Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 8, 1980)
TWO The Heppner Gazette-Times, Ileppner, Oregon. Thursday, May 8, 1980 !:l The Officlol sSp s City of Heppner ond the J ONTA County GAZETTE-TIMES Morrow Cent js If-0wieJ Weekly Newspaper U.&P.S, 24Q-420 Ittiti-Jhrd m Thwrrtnv ix1 mtcrrH urmHt-clnm matin- at Ihr Prwt Offrc at Hcwmr. h"cnn unrirr Ihr Art of March 5. 179 SrcfrnWIam pntriagr paid at tH!ti' hi 147 Wc Wiltnw SlrrH THophtwr iMtll I7 ArWi-rs mmmHHic.il tons lo Ihr Hrppncr RarrtITtmftt. P.O. Hrvx 517, Mfpfww. Shw in Mrmv I'maiitta. Whorkr A (iiNtum cnunltm: Stunt rferwhrrr Jerome F. Sheldon, Publisher Steven A. Powell, News & Sports Editor Willow Creek Dam & Heppner's Water System Thanks to the Willow Creek Dam project, Heppner is faced with the immediate necessity of making water system improvements. These would be financed through a general obligation bond issue to be presented to the voters on May 20. Portions of the system, including a section of transmission main and a storage reservoir, must be relocated. This work would be the responsibility of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency that would build the dam. Other work the city would undertake. It would be an opportune time to do so, for portions of the water system are deteriorating and the growth of the community calls for improvements. The wells used by the city as its water source are located south and east of the town along Willow Creek. The wells are linked to Heppner's water system by an 8-inch diameter steel pipeline. The farthest well, at the end of the pipeline, is more than 12 miles from the city. Another well is tied into the line about nine miles out, and two other wells are tied in further downstream, closer to the city. The transmission line was constructed in stages throughout the last four and a half decades. The pipeline's oldest section, which would be inundated by the dam and its lake, was installed in 1936 and has reached what the city's consulting engineers consider the end of its useful life. The steel has eroded and breaks . and leaks are common. The Corps of Engineers would relocate about two miles of this section but leave another mile for the city to rebuild to connect with the distribution system within the town. The work would be financed by the $430,000 bond issue to be placed on the ballot. Other work to be funded, should the voters agree, would include the drilling of a new well to replace an existing but unused well above Balm Fork, and the installation of new mains within the city to provide for stronger water pressure. The new reservoir, to be paid for by the Corps of Engineers, would be near the crest of Cemetery Hill, and a line would extend from there to the hillside area above Pioneer Memorial Hospital. According to the city's engineering consultants, favorable financing terms may be arranged. Heppner is looking to the Farmers Home Administration as a potential buyer of the bonds, at a current interest rate of 5Vi percent. The city's debt would be spread over 40 years. This would be an obligation of the taxpayers, although water revenues would continue to pay for the system's operation and maintenance costs. Heppner's current bonded indebtedness totals $681,000 money borrowed to finance the city's swimming pool, flood damage repair and improvements, and past water system improvements. The swimming pool issue will be paid off in 1983, the flood repair issue in 1987 and the water improvement issue in 1994. The city's assessed valuation is almost $21 million. There have been increases ranging from 12 percent to 38 percent each year for the past five years. These factors would determine the ability of the taxpayers to repay the bonds as well as support other obligations of the community. The fact is, the city needs the improve ments as much for its citizens' health as anything else, and this is the year they should be authorized. A special feature is that the Corps of Engineers will pay for the portion of the system that would be displaced by the Willow Creek Dam project. City revenues that might otherwise be spent for this work may be used in other areas of the water system. The water system bond proposal should be approved at the May 20 election. Newpopf of tha of Morrow Hazards of highway driving Where's the professional9 "Watch the truckers and they'll help keep you out of a jam. The men who drive those big trucks are professionals and they know all about driving." Those words were spoken to me by my father 33 years ago when he was teaching me to drive. What has happened? These "professionals" have, in the last ten years