Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1980)
. TU The IJpppner Gaj-ett-Time. Heppner. Oregon. Thursday. February 7. I9W) i i 1 t '1 1 j- Th OHol Nwipopf of City of Hppnr and th County of Morrow J O WPA " The Heppner GAZETTE-TIMES Mirrit Cuitj's Iw-Oviel Vteklj Umpir USPS. 540-4i0 Ml 147 .Jlo Slrwf T?ipWi ' Vl ?-23l jrrM corrrv,jr:artim S tn Hpc Gaieft Tims P O Bo IT7 H$pnr tt Mrxrm Irr.i'tU VtT ft Onlum ctjnri $10 w eiawnr Jerome F. Sheldon, Publisher Steen . Powell. News Fditor f Step Forward, Heppner! Generally, any community wants to attract industry in order to establish a stable tax base. At least two key factors should be considered: The availability of land and the existence of a labor pool from which to draw. These points are of importance in the Heppner area because of the recent closure of the Kinzua plywood mill that put about 150 people out of work. If other industries could be developed to utilize these people and their skills, what site and facilities would be available? If a substitute industry were secured, those affected by the Kinzua closure might remain, continuing as part of the basic economic support for retail businesses and services. With business growth come the social and cultural aspects that keep people in the area for reasons other than employment, such as schools, hospital and medical services, and recreation. All of this was the subject of an informal give-and-take session held at the West of Willow Restaurant in Heppner last week, involving a group of business people, at least one farmer, and Harold Kerr, the Morrow County agent for the Oregon State University Extension Service. Mr. Kerr's ostensible purpose was to obtain local participation in the updating of a periodic planning study for the county that considers various economic conditions. The last such study report was published in 1971. But the meeting was as much to spur business spirits here as to obtain information for another study to be published in Corvallis. As such, it served a useful purpose. So the plywood mill closed. What can the commu nity do now? In this sense, we use "community" to mean not Heppner alone but all of south Morrow County. One thought was that the area needs an "action" person, one who could expedite matters in the way of industry recruitment and capital development. Who would pay his salary? Apparently there are government grants available that are intended to aid community development. Indeed, there are so many sources of money authorized by Uncle Sam that the Extension Service in Corvallis requires a computer print-out to identify them and their specific purposes. This was brought out because a serious effort to develop an additional and substan tial industrial base here would seem to require professional coordination. The farmer in the group stressed that his fellow agricultural producers are as interes ted as the townspeople in preserving the community's economic well-being. As a trading center, Heppner provides goods and services. The farmers could drive to Hermiston the mileage isn't so great they couldn't do so but to come to Heppner often is more convenient. Several ideas for economic development were discussed, Many of them centered on using wood products. There may not be a market for locally produced plywood but how about a furniture factory? Or using wood waste to generate power? With the hundreds of people who come to the Heppner area to hunt, could tourism and outdoor recreation be a factor in the future? Gasohol production was mentioned. Considering the times, this seems to be the proposal of almost every agricultural region that produces grains that could be distilled into alcohol. In over a centry of existence, Heppner has known prosperity as well as depression. Now is the time to step forward! ! SALEM SCENE BY JACK ZIMMERMAN New law cracks down on shoplifters A grouing number of Ore gonians are learning the hard way about a new law on the books that deals rather se verely with shoplifters. And those same Oregonians are discovering the meaning of a Latin legal phrase, "Ignorantia legis nemihem excusat." specifying that ig norance of la w excuses no one. The new law is the result of Senate Bill 893. enacted by the Legislature during the 1979 session and is detailed in Oregon Revised Statutes 30 870 and 30 875. It became effective on Oct. 3 last year and results of its application are beginning to surface. "Although the law has been in force four months, many merchants are just now be coming familiar enough with its provisions to put it to practical use." reports Otto J. Wilson, director of the Oregon Retail Council division of Associated Oregon Industries. The law, patterned largely after a similar statute in the State of Washington, permits retail victims of shoplifters to seek damages and penalties from shoplifters. "The civil law is not meant to be a substitute for criminal prosecution," Wilson said. "The criminal law remains on the books and is another weapon against shoplifting." Together, both procedures areavailable in the continuing fight against a crime that costs Oregonians as much as S30 million a year. Wilson, whose statewide organizations of retailers sponsored and supported pas sage of the anit-shoplifting civil procedures statute, said it is apparent larger stores with professional security per sonnel were first to begin using it. "One statewide retail chain that also has stores in Wash ington and was familiar witrr the law in that state, reports significant results in applica tion of the Oregon law," Wilson said. Its policy is to seek civil damages and penalties from every apprehended shoplifter. Information from 20 of its stores shows that some 400 apprehended shoplifters