Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1985)
BESSIE WETZELL U OF ORE NE WS P AP E R L I B EU3ENE CR »7403 The Heppner Gazette-Times M orrow C o u n ty 's H o m e -O w n e d Weekly N e w s p a p e r VOI 1« Ml is APRII. I«. IMS Heppner, I h ffu n 27 i t »• %«.»•>» Weather Tue* , Med . Thurs Fri . Sat., Sun . Mon April 2 April 3 . April 4 5 April April 6 April i April 8 High 70 5« 61 69 60 66 73 I 1 «H OW Precip 42 36 :n 38 37 40 43 h> the (lit> of Heppm Ken Nelson receives soil conservation award ✓ Ken Nelson Ken Nelson was named (onserva lion Farmer of the Year for Morrow County al the annual meeting of the Morrow County Wheat («rowers league Nelson 41. has lived at the family farm six miles north of Lexington six miles east of lone basically "all of his life" except for four years when he attended lame Community College in Kugene earning an Asso date of Science degree in aircraft mechanics and worked for Trans World Airlines He and his wife. Julie, have two daughters. Jill. 13. and Heidi. II Nelson is a 1962 graduate of lone high school and says that at that time he wasn't all sure that he wanted to be a famer. but after living away from Morrow County, he returned in 1970 and began working for wages for his dad, Alfred, and his uncle, the late Norman Nelson By 1971, he had formed a partnership with his dad which continued until 19111 when he leased his dad's portion of the ranchland and subsequently has acquired leases for more fields He and his brother. Keith, are now working together and farm enough acres to more than keep busy " "Dad. " he explains still runs tract or when he ran although he is retired "Soil conservation." he says is a way of life, "if you're serious about il and must be considered with every operation on the farm It has been drummed into my head since an early age that they 're not making much new soil, so if we want to continue to farm, we want to do the best possible job of seeing that the soil slays in the field " Trashy fallow, grass waterways, and seeding marginal areas to per manent grass all conservation me thods begun during the 'M b by his father and uncle They received the conservation award in 1956 for part of the same ground which he now farms Trashy fallow which require* the use of a chisel plow and disc rather than a moldboard plow for working up the ground keeps most of the stuble as a mulch on top of the ground which conserve** moisture by shdaing the soil from sunlight and helps stop wind loss which some years can tie- bigger than w ater loss He has also practice*! limited tillage for the last two years which require** applying a contact herbicide such as Houndup. in the spring to kill every thing that is growing and planning and watching to combine operation* such as plowing and weeding or fertilizing and wee-ding depending on the ye*ar and the weather He has also experiment«*! with an additional herbicide, («lean, coin bin«*l with Roundup, which he says "seems to work well to hold Russian thistle down especially on ashler ground "It's important to remem her that each time the ground is w«**!«*!. the soil is looser and more susceptible to wind erosion if there is a blow " Sometime** it's nece*ssary to "just quit farming some areas and see*! them to grass because of the prob lem with soil erosion Usually shal low slee*p and ashy ground seed«*! to grass retains the moisture and soil Nelson i Dims 196 acre's of perman ently *«**!•*! grass which includes 12 . 6(10 feet of grass waterways, areas in the field where a ditch would wash with normal water runoff When *«*e*dcd with grass. wat«*rways hold the water and soil in the ground und prevent the water from cutting a deep ditch and washing the sent away 1-evel terrac«*i. the first of which Nelson began in 197« seemed to be working well he says, so he pul in more three years m a row until he felt that he* had covere*l the ground which nestled to be taken care of al that time He det ided this spring that he had another area where he could use a few more ditch«** and tw*gan mapping them out with the help of the Soil Conservation Ser vice He says that altogether, he has 55 61(1 feet of level terraces which look similar to diversion ditches hut are made to hold water as well as soil in the field rather than channel ing the excess runoff out of the field Nelson explain* that the terraces which he made are big enough. 70 feet wide, that they can be farmed over the top of. and meet Soil Conservation Service specifications for height, thickness and depth, so that they will do what they are d«*signe*t to do "It’s important," he explains to "look at everything that comes along as far as soil cornersation and to try the methods which look like they will conserve soil and increase production The Extension Service and Soil Conservation Service, do a go«*! job of presenting information about what is new and what works Varieties of wheat also can help to I'onserv e soil because the newer varieties, such as Stephens are higher producing and a higher yield generally means more stubble, which, may not ho real significant, but every little thing added together h«*lps Stubble, however, can be a problem if therr is a lot and it's not handle*! propecly. it will be* difficult to get the drills through the ground to x«*e*d "Wheal research, fertilizer and chemicals have made* farmers far better off than they would he without Herbicides, although we h«*ar many negative things about them, if used properly are the lies! thing that has happen«*! to (arming " If not expose*! to new things you end up getting left b«*hind, he conclude*! "You have to tie committed to it t soil conservation i to do a g«*id job of it " Appreciation dinner honors volunteer firemen Heppner Mayor Cura Costa presents Fire Chief Forrie Burkenbine with certificate of appreciation, during dinner held Monday in honor of Heppner s Volunl«*er Fire De*portment The dinner, sponsored by the Heppner Chamber of Commerce was held at the* Heppner Bowl, and was inter I«*! ■ show the town's appnx-iulmn for the hard work and dedication of the vo infeer (ire department Burkenbine acce'pted the certifies and told the gather«*«! firemen and their wives we couldn’t get along uthoul you " Rabbitry brings *a little more' with each trip to market stock bett«*r cause*! a drop in production and with Another change we would con culling out some of the poor moth sider. she continues, is building the ers. the doe popujation is down barns with a coni roll«*! environment