TWO • Heppner Gazette Times. Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 28 . 1994
t ( t A c l c 4>i*
The biggest story of 1994 tor the Heppner, Lexington, lone community was undoubtedly the
sale of Kinzua Corporation to a group of investors known as L.L.C. Resources, and the threat
of permanent closure of the Kinzua mill. Closure of the mill would not only have affected the
mill employees, but the business community, indeed, everyone in south Morrow County to some
extent. The mill reopened as Kinzua Resources LLC after a brief closure and many, but not all,
of its previous employees were rehired. Its reopening prompted a sigh of relief and a sense of
security, however tenuous, for area residents.
Following are more of the people and events that made the news in South Morrow County.
January: Three were arrested in park vandalism; Heppner sewer work got underway;
John Edmundson, Corrine Lindsay, man and woman of the year, Dave Gunderson, educator,
Tom and Helen Riehl, R & VV Drive-In business of the year; Staci O'Brien was crowned Mor
row County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo queen, Char Coe, Jossie Evans and Kim Bedor--
tha, were named princesses; Cecil and Delpha Jones earned Century Farm award; school board
cuts over IV 2 million from bond proposal for improvements and additions; Extension Coun
cil votes for tax district.
February: Tony Becket, Erin Fishburn, Truitt Greenup, Mark Moeller and John Qualls
were selected for Junior Statesman Congress; Kinzua Mill Sold; Co-Gen Plant to close; suit
against citv of Heppner dismissed; Rick Koffler selected for East West Shrine Team; Louis
Buschke dies in Willow Creek Lake; Sara Greenup, Joe Lindsay, Heidi Orem, Rick Koffler,
Tony Becket and Erin Fishburn were Elks Scholarship winners; lone Cardinals teams head
to district and then state 1-A basketball tournament; Heppner Fillies and Mustangs head to
district playoffs; Megan Bailey wins first in Elks writing contest; Eugene-based company
reportedly involved in Kinzua purchase.
March: Heppner Fillies take second in district; Mustangs claim district title; Mustangs,
Fillies dominate CBC All Stars: Rick Koffler, Len Brittner, Kelsie Evans, Holly Eckman nam
ed to first team; Sam Sumner second team; Joe Healy, Jenny Krein honorable mention;
Mustangs clinch spot in regional tournament; school board hears support for Irrigon High
School; Wilson family honored by St. Pat's Committee; Mustangs end 40 year losing streak
at state; Rick Koffler, Kelsie Evans named to all stars; Plan would create separate Boardman
and county health care districts; Morrow County Children and Youth Services Commission
establishes Heppner office, Dar Merrill, director, Arletha Brannon, administrative assistant;
lone American Legion post celebrates 75th anniversary; Lynde Minster wins trip to U.N.;
A Wee Bit O' Ireland in Heppner again; Morrow County $3 million operating levy passes;
S478 thousand health care levy passes; $15 million School district bond goes down; meetings
slated to help if mill closes; Kinzua employees talk unemployment; Cross on Cross Hill to
stand sentinel over city; Petitioners to place county-wide medical district on ballot.
April: lone youth group makes annual trek to help homeless on Burnside. Jonas Healy
qualifies for Oregon Geography Bee; Theta Lowe rescued from snow-bound vehicle; Local
protesters picket for Kinzua at Eugene; School proposal eliminates 1995-% sports; Ethan Burn
side regional winner in Blazer/Avia contest; School board approves four-day student week;
16 year-old Jason Halvorsen killed in auto accident; Kinzua owners announce opening of mill.
