BESSIE WETZELL
U OF ORE
NEWSPAPER LIB
EUGENE OR 97403
VOL. 102 NO. I
Over 100 roast & toast
retiring police chief
Retiring polk chief Dean GUman and hi wife, Mary Eleanor, have a laugh during a dinner in
hit honor held at the Heppner Elks Lodge last Tuesday night.
Over 100 people attended the dinner during which Dean was both "roasted" and "toasted" for
his 39 years of service to the city.
Area lumber mills anxious to
learn outcome of lawsuit
Kinzua Corporation is one of
several lumber mills in East
ern Oregon awaiting action on
a suit filed by a group of
environmentalists asking that
road construction and timber
harvests be stopped in road
less areas in Oregon's national
forests.
A January 9 article from
"The Oregonian." entitled
"Mills await court resolution
of forest roadless areas" con
tains a statement from U.S.
Forest Service and industry
officials stating that "North
east Oregon's sawmills and
loggers face economic catas
trophe as early as 1985 if the
status of the state's national
forest roadless areas isn't re
solved." The lawsuit, filed in Decem
ber, 1983 by the Oregon Nat
ural Resources Council, indir
ectly affects Kinzua Corp.
because the company has tim
ber contracts in roadless
areas in the Umatilla National
Forest.
Kinzua's General Manager
Harry Kennison said the com
pany presently has about 75
million board feet of timber
under contract in roadless
areas in the Umatilla National
Forest. Kinzua has had sever
al recent lumber sales from
timber in the Umatilla Nation
al Forest, and have several
other proposed sales in the
roadless area "which look
very attractive to us," Ken
nison said. The suit was filed
in U.S. District Court, and
according to 'The Oregon
ian'i" article, no action has
been scheduled on the court's
dockets.
During 1978, a RARE II
(Roadless Area Review Eval
uation) study was conducted
nationwide the second of two
such studies - to determine
which areas should be clas
sified aa wilderness areas,
explains Heppner District
Ranger Ben Siminoe. All
areas in the Heppner Ranger
District were designated for
resource development use in
THURSDAY. JANUARY It,
1M4
" - ih
stead of wilderness, and the
environmentalists were not
pleased, he said.
Siminoe said the same prob
lem has been solved in other
states through legislation.
There have been several wild
erness bills for Oregon areas,
but none have passed Con
gress. Over 52.000 acres of roadless
areas in the Heppner Ranger
District are involved in the
suit: Texas Butte, Hell's Half
Acre, Kelly Prairie, Skookum,
Potomus and Bologna Basin,
Siminoe said.
Kennison stated that if the
issue isn't resoloved soon, or
In the lumber industry's favor,
Kinzua will probably have
enough lumber to operate for
Objections to school closure
policy aired at board meeting
By JUDY MILLER
ENTERPRISE EDITOR
Board members were asked
to consider a third policy draft
on school closures Monday
evening at the January Mor
row County School Board
meeting held at Sam Board
man Elementary in Board
man. Objections in wording in the
draft concerning a public
hearing for the board to hear
oppositions to a schools
closure as well as reasons in
favor of closure were made by
lone resident, Paul Tews.
The board agreed to reorder
the draft for greater clarity
and to also clarify who might
vote in a district straw poll to
be conducted before a final
closure decision was made.
The redrafted policy will
again be considered at the
February meeting.
In other business:
The board hear a presenta
Morrow County's
PAGES
another year or year and a
half. "But then we're really
going to be in a bind."
Kennison thinks Congress
will have to become involved
in the case, and "needs to
make a decision on managing
wilderness areas so we can get
on with life.
"The environmentalists
don't want any action in wild
erness areas. Our position is
that the wilderness areas need
to be managed properly for all
uses: wildlife, lumber and
recreation," the manager
said.
"There's enough public in
terest shown that we could
come up with a good com
promise," he concluded.
tion promoting the Umatilla
Educational Service District's
(E.S.D.) instructional media
services. Teaching aids such
as films, charts, models, video
tape equipment and much
more are available to teachers
for classroom use through the
service.
Repair of school audiovisual
equipment costing only the
price of repair parts is also
offered by E.S.D.
Equipment and personnel
for the benefit of students with
special needs can be provided
as well. Consensus was the
service is worth the $63,500 the
district is paying per year.
Regarding the proposed
four percent state sales tax,
Dist. Superintendent Matt
Doherty said, "the sales tax
issue has received the right
number of votes to apiear on
the next ballot."
Board consideration was
given to the question of a
CD
Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
25
Cattlemen taking action
in response to review
Hundreds of calls have been
coming to the Portland head
quarters of the Oregon Cattle
men's Association in reaction
to the editorial in the January
8 "The Sunday Oregonian."
titled "Ranchers Riding
Roughshod Over Public Re
sources." according to Donald
Ostonsoe. executive vice
president of the association.
"Our people are furious,
angry, and disappointed be
cause a distorted, unfair and
prejudicial picture has been
painted of the way cattlemen
are earning their livelihood."
said Ostensoe. The Oregon
Cattlemen's Association,
representing more than 3.000
ranchers of the cattle
industry, generates more than
$1 billion to the Oregon
economy, he added. The cattle
industry is the largest seg
ment of the state's number
two industry, agriculture.
