Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1992)
Rodeo court crowned azette imes VOL. I l l NO. 2 8 Pages Wednesday, January IS, 1992 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon 1991 Citizens of the year named Jim Farley. Birdine Tullis and Betty Rietmann were honored as Morrow County’s first citizens of the year 1991 at the annual Town and Country banquet held Jan. 8 at the Heppner Elks Lodge. Tullis of lone, was the first woman president of the local Chamber of Commerce and for 20 years was an OSU Extension program assistant. She was in strumental in getting the first Betty Rietmann Betty Rietmann. honored as the citizen educator of the year, has been a teacher at the lone Elementary School for 23 years, in addition to her active involve ment in the lone community. Betty was bom to a pioneer ranching family in the Grande Ronde Valley. She graduated from LaGrande High School, received a bachelor of science degree from Eastern Oregon State College in LaGrande in 1952 and began teaching school in Pendleton. Betty met her husband. Bob, while on a ski trip in the Blue Mountains. A year after they were married they moved to the family farm north of lone and raised three sons, John, Joe and Jerry. They now have four grandchildren. She returned to teaching in 1968 as a temporary teacher to fill an opening as a first grade teacher, and has taught for the past 23 years. Betty has been involved in the Parent/Teacher Association and has served on numerous school committees. She has taught Sun day school and Bible school at the United Church of Christ for the past 23 years and has volunteered her time to be the story teller at the lone library summer reading program. She has also served five years on the Morrow County Children and Youth Services Commission. Man of the year Jim Farley is the son of Irish parents who im migrated to the U.S. at the turn of the century. Proud of his Irish heritage. Farley was the founder of H eppner's St. Patrick’s celebration 10 years ago and was try Days banquet Jan. 8. The crowns were presented by the Ladd family of lone. Sylvia Ladd was a former Morrow County Fair and Rodeo queen and Miss Rodeo Oregon Buckles were sponsored by Morrow County Grain Growers, Bank of Town and Country event off the ground. She graduated from Heppner High School and then worked parttime at the Extension office in Heppner. She quit the job after her marriage to lone rancher Gary Tullis to become a fulltime farm wife, raising their sons Mark and Tim. When their sons were nearly grown, Birdine returned to the Extension office parttime. The part time job became a fulltime one and she worked for over 20 years as the service’s program assistant, overseeing the 4-H an nex exhibits and programs. She also served on the Morrow Coun ty Fair Committee and one year, when the county had no livestock agent, Tullis served in that capacity. She still makes herself available as a resource person for demonstrations in sewing, cook ing and flower arranging. Tullis has been a member of the Oregon CattleW om en’s Association and is involved with the “ Make It Yourself With Wool” contest. She is also active in the lone United Church of Christ annual auction. Eastern Oregon, First Interstate Bank and Inland Empire Bank. Peggy Harmon, Boardman, was the winner of the Black Hills Gold ring, sponsored by the rodeo court. Mark Miller won the gemstone donated by Peterson’s Jewelers. P r o p o n e n t s o f l i b r a r y d i s t r i c t te s t i f y Testifying Monday evening for the formation of a library district, Heppner city administrator Gary Marks told Morrow County com missioners that the city of Hepp ner would probably be forced to cut city library funds entirely in the future because of Ballot Measure 5 Marks and four other people testified in favor of the district before an audience of around 10 people at a hearing at the Hepp ner City Library. Heppner city at torney Bill Kuhn stressed that for mation of a district to be called the Oregon Trail Library District would not cost city taxpayers ad ditional taxes. “ We would be paying the same amount even if we lose the library,” said Kuhn. “ It’s a pretty good deal.” Kuhn went on to say that the bulk of monies required to fund the library district would come from the PGE Coal Fired Plant located outside the Boardman city limits, but within the proposed library district boundaries. Jerry Alldredge, librarian at Sam Boardman Elementary School and chairman of the Boardman city library hoard the library district formation board and co-chairman of Citizens for Open Libraries, a non-profit political action group, said that a smaller portion of city residents’ taxes would go toward supporting the libraries if a district is form ed City residents, who now pay $40 to $50 of their taxes to sup port the city library would pay only $10 to $12 of their taxes to support the proposed library district, based on an average $40,000 in assessed valuation. Birdine Tullis Elk’s Hoop Shoot contest Jan. 18 The Elk’s Hoop Shoot contest for boys and girls eight to 13 years old will be Saturday, January 18 at 1:30 p.m. at Hepp ner and lone high schools. The shoot will be divided into boys’ and girls’ competitions in three age groups: 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13. Age is determined by the child's age on April 1, 1992. There is no charge. Morrow County Fair and Oregon Pro