TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, May 31, 1979
Kinzua demonstrating
its industrial strength
Any community would be glad to
have an industry such as Heppner's
Kinzua Corporation, for no other reason
than the economic base and employment
provided; but every so often one of these
small, independent industries is a leader
in every respect and that makes the
attraction even greater.
Last week's announcement that a
study is underway to determine the
feasibility of building a wood waste-fired
power generating facility at Kinzua's
Heppner plant is yet another project in
an ongoing policy of development to
keep the company out in front of the wood
products industry.
That policy, in recent years, has seen
Kinzua build a new veneer plant, a
$5-million computerized sawmill (the
first of its kind in the pine industry);
develop and maintain a comprehensive
management plan for the company's own
200,000-plus acres of forest land, with
sustained yield and wildlife habitat
preservation as principal points. While
each of the projects are cost-effective
moves for the company, increasing or
stabilizing its profit position, each of the
projects also enhances the industry
within the community. An example is the
new sawmill, capable of cutting a wide
range of log diameters with optimum
useage of the wood fiber. This will enable
Kinzua to use the small diameter log
efficiently as the number of old growth,
large diameter logs decreases in the
immediate future.
Kinzua Corporation is also a leader
in community affairs, donating thou
sands of dollars each year to such things
as Heppner's summer swimming pro
gram, Little League, and a host of other
special interests; purchasing equipment
for the hospital or offering assistance
when the city or county might need
manpower and equipment in an emer
gency situation. The list goes on.
The company encourages its person
nelat all levels to become involved in
the community. Kinzua employees are
an active group in the local community
through youth activities, fraternal and
civic groups, local government boards
and commissions. In addition, Kinzua's
Allan Nistad serves the public through
LETTERS FR0M OUR readers
Abusive language
Editor:
Like many other students, I have
noticed abusive language on the wall
next to the tennis courts, and feel that
somebody should do something about it.
That project was started last year as
an art project, by many art students.
They started to write "Heppner" on it.
Someone got to it before it was finished,
with a spray can. It has been there for
quite a while. My parents have seen it,
and are upset also.
I feel that the art teacher should try
to get some students to do a paint job
Fine teacher
Editor:
If you didn't know, Mr. Jim Ackley is
quitting his job as the Heppner band
teacher.
He has been a great help to this
community and especially to the kids.
Besides being the band teacher, he has
helped organize the Colt Basketball
League and coached it.
He and Mr. Audie Brisso sponsored
Public Officials
U.S. Sen.
Mark O.
Hatfield
Kicscll Senate ( llficc Bids' . Washington.
Of -'""ill! Member nl Appropriations
Committee. Interior Committee. Rules Com
mittee. ,ind Indian Policy Kovieu Commis
sion Portland ollice. Pioneer Courthouse.
Km HIT. :'o SW Morrison. Portland. Ore.
WT.'o-l. phone .'21 :!:Wti
U.S.
Bob
Sen.
Packwood
Dii ksen Senate I Mfice Rlrln . Washington.
DC Jus I n Member of Finance Committee
and Commerce Committee Portland office.
1002 N K Holladay. Km Tiki P O Box :2I '.
Portland. Ore H72UK. phone 233-1471 .
U.S. Rep. Al Ullman,
Of The Second District
House Office Bldg . Washington. D C
tnmtuir of Wav- anH tpanc Commit
2H51
tee Salem office. 510 Center SI . Rm 330 P O
Box 2471. Salem. Ore. 97308. phone 35W-572-J.
Gov. Vic Atiyeh
State Capitol. Salem. Ore 97310. phone
378-3100
various boards and commissions at a
state and regional level, including his
chairmanship of the Oregon Energy
Facility Siting Council, and a current
term as president of the Columbia-Blue
Mountain Resource Conservation and
Development Commission.
Now, at a time when energy is a
major topic of discussion and Columbia
Basin Electric Co-op has received word
from the Bonneville Power Admin
istration (BPA) that the local utility will
not have enough BPA electricity for its
customers by 1983, comes the announce
ment that Kinzua's Heppner facility may
become the site of a power generating
plant.
Kinzua's Operations Manager,
Harry Kennison, first suggested the idea
of a wood waste-fired generating plant
here more than four years ago. At that
time he didn't receive much support as
the cost-benefit ratio wasn't as great then
as it is now with higher crude oil prices,
threatened nuclear power production and
increased demand. The idea was
rejuvenated this year when CBEC
manager Fred Toombs heard the
proposal after informing Kinzua of a
coming Utility rate increase. Toombs
pursued the project with the CBEC board
of directors and proceeded to bring
together the right government agencies
and private enterprises to get the project
rolling.
The wood waste-fired plant would do
so many things for the community. First,
it maximizes utilization of one of our
most important natural resources wood
fiber and it utilizes for the benefit of
local people. Those with all electric
homes will probably warm up to the
project four years from now when BPA
estimates that CBEC will be short of
power. Others will be employed in the
forests, chipping and hauling the slash
wood fiber from logging operations and
stands of pine beetle-killed timber.
