Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1979)
BESSIE WET2ELL OF ORE NEWSPAPER EUGENE OR L I B 974 03 The Heppner ir f- Morrow County's Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper nf7 Christmas VOL. 97 NO. 49 14 pages THURSDAY, DECEMBER fi, 1!I7! 20 tents HEPPNER. OREGON Auto accident takes life of new teacher A memorial service took place at Heppner High School last Tuesday for Charles C. Wyatt, an English teacher who was killed in an automo bile accident Dec. 1 in Hermis ton. Wyatt, 25, was driving southbound on Highway 207 four and one-half miles south of Hermiston when the crash occured at 3:14 p.m. According to the Oregon State Police, a 1976 Ford Van driven by David Floyd Lunden of Hermiston was traveling northbound when his van swerved out of control on the icy bridge while crossing the Umatilla River. The van, with a trailer behind, swerved into the southbound lane smashing into the driver's side of Wyatt's 1972 Volkswagen sta tion wagon. Wyatt was dead at the scene. Lunden, 36, received neck injuries and is at St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton. A passenger in his van, Miguel Ebitner, was not injured. The accident is still under investigation. Wyatt was in his first year of teaching at Heppner High School. He received his teach ing certificate from Western Washington University' in Bellingham, Wash, in 1979. He majored in English and drama at Winthrop College in Rockhill, S.C. He was born July 16, 1954 and was raised in Cleveland, Tenn. Funeral services took place Dec. 4 at 2:30 p.m. at the Steele Funeral Home Chapel in Longview, Wash. Burial followed at the Longview Memorial Park. ' He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Colby Wyatt, and a brother, Christo pher, who live in Longview. I i y , i -r ' .if . ,v - ";- t tit rr i r-. Christmas lighting contest to begin Entries are being accepted for the annual Christmas lighting contest sponsored by the Heppner-Morrow County Chamber of Commerce. Judging will take place Dec. 23, according to Leroy Gardner, committee chairman. There will be two categories for prizes this year. The usual outdoor lighting for homes will be continued with a separate contest for churches in the community. Prizes of $30 for first place, $20 for second and $10 for third will be awarded in each division. In order to be entered for prizes, contestants must fill out a form which appears on page 3 of this week's Heppner Gazette-Times. The forms may be mailed to the Gazette-Times, P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836, or brought to the newspaper office at 147 W. Willow St. Judges will mostly be out-of-town people, O.W. Cutsforth, who will head the judging, said. Lights will be viewed beginning at dark. Winners will receive their checks by mail, but names of the winners will be posted in the window at the Gazette-Times Dec. 24. The tradition of the Christmas lighting contest started many years ago by a local resident who wishes to remain anonymous. The chamber has received $60 from that source each year, and in recent years the amount has been matched by Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative, Inc. Herbert and Robert Peterson of lone will be honored as Morrow County Livestock Growers of the Year tomorrow, according to Livestock Growers President Bob Van Schoiack. The brothers will receive the honor at the annual Farm-City Banquet at the fairgrounds in Heppner. News editor Steve Powell recently went out to visit the Petersons on Herbert Peterson's farm on Valby Road and there will be a feature story in next week's Gazette-Times that will reveal the secrets of their livestock successes. Christmas shoppers may be ticketed Persons doing their Christ mas shopping in downtown Heppner may find a parking ticket on their windshields if they park on Main Street for more than two hours. At the Heppner City Council meeting Monday, the mem bers decided, to make a request to city police chief Dean Gilman asking his officers to start enforcing the city ordinance by ticketing offenders. The action was brought about because of some complaints brought to councilman Clifford Green. Mayor Jerry Sweeney said the owners of the stores are the biggest offenders of the parking limit and that now would be a good time to start ticketing because of the Christmas shoppers. In other city council action, the members decided to put a ! : r I 1 1st r h f I f' I, no parking area near Fulleton Chevrolet from midnight to 6 a.m. to keep the company from double and triple park ing onto the street. The council heard Jeri Cohen discuss what the LCDC will probably say about the Heppner City Comprehensive Plan. The LCDC has said to her there is inadequate data in the city plan. She said more multiple family units are needed in Heppner. About 87 percent of the homes in Heppner are single homes with seven percent mobile homes and two percent apart ments. If the city refuses to follow the LCDC standards, the city could be fined and it could lead to the councilmen being given jail sentences but that has never happened, accord ing to Cohen. The LCDC will review the city plan tonight at Blue Mountain Community College. Some of the councilmen were upset that the LCDC was nit-picking at the city plan but Cohen said the LCDC cannot make exception for Heppner because it has not for other cities. "LCDC wants everything uniform across the state," Cohen said. "The LCDC has a concern for people but they have their goals set. With the minimal standards set by the LCDC, you will have a better plan." The city council passed a city ordinance for the Land Use Fees and Variable Devel opment Costs. The council decided to continue its agreement with the county for intergovern mental cooperation. This agreement makes it possible to save costs by having the county judicial court handle all the municipal court pro ceedings. Traffic violations within the city are handled in county court. The county treasurer will receive all the payments for the penalties with the city treasury receiving half of the money collected until the sum of $1,600 is reached. The agreement can be terminated. The