Chamber honors first citizens, educator
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HEPPNER
35C
azette
imes
VOL. 112
NO. 3
6 Pages Wednesday, January 20, 1993
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
Bank of Eastern Oregon business of year
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Bank of Eastern Oregon president Gerald Pierson (I) and Bill
Jaeger, chairman of the board of directors, accepts award from
Meg Murray.
The Bank of Eastern Oregon Street renovations, but always by
was presented the business of the supporting with the time and ef
year award at the annual Hepp fort the many organizations that
ner Chamber of Commerce Tow n contribute to the quality of life
and Country Days dinner.
that we enjoy.”
Presenter Meg Murray com
In 1945, the Gilliam County
mented that the business "has not Bank in Arlington was capitaliz
only grown and propsered in our ed for $25.000. At that time Arl
community, but has helped the ington had been without a bank
rest of us do the same.” Murray since the 1930’s. In 1957, the
noted that the bank has “ fur Heppner bank was opened, and
it became necessary to increase
thered the progress of our rural
area, lately by helping fund the the capital to $120,000. The
Senior Citizen Center and Main directors called on the people of
the county and raised the needed
funds in just one day. The prime
movers in the Heppner area were
John Krebs and Phil Mahoney,
said Murray.
The Heppner bank opened in a
corner of the Empire Machinery
Company. At the time, the bank
had two employees, plywood
counters and a cannon ball safe.
The Empire Machinery Company
was located where Morrow
County Abstract and Title and the
law offices of Kuhn and Spicer
are located today. The bank later
purchased the building that had
been a blacksmith shop and built
the bank in its present location.
The bank has been remodeled and
expanded several times, because
of increased bank activity. The
bank now has a branch* in lone
and Arlington.
On December 31, 1957, the
total assets of the Bank of Eastern
Oregon were $2.5 million. On
December 31, 1991 the bank lists
$33.7 million in assets.
The bank has had only three
presidents since its inceptions,
L.C. Buckner, Gene Pierce and
Gerald Pierson. Two members of
the original board of directors are
still living. Howard Bryant and
Frank Anderson. Both still reside
in Heppner.
Maryan McElligott
The Heppner Chamber of
Commerce presented its annual
awards at the Town and Country
Banquet held Jan. 13 at the Hepp
ner Elks Club.
Maryan McElligott received
the woman of the year award,
George Koffler the man of the
year. Bank of Eastern Oregon,
business of the year an Linda
Shaw, citizen-educator of the
year. The Rev. Grace Drake
received a special award for her
work in the local summer recrea
tion program for children.
Award presenter Bill Kuhn
noted that McElligott raised a
family of eight children and still
found the time to be a communi
ty leader. She had 19 years in
volvement in 4-H; has supervis
ed many lone fund raising din
ners. including those at the
Fourth of July and American
Legion; has been a member of the
Cardinal Club, serving as com
mittee chair and president; has
been member of the school
district computer planning com
mittee; worked voter registration
for 20 years; chaired U.S. Air
Force women’s clubs; and taught
cooking and cake decorating
through Blue Mountain Com
munity College.
McElligott has also served as
beef spokesperson for the Cattle
Women, is an organizer of the
district “ Make It Yourself with
Wool, is an active member of St.
Williams Catholic Church; has
been president of the St. Williams
Altar Society; and has been a
catechism teacher for over 25
years. She also Itakes and.
decorates cakes for the communi
ty. She and h6r husband, Jerry,
have eight children, Terry Grace,
Janet. Patty, Bridgett, Mike, Vin
cent and Matthew.
George Koffler
Man of the year, George Kof
fler, was a member and past
president of the Heppner Lions
Club, is a past president and long
time board member of the Hepp
ner Chamber of Commerce; was
instrumental in the Heppner hotel
project; was past president of Lit
tle League and coached Little
League for three years; was a
member of the city of Heppner
budget committee; has coached
Colt basketball; is a member of
the Elks Club and is on the Elks
scholarship committee; is a
member and officer of the Odd
fellows Lodge; was a member of
Heppner Vision 2000. a com
munity economic development
organization; is a member of the
H eppner United M ethodist
Church and is currently vice chair
of the Heppner Coordinating
Council and is helping to
spearhead the Morrow County
Fairgrounds development project.
He was also involved in the
H eppner
downtown
im
provements and the football field
lighting. Koffler and his wife,
Debbie, have two sons. Rick and
Brian. Vice president of the Bank
of Eastern Oregon, Koffler will
become president of the bank
when current President Gerald
Pierson retires after this year.
When it became apparent that
the Heppner swimming pool
would not open this past summer,
Grace Drake organized a summer
education and recreation program
for area children. The project
started out as a program for
underprivileged children, but
became available to any in
terested child. Eventually almost
60 children participted in the five-
day-a-week, month-long pro
gram.
"The children were taken on
trips to Monument, McNary
Dam, Cutsforth Park, Bull
Prairie, the Oregon Trail and a
potato plant, among others.
Drake found volunteers, made
travel arrangements and made
sandwiches,” commented Kuhn.
"Amazing’ Grace Drake is a
community asset beyond value,”
he added.
