Heppner gazette-times., June 19, 1980, Image 1

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Weather
Morrow County's Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
by Don Gilliam
VOL. 8 NO. 25
THURSDAY. JUNK l. I!K0
IIF.PPNKR. OHKOON
12 PACKS
20 CKNTS
m
OSU dean
assails ag
policies
Dr. Ernie Briskey, Dean of
Agriculture at Oregon State
University, spoke out against
federal policies during his
speech at the Conservation
' Man of the Year Field Day
last week, at Don and Jean
Bennett's ranch.
"For decades, food has
remained ridiculously
cheap," he said. "And we
j (farmers) have to pay the
f price. Why? The politicians
: use it (food) as a political tool
(in dealing with other nations)
, when we should use it to our
f financial advantage."
Last year, the U S. spent
Iwice as much money on
pollution control as it did on
food production, he said.
Regulation costs are high and
cause an "unbearable financ
ial burden" with the flood of
Qr-w laws. If pesticides are
urtailed. it will mean "a
tremendous loss in crops."
But the U.S. still has to feed
the world. Since 1965. the
world has increased 25 per
cent in population and since
1935 the world population has
doubled, he continued.
The need to produce more
food is gigantic," Briskey
aid. "The next world crisis
wlH 1 an .agricultural deficit.
Exports in the U.S. the last 10
years have increased from $6
(billion 1 to $40 billion. We
have to be aware of new
markets and technology. Our
success or failure will depend
on agriculture.
0"But the farmers have to
ruggle just to break even, In
agriculture, a higher profit
base is needed People think
farmers and ranchers are
getting rich but it actually
often costs more to produce
than what you get for your
crops Farmers have yet to
reap their just economic
benefits "
Briskey said, "Food is still
the best buy in the world,"
with an average person in the
U S. spending 15 to 17 percent
of his income on food while in
other countries, it costs 50 to
100 percent. He said the
government must control In
flation by stopping to spend
more than it earns. He said if
inflation continues at its
present rate, a man who
makes $20,000 a year now, will
be making more than $1
million a year 30 years from
now. A hamburger will cost
$32 then, he said. The interest
on the national debt is the
third highest expenditure in
government behind Health,
Education and Welfare and
the Defense budgets.
Briskey spoke to more than
200 persons attending the
Conservation Man of the Year
Field Day at the Bennett
Ranch eight miles east of
Heppner, The group was
packed into a barn because
thunder, lightning and rain
halted the outdoor program.
Don Thompson, Oregon
Wheat League president, also
spoke at the Field Day. He
said the OWL has sponsored
the Conservation Man of the
Year for more than 30 years.
"I learn conservation prac
tices at every farm I go to," he
said. "When I started farm
ing, I was not a conservation
ist (so I had to learn)."
Thompson said farmers
have to help themselves by
developing new markets
around the world.
Canunued on page 11
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Dr. Krnle BrUkey, speaker al the Conservation Man of the Year
Field day, was forced Inside the Bennrtts' barn to deliver his
address because of a rain-threatening litorm.
Morrow port board
OICs rodeo lease
Port of Morrow Commis
sioners agreed to lease 14
acres of port property to the
Oregon Trail Pioneer Days
Association for $1.
The lease will expire in
December and the port decid
ed to grant such a cheap rate
because it would benefit a
nonprofit organization.
The rodeo association had
planned to build a multi pur
pose rodeo area on the site but
since it is smaller than the
group will eventually need the
port commissioners decided
only to lease the land on a
temporary basis for just this
year.
Other conditions are the
association must remove
whatever improvements it
puts on the property, provide a
$2,000 security deposit and
$3H.000 worth of liability
insurance.
In other action at the Port of
Morrow meeting last week,
Harold Little of HGL Inc.
spoke about leasing a 20 ac re
site for use as the location for
a concrete wall panel busi
ness. He requested the purchase
of $800,000 worth of Port of
Morrow Industrial Revenue
Bonds.
The concrete panels would
tie five inches thick and
Providian insulation factor of
R70. The business would have
eight to 12 employees, he said.
Little added that he thinks
the site is perfect for the
project because of the excel
lent, high-quality artesian
water that is available and the
access to the railroad.
Port commissioners gave
themselves a raise at the
meeting, approving in the
budget an increase from 15 to
22 cents a mile for travel and
from $25 to $50 per diem. The
previous rates were establish
ed six years ago.
The port discussed the
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proM)sed Boardman-Irrigon
Airport with members of the
Department of Transportation
Aeronautics Division. The air
port has been under discussion
for a!xut two years.
The two groups considered
that the airport will probably
not be federally funded. It will
be able to handle small jets.
Machinery voluntarily donat
ed will be used to build the
airstrip. The location of the air
strip was also discussed.
