Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1981)
BESSIE VET2ELL U OF ORG v e v." 5 r a r e n l i s L 'J G L !' i OK U V 'J i The Heppner JK ' ' VOL. Locals meet with 2nd District rep about dam project Sen. Mark Hatfield is the one to nee about the Willow Creek dam. Representative Denny Smith told a gathering of Heppner resident!) at a breakfast meeting in Hermis ton Saturday. Opponent of construction of the dam showed up at the meeting in an attempt to convince Smith to Intervene and stop construction of the water control project. However, Smith didn't give them much hope. Being a freshman congressman he said there wasn't much he could do. "I'm a new guy in Congress," he told the gather ed crowd of around 25. "The senior senator is the one to see." Smith said he has heard unhappiness about the dam project, but added "If he (Hatfield) wants it to go through it's going to go through.no matter what I do." Supporters of the dam were also in attendance of the meeting. Neb. woman charged A Iwenty-two-year-old Scot tshltiff. Neb., woman faces a possible charge of negligent homicide and a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants in connection with the death of her four-year-old son. according to Morrow County District Attorney Ann Jipicer. The boy, Jason D. Johnson was a passenger in a 14 van Controversy arises At least two families now living at the Heppner RV park will be left without a place to stay after this weekend. ' the Heppner City Council Monday night voted to inform the owners of the park that they were in "violation of a conditional use permit restric ting continuous stay at the park to 21 consecutive days." Lorraine and Dale Timmons and Anna and Don Shaife who have been staying at the park while the men are working temporarily at the Kin7.ua Mill, are bewildered by the ruling. "We were told we have to . get out by this weekend. It's a service to the community (work on the mill). It's to the city's advantage that we stay, said Mrs. Timmons. "What difference does it make whether its our trailer or someone else's?" "I think they (the city council) should extend it ( the time limit) for people like us." "An ordinance like that should not have been allowed in the first place," she continued. When contacted about the ordinance, one owner of the park, Ann Skow, who said she was consulting her attorney, commented "There are a lot of ordinances in this town that are not enforced. They are asking people to leave. I want to ask if there's an ordinance that the drive-in can only serve people for 21 days..." "It does seem that the city is Is going to ask our patrons to leave," said Ann Skow.'The ordinance is one of the decisions that we have protes ted and protested. We don't aibii Ji la Morrow County's Home-Owned M, NO. IS THURSDAY. APRIL . !Mi 'tm sff JtTll-f i-f ! -! V:-. V . ! i: iu, -r I Heppner Mayor Cliff Green (right) confers with Rep. Denny Smith during a breakfast eastbound on Interstate 84 driven hy his mother, Mary L. Johnson The van left the highway a few miles within Morrow County (about four miles west of the Umatilla Arny Depot) spun three times and flipped onto its top. The van caught fire with the boy trapped inside. A passing Pendleton ambul ance stopped at the scene and understand this regulation. There must be a need for a park because there's such a heavy use of it." "The people staying there are buying in the restaurants and doing their shopping here, and contributing to the com munity. We keep it quiet and clean," continued Mrs. Skow. "We're hoping we can work it out with the city. We're hoping we can negotiate. We hope they (the city) will look at it again." Meanwhile, the Timmons and the Shaifes don't know what they are going to do. "Our husbands say they'll go on home," concluded Mrs. Timmons. At Monday night's city council meeting the council was approached by a repre sentative of Kinzua Corp., who asked if there would be a way to allow the approzimately 10 City water system eompletion expected even if voters say no on dam advisory vote Even if voters say no to construction of the Willow Creek Dam, the city will probably get its new water system, the Heppner council was told Monday night. Concerned by an advisory vote on the dam scheduled for May 19, the council asked city engineer Scott Kvandall if the new water line, storage tank and other water improve ments Included in the dam ' project which are already, underway could affected. "I don't know the politics behind all this," Kvandall said, "but it would be very 12 PAGES "A. meeting at Frasu's Restaurant in Hermiston Saturday. in death of son the boy was pulled from the burning vehicle by fire depart ment Lt. Ranald Campbell. The boy. suffering head injuries and second and third degree bums over most of his body was initially taken to Good Shepherd Hospital in Hermiston and then airlifted to a hospital burn center in Portland. He died around 2 a.m. March 29. around eight