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The Heppner
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Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
VOL. 97 NO. 40
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1979
20 cents
14 pages
OCTOBER 7'I3
HEPPNER, OREGON
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Rick Curtis looks at the big engine in the new ambulance while hospital administrator Bob Brynes
investigates the patient compartment.
On display today
Two new ambulances arrive
Two new $26,750 ambulan
ces have arrived in Morrow
County and they will soon be in
operation.
The ambulances will be put
on public display from 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. today in front of
Murray's Rexall Drug, ac
cording to Bob Brynes, hospi
tal administrator.
"The ambulances will not be
in service until the radios
come for them," Brynes said.
"There may be a delay and if
it is expected to be very long
we may transfer the radios
from the old ambulances to
the new ones."
The ambulances arrived
late last week. One will go to
north Morrow County and the
other one will stay in Heppner
at the Pioneer Memorial
Hospital.
Brynes said the old ambu
lance, which was made possi
ble by a donation in 1966 from
Amanda Duvall, will probably
be given to lone to use for
transporting patients.
The Heppner ambulance
will cover from south Morrow
County north to the bombing
range.
"The old one (ambulance)
served its purpose but the
patient was constricted in the
back," Brynes said.
The new ambulances have
modern life-saving devices
like the $5,500 jaws-of-life
extrication machine which
can tear apart a car to get to a
patient. They also have the
mobile intensive care unit
package.
Southern ambulances built
the new vehicles. The ambu
lances are certified by an
independent, nationally recog
nized testing laboratory to
meet or exceed Federal Am
bulance Specifications. South
ern is a leader in ambulance
manufacturing.
The two ambulances are
identical. They have 460
cubic inch engine, power
steering and brakes, dual
20-gallon gas tanks, air condi
tioning, all steel framing,
heavy undercoating, sirens,
intercoms, heavy duty con
struction, stretchers, spine
boards, oxygen systems, hu
midifier, masks and much,
much more.
Brynes said an ambulance
can only go about 10 m.p.h.
over the speed limit so the
' speed of the ambulance is not
as important as the emer-(
gency medical techniques that
are used on the patient.
Some of the people who will
be using the new ambulances
are voluntary E.M.T.'s. Vol
unteers must have 81 hours of
certification and 30 extra
hours at level one training.
"We have 17 active volun
teers who work one or two
days a month," Betty Curnutt,
president of the E.M.T.'s said.
"Certified E.M.T.'s who don't
have jobs in that area can
keep active so they will be
more valuable to an employer
when they do get a job. The
state is also more likely to
recertify an E.M.J. who
remains active.
"There are many industries
in our area, like Kinzua and
the coal fire plant, who hire
E.M.T.'s." Curnutt said.
Paul Sumner is the vice-president
of the organization and
Maxine Schmidt is the secre
tary. Louella Taylor is the
treasurer.
Willow Creek Dam approved by Carter
The Willow Creek Dam
project has been approved by
President Jimmy Carter.
The total cost of the dam is
estimated at $26 million by the ,
U.S. Army Corps of Engi-j
r
neers. Carter's signature on
the Energy and Water Deve
lopment Appropriations Bill
guarantees that about $3.2
million will be available for
the dam. This money is added
to the $500,000 which was
Heppner High School
celebrates Homecoming
Homecoming is in full swing
this week at Heppner High
School and the highlight of the
week is the football game
tomorrow night against Uma
tilla. '
Today from 12:45 to 1:15 the
women at Heppner High will
show their abilities on the
football field in a powderpuff
game. A tug-of-war will follow
from 1:15 to 1:30. A picnic at
the courthouse at 6 p.m.,
desserts for the high school
men after lunch, a faculty pep
assembly and a football moth
er's assembly have also been
scheduled for today.
Tomorrow is blue and gold
day at school and there will be
a downtown pep assembly at
noon. There will be a parade
after school at 4 p.m. starting
at the courthouse and floats
from each class will be
entered. The parade ends at
the fairgrounds. A dance from
10:30 to 1 p.m. will end the
week of homecoming events.
Yesterday was hunter's day
at the high school with a dance
decorations meeting at 5 p.m.
and an ice cream social at 6
p.m.
Tuesday was blue and gold
day for fillies and the juniors
and sophomores decorated the
halls. Monday, the seniors and
freshmen decorated the halls
and all the students decorated
their lockers.
already allocated for the
project this year.
