Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1979)
TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday March 8, 1979 The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES WDl3pFDC0EL? Use tax surplus for highway repair I,. 1 ' - ? 4 ."V M lit "It The condition of highways throughout the state and especially it seems, here in Eastern Oregon are in desperate need of repair but so far we haven't heard where the money will come from. One proposal that we like would have the state's $215-million surplus property tax revenues used for fixing roads instead of giving each taxpayer in the state a small rebate check. Other proposals dealing with the state's highways are before the Oregon legislature and on this page is a special report from Eagle Newspaper's Tom Decker concerning those proposals. The bottom line is that Oregonians will determine what is done with deteriorated highways and future highway and gas tax funds. Write your state senators and representatives and let them know what you think. Hats off to local State Farmer FFA members Congratulations this week to Julie Grieb and Marie Van Schoiack, Heppner Future Farmer of America members who received the coveted State Farmer award. Less than three per cent of the state's FFA members receive the award which is given on the basis of outstanding supervised projects, participation in FFA activities and leadership and involvement within their community. While we're on' the subject of FFA, the Heppner chapter will hold its largest fund-raiser of the year tonight Thursday, March 8 in the cafetorium at HHS. At 7 p.m. sharp, more than 30 members of the chapter will go on the auction block to the highest bidder for an eight-hour day of work. Bank of Eastern Oregon President Gene Pierce passed on a bit of information to us this past week concerning Oregon's non-interstate highway system. The implication is that maybe it's time for Oregon voters to take a second look about providing more money through licensing, perhaps for road con struction and maintenance. The article is taken from Oregon Tax Research's publication, "Your Taxes" as follows : Oregon the only place to drive. Now that we can readily see the winter-caused damage to our streets and highways, it may be appropriate to review the cost of licensing an automobile or pickup in Oregon, compared to other western states. Having just received the results of a survey of licensing costs in the capital cities of the 11 western states, it may be of interest to legislators and the general public where we stand in the field. "Below is a table showing the costs together with a comparison of costs in the last 5 years. The tables should be self-explanatory. State 1978 1973 Montana $ 213.85 $ 79.25 Colorado 144.83 31.74 Wyoming 122.16 35.94 Arizona 109.44 25.38 California 98.00 1900 Washington 83.10 44.60 Nevada 80.50 30.50 Utah 76.50 24.50 New Mexico 36.00 18.00 Idaho 29.40 21.00 Oregon 10.00 10.00 11 State Avg. 91.25 30.90 I ' X , (it-. ' . . c . . r : -'iK ' Vr';' - i ',. . ; : . ' - I . ; , '. .-jf.-tf.'.;- z; f i niiii,." ir-iMiil'l-'" in m iiiiiiiiiimiih "'I'm i i rMiaw .. -if -T-r- ' J - f i:";' ' v '3 ' Is "Automobile is a Ford LTD, 4-dr, Series 63-V8, air conditioning, power brakes and steering, radio. We agree with Oregon Tax Research that it is time to look at providing more funds for state highways, providing those funds do actually get used for highway construction and maintenance. Sifting through the TIME Heppner's shooting skills were in the news 50 years ago this week, when the Heppner Rod and Gun Club outshot teams from Coquille, North Bend, Washington County and Medford to remain in first place in the Oregon Telegraphic Trapshooting Meet. "Knoblock and Van Marter of Heppner went straight on the first 25 birds for Heppner," the Gazette-Times reported. Van Marter racked up another 25 straight in the second round, making it 50 in a row. During the same week in 1929, O.W. Cutsforth of Lexington became the first Morrow Countian to contract the coming wheat crop. Cutsforth sold his wheat for July and August delivery through the Brown Warehouse Co. State highway repair a billion dollar affair The following is a special report from Tom Decker, special legislative reporter stationed in Salem for Eagle Newspapers, Incorporated, of which the Heppner Gazette Times is a member newspaper. SALEM Financing Oregon's highway repairs over the next ten years will