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.
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