Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1979)
TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday April 12, 1979 r The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES . I J Voters may favor gas tax increase if funds go to state highway repairs SALEM The head of the Oregon Senate Transportation Committee says Oregonians are more likely to approve a gas tax increase if they're assured the money will be spent only on roads. Sen. Dell Isham, D-Lincoln City, called for a Sept. 18 referendum election to put that theory to a test. As part of a 12-point funding plan to rescue the state's deteriorating roads, Isham proposes to ask voters to restrict the use of motor-vehicle taxes to roads and to tie the gas tax to the Portland consumer price index. "This will get us back on the track to protecting the multimillion-dollar invest ment all Oregonians have in the highway system," he said last week after his committee finished a 15-city fact-finding tour of road conditions around the state. Isham said he and his committee learned that people are concerned about the condition of their streets, roads and highways. But he said the people wanted the highway fund spent only on roads, not on the state police, parks and other highway programs. Isham said people were also willing to use some general fund money to meet current maintenance emergencies, but he said people had mixed opinions about using a $100 general fund surplus to fix roads instead of being returned as an income tax rebate. He suggests voters also be asked to make a decision on the $100 million surplus at the special Sept. 18 election. "There was strong sentiment on both sides of this issue," said Isham. "It's a tough issue. A lot of legislators, including myself, have already promised to return that surplus." "If our transportation system is allowed to deteriorate as it is now," he added, "It will ultimately lead to the economic degradation of the state of Oregon." The Senate Transportation Committee has already approved a resolution calling for an amendment to restrict the use of highway funds. The proposal, Senate Joint Resolution 7 is before a Ways and Means Subcommittee which has already begun to make budget decisions on the assumption that voters will approve it this fall. By restricting the use of highway funds to roads, the proposal takes the state police and parks out of the highway budget and frees an additional $63 million for road repair. The proposed fuel tax and weight-mile taxes are attempts to tie those sources of highway revenue to inflation. Isham said the gas tax has been 7 cents since 1967, yet inflation has cut into the purchasing power of the highway fund at a time when people are trying to conserve by buying smaller cars and using less fuel. "The state is more than a billion dollars behind in highway maintenance and rehabilitation," said Isham. "Fifty eight per cent of the highways in the state are moderately to extremely deterior ated," he said. Taxpayers have twice turned down proposed increases in gas taxes. Isham said if voters approve the requested inflation-sensitive tax, it would go into effect Jan. 1, 1981 and would add about one penny the first year. In addition to the three-part election, Isham also proposed to authorize the sale of $150 million in state Highway bonds if voters approve the new gas tax. He said the state has the bonding capacity now but must have a higher assured income before it can sell the bonds. He said it will cost the taxpayers less to pay interest on the loan than to wait two to three years to do the needed construction. Other parts of the 12-point plan include asking Congress to allow states to use the federal interstate funds for repairing primary and secondary roads. Oregon's interstate system is almost completed. Isham also proposed increasing title transfer fees and require Oregon auto mobile registration within 30 days after a person moves to the state. Isham said although people were concerned about the deteriorating condi tion of the roads, they also told the committee they needed additional traffic signals and bridge repair work. So Isham also is seeking $10 of general fund money for county bridge repair and $2.5 million for traffic signals around the state. Public Officials U.S. Sen. Mark O. Hatfield liussrll Senate Oilier Hldg . Washington DC 2ii."Iii Member ill Appropriation Committee. Interior Committee. Uules Com inillee. mid Indian Policy Hcview Commis sion Portland office. Pioneer Court house Urn HIT. .VJ11 S V Morrison. Portland. Ore H7l!04. phone L'L'I :i:!Hli. U.S. Sen. Bob Packwood Dirksen Senate Ollice Bklg . Washington. Ill' l'o."iii Member of Finance Committee and Commerce Committee. Portland office. KKIJN K. Holladay. Km. 7i iP.O. Box Portland. Ore H72UK. phone 2:i;H47l. U.S. Rep. Al'Ullman, Of The Second District House Office Blrlg.. Washington. D C. 2i 1.) I.). Member of Ways and Means Commit tee Salem ollice. 