BESSIE WETZELl
u or o r: e
ti E V SPAI'ER LID
E U G t : E OJi 9 7 4 0 3
The Heppmer '
Aforrou?
vol. io2 no. ,s Thursday. APRIL i2. 1984
linger Park asset
Neighbors
2!
ft
Willov Owk ftawing through
Parents living across from
Hager Parkcite extreme fluc
tuation of watorflow from Wil
low Creek Dan as the prime
reason for their request to the
Heppner City Council for a
fence along the portion of
willow Creek which runs thro
ugh the park. Marcia Ander
son, one of the neightxtrs of the
park, says that it was only
coincidence thai a girl fell into
the creek near the other city
park the same day that they
presented their request to the
city council. The two events,
she says, were not connected
Heppner mayor, Cliff Gr
een, explains that the Corps of
,. "V,r
Willow Geek cut into (tie creek
i of the channel.
Service clubs set finger printing
clinics in Heppner & lone
The Heppner Lions, Hep
pner Soropti mists and the
Hepptier-Ione AAUW in con
juction with Eastern Oregon
Friends of Child Find are
sponsoring a child fingerprint
ing project. On April 11 and 12,
the above mentioned service
clubs will conduct a voluntary
finger printing session at the
Heppner Elementary cafeter
ia rooms. The sessions will be
held on school property, al
though the actual finger print
ing sessions will be conducted
by the Heppner Lions and
Soroplimlsts and the Ileppner
Ione AAUW clubs. The pro
gram is strictly voluntary and
the children must have their
parents written permission to
be finger printed.
The clubs ask that the child
ren be brought in according to
the following schedule : Child
ren with last names ending in
A F from 5 to 6:30 p.m. April
I w
or hazard ( ?)
of park vocal about need for fence
5 ,
Htiyor Polk
Engineers is calibrating the
gates on the dam so that they
will work automatically in the
future. He Says the surges of
water pass through the gates
making the water level In the
creek suddenly very high. He
understands that this process
will continue for approx
imately two months. Green
says that by the time a fence
could 1h built, the Corps will
have finished with the cali
bration process and waterflow
would have returned to near
normal levels.
Jerry llealy, one of the
parents who presented the
request for a fence along the
700 foot portion of Willow
Ixink on ihe Hager Park
11; children with last names
ending from G-M from 6 to
7:1(0 p in. April 11; children
with last names ending from
N S from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on
April 12; and children with
last names T-Z from 6 to 7:30
p ni on April 12, It is request
ed that the children not be
dressed intheir best clothes or
dressed in white. Finger
prints taken will be given to
the parents along with a child
information packet to be filled
out by the purents.
The lone Extension Club
and the lone Lion's Club will
be sponsoring a similar finger
printing project in lone. Wed
nesday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. at the St. William's
Catholic Church basement.
lone parents who are unable
to bring their children at that
time may call Jeri McElligott,
422 7257, for an appointment.
. .... I
?0
County's
pages
'it
t
,'V - V -
Creek to the Heppner City
Council a week ago Monday
night, says that the dam is
there, and w hen the gates are
opened, water rushes through
them. Since the Corps of En
gineers will be regulating the
gates for approximately two
months, he is concerned the
water level In the creek will
change drastically within shor
periods of time all during the
testing process. .
Historically, the water level
in the creek has been high for
approximately a week to 10
days In the spring and then
sufficiently lower the rest of
the year. Now, with the dam,
Marie Lane, another parent
who was at the council meet
ing and who lives across the
creek from the park, says
that not only does the water
flow in the creek vary dras
tically now, but the possibility
also exists that the waterflow
may be high at other times of
the year, not just in the spring.
The creek is normally low
in the summer; high water
levels will not be expected at
that time of year by visitors at
the park.
Lane further points out that
the creek bank is 30 feet from
the park swings and that
In the event that a child has
disappeared or abducted it is
essential that the police have
as much clear and accurate
information about the child as
they can receive. Finger
prints are a positive means of
identification and a necessary
part of each child's home
identification file.
Prints taken and the In
formation packet will be given
to the parents of the child.
Please understand that this
packet and the finger prints
are strictly for the parents -absolutely
no finger prints will
be kept by the police, school,
or any other service clubs
involved. If you have any
questions, or would like to
volunteer to assist in the pro
ject, contact Lonny Watne at
676 9125 pr Bill Kuhn at 676-9141.
