TWO The Heppner Gaiette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, October 11, 1979
J OJSTPA
Th OHicial Newipapar of the
City of Heppner and the
' County of Morrow
Oregon Nwipopr
The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
Morrow Coanty $ Awird-Winniiij 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.
Office and commercial printing plant at 147 West Willow Street. Telephone. (503)
876-9228.
Address communications to the Heppner Gazette-Times, P.O. Box 337, Heppner,
Oregon. 978:t6
$8 00 Morrow. Umatilla. Wheeler 4 Gilliam counties; SlOOO elsewhere.
Senior Citizen Rate. S5 00
Jerome P. Sheldon. Publisher Jane H. Sheldon, Associate Publisher
Eileen Saling, Office Manager Steve A. Powell. News Editor
Justine Weatherford. Local Columnist Chloe Pearson, Composition
Cheryle Greenup, Advertising. Betty Green, Office, Composition
Composition Ron Jordan, Printer
The Challenge
Whoever becomes the new County Judge should
strive to develop a sense of community uniting the
north and south ends of Morrow County. Boardman
and Heppner are separated geographically. A very
natural rivalry has arisen between these two towns
within the same political jurisdiction. Yet the gap is not
so wide that it cannot be spanned by the goodwill of a
newly appointed judge.
Democrats, through the nomination of their
party's central committee, hope that man will be John
Mollahan, a former sheriff, whose name will be
forwarded to Gov. Vic Atiyeh. The governor, a
Republican, must appoint a Democrat as successor to
County Judge D.O. Nelson, but he is not necessarily
bound to accept the local selection.
Two candidates spoke at the Democratic caucus at
the courthouse last week. Actually, there was a third
person, Pat Wright, the county public health nurse,
who said she also had been asked to bid for the
nomination. "Apparently, I'm the token woman.
Thank you, Paul, for asking me," she said to Paul
Jones, the committee chairman. She proceeded to
outline a well thought-out platform, but in the end she
declined to be a candidate because, she said, "I feel I
cannot devote the time and energy needed to be county
judge. I still have a fifth grader at home and I'm a
single woman."
One point Mrs. Wright did make was that there
should be an "integration" of the north and south ends
of the county by making available to residents in
Boardman and Irrigon employment in county jobs.
Because there is no public transportation between
these towns and the county seat, car
pooling arrangements could be made to transport such
workers to the courthouse in Heppner, she suggested.
The two men vying for the Democratic Central
Committee's favor were the former sheriff, Mollahan,
from Heppner, and Dan Creamer of Irrigon, a retired
Columbia River tugboat skipper. They gave similar
responses to a series of questions from the chair and
the audience. Creamer and Mollahan both favored the
formation of a south-county hospital district, for
example, over a countywide levy for the support of
Pioneer Memorial Hospital.
In the past year, the north county has defeated
specific levies for the hospital because the people
generally look to Pendleton, Hermiston or the
Tri-Cities area for their hospitalization.
Both candidates expressed an interest in youth and
civic affairs. Creamer presented a resume which listed
such activities as his membership on the road and
budget committees and the Morrow County Planning
and Zoning Commission and his involvement with the
Boy Scouts, Little League and the Peewee Rodeo
Association. Mollahan's roots are in Morrow County,
which he served as sheriff for 7'2 years. Both men
committed themselves to seeking a spirit of unity in the
county.
Thus, the challenge for whomever succeeds
County Judge D.O. Nelson next week.
Parking Problem
Downtown merchants in Heppner enjoy an
advantage their counterparts in other small communi
ties across the country have lost. It is that people in the
Heppner trading area still come into town to shop.
There are no "malls" with their acres of parking lots
on the fringes of the city to contribute to the decline of
Main Street.
With parking meters having been removed, and
angle parking on either side of the street, downtown
Heppner should attract the shopper and it does,
except that merchants contend there is still a parking
problem here.
The subject came up at a merchants' lunch last
week. It seems that some owners and employes of local
businesses no names mentioned park not in front of
their own stores but in the spaces near other
establishments.
There is a two-hour parking limit posted along
downtown streets. It is honored more in the breach
than in enforcement. However, when tickets are issued
the fines are nominal and violators may mail in the
money rather than face the inconvenience of appearing
before a traffic judge.
Even with the scarcity of publicly owned parking
places, there could be a solution. At least a couple of
downtown firms do have large parking lots that are not
always fully utilized. Perhaps arrangements could be
made, either on a basis of cooperation or for a fee, for
employes of local businesses to use these lots. That
might open additional spaces along Main Street for
customer parking.