hours after the one-vehicle in RV park 21-day workers to stay in the trailer park longer than the allowed 21 days. La Vera Van Marter said the workmen were part of a crew hired to Install the mill's new small log mill, and that if the men were told to leave the RV park they may be forced to drive from Hermiston to work each day.' He said if this happened it was possible the mill might lose some of the workers before the job was completed, which he estimated to be another three to four weeks. The council agreed that the ordinance had already been passed restricting stays at the park to 21 days, and that they should enforce the ordinance at this time to avoid setting a precedence. "This (ordinance) was pas sed so that park wouldn't difficult to stop work in which bids are already let." "We're pretty well on the road." He said even if for some reason the dam were stopped the city "would have your water system and bridges." Kvandall told the council bids for construction of a storage tank on Cemetery Hill and a 12-inch water line from Chase street to Cannon street would be let in about two weeks. He also said that bids for extension of the water transmission line from Chase and Hill to the Courthouse area would be let around May first. - 11 miic Weekly Newspaper 20 CENTS accident. An "information of felony" has been filed in the case by Spicer and Mrs. Johnson was arraigned in Irrigon Justice Court. Spicer said that the Grand Jury is not expected to hold a hearing on the case before the , end of the month. Johnson was released on her own recognizance, according to Spicer. V J! v- : yj '- j a 1 . :v ... , .... , ft 1 . . 1 r'i. ..,-,.,.-.nj Lorraine Timmons (left) and Anna Shaife become a labor camp," coun cilman Warren Plocharsky said in explaining the 21-day limit at the park. He said the planning commission and the council intended to have the park remain for recreation use only. The council was told that for some trailers the 21-day Kvandall told the council the Corps of Engineers wants to close Chase street to all vehicles from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during placement of the water Advisory committee to meet The Heppner-Lexington Ad visory Committee will meet in the Heppner High School Library on Thursday, April 9, at 8 p.m. Included on the agenda is preliminary discussion on re hiring of classified personnel HEPPXER. OREGON Heppner Mayor Cliff Green told Smith that although many people (including himself) were not in favor of the dam construction, it was the best and probably the only way the city's downtown area could be removed from a flood plain which has blocked construc tion and inhibited vitalization of the downtown area. "It is strangling the town commercially," Green said. "In forty to fifty years you will lose your core area, and lose your town." Bob Harris, vice president of the Heppner Morrow County Chamber of Com merce, was also in" attendance at the meeting and he told Smith that the group is also behind construction ' of the dam. Terry Thompsonof Heppner presented Smith with a packet of material explaining main opposition to the dam project; and asked Smith Jto abide by the wishes of an advisory ballot to be voted on May 19. The ballot will ask voters in " the Heppner Water control District, "Do you favor construction of the . Willow Creek Dam?" (see story this page.) Thompson presented evid ence he said would show that alternatives are available to .the $40 million-plus dam Solar heat A proposal to convert heat ing of the Heppner Swimming pool from oil to solar limit had already been ex ceeded, and that the city police make a morning check of all trailers in the park to mark their length of stay. The city attorney stated that violation of the 21-day limit could result in a $1,000 per day fine to the RV park owner. line. He said he did not know when the work there would begin. and on extra duty contracts for certified personnel. Rec ommendations will be made for a replacement on the advisory committee because of the resignation of Judy Buschke. HEPPNER MERCHANT'S MOONLIGHT SALE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT project. Smaller dams, water diver sion work already done and other factors would control flooding better than the Wil low Creek project, Thompson says. In an interview with the Gazette-Times following the meeting, Smith said, "I'm not going to get in the way of this (dam project). We're Just checking into it." Smith said he would talk to Sen. Hatfield about it, and also to the Federal Emergency Management Commission about the possibility of alter ing Heppner 's flood plain. On other subjects of a national matter. Smith said he has not changed his stand whatsoever on gun control in the wake of President Reag . an's assassination attempt. "I don't see any need for gun control. What we need is to control the criminal, not the gun." He said the mood in Washington DC following the attempt on Reagan's life was