"The Oregonian" article re
views a book written by Den
zel Ferguson titled. "Sacred
Cows at the Public Trough."
Ostensoe said that for a nm- d
ber of years Ferguson has
been carrying on. not too
factual or accurately, a ven
detta against Western ranch
ers, making allegations which
are unsubstantiated and inac
curate. In part, the article states:
"Ten years of research on
the effects of livestock grazing
on public lands in the West
gave the Fergusons this pic
ture of the stockmen's legacy:
"billions of tons of topsoil
needlessly washed from fed
eral land, prompting massive
taxpayer investments to con
tain the damage.
- "destruction of fish and
waterfowl populations
through cattle-caused water
pollution and loss of ground
cover.
- "poisoning of public land
with thousands of tons of
herbicides paid for by taxpay
ers to kill sagebrush thought
to interfere with cattle.
- "a publicly financed war
against the original inhabit
ants of the range that in one
36-year period claimed the
policy to include a salute to the
flag in opening ceremonies of
school functions. Consesus
was flag salutes cannot be
mandatory but are preferred.
No action was taken.
- Concerning the make-up of
the 1984-85 school calendar,
the board chose not to include
Martin Luther King day as a
school holiday.
- Board members Bob Bird
of Irrigon and Pat Wright of
Lexington were appointed as a
study group to consider the
need for an additional bus to
transport special activity
students in the morning. Re
commendations will be
brought to the board next
meeting.
- There was unanimous
agreement to hire Gordon Orr
as custodian in Heppner fol
lowing the promotion of Paul
Warren to a head custodial
position.
HEPPNER. OREGON
lives of 23.903 bears. 7.255
mountain lions. 477.104 bob
cats and Iynz. 2.8 million
coyotes. 50.283 red wolves and
1.574 lobo wolves,
Ostensoe said the associa
tion wouid offer a full response
concerning this article to "The
Oregonian" editorial page
presenting the cattlemen's
point of view.
The Oregon cattle executive
said. "I regret The Oregon
ian' has chosen to defame
Oregon's cattle industry dur
ing a period of severe depres
sed cattle prices and. for
some, a financial crisis which
already has forced hundreds
of family cattle operations out
of business. The majority of
Oregon's ranchers are shock
ed, dismayed, and disappoint
ed in 'The OregonianV
position."
An executi-ve committee
meeting will be held in Port
land on Friday, Jan. 20. At
that time a response to the
article will be discussed and
v Emitted to "The Oregon
ian." according to Wayne
Evans of Heppner. second
vice-president of the O.C.A.
Results of A.S.C.S. Comm.
election announced
Results of a December 5
election of the Morrow County
A.S.C.S. committee persons
for 1984 have been announced
by Judy Buschke, county exe
cutive director of the A.S.C.S.
office in Heppner.
Named to committee posts
in the mail balloting were:
Douglas Drake, Heppner
wheat rancher, committee
member elected to a three
year term; Steve Hill, Lexing
ton area wheat rancher, elect
ed to a one year term and will
serve as vice-chairman; and
George W. Miller, who was
elected last year for a three
year term will serve as chair
man in 1984. Also elected this
year were Clint Carlson, first
alternate, and John Kilkenny,
lone school plans Parent
- Community Day
lone Junior-Senior High
School will be holding its
annual Parent-Community
Day on Tuesday, Jan. 31.
Parents and members of the
community are invited to at
tend school that day in place of
students in grades seven
through 12. Shortened classes
will be held through the morn
ing and early afternoon, fol
Urban growth workshop slated
There will be a workshop on
urban growth for City Plan
ning Commission members
Drama production postponed
By JUSTINE
WEATI1ERFORD
The group of local citizens
interested in producing
dramas for the enjoyment of
Morrow Co. residents have
agreed not to offer their first
show, "The Thurber Carni
val." this Thursday and Fri
Weather
by the City of
Koznek, Co. Court negotiate
clinic's rental agreement
By MARY ANN CERULLO
The controversy over Hep
pner's South Morrow Medical
Ginic's rental agreement may
have been settled in Morrow
County Court last Wednesday.
Dr. Clair Koznek, physician
at the clinic, and his wife,
Doris, came before the court
in response to a letter from
county council, informing
them that the clinic's rent was
increasing to $600 in
February. Koznek is currently
paying $450 per month.
"One of the reasons we are
here is that we feel the jump
from $450 a month to $600 a
month is excessive," Koznek
told the court.
He went on to explain that
he had understood that the
rent was to be renegotiated in
January before any changes
were made.
"I had hoped that I would
get the same arrangement as
Dr. Gifford had had. It was
also my . understanding that
the building (clinic) was there
to attract a physician," said
Koznek.
second alternate.
Buschke said farmer com
mittees are in charge of local
administration of national
farm programs. At least one
committee .member and two
alternates are elected each
year. The faimer receiving
the largest number of votes is
elected to a three-year term,
second largest, a two-year
term if the position is vacant;
third largest, a one-year term
if the position is vacant and
fourth and fifth largest, one
year terms as alternates.