Sifting through the TIMESf7"
y
1929
Drilling began to establish a
new water supply in Heppner.
The city purchased land from
Frank Wilkinson and bids for
the drilling were advertised.
Heppner High School had
the largest enrollment in
history with 127. A number of
new desks in the high school
were required. The superin
tendent's office also began
sending out warning slips to
parents whose students were
in danger of failing. The slips
were a new idea to keep
parents in closer touch with
the work of their children so
better work would be done by
students who may be inclined
to lag.
David Ely, formerly of lone,
was missing in an area where
there was a forest fire. During
the fire, he and two other boys
volunteered to go into the
woods and rescue an old man
who was trapped in the
hazard. When they reached
the old man's home, he
refused to leave. They all had
to dig themselves in the
ground near the home when
the house caught on fire but
they all were saved.
The Lions Club held its first
meeting ever in Heppner with
20 of the 25 charter members
on hand for the celebration.
They discussed the aims and
purpose of what the Lions
were going to do in the town.
The county road crew com
pleted the Willow Creek Road.
The equipment was then going
to be moved to lone to build a
road from lone to Boardman.
The crew was going to start
the grade from lone and go to
as close to Boardman as the
money allocated would allow.
Heppner and Hermiston
battled to a 0-0 tie in football
action.
1954
Paul Brown of Heppner was
named the Morrow County
Conservation Man of the Year
in a contest sponsored by the
Oregon Wheat Growers
League.
Al Ullman, a Democratic
candidate for Congress from
this district, spoke at a no-host
breakfast at the O'Donnell
Cafe in Heppner.
The First National Bank of
Portland in the city of
Heppner showed they had
received $213,565 more dollars
than the year before in
deposits from customers and
the local bank had loaned out
$2,562,248 more dollars than
the previous year.
County voter registration
showed that Morrow County
had 1,410 Republicans and 887
Democrats.
James J. Farley, exalted
ruler of the Heppner Elks
Lodge, presented a check for
$5,000 to W.C. Rosewall,
representing the Chamber of
Commerce, in the drive to buy
lights for the rodeo field.
The Lexington Christian
Church was showing a free
film which was produced by
Rev. Billy Graham, nationally
known evangelist.
Martin Riggins of Spray was
treated in Pioneer Memorial
Hospital for a self inflicted
gunshot would in his thigh. He
went to put the .22 revolver in
his belt when it went off
accidentally.
Not much interest was
shown in Heppner in 1954 for
city government as the terms
Neighbors happy
over uater pipe
Editor,
Recently the City of Hepp
ner changed the water piping
from the Hospital Hill or Cross
Hill reservoir in an effort to
increase the pressure to the
homes along Fairview Way.
The work done by City
Foreman Earl Papineau and
his crew has surely pleased
my neighbors and me. We
really appreciate the efforts
which have brought our homes
a wonderful increase in water
pressure.
Sincerely,
Bob Lowe
880 East Fairview Way
Heppner
for five members of the city
council were about to expire
and no one had applied for the
positions.
Heppner tied Stanfield 7-7 in'
a football contest.
1971
An angry Heppner city
council blasted the U.S. Corps
of Engineers and Congress
man Al Ullman for their part
in the killing of the Willow
Creek Dam proposal and
served notice on the Depart
ment of Housing and Urban
Development of the council's
interest to seek a federal
injunction. "The Willow Creek
Dam is dead and can't be
revived," Mayor Jerry Swee
ney said.
Morrow County Bicenten
nial Chairman Marlene C.
Peterson of Heppner was
given Oregon's Bicentennial
Franklin Mint medal.
Since the Willow Creek dam
project was apparently killed,
the Chamber of Commerce set
up the Water Control District
to aid in flood control. The
district was formed to prevent
or lessen the impact of
flooding in Heppner.
Doug Gonty, son of Mr. and
Mrs. E.E. Gonty, completed
his military basic training at
Lackland Air Force Base in
Texas and he then went to a
five week school in security
training.
Michael J. McElligott, lone
High School senior, was awar
ded honors by the National
Merit Scholarship Corpora
tion. He was selected from
among one million students on
the basis of his high perfor
mance on the 1973 preliminary
scholastic aptitude test.
County extension agent
Mike Howell gave out medals
to outstanding 4-H Club mem
bers. lone beat Wheeler 38-6 and
Heppner drubbed Weston
McEwen in another football
game 26-14. Sherman crushed
Riverside 43-7.
The Heppner High School
athletic staff gave a free class
to women on the rules and
regulations of football.
A
Here is Where the Action Is...
This community. This town.