T73 rj" n) T"7 f? T
I 1
Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
35. Heppner, Oregon
' -' .' If
1 '
t
1
.1
i
GrOK
and weeds ore overorown alona the banks of the creek.
while "No one will argue that
parents have the primary re
sponsibility to watch their
kids, if you are watching
several kids and take your
eyes off one of them for an
instant to push a swing for
another one, it only takes a
moment ...why wait (to do
something to make the creek
less accessible to young child
ren) until we lose a child?"
Marcia Anderson, who was
- also at the city council meet
ing says that the park's neigh- -bors
are net asking for an
eight foot fence, but want
"some sort of barrier to slow
down younger children who
are playing in the park." She
emphasizes that they are con
cerned not only for their own
children but for all who use the
park. Anderson points out that
children who live close to the
creek are probably better in
formed of its possible danger
than other children who don't
live within walking distance
but who come for the day and
have not seen the swiftness
and rapid changes in depth
of the wateor who do not
realize how easily the bank
which is overhung with grass
and undercut by the creek,
can give way.
Both Anderson and Lane
point to the park as an asset to
the community which is pretty
and is used by a large number
of people. They are concerned
that people who do not use the
park regularly, but just come
for an afternoon may not
realize that the water level
can change so rapidly. They
say that the Corps of Engine
ers has considered fencing off
a portion of the creek between
the park and the dam and they
have asked if the park portion
of the creek can also be
fenced.
If the Corps of Engineers is
unwilling to fence the park,
Anderson says that she thinks
the city of Heppner should
recognize its responsibility to
help make the park safer for
everyone.
Although other possibilities
have been considered,such as
asking the Corps of Engineers
to release the large amounts
of water in off hours or at
night, Healy says that a cyc
lone type wire mesh fence
which would be more expen
sive initially than other fence
types but would require less
future upkeep would probably
be the best choice. He says
that the parents requesting
the fence recognize the fact
that some kids will go around
any kind of fence that is
constructed, but anticipate
that a fence in the "Four to Six
Foot range would probably be
an adequate barrier for most
kids."
U II Ml j
1
r,.
V
A I
Green says that the city is
still officially considering the
matter of the fence. He is in
the first stage of the process
which is to contact the Corps
of Engineers to see what they
are able to do about the
problem.
The city, he says, will con
sider the fence only if the
Corps is unable to provide a
' i ulutioato the problem. Green,
is not certain that a fence will
deter children from falling
into the creek because "a kid
who wants to get to the creek
will get there even if able
adults are watching" and a
' fence will only slow down"
those adults trying to rescue a
child who has fallen in the
water.
DeVito heads County
Mental Health Services
t -
V, ; ' ' ' V
.A - V..
s
.(3 '
v v i
. rvv ;
Joseph DeVito
Joseph DeVito, Ph.D. is the
new director of Morrow Coun
ty Mental Health Services. His
first day at the office in
Heppner was Monday, April 2.
DeVito's degrees are in the
field of pscyhology. He receiv
ed a Bachelor of Science at
Manhattan College in New
York, a Master of Arts at
Columbia University in New
York and most recently a Ph.
D in 1978 at Georgia State
University at Atlanta, Geor
gia. Just prior to coming to
Heppner, he lived in Norfolk,
Connecticut for eight months.
Before that, he was employed
for one year as the director of
a private practice at Edina,
Minnesota.
DeVito considers the two
and one-half years he worked
as the director of Mental
health at Worland, Wyoming,
probably the experience
which most qualifies him for
his current position. He says
that he came to tackle a job
similar to the one he had in
Wyoming at a time when the
Weather
by the City of Heppner
McCaslin
The Morrow County School
Board has announced the sel
ection of Doyle McCaslin as
Superintendent of Schools to
replace Matt Doherty, who
will be leaving the district
July 1.
McCaslin will assume his
duties with the district on July
1.
McCaslin has degrees from
Yuba College, California, and
Southern Oregon College, and
received his administrative
training at the University of
Oregon. He is currently the
superintendent of the Glide
School District in the Rose
burg area.
He has been an English
teacher at Riddle High School,
curriculum director and as
sistant superintendent for the
Glide School District prior to
becoming superintendent. He
has also served two years with
the U.S. Office of Education in
Washington D C. and has re
ceived an award for excel
lence from that office.