take over $1 billion and the director of the state Department of Transportation last week proposed several different tax alternatives to meet cost. First on the list of tax alternatives was an "inflation sensitive" gas tax which would reflect changing trends in the economy. Transportation Director Fred Klaboe, re sponding to a request for alternatives from the Senate Transportation Committee, also provided examples of vehicle fee increases, automobile registration hikes and excise taxes which might be used to pay for needed highway work. Committee chairman Dell Isham, a Lincoln City Democrat representing District 2, said later he asked for the review of taxing alternatives because Oregon's highway deterioration has increased dramatically. "We have to reverse the trend since 1973 when (roads) really started to get bad," Isham said, adding that new threats of gas shortages could mean more problems for Oregon tax revenues. But Isham also urged caution in the review of any new tax scheme. Voters have turned back three proposals to increase highway funds within the last several years, he noted. Klaboe told committee members that Oregon was the first state to try a fuel tax to help pay for road repairs. Now, he added, only three states have a lower gasoline tax rate than Oregon: Texas, Nevada and Oklahoma. To salvage deteriorating highways, eight states are considering legislation to increase gas taxes this year, Klaboe said. Other proposals, including sales taxes, increases in fees and other fuel taxes, are under study in at least 14 states. After listening to the alternatives proposed by the Transportation Department, Isham said the committee would explore ways to combine the various taxing approaches. ' "I think most of these are good ideas," he said. "I would like to see a combination of approaches so it's not all lumped into one bill." Whatever the approach the committee accepts, Isham stressed the urgent need for additional money. "We can spend $200,000 now to resurface a highways or we can wait a couple of years to spend $1 million to reconstruct the whole thing," he said. Klaboe said the inflation-triggered gas tax, which includes limit on increases of one cent per year and an 11 cent tax ceiling, would be a "good thing to have." But he stressed that it was drafted at the request of the Senate Committee. If the tax increases were adopted, the Transportation Department estimated it would provide $204 million in additional revenues between 1981, the first year of the tax hike would take effect, and 1985. At an earlier hearing, the committee heard a Transportation Department report on the conditions of Oregon roads. About 58 per cent of the state system, over 4,400 miles of pavement, shows moderate to extreme deterioration, the report showed. Also under consideration in the Senate is a proposed consitutional amendment which would restrict the use of highway funds to road maintenance and construction. Sponsored by state senators Bob Smith and L.B. Day, the proposals would shift funding for state parks, state police and several other agencies from the highway fund to the state general fund. The amendment would add roughly $60 million for highway work. SUBSCRIPTION RATE $8.00 In Morrow, Umatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere The Heppner ZETTE-TME Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Wewspaper The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow Publiihed every Thursday and entered as second-class marter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Second-class postage paid at Heppner, Oregon. A G.M. Reed, Publisher Rick Steelhammer, News Editor Gayle Rush, Composition Dolores Reed, Co-publisher Eileen Sating, Office Manager Melissa Scott, Composition Ron Jordan, Printer Terry M. Hager, Managing Editor Justine Weatherford, Local Columnist Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice R.A. Thompson, who lost some 100 head of sheep in an attack by dogs the previous month, was allowed $2,016 in damages by the county court. Funds were to be paid out of the county's new dog tax fees. The only hitch to Thompson's settlement was that there was not $2,016 in the county dog tax fund. But most of the news around the county was even more mundane. The Gazette-Times reported that "little Earl Clary had the misfortune to mash his thumb quite badly in the car door of a Ford Coupe belonging to Willard Hawley," and that "Charles