Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1990)
Packwood replies to Kinzua employees VOL 108 NO. 36_______ Wednesday, September S, 1990________ Heppner 25*_______ 6 Pages On a 26-day tour o f Eastern Oregon, Senator Bob Packwood visited with mill workers at the Kin zua Mill Corporation, Thursday afternoon, August 26. The impact of legislation and con troversial environmental issues af fecting the woods product industry were on the minds o f Kinzua employees as Packwood paused for questions and comments. Local mill employment has also been affected as Kinzua recently cut back to a 4-day work week because of a slow-down in market sales, manager Frank Pearson said. And he stated that that decision was made to avoid a complete shut-down. “ The spotted owl issue is only the tip o f the iceberg,” Packwood said. Further action o f listing salmon species as endangered could impact all Eastern Oregon industries. “ Wilderness areas with less foot traffic have no management,” Packwood said. Any action should consider all the people affected, in cluding lost revenue and jobs as well as recreation and the environment. The public generally sees pictures o f clear-cut areas. And good adver tising o f forest management would give a truer picture o f forest use, he said. ‘For example, the natural re growth of the Tillimook bum area is proof of re-generation of an area that was clear-cut by fire.” Log exporting, mining claims, right-to-strike, federal deficit, the health care system, social security and the Iraq crisis were some o f the subjects* that Packwood briefly touched on as Kinzua workers plied him with questions. Packwood said that a national health care program in the United States, similar to that in Great Bri tain, "will never happen.” But man dated medical coverage for most employees will be in effect by 1993, he said. Pearson commented that the average length o f employment for Kinzua workers was about 12 to 15 years. And to these workers who ex pressed fears that the Social Securi ty system would be bankrupt by the time they retired, Packwood said the system is capable o f building a reserve that should reach $13 to $14 trillion by 2015. That reserve could be jeopardized if it’s used to balance Frank Pearson, left, visits with Senator Packwood on his visit to Heppner last Thursday. Packwood answered a number of ques tions put to him by Kinzua employees. the federal deficit. Packwood said he was not in favor of increased taxation to balance the national budget. And, he pointed out, that national spending has ex ceeded receipted revenues for the past 40 years. There are so many mandated federal programs that by law, can’t be cut. That leaves very little of the balance of the federal budget that can receive across-the- board cuts. And every department lobbies to see that areas of special in terest protected. The right-to-strike must be writ ten into employee-employer con tracts in order to have that option, Packwood said. In the case of the air traffice controllers who went on strike and were replaced with non union employees, it was written in that contract that they could not strike and therefore, it was against the law, Packwood said. Mismanagement and poor judge ment of loans caused the Savings and Loans disaster and the government is under obligation to pay back in vestors. “ Small investors like your Aunt Minnie, not the Donald Trumps, put their life savings into the system.” If the government were to go out of the insurance business, people might put their money in cof fee cans and bankrupt our whole system. Individuals or companies needing business loans would no longer be able to get financing, he said. When asked by Kinzua employee Doug Dubuque what he thought about the Iraq situation, Packwood said that he thought that after a two- month blockade to cut off food and supplies, Saddam Hussein would be more willing to negotiate. If he is backed into a comer, he will pro bably fight and is very likely to use poison gas. “ We’re dealing with a person with a mission, not the nor mal mind that understands risks. We will have to provide We will have to provide a way for him to save face, such as giving him right to certain oil fields in Kuwait.” As to the cost of maintaining U.S. troups and equipment in Saudi Arabia, we can do it if we think the cost is worth out own vital interests, Packwood concluded. Hearing screening to be conducted Breakfast program Kitty Bredemeier’s class show off big smiles on Tuesday, Sept. 4, the first day of school in Morrow County. WOSC Extends invitations to Alumni Western Oregon State College has invited all alumni who participated in football, band and cheerleading for its Alumni-Varsity Football game. Sept. 8 at McArthur Sports Field. This year’s contest marks the fifth renewal of the game, but the first at which former band members and cheerleaders will participate. The game will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a pizza feed following the con test at approximately 5:30 p.m. Par ticipants will be treated to hot dogs and soft drinks immediately follow ing the game. Persons who attended Western Oregon State College, Oregon Col lege of Education and Oregon Nor mal School are encouraged to call the Alumni office, 838-8153, to ex press their interest in participation. Hamm Appointed Area Extension Agent Philip Hamm has joined the staff o f the Oregon State University Her- miston Agricultural Research and Extension Center as an area Exten sion agent specializing in plant pathology effective September 1. As an area Extension agent, Hamm will work in Morrow