Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 14, 1986)
U The Heppner Gazette-Times Weather M orrow C o u n ty ’• H o m e -O w n e d W e e k ly N ew sp a p er \OI KM NO 1» WEDNESDAY. May 14, IMÌ6 by the City of Heppner Heppner, O rt* o n Tun. MW. Thun. ►Vi. Sal. Sun. Mon. Mas 6-12 High lam 38 54 60 35 63 38 61 35 S3 33 59 35 68 47 Preclp. JO j 0 j O JO JO JO JO PI ( advises Too many sites for Senior center Shippers of options for saving line A Heppner senior citizen's group has a unique problem Too many sites on which to build their propos ed senior citizen center Monday night, controversy over which site is best came to the sur face at the Morrow County fair board meeting The dispute developed when one group o f seniors began working to have the center built on land across Hinton Creek behind the Heppner grade school The county donated land for the center The county donated land for the center and has said it w ill pay for a bridge, road and paving A second group o f seniors want to build the building, not at Hinton Creek, hut on the fairgrounds where the little league field is now located In response, the county fair board, which hopes to use the proposed center during fair tor needed exhibit space, agreed to deed the seniors a 100 by 150 foot lot in the middle o f the little league field on which to build the center The county court has since ap proved the transfer o f land from the fair board to the seniors, and the controversy escalated Monday night several people spoke in favor o f mov ing the center to the fairgrounds, but most spoke against " I object to donating the proper ty ,” said fair board member Harold “ S horty” Peck “ The seniors themselves arc not all in favor o f it There are two fa c tio n s " Peck said the fair should keep the property because “ there is no place we can gain an inch o f ground We are ab solutely hemmed in ." Pair hoard chairman Charly Daly said he objected to the amount o f money it would take to develop the Hinton Creek site, and he was in favor o f the center being built at the fairgrounds " I t 's (Hinton site) giv ing to cost the county a bridge, streets and pavement." said Daly " I think the county is in bad shape and they shouldn't be stuck w ith S l(X).OCK) to $150.(XX) in bridging and paving " The Hinton Creek site is across the creek, and w ill require a new bridge, and then a road and paving around the site before a building can be constructed " I think Paul Jones and some others are pushing something that is going to cost the county a lot o f money.” Daly said Those on the other side argued that if the senior center were built on the fairgrounds, it would take away a little league field, and probably eliminate the baseball pmgram at the junior high The Hcppncr Branch line o f the in in fairly shape even if the railroad should decide to file for abandon ment of the line, said Dave Astle, assistant Public U tility Commix sioner of ( hegon at a meeting Mon dav night in the courtroom of the Morrow County Courthouse in Heppner Astlc and Claudia Howells, the manager o f the Rail Abandonment Task force, met with local shippers to gather data ami advise them o f the options for appeal that they have if I n ton Pacific should decide to file lor abandonment with the Public I'tilitic s Commission The state, cautioned Astlc, does not have the power to slop abandon intent. the federal government has ! turisdiction there Since deregulation Charly Daly >t the railroads in I MHO. they are that has tseen uaed by carnivals in the more w illing to abandon rail lines, past, however, Daly said the dass o f espccialls since thes were forced to small carnivals at small fairs is over purchase a bankrupt line in the nor " The cost o f liahilttv has made the theastem I S and go into the rail small carnival a thing o f (he past." business said Daly The task force, said Howells, can The fair board dkl not take any ac get information to the public conccr tain during the meeting on the pro ning their options and to the posed senior site at the fairgrounds railroads, encouraging them to do a *• l nmn Pacific Railroad "Shorty" Peck "T he junior high uses that field to practice o n .'' said coach and teacher Al Beck "A n d it is inconceivable to me to jiut the High School and Junior High together (on the big field! It is not big enough and someone is giv ing to get hurt " He said if the senior center is built at the fairgrounds, and the little league field is lost, "w e w ould ju s t d ro p ju n io r high baseball." Speaking for the W illow Creek Little league. George K ottler said his group had originally told the fair board there would be a new field built by the Corps o f Engineers below the dam in H eppner, however, from the looks o f the tu r nout this year, the little league would still need the field at the fairgrounds, K offler said "W e dal say we wtaild have a new field next year below the da m ," K offler said, "b u t I hope we didn't give the impression we no longer wanted to use the field here " K o f fler saal that there were 85 to VO kals out for little league this year "W e support