Kinzua Corporation is a leader, both
in the wood products industry and here at
home, throughout its ownership and local
management; and that's a fact people
here can point to with pride.
tmh
over it, and finish their project
"Heppner", and whatever else they feel
should be done.
If it doesn't work, the student body
should try to come to some decision or
conclusion to take care of it.
Now in the school we are electing
student body officers. I hope they are
capable of doing something about it.
I am sure a lot of teachers have seen
it also. I just want people to know that I
feel strongly about it, and something
should be done.
Carolyn Hughes
dances at the Legion Hall which,
unfortunately, had to be stopped because
of the bad behavior of a few people. He
has also organized a Saturday bowling
league for elementary and high school
students.
He will be missed greatly by the band
students and people of this community.
Eric Thompson, 7th Grade
Heppner Junior High School
State Sen.
Ken Jernstedt
Morrow. Gilliam and other counties).
Stale Capitol. Km S.'ilT. Salem. Ore. 97310,
phone :!7K-ntCo
State Sen.
Robert Smith -
i Wheeler. Grant and other countiesi
Stale Capitol. Rm S32.1. Salem. Ore 97310.
phone 37K-B17B.
State Rep.
Bill Bellamy
i Morrow. Gilliam and other counties)
State Capitol. Rm H3M. Salem. Ore. 97310
phone 378-BR53
State Rep.
Max Simpson
(Wheeler. Grant and other countiesi.
State Capitol. Rm H481. Salem. Ore. 97310.
phone 378-8789
Persons wanting information on bills,
hearings, and other doings of the
Oregon Legislature majr call,
toU-free, 1-80O-452-O290
mm-"""J """" ? .. . , .
ft 'a i : .v4iw
. . 1 ' I ; -
' r lit? J Jr I m '
Sifting
through
the
TIMES
Fifty years ago, the Gazette-Times
announced that Morrow County's free
Chautauqua would start in Heppner one
week from Saturday and expected to
draw one of the largest crowds ever seen
in the city, June 8-11.
The pioneer's reunion was to be a
feature of the event.
Burt Brown Barker, vice president cf
the University of Oregon admonished the
class of 1929, Heppner High School to
aspire to a fuller and more complete
intellectual existence in a short address
at the commencement exercise.
The Norton Winnard Memorial cup
was presented to Fletcher Walker, a
The Official Newspaper
City of Heppner and
1 OIJTA
County of Morrow
Oregon Newspaper
Publtthfj Aiiocia'ton
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 Pott 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; $10.00 elsewhere
G.M. Reed, Publuher Dolores Reed, Co-publisher
Terry M. Hoger. Generol Manager jjm Hacked, News Editor
Eileen Soling, Office Manager Gayle Rush, AdvertisingComposition
Melissa Scott, Composition Cindj Doheryi &hce
Justine Weatherford, Local Columnist
The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
'Pioneers9 honored on anniversary
Harold and Fdna Peck, chairmen of this year's Pioneer
Picnic, were pleasantly surprised Sunday when their three
daughters brought out a handmade quilt to commemorate
the couple's 45th wedding anniversary. More than 300
persons attended the picnic held last weekend.
junior at the school for displaying
scholarship and leadership.
The weekly editorial page urged
Heppner to get busy and lay out at least
an emergency airfield, noting that "the
field now used by airplanes is dangerous
and does not meet government stand
ards." A site was found by the American
Legion but needed installation of a
2,000,000 candlepower beacon light at a
cost of $1,800.
Twenty-five years ago, it was
reported that traffic accidents in Morrow
and Gilliam counties over three day
Memorial Day holiday weekend totaled
six the worst accident record ever
suffered by the county for a single
weekend. Delbert Botts was killed in a
motorcycle accident and Tom Huston
brought to PMH suffering from bruises
and lacerations when he reportedly fell
asleep at the wheel.
The first authenicated and verified
report of the sighting of local residents of
flying saucers or unidentified flying
objects was published when three
Morrow County men revealed they had
watched nine of the objects, Thursday,
May 6. Making the sightings were Al
Lovgren. Robert Minck and Elmer
Palmer who were working on a telephone
line along the Condon highway at the top
of the
the
.
of Heppner hill when they saw nine
saucer-shaped objects cross the sky at an
estimated speed of from 1,200 to 1,500
miles per hour in a V formation.
Lovgren, who first noticed the
objects, said they were perfectly round in
shape and appeared to be slightly domed
on top ressembling the shape of an
inverted saucer or dinner plate; their
motion was a slow lazy rolling movement
which he likened to a lazy goldfish
swimming in a bowl and as they moved
occasionally, the sun would flash on
them. Their color was slightly, darker
than aluminum and appeared to have a
darker strip around the edge. The
workers were near the Haguewood
Ranch.
They reported their findings to the
Air Force.
The new lone swimming pool was
officially open to the public with David
Raskin acting as lifeguard, assisted by
Jerald Rea and Gary Brenner.
Heavy rainfall over the Memorial
Day weekend broke up planned picnics
and outdoor parties but was a lifesaver
for the grain farmers who had reported
the dry conditions were hurting the
coming crop.