one of "relief that he was OK." He says that so far Reagan has done a good job of communicating with Con gress, "especially the Demo crats," and that Republican organization in the House could use some work and is not as strong as it could be. proposed was presented to the city council at its meeting Monday night. Bill Helphinstine and Ron Forrar have researched the possibility of using solar energy to heat the pool, and told the council with "cur rent" oil: prices it would take eight years to pay off the cost of the solar system through the savings, Helphinstine said one solar system he had been looking into would require 3,600 feet of a rubberized paneling and would cost between $16,000 and $20,000, not including installation, which he says could be done with volunteer help. He said the solar system would keep the pool heated at 80 to 85 degrees and would extend the swimming season two months from the end of Moonlight t La; Jeanne and Scott Adkisson of S & J Market prepare for the Heppner Moonlight Sale which will be held this Friday, April 10. Downtown merchants will open their doors from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with many special buys and sale items for shoppers. An added attraction for young people's Dam ballot to face voters May 19 A second advisory ballot seeking voter opinion on construction of the Willow Creek dam in Heppner will be put before the voters on the May 19 election. "Do you favor construction of the Willow Creek Dam?" will be asked of all voters in the Heppner Water Control District. An identical question, asked only of Heppner city residents April 3, 1979, received ap proval, 188 yes to 13S no. As with the 1979 vote, the May 19 vote will be strictly advisory and have mo binding effect on construction of the dam, initial phases of which have already started. Opponents of the $40 million plus project have pushed to put the second advisory ballot before the people. They claim complete facts about con struction of the flood control dam were not made known to the public in 1979. Hamlin, Doherty win Hazel Hamlin and Gene Ddlterty each won a $25 gift certificate" for being" the first two entries drawn correctly identifying the places of business of six local business people in last week's "Know Your Local Business Person Contest." For details, where to enter, six new pictures for this week, and the answers to last week's contest, see page five of this week's G-T. for Heppner pool May into mid-October. The pool now requires $2,200 to $2,400 a year to heat water for a shorter swimming period. Forrar said Condon has just recently installed a smaller solar system for its pool at a cost of $22,000 installed, how ever, it has not yet been used so no information is available on its effectiveness. The city council gave the two permission to continue investigating the feasibility of a solar system for the pool, and also look into ways to finance the project. In other business, the coun cil: - Was told painting of the pool would begin soon, pos sibly at the end of this week. - Voted to hire Scott Mc Ewen as pool manager for the coming year. Approved a garbage rate hike of 50 cents per month per sale Friday night The Morrow County Court apparently agreed to support the outcome of the vote and will adopt a resolution against the dam if thema jority vote is no. ' Monday night the Heppner city council reaffirmed its support of the dam project at its regular monthly council meeting. The council voted to write letters to Sen. Mark Hatfield and others involved in the project stating the city's support. At a meeting in Hermiston Saturday morning, MS. Sec ond District Denny Smith met with opponents and supporters of the dam (see story this page) and said he would: investigate the project, but7 added there was little he could do to stop it. Adding the Heppner Water Control District to the advis ory ballot May 19 will include about 20 percent more voters in the dam question, than in 1979. can for collection service in Heppner. The last increase was two years ago. - Voted to inform the owner of a recreational vehicle park in Heppner that he was in violation of a conditional use permit restricting continuous stay at the park to 21 consecutive days. Voted to enact a flood insurance ordinance for Hep pner. - Agreed to write letters to various officials stating the city's continued support of the Willow Creek dam project. - Agreed to Mayor Cliff Green's appointment of Ron McDonald and Guy Van Arsdale to the Heppner City Planning Commission. - Okayed a request by the Heppner Library board to apply for a credit card to be used for out-of-town book purchases. entertainment during the sale will be a movie put on by the Heppner Lion's Club in the old Kroll's building. Starting at 7 p.m. and lasting until 9 p.m. the movie 'Adventures of Bullwip Griffin" will be shown for the young people. Admission will be 50 cents, and cotton candy and popcorn will be sold.