Heppner Mayor Jerry
Sweeney said, "This guaran
tees construction of the dam."
Sweeney said the Corps of
Engineers will re-deliniate the
flood zone following construc
tion making it possible for
buildings to be located where
they would not have been
allowed without the dam.
Much of Heppner's residen
tial and business district is in
Wagon Wheel
Cafe robbed
Dick L. Rice, owner of the
Wagon Wheel Cafe and
Lounge, reported a robbery,
Oct. 1.
Rice said $584 was taken
from his cafe, which is located
at 624 North Main in Heppner,
sometime between 2:30 a.m.
and 5 a.m. Monday morning.
The Morrow County Sher
iff's Department is investiga
ting the theft.
a non-building area because of
flooding. Even repairs and
upkeep are not allowed on
buildings in the flood zone.
Purchase of land and build
ing a new city reservoir is
scheduled to be the first phase
of construction.
Morrow County
Princess forms
due
soon
Morrow County has two fair
and rodeo princesses and now
is the time to think about
trying to become one.
Any girl 16 years of age or a
junior in high school is eligible
to be a part of the Morrow
County Royalty.
Entry forms are available
at any high school in the
county. Contestants will then
bring the application and a
parent to the West of Willow
Restaurant in Heppner Oct. 9
at 8 p.m.
More information may be
obtained by calling Faye Seitz
at 676-5396.
Committee to choose new
county judge toni
ght
The Morrow County Central
Democratic Committee will
meet tonight in the courthouse
to consider candidates for the
county judge vacancy left by
Judge D.O. Nelson.
Committee Chairman Paul
Jones said the committee
decided not to release the
names of any of the candi
dates until after one person
has been decided on. The
committee, after the public
meeting tonight, will meet in
private to decide on one
person to be the new judge.
The committee will contact
the governor's office tomor
row morning and give them
the recommendation.
Jones did admit that an
A a 'leriff's name did come up
and also Jones himself has
shown an interest in the
position. Daniel A. Creamer,
of Irrigon, has contacted the
governor's office showing in
terest in the job. Creamer is a
retired Columbia River ship
captain but he has not
officially announced his candi
dacy yet.
"A lot of candidates have
shown interest," Jones said.
"I have no doubt the commit
tee wi!l pick out a good
candidate."
Jones said a story printed in
the East Oregonian newspa
per was incorrect when it said
the committee would pick out
three candidates and give
those names to the governor
and let him make the choice.
"We will consider all the
names and it may be difficult
but we will choose only one
person," Jones said. "If we
didn't, it would let the
governor off the hook and he
could choose anyone he wan
ted to."
Jones said he was concerned
because someone had told him
Governor Vic Atiyeh was
going to pick whomever he
wants to no matter whom the
committee chooses.
Shirley Woodrow, who is the
governor's assistant, said she
had told Jones the governor
would not pick the Democratic
committee's choice automati
cally. "We are very anxious to
select someone acceptable to
all the people," Woodrow said.
"We are going to get as much
information as possible from
as many different sources as
possible. Names will be consi
dered from other citizens in
the county besides the (Demo
cratic) committee. We will
evaluate his (Jones') people
but the selection will not be
automatic."
Woodrow said she asked
Jones and the committee to
consider a qualified woman
for the job.
The final decision will be
made when Governor Atiyeh
returns from the Far East in
mid-October.
"The governor does not
have anyone special in mind
for the job right now,"
Woodrow said.
In the past, according to
Woodrow, Governor Atiyeh
has asked for a bar poll from
lawyers in the county to get
their opinions on whom he
should appoint to fill judicial
positions. The governor, coin
cidentally, has always selec
ted the leading candidate of
the bar poll.
But since the Morrow
County judgeship does not
require that the person be a
lawyer, a bar poll will not be
taken. The other judicial
appointments Governor Ati
yeh has made have all
required that the candidates
be lawyers.
Woodrow also said the judge
Atiyeh selects will almost
definitely be a Democrat.
"The statute is clear that
the new judge must come
from the same party as the
departing judge," Woodrow
said. "In order to make a
change, there would be a court
challenge so in all probability,
the new judge will be a
Democrat."