May: Job bank program to help students in pay-to-participate extra-curricular program
next year; Gary and Vernon Frederickson named 1994 Conservation Farmers; Kinzua Resources
takes 159 job applications; Zane Martin, Toni Kemp receive top FFA awards; Former Kinzua
owners make donation; Heppner track team heads to state; Mustangs secure No. 1 playoff
spot with 19-3 baseball record; Bank of Eastern Oregon awards scholarships to Kara Ansotegui,
Jason Proudfoot, Hud Wilkins; Mick Tolar to resign after 34 years at A.C. Houghton Elemen
tary School; Ladv Cardinals dominate district track meet; Melissa McElligott leads lone Car
dinals to second at state track championships; Mustangs still district baseball champs; Hepp
ner dominates all star picks, first team Trent Hughes, Jerad Wickland, Chris Dickenson, Sam
Sumner, Kevin Payne, Rick Koffler, honorable mention, Jim Tellechea, Jon Hanna, Rod Zum-
vvalt; Aaron Heideman named to east-west Shrine foot ball first team; PMH Hospital Foun
dation announces scholarship winners Rick Koffler and Nicki Sweeney; Sw imming pool plans
chosen.
June: lone auction and barbecue biggest ever; Frank Pearson to resign from Kinzua
Resources; Presidential Academic Fitness Gold Awards presented to Leah Denton, Matt Van
Liew, silver to Trisha Adams, Matt Jepsen, Laurie Michael, Kim Pointer, Eric Rollis, Adam
Doherty, Javme Hansen, Jonas Healy; Janet Greenup new Morrow Soil and Water Conser
vation district manager; Art Kegler joins commissioner race; new fire truck arrives in Hepp
ner; Leaks in sludge tank delay wastewater project; Teachers, district sign contract.
July: Willow Creek run marks end of era for railroad in Heppner; record number attend
lone Fourth of July festivities; Gribbles' invention a breakthrough; Babe Ruth All Stars selected,
Derek Gunderson, Tim Dickenson, Jeff Waterland, Shane Matheny, Danny Coiner, Josh
t& e y t M ,
Coiner, Eric Schonbachler, Donnie Pointer, Dan Burnside, Tim Sumner; City of Heppner begins
street project; All cities in county opt in county-wide medical district; Marcia DeBo appointed
to Heppner City Council; Jim Swanson, Nancy Brownfield, city of lone presented state tourism
award; Marcia Kemp elected school board chair; Jim Farley attends 50th anniversary celebra
tion of D-Day in Europe; Tiffanie Munkers qualifies for National High School Rodeo finals;
County Court forms county-wide medical district; Local firemen, Mike Jones, Steve Rhea,
Hal Bergstrom, Tom Wicklund, Rusty Estes, Richard Ladd, Dennis Thompson, Jim Boor, Bob
Naims, respond to huge Grass Valley blaze; Jossie Evans wins Morrow County Open Horse
Show all around title.
August: Schools begin four-day week; Rick Koffler, Aaron Heideman play in Shrine game;
Swimming pool commission may put pool issue on ballot; Kinzua monies distributed to area
organizations; Nella Britt opens adult foster care home; Top rodeo competitors, Bobby Hurley,
Allen Bach, Marvin Gay, Joe Beaver, Clint Corey, vie for cash and prizes at the Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo; Brett McDowell wins calf roping saddle; Troy Frazier, Walla Walla, wins all around
saddle; Dr. Donald Carlson, podiatrist, opens Heppner office; Kara Ansotegui named to Ford
Scholars program.
September: Local Camp Fire Girls, Tara Osment, TyLynn Smith, Paula SpicerKuhn,
Brittni and Shelby Padberg, Aleshia Geer, Sheena Shank, Abby Kahl and Sally Calvert, put
out forest fire; County-wide medical district formed; City projects, sewer system renovation,
citv streets in final stages, Heppner-Condon Girls Rodeo Team, including Tiffanie Munkers
and Katie McCoin; Jacie Allstott, Harley Sager, Darlene Lovgren retired from First Interstate
Bank; $15 million school bond levy failed; new auto shop owned by John and Sandra Goodell
opens in town; Elizabeth Allen, 12, organizer of a homeless aid program, is recognized by
The Oregonian, with helpers Allison Halvorsen, Nikki McElligott and Adrienne Swanson,
all lone; Lutheran, Episcopal churches respond to community need with Friday religious school;
Can-do attitude results in 32 unit lone subdivision; Nazarene church hires new minister, Duane
Jones.
