The Heppner (iacUe-Tinies. Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, December 20, 1979 FIVE
Christ mos Lighting Contest
-A- Residences Churches
Judging will be Dec. 23 by a committee of the Heppner-Morrow County Chamber of
Commerce.
Cash prizes in each category will be awarded as follows: $30, first place; $20, second,
and $10, third.
Yes, I wish to have our display judged in the Christmas Lighting Contest.
Name .
Street Location..
Mailing Address.
Please mail to Heppner Gazette-Times, Box 337, Heppner, or
bring to our office, 147 West Willow Street.
L
I
Developer of tropical 'Schmoo Tree,'
son of Heppnerites, leaves for Africa
By Justine Weatherford
Mike Benge left for Africa
on an indefinite assignment
with the U.S. Agency for
International Development.
Sunday, Dec. 9. Before his
departure, he telephoned his
Heppner parents. Mary and
Terrel Benge. of north Main
Street, to tell them to notice
the article in this week's Time
magazine about his latest
project.
The Gazette-Times has car
ried several articles with
pictures about Benge's work
in Vietnam and about his
imprisonment by the North
Vietnamese from 1968 to 1973
which so distressed his family
and friends. It was in Vietnam
that he discovered a tall,
slender-trunked tree with a
ragged umbrella of drooping
leaves that looks like a
mimosa, and he recognized its
potential.
He noted the tropical Leu
caena Leucocephala is a bit
different from other trees in
that it grows as high as 65 feet
in just five years. This makes
it a prime candidate for refor
estation projects in overlum
bered and wood-short Third
World countries.
Forestry expert Benge,
Time states, has become a
Labor force
in county
shows rise
The Morrow-Umatilla two
county area labor force trend
for the September-October
period of 1979 was virtually a
carbon copy of the same
period in 1978.
The two-county area experi
enced a slight decrease in
total civilian labor force. The
unemployment total was 1.700
people in October, up 200 (13.3
percent) from September. A
year earlier, in 1978, unem
ployment increased even
more (240 during the same
period.
The unemployment rate
jumped up to 5.1 percent,
higher than the 4.4 percent
registered in September. The
rate increase is significant in
size but not in scope when
compared to previous years'
experience for the same
period.
Agricultural employment
throughout the area was lower
in October than in September.
In Morrow County potato
harvest employment started
its decline as many of the
smaller growers completed
their harvests. In the Pendle
ton area timely rains allowed
most growers to seed their
grain with only a few deciding
to wait until spring. The apple
harvest in the Milton-Freewa-ter
area was near completion
and employment was down to
150 from a late September
high of over 200 pickers.
Lumber and wood products
employment was down
slightly (20) in the two-county
area, the start of a normal
seasonal downturn. Food pro
ducts was the big loser of the
month with 220 less jobs in
October than September.
sort of bureaucratic Johnny
Appleseed. Benge tells that in
some tropical lands the leaves
from the tree are eaten like
candy by children, and when
dipped in a pepper sauce, are
tasty hors d-oeuvre for adults.
Its seedpods are chewed or
slewed or painted as tourist
trinkets. The seeds can be
ground as a surrogate for flour
or coffee. Better yet. the
leaves can be used for
protein-rich cattle feed, and
nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the
roots help to fertilize the soil.
Because of its rapid growth,
the tree could become a vital
source of firewood still used to
cook food by 75 percent of the
world's population. Its wood
can be processed into charcoal
or flammable gas or used for
building houses and furniture
and making paper pulp.
The secret of the Leucaena's
rapid growth is in its roots.
They extend as deep as the
tree is tall. This enables the
tree to soak up nutrients below
the reach of other plants.
Growing on the Leucaena
roots are fungi called mycor
rhizae that help by absorbing
phosphorus compounds that
cannot be used by most plants,
and then convert them into
forms that can nourish the
tree. The steady dropping of
leaves provides rich nutrition
for other plants.
His mother, Mary Benge,
says he refers to the miracu
lous tree as the "Schmoo
Tree." He took this name from
a mythical Al Capp creature
that provided Li'l Abner and
friends with unlimited sup
plies of milk, butter and eggs.