Buschke said that last year
more than 75 percent of all
farmers in the county partici
pated in one or more of the
programs administered by the
A.S.C.S. committee.
lowed by time for conferences
with teachers.
Lunch will be available.
Pre-registration materials
will be mailed to parents the
week of January 23 and will be
available to the general com
munity at the school and at
local businesses, said
spokesperson.
a
and City Council members. It
will be held on January 23, at 8
p.m. at Heppner City Hall.
day nights.
The group of enthusiasts
who have been practicing
rather regularly met early
this week and reached the
decision to put off the pro
duction. If they are able to
make arrangements for a lat
er date, it will be announced in
the Gazette-Times.
Heppner
"As it stands, the cost of
$600 is not in line ... I don't
think that any other physician
occupied that building and
paid any more than $450 a
month," he continued.
"The equity established in
the clinic by Dr. Gifford
should be taken into consider
ation," said Doris Koznek.
"Are you interested in pur
chasing the clinic?" asked
Judge Don McEUigott.
The interest is there, I won't
say it isn't, stated Koznek.
He explained that because
of finances, including the ad
dition of a new physician's
assistant the purchase of the
clinic cannot be immediate.
McEUigott suggested that
the rent for the clinic could be
put toward purchasing it.
"I wouldn't be opposed to
applying part of the rent to
ward purchasing it (the
clinic)," commented Com
missioner Irv Rauch.
"We were told that the
county court would be gen
erous, and a rent of $160 per
month was overly generous ...
but then it jumped to $450 ...
No repairs had been done to
the clinic when we moved in,"
said Mrs. Koznek.
McEUigott admitted that
repairs should have been
made.
"Obviously we have to com
C.B.E.C. warns customers
of high electric bills
Columbia Basin Electric Co
op this week warned of a large
number of customers that
may receive unusually high
power bills in the month of
January.
The high bills are the result
of an extremely cold period
during mid and late Decem
ber. The bills for this period
are not mailed until February
1 because cf meter reading
dates.
Baby where
The first baby to be born at
Pioneer Memorial Hospital in
Heppner in 1984 has yet to
make an appearance. No one
knows who he or she will be
New officer joins local
police department
V !
- i ' " ' ' f
Mdi i ill inlli-ri finil)lHiiiii).in;.jnliuJ
Gary E. Bingham
A new police officer, Gary
E. Bingham. 32, has joined the
Heppner City Police Depart
ment. Bingham, who started
his new job January 12. comes
to Heppner from North Bend
on the Oregon Coast. There he
High Low Preclp. Sncv
Tues.,Jan. 10 51 30 .13
Wed.. Jan. 11 47 28
Thurs..Jan. 12 39 28
Fri..Jan. 13 30 15 .03 1" ,
Sat.. Jan. 14 28 12 V
Sun.. Jan. 15 32 14 trace ?
Mon..Jan. 16 26 10 trace "
promise," stated Rauch, "If
we raised the rent to $500
could you live with it?"
"Well, if forced to," Koznek
said.
McEUigott then offered to
bring the clinic "up to snuff"
in addition to the $500 a month
for a year.
"We do consider you an
asset to the community," the
Judge told Koznek.
After taxes, the return on
the clinic would be $345 at $500
per month, figured Commis
sioner Warren McCoy.
A tenative agreement was
made between Koznek and the
court with a time limitation to
be settled at a later date. The
agreement is to include Koz
nek providing the janitorial
services, the county to up
grade the clinic's interior, and
the rent will be raised to $500 a
month.
"Joe Gifford had built up
equity in it (the clinic). AH I
want to do is pay on what's
owed,'?- stated Koznek after
the meeting. "If I can just buy
the thing we can get this entire
problem out of the way," he
concluded.
In other business, Tom Wel
burn of Blue Mountain
Electric met with county court
to discuss a billing statement
for rewiring work he is doing
for the County Road Depart
ment. Fred Toombs, C.B.E.C.
manager, states that review of
individual accounts tied with
billings for wholesale power
, from Bonneville Power Ad
ministration indicated that
almost all bills will be higher
than normal.
In addition to the cold snap,
all users are reminded of the
rate increase that went into
effect with the December bil
ling, Toombs said.
are you
but one thing is for sure,
P.M.H.'s first baby of 1984 will
be welcomed by many gifts of
cash, gift certificates and
other prizes.
was a reserve police officer
for almost four years, the last
three as sergeant. He also
worked as a part-time dis
patcher in North Bend.
The new officer was born in
Coos Bay and has always lived
in the bay area, except from
1970 to 1976, when he was in
the U.S. Army. Later he ser
ved with the National Guard
for four years while in Coos
Bay.
Bingham's family, his wife
Jenny, and daughters SherryT
eight, and Joann. four, plan to
move to Heppner in a few
months.
His hobbies include hunting,
fishing, camping, bowling,
golf, softball and racquetball.
"I really like it here." he
said.