Melville of Alpine started spring plowing with one team on Monday. He hopes to put on another in the near future." The G-T also carried this puzzling classified ad: "Lost lower plate false teeth. Finder leave at this office." Thirty years ago this week, E.H. Bailey purchased a building from Mrs. Etta Bristow in lone, announcing that he planned to operate a garage at the site. Twenty-five years ago this week, Paul Hanson, formerly of Warrenton, Ore., announced that he was opening Ranch Aero, a crop dusting service, in Heppner. Hanson was formerly affiliated with Midland Air Service in Heppner. The Heppner Mustangs edged Wahtonka 51-50 and nipped Vale 49-47 to win the District 7A-2 Championship at LaGrande. Heppner's Jon O'Donnell and John McCabe were named to the tournament's all-star team. During the same week in 1969, the Port of Morrow acquired a deed to a 4,000 acre block of land along the Columbia River at Boardman. Five years ago this week, three Heppner boys played a role in preventing the Dale Holland home from going up in smoke. Todd Rogers, John Bier and Greg Groshen were playing basketball when they noticed smoke seeping from the roof of the Holland home. The boys contacted neighbors, who in turn alerted the fire department, and meanwhile, did what they could to knock down flames with a garden hose. HUVftKlS FROM READERS Picture Credit Nearly everyone will have a story to tell about where they were and what they were doing during the total eclipse of 1979, but Henry Krebs' true tale may be a bit more interesting than most. Tend ing to lambing duties at the Krebs Brothers sheep opera tion at Cecil on the morning of the eclipse, the ewe pictured above gave birth to the first half of a set of coal black twins as the sun started to disappear behind the moon. Moments later, the second black sheep began its life in the eerie darkness of totality. The odds for a black ewe having black twins are fairly high. But to give birth to black twins during the darkness of a total eclipse, the odds are, well, astronomical. Gazette-Times Classifieds Bring Quick Results Phone 676-9228 Vote on dam appreciated by writer Editor: I am pleased to read that we will be allowed to vote on the dam. I fail to see what good the dam would do, as the water seldom comes down the same canyons. It would be much wiser to keep the creeks clean of trash. Also, the money is needed for the water system, which is in need of repair badly. I feel much safer as is, rather than live below a dirt dam. We have had two floods since I moved in my house on Chase Street. I hope enough people will vote so the dam will be stopped once-and-for-all. I think we should be able to decide some thing and not have outsiders stick their noses in when they don't belong. Martha Van Schoiack (Editor's Note: For clarification, the proposed Willow Creek Dam is a rock-fill, impervious core structure, different than a dirt-fill dam as referred to by Mrs. Van Schoiack in her letter.) Public Officials , U.S. Sen. Mark O. Hatfield Russell Serrate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510. Member of Appropriations Committee, Interior Committee, Rules Com mittee, and Indian Policy Review Commis sion. Portland office, Pioneer Courthouse, Rm. 107, 520 S.W. Morrison, Portland, Ore. 97204, phone 221-3386. U.S. Sen. Bob Packwood Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510. Member of Finance Committee and Commerce Committee. Portland office, 1002 N.E. Holladay, Rm. 700 (P.O. Box 3621), Portland, Ore. 97208, phone 233-4471. U.S. Rep. ArUllman, Of The Second District House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515. Member of Ways and Means Commit tee. Salem office, 530 Center St., Rm 330 (P.O. Box 247), Salem, Ore. 97308, phone 399-5724. Gov. Vic Atiyeh State Capitol, Salem, Ore. 97310, phone 378-3100. State Sen. Ken Jernstedt : (Morrow, Gilliam and other counties)," State Capitol, Rm. S317, Salem, Ore. 97310, phone 378-8850. State Sen. Robert Smith (Wheeler, Grant and other counties), State Capitol, Rm. S323, Salem, Ore. 97310, phone 378-8176. -State Rep. BiU Bellamy (Morrow, Gilliam Tand other counties), State Capitol, Rm. H364, Salem, Ore. 97310, phone 378-8853. State Rep. Max Simpson (Wheeler, Grant and other counties); State Capitol, Rm. H481, Salem, Ore. 97310, phone 378-8789. IV tin8 infomttion on bills, hearings, and other doings of the Oregon Legislature mayadl, toll-free, 1-8XM52-0290
