FOURTEEN The Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday. December 20, 1979
1
j
Heppnef's reaction to Kinzua Morrow Fair represented at state association's meeting
(We thank the East Oregon
ian editor, Mike Forrester, for
permission to reprint the
following.)
By Avon Melby
Of the East Oregonian
Reaction to closure of the
Kinzua Plywood Plant this
week was varied among
laid-off workers and Heppner
businessmen.
Rumors that the complete
operation would close have
been prevalent for at least
four months. In interviews
Friday many seemed relieved
that the sawmill and wood
operations would continue
when Georgia-Pacific purcha
ses the sawmill and timber
holdings. '
"But it will," as one
millwright said "be a pretty
sad Christmas," for his famiy
and many others of the 150
workers who will find them
selves out of a job at the end of
this week.
Average pay of employees
at the plant is $1,200 per
month.
Gene Pierce, president of
Bank of Eastern Oregon, did
not think the closure would
have too great an effect on the
town. He expressed confi
dence that Georgia-Pacific
would not permit that large a
portion of the plant site it was
purchasing to lie idle. He said
that possibly a smaller log
operation would be installed.
His optimism was repeated
by Mark Murray, of a family
corporation owning drug
stores in Heppner, Condon and
Arlington. Murray said when
Kinzua moved from Wheeler
County everyone there said a
serious effect would result in
Condon. "But we didn't notice
it that much." He said
Christmas buying has been
normal in all stores this year.
"It might even help our
business creating a buyer's
market in houses," John Van
Winkle, manager of Western
Heritage Savings & Loan,
said. He noted that the loss of
income to other local busines
ses would be noticable and "is
bound to hurt." The ripple
effect from this he said might
affect their business but he
didn't expect it. "With high
interest rates we anticipated
some curtailment in the near
future anyway."
Foreest Burkenbine, co
owner of Central Market, the
city's only supermarket, dis
agreed, he said "I expect it is
going to hurt the whole town
and curtail services of the
county because of a loss in tax
money."
Morrow County Judge Don
ald McElligott, thinks "there
will be a serious effect," but
wants to know more about
plans of new owners before
making any predictions.
With workers moving away,
school enrollment is expected
to go down. John Edmundson,
assistant to the district super
intendent thought it was too
early to make any predictions.
Mayor Jerry Sweeney said
he expected "a lot of houses to
,be empty." He said he was
planning to form a committee
to attract some diversified
industries to settle in the area.
He mentioned possibilities of a
small electronics plant.
One of the couples who will
lose thier job Friday, Ken and
Janet Beal, lived in Hermiston
until their move here five
and a half years ago. Both are
working, both will be unem
ployed Friday, but they
moved back to Hermiston
because of the rumors.
"They started cutting back
the number of people in each
section. ..in November," Janet
Beal said.
She said one shift was
eliminated in the plywood
plant "in the green end" about
that time.
Kinzua had been bringing in
plywood veneer in November,
too. All of these things gave
her and her husband reason to
believe rumors.
Ken Beal enlisted in the Air
Force in October and will
report in March. Some work
ers are natives of the area,
they will probably leave and
find other employment.
But the majority came j
Heppner only to work in ine
plywood plant.
Most of these are expected
to leave town. Among the are
many husband and wife
teams.
Bankers, business owners
and some of the workers said
they were deeply in debt or
had not saved money and were
living from paychek to pay
check .
The Oregon rair Associa
tion hold a convention in
I'orl land at the Thunderbird
Motor Inn Dec. 5, fi and 7.
Those attending from Mor
row Countv were committee
rx l l... T 1
rnairmfin weipna joiu-m aim
her husband. Cecil, and fair
board member Pete Richards
and his wife. Lois.
Mrs. Jones attended meet
ings on lire prevention, pumic
relations and advertising.
Fire Prevention presented
ways of installing electrical
wiring plus other methods of
"When the wine goes in, strange things come out." Schiller
safetv for the fair. Mrs. Jones
also learned new ideas on
advertising the fair and ro
deos. Richards attended meet
ings on interpersonal commu
nications and merit rating
workbook, which will be
beneficial to the fair commit
tees. 'Both families found the
convention to be beneficial to
them in working with the fair.