McCaslin and his wife,
Glenna, have three children,
ages 18, 23 and 25.
In comments to the Board
McCaslin has indicated that
Music Dept.
Saturday, April 14 the Hep
pner High School Music Dep
artment is sponsoring a spa-
mental health center here has
increased in staff rather rap
idly during the past year. He
generally supports the direc
tion which the changes in the
mental health program seem
to be going.
He describes the director's
job as one of both counceling
and administration; however,
"nobody ever gets into this
business because of adminis
tration," he says.
He states the goals of the
mental health program as
trying to help people to be
come more of the kind of
person which they would like
to be, with some control - for
example, a counselor would
not help someone to want to
become a better criminal, but
would try to suggest alterna
tives and help him identify
good ideals.
DeVito describes his spec
ialty as counseling psycho
logy, both individual and fam
ily, which includes personality
assessments testing and clin
ical interviews evaluations.
DeVito and his wife Gail,
who has previously taught the.
handicapped, have three chil
dren, Jill, ten; Becky, eight;
and Gary, one and one-half.
Although DeVito has only
been in Heppner a short time,
he says that already he "has
noticed that Heppner is nicer
when the sun is out;" and that
the "spirit of the people seems
to be very friendly,"
selected new Supt.
Doyle McCaslin ,
' he feels his broad range of
work, including teaching, di
recting curriculum and admi
nistration as well work with
spaghetti feed this Sat.
ghetti feed w ith a dinner show.
There will be three dinner
seatings: 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m.,
and 8 p.m. The entertainment
will begin 20 minutes after
each seating.
Reserve tickets are avai
lable from any high school
band or chorus member. Some
tickets will be sold at the
door, but space is limited to
the first one hundred per
show.
Performers involved in the
13 acts to be presented are:
Renee Struthers, Donna
O'Neal, Matt Howard, Wanda
Sheriff's office hires
reserve deputy
t
Allen Burkenbine
The Morrow County Sheriffs
Department recently placed a
Reserve Deputy on active pat
rol duty. Allen Burkenbine, a
Heppner resident, completed
the required prepatory train
ing and testing and spent his
first night on patrol on March
24.
Burkenbine says that he will
be on part-time active duty
with the Sheriff's Office and
continue as full-time produce
manager at Central Market.
He has been produce manager
for five and one-half years. He
High Low Precip
Tues., April 3 57 41 .03
Wed., April 4 53 44 .17
Thurs., April 5 51 32 .07
Fri., April 6 58 33 Trace
Sat., April 7 59 38 .38
Sun., April 8 50 33 Trace
Mon., April 9 49 39 .03
I
the U.S. Office of Education,
provides him with the kind of
background that he will draw
on to lead the school district.
Riley, Beth Forrar, Christy
Rathbun, Cindy Stroeber, Jay
Love, David Florea. Jack
Estberg, Leah Cooper, Merry
DeSpain, Tom Hammon,
Archie Lucas, Danny Forten
bury, Wendy Skillicorn. Steve
Curtis, Trina Palmer, Don
Christensen, Kitty Coon,
Marion McMillon, and sixth
grade volunteers.
Cost for the entertainment,
spaghetti, homemade garlic
bread, tossed salad, punch
and coffee is $3.50 per person
or $10 per family.
and his wife Raylene have a
three-year old daughjer. Amy.
He is a 1976 graduate of
Heppner High School.
Roy Drago, Morrow County
Sheriff, said that to gain patrol
status Burkenbine was re
quired to complete Oregon
Board on Police Standards
and Training approved cours
es on Civil Liabilities, Report
Writing. Use of Physical
Force, Firearms training and
qualification on the range.
Reserve Deputies must also
spend a minimum of 20 hours
inthe Dispatch Center to learn
radio and teletype usage. Add
itional training will be requir
ed to maintain active status as
a Reserve Deputy.
Reserve Deputies on patrol
will ride with and assist reg
ular sheriffs deputies in all
phases of their work. At this
time two additional reserves
are inthe initial training pro
cess. The Department is keep
ing the reserve program small
at this time so that emphasis
may be placed on organization
and quality BPST approved
training according to Drago.
Anyone interested in joining
the reserve program can ob
tain further information bv
calling the Sheriffs Depart
ment at 676-9910.