Farmer wants neighbors ousted
for creating illegal subdivision
J.W. and Juahita Aylett said
in a telephone interview with
the Gazette-Times that they
are unhappy with their neigh
bors in Boardman but unlike
most situations, the Ayletts
will nol have to move but all of
their neighbors n.iv have to.
It all began five ars ago
when Arnold Bralt sold three
lots he owned next to the
Aylett's farm. These people
then sold some of that land
and more and more people
moved in the area. A small
residential district was built
up that was illegal because the
property owners did not go
through the governmental
channels to create a legal
subdivision.
The area is zoned for
farming, not residential, use.
The landowners did not com
ply with the 1972 Morrow
County Zoning Ordinance
when they created this illegal
subdivision in 1975. They also
did not comply with the state
or county subdivision laws.
The Ayletts, who own a farm
next to the illegal residential
area, are unhappy because
their neighbors don't have
legal access to their homes so
they cut across the Aylett's
property.
"Sure they bother me,"
J.W. Aylett said. "It is an
illegal subdivision. They go
across my property without
my permission and their kids
play around the high voltage
area.
"I want the people removed.
If I had some pigs in the city I
would have to get rid of them
because they are illegal."
J.W. Aylett added, that
"There is no way I am going to
grant access across my pro
perty for them and there can
be no compromise that I know
of."
In order to get the people
moved, the Ayletts have filed
a suit against Morrow County
and they won.
The Ayletts filed a com
plaint with the county circuit
court saying zone approvals or
sign offs should not have been
issued by Morrow County to
permit the construction of
improvement upon lots within
the illegal subdivision and
therefore the permits should
be revoked, canceled and
annulled.
Circuit Court Judge Warner
S. Wasley, of La Grande, was
in Heppner trial court last
week and he has served to the
county a peremptory writ of
mandamus stating the county
must revoke the permits.
Yesterday, the county court
was expected to carry out the
order by Judge Wasley. The
only alternative would be to
appeal Judge Wasley 's deci
sion and Morrow County
District Attorney Dennis Do
herty did not think that was
going to happen. Doherty is
representing Morrow County
in the suit.
County Court Judge D.O.
Nelson said some of the people
are "innocent" and they
honestly did not know they
were creating an illegal sub
division while some others
were not as innocent.
Nelson said, years ago some
of the people asked for a "way
of necessity" across the Ay
lett's property but it was not
granted. He said he did not
know if the Ayletts would
grant access now.
"We need voluntary cooper
ation but if we don't get it, we
might have to move all the
people off the land," Nelson
said.
District Attorney Doherty
said the eight owners adjacent
to the Aylett farm went
around the planning commis
sion and created some prob
lems for the Ayletts.
"They live in a critical
groundwater area and the
residential area is taking
water from the Aylett farm
that is rightfully theirs,"
Doherty said.
Morrow County Planning
Director Deane Seager said he
is contemplating a plan of
action once he finds out what
the responsibilities are going
to be for the Planning Comm
mission. "In similar cases I have
been exposed to, common
sense is the only way to work it
out," Seager said. "We cannot
remove the people. We just
have to work out the differ
ences." Seager said his role will be
as a mediator and diplomat.
He said they will have to
remove the illegalities of the
subdivision.
"There are a lot of avenues
open," Seager said. "But I
don't want to give anyone
false hopes or get anyone riled
up. We are going to be as fair
as possible to everyone."
Seager said growth in the
area and laws unknown to
people cause the problem. He
said a course on planning
should be taught at the senior
level in high school so people
will know laws.
He added that the law
provides means to change a
variance to allow such a
subdivision to be legal when
going through the proper
channels of government but he
does not know yet if that is
possible in this particular
case.
He said a major problem is
getting legal access to the
area but only the only way of
access to the area is through
the Aylett's property.
Hearings scheduled on
title insurance rates
The Oregon Insurance Divi
sion has scheduled seven
public hearings including one
in Pendleton on Oct. 29 on
proposed rates to be charged
by title insurance companies
for services to the real estate .
industry.
W.W. Frtiz, insurance com
missioner, said the title insur
ance companies plan to file for
a rate increase. He said he
would not favor an increase
unless they reduce their
expenses.
Fritz said the title insurance
companies have been provi
ding the real estate industry
with free services costing
between $2 million and $3
million a year.
The free services include
legal deeds and descriptions,
maps, tax data, zoning data,
types of improvements, and
other real estate sales data.
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