agreement still must be approved by all the parties in volved at the county court house. The council accepted the resignation of Terry Hager as chairman of the planning commission and is looking for a replacement for him. John Shaw is the temporary chair man. The council is also looking for two people to fill vacancies on the city planning commission. The Court Street Bridge will be widened this spring the council learned Monday. Pre sently, two trucks cannot pass on the bridge in front of the courthouse without going onto the sidewalks. This is danger ous to pedestrians. The council passed an ordinance saying that water meters will not be read in the winter but a minimum fee will be charged and when the meters are read in the spring, the difference between the two sums will be the balance owed. They also decided that if the water meters are not insulated, the owners will have to pay the expense if a meter needs to be repaired. They also decided to give the four bicycles that have been found by the city to the Neighborhood Center to give away to needy children at Christmas. They jokingly said they may have to keep one for the Heppner City Police De partment because the new police car they ordered in August still has not arrived. The council decided to disre gard that bid since it is taking so long and have Police Chief Dean Gilman look into finding a car to purchase for $5,800. The present car is falling apart and a new one is needed so Gilman is in the process of contacting the state to see if he can get a car through them at a discount. Dance aids Maben Fund Larry Dudley, Larry Jr. and Cindy Dudley collected $315.45 at the AAUVV Artifactory for the Jeremy Maben Fund. There will be a Jeremy Maben benefit dance for the whole family this Saturday at the Legion Hall in Heppner from 8 to midnight. Because it is a benefit, there will be no charge but dona tions will be accepted for the Jeremy Maben Fund. Jeremy Maben is the seven-month-old baby of Jeff , 22, and Kathy, 23, Maben. When he was six-months old, the family found out that he has a cancerous tumor. He has been at the University of Oregon Hospital in Portland since that time. The American Cancer Soci ety is giving $100 to the Mabens so Larry and Cindy Dudley have started a series of fund raising events to help the Mabens, who do not have medical insurance. Duane and the Plainsmen's country western band will play at the benefit dance Dec. 8. At intermission, there will be a cakewalk and coffee and punch will be served through out the dance. According to Cindy Dudley, the Jeremy Maben Fund has $951 in it with the goal being $35,000. They hope to reach the goal by June of 1980. The Dudleys, who are friends of the Mabens, are planning more fund-raising events in the future including an auction and another dance. At the Artifactory Dec. 1, the Maben Fund collected $315.45. All the goods at the Artifactory were donated. Items sold included candy, fruit cake and pictures. The Mabens have a three-year-old daughter, Tara. Livestock men to gather Friday in Heppner Livestock growers of Mor row County and their women's affiliate, the Cowbelles, will gather in Heppner Friday for their annual meetings. The event will conclude with the annual Farm-City Ban quet at the fairgrounds spon sored by the Morrow County Livestock Growers Associa tion and the Heppner-Morrow County Chamber of Com merce. The banquet speaker will be Dr. Ron Miner, Extension Service agricul tural engineer on the staff of Oregon State University at Corvallis. Business sessions of the livestock men and Cowbelles will be held in the afternoon, starting at 1 o'clock, in the Parish Hall of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church. The Cowbelles will start the day with a luncheon at noon on Friday at the West of Willow restaurant. Speakers at the afternoon sessions will include: 1 to 1:45, State Rep. Billy Bellamy. 1 :45 to 2, Bill Johns, Oregon Beef Commission. 2 to 2:30. Ray French, Heppner area rancher, newly elected president of the Ore gon Cattlemen's Association. 2:45 to 3:15, Corinne Lind say, speaking on alcohol production and use. 3:45 to 4:30, Jim Allen, speaking on insurance and estate planning. The annual business meet ing and election of officers is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. Following the business ses sions, members will adjourn to the fairgrounds exhibit pavilion for a cocktail hour from 6 to 7 p.m., and the banquet starting at 7. Tickets for the banquet may be purchased at the door. Ray French will act as banquet toastmaster and en tertainment will be provided by the Cowbelles. Highlight of the evening will be the presentation of awards in particular to the Morrow County Livestock Growers of the Year. Awards also will be given to the Morrow Conser vat ion Man of the Year, and to the 4-H and Future Farmers of America for the "Carcass of Merit." Man con via ed in drug case Randall Fred Gaehring of Hermiston was convicted in Morrow County Circuit Court Nov. 30 for the delivery of a controlled substance for con sideration. Gaehring will be sentenced in two to six weeks. The crime he was convicted of carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine. He has previously been convicted in Umatilla County Court on two charges as a result of an undercover inves tigation. Gaehring waived a jury trial. Judge Jack Olsen of Pendleton presided at the trial. Gaehring was arrested June 29 as a result of a joint investigation by Morrow County District Attorney Den nis Doherty, Umatilla County DA Fred Bennett, Oregon State Police and the Hermis ton Police and two undercover agents. A large amount of money and illegal drugs were seized at the time of the arrest, which took place in Boardman. Oregon State Police officers working undercover pur chased large amounts of illegal drugs and secured other information that led to a search warrant being issued for a residence located along Highway 395 north of Hermiston. Seized at the residence were approximately 25,000 tablets (Continued on page three.) A S . ft- 2 oj 9 1 . v Gordon Keown's dancing wooden man put on a show at the Artifactory. X
