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
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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
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Rapco m
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Oraniic
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11
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CASE FURNITURE "
Heppner
Carpet, Linoleum, Counter Topt Installed
Beauty Rett matfee. Fabric and Accwvoriei, r
Sherwin Williams Paint N
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TURNER
VAN MARTER
171 1 BRYANT
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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
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Chevron
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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""
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INSURANCE MOaiu aTrr
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Pim, ,W-! TaWphua V.7.J7JI
GLENN DEVIN
Chevron USA, Inc.
Commission Aqnl
676-9633
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