set me up for numerous highway accidents in any one of which I would probably now be dead if it were not for my own driving tactics. What has happened to the professional trucker? He seems no longer exist. My highway apprehension is no longer directed at the "Sunday driver" or the harried housewife taking herself and her children to the supermarket. Is is aimed at the so called called professional truck driver, who apparently feels the most important control in his cab is the mikie button on his CB radio. These here-to-fore referred to as "knights of the road" now must be called "devils of the drive." It is to be granted that there are many aspects of heavy equipment driving which are unknown to the average motorist. The driving habits of many car and pickup operators can drive the trucker up the wall. There are many things which the thoughtless motorist does without thinking which can cause the trucker a lot of unnecessary work, and considerable frustration. This writer knows, because he was a road driver for several years. There is, however no excuse for a lot of the tactics employed by these so-called professionals. Unsafe passing is the offense most often made by truckers, in my experience at any rate. Passing without signaling, or in areas where the solid center line is displayed is a common occurence. This writer has encountered so many safe driving infractions by drivers of those "18 wheelers" that he couldn't begin to list them all in this article. Television, and the CB radio are probably the major contributing factors. They seem to be emulating the Smokey and the Bandit life style. Scll6m Scene This is the time of year when most gainfully employed Ore gonians receive a cash wind fall in the form of refunded t overpaid income taxes. But an increasing number of individuals are discovering their refunds are being with held to satisfy an unpaid dept to the state. They are classified as ab sent parents, predominantly fathers of children living with mothers who have applied for aid to dependent children (ADC). State law also permits withholding of homeowner and renter property tax re funds (HARRP) for the same purpose. And in the last two years, both programs have returned more than $700,000 to the state. State and federal tax dollars LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 'Field trips-but not sports feel school budget cuts 9 Editor: Recently it has been brought to my attention that the Morrow County School Dis trict has run into the red in a number of budget areas, one of which is transportation. This area covers gas for bus runs, athletics, field trips, and other transportation costs. In Mary Martin given support Editor: Mary Martin is a candidate for the Republican nomination for county treasurer. She, like many of the candidates, has a good record of public service and public concern. Mary possesses the skills necessary lor this post, and I recommend that she is deserving of your readers' support. Gene Rietmann. lone, Ore. (In addition to the above letter in support of Mary Martin's candidacy in the Republican May 20 primary election, the Heppner (iazette Times last week published a letter from Sue Zanne Duncan of I-exington. expressing simi lar support. An inadvertent "and" was inserted into the phrase, "I have come to know Mary Martin socially ' and through her involvement in community and educational concerns." Duncan felt the meaning of the letter was changed. She went on to say she had found Mary Martin to be a capable, dedicated per son of integrity and, therefore, endorsed her for nomination Morrow County treasurer. . .The Ileppner Gazette-Times regrets the error.) Absentee' parents caught by the state BY JACK ZIMMERMAN supported 31.400 single-parent Oregon families at a cost of $105.7 million in 1978 exclud ing medical costs. "Those staggering figures are the product of the failure of absent parents to provide financial support for their dependent children." Leo Hegstrom. director of the Department of Human Re sources, told members of the 1979 Legislature. And law makers responded by again beefing up laws that have helped make Oregon a leader in the nationwide movement forcing absent parents to assume financial liability for their offspring. Causes for this public assis tance burden are largely those producing single-parent an attempt to cut back spending in this area it was determined that cuts must be made. The question was where? The answer was to cut funding for any field trip that couldn't be taken on one tank of gas. To my knowledge no transportation funding for any athletic events were cut, and only a very small