TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, May 17, 1979
The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
v.
The landscaping of
County's backyard
Gazette-News Times Analysis
In recent weeks the Gazette-Times has
published a series of articles, contributed
by a conservationist and an industry
leader concerning land use management
on the six, last-remaining, roadless areas
in the Heppner Unit of the Umatilla
National Forest.
Beryl Stillman of heppner, State
Project manager for the Elk Foundation
Association and a devoted conservation
ist, wrote a two-part series detailing the
many ecosystems within each of the
roadless areas and the delicate balance,
which exists between elk and a dozen
other rare wildlife species and the
undisturbed timber lands. Stillman is
probably one of the most knowledgeable
persons around when discussion turns to
elk and wildlife and the southern border
of Morrow County we refer to as the Blue
Mountains. He has devoted thousands of
hours and thousands of his own dollars to
independent field study and research of
the complex issue.
Allan Nistad, General Manager of
Kinzua Corporation and civic leader,
authored a third article outlining the
economics of harvesting timber from
those same roadless areas and the
economic impact on the southern
Morrow County community. Nistad
points to the Forest Service's preferred
alternative which allocates the six
roadless areas to commercial logging
with emphasis on preserving and.
according to the Forest Service, en
hancing the habitat for elk. He wrote the
article as President of the Columbia-Blue
Mountain Resource Conservation &
Development Commission. Nistad also
serves as chairman of the Oregon
Energy Facility Siting Council and fills
several other state-wide and regional
civic posts in addition to his wood
products industry duties. His life
revolves around resource management
and economics.
Within the same period of time retired
rancher and businessman Orville
Cutsforth has raised concerns about
projected logging in the Hell's Half Acre
roadless area that comprises a good
portion of the Willow Creek watershed.
Cutsforth also maintains the Forest
Service, county government and schools
are missing the boat by not harvesting
the pine beetle infested stands of
lodgepole that will turn brown with the
summer sun. As it turns out, county
government and schools wouldn't receive
forest receipt fees from the sale of
lodgepole because proceeds from the
sales go directly to finance further
lodgepole sales which are uneconom
ical to harvest.
Cutsforth made his plea to the
Heppner-Morrow County Chamber of
Commerce and that organization in turn
appointed a committee chairman chair
ed by Heppner attorney Michael J.
Sweeney to take a look at the Willow
Creek watershed issue.
All of the forementioned issues,
concerns and proposals for management
of the national forest lands that serve
as Morrow County's backyard are
directly tied to the economics of the area
through hunting and fishing and other
recreation, logging and employment at
the local mill and subsequently, employ
ment throughout the community. The
economic issue is complex and far
reaching; to-date, no one has compiled a
balance sheet of all the resource values
present in the roadless areas for
objective analysis.
Unfortunately, the public concern
surfacing now is Johnny-come-lately on
the scene as the Forest Service has
'-- The Official Newspaper of the
City of Heppner and the
County of Morrow
ONFA
Oregon Nwspopr
Publisher! Aisociotion
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 March 3, 1879. Second-class postage
paid at Heppner, Oregon
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
$8.00 In Morrow, Unatilla, Wheeler 8t Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere
GM. Reed, Publisher
Terry M. Hager, General Manager
Eileen Saling, Office Manager
Melissa Scon, Composition
Justine Weotherford, Local Columnist
completed not only RARE I & II, but also
the Land Management Plan for the
Heppner Unit of the Umatilla National
Forest. Even so, it's not too late for
Morrow Countians to have a voice in how
the public forest lands in the Blues will be
managed.
When the Morrow County Economic
Advisory Committee was meeting and
formulating goals and guidelines for the
County's Comprehensive Plan, Com
mittee members specifically debated
and accordingly adopted a goal preserv
ing the right of the county to intervene
and advise on behalf of its citizenry as to
how the public forest lands within the
county will be managed at any time.
There were those who did not feel the
county and its residents needed that
protection; rather, leaving management
of the forest to the Forest Service.
Now it appears the committee was
right in adopting that goal and it seems
practical for the Chamber of Commerce
committee to expand its responsibility
beyond the Willow Creek watershed to
include the six roadless areas.
The Forest Service RARE I & II, and
land Use Management Plan reports
are lacking in recreational values and
site specific ecosystem information. The
reports, on the other hand, explain very
well the values of harvesting the timber
on those lands and the management
alternatives which the Forest Service
and the wood products industry prefer.