5:t(i Center St.. Km :s:il iP.O. Box 2-171. Salem. Ore. 97:W8. phone :W9-5724. Gov. Vic Atiyeh State Capitol. Salem. Ore. 97:110. phone :i78-:tl(M. State Sen. Ken Jernstedt i.Morrow. Gilliam and other counties). Stale Capitol. Km S:U7. Salem. Ore. 97310, phone HTH-WCill State Sen. Robert Smith i Wheeler. Grant and other counties) Slate Capitol. Km. S:i2:l. Salem. Ore. 97310. phone :i7H-K17li. State Rep. Bill Bellamy i.Morrnw, Gilliam and other counties) Slate Capitol. Km H364. Salem. Ore. 97310 phone 378-K853. State Rep. Max Simpson (Wheeler. Grant and other counties), Stale Capitol. Km. H481. Salem. Ore. 97310. phone 378-8789. Persons wanting information on bills, bearings, and other doings of the Oregon Legislature may call, toll-free, 1-800-452-0290 ONPA Oregon Newspaper Publisher, Association The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow The Heppner GAZETTE- TIMES Morrow County s Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper U.S.P.S. 240-420 Published every Thursday and entered as 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 J8.00 In Morrow, Unatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere GM Reed, Publisher Terry M. Hoger, General Monager Eileen Soling, Office Manager Melissa Scon, Composition Justine Weatherford, Local Columnist Delores Reed, Co-publisher Rick S'eelhammer, News Editor Gayle Rush, Composition Cmdi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice Ron Jordan, Printer 1 m txpss ' r i'" 1 'f County roads aren't the only thing cracking up this spring as county's barracades were being used on roads so some this make-shift barracade and cracked sidewalk at the enterprising employee put an old wooden chair to good use. Courthouse reveal. Judge D.O. Nelson joked that all the Was it really a joke about the barracades, Judge? LEI f EUS M READERS Thanks given for help in Heppner's cleanup campaign Dear Sir: I would like to express my personal thanks and appreciation to all who cooperated and engaged in the clean up week of two weeks ago. Much litter and trash was brought to the dump. There are still a few things to be done and they will be taken care of soon. A big tip of the hat goes especially to Mark Lovgren and Paul Sumner for their fine work in coordinating the effort and for recruitment of help. Most of our goals were achieved, the gravel is gone for the most part, public and private property and school play areas were picked up and weeds were removed. It was back breaking work. I'm sure most Heppnerites appreciate all that was done, but I'm sorry to say that a few don't as evidenced by trash in the park near the library two hours after it was thoroughly cleaned. May I ask all people of our good town to exercise some clout with those who don't know any better, even seeing you pick up their trash often makes a lasting impression. Again thanks to one and all, Mark, Paul, Bob Lowe, Elaine Miller, Terry Hughes, Marlene Gray and son, Terry and all the others who did a wonderful job. Sincerely, Fr. Kenneth D. Miller Rector, All Saints' Episcopal Church & Chairman of City Improvement & Beauti fication Committee of the Chamber of Commerce Communication is key to coping with problems "Sifting j through the TIMES Honesty was in the news 50 years ago this week in Heppner. Mrs. Pearl Warthern had recently moved to Heppner from Portland. After disembarking at the Heppner rail depot, she was alarmed to discover that she was missing her purse, which contained important papers and some $60 in cash. Several days later, she received a letter from a Boise woman, stating that she had found the purse on the floor of a train compartment and was forwarding it back to Heppner. The purse arrived two days later, with all its contents intact. Mechanization was gaining an ever-growing foothold in Morrow County agriculture, as indicated in the Gazette-Times a half century ago this week. According to the G-T, "during the past 14 months, Peoples Hardware company of this city have sold 20 John Deere tractors that are now being used on as many different farms. Many others have purchased different types of machines and are finding them the proper 1 implement for doing their plowing, cultivating and seeding, more economical than horse power, and in the case of dry farming, the work is done quicker and when it should be done to conserve the moisture." During the same week in 1929, Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was the featured attraction at the Star Theater in Heppner. Since the movie was produced "on a scale that dwarfs all other big pictures," according to the Star's advertisement in the G-T, prices were upped to 25 cents for children and 50 cents for adults. Thirty years ago this week, Harlan McCurdy Jr. was installed as Exalted Ruler of