BESSIE WET2ELL
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NEWSPAPER
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The Heppner
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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.
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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
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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.)
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Gordon Keown's dancing wooden man put on a show at the
Artifactory.
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