Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2000)
TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 7 , 2000 Letters to the Editor Editor's note Letters to the Editor must tie signed The Gazette-Times w ill not fiublish unsigned letters. Please include your address and phone number on all letters lor use by the G-T office. The G-T reserves the right to edit. The G-T is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Best wishes to a wonderful class To the Editor: To the Heppner Class of 2000- As we sat through Heppner High School's graduation last Saturday night. I felt compelled to write this letter about a wonderful class. 1 feel privileged to have known these kids. Watching the majority of them from pre-school and kindergarten to graduation has been a pleasure. Some 1 know well and some not so well and to the ones that joined the class along the way. I'm sorry if we didn’t get acquainted. As a parent and looking back, I feel lucky to have been there for some of the times, whether watching the fish swim by and the water spill over at McNary Dam or wondering "How are these kids going to like this deep dark cave?" at Bend, to seeing some great athletic and academic abilities arise. At times life is not easy and you experienced this with the loss of your classmate Eric. We have had a lot of these kids out to work or just visit and consider a few a part of our family. They have shared with us some of their good times and some of their not so good times and the "Mom's" version to a lot of things. To the Heppner High School Class of 2000. it has been the greatest experience in the world to watch you grow up and graduate. I didn't get to see many of you after graduation and for sentimental reasons, maybe that was best, but it is my sincerest wish to each and every one of you the best of luck and a great life (s) Mark Miller Heppner Beautiful flowers now ugly pile of dirt To the Editor: People have remarked how they enjoyed seeing flowers and trees in the area on north Gale Street. Didn't know there was an eyesore in the iris bed that it had to be destroyed. The sad thing is a person wanted some starts. Nothing now but a an ugly pile of dirt that will soon be on the street. Very disheartening when we've tried to help beautify the town and have had to move things that were in the same place for years. (s) Eleanor and Tom Gonty Heppner Adopt-a-highway plan enhances community To the Editor: The Oregon Department of Transportation sponsors an Adopt-a-Highway program in which community groups do litter patrol along various segments of state highways. In Heppner we are fortunate to have all of the state highway entries to town adopted by var,Lpjj4 organizations. ■ On Highway 74/207 toward Lexington. Heppner High School has the segment from the city limits to the mill site, Heppner Elementary School has the segment from the mill site for another two miles and Mid- Columbia Bus Company has another two miles beyond that. On Highway 74 toward Pilot Rock, the Morrow County Courthouse Union employees organization has the two mile segment from the fairgrounds on to the east. On Highway 206/207 to the south of town, the O.L. Adams family has been doing the litter patrol. This segment will soon be shifted to the Red Apple Market. The Heppner Chamber of Commerce is in the process of completing procedures for adoption of the state highway segments through town. The Chamber's members and other volunteers will do both litter patrol for the state highway right- of-way and also for the sidewalks and planting areas adjoining Main. May and Court Streets, t All o f this'offbrt combines to enhance the appearance of our community, both for ourselves and for visitors. A litter free town and entries has the potential for attracting new residents and businesses which are essential to maintaining the vitality and livability of the Heppner community. So, let me commend the many, many community volunteers that have contributed time and energy toward keeping Heppner looking good through litter control efforts. (s) John Edmundson Heppner Say no to anti-trapping initiative To the Editor: An anti-trapping initiative is being circulated throughout Oregon in an attempt to gather required signatures to place it on the November 7. 2000 ballot. It is being sponsored by Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse (retired), the Humane Society of the United States and other "Pro- Paws" groups. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the certified summary for Initiative 81 reads: "Prohibits use of steel jawed traps or other body gripping traps to capture mammals. Prohibits the sale, purchase, barte. exchange of raw fur from mammals trapped in such traps in Oregon. Allows use of specified types of traps for protection of health and safety, animal control, research, and protection of endangered species if a permit is obtained from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Prohibits use of sodium flouroacetate, also known as Compound 1080, sodium cyanide, to poison or attempt to poison any animal. Penalties for violations.” Proponents of the constitutional amendment say that, if passed, the initiative will provide protection to people, domestic pets and wildlife from indiscriminate use of steel jawed traps and poison. In reality, this loosely defined measure will not protect people or animals but rather it will cause severe harm. For instance, squeeze chutes, lariats, and head gate equipment used to secure animals for veterinarian purposes and livestock shows will be unusable. Land management and predator control managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will be fragmented. Homeowners protecting their property from destructive rodents could be cited with a misdemeanor and fined up to S600 per impaired animal. Moreover, without animal traps, our natural resource partners would surely face increased timber, crop and livestock damage. Ironically, this measure would protect animals that destroy trees, plants or crops and it restricts the control of disease carrying vermin. Friends, this initiative lacks common sense. Please join with me. the Oregon Farm Bureau, the Oregon Cattleman Association and the Forest Industries Council in opposing Initiative 81. For more information you can write me at P.O. Box 215. Heppner. Oregon 97836 or Oregonians for Responsible Wildlife Management. 