Drake is a former pastor of the
United Methodist Church in
H eppner. She raised four
children, Doug, Susan, Richard
and Gwen.
Citizen-educator of the year
Linda Shaw earned a bachelor of
arts degree with a Phi Beta Kap
pa and a master’s degree at the
University of Oregon. She taught
English at North Eugene High
School, in the Monument. Kin-
zua and Fossil area and in the
Morrow County Schools. She is
currently the reading specialist
for Heppner Elementary/Middle
School. Shaw serves on the Mor
row County School District
Testing Committee and the
talented and gifted committee.
Shaw has been instrumental in
organizing the Retired Senior
Volunteer Program at the school,
which recruits senior citizens to
help with the school reading pro
gram. She is a member of Hope
Lutheran Church, serving at least
six years on the church council
and acting as secretary and chair
of that group. She has served on
the Heppner T.V. Inc. board and
was a member of the Hepprfer ci
ty council. She has a son J.J.
Past w inners of the first citizen
awards are: 1991 man and
woman Jim Farley and Birdine
Tullis; educator Betty Rietmann;
business, Kinzua; 1990 Bill
Rawlins and Claudia Hughes;
educator, Dick Allen; business.
Court Street Market, 1989 Don
Bristow and Gladys Hobbs;
educator, Jim Bier; business,
Peterson's Jewelers; 1988 Bill
Kuhn and Dot H alvorsen;
educator, Cara Costa; business,
Murrays; 1987 Dr. Wallace Woff
and Justine W eatherford;
business. Shoe Box; 1986 Larry
Mills and Jane Rawlins; 1985 Bill
Collins and Jean Nelson; 1984
Forrest Burkenbine and Francine
Evans; 1981 Jerry Peck and
Theta Lowe and 1980 Oscar
Peterson.
Queen and court crowned at banquet
L-R: princesses Rondi Robinson, Donita Sharp and Queen
Elizabeth Doherty
pner Elks Club.
Morrow County Fair and
Queen Elizabeth Doherty is the
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Queen
daughter of John and Doris
Elizabeth Doherty and her court,
Doherty, who live in Morrow
princesses Rondi Robinson and
County near Pilot Rock. Princess
Donita Sharp, were crowned at
Rondi Robinson is the daughter
the annual Town and Country
banquet held Jan. 13 at the Hep
of Kirk and Delia Robinson.
Heppner. and the granddaughter
of Don and Merlyn Robinson.
Princess Donita Sharp is the
daughter of Mickey Sharp and the
granddaughter of Earl Papineau.
The hatbands were given to the
court from the Ladd family. Lor
raine Ladd is a longtime fair and
rodeo supporter, her son Richard
has been a member of the fair
board for several years and
daughter, Sylvia Ladd is a former
Morrow County Fair and Rodeo
Queen and was Miss Rodeo
Oregon.
The queen and her court were
presented buckles by the Bank of
Eastern Oregon, represented by
George Koffler. First Interstate
Bank, represented by Jackie
Allstott. and Inland Empire Bank,
represented by Larry Mills.
Debra Ledford. Heppner. was
the winner of the Black Hills
Gold ring drawing sponsored by
the court. Linda LaRue. lone,
won the drawing for a gemstone,
which was donated by Peterson’s
Jewelers.
Missoula Children’s Theatre to present Pinocchio
The M issoula C hildrens’
Theatre, remembered from their
visit to Heppner with "Jack and
The Beanstalk” in May 1990. is
coming back to town.
This time, their week-long
residency will culminate in a pro
duction of "Pinocchio” . featur
ing as many as 50 local per
formers. on Saturday. February
13.
Audition notices and further in
formation will be distributed
within the next week.
The M issoula C hildrens'
Theatre is sponsored by the Mor
row County Museum, the Mor
row County School District’s
artist-in-residence program and
gate receipts from ‘ ‘Jack and The
Beanstalk.”
Housing is being sought for the
two actor-directors during their
six-day stay. They require only
two separate sleeping areas and
a reasonable amount of privacy.
Anyone interested in opening
their homes to the artists is ask
ed to call Marsha Sweek at
676-5524 or 676-5121.
Bill Kuhn presents award to Grace Drake
Shoe Box host business after hours
Seminar planned on
advance directives
A community seminar on ‘Ad
vance Directives’ has been
scheduled for Thursday. Jan. 28
at 7 p.m. at the St. Patrick Senior
Center.
’Advance directives’ instruct
physicians in advance as to a pa
tient's wishes in the event that the
patient needs life sustaining pro
cedures. Power of Attorney
health care will also be discuss
ed.
Speakers for the seminar will
be Dr. Jeanne Berretta and at
torney Bill Kuhn.
For more information contact
Russ Demianew, seminar coor
dinator. 676-9133.
Jerry
and Joyce
Kay
Hollomon, owners of the Shoe
Box. will host the second
Chamber of Commerce Business
After Hours this Thursday from
6 to 7p.m.
All business owners and
managers in the area arc invited
to attend for visiting and getting
to know your fellow business
owners and their products. Mex
ican snacks, wine and coffee will
be served.
Bank of Eastern Oregon
HOME LOAN PROGRAM
Rates as low as 7.25%
OF
m a stern Oregon
Arlington • Heppner • lone
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