Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 1999)
136 workers to lose jobs JQ in Heppner area Kinzua mill to close .EEssiE U OF ORE S' F W S P A P E U Q £ N t R L I i) R y 7 4 HEPPNER unes VOL. 118 NO. 3 8 Pages Wednesday, January 20,1999 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Bob and Aloha Despain named citizens of the year Heppner, was named business of the year. The business was selected because of its importance in the community and the compassion and caring Pat Sweeney and his family have shown the people of Bob and Aloha Despain Bob and Aloha Despain were selected the Heppner Chamber of Commerce Man and Woman of the Year at the annual Town & Country Banquet held January 14 at the Heppner Elks Club. Both the Despains are active members of All Saints Episcopal Church and currently serve as junior and senior wardens for the congregation. Bob Despain has been foreman for the U.S. Forest Service Youth Conservation Corps crew, working "right along with these young people, shoulder to shoulder, instilling strong work ethics and proper behavior in the work place," according to award presenter John Edmundson. The Despains raised four children, Robert, Kathy, Chris and Merry, and often provided a home for many other young people who needed a safe haven at difficult times in their lives. Called a "two-person family services organization", the Despains recently, within minutes of learning of a family's misfortune due to a fire incident, organized relief with respect to food, clothing and shelter. Aloha Despain has contributed an "incredible amount" of time, energy and effort towards helping the Morrow County Behavioral Health Department become recognized regionally and nationally as a model mental health program. Their activities include leadership or support for numerous activities, including: the Halloween haunted house, carpentry at the Heppner Day Care Center, installation of a new cross on Cross Hill, the all Saints' Episcopal annual barbecue, driving senior citizens for appointments and emergencies, making and giving "Comfort Crosses" (handmade wooden crosses), supporting Camp Fire, service at the senior meal site, participating in the MS walk, the Episcopal Cove Approximately 70 people from South Morrow County number in the 136 full-time and part- time employees to be laid off from Kinzua Resources mill in Heppner, according to Kinzua Resources manager Jim Salyers. The employees received notice January 14 that the mill would close permanently March 16. The notice of plant closure to the employees read, "To: all employees. Kinzua Resources, LLC will cease operations of its Heppner facility located in Heppner Oregon. You will be laid off on March 14, 1999. Nature of closure: Permanent Plant Closure. Please direct questions to Jim Salyers 541 - 676-9000." Salyers said that the mill would remain open until March 16 because the company is required by law to give employees 60 days notice and pay them for 60 days time, regardless of the shut down date. Salyers said that giving the employees notice was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do. "It's just not easy to tell 136 workers that they won't have a job," he said. "It's hit me pretty hard as well." Salyers, who lives with his wife in Heppner, says they plan to stay in Heppner and he will commute to Pilot Rock and will work in management at the Pilot Rock mill. Pilot Rock is a 45 minute to an hour drive from Heppner over the mountainous Highway 74. Pilot Rock can also be accessed by traveling on 1-84 through Pendleton. This route, which may be more favorable in snow or ice, takes around an hour and a half from Heppner. "This (the mill closure) is the most difficult decision our company has ever had to make," said Greg Demers, Frontier Resources president, in a news release January 14. "We know how important the mill is to the Ascension School maintenance and repair, Hospice program development, All Saints annual Thanksgiving dinner and Shrove Tuesday pancake supper and the Neighborhood Center Toys for Tots program Pat and Trisha Sweeney, Sweeney Mortuary Ralph Werner Ralph Werner, citizen educator of the year, took over a struggling band program and turned it around to the extent that it is a vital presence that is valued in the community. Werner began teaching for Heppner Elementary School and Heppner Junior/Senior High School two and a half years ago, during a tragic time, following the death of band teacher Beth Slottee. He built up the music program at the high school to include 45 students this year and the district is now considering adding classes because of the large amount of interest, said presenter Ron Anthony. Wemer directs the Heppner pep band at football and basketball games, directs school concerts, the marching band, downtown concerts and various other performances. A group of Werner's students, comprising the rock band, "Final Warning", performed at the Town & Country banquet. Sweeney Mortuary, owned by Pat and Trisha Sweeney of the area. Sweeney Mortuary is Illinois, but her family farmed in "more a way of life than a the Sandhollow area while she business," said presenter Jannie was growing up. The family then Allen. moved to Beaverton where she In addition to Pat and Trisha, attended school and met her the whole family-daughters, husband. She and her husband Nicole and Brooke, and sons, raised four children. Cory and Cameron-and neighbor The Gontys operated their Chris Burkenbine have all been downtown Heppner business for supportive in the business. 