number of extended field trips were cut. Since I started teaching at Heppner High School in 1971, the biology department has been involved in an active field trip program involving some extended field trips to the coast and to Malheur National Wildlife refuge. I feel, as I'm sure many, students and parents feel, that these trips are educationally valuable trips to our students. This year our coast trip cost the district about $11 per student in gas costs for a four-day field experience, which is a very modest figure considering the amount of education that took place. The cost of the Malheur trip would have been about the same, but yet funding for this annual budgeted for trip was with drawn. I have been informed that at the May meeting, the School Board will be discussing the status of field trips for next year. If you have any feelings about the benefits of field trips for Morrow County students, please let your School Board know your feelings. Without your input they might feel that extended field trips aren't worth funding. Thank you, Stephen Brownfield Rt. 1, Box 3490 Heppner, OR 97836 Recenty, on a federal highway, this writer was forced nearly into the ditch when the first of two "big rigs" swerved over the center line. The driver had one hand on the wheel, and the other on his CB. mike. He was apparently talking to the truck behind. In the course, he almost killed an Innocent driver who was merely trying to get to work. It's a real shame that a legend should come to this pass. It would seem that all that is required to drive an "18 wheeler" anymore is to wear truckers boots, and know how to say 10-4 big daddy on the CB radio. The most graphic example which comes to my mind occurred a few years ago.. .Sitting on the living room carpet, fitting a large picture into the protective carton which would help to get this possession to Its new destination unharmed, I listened while the young man (scarely twenty years old), who would be entrusted with the shipment of the family's goods across most of the U.S. as he bragged about his truck driving adventures to the home owner. There he was, representing an agent of one of the country's largest and best known van lines, telling a customer of the times he had wrecked a truck ! ! A few moments later, in private converstion with the shipper I asked, "that driver certainly inspires a feeling of confidence in the safety of your goods, doesn't he?" I don't remember what the response was, but I do remember the sick look on his face. This editorial is prompted by, and based on my own experiences. I have not investigated to learn what facts, or insurance statistics might indicate; but I wouldn't be surprised if they showed that trucking industry wide, those who some of us thought of as "heroes of the highway" may have sunk into a position of disgrace, and become a public menace. Don W. Renter Nyssa Gate City Journal NvHsa, Oregon households at an alarming rate. Soaring divorce rates and increases in illegitimate births produced circum stances that saw 17 percent of all youths less than 18 years old living in single-parents households five years ago. And authorities now believe that by 1993. some 51 percent of the U.S. children will live in single-parent households part of their lives. Early recognition of these conditions by Oregon law makers has helped our state "achieve its role as an effective enforcer of parental responsi bility and in creating a state agency that brings in three times as much revenue as it costs to operate. That agency is the Support Enforcement Division of the Department of Justice. Admi ministered by Robert E. Elvin. SED is the contractual enforcing agency for the Department of Human Re sources. During the present bien nium its projected collations are expected to exceed $36 million. With a staff of 261 people in 13 statewide field offices. SED handles an on going caseload of 43,500. Little known and seldom heralded, Oregon's SED oper Sifting through 1930 Fifty years ago, the Hepp ner Common Council voted to put water meters on homes that used city water from the new artesian well that had been drilled. Under the new system, water users would only pay for the amount of water they used. Cost of the meters was estimated at $12 installed. About 356 homes in Heppner would be affected. The method of financing the meters was not discussed at length but the city wanted to buy them so the meters would remain the property of the city. At the same meeting, the council gave the Lions Club the go ahead to proceed with its street sign and house numbering project. The results of the Lions Club crow and