Newspaper. Nobody, but
nobody else, no other
publication anywhere is more
interested in news of your
family, your club, your
church, your business ,
your friends, your
government, your schools
YOU than this
publication. Every week. Look for us
The Heppner Gazette-Times has been around for a long time. It's now in its 97th
year, having been established in March of 1883 as the Gazette. One of its early editors
was Col. John Watermellon Redington, who was on his way home from the Indian
wars when he passed through Heppner. On hearing that he was a journeyman printer
and had been a reporter for large papers in San Francisco, Salt Lake City and
Portland, local businessmen persuaded him to stay and take over the fledgling
Gazette. He had only "six bits" in his pocket, so they signed notes for him so that he
would get presses, type and paper, and he went to work.
In the issue of March 13, 1884, according to a history of the newspaper prepared
some years ago, the Gazette claimed in its masthead to be "an Independent Local
Paper, owning its soul, paying 100 cents on the dollar, run as a legitimate business
enterprise and not as a charity shop or begging institution. It will wear the collar of no
clique, party or faction, but will work for the best interests of the people."
At the end of five years, Colonel Redington sold his interests to the Rev. Henry
Rasmus, a pioneer preacher of Morrow County. But when Colonel Redington sold the
paper, it lost its fire and witty editorials for which he became famous throughout the
West, according to the historian, CM. Yeager. Before the year was out, the Rev. Mr.
Rasmus sold the paper to the Patterson Publishing Co., and the Gazette came under
the able editorship of Otis Patterson. Later, he was to move the The Dalles, and in 1900
the paper again became the property of Colonel Redington.
In the fall of 1897, meanwhile.a rival to the Gazette appeared on the local scene. It
was the Heppner Times, established by E.M. Shutt, whose brother, S.P. Shutt, was
editor of the Condon Globe. E.M. Shutt sold his paper, the Antelope Herald, and with
the proceeds purchased a brand new outfit from the American Type Founders of
Portland, which shipped the equipment direct to Heppner. The first issue of the
Times, Nov. 18, 1897, dedicated the paper to "work hand in glove with the schools,
churches, fraternal orders and such other organizations as are intended to advance
the cause of education, morality and citizenship."
The two papers continued under various ownerships, and with various editors,
until their consolidation in 1912 by Vaughter Crawford. The Heppner Gazette-Times it
has been ever since.
The Crawford family controlled the Gazette-Times until 1952, when they sold the
business to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Penland, who in turn sold out in 1960 to Mr. and Mrs.
W.O. Wildman. There have been other owners since: The Shermans, the Heards,
Ernest Joiner, Jerry and Dolores Reed. The present publishers are Jerome and Jane
Sheldon.
With these changes through the years, the Gazette-Times is one of the few
businesses in Heppner to continue under the same name. After almost a century of
publishing the news of Morrow County, a bit of introspection may be permissible. Are
we doing a good job? Are there areas of the news that we should be covering? What
would the readers like to see in the paper?
So we have devised a questionnaire and ask our readers to circle the items they
would particularly like to see in the pages of this newspaper. Please bring the
questionnaire to Gazette-Times office, 147 West Willow Street, or mail it to P.O. Box
337, Heppner, Oregon, 97836.
1. Irrigon-Boardmannews
2. Lexington news.
3. lone news.
4. Heppner news.
5. Sports School and adult.
6. Police and court news.
7. Social and club events.
8. Local government news.
9. State and regional political coverage.
10. Business news.
And your comments, please.
Something for
Everyone
National Newtpeper Wtk Oct. 7-13. 197
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Letters From Readers
Editor,
On the occasion of National
Newspaper Week, Oct. 7-13, I
would like to express ' my
appreciation to your paper for
its many services to the
community.
As director, lam personally
aware and very appreciative
of the roleyour newspaper has
played in keeping the local
community informed on pub
lic issues, including news and
information concerning veter
ans. Of the many services provi
ded by your newspaper and
the nation's press, one has
been the vital role it has
played in informing the public
about the needs of veterans. In
the past year, your newspaper
has printed many items rela
ting to veterans. As a direct
result of this and other
support, veterans enjoy iwe
free world's most comprehen
sive system of benefits.
The Veterans Administra
tion, which will celebrate its
50th anniversary on July 21,
1980, today operates 172 medi
cal centers, more than 400
clinics, nursing homes, and
domiciliaries, more than 60
benefits offices and 141 ceme
tery sites and locations
throughout the nation. I hope
you will help us celebrate the
50th anniversary of the Veter
ans Administration.
Sincerely,
R.J. Vogel
Veterans Administration
Regional Office
Portland, Oregon
GDlEeQtjqs
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