-éh*~
Clean Stream Initiative targets ag producers
By Meriyn Robinson
A proposed measure for the
November ballot, labeled the
"Clean Stream Initiative", is
really a target agamst agricul
ture, according to Pete Test and
Lindsay Slater, who explained
the details of this measure
before a large group of pro
ducers at the Heppner Elks
Lodge on Monday, April 22.
Test, who is assistant direc
tor of governmental affairs for
the Oregon Farm Bureau, said
the measure should be called
the "livestock exclusion act". If
the initiative qualifies, the ballot
title will read, "Prohibits live
stock in Certain Polluted
Waters or On Adjacent
Lands".
According to Test, the defini
tion of "polluted" is distorted
in that it also refers to any body
of water where water tempera
tures exceed 50 degrees for
seven consecutive days even
during the hottest weather.
Over 900 streams, including a
majority of those in Eastern
Oregon, are already listed as
failing to meet that standard by
the Department of Environ
mental Quality.
B E S S I E WE T Z E L L
ORE
NE WS P A P E R L I B
E U G E N E CR & 7 4 0 3
U
VOL. 115
NO. 17
OF
6 Pages Wednesday, April 24, 1996,
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
D r earn boat
"It doesn't take a brain
surgeon to see how stupid this
is," Test said.
"Any water source with a
water right will be affected, in
cluding streams, ponds, mar
shes and sub-irrigated riparian
areas. That doesn't leave much
except rainwater," Test said.
"Ranch sales are already fall
ing through because people are
wary of the impact of this in
itiative," he continued. Test ex
plained the expense and impact
to agriculture through fencing
and streambank management
could be devastating.
If the petition gathers enough
signatures through paid peti
tioners in urban areas to place
it on the ballot, any property
owner could be in violation.
Even someone who doesn't
own livestock could be charg-
Lindsay Slater (I), Pete Test
ed if someone else's horse, pig
or sheep was seen in a restrict
ed stream area. The property
owner could be out a con
siderable expense in lawyer
fees.
Slater, director of the Oregon
Cattlemen's Association legal
foundation, and Test are tour
ing the state representing an
alliance of Oregon agricultural
groups who are working
together to protect livestock
owners, ranch families, com
munities and private property
owners' interests.
"W e must work together to
educate urban people on the
importance of agriculture and
how this initiative could impact
food c o s ts ," Slater said.
Millions of dollars would have
to be spent in fencing, which
normally costs $5,000 per mile.
Key sponsors of this measure
are environmental groups, in
cluding the Oregon Natural
Desert Association, Oregon
Natural Resources Council,
Oregon Trout, Oregon Ang
lers, Sierra Club of Oregon,
Oregon Wildlife Federation,
Portland Audubon Society and
others.
Lack of adequate livestock
water sources would effective
ly remove livestock from any
public grazing allotments.
"D on't beat up on your state
agencies," Test said. "Their
hands are tied because by law
they can't take sides." Many
ranchers are already par
ticipating in programs to im
prove fish and wildlife habitiat
in cooperation with those agen
cies. Funding for those pro
grams could dry up if the
money were siphoned off to
cover the cost of fencing.
"This is a lawyers' retirement
initiative," Test said, referring
to the clause in the act that
would allow any person to
bring civil action for violations.
"It will only build more con
flicts," he added. Property
owners will be more wary of
allowing access to their land for
fear of lawsuits. Ultimately it
could impact fishing and hun
ting through restrictions.
"W e can't afford to lose,"
Test said, "even if it means
knocking on doors in urban
areas. Millions of dollars will be
spent by both sides on this
issue. How much better it
would be to put that money in
to the land."
Old Time
Fiddlers to
I
Bike-a-thon scheduled for April 28 perform
The annual St. Jude Bike-a-
thon is scheduled for this Sun
day, April 28, with registration
beginning at noon near the
lone Fire Hall. All riders are
welcome to gather pledges and
participate in this event, with
all proceeds going to St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital in
Memphis, Tennessee.
Two routes are used. A one-
mile circuit route within lone is
available for young riders,
roller-bladers, baby strollers
and walkers. Riders with more
stamina may ride in from
Ruggs, which is approximate
ly 22 miles. Participants may
register at either site. Transpor-
tation to Ruggs will be available
for bikes and riders, and will
leave lone at 12:30 p.m.
All riders will finish at the
lone City Park, where refresh
ments will be served and
photographs taken. Collection
envelopes may be picked up at
the conclusion of the ride.
Riders collecting $35 or more in
pledges will receive a t-shirt.
Those with $75 or more will
receive a t-shirt and tote bag.
Additional volunteer moni
tors are needed for both
courses. Anyone interested in
helping should contact either
ride coordinator, Anne Morter,
422-7429, or Janet Thompson,
422-7549.