so that we do not have the* heat to lo too Corrine Iwgan breeding re «ontend w ith in the summer and the placement stock a mon'h ago and cold during the winter laist winter, expects to have it built back up to 500 which was more severe than some do«** within another month DA investigates campaign Gale Grill, treasurer of the com mitt«** to elect Bill Sharkey when aske*l about the complaints, said H o a rd m a n . O re g o n A number of complaints concern "most assuredly we utilized all th«' mg thr campaign practices used in resource** available to make sure the March 26 election hv the commit that pesiple registered lo vote and («*• lo elect William Sharkey have voted You can also be assured we been received by the District Atlor campaign«*! strong und hard for our ney suffice reported Morrow County candidate using every legal means District Attorney, Richard McNer we could " Bill Sharkey who was eles'tex! lo ney The complaints included U & I s the position of I’ort Commissioner in office had called employe«** and the March 26 election said ohout III«' suggested whom to vote for. offered complaints, "it is time to put all of rules on shift time, attached fly«*r* to our difference** Ix-hind us and get paychecks, and run a video tape down to work." endorsing one candidate on the company's closed circuit TV syx tern None of the*«* actions accord mg to McNerney. are illegal as long as they are reported as campaign contributions Il was also alleged that the com Heppner merchants will spon milt!*' toelect Sharkey had someone sor a two hour Moonlight Sale on inside the poling place resommend Friday. April 26 This is the first mg which candidate lo vole for and lime they have held the moonlight rumors suggested that numerous sale on a Friday illegal aliens had registrre*! to vole Merchant« will close their husi Both charges were* investigated, n«**s«*s at 6 p m for supper and says McNerney and neither were rexipen them again al 7 p m w ith found to tie true* Of the 65 pesiple spe* ial merchandise mark«*! w ith who r«*gister«*l in the week prior to sale prices and on election day only five were l/H-al organizations that would horn out of the l ! S and all were like to have bake sales or space citizens, he add«*«! for selling other Items should McNerney report«*! he ha«! never contact Jerry Hollomon at the had so many complaints on one issue Shoe Box, 676 5241 before 11« BETII Ml 1.1.1 VMS Thr Fnlrrprirr 40 years later Receives WWII medals Mama bunny rest« on top of nest box < Editor's Note March 29. 1984. the Gazette Times feature«! an ar tide about a new business. Miles Rabbitry, in Fuller Canyon six miles from Heppner Last Friday, we visited with the owners again and learned of the progress ) "The whole experience has been an «education during the last year says Corinne Miles, who. with her husband Dexter, takes care of five bunny barns each currently housing producing does The animal care requires almost full time effort from one person, she continue**, but each trip to market s«*ems to bring a little more Dexter has begun a route which takes him to Pocatello every other w«*«*k to pur chase rabbit food, and on the return trip he picks up fryers from other producers to deliver along with his own to Nor Be*» t processing plant One thing which we could do differently if we were to start again is not to buy all of our breeding stock at once, but to begin with about one quarter of the st«x k and raise our own. Corrine explains, "That way we know the gintd mothers" and would be able lo control our Moonlight suit* coming April 26 Seniors slate Saturday auction and rummage sale Raymond F "Bud" Batty displays medals he earned during 54 combat missions as a bomhadier navigator in Europe during World War II Although Second Lieutenant Batty was separated from the .Wist Bomb («roup of the Nineth Air Force out of England and France in 1945. he received the medals last Saturday April 6. 1965 when he and hi* wife returned from a winter vacation in Arizona Batty who retired in 1961 decided that he might need his discharge papers from the service He had a certificate of service showing the date of se-paratmn. but not the official discharge During the process of inquiring about the discharge, it was discovered that he had never received the medals which he had earned Include*! in his prestigious collection are the World War II Victory Medal, the European. African. Middle Eastern Campaign medal with four major battle stars, the Distinguished Flying Croa* which was awarded by General Anderson after the successful bombing of a highway and railroad on the Mosel river and an Air Medal with three bonze oak leaves and one silver cluster Still to come is the Presidential Citation for service during the Battle of the Bulge which Batty's squadron received He recalls two missions during that battle, one when 36 bombers went out and 19 were loat. another when 12 went out and only two returned Batty is a lifetime resident ot the Heppner area with the exception of the time he spent farming in several different areas following his time in the service He has worked at a variety of occupations including managing Heppner Nor Alas just prior to his retiremtent in 1961 From 9 a m until 5 p in Saturday. April 13. the day'« big action will be al the Morrow County Fairgrounds where the Senior Citizen Mealsite will have a large, day long rum mage sale An auction of exciting valuable and useful articles such as antique furniture and electrical appliances will begin at Ip m About 3 p m the moped which was donated by Ray Boyce will be given to a lucky ticket holder From II 30 until I 30 a noon meal featuring nutritious beef stew and hearty chili, French bread and choice servings of homemade pies will be on sale in the senior dining area During the hours before anil after lunch, hot dogs and pop will be sold near the kitchen in the large, main hall and sales area This senior sale is offering many racks and tables of clothing for all family members children s toys and games a big collection of books, many household articles, and a huge assortment of miscellaneous items Everything at the sale will be very reasonably priced, said a Senior Citizen spokesperson some things are being called "unbeliev able bargains," V __ 1 ». . T I > I I i 1 !i ; \ ieri I? n 1 I left to Right Bill Cox. Paul Jones Anna Johnson the fine antique items to be on sale al the senior citizen Alberta Johannes, Babe and Bob Harris show some of rummage sale Saturday