the Heppner Elks Lodge. Later that week, Heppner businessman Orville Smith, lawyer P.W. Mahoney, and pilot Jack Forsythe departed Morrow County in Forsythe's new Cessna to attend a business meeting in Minneapolis, Minn. The trio stopped over in Chicago before returning to Heppner. Meanwhile, back in Corvallis during this April week in 1949, a Lexington man saved the day for Oregon State College's track team. Jack Miller, a sophomore sprinter for the Beavers and a virtual unknown on the track team up to that point, took first place in the 100 yard dash and second in the 220 to rack up just enough points to edge Oregon State to a 66-65 win over the highly favored University of Washington team. Twenty-five years ago this week, officials of the Pacific Northwest Grain Dealers announced that a new dock and grain loading facility would be built at Patterson Ferry along the Columbia in northern Morrow County. The new port facility was expected to cost $175,000 to construct, and would be leased by the Morrow County Grain Growers. During the same week in 1954, it was announced that Pioneer Memorial Hospital averaged 96 per cent occupancy during the previous year, with only a half of the patients coming from Morrow County. More than 38 per cent of the patients came from Wheeler and Gilliam counties. The hospital realized a net profit of $5,558 during 1953. Ten years ago this week, Bonnie Kae Akers and Earl Pettyjohn were named valedictorian and salutatorian of lone High School's class of '69. Heppner High's valedictorian and salutator ian for 1969 were Terry Peck and Sara Miller, both of whom posted straight-A grades through their high school careers. Women's lib made inroads in Heppner five years ago this week, when two women got jobs in the veneer plant at Kinzua Corporation's Heppner mill. Pulling the green chain were Judy Davis and Hazel Kandle, whose husbands were also employed by the mill. In my four months in Heppner, I have found that there are many, both young and old, concerned about drug use and abuse. being used? The key word is COMMUNICATION. Com munication based on a sym pathetic understanding of the concerns of those we care for. By Larry Gordon Morrow County Mental Health Clinic Being interested and con cerned about the issues which affect our community is a step in the right direction. All people, regardless of age. can have an influence on their environment. But they must act if change is to take place. Before attempting to estab lish a plan of action in order to bring about change in the community, it is important to assess "What's going on." For example, to what extent are people using alcohol and drugs? Are they using it appropriately or abusing it in ways detrimental to them selves and-or others. How do we assess the extent to which alcohol and drugs are People have no way of knowing each other's thoughts unless they communicate openly and honestly. In regard to drugs, parents may say, "if I just knew the signs of use, I could know when my kids take drugs." My point is that, if parents and kids communicate effectively, each will know what the other is doing. It won't be necessary to "catch" the kids or parents using alcohol or drugs. We will have open communication and understanding among our selves. If this can be achieved under the context of fairness and genuine concern. I believe people will ict along belter in all phases of their lives Kids will have a better chance of understanding their parents' attitudes towards drugs, to ward unsupervised activities, etc. And understanding these attitudes, they will be in a better position to guide them selves so as to earn their parents' respect and trust. Below are some things you can do to establish positive attitudes and values in others : Love, affection and atten tion from those we care about. Consistent and fair disci pline and encouragement. Opportunities to express our feelings and thoughts. Opportunities for successful and exciting experiences at home, in school, at work and in the community. Tolerance for mistakes. Models of strong and thoughtful people to look up to. Accurate information about the problems of society: sexuality, drugs, alcohol, crime and other issues that threaten us or make us fearful. During Mark Twain's days as a newspaperman, he was editor of a small Missouri paper. One day he received a letter from a subscriber, stating that he had found a spider in his paper, and asked if this was an omen of good or bad luck. Twain replied: "Finding a spider in your fntper U neither fiood nor bad luek. The spider was merely looking over our paper to see u-hich merchant u-as not advertising so that he could go to that Mftire, spin his web across the door, and leail a life of undisturbed peace ever afterward." The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES will keep the spider away from your door