have been sent demand letters requesting damages equal to the price of the stolen mer chandise, plus a $100 penalty. Seventy percent of appre hended shoplifters have been minors and demands for damages and penalties have been sent to their parents, in accordance with provision of the law. "It appears to be parents of minor shoplifters who are learning about the law for the first time." Wilson said, "and records from this particular chain indicate although sur prised, about 70 percent ex- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 'If irrigation rates go down, we should recall board9 Editor: Regards article last week about the delayed increase in Columbia Basin Electric Co operative rates in order to make a new survey as requested by irrigators. If the board changes the percentage upward for do mestic and commercial and lowers the irrigation rates, the people of the cities of Hepp ner. lone. Lexington, Condon and Fossil should get up in arms and recall the board. Rural customers already en joy the same domestic rates as the cities although it costs much more to build and maintain the service to the ranches and outlying areas thn it does in the cities (where in a small area there are lots of transformers with several meters on each, as opposed to rural lines being long with one meter at the end.) It is much more profitable to serve the cities, that is why ranches and farms were the last to get electric serv ice in the first place. The board is composed of mostly ranchers so the rates are influenced by that. We outnumber Hie irriga tors, by far. so let's not let them do if to us. Contact your board mem bers and let them know how you feel before it gets worse. This Co-op belongs to all of us and anyone with a meter can vote. Vern Wilson. Heppner 'Board has not yielded to pressure...rates complex9 Editor: In regards to the letter concerning the proposed rate increase printed in this week's issue. I would like to comment for information purposes only. 1. The Board of Directors has not yielded to any pres sure from one group of customers to benefit that group while causing addi tional increases to any other group. 2. Rate studies are very complex and require the. expertise of the finest profes sionals in the business to provide proper equity for all classes of customers. 3. In the undertaking of a cost of service and rate study, all factors of the operation are taken into consideration, (i.e. rural customers, town cus tomers, industrial customers) as well as the facilities required to serve them and their location on the system. Extreme care must be taken to create rates that are equitable to all customers regardless of their location and size. 4. It is simply not the case that rancher influences domi nate the Board. Representa tives of Condon. Fossil, and Heppner are members at present and in accordance with the by-laws, will continue to be members. As always in the case of cooperatives, the lack of informed members is the single item that creates more controversy than any other. Board meetings are open to all consumers and it is the desire of the Board and myself that if you wish to become informed, please attend these meetings. The best asset we can have for any of us is an informed membership. The interests of all consum ers are the only goal of the cooperative and different viewpoints are welcomed. Respectfully, Fred R.Toombs. Manager Columbia Basin Electric Co-op, Inc. Heppner press support for it." .Another retailer with nine outlets primarily in the Port land metropolitan area is having almost identical exper ience in its application of the civil procedure. Seeking damages and penal ties from 320 shoplifters ap prehended so far, its records show about 54 percent are minors whose parents had no idea there was such a law. In the cases of both busines ses, the vast majority of shoplifters or their parents are paying damages and penalties in response to de mand letters from these merchants. But both firms have had to submit a few claims to small claims court. Wilson expressed little sur prise at the numbers of people professing ignorance of the law. "Our experience over the years in combatting the shop lifting problem has proven widespread ignorance about both the crime and its magnitude." he said. "It will take a great deal of time and experience before the new civil statute achieves wide spread understanding." In view of this knowledge, the Oregon Retail Council and others have been working diligently to furnish informa tion about shoplifting and existing laws to the public, retail merchants, police and the courts. More than 50 seminars have been conduc ted statewide since October by ORC people through auspices of local Chambers of Com merce. Public service announce ments on radio and television, along with advertisements in newspapers have concentra ted on explaining the new law. "So far our efforts really have only scratched the sur face however," Wilson said, "and the educational program will be a continuous project." ORC has published a 24 page handbook, entitled a "Retailer's Shoplifting Pre vention Guide," and two sizes of posters calling attention to the new law carry endorse ments by the Crime Preven tion Association of Oregon. Oregon Law Enforcement Council and Oregon Crime Watch. Booklets and posters are available at nominal cost through most Chambers of Commerce and ORC's office in Salem. ft Sifting through the TIM About 150 national forests are administered by the U.S. Forest Service. 