Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1979)
Yes votes urged The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES JT y J LJ HJ Li . TV L1CX ill, jjri&va. Heppner residents will be the first to the polls in a series of spring budget elections, with the cUy's levy election and advisory vote on the Willow Creek Dam set for next Wednesday, March 28. The City of Heppner budget is a bare-bones affair, less than last year's budget by some $12,000. The amount of the levy being voted on is more than last year, however, because the city doesn't have a surplus of cash to offset the amount as in years past. Of equal if not greater importance to city voters is the advisory opinion ballot on construction of the Willow Creek Dam. The city held a public meeting last week to outline the flood plain management measures the town will be required to live with. The conclusion clearly drawn is that development in Heppner's flood plain areas including the construction of homes will be severely restricted and modified. Without the Willow Creek Dam in place most of Heppner lies within a flood plain ranging in depth from 4-6 feet. Homes that would be built in any of these areas would require foundations that extended to or above the flood plain depths. Furthermore, a floodway designation will also be prepared and absolutely no new construction will be allowed within the floodway. It is expected that the floodway will encompass most or all of those 4-6 foot depth areas again most of what we know as Heppner today. The issue is a complex one and understanding all the information available is equally difficult, but it boils down to one of three options for Heppner. First, the city can ask for construction of the Willow Creek Dam and let Heppner grow pretty much as it has in the past; secondly, Heppner can live with the natural 100-year flood plain (without the dam in place), in which case individuals will be restricted as to where and how they can build a home or business; and the third option is to withdraw from the flood insurance program, which in effect, stops any development and would threaten the sale of homes and businesses. We feel there is only one realistic choice; ask for construction of the Willow Creek Dam for the preservation of Heppner. I 1 -'" ' i i N t . . ; ; " , . , -4vV ft Dr. Joan Pagel, a Portland physician, took up office space at Pioneer Memorial Hospital for a brief stint early this month while Dr. Joe Gifford was out of town. When the G- T camera arrived Dr. Pagel was treating young Erik B.jella, son of Karmon and Linda Bjella. Karmon is director of nurses at Pioneer Memorial Hospital. PMH Administrator Bob Byrnes, who arranged for the doctor's stay in Heppner, said she was kept busy every day until late in the evening. Cantin urges public to attend Hospital Board meetings Editor: Last night the Pioneer Memorial Hospital Board had their monthly meeting. Five interested groups showed up to offer their product of services to the board. Four others wrote letters, one feeling their fee could not be afforded by us. The fee for all the types of services involved ran from $90,000 to a basic hourly fee of 2' a times their hourly rate plus traveling time to come in and straighten out our hospital. Only one group, I feel, had access to all the present needs. Only two groups could offer complete coverage and they are at present in the hospital management business, the others involved being consul tants. The decision as to who will be allowed to run your hospital has been placed in the hands of the Pioneer Memorial Hospital board. Thanks given for aid in report Editor: We wish to thank you for your time and effort in the preparation and publication of the Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District's annual report for 1979. You have shown a continuing interest in our program of soil and water conservation for Morrow County and we appreciate your assistance and concern. C.R. McElligott Chairman, Morrow Soil & Water Conservation District I have only one comment to you, the public. You have a county court that has turned over to the hospital board the say-so as to who should come in and run our hospital. This same board now in existence, has stressed the point that they are still getting their feet wet and it needs time to get with it. At the last meeting of the board, items in last year's budget that had not been purchased were brought to the attention of the board. The answer received, "they were under consideration", yet the wishes of you and I, the public, who voted for such a budget, must feel our wishes are not being fulfilled by this board. The question arises; it is again budget time and there still remains items that they needed so badly, but are considering whether they should be purchased. This same board was appointed by your county court. We are faced with the still very true possibility that we could very definitely lose Pioneer Memorial Hospital. Until you, the public, becomes faced with the true reality that PMH could no longer become a landmark, you and I as such, have a problem. Our problem is community pride and interest. Interest is lacking, but like a small cut, until it becomes festered we do nothing about it. Pride, I'm sure we have. Tuesday night, March 27, 1979, the hospital board is going to discuss the proposals of the different groups at a meeting at the Columbia Basin Electric conference room. It is very possible you will not be allowed to express your feelings but you should come and listen. You, the people and taxpayers, have this right and it is a God given right you should use. We must have community input, we must have a board that will work for and not against the public. This week I will appear before the Morrow County Court and ask that the decision be removed from the hands of the hospital board. I feel that some of them do not have the public interest at hand. I will ask that the court appoint a general county committee that will act as an executive board and will work together with the communities of the county and the surrounding counties to accomplish the following : 1. We need a group that can furnish us with medical staff throughout the county and surrounding counties. 