October: OSU to honor Ken Smouse and Nels Anderson; School board recommends
school bond cuts; Union Pacific rejects county's proposal for rail line acquisition; new bridge
to go up on Court St.; Sheriff's Dept, dog put to sleep; Service organizations receive dona
tions from Kinzua Resources; lady Cardinals earn spot in district volleyball tournament; Morrow
County Fair and OTPR selects court: queen Rondi Robinson, princesses Stephanie Skultety
and Michelle Meakins; state trooper Tim Cundell moves to area; students Kevin Drake, Paula
SpicerKuhn, Jodie Carlson, Camille Sykes and Kyle McDaniel, win Blazer tickets; Rail line
comes up.
November: Staci O'Brien recipient of OTPR scholarship; Harley Sager joins Bank of
Eastern Oregon staff; lone lady Cardinals district volleyball champs; Big Sky All Star Team
announced, first team Melissia McElligott and Kim Bedortha, honorable mention, Allison
Sullivan, Becky Wagenblast and Mary Jane McCarty; Health district tax base passes; Morrow
County tax base, Extension tax base fail; Ray French elected Morrow County Commissioner;
lone lady Cardinals win state volleyball title; CBC All Star football team announced: first team,
Bill Schlaich, second team, Schlaich, Jon Hanna, Chris Sykes, Chris Dickenson, Shaun Hisler,
Eric Schonbachler, honorable mention, John Qualls, Hisler, Hanna, Sykes, Dickenson; CBC
All Star volleyball team picked: first team, Jenny Krein, second, Char Coe, honorable men
tion, Kelsie Evans; Park district possible funding source for school extracurricular programs;
city sewer project in final stages; school board cuts bond levy; regional jail situation explored;
Del's Market severely damaged in fire; Brosnans open used paperback bookstore; downtown
Christmas tree donated by Chuck and Donna Moeller; cellular service to come to Heppner;
School board cuts bond levy; Make It Yourself With Wool contest held at lone.
December: Jason Halvorsen's basketball jersey No. 44 retired in ceremony; city of Hepp
ner dedicates wastewater facility; Forrie Burkenbine steps down after 28 years as Heppner
fire chief; Santa Claus makes annual visit to the Soroptimist Artifactory, downtown merchants
hold lunch with Santa; Rusty Estes named Heppner fire chief; David Allstott, Dave Pranger
resign from Heppner city council; Skip Matthews, Tim VanCleave new council members; Geri
Grieb honored by OSU; Frederickson Farms named state conservation farm of the year; Nathan
Heideman, Jerad Ashbeck, Greg Holtz named to All State 1A football team, Joe Bacon Big
Sky second team; Marc Orem, Luke Swanson, honorable mention; dog's return helps Looney
family through holidays; June Crowell retires from lone branch of the Bank of Eastern Oregon;
Marsha Sweek named to Oregon Council for the Humanities board; solutions hunted for sports
funding problems; Willow Creek Camp Site nears completion; local churches plan Christmas
services, pastors offer inspirational messages; flood warning signs to be installed in Hepp
ner; Vietnam veterans honored at banquet; Alumni tournament gets underway; Willow Creek
Park Board votes to put two pool issues on the March 28 ballot; Kathie Maben wins $650
in gift certificates in merchants' Christmas give-away. •
Chamber open hous£ winners
Having trouble with
Workmans Comp?
Contact us at
Wheatland Insurance
lone 422-7410
Claudia Hughes (I), presents Roger Scharen with a lapel pin and
Sharon Harrison with a ‘Where to Find Oregon in Oregon’ book.
They were two of the winners in the Chamber/CAPECO/GEODC
open house last week. Standing behind Hughes is Greg Smith,
GOEDC and beside Harrison is Corol Mitchel, CAPECO. Not pic
tured were Don Brosnan, poinsetta and Todd Currier a lapel pin.