Trail Rodeo Queen Jenni Ashbeck and her court, princesses Angie Partlow, Shel ly Ashbeck and Staci O'Brien, were crowned and presented buckles at the Town and Coun Kinzua Corp business of the year Jim Farley the grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s festivities in 1988. Farley graduated from Hepp ner High School in 1936 and graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in agricultural science. After earn ing his way through college by dishwashing and other odd jobs, Farley returned to his home town. He operated a petroleum plant in Heppner until World War II sent him to service in Europe for three years. He married Louise Ander son in 1945 and they had two daughters, Trisha Huddleston, who lives in Canby and Shannon Miller, who now lives in Lex ington, and four grandchildren. Louise has since passed away. Farley owned an auto dealer ship in Heppner for 40 years and still has a wheat and cattle ranch. When Farley Motors closed down in 1988, it was the last auto dealership in Morrow County. A long time cowboy, Farley was a member of the Wranglers Riding Club and in 1962 won the Morrow County amateur calf roping saddle at the Morrow County Fair and Rodeo. Farley is a 50-year member of the Heppner Elks and was exalted ruler. He is an active member of the St. Patrick Catholic Church. He also served on the Morrow County Board of Equalization. Woman of the year. Birdine Morrow County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Court l-r: princesses Angie Partlow, Board- man; Shelly Ashbeck and Staci O’Brien, Heppner; and Queen Jenni Ashbeck, Heppner. John O’Donnell Frank Pearson Praised as innovative and deep ly involved in the community, Kinzua Corporation of Hepner was named the business of the year at the annual Town and Country banquet held Jan. 8 at the Heppner Elks Club. In addition to being one of the community’s major employers with 141 employees. Kinzua has donated money and personnel and has loaned equipment to “ almost every community project that comes along,” said presenter Bill Kuhn. “ This business gives an nual scholarships to high school students. Their contributions often make the difference on whether or not a civic project becomes reality.” “ During a time when most other communities are seeing their lumber mills close, the in novative and progressive ap- proach of this business has of fered a sense of stability and ad vancement. Both the owners and management pull together to keep the business flourishing,” Kuhn continued. Improvements at the mill over the years include the stud mill in 1987, the new edger sawmill in 1989-90 and upgrade of the dry kilns in 1989-90 and dry kiln computerization in 1990-91, a mulch system which utilizes log yard waste, a new stacker at the sawmill, and conversion of the underground storage tanks to comply with state regulations. Kinzua also plans to install a precipitator at the co-generation plant for pollution control. Receiving this award for Kin zua were owner John O ’Donnell and general manager Frank Pearson. Alldredge said that formation of a district would also enable the district to apply for grants for library improvements and books and materials. City library board member Ed Struthers said that approximate ly 40 percent of the people who use the Heppner library come from outside the Heppner city limits. Those people do not cur rently support the library through tax monies. Under the proposed plan, people outside the district may be charged a small annual fee. Other people testifying cited the library’s positive effects on the community. County commissioner Ray French said that the support for formation of a district has been “ overwhelming. In two hearings (one in Boardman and one in Heppner) only one testified against it.” French said that the county commissioners would be receptive to putting the issue on the May 19 ballot. If the district formation comes before the peo ple, voters would decide three issues: whether to form a district, funding for the district at 25 cents per thousand assessed valuation and election of board members. Five board members would be elected-two residing in the Hepp ner district, two in the Boardman district and one at-large member. Boundaries of the proposed district would include Boardman precincts one and two and the four Heppner precincts, southwest, southeast, northwest and northeast. Both the measure to form a district and to fund the district must pass for the district to be formed. Election filing deadline nears Deadlines for filing for upcom ing elections are rapidly ap proaching. January 23 is the last day to file for school board positions. The four-year positions now held by Bill Doherty, zone 6, and Dwayne Carroll, zone 2. will be open. Their terms will expire June 30. 1992. Deadline for filing for the May 19 primary election is March 10. Expiring this year will be the terms o f the county assessor, clerk, commissioner, judge, surveyor, treasurer, sheriff and justice of the peace. Rank of Eastern Oregon Participants should bring ten nis shoes, but may wear street or gym clothes, said organizer Dave Gunderson. Winners of the local contest will compete at the district tour nament in Hermiston on Feb. 8. Winners of district will go on to compete at state in Corvallis on February 22. HOME LOAN PROGRAM Rates as low as 7%% Oruqon Arlington • Heppner • lone ' ’ * Y Jam Independent Home Chmtd
