Heppner gazette-times., September 14, 1994, Image 1

2 E S S 1 E W E T Z F L L
Lesley's Eubanks celebrate anniversaries
U 0 F ORF
N E 'A S P A P F R L 1 T’
EU G F NE OR 5 7 4' ;
Houston's sister, Lela, and
his brother, Bill, joined the cou­
ple for their 72nd anniversary.
Marie has a brother, Joe
Legler, living in John Day. A
sister and another brother have
passed away.
Marie recently broke her leg
in two places, but that still
won't keep her down. "W e
had her in the hospital a cou­
ple of days," says Houston,
"but she said she was going to
come home and she did. I'm
helping her out a little bit, but
she helps herself mostly. I have
to put her leg in bed," added
Houston with a laugh.
3
Marie and Huston Lesley
V0L. 113
NO. 38
8 Pages Wednesday, September 14, 1994
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
Ballot measures could have negative impact
City projects in final stages
The major city projects of
street repairs and the sewer
system renovation are now in
the final stages. However, the
city council faced some tough
decisions at Monday night's
council meetings, since some of
the November ballot measures,
if approved, could create finan­
cial andcontractual conse­
quences for the city.
"Contractors went over and
above specifications in doing an
excellent job, " said Allen
Rieke, sewer plant engineer.
On August 28, contractors met
the September 1, deadling for
having the plant ,on line in
order to be eligible for $800,000
in grant funding to help pay for
this $2 million project.
A 30-day grace period will
give contractors time to install
a methane gas burner at the
treatment plant, as required by
the Departm ent of En­
vironmental Quality. The coun­
cil also approved $2,000 in
change orders for grass seeding
around the pump station and
other turf work that was not in
the original specifications.
Operational costs for electrici­
ty to operate the underground
sprinkler system are now
estimated at $10,000 per year.
The council approved a
sewer rate increase beginning
with the December billing. The
aveage home owner who cur­
rently pays about $19.70 per
month will be assessed an ad-
ditonal $2.50 per month for
operational costs and .70 cents
for sewer bond indebtedness
payment, making a total bill of
$22.90 per month.
"We don't have any choice,"
Councilman Dave Allstott said,
explaining that the law dictates
that city services must be self
supporting.
The council had hoped to
delay an anticipated sewer rate
increase for at least another
year. In order to hold the line
on city spending, budget cuts,
including eliminating one city
employee, have held opera­
tional cost increases to 2>Vi per­
cent since the last major sewer
incease in 1991, City Manager
Gary Marks said.
According to Marks the pro­
posed new ballot measure five,
if approved, would eliminate
most council authority on the
ability to control city finances.
It would also eliminate the ci­
ty's ability to honor previous
bond agreements which could
lead to default.
Marks also explained that the
proposed measure 20 would
eliminate the authority of
municipalities to issue new
bonds
for capital
im­ been included in . the school
provements, which could only building bond issue," Heppner
be financed through voter ap­ High School principal Steve
proval by adding a tax rate Dickenson said, it was alsp
above the proposed two per­ pointed out that these through
cent state tax.
streets allow access to
Caught in this catch-22 situa­ residents' homes and the coun­
tion, cities may have a hard ty Emergency Management
time budgeting or meeting center. Dickerson said thaPas
financial obligations without a home owner in that area he
knowing how nrn|ch revenue was concerned about fire pro­
can be receive from the state if tection access, should the steep
hill above Water street be
measure 20 is approved.
unuseable
due to weather
While major reconstruction of
city streets has been completed, conditons.
Conty members have agreed
contractors still havè some back
filling, shoulder work and to hold a special meeting to
clean-up to do, Marks said. work on a solution with school
Representatives of the Morrow board representatives.
County School District were on
The council also reversed a
hand to address the repair of 1993 resolution that allowed the
streets in that area. Evidently city to pay the PERS portion of
when the school was built and employees benefits in lieu of a
the property was annexed into six percent salary increase.
the city, the access roads were M easure eight on the
ballot
bans
not declared as city streets. So November
employers
from
paying
an
now it becomes a matter of who
employee's
PERS
amount.
The
is responsible for maintenance
city will now put the amount
of that area.
Councilman Chuck Holtz paid for that benefit back into
pointed out that since the pro­ city employees' paychecks.
They also adopted a resolu­
perty belongs to the school
district those streets could tion to annex property on
legally be gated. As to the city Cemetery Hill that has been
financing major repairs, it's a purchased by the Port of Mor­
matter of lacking the financial row in anticipation of develop­
resources and manpower, he ment in that area. That proper­
ty will be withdrawn from the
said.
rural
fire district and placed
"H ad the school district
under
city protection.
known that it was not a public
street, maintenance might have
A party, honoring Mildred
and John Eubanks on their 63rd
wedding anniversary and
Marie and Huston Lesley on
their 75th wedding anniversary
will be hosted by the Hardman
Community Center on Sunday,
Sept. 25, from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Dinner will be served at 1
p.m. with the club furnishing
the meat entrees, beverages
and cake. Those attending are
asked to bring a potluck dish.
Huston Lesley, 98, grew up
on the family ranch near Monu­
ment. He joined the army
when he was 21 and spent 2Vi
years as a non-commissioned
officer during World War I.
After his return from the war,
he and Marie met at a dance in
Monument. Although they
both grew up in the John Day
area, they had never met before
that dance. Marie said she was
immediately attracted to "that
good looking guy in uniform."