magpie shooting contest ended with a total of 2.3.18 killed. C.W. Smith's team shot more birds so C.L. Sweek's team treated them to a dinner. l55 Twenty five years ago Janice Martin was named valedictorian and Carolyn Mc Daniel salutatorian of the Heppner eighth grade class. Mrs. Elvira McDonald ac cepted the position of tax deputy in the county sheriff's trucker? ates amid an emotional cli mate ranging from extremely difficult to nearly impossible. When SED sets out to contact an absent parent the situation has typically evolved from extreme financial strain. "The absent parent has probably left home under conditions medical authorities describe as the most severely traumatic in human exper ience." Elvin declared. "They often feel as if their world has been destroyed and mothing mutters." "When the custodial parent applies for ADC. it is our job to find the absent parent and remind him of an obligation growing out of a relationship he may want to forget completely." Armed with a sophisticated arsenal of laws, regulations and painstaking methodology, SED successfully locates be tween 70 and 80 percent of absent parents. Through reciprocity SED's activity extends into all fid states. Oregon's parental loca tions system has become so effective Elvin claims it is possible to locate 96 percent of absent parents but that per centage cannot be economi cally achieved. the TIMESjf office to fill the position vacated by Sylvia McDaniel. who was named the new county treasurer. Dennis Doherty of Lexing ton, seventh grader, won the annual Morrow County spel ling contest by spelling all KM) words in the contest correctly. Ione's Garden Club was set to build an outdoor fireplace in the city. Another Heppner Value Day was set in Heppner with free parking for all who shop downtown and a free show at the Star Theatre for all the kids. HI75 Five years ago the Blue Mountain Community College budget was voted down 3.106 to 3.509. Heppner was facing water and sewer problems and the city council discussed the problem with Dan Russell, plumbing inspector for the State of Oregon, and Steve Anderson, city engineer. Evelyn Sweek, Barbara Paullus. Marge Eckman and Avon Melby were named officers of the Soroptimist Club and Anne Doherty, Jeanne Howell, Pat Edmund son, and Judy Herni were named officers for the Ameri can Association of University Women. Heppner branch. 'School district levy must win support' Editor: Morrow County School Dis trict must have a voter approved tax levy in order to operate schools next year. The School District tax base of $588,510 Is only about 20 percent of the amount re quired in order to provide funds for one full year of school operation. The budget law permits local governments to exceed their tax base by 6 percent each year, without voter approval. However, operating within this 6 percent limitation would depend on a district having a realistic tax base. The school district tax base was esln blished many years ago and has not kept up with either growth or inflation. In the meantime, the district has almost doubled in enrollment since 1!)74 The amount of money that 234 N.Mam TL. Rapco m boomers Carpet, Oraniic til f Cabinet!, 11 I ; 1 CASE FURNITURE " Heppner Carpet, Linoleum, Counter Topt Installed Beauty Rett matfee. Fabric and Accwvoriei, r Sherwin Williams Paint N J TURNER VAN MARTER 171 1 BRYANT c -- I I) MtuiiAl (.INTER PHARMACY svS Urn Maa.-Tn. fm im 1100 Sombfatc Pendleton 276-1531 SWEENEY MORTUARY Cemetery, Grave Markers 676-9600 Granite, Marble, Bronze Of 676-922 & Serving lone, le.ingfon 4 Heppnmr p.o. Box 97 r - "I Service calls every Wednesday JAYWES)! i" Heppner. lone and I M'xinglon ImisnfrBe MACHmRl " x Mua II N. Chevron Cr3 could be raised within the tax base would only be sufficient to carry the district for a month or two of operation. The current budget proposal has been reduced by a little over $73,000 after the March budget defeat. I believe the proposed budget, which will be on the May 20 ballot. Is a realistic budget and is worth of voter support. M. Ray Boy re Ileppner, Oregon School budget 'realistic9 Editor : On May 20. the voters of Morrow County will huve another opportunity to vote on the school district budget levy. I am writing this letter in support of this levy. (Continued on Pue 12) Heppner Auto Parts Heppner 676-9123 & II rLUUK IUVCKINU Linoleum, 42? Loe" Wo Tile, Kitchen 676 94 IB Rapco Iniulation H"PP"" aifoux Onxuxunct nttJx UTOtwa VaaMAATWL S INSURANCE MOaiu aTrr -J-"i1tf 'lllllli 9 - lp Unat u MakaJ Cmnm . ri Tcfcrvhun lTttM Pim, ,W-! TaWphua V.7.J7JI GLENN DEVIN Chevron USA, Inc. Commission Aqnl 676-9633 6 P