Mary explains that as a kid,
before TV. her son was an
ardent reader of the comics
and he especially enjoyed
cartoonist Capp's works. Time
chose to title its article,
"Schmoo Tree. It Gives Food
and Fuel."
When Mike returned to the
U.S. after his imprisonment
he began to herald the
wonders of the Schmoo Tree
and news spread to the
growing list of tropical coun
tries that are suffering de
forestation. A group of Hai
tians now plans to grow 12.000
acres of Leucaenas. The
Philippines has its own ambi
tiou Leucaena program, as
does India and Indonesia.
In fact the only sign of
indifference Benge has found
is in his own federal agency.
He however, will not be
deterred. "They complain.
'All you do is talk about
Leucaena," he reports of his
superiors.
Disappointingly, the Time
(Dec. 10. p. 95) article does not
mention Mike's hometown or
his family. He has made
several trips back to Heppner
when I have heard him talk to
groups, and when he has
shown some of his most
interesting colored slides to
local schoolchildren.
30 OFF
Christmas Kits
Opened Friday
until 8:00 p.m.
Come see bobbies
and models
i
JkL&3ka.t
West of Willow
Presents
The Thrifty Way to Dine Out
Monday through Thursday Dinner Buffets $2.99 Adults
$1.65 children
under 10
Complete meajs include Salad Bar
Time 5:00 p.m.-8:0O p.m.
Monday through FridayLuncheon Buffets
Complete meals including Salad Bar
Time 11:30-1:30 p.m.
West of Willow welcomes Senior Citizens. We give a
10 discount to anyone over 60 so ask for your discount.
Desserts available at all times
Friday Evening Seafood Buffet 6:00-8:30
Saturday Evening New York Steak Special
Quality and quantity personally guaranteed by Jim
Heppne- youth nominee Bonneville awarfls contract
to Air Force Academy to build transmission line
orciMiM Cniu'r'ssm;in M
I'llmnn hn nominated 23
vmmiii' OretJonians includinc
Dale William Holland of
Heppner for appointment to
the service academies.
Holland 335 North Gale St..
was one of ten nominations to
attend the Air Force Aca
demy He is a senior at
Heppner lliirh School.
The candidates will compete
for appointments to the Air
Force. Naval. Military, and
Merchant marine academies.
"This is an outstanding
group of young men and
women and those selected will
serve their country well,"
I'llman said in announcing the
nominations.
rilman made the nomina
tions alter reviewing the
academic records of appli
cants from throughout the 2nd
District. Final selection for
admission fo the schools for
the year starting next July
will be marie on the basis of
academic and physical ex
aminations. "I am not going to go to the
Dale Holland
Air Force Academy even if I
am selected." Holland said in
an interview Monday. "I
would have to go to school for
four years and then serve four
years as a commissioned
officer and I don't know if I
would want to make a full
career out of it."
Holland said he plans on
going to college somewhere
else and playing football and
baseball.
Home loans available
Rural homeowners in Mor
row, Umatilla, and Gilliam
counties who need to upgrade
their homes may be eligible
for financing from the Farm
ers Home Administration
(FmHA).
Ken Durrell, FmHA county
supervisor, said that in addi
tion to financing the purchase
of homes, the agency also has
funds available to families
who already own homes that
need insulation-weatheriza-tion
improvements.
FmHA will offer loans for
energy conservation improve
ments to all rural families of
low or moderate incomes who
cannot obtain adequate com
mercial credit and are other
wise eligible for FmHA loan
assistance. Durrell said that
this is not a new loan program,
but a part of the total loan
program FMHA has had for a
number of years.
More information may be
obtained at the FmHA County
Office located at 1229 South
east Third in Pendleton or by
calling 276-3811 ext. 438.
Bonneville Power Admini
stration has awarded a $5.6
millinn contract for the con
struction of the last section of
a transmission line that even
tually will carry power from
eastern Washington to the
Willamette Valley.
