136 workers to lose jobs JQ in Heppner area
Kinzua mill to close
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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.
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