the building o f a senior citizens center, we just don't think it should be built on a little league field Maybe you could build it farther hack o ff the middle o f the fie ld ." K offler said Those in favor o f building at the fairgrounds said the new building could be used for both the seniors, and during fair, for exhibit space "W e are getting short on exhibit space." said Jane Rawlins, a member o f both the fair committee and the senior citizens building com mittce "Everyone is fighting for space and this would make a nice ad dition and give us some ro o m ." she said I f the center were built at the fairgrounds it would take up space better n»b o f seeking increased business on the line In the case o f the Brownsville branch line. Howells said, only one shipper was left, but his business was completely railroad oriented When the line petitioned for abandonment, the shipper filed only a weak protest and the abandonment was granted Now the trac k is gone, and the ship per has had to rearrange his business completely in order to accommodate trucks The product is trucked to Eugene and loaded on the railroad, because it requires long distance hauling, and trucking is loo expen xtve for long distance In Tillanniok. the railroad filed for abandonment, and the Port o f Tillamook tiv k over operation o f the line when protests failed and ahan donment was approved k Basic causes for rail abandonment are probably competition from low cost short haul trucks which puts the railroad in the |v>sition of hauling on ly grain, coal and hazardous com modities which (hey would prefer to avoid because the profits are in long haul general freight Another problem with branch lines is the high cost ol maintenance Planning Commission recommends No building in growth area By Avon Melby Heppner Planning Commission recommended Monday night that the city council should discourage those who request city water service in the urban growth houndrs o f the city Building in the urban growth boundary should take place after the town has filled up. and should not be on a request basis when there are so many houses for sale and empty- lots which could be used as building sites within the city There should be no building in the city's urban growth boundary unless it was to be annexed to the city, or pros ides a distinct advantage to the O ls Planning Comission Chairman Dave Allstott said it was creating a hardship on citizens sending them to planners to ask for recommendation on water permits when the city could tell them these requirements before they went to so much trouble Ken Key did not formally ask. but said he was going to the county plan ning commission to get their permis sion to place a mobile home on his two-acre lot on cemetery h ill, and would ask for approval next month from city planners, so he could get a water permit I f a development plan, including proposed roads and lot divisions, is presented the planners n can be reviewed with the possibility o f an nexatmn. Allstott said, in a discus sion after Key left Commissioners recognized that some of the lots Key has are prize locations overlooking W illow la k e and w ill prohably eventually he sold for homes But roads must he developed, and it must he planned and controlled growth Extension o f time on conditional use permit, and a change, was granted Helen Richl, for property behind the truck wash The Richls are going to tear down an old shed and replace it with a metal building 38 by bb feet to be used as a storage area for both their drive in business and the car wash They w ill build a cyclone fence around the area No decision has been received from the Corps o f Engineers on the Jay Coil request to place a mobile home on West Sperry street, city at tomey Bill Kuhn said The Corps must determine if the locution is within the flood zone before a con ditional use permit can be allowed Request for the permit was made last month Kuhn w ill attend a workshop in Pendleton later this month He said he would Icam more requirements for updating o f the city's comprchen sive plan so work on that could get started continued page n Garden club members place evergreen in planters Civic groups plant evergreens By Justine W eatherford The planting of the new evergreen trees on May 7. in the large boxes on Hcppner's Main Street is a joint effort o f two organizations that believe strongly in civic h ca u ltfica lion and the stimulation and in vigoration o f c iv ic pride The Heppner Chamber o f Com merce has contributed the money for the plantings and the members of the Heppner Garden (Tub have done (he work of refiling the eight large boxes which the Chamber established last year Soon trailing lobelia, petunias and geraniums w ill add color to the boxes says Martha Doherty the garden c lub secretary who has been tiers Be he Munkers, Verna Hrinda. Hill Rawlins. Dorothy and W ilbur Jackson assisted the garden club o f ficer». President Jane Rawlins and Martha in filling the boxes properly The eight evergreens planted were carefully selected because they arc especially root hardy and have an ex