A former lone rancher, Laxton
McMurray, Salem resident, gave $3,000
donation for purchase of a new, more
powerful X-ray equipment.
A fire on Friday completely destroy
ed the Perry Wilson home in Hardman.
Neighbors and friends in Hardman and
Heppner immediately began a collection
of clothing and household goods for the
Wilsons.
And county streams received their
first planting of fish this weekend,
according to state patrolman Bill
Labhart. A truck load of legal-sized trout
were released in Willow and Rhea
Creeks.
Ten years ago, County Judge Paul
Jones announced he would leave by
airplane Friday morning to plead for
appropriations for the Willow Creek
project in Washington, D.C. He was
scheduled to appear before Congressman
Al Ullman's committee.
Carl Troedson of lone was chairman
of the 16th annual Pioneer Memorial
Picnic.
Morrow County voters were sched
uled to go to the polls Tuesday, June 3 to
cast ballots on the sales tax package. The
package would combine a three percent
tax with proceeds dedicated to the
property tax relief account.
Salem Scene
By Jack Zimmerman
The explosion of a test device on a
New Mexico desert ushered the world
into the Atomic Age nearly 34 years ago.
Today the Oregon Legislature is
considering proposals that would virtual
ly end that era in this state. And in the
process, those proposals could produce
unprecedented economic repercussions.
In late March this column suggested
energy not tax relief was the name of
the legislative game during this 60th
regular biennial session in Salem. That
article dealt largely with bills aimed at
legislating the Trojan nuclear generator
near Rainier out of business.
Two months later the legislative
target has shifted upstream along the
banks of the Columbia River to a place
called Pebble Springs near Arlington
the construction site of two more
proposed nuclear generators.
In the meantime, the nation weather
ed an accident at a similar nuclear
generator at Three Mile Island in
Pennsylvania. Despite the fact highly
sophisticated safety mechanisms proved
sufficient to prevent casualties and
damage away from the plant site, much
of the public was severely shaken.
The reaction in Salem was develop
ment of measures in each chamber of the
Legislature to delay construction of the
first Pebble Springs generator.
In essence, the Senate measure
would postpone construction at least a
year while causes of the Three Mile
Island accident are studied and feasibil
ity of long-term spent fuel storage is
examined.
In the House of Representatives a
more restrictive measure emerged. It
would prohibit progress at Pebble
Springs until the federal government
actually begins construction of a
permanent waste repository.
Senate Bill 899 was passed by that
chamber and sent to the House. House
.Bill 2570 was passed in that chamber and
sent to the Senate. Energy & Environ
ment Committees from each chamber
now possess the opposite body's meas
ures and the ultimate question is:
Which moratorium will prevail a
construction delay of at least one year as
proposed by the Senate or the House
proposal that could stall Pebble Springs
development 10 years or longer?
At stake is an electric generating
state Department of Energy and public
utilities agree will be needed by
Oregonians in 1987-88.
Utilities participating in construction
of the Pebble Springs project claim
passage of any measure that delays
construction much more than one year
practically precludes ultimate comple
tion at that site.
And alternatives ranging from
utilization of coal or oil-fired generators
to possible construction of nuclear
facilities across the river in Washing
tonappear economically impractical.
Utilities point out it would require
12,500,000 barrels of oil to replace one
year's output from the first Pebble
Springs Plant. Given the availability of
oil, that alternative is quickly discarded.
Coal, although abundant, would be
equally prohibitive from a cost stand
point. That fuel would come from
Gillette, Wyoming 1,200 miles away
requiring three loo'-car trains a day, 365
days a year and those trains would burn a
million barrels of oil each year.
The utilities have received overtures
from Washington to build nuclear plants
in that state. But if Pebble Springs is
abandoned, completion of plants in the
neighboring states would take two or
three years longer. When on Use,
Washington would receive the tax
benefits while Oregonians pay for the
power.
The most critical aspect of an
extensive construction delay, however, is
the uncertainty of neccesary power in
the next decade and beyond.
Already utilities cannot assure
adequate power for incoming new
industrial development and significant
expansion of industries already oper
ating in the state. And that translates into
jobs.
Estimates indicate 290,000 young
Oregonians will enter the job market in
the next 20 years. Without power to
sustain new and expanded industrial
activity, jobs for those people will not
materialize.
In a state already concerned about
its brain drain the exodus of Oregon
educated youth to other regions for
employment an acceleration of export
ation of young people seems increasingly
repugnant.
Utilities, existing Oregon industries
and organized labor are imploring
lawmakers to consider this aspect of a
possible nuclear generation moratorium
and inviting the public to participate as
well. They hope the public has more faith
in nuclear technology than many
lawmakers believe. They hope the public
has learned from Three Mile Island and
other examples that the atom can
continue to work for man.
They hope the public recognizes the
explosion of that war-ending device more
than three decades ago only opened the
door for safe, economical peacetime
applications of nuclear science.
And they hope the public will deliver
that message to the Oregon Assembly
right away!