The Blue Mountain Old Time
Fiddlers will perform in Irrigon
at the Stokes Landing Senior
Center, Saturday, April 27 at
6:30 p.m. The performance will
feature a variety of old time
acoustic music and songs.
Admission is $2; refresh
ments will be available. For
more
inform ation,
call
922-4399.
A uthor to speak
at M C Museum
Team to help recruit businesses
Joe Wilhelm of Heppner puts keel on his “dreamboat” with the help of neighbor Adam Perez,
Jim Roy, in Columbia Basin truck, and Mike VanArsdale
By April Hilton-Syko-
It may look a little like an ark,
especially with all of the rain
we've been getting in Hepp
ner, but to Joe Wilhelm it's a
dream.
Wilhelm has been working
on his 30 foot San Juan sailing
sloop for the past year and, last
week, enlisted the help of a few
friends and Columbia Basin
Electric to put the 3,700-pound
keel on the 6,000 pound boat,
which is sitting across the street
from his home on Gale Street
in Heppner. Setting the boat on
its keel put Wilhelm a bit closer
to his dream of retiring on the
boat in the Gulf of Mexico in
four years with his wife,
Marina. And, says Joe, Marina
is even "coming around" to
the idea.
Wilhelm, 46, grew up in
Heppner and returned only
five years ago after spending
the past five years in Sacramen
to with Marina and sons, Stacy,
19, Shaun, 17, and Travis, 16.
With him also came a love of
boats. He had worked on boats
in the Navy and while working
in Los Angeles. He has
delivered boats up and down
the Columbia and is an ex
perienced sailor. "I'v e always
dreamed of builing my own
boat," says Wilhelm. "It's nice
to have a dream that's coming
together."
Wilhelm says he plans to put
the boat in the water in Board-
man, motor down to Portland
to get its mast and then back to
Boardman to moor it. This fall
he plans to go to Mexico to level
their property for an RV spot
and put in a camp trailer.
Ironically, Marina won the pro
perty, which is in San Felipe on
the Baja Penninsula on the Sea
of Cortez, in a national pin
giveaway contest around seven
years ago. After the last son is
out of the nest and Wilhelm
will be vested for retirement, he
plans to sail the boat to Mexico,
and then "sail the Sea of Cor
tez and enjoy life."
Wilhelm said he bought the
boat for $3,000, but estimates
that it will be worth around
$50,000 when he is finished. He
has raised the deck to provide
headroom downstairs and has
installed a two-cycle, extreme
ly efficient, Volvo diesel
engine. He is putting in a 45
gallon fuel tank and a 35 gallon
water tank with a water maker.
The water maker will make 35
gallons of fresh water out of sea
water. He also plans to install
solar panels. "It will be pretty
self-sufficient," he says, put
ting a touch of reality into that
dream.
Correction
Genny Sneddon, a sopho
more at Heppner High School,
was mistakenly omitted from
the Heppner High School
honor roll. Sneddon received a
4.
I
The Heppner Economic De
velopment Corporation has
recently named a sub-commit-
tee of this group called the
Heppner Business Recruitment
Team. Committee members
will act as a first-line contact
source for any potential busi-
ness/industry considering
locating in Heppner. They will
also act as a solicitor of business
and industry that is deemed
missing from the local area. A
third function of the commitee
will be to react to potential
business closing in the area.
During the month of May,
the team will do an inventory
of commercial and industrial
sites in south Morrow County
and will perform a needs
analysis for the area.
They will also be offering
their services to the medical
district on the community side
of doctor recruitment.
Any community members
who would like to be involved
in any of the activities of the
recruitment team, contact Gary
Marks, George Koffler, Jerry
Healy, John Murray or Qaudia
Hughes regarding your inter
est.
Park D istrict m eeting changed
The regularly scheduled
meeting of the Willow Creek
Park District has been changed
to Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m.
at Heppner City Hall.
The public is invited to
attend.
Award-winning Oregon au
thor Molly Gloss will appear at
the Morrow County Museum
(MCM) in Heppner on Friday,
May 3, at 7 p.m. Her talk, "Pro
ving Up: Homesteading Wo
men in the Literature of the
American West,” will explore
images of women in western
fiction.
Gloss is the author of the
novel, "The Jump-Off Creek,"
which portrays the life of an
1890s widow who takes up a
homestead in a remote comer
of northeastern Oregon. The
book was a nominee for the
PEN/Faulkner award, and a
winner of both the H.L. Davis
Oregon Book Award and the
Pacific Northwest Booksellers
Award.
For further information about
the program, contact the mu
seum Saturday through Wed
nesday, 1-5 p.m., 676-5524.
The program is sponsored by
the MCM and is made possible
by the Oregon Council for the
Humanities, an affiliate of the
National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Don’t miss our
Early Sum m er Sale
Thru April 27
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221
*
t
1-800-452-7396