The port management met
with the Eastern Oregon
Farm Corp to discus its lease
with the Port of Morrow,
which stands at $30 an acre
and is much less than the
same type of property leased
to other businesses.
Beginning July 1, Port of
Morrow employees will re
ceive a fully funded retire
ment plan, it was announced
at the meeting.
The port decided to have
Dick Brown design the Master
Plan proposal for all of the
Port of Morrow property
Frank Dye of Miracle Pota
to talked about problems he is
having with his sprinkler
system plugging up. The
reason behind the problem is
the wastewater treatment
system solid removal sedi
mentation basin has not been
built yet.
In a related matter, the port
dec ided to lease another 125
acres of port land to Miracle
Potato. Miracle Potato will
use a circle irrigation system
on the land.
Port Manager Buddy Toad
vin is evaluating the possibil
ity of acting himself as the
general contractor for the
sedimentation basin project.
He said he could save the port
$43()H) in costs if he is the
general contractor and sub
contracts to five other comp
anies to do the work. The port
commissioners told Toadvin
to keep evaluating that proposal
BACK
22c Mottow
The proposed Morrow
County budget to be voted on
this Tuesday would, if passed,
result in an increase of 22
cents per $1,000 in property
valuation more than the
taxpayers have paid in the
current year.
The tax rate has been
estimated at $3.35 per $1,000 of
true cash value. For a $60,000
home and property, the tax
payer would pay $213 to the
county for the services it
supplies.
The county budget was
defeated by more than 300 .
votes at the May 24 Primary
election. The budget has not
been cut since by the county
budget committee.
Heppner budget cut $1 8,300 since last vote
City of Heppner voters will of Oregon for homeowners other than local property from $75,320. ing the total figure to fc
. mvp J . , , ,axPS ar- anticiDated at To balance the budget, on Tuesday at $74,050.
h Hon finer at a snecial u;hn ann v fnr the nrowrtv tax laxes are anucipaiea ai iu vaiain. . ' .
be deciding at a special
election June 24 on a citv
budget that has been , cut
$18,300 since its defeat in
March.
Because of added resources,
the total decrease In taxes
needed from local property
owners Is $43,847. The added
resources total $27,347. ;
The amount to be voted on is
$74,059 outside the six percent
limitation allowed by vlaw.
This is a 16.6 percent decrease
from the previous budget.
Frank Pearson, city coun
cilman, spoke to the Heppner
Morrow County Chamber of
Commerce luncheon Monday
about the new budget that will
be voted on for the 1980-81
fiscal year.
Pearson said the city budget
committee decided not to cut
basic services or the city
crew. Some of the cuts that
were made will be "unpopu
lar" he said.
In past years, the city
budget has been pretty basic
in an effort to save the
taxpayers money, Pearson
said. But there was no room in
the budget for expansion or
emergencies. Two years ago
there was an emergency In the
city water system that deplet
ed the city account balances to
where they are at a minimum
now.
Of the $18,300 in cuts. $5,000
came from the street fund for
the paving of city streets and
roads. Another $3,000 was cut
from street supplies and $3,000
more for the shutting off of
about 50 street lights in mid
block areas of town.
Another $3,000 was cut from
water supplies, $1,500 from
water meters and $1,000 from
sewer repairs with $1,800 for
other items for the total of
$18,300.
If the budget passes, Hep
pner taxpayers will pay ap
proximately 60 cents per
$1,000 valuation more than
they paid during 1979 80.
The library and the swim
ming pool operations were not
cut from the budget.
The total amount will be
partially funded by the State
Kinzua union vote
Of the 107 union employees
at Kinzua who attended the
union meeting June 8, 105
authorized the union negotia
tors to strike, a union member
told the Heppner Gazette
Times Monday.
TO THE POLLS
" Bat the proposed tax is
$74,600 less .than that which
was defeated because the U.S.
;l Forest Service has estimated
that $75,000 more will be paid
' to the county from forest
; receipts.
f Total resources had to drop
because the estimates were
too high from other areas,
, Judge Don McEUigott told the
' Heppner-Morrow County
Chamber of Commerce Mon
, day.
I The idea of creating an
animal control district, which
was defeated by more than
two to one at the last election,
will not be on the ballot this
time. That will cut about
' $24,000 from the taxes.
who apply for the property tax
relief.
Anticipated revenues for the
city budget are $229,491, up
from $174,292. Resources
Smallinon seated a judge
The new District Court
judge for Morrow and Uma
tilla Counties, John Small
mon, took his oath of office
last week in front of more than
50 persons who were cramped
into the small courtroom of
the Hermiston Safety Center.
Circuit Court Judge William
W. Wells of Pendleton, the
presiding judge of the Sixth
District that includes the two
counties, performed at the
brief ceremony.
Judge Wells said he is sure
the new District Court will be
"a great service to both
counties." He said the Justice
of the Peace Court in Hermis
ton will be phased out because
of the new District Court, and
that same type of arrange
ment is possible in Morrow
County.