The two were married in a
church in John Day on Sept. 1,
1919. He wore a blue suit with
bell-bottomed trousers and she
wore a fancy white dress, but
no veil. She carried garden
flowers fashioned into a bou­
quet by Huston's younger
sister.
The couple had to delay their
honeymoon until Houston was
able to repair a used car he
bought for $80. Because they
had no tent, they fashioned
tree boughs into a shelter dur­
ing a rainstorm on their
honeymoon.
In 1926, Huston took over the
stage line from Canyon City to
Lone Creek, where they made
their home. Roads had become
more passable than rutted
tracks and vehicles had become
more reliable, improved from
the days when car axles broke
and repairs were just part of a
day's journey.
In 1940, the Lesleys moved to
Portland to work in the
shipyards during World War II.
Three years later, however,
they sold their home in
Estacada and returned to
eastern Oregon.
The couple said they ran out
of gas at Hardman. But that
delay became permanent as the
Lesleys have now lived in
Hardman for 51 years. They
were the last shop keepers in
Hardman and had a combined
general store, garage and gas
station.
The building, which was also
the post office, became home.
Marie served as post mistress
for 23 years, until rural mail
delivery started and the post of­
fice was closed because of the
town's dwindling population.
The Lesleys business also
diminished and they eventually
closed their doors. They never
considered leaving, however.
In the early days, the Lesleys'
plumbing was "out back",
water was carried from the pit­
cher pump on the community's
well and there was no electri­
city.
The Lesleys have three
daughters, Nellie Hobson,
Anaconda, MT., Genevieve
Woolery, Oregon City, and
Fern Yeakel, Seattle, WA.;
eight grandchildren; 12 great-
great grandchildren; and 32
great-great-great grandchild­
ren.
Houston is the eldest of 12
children, six of whom are still
living, Bob, the youngest, who
lives in John Day; Elvira
Walker, Medford; Bill, Monu­
ment; Lela Sloan, Pendleton;
Sally Smith, Portland; and
Don, California. One brother
died at the age of 14. According
to Houston, the brother was
virtually ambushed in a
watermelon patch and shot in
the leg. He was transported to
Condon, but died, probably of
loss of blood and shock, says
Huston.
M urray Drugs to host A fter H ours
Ann (1) and John Murray, Murray Drugs, will host the next
Chamber Business After Hours on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m.
This is an opportunity for local busineses and members to get
to know each other's businesses, a bit about their history and
related retail concerns.
Alumni tournament meeting set
An organizational meeting
for the annual Alumni basket­
ball and volleyball tournament
will be held Thursday,
September 15 at 7 p.m. at the
Columbia Basin Conference
room. Anyone interested in
helping is urged to attend. The
tournament is held the last
weekend in December.
John and Mildred Eubanks
John and Mildred Eubanks
were married at The Dalles on
Sept. 24,1931. They spent their
first winter in Portland where
John worked for a produce
company. They later came back
to lone where he worked on
ranches for $1 a day. He started
trucking in the spring of 1934
and on July 25 of that year,
their son, Donald, was bom.
In April 1936, John was run
over by a truck and fractured
his pelvis in nine places, in ad­
dition to suffering internal in­
juries. He was in the hospital
at The Dalles for four months
and was bedfast for two
months after he returned.
John's uncle, Lewis Halvorsen,
ran the trucking business while
John was laid up and continued
working for him for some time.
John was in the business until
1942 when they went into the
restaurant business.
In 1945 the Eubanks had a
daughter, Sandra.
They sold out to Betty and
Roy Lieuallen and then moved
to the Lewis Halvorsen ranch
two miles below lone where
they had a dairy. Mildred
began driving school bus and
continued for 13 years. They
then rented the Withers ranch
nine miles west of lone from
1946 to 1949, when they bought
the 1400 acre ranch from the
Withers' estate. They bought
640 acres of wheatland at
Morgan from Melvin Gillespie
of Athena and the Morgan
elevator from Mahoney and
Smith. In 1965 they bought 550
acres of wheat land from Don
Linnell. They sold out to Mac-
Wheat in 1977.
In 1952 they bought the Hol­
ly Bean place at Echo that had
440 acres of irrigated land, 230
head of beef cattle and 40 dairy
cows. According to the History
of Morrow County, 'One day
John came in and said to
Mildred, "This place would kill
a m an." So they put it in the
hands of a realtor and in a short
time the place sold. The new
owner dropped dead of a heart
attack six months later.'
In 1953 the Eubanks bought
a cabin a Reid's mill near
Parker's Mill, where they
hunted and entertained. In
1961 they bought the R.D.
Allstott Ranch at Eight Mile,
farming the Jeannie Huston
ranch at the same time. In 1971
they bought the John Rice
home, along with seven acres
in Irrigon and in 1976, they
bought acreage from A1
Conforth.
The couple retired in 1979,
when they moved to their
mountain cabin, which had
been remodeled into a home.
In 1981, they celebrated their
50th anniversary by taking a
trip to Canada, accompanied by
her sister and husband, John
and Earlene Sanders.
The couple has seven grand­
children, Don's daughters,
Rebecca, Melinda and Melissa;
and Sandra's sons, twins,
Rocky and Rusty, and Toby
and Casey Rodriguez.
John has been a member of
the Elks Lodge and Willows
Grange. Midlred is a past presi­
dent of American Legion Aux­
iliary and the Morrow County
Cowbells and a member of
Willows Grange.
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