ccllcnt chance or survival The two trees near the Shoe Box and the Elks are Skyrocket Jumpers, the two near the Post Office and Case Eurniturc are Austrian Pines, near Murray Drugs and the Wagon Wheel the trees are Emerald Green Arborsttae and near the (kink of Eastern Oregon anil Ben f ranklin Savings and laian the gardners planted Moon Glow Jumpers The following businesses have generously donated the water lor the boxes lars Schwab. Scars, Central Market. Abstract and T itle, Murrays Drugs and Gardners After their considerable expense and effort, the Chamber member* and the gardners hope that the citizens who live here or who visit here w ill not mistreat the planted boxes Already some trash has been removed from them this spring White metal trash cans are nearby the planted boxes, and the garden club hopes that everyone w ill depisit refuse in those trash containers and that the planter Nixes w ill be kept flourishing and neat and a positive step in promoting and enlivening civic pride Spray woman wins Mother’s I)av diamond a leader in this civic protect Gard The 'A-carat diamond offered as a spec ial Mothers Day promotion by Heppner merchants was won by a Spray woman. Jen Wight, who entered the drawing at Central Market Retail value of the diamond is $299 95 Merchants who participated in the diamond give away are Sears. C'oun try Rose. M A R Elixir Covering. McDonald's Chevrolet. Shoe Box. Central Market, Petersons, Court Street Market. Dr Rolen. Ix s Schwab. Bud * Pub. Case Eumiturc S ' { which. Astlc say*, the railroad claims is nearly 50% laNir co»U A stle listed fiv e im p o rta n t elements o f a good protest 1 Good data from shippers detail ing their use of the railroad is need ed v> the PUC can catch any inac curacies which might exist in the railroad's petition 2 An analysis o f the percentage o f their business which depends on- thc railroad in order to convince the Interstate Commerce Commission that the railroad is necessary 3 An explanation of the impact the loss o f the railroad would have on their business, if it would mean that production would be cut. jobs lost, or business reduced 4 An analysis o f the reasons the loss o f service would impact the business 5 An explanation o f the effect o f the railroad's actions on how much is shipped, because the ICC tieexls to know if the railroad is trying to discourage shippers to use the line The task force, said Howells, has agreed that if a branch line shows lit tie use and if no growth is expected in the future, that abandonment should not be fought Representatives from Kinzua Corp , M orrow County Grain Growers, Heppner Nor Gas, Jordan Elevator Co , Crum Ranches. T rip ly H Ranch, and Proudfoot Ranch said that they had shipped a total o f approximately 722 cars last year, but that there is potential tor greater use o f the line Clyde Allstott o f Hepp ner Nor Gas said that he currently received 100% o f his propane (15 cars per year) by rail, anil Crum ran ches ship 100% or 60-70 carloads o f grain per year, but others said that there was a potential for increased usage o f the line L a rry M ills , manager o f M C G G said that a lot o f grain is currently being stored because the farm program dictates that it be stored rather than shipped He ex pects the elevators to be 80% full by harvest which will make it necessary to truck grain to Arlington ami ship it by barge down the Columbia The truck bar.ige method is a faster way o f liais ing grain during harvest, he said Kent (ioixlyear. speaking for Kin zua Corp said that because o f a "shake u p " at Union Pacific. K in zua felt that the railroad might file for abandonment even if use o f the line were increased, but that railroad officials hail indicated that they might consider the possibility o f a “ Short l in e " operator maintaining and running the line while U P maintained ownership Howells reported that Union Pacific is not abandoning lines as R A W Drive In. Murrays Drug, Gardner s Men's Wear. Coast to Coast. Heppner Elks, M orrow County Grain Growers, and Petty |ohn s Eami A Builders Supply Some polling places changed Before going to vote next Tucs day, he sure you know where you're going Voters in four precincts need to go to a location different from where they voted in the last election Northwest Heppner Precinct No 9 w ill vote at the New Pettyjohn O f fice rather than the Morrow County Museum Hardman Precinct No I w ill vote at the Morrow County Courthouse in Heppner rather than at the Hard man Building I ex mgton Precinct No 7 w ill vote at the new Mormon Church rather than at the School District Office building South Hoardman Precinct No 2 w ill vote at the old U S National Bank building instead o f at Sam Boardman Elementary Building To refresh your memory , voters in other precincts, vote at the follow ing locations North Boardman. No I - Green field Grange. lone. No 4 lone C i ty Hall. N Irrigon, No 5 North Morrow Annex. South Irrigon. No ft - Columbia Jr High, Nonheast H eppner, N o 8 - H eppner NeighNirhood Center. Southeast and Southwest Heppner. No 10 and 11 M orrow County Counhouse