and Umatilla Counties. His office is in the research and extension center in Hermiston. According to Fred Lundin. staff chairman, OSU Extension serving Morrow County, Hamm will help conduct Extension education pro grams designed to help area growers diagnose and control plant diseases. Hamm will also work with other staff members and researchers in design and delivery of educational programs intended to help farmers increase production and market ability o f high value vegetable and row crops, Lundin said. Red Apple Open House Prior to his assignment with the OSU Extension Service, Hamm was a research assistant in the OSU Department o f Botany for several years. He has studied and published research papers on several types of disease-causing fungi and has work ed extensively on the isolation and identification o f Phytophthora, a disease-causing organism o f many crops throughout the United States and the world. Hamm received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Western Oregon State College, Monmouth, in 1974. He earned his master’s degree in plant pathology at OSU in 1981. He was selected with assistance of a local advisory committee compris ed o f growers adds Dawn Hawkins, staff chair, Umatilla County. “ This position adds unique experience which compliments the current Ex tension programs. With the emerge- ing trend to increase production and marketing o f fresh produce this posi tion can assure quality for area growers.” The OSU Extension staff in Mor row and Umatilla counties consist of 10 OSU faculty embers who serve as Extension agents. They conduct Extension education programs in agriculture, home economics and 4-H youth development for the citizens of their respective counties. Singspiration scheduled for Sept. 9 Darlene Scroggins get a word of advice from the Central Red Apple Market Chicken last week during the store’s Open House in Heppner. The first singspiration of the year,sponsored by the South Mor row County Ministerial Association, will be held Sunday, September 9 at 7 p.m. at the Lexington Baptist Church. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy singing and the fellowship that is to follow. The Umatilla Education Service Cistrict (ESD) will be providing hearing screening to public elemen tary school students including all kindergarten students, students in grades one and three, new students to the county and students referred by parents, teachers or principals in kindergarten through sixth grade. These students will be screened on Monday, Oct. 1 at 9 a.m. at Hepp ner and lone elementary school. The hearing screening is done by the Umatilla ESD for public school students o f Umatilla and Morrow Counties. It is cooperatively spon- sored by local school districts Ap proximately 4000 children will be seen. Children who fail the initial screening will be re-screened within a three week period. If the follow up screening indicates it, those children will be referred for a hear ing evaluation by the ESD audiologist and medical follow-up at a two day otology clinic at the ESD. If you have any questions regar ding the hearing screening program, please contact your school principal, or contact the Speech, Language and Hearing department at the Umatilla ESD, 276-6616. ext. 178. on trial in Schools The Morrow County schools are testing a trial breakfast program for grades kindergarten through 9th grades. Breakfast is from 8:05 until 8:20 a.m. at a charge of $.50 or $.30 reduced price. The school buses are running 15 minutes early this year to ac comodate students wishing to take advantage of this trial program. School lunches have taken a price increase for the 1990-91 year, accor ding to a spokesperson from the Heppner Elementary School office. Grades 1-6 have increased from $.60 to $.75, junior high students from $.75 to $.1 and adults from $1.25 to $1.50. Ducks Unlimited Auction Friday Meeting Cancelled The Morrow County Medical Board m eeting scheduled for September 10 has been cancelled un til further notice. Market Report Compliments of the Morrow County Gram Growers Tuesday, September 4 Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. We’re numerous guns, a dartboard and a duckboard. There will be special auction items for ladies only. Three guns will be raffled for the kids (greenwings). There are 300-400 items this year compared to 200 last year. "The auction is bigger and better even than last year, if you didn’t make it last year, make sure you do this year” , says Rhea. ” We plan on having a good time.” Bariev Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Pik Cindy Balzer holds one of the wildlife prints, which she framed for the Ducks, Unlimited Auction to be held this Friday in Heppner. Ducks, Unlimited, will hold their annual auction raffle this Friday, September 7 beginning with a Social Hour at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. The Auction/Raffle will follow dinner. The dinner is being prepared by Frasu's Restaurant. Hermiston. Verne Mobley is the Auctioneer and Steve Rhea is the local area chair man o f the event. This year, a few of the items to be raffled are 30 wildlife framed prints. Soft 'M n te jj 07/3.10 $3.12/3.13 $3.15/3.16 $3.17/3.19 $3 20/3’21 $93/94 $96/97 $98/99 $100 99% Weather Report by City of Heppner August 28 High Tues. 85 Weds. 83 74 Thurs. 78 Fri. 78 Sat. 78 Sun. 80 Mon. - Sept. 3, 1990 Ixm Prec 54 .0 49 .16 .0 48 50 .0 .0 53 48 .0 49 .0 IN CUSTOMER SERVICE •Confidential • Friendly • Efficient DAMK OF = = = — \J Jr astern t 'rvqon F D I C Arlington • Heppner • lone “ Your Independent Home Owned Bank ”