Judge Wells said he is
thankful for the creation of the
new court because it will
reduce the caseload in the
Pendleton Circuit Court. Ap
peals from the Hermiston
Justice Court have been going
to the Circuit Court but now,
with a district court, appeals
will go straight to the Court of
Appeals in Salem.
Smallmon, who has been in
the private practice of law in
Hermiston since the early
10's has served there also as
the justice of the peace.
Standing before Wells with
hand upraised, he repeated
the oath, and at the conclusion
of the brief ceremony, his wife
Helen helped him don his
black judicial robe.
Wells handed Smallmon a
written commission from Gov.
Victor G. Atiyeh naming him
to the new District Court
bench. He will be ending his
law practice at least until the
November general election,
when he will run for the job.
Pendleton attorney George
Anderson spoke on behalf of
the Oregon Bar Association.
He said the population needs
of the area have been realized.
"It has been cumbersome
for lawyers to work with the
justice court," he said.
tax Jhike asllced
County voters will decide on
the fate of Pioneer Memorial
Hospital in a separate ballot.
The reason it will be voted
on a separate ballot is because
a group of citizens in north
Morrow County said it will
vote against the entire county
budget if the hospital is
included in it. But McEUigott
said he does not know, in his
own mind, if it was a good
decision to vote on the hospital
separately. '
"I hope the people in the
south end of the county can
carry it (the hospital
budget)." McEUigott said.
"We will try anything (to get
the budget passed). We may
have to make a dozen budgets.
$115,177. up from $79,365. The
major increase in the budget
is in materials and services
for the amount of $102,855. up
According to Judge Wells,
district courts are trial courts
with jurisdiction limited to
$3,000 in civil cases and to
misdemeanor criminal cases,
including traffic offenses,
where the misdemeanor is
punishable by a fine of up to
$3,000, imprisonment of one
year or less, or both.
District courts conduct pre
liminary hearings in felony
matters which may result in
binding over to the circuit
court grand jury. They may
not try cases involving title to
real property.
District courts have small
claims departments which
have jurisdiction for recovery
of money or damages where
the amount of claim does not
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Circuit Court Judge W illiam W
his robe. Smallmon was sworn
We can eliminate any part of
the county you (the voters)
want."
Hospital Administrator A K.
Felt said the cost of thek
hospital will be 14 cents per
$1,000 valuation ($8.40 on a
$fi0,000 piece of property.)
"With a good turnout in the
south end (of Morrow
County), the hospital budget
should not be in much jeopar
dy." Felt said.
Felt said more than one
third of the Pioneer Memorial
Hospital budget will go to the
North Morrow Medical Clinic
in Boardman, so he thinks the
people in that city will vote
for the budget but he does not
think Irrigon voters will.
$114,314 is needed in local
taxes. Of that, $64,461 is for a
bond debt that has been
approved in past years leav
exceed $700.
Circuit courts are the state
trial courts of general juris
diction and have appellate
jurisdiction over the justice
courts and some municipal
courts. They have adoption
and juvenile jurisdiction in
most counties-but not in
Morrow County, where the
county judge has such juris
diction. Circuit courts also
exercise jurisdiction in pro
bate, guardianship and con
servatorship cases.
Attending the ceremony
from Morrow County were
County Judge Don McEUigott,
Commissioners Dorothy
Krebs and Warren McCoy,
Clerk Barbara Bloodsworth
and Heppner attorney Her
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ells, left, assists the new District Court judge, John W. Smallmon, wit
in during a ceremony in Hermiston last week.
Voters will decide on a tax
levy of $70,457 for the hospital
budget outside the six percent
limitation. The total budget
for the hospital, nursing home
and North Morrow Clinic is
$1,313,027. To balance the
budget, local property taxes in
the amount of $23,803 are
needed for the clinic and
$46,654 for the hospital, nurs
ing home and ambulance
service.
If approved, all the taxes
will be partially funded by the
state.
On the overall county bud
get. McEUigott said salaries
have been the principal prob
lem. Continued on page' It
ing the total figure to be voted
on Tuesday at $74,050.
The voting will take place
from 8 a. ma to 8 p.m. at the
Heppner City Hall building on
West Willow Street.
man Winter.
"We will see you July 1 (the
day the position officially
begins)," McEUigott told
Smallmon.
"I want to thank all of you
for your support today,"
Smallmon said. "Especially
the people that came over
from Morrow County. I am
excited about entering my
new career and promise to be
fair and impartial in my
decisions." 4
A reception took place after
the ceremony in the home of
his neighbors. Mr. and Mrs.
CM. (Jerry) Reed. Jerry
Reed is the Hermiston Herald
publisher and former publish
er of the Heppner Gazette
Times. Ay
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