5285 S.W. Meadows Road, Suite 340, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035. (s) Greg Smith Heppner Births Austin Tonies-a son Austin was bom to Moriah Tonies of Reno, Nevada on April 1,2000 at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Cen ter in Reno. The baby weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. Initiative would impose ceiling on officials’ salary To the Editor: I am writing you to inform you that the Oregon state legislative counsel has drafted a bill for submission to the next legislative session, based on a draft bill I provided that office, which would allow the voters of Oregon's counties to, by vote, impose a ceiling on pay increases for comity-wide elected officials. This would ordinarily apply to County Commissioners and County Sheriffs. Through the power given-or given back-to the people through this bill, Oregonians would gain further authority over, and checks upon, their government. We live in a time when many if not most people feel that they neither trust nor respect much of what government does nor the people in government, and feel that there is little they can do to make things better. The result is a huge percentage of non-voters. People are "turned off not because they do not care, but because they care so much, and yet feel they can do nothing effective to act on their beliefs. They often feel that the vote choice they face m elections is a choice between evils, or incompetents. A bill such as the proposed one (which does not yet have a bill number) will empower voters through a different kind of check on elected officials. Under it, even if; they are not happy with any candidate, they can at least make sure that, whoever wins county-wide office, that person will not simply appoint his or her buddies to a salaries commission and then reap the benefits. I proposed a similar measure in 1994, in Lincoln County, which would have given the county's voters the power to say y :s or no to salary increases for all county employees. That bill passed legal review by the County Counsel's office and the County Clerk, but never became law. With the new bill, I am expanding the range of the concept to the entire state, while restricting it's application to those, top county employee! most "liVely to abuse their power and obtain the greatest unwarranted salary increases. Between that 1994 bill and the new one, the Oregon Court of Appeals in Lane County Transit, held that since a Transit District manager's job was merely "ministerial "-impl ement ing rather than making decisions-the voters could not impose a similar cap on that position. The job of such a manager, the court said, was not legislative, but executive (and only ministerial in that) and the people do not make legislation. After reviewing that case, the Lincoln County Counsel's office concluded that now the concept was no longer legal. I wrote the Governor and the Secretary of State's office to seek their support for changing that current legal reality, but they declined, staying away from what could be a very hot potato. I went to the State Senate and, from the Senate floor, argued that the result of that case is that the government has in effect been privatized, with the authority of the voters removed from them. The people created our governments at the founding of the nation, and should retain ultimate authority, I argued. Further, County Commissioners do a job that is part legislative, part executive and part judicial, so the Lane County transit ruling should not apply to them anyway. The court decision was both wrong and antidemocratic, and based on a misunderstanding of our democracy, I argued. Soon, the state legislature will have a chance to agree with me. The bill the legislative counsel wrote would give county voters a chance to initiate new and appropriate limits on county wide elected officials, and give the legislature a chance to overrule the mistake the court made in that case. Enclosed is a copy of the draft bill from the legislative counsel, a copy of the original draft bill I gave that office, and newspaper articles from the Lincoln County newspaper. The News-Times, that track the history I have outlined above. I , can be contacted at (541) 336-7045 to discuss this project. (s) Ed Johnston Toledo, OR High holds awards ceremony lone High School held its awards ceremony May 23 at the school. Students receiving awards are as follows. Student Council awards: Erin Crowell. president; Shelby Krebs, vice president; Camie Burright, secretary-treasurer; Adrienne Swanson, assistant secretary. Big Sky Scholar Athlete Award (3.5 or above and must letter in five sports): Jacob Neiffer, Mark McElligott. N'ikki McElligott. Tennis Awards: Most Improved-Cameron Krebs and Salli McElligott; Most Dedicated-Karl Morgan; Hustle Award-Adam McCabe and Adam Neiffer. Science Awards: Green Thumb Award-Salli McElligott; Senior Sci ence Awa r ds - Ma r k McElligott. Jacob Neiffer, Miranda McElligott: Special Science Achievement-Nikki McElligott; Physical Science Award-Caitlin Orem; College Credit Geology-Adam McCabe, Adam Neiffer. Shelby Krebs, Jeremy Rietmann, Collin McElligott. Math Awards: Calculus-Mark McElligott. Miranda McElligott, Jacob Neiffer. P.E. Award: Outstanding P.E. Students-Brad Burright, Ashley Carmack. Language Arts Awards: Outstanding L A. Student-Enn Crowell; Outstanding Drama Student-Corey Bennetto. Music Awards: Choir-Allison Halvorsen and Erin Crowell: Music Pin-Cody Erikson; Most Improved-Sybil Krebs; Business Lab Awards-Steve Crum, Hannes Schultz and David Mansfield. Academic Letters (seniors): Brandi Brantley, Camie Burright, David Mansfield, Mark McElligott, Miranda McElligott, Nikki McElligott, Jacob Neiffer, Dylan Pettyjohn. President's Educational Award (seniors with at least a 3.5 g p a. who have received 80 percent or above on a standardized test): Mark McElligott and Miranda McElligott. Citizenship Award: Jacob Neiffer and Camie Burright. Attendance Award (absent three days or less for entire year): Jacob Neiffer (perfect attendance all four years of high school), Cody Bergstrom, Aaron Tworek, Kristina Powell. Local youth puts Heppner pictures on the Internet Recent Heppner High school graduate Erik Patton has put together a collection of Heppner photos and published them on the Internet. Patton's web pages can be viewed from the Heppner home page at www.heppner.net (click on Heppner photos). The web pages feature pictures of the fire and police departments, golf course, pictures around town and other shots. Cattlemen's and women's picnic scheduled By Claudia Hughes Morrow County Livestock Growers are invited to join the Umatilla Cattlemen and Cattlewomen for their 29th annual picnic. The barbecue will be at the Hughes Ranch, (Mossie Road), Ukiah, on Sunday, June 18, at 1:30 p.m. Those planning to attend should bring a salad or desert, table service for their family and lawn chairs. Arrival time is any time after 11 a.m. The Umatilla Cattlemen's Association will provide steak and beverages. For directions or more information, call Merlin, Claudia, Kevin or Angie Hughes. St. Patrick's Senior Center