1930 Fifty years ago Lions Presi dent CL. Sweek said, "One should feed butter to his children to make them bigger and give the butter substitutes to the rats to make them smaller." That was the con cluding statement made at a Lions meeting with the discus sion on butter. There was surplus of butter at the time because more people in the country were using butter substitutes The discussion brought out that there are more vitamins in butter so it should be fed to the family. School superintendant Wil liam Poulson was called in the middle of the night by some irate parents who thought a party their students had gone to was under the supervision of the school. He assured them it was not a school party but a private one and that anytime a student asks to go to a school function, call the superinten dant to make sure it will be under the school's supervi sion. The Heppner grade school was staging an athletic circus with the youngsters perform ing gymnastic tricks. Heppner was the site of the sub-district basketball tourna ment. A Lexington motorist re ceived bruises on his head and his car was badly damaged when he slid on a wet road and ran into a horse. The horse was so badly crippled that it had to be killed. An advertisement telling how to darken gray hair said to make a mixture of a half-pint of water, add one ounce of bay rum, a small box of Barbo compound and one ounce of glycerine. Apply to your hair twice weekly with a comb. 1955 Twenty-five years ago the Heppner City Council gave 30 days notice to lessors of buildings at the city park to vacate the premises because a city crew was going to tear down the old buildings. The city voters approved a special tax levy to remove the buildings and update the park. The city council also voted on a city ordinance in an attempt to control the dog Editor's Notebook irTjmiiBi in BACK TO TRADITION' Retail merchants in Heppner have decided to schedule their monthly promotional sale on Friday. Feb. 22, the tradi tional Washington's birthday date. The event would carry over the weekend as well, for the local Elks will have their "annual" celebration the next day and the Kinzua Mill pay day will be Monday, the 25th. Ther merchants chose Feb. 22 in preference to a promo tional sale on what has come to be known as "President's Day." This year it falls on Feb. 18 a Monday and sat isfies the apparent need of many people to have a three-day weekend. It is a legal federal holiday, which means that government of fices and banks will be closed. President's Day honors both George.Washington and Abra ham Lincoln, whose birth date is Feb. 12. Imagine our surprise to discover city and state offices observed Lincoln's Birthday not on its traditional date, but this week, on Monday. Both the Heppner City Hall and the Morrow County Courthouse were closed. On Monday we observed a lot of door-knob rattling at City Hall, across the street from our office, when unsuspecting citizens arrived to pay water bills or transact other business and found the door locked. problem in Heppner but state law required that the control of dogs must be voted on by the people of the city. Approximately 50 cars were at the site of the TV antenna outside of Heppner to watch the reception there. The city was looking into the possibility of channeling the waves to the city. The Heppner TV Cooper ative was in charge of the plan. Cost was $135 hookup fee and a monthly fee of $3.50. 1975 Five years ago sales of Oregon farm products went over the $1 billion mark for the first time which was $125 million more than the pre vious year. Production costs also set record highs. A snowmobile race for the benefit of the cancer society was taking place in Morrow County. The race was 24 miles long. Heppner High School's stu dent body ponsored a benefit dance for one of its class mates, Jo n Ekstrom, who was listed in critical condition in a Portland hospital after an automobile accident. Murrays Drugs in Heppner was robbed of $600 in cash and checks. It was taken from the state liquor department sec tion in the store and none of the other registers were tampered with 'and no mer chandise was taken. Benny Smith circulating petitions for candidacy Congressional candidate Denny Smith says he is taking the petition route in filing for a spot on the election ballot. Candidates for federal office can either pay a $100 filing fee or get the signatures of at least 1.000 registered voters. Smith, a Salem business man, is running against Re presentative Al Ullman in the second Congressional District. The signatures on petitions must be certified in each -ounty by the county clerk, before the Secretary of State will accept them. ' flfl&isig r Heppner Auto Parts 234 N.Main Heppner 676-9123 M&R FLOOR COVERING The Rapco Foamers Carpet, Linoleum, Ceramic Tile, Kitchen Cabinets, Rapco Insulation HePPnr 422 linden Woy 676-94 18 V -W rare CIIDUmiQC vnb i wniiii wni Heppner Carpet, Linoleum, Counter Tops Installed Beauty Rest mattresses, Fabrics and Accessories, Sherwin Williams Paint TURNER 3ox att youx OnuxancL nttdi VAN MARTER njM 6.0a & BRYANT TuMiim, t isBSB INSURANCE 1S7HWTM HAM tTWIT tmi. OMOOM I71M Home Remodeling Specntong In Akmnum Sdng and moor of od sding Sorm Windowi ud Doon Prime Windowj Small Remodeling Job KenFrfMld 676-5051 c MEDICAL CENTER PHARMACY Fro tUbi Service On Preacriptnoi Hcmpkil Suppiie' Mao.-Ffi. 94 pm. Sm 9-lpjn. Located m tbc Medical Cenier 1100 Soathgate Pendleton 276-1531 V ewecucy madtii aov 4iikkiiki iiiwii I wnn Cemetery, Grave Markers 676-9600 Granite, Marble, Bronze Or 676-9226 Serving (one, Lexington & Heppner p.o. Box 97 ItJAYNES BUSINESS MACHDIES Service calls' every Wednesday in Heppner, lone and Lexington 332 S. Main Sc., Pendleton Telephone Z76-6441 811 N. Fim, Hennion Telephone 567-2731 Chevron GLENN DEVIN Chevron USA, Inc. Commission Agent 676-9633 Boordman Morrow County Abrtrcct & Tftft Compcny tMe hsironce 4 Escrow Service 676-9912 41-9261 .3? -3, ,t