Beryl Stillman has compiled most of
the information necessary to determine
the true recreational and wildlife values
and detailed ecosystem information. In
addition, he challenges some of the
Forest Service figures on the economics
of harvesting the roadless areas.
Stillman has developed a management
proposal he would like to see considered
along with the five allocations proposed
by the Forest Service. It does not call for
a blanket wilderness designation; it
would severely restrict logging in the
areas but would provide for management
by the Forest Service and allow off -road
vehicle use on most existing roads ; it is a
viable alternative and deserves consider
ation. The basic issue and stark realiza
tionis whether or not Morrow County
will have any virgin old growth timber
stands 10 to 20 years from now ; whether
that option is economically feasible and
desirable for Morrow County. Only a
thorough economic analysis of the values
will reveal the answer and the answer is
needed now. The recreational and
wildlife values are in current form
only as long as the six areas remain
roadless and the public should be aware
that sales are already planned for some
of the roadless areas.
The Chamber of Commerce committee
is a natural to undertake the responsibil
ity of compiling the values and having
them professionally analyzed. From
there the County and Chamber along
with the public, can let the Forest Service
know how they want their backyard
landscaped.
tir Hint Cnarinf Dfllri
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Printing Needs
GAZETTE-TIMES
676-9228
Delores Reed, Co-publisher
Rick Steelhommer, News Editor
Gayle Rush, Composition
Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice
Ron Jordan, Printer
Aw
Be sure to vote in Tuesday's
County elections...Polls are open
from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Your Right To Know...In this week's issue of
The Gazette-Times, sample ballots and legal notices
for the elections are published for your bene fit.
LETTERS FROM OUR READERS
Writer questions budget
Editor:
We have a county-owned and county
operated nursing home for service to our
community; not a profit making venture. I
feel rates are higher than they should be
and care is less than should be (due to
understaffing and undertrainingof person
nel). This facility does not meet standards
for skilled nursing care. People paying for
nursing home insurance, both private
carrier and medicare, cannot collect
because it does not meet standards. I
believe it would not be too expensive to
upgrade, at least the upstairs.
Rates upstairs are $29.50 per day plus
Support hospital
Editor:
The hospital Boo-Birds are at it again.
This time they are booing the budget. It's
only the latest in their campaign of
sideline heckling. (Side-line heckling is the
distinctive call of the boo-bird.)
No matter what it is, they're against it.
For instance, they raised such a
clamor last year that four of the five
unpaid hospital board members resigned;
they were mad because the fifth didn't
quitl
For instance: They were in such a snit
against ha -ing a hospital district formed
that the idea was removed from the ballot.
But less than a year later one of them is
trying to get a state law passed to have
elected board members rather than
appointed ones exactly what the hospital
district would have accomplished.
For instance: They were so positive
that everyone in Morrow County was
incapable of keeping the hospital running
that we just had to have an outside
management company. But now that the
Board has hired a firm to teach people how
to effectively run the hospital and keep it a
modern facility, they accuse the Board of
being too extravagant.
For instance: they accused the Eoard
and administration of letting the hospital
get run down and outdated. But now they
oppose a budget designed to update the
facility and equipment.
For instance, they accuse the Board of
not listening to the doctors, though the
items in the budget listed for improvement
came from recommendations made by the
doctors.
Another distinctive mark of the
boo-bird is where they're not seen. You'll
not see them at three a .m . answering a call
to drive the ambulance.
You'll not see them in an 81 hour class
to train volunteer medical technicians to
serve the community.
You'll not see them struggling to get a
hospital auxiliary going.
You will see one of them complaining
that a hose was left out for two weeks. You
won't see the person walk over and pick it
up.
Get the drift. It's easy to always tear
down what someone else is trying to build
up. And if such tearing down destroys the
morale of an organization from bottom to
top, from paid employees to dedicated
. volunteers, so what? The boo-birds will
always clamor about their right to do such
things. They even claim it's their duty.
It reminds me of the radical students
of the late 60's "Tear it down, I don't like
it. To heck with what you think."
Our hospital is striving to improve
itself. She needs our support moral and
financial. Don't let the boo-bird's words
confuse you; just look at their actions,
that's the proof of their mettle.