2. A group that has the expertise at hand, not having to go out and buy it. 3. A group that must be able to reorganize the hospital and furnish the community and surrounding area with our medical needs. I wish to thank all those who have come to me and asked that I continue writing to the editor. I now feel that you are partially informed, but please, and I plead to each and every one of you who reads this, get out to the court and hospital board meetings. Once an injustice is done, it is hard to turn it around. Now is the time to save our hospital and not by voting down the next budget. Your input is more than you may give yourself credit for. We have much to lose if we lose Pioneer Memorial Hospital. I would like to see the interested citizens and taxpayers of Morrow County at the meeting scheduled at CBEC on March 27, at 7:30 p.m. Merl Cantin Heppner Sifting through the TIMES "A large crowd was attracted by the presentation of 'The Younger Generation,' a genuine talking picture at Star Theater on Wednesday," the Gazette-Times reported 50 years ago this week. "In fact," the Gazette-Times article continued, "the picture was so well received that the management was constrained to hold it over for another showing this evening... The picture, without the added feature of talking and the good music that accompanies it, would be well worth seeing, as it is a high class production. But when you get the effect of the talking features, it is an attraction that should not be missed. Barring the acoustical difficulties of the local theater, the talking was quite distinct and in perfect accord with the picture acting." During the same week in 1929, Ruth Bennett suffered a slight concussion and several bruises when she was thrown from her horse en route to Alpine High School. County Agent Charles Smith announced that Morrow County's pooled order of Irish Cobbler seed potatoes had arrived in time for spring planting, and Ed Bennett was elected president of the Heppner Golf Club. Ferguson Motors in Heppner sold brand new 1929 Oldsmobiles to Roy Stender and Tilman Hogue. Thirty years ago this week, many Lexington residents were outside and working a little earlier than usual, when a predawn blaze broke out in Klinger's Pastime. Citizen volunteers managed to keep the fire from destroying the business, but the Pastime was badly damaged. During the same week in 1949, Butter Creek flockmaster Joseph Hayes was winding up lambing season. According to the gazette-Times, "he secured 92 per cent of the lambs from his band, which started lambing in middle-February, when the weather was not the best." Butter Creek teenager Ron Currin was in the news 25 years ago this week, when he was named valedictorian of Heppner High School, and received the State Farmer Degree during the annual state FFA convention in Corvallis. Currin, now a rancher on Butter Creek, was also . student body president at HHS. Adelia Anderson was named salutatorian of the 1954 HHS graduating class. Ten years ago this week marked the final weekend of activities for the 1969 skiing season at Arbuckle Mountain. A series of races for all age divisions was held to celebrate the end of a winter of good snow. Five years ago this week, thieves broke into the Office Tavern in lone, making off with nearly $1,000 from a strong box. Atiyeh gunning for House tax cut proposal OITPA Oregon Newtpapar Publiihart Attociotion The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow The Heppner GAZETTE-TIME Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper U.S.P.S. 240-420 Published every Thursday and entered at second-class matter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March3, 1879. Second-class postage paid at Heppner, Oregon , SUBSCRIPTION RATE $8.00 In Morrow, Unatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; S10.00 elsewhere G.AA. Reed, Publisher Terry M. Hoger, Generol Manager Eileen Saling, Office Manager Meliua Scott, Composition Justine Weotherford, Local Columnist De lores Reed, Co-publisher Rick Steelhammer, News Editor Gayle Rush, Composition Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice Ron Jordan, Printer By Kathy Glanville Eagle Newspapers Salem reporter SALEM The House tax plan was hardly out of the chute last week before Gov Vic Atiyeh came gunning for it. Ignoring an overwhelming House majority vote for the $652 million tax relief prop osal, Atiyeh lambasted the plan and almost threatened to veto it if the Senate sends him the same version. That isn't likely to happen, despite the confidence of House members who predict ed their plan wouldn't be drastically revised if it got solid support in the House. Because almost 40 per cent of the state's households would pay no property taxes at all under the House plan, Atiyeh charged that "the hardworking productive citi zens of this state are again left out in the cold." He rapped the plan for not Uiniiiiig property taxes or local government spending and he said the proposal does nothing to halt the rise of assessed property values. "The entire tax plan prop osed by the House, with an uncontrolled government lim itation, opens up the General Fund artery to an unaccept able level," he said. The governor threw open the door to the Senate to write its own tax plan. And senate leaders were right on the threshold, waiting for the invitation. Senate President Jason Boe politely complimented the House for its hard work and dedication and then said the majority votes in the House won't matter much to the Senate. It's our turn to try to make a better plan," said Boe. Boe ' said there was a certain amount of truth in the governor's criticism of the tax plan concerning the middle income tax payer. "The governor has raised a legitimate fear," he said. Boe said a tax plan that lets 40 per cent of the households in the state off without paying any property taxes would win a lot of votes from those without anything to lose. "Should there be a mini mum property tax so every one has some stake in the effect of the vote?" Boe asked, Sen. John Powell, chairman of the Senate Revenue Com mittee which will soon start working on the House plan, said the Senate was "keeping all options open." "There is no Senate plan," he said although at least four plans have circulated about the Senate in the last few weeks. "I was surprised by the strength of the governor's statements," Powell said. "He used the near-veto language on the House plan. Powell said at this point the Senate didn't look too favor ably on a tax rate limit such as the one urged by the governor. But he wouldn't rule it out as a possibility. Powell said the House plan would be "a vehicle from which we can launch our search." How much of the House vehicle will be left when the search is ended is a question Powell couln't answer. Boe said the Senate would be a "hearing force" trying to bring all sides together on a plan which both the Legisla ture and the governor would support. "Unless there's solid sup port from the House, the Senate and the governor, any tax plan is doomed to failure," said Boe. Atiyeh urged the Senate to send any tax plan proposed to the voters this spring. Boe said that might be possible. "I can tell you one thing, we're going to have a plan," he said. We're not going to adjourn this session until we get a plan." One senator who asked not to be named said that might take a while. "Everyone has got a big ego around here," he said, "Everyone wants to put their names on the tax plan that saves the state." Public Officials U.S. Sen. Mark O. Hatfield Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC. 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. Al'UUman, 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. Stale Rep. Bill Bellamy (Morrow, Gilliam and other counties). State. Capitol, Rm. H364, Salem, Ore. 97310, phone 378-8853. State Rep. Max Simpson (Wheeler, Grant and other counties I State Capitol, Rm. H481, Salem, Ore. 97310 phone 378-8789. i Persons wanting information on bills, hearings, and other doings of the Oregon Legislature may call, toll-free, 1-800-452-0290 -""far