40 years and were very active in Pat's father Jerry began downtown business. In the 1960s operation of the mortuary in they sold their business which is 1963 and Pat became sole owner still in operation today. in 1981. Gonty is the only charter Lifetime achievement award member of the Heppner winners Eleanor Gonty and Soroptimist Club and is a Barbara Struthers were praised charter member of the Heppner for their numerous contributions Garden Club. She loves flowers to the community. "They are and has a passion for community quiet, behind-the-scenes workers beautification. A testimonial to who give continuously and her beautification efforts over unselfishly," said presenter Ann the past 30 years is the area Spicer, who was standing in for where Gale Street turns into her husband Bill Kuhn. "Their May Street by Klamath First quiet strength and example have Federal. been a constant inspiration to She served as a teacher's aide at those around them. No one has Heppner Elementary School and to tell them when and how to get has put in countless hours at the involved. They know and the job Neighborhood Center and at St. gets done with tenderness and a Patrick's Senior Center. She is smile. The love they have also part of the foundation of the radiates those around them." St. Patrick's Catholic Church Altar Society. "For over 50 years continued page 2 community and we tried Salyers said that an earlier sale everything we could think of to of Kinzua lands in east Morrow keep it open. As we look into the County did not affect the mill future, we don't see any signs shut down. He said that even that we can turn things around. It though the company sold is with deep regret that we make timberland, Kinzua retained this announcement today." cutting rights on that land and "The hardest part about this added that the company was decision is knowing that good forced to buy timber for the mill people are losing jobs through in an open market even before no fault of their own," Demers the sale. said. "These are hard-working Mike Evans, land manager for men and women who tried as Frontier Resources with offices hard as we did to make this mill in Springfield and Veneta said go and we appreciate their that it is estimated that Frontier efforts more than we can say. Resources might have to spend We will help employees through in the neighborhood of $1 this transition, but we know it's million to clean up the mill site going to be tough on a lot of to meet environmental people." standards. "It's certainly not the fault of Evans also said that Frontier is the labot force," Salyers planning to meet with officials stressed. from the Port of Morrow, Frontier Resources* said that Morrow County and the city of they had invested $2.5 million to Heppner concerning Frontier's upgrade and automate the mill to possible contribution toward a try* to "squeeze more product- proposed economic feasibility and profit-out of every log. study for the area. He said that Despite this optimization effort, Demers also indicated that a the mill continued to operate in donation of all or part of the the red." Kinzua mill site to the port, The release said that Frontier's county or city could be newer sawmill in Pilot Rock, considered as a possibility. which employs approximately According to Frontier’s news 120 people and processes about release, "The Heppner closure 75 million board feet a year, will will be the latest in a senes of remain open. Kinzua in Heppner mill shutdowns in the Northwest processed around 100 million board feet a year. With the that began in the early 1980s. A closure of the Heppner mill, logs total of 476 mills (sawmill, formerly divided between the plywood/panel, veneer) in two mills will now be processed Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Montana closed from exclusively at Pilot Rock. Frontier has said that they are 1980 through 1998, costing adding a third shift at the Pilot 31.000 jobs, according to forest Rock facility which will create products industry consultant an additional 38 positions with Paul Ehinger. During that same first consideration in hiring period, 121 sawmills (215 total given to displaced Heppner mill mills) closed in Oregon alone, workers. Salyers said that hiring resulting in the loss of more than 10.000 jobs." would be based on seniority and An International Paper skills. He said that the company is Company pulp mill in Gardiner, also working with government near Reedsport, also announced agencies to help place displaced its closure during this past week, workers and added that the displacing 300 workers. "Log harvests from federal proposed prison in Umatilla will lands have plummeted from be hiring and they plan to set up nearly five billion board feet in interviews with former Kinzua 1988 to just 689 milhon board employees. "I just want to see feet in 1996," continued the we do everything we can," release, "a drop of 86 percent, Salyers said. according to the Oregon Salyers estimated that the mill Employment Department. In a had a direct impact of $5 million report released Nov. 13, 1998, in income on the community and the Oregon Department of a trickle down impact of ST7.2 Forestry found that Oregon's million. timber harvest in 1997 stayed According to a news release near record low levels for the from Frontier Resources, LLC, fourth straight year." in Veneta, the "aging mill was "To make matters worse," they geared to processing large logs said, "lumber prices dropped by at a time when fewer large logs about 15 percent from 1997 to are available for harvest." 1998, according to the latest "It's a log issue," echoed statistics compiled by Western Salyers. "There's just not enough Wood Products Association. timber in this basin to support" WWPA is predicting a decline in operation of the mill. imber demand for 1999." Gunderson picked for Shrine team Gunderson is a senior at Heppner High School. Other selections in the Columbia Basin Conference include Seth Boyer of Culver, running back and linebacker; and Brandon King, Weston- McEwen, offensive and defensive line. Pool group to hold annual meeting Derek Gunderson Derek Gunderson, son of Dave and Tricia Gunderson of Heppner, has been selected as first team wide receiver and defensive back for the annual East-West Shnne football game scheduled for August 14 in Baker City. People for the Pool, Inc. will hold their annual meeting on January 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Kate's Pizza. The agenda includes final payment on the loan for the indoor therapy pool and disbanding People for the Pool because of fulfillment of their goals. For more information, call Kay Proctor, 676-9827. CALIO NS PARTS SALE â fCAlKINS 10% O F F Limited to Stock on H an d Eleanor Gonty Eleanor Gonty was bom in • Sale through January 3 0 th M orrow C ounty G rain G rowers Lexington 989-8221 • 1 -800-452-7396 For farm equipment, visit our web site at www megg net