BWerry
rarssiffltas tram
wenoil st
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''' ' irrh'1 WE WILL BE CLOSED ' . ' ': V j V?V ' VIS lit C 1-'
MiMmSmm CHRISTMAS DAY, ' ' "l ! !
ftml ' SOOURSTAFF -' ' ' j "fl $P(? JOB 111 Ak
( r CAN ENJOY ;-' ':r; t ;l J f ' r
II A CHRISTMAS ' ..,.'. I j U7 I w s t. s v .
4- J WITH THEIR '.Y 'I? ; . .' HO-'
wl families... , ii '. INvi
P) Ii I BONELESS, h WESTERN FAMILY OR HYGRADE
W r 1 1 )j sliced l ' V ;, ,
LB- WH0LE LB- " LB
0000 rm OtLhbAbllWb lUMtTr,: ,b
FARMLAND CANNED HAMS o,.......$
7 EXTRA LEAN HAM HALVESsrss ,
SMOKED PORK CHOPSr.:
f fir " " " ' : ( "" iiiiigmM r
v r x i i ' - ii yaif w "wwttw i i ifi
I! ' ' ' " " " -' "
BONELESS,
USDA CHOICE BEEF
89 MORRELL'S ALL BEEF FRANKS ,. '1.55
8.99 MEDIUM SIZE OYSTERS,..,
'2.89 TURKEY BREAST Barbecued, 1V4 to 2 lb. Avg lb. '2.99
M .55 OREGON COOKED SHRIMP MEAT ,. '5.99
PRICES EFFECTIVE
DEC. 19 THRU DEC. 24
WE RESERVE THE RIGHTTO LIMIT QUANTITIES
we are pleased to accept
U.&D.JL FOOD STAMP
COUPONS
IfU la
GRADE A
FROZEN,
18-23 LB. AVG.
ARMOUR'S
THURIMGER CHUBS SITS 20 0,. ;. e.
ARMOUR'S SLICED
LUIVbn IVILrtlOl2 oz Pkg. ea.
BAR S THICK OR REGULAR 4
SLICED BACON pilg.'2.S9i ib. Pkg.
LB
BAR S SLICED
6
I 6-02. Pkg ea
LUIVUn IVILrtldl
$3.29
$1.09
1.39
ROC
Uil
i 4
Pi. ft
WEST
VIRGINIA
WHOLE OR
HALF, CUT
FROM 16-LB.
LOINS,
WATER ADDED
W . t Wi 1
LB
tmi - r -v I 1
- f9t Kir
3 nniYLcn hiiitq qi!mi ra
miAi.y iiuiw v m i.w j w
12-OZ. SIZE U '
DUNCAN HINES 6 aa
DOUBLE FUDGE BROWNIE MIX23,,, s,,e M.jil
DUNCAN HINES Assorted HOC
MOIST b EASY CAKE MIXES Flavors, 13. 5-oz
STUFFING MIX Herb ft Butter Flavor, 5-oz. . . . 69
REDENBACHER pn
GOURMET POPCORN 30 oz. size l.UiJ
KRAFT, TO 10.5-OZ. OflC
JET PUFF OR MINIATURE MARSHMALLOWS JiT
NABISCO pr
SNACK CRACKERS Assorted Flavors, to 10-oz 3M
ftCT Dl CMTV CHR TUC
n2;Ui1l V 1 MULIUAT OtMoUlM
k aa m
t m TV Tt
DARIGOLD
WESTERN FAMILY
ASSORTED
FLAVORS,
HALF GALLON
a.
iff
Western
FAMILY.
railll CHEESE
WffB'" k
112 J
1 tt?ftmw J
1 W-'-rs-SU
V 9 III i 1 illlWW
1 1
I
! V3EAD'S TE3PJF
DARIGOLD SOUR CREAM p t
DARIGOLD EGG NOG Quart
75c
75
110-20 OR
126-20
YOUR CHOICE
DE0D0RATJT
REG. OR UNSCENTED, 1.5-OZ.
t.4
NEW STORE HOURS: ,
Open Every Day 8 a.m. to 10 pm.
305 S.W. 1 1th. Ave. (Buttercreek Hwy. Hermiston
Umatilla -711 H.St.
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