John Maas
Heppner
point system (example 75 cents per day)
plus charges such as $3.00 for an enema,
$1.25 for mouth swab, etc. and of course all
medication is extra. Rates downstairs are
$27.50 per day plus same charges.
Hiershes Nursing Home in Pendleton is a
private business (has to show a profit to
stay in business). Heirshe's does qualify
for skilled nursing home care with therapy
equipment, full time therapist, etc. The
daily rate at Heirshe's is $30.00 per day
. plus medication only. There is $1.00 per
day discount if paid by the 10th or a net
cost of $29.00 per day.
Many of our people are buying nursing
home insurance believing Pioneer Memor
ial Nursing Home qualifies only to find
after paying insurance for years and often
after a large bill has been built up, that it
does not qualify. Taxpayers of Morrow
County are entitled to know what they are
buying with their tax dollars.
This facility was built as a "memor
ial" to our pioneers, as toe name implies.
Many of our living pioneers that are now in
the nursing home were substantial donors
to this facility and supported it tax-wise for
many years. I feel these living pioneers
are being "ripped off" by present
administration of our nursing home both in
dollars and in care. I have been trying for
more than a year to have hospital board
respond to these complaints; to date no
responses.
Our elderly and sick want to be close to
family and friends. They should not be
penalized in care or monies to realize this
wish. You and I are so penalizing them
when we allow this to continue.
I do not intend this letter or last weeks
letter to presume to tell you how to vote. I
do want your vote to be an informed
vote not an emotional vote due to
pressure; the only way we can continue (o
have a hospital is to vote as hospital
personnel want us to vote.
Jewel Hager
Heppner
Rodeo okay
Editor:
It is much to my amazement how one
person can do something and it's alright,
but let someone else do it and it should be
against the law.
I have been reading the articles in
different newspapers about Lois Win
chester supporting the bill to end
particular rodeo events.
I am certain that I am not the only
resident that lived in Morrow County that
can remember Lois and her family
participating in all of the rodeo events in
the Dast. Whv is it any worse to bulldoe a
calf than it is to rein ydur horse so tight
around the barrel race's that your horse
bleeds at the mouth from the bit or to run
your horse so hard and long that it is hot
and exhausted?
I can also remember when Lois used to
dye her dogs different colors and dress
them up for the rodeo parade, etc. Was this
a normal life for a dog?
I don't understand why Lois feels it is
any harder on the calves, horses and bulls
nowadays than it was 20 or 30 years ago
when her family participated in these
same events.
I am almost certain that if the
Gazette-Times "Sifted through the Times"
they would be apt to find several articles
from the past that includes members of the
Winchester family in the highlights of the
Morrow County Fair and Rodeo.
Do we all forget so soon?
Sincerely,
(s) L. J. Turner
4606N.E. Glisan
Portland, Oregon
mmzmMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Vote against
Editor:
If we vote yes on the hospital budget,
the hospital board will have received the
same as a blank check.
The board has asked for its own study
and may not know for a period of six
months or more which road they want to
take.
They are asking the taxpayers of
Morrow County for a budget which at this
time is unrealistic. Prior to May 1, I had
hopes that the board would start listening
to the public, the doctor in the area, and
become the response type of board that is
needed to save Pioneer Memorial Hos
pital. As of May 1, the area that could have
been served extended approximately 25
miles to the north and covered the
surrounding area of Condon, Fossil and
Sprayand John Day.
The PMH of Prineville and the Crook
County Nursing Home have since May 1
parted with the consulting type manage
ment group and have turned to the
Northwest Medical Foundation. John Day,
is sending a doctor to Condon on Mondays
and Fossil has or will shortly have a doctor
for that area.
What area does that leave Pioneer
Memorial Hospital to draw from for
patients? Not very much.
The board is asking the taxpayers of
Morrow County for a budget that at this
time is unrealistic.
The existing board must be told
through a no vote that their actions are not
approved by the voters of Morrow County.
Until a decision is made as to which
road to take I feel that only revenue to
operate for the next year should be voted
on. They are asking for money to
guarantee doctor's wages to come here.
$70,000 is being asked for a manage
ment plan and they don't really want it.
The board wants to remain with the
present administration.
