a vote to reaffirm
support for the long-contemplated
dam.
On Monday, Sweeney asked
the council members to recon
sider their February vote
calling for the citywide poll on
the dam question. The council
opted to let the resolution
'stand! Near the end of the
meeting, Councilman Cliff
Green introduced a motion
calling for the public meeting,
stating that "we have a
responsibility to give the
people the information they
need before the election."
Council members indicated
during Monday's meeting that
if Heppner voters cast against
the dam, the council would
withdraw support for the
project.
Should the public vote
against the proposal and the
council, in turn, withdraw its
support, "you're virtually kil
ling the Willow Creek pro
ject," Planning Commission
Chairman and Gazette-Times
General Manager Terry
Hager told the council. "If you
decide you want it back a
couple of years later, good
luck..."
Earlier in the meeting,
Hager questioned the wisdom
of leaving the question of
support for the dam up to the
public vote, "due to the
complexity of the issue at
hand." He noted that most
Heppner residents had not
attended public meetings on
the dam in the past, and had
not studied what the implica
tions would be, should the dam
be voted down.
Heppner realtor Bob Harris
pointed out to the council that
there were only two citizens
attending Monday's meeting
that did not have business
before the council, demonstra
ting public apathy on the
subject. "It's important for
the people to have protect
ion," he told the council, "and
you are the people responsible
to see that it's done."
Council members noted that
a 1978 resolution gave city
support for the dam only
because it was understood
that the flood plain would be
eliminated. Since a sizeable
portion of the city would
remain in flood plain zones
even with the dam, Council
man Joe Miller questioned
"why build a dam if it only
solves half a problem?"
Councilmen Green and Ron
Forrar added they were
suspicious of how a Corps of
Engineers map excises most
of Heppner's central business
district from the flood plain, in
the event the dam is built.
While allowing that the dam
would not remove all of
Heppner from the flood plain.
1979
TWO
Chuck Steele of the Seattle
regional office of the Flood
Insurance Administration
said that construction of the
dam would make "a world of
difference" to the city.
"I don't know of a more
seriously impacted commun
ity than Heppner.. .in Oregon
or Washington," in terms of
projected flood depths without
the dam, Steele told the
council. Steele termed the
Corps of Engineers hydrology
study that led to the current
flood plain designations an
"extremely careful analysis."
Due to the sensitivity regard
ing Heppner's flood problems,
the FIA assigned a specialist
to re-check Corps data, Steele
said. Thus far, the FIA study
has led Steele to feel "very
certain about the (Corps)
data." If anything, he told the
council, the Corps findings for
Heppner may be "a bit
conservative."
Steele outlined some of the
effects that would occur,
should Heppner opt to pull out
from the federal Flood Insur
ance program. Among the
effects are the fact that no
federal grants or loans could
be made for buildings in
identified flood hazard areas
through such agencies as the
department of Housing and
Urban Development, the Eco
nomic Development Admin
istration, and the Small Busi
ness Administration. No fed
eral disaster assistance would
be allowed for loans for repair
or reconstruction in flood
hazard areas, and no federal
mortgage insurance would be
provided in flood hazard areas
by such agencies as the
Federal Housing Administra
tion and Veterans Administra
tion. Banks participating in
the FDIC or FSLIC programs
may not issue loans to finance
construction in flood hazard
areas. Other lending institu
tions may make loans for
construction in such areas, but
they would be unable to sell
mortgages in the FNMA and
GNMA secondary market.
Columbia Basin announces
electric rate increase
Power rate increases aver
aging more than 20 per cent
for residential customers
were unveiled this week by the
Columbia Basin Electric Co
op, Inc.
Customers are not expected
to see increases in their power
statements until the June
billing period.
Columbia Basin officials
have stated that the increase
in power rates is being
implemented in order to keep
abreast of an anticipated
boost in costs charged by the
co-op's supplier, the Bonne
ville Power Administration.
Another increase is planned
for next year. But, according
to a letter notifying Columbia
Basin customers of the 1979
increase, co-op officials stated
that "there is still consider
able question about the 1980
increase from BPA."
According to Columbia
Basin, rates under the up
coming increase will rise
about 20.1 per cent for
residential customers; 4 per
cent for customers in the
small general service cate
gory; 35.8 per cent for large
SECTIONS - 16 PAGES
Without the dam, which
would substantially lower pro
jected flood depths in the city,
the cost of flood insurance
could be prohibitive for new
housing built in flood fringe
areas. Flood depths of four to
six feet are projected for parts
of Heppner located below the
confluence of Hinton and
Willow creeks without the
dam.
While much of the city
would remain in flood plain
zones even with the dam, the
projected flood depths would
be much lower. New construc
tion in areas with one or two
feet of projected flood depth
would not likely be cost
prohibitive, since several
loads of fill in many cases
would be all that is needed to
elevate structures above the
flood plain.
But, Steele noted, "when
you're talking about a six-foot
Concerned Parents
postpone meeting
The Concerned Parents meeting scheduled for
tonight, Thursday, March 8, has been postponed.
Rod Aho, publicity chairman for Concerned Parents,
said Dr. Jim Monasmith, principal of Colville
(Washington) High School and noted authority on
school disciplinary problems will be unable to speak at
the meeting as originally scheduled. A fire at Colville
High School requires Dr. Monasmith's attendance
there.
Aho said Concerned Parents plans to reschedule the
Monasmith lecture at a later date.
Advisory committee to discuss
junior high shop program
The Heppner-Lexington Ad
visory Committee will meet at
the Junior High School Shop
on Tuesday, March 13, at 7:30
p.m. The major item to be
general service; 21.3 per cent
for irrigation, and 20 per cent
for lighting.
Billing for residential cus
tomers will be done on a flat
rate basis of a $6 service
charge plus 1.4 cents per
kilowatt hour, rather than the
Spring Lumberjack
Show is set for April 21
Plans are well underway for
the second annual Heppner
Spring Lumberjack Show,
according to Gary Grieb of the
Morrow County Fair Commit
tee. This year's show will be held
on April 21, starting at 1 p.m.
at the Morrow County Fair
grounds. "It was hard for us to even
realize the amount of interest
in this sport one year ago,"
Grieb said. "However, due to
the size of the crowd and the
large number of contestants,
we will bring in additional
20 cents
flood depth, it's pretty difficult
to build."
Steele told the council that
Heppner is not alone in
coming to grips with flood
insurance regulations. More
than 200 cities in Oregon are
participating in the program
at some level. Currently,
Steele said, 88 Heppner resi
dents have purchased flood
insurance for coverage total
ing some $2.1 million. The
average premium rate in town
is $68 per year, he said.
In other developments Mon
day, the council gave city
approval towards issuing a
beer license to Richard and
Jaquoline Barrett of Grand
Ronde and Golda Hastings
and Marcena Hastings of
Brogan. The four intended to
purchase the West of Willow
Tavern, pending state ap
proval of a beer license.
discussed will be the occupa
tional versatility shop pro
gram at Heppner Junior High
School.
current block type rates.
A homeowner using 1,000
kwh of power per month can
expect to pay $20 under the
new rate, as opposed to the
current rate of $16.25.
Cont. on page 3
seating and the prize money
has been increased."
New this year will be a
single bucking event. Another
rule change will be that the
stock power saw event will be
limited to Morrow County
residents. Points for naming
the top Morrow County con
testant will be based on three
events stock power saw, the
axe throw and the choker
race.
Entry deadline is April 13.
Entry forms may be picked up
from Monte Stookey.