The double-circuit, 500-kilo-volt
line to be built under the
current contract will cross the
Columbia River at Crow Butte
Island near Boardman. The
first 20 miles of the line in
Oregon will end at Slatt
substation near Arlington.
Sterling Munro. BPA admi
nistrator, said the contract
was awarded to Wlco, Inc. of
Spokane. The completed
transmission line will run
from near Richland, Wash, to
Salem.
The award of the contract
had been delayed pending
receipt of a river crossing
permit from the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. The
permit was issued late in
September.
Under the terms of the
contract, Wico will construct
access roads, place foundation
footings, erect the transmis
sion towers, and string con
ductor on the towers. Wico will
begin work on the contract
this fall, placing footings and
erecting towers on the Oregon
section of the line as long as
weather permits.
The line is scheduled for
completion in September 1980.
"Unless it's an unusually
severe winter, we expect Wico
will have most work on the
Oregon section of the contract
completed by early spring,"
said Munro. "The major
environmental problem asso
ciated with construction in
hot, arid climates like that
around Arlington and Board
mad is dust in the summer, so
it's best to do construction
work there in the winter when
the ground is wet or frozen,"
he explained.
Work on the river crossing
itself will not begin until April
1. 1980. In the meantime, BPA
has contracted with the Wes
tern Interstate Commission
for Higher Education for a
study of bird flight patterns on
the Crow Butte Island and the
surrounding area. This study
wll form the foundation for 3 to
4 years of continuing studies of
the effects of the transmission
line on birds on the island.
The 5l)()-kV, double-circuit
transmission line is designed
to carry 5,000 megawatts of
generation. The power will
come from federal hydroelec
tric generation additions at
Lower Granite. Little Goose,
and Lower Monumental dams
on the lower reaches of the
Snake River, and the Dwor
shak Dam on the Clearwater
River in northern Idaho. It
will also integrate power from
Washington Public Power
Supply System nuclear plants
under construction at Hanford
and Portland General Elec
tric's new Boardman plant in
eastern Oregon.
The Netherlands covers
about 13.100 square miles. '
11
Seasons
;M Greetings
SrIX from
Country Shears
Opened Tuesday thru Friday
676-9731
CURLING IRONS
Special
129
HOT BRUSHES
ReJken
15 Make-up Kits 1295
Now at the new
Piry'Topj
located in the backroom of SHOE BOX
names printed '
FREE
ON ANY T-SHIRT PURCHASED!
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Q
opened Friday untiSI 8:00
1
XL
- v GOODILES&QQQQiLES OF I
how a r 7 1 rTl j
Wow I lift frill I L JL-t 1
lllll IIIII IOLJilLJ
-f
i x i v c .rvt .. m
Kaedene & Darcy
Hollombn,
Owners
Am
if
llil
i
3
41
ft
Fisher-Prke
Wilderness Patrol
Reg. 21
Fisher-Price
T.V. Action team Reg. 21
Fisher-Price
Kitchen Set
Reg. 1950
so IS25
Now
1375
Fisher-price
Riding Horse
Reg. 27
i Fisher-Price
Explorer
Res.32
19
Now
2440
Fisher-Price
Snoopy Raceway Reg. 15" Now 1 1 25
J4 95 3 mm
54 95 1 Honey lamb Dof
g eg.o- flow
sgffl 1 SofthaDoll Reg.6w Now 450
ll I Starbird eg.26 NowW5
-1 . $ upen Lore
v? .. .
3 Friday Night until 8:00 p.m.
Sunday from 1 :00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
inn - .
mwim'A w
Kummwniuiy ueuimy wim issues
iiafc- that affect you personally.
Saturday, 4:30 p
Tri-Cities Channel 25
KPTV Channel 12
Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
Specie Christmat program December 23
featuring the Vienna Boy's Choir
Tonka no.&m
Trehner Reg. I4M Now 1025
v i Wo. 2315
Pick-Up
Now 7M
Tonka no. 3900
Mighty Dump Now 1425
Tonka no. 4200
Arm Loader Re N0W1825
Heppner
676-9158
'No gift wrapping on sale items'
r .