^ a p p y
i^ e w f ^ e a r /
lone Garden Club members
met at the home of Pat Petty
john Dec. 14 for their annual
Christmas party. The afternoon
began with a luncheon follow
ed by a gift exchange.
Helen
Martin showed
nostalgic pictures of the begin
ning of the club.
W ishing you the very best
in 1995! We appreciate
your support and look
forward to serving you in
E
the years to come.
H open Saturday, Dec. 31st, 8 a.m.-noon^j
Closed Monday, Jan. 2nd
Mor row County*
Grain Growers me;
Ptionc 9491771
Wasco «42 5711
1 N0-I24-7II5
I 400457 739«
UIMCTO* 0»(G(M 97134
lone Garden Club has meeting
70 h i 387 1
Guests for the day were Jane
Rawlins, a former member,
Eunice McElligott and Thelma
Lindner of Pendleton. Delta
Huber
gave
crocheted
snowflakes to anyone who
wished to donate so that the
money could go to the
Neighborhood Center. Twenty
two dollars were given.
m tfh e Wall
- 88-
--kl-------
Dy M tn y n n w u i w
li i f n . ' f f r i-M -—
Atfer a welcome flood of newsy Christmas letters, I'm glad to
not be a player on Internet. Christmas wouldn't be the same
without all those beautiful cards. But if the postage rate continues
to rise, many greetings may be sent by computer. This requires
computer driven horsepower with which I have only a nodding
acquaintance.
Probably there is a need to instantly communicate with so
meone in Australia, via computers. But I can associate more with
the turtle that's trying to cross a busy freeway. I haven't a need
for all the statistics that can be called up on computer screens.
My gray matter can't even recall all the data that has been pro
gramed into these cells. A little too much information is
dangerous; you can tell if you're reading this column.
I'd prefer that communication is limited to the telephone, ex
cluding those calls attempting to sell a product. Having ump
teen shopping channels with visual enhancement via television
isn't really my bag, either.
I'm a quick stop shopper who can also dawdle while brows
ing. Forget about someone expounding for a half hour on the
merits of a product. Nor do I fall for the pitch that enriching one's
life means not living without some art object or accessory.
Interaction with sales people, in person that is, is part of the
fun of shopping. I sometimes wonder if clerks keep repeating
that phrase ''have a good day'' at home after work. How about
a parting quip of "Did you rob a bank?” , "G et out of here with
your weird purchases” , or "Cheer up, it's only money".
Conversing with a mutual shopper can also be stimulating.
While eyeballing the many coffee products, a stranger
volunteered the merits of sugarless mocha coffee that has less
calories than the regular kind. But both of us downplayed the
fat content listed on the label; after all it was the holiday season.
It's easy to stall out in the supermarket. With so many different
kinds of pasta, it's reasonable to shut one's eyes and grab. That
assortment of shells, wheels and curlicues basically tastes the
same after it's smothered with a rich sauce.
Unless one is hooked on a particular brand, choosing a cereal
can be time consuming. The varieties seem endless. Each ready-
to-eat cereal exclaims about healthy, enriched nutrients. Once
upon a time there weren't so many choices. Breakfast used to
be stick-to-the-ribs oatmeal loaded with unpourable thick cream
topped with brown sugar that prevented an 11 a.m. hunger strike.
Are all the things in the deli counters snapped up by before-
dinner shoppers? It's easy to fall into that instant meal trap. At
$4 to $5 per pound, lunch meats can quickly stave off starvation.
My ancient hand turned grinder knows that's it cheaper to chew
up a whole turkey or roast.
In case you re puzzled about the connection between com
munication and eating, it s that the mouth seems to need cons
tant exercise. Talking and eating are both soul fuel. Using only
the fingers to communicate just doesn't cut it. And though it's
embarrassing not to be able to recall a familiar person's name,
I can hardly claim that a computer virus wiped out my memory
bank.