A no vote won't lose Pioneer Memorial
Hospital, a no vote should inform the board
that the taxpayer wants to see something
for his money and something done, a no
vote should also impress the Morrow
County Court that they should be thinking
about getting back into the hospital
business until the problems of Pioneer
Memorial are solved.
I must stress again, a no vote will not
lose Pioneer Memorial Hospital, but could
keep her alive.
Merle Cantin
Heppner
Public Officials
U.S. Sen.
Mark O. Hatfield
Russell Senate Office Bldg.. Washington.
DC. 2(151(1. Member of Appropriations
Committee. Interior Committee. Rules Com
mittee, and Indian Polity Review Commis
sion. Portland office. Pioneer Courthouse.
Km. 1(17. 52(1 S.W. Morrison. Portland. Ore.
97204. phone 22l-:i:!8.
U.S.
Bob
Sen.
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 Ullman,
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.
Siftin
through
the
TIMES
Fifty years ago this week, it was
announced that 17 students would grad
uate from the high school at Heppner.
Those graduating were Virginia Dix,
Cason Prock, Dorothy Herren, Patricia
Cox, Harlan Devin, Maurice Edmondson,
James Hager, Clarence Hayes, Paul
Jones, Hadley Stewart, John Farley and
Harry Wells.
commencement exercises will begin
at 8 o'clock. Bart Brown-Barker, vice
president of the University of Oregon, will
deliver the commencement address.
A.J. Chaffee returned on Tuesday
from Oregon city with a truck load of
dynamite which he delivered to the road
camp on Rhea creek. The powder is to be
used largely in shooting the rock quarry
located at the Jim Rhea place. There is
considerable heavy work along Rhea
Creek and the road crew is now at Keck
Canyon.
In an advertisement run by Ford
Motor Company, the Model T is praised for
its low repair costs, for a labor charge of
only $2.60 you can have your generator put
in first-class condition, a new universal
joint will be installed for a labor cost of $3
and the average price of $22.50 covers the
overhauling of the motor and transmis
sion. Twenty-five years ago, the Gazette
Times reported that work was started on
the long hoped for dam on Willow Creek.
The only problem, it wasn't man-made.
Beavers were cutting trees down on the
Fred Booker property. After the animal's
nocturanal work was discovered, Glenn
Ward of the State Game Commission set
out live traps in an effort to capture the
dam builders and move them a little
further upstream where they can build to
their heart's content. To date the animals
have eluded capture.
Modern surgery at Pioneer Memorial
Hospital was inspected by more than 250
persons during the institution's open house
last Wednesday. The most popular spot in
the hospital among regualr visitors,
especially the proud papas was the glass
enclosed nursery.
Oscar Peterson announced he was a
Republican candidate for Morrow County
Judge.
Five years ago, the Heppner Common
Council approved its budget of $798,000.
Local athletes won state champion"
ships. Heppner High School brought home
12 medals from the Class A track and field
championships held at Pleasant Hill. The
boys 440 relay team of Matt Greenup, Mike
Bergstrom, Karl Harrison and John Boyer
posted a :44.9 time to become state
champions. "
Charles Kyd
Cont. from page 3
Society of Agricultural Con
sultants and a trustee of
Agri-Services Foundation,
Clovis, Calif. He was a Mason
and a member of the Shriners.
Survivors are a son, Charles
W. Kyd, Corvallis; daughters,
Janice Kyd and Clarice,
Dankers-Kyd, both of Seattle,
brothers, George, St. Louis,'
Mo., and Stirling, Columbia,
Mo., sisters, Truella Haseman
and Lois Toettcher, both of
Lakeland, Fla.
Funeral services are Friday
in Boardman at Boardman
Community Church. Burns
Mortuary, Hermiston is in
charge of arrangements.
State Sen.
Ken Jernstedt
(Morrow. Gilliam and other counties),
Stale Capitol. Rm S317. Salem. Ore. 97310,
phone :i78-50. ,
State Sen.
Robert Smith
(Wheeler. Grant and other counties),
Stale Capitol. Rm. S323. Salem, Ore. 97310
phone 378-8176.
State 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),
State Capitol. Rm. H481. Salem, Ore. 97310,
phone 378-8789.
Persons wanting information on billi,
hearings, and other doings of the
Oregon Legislature may call,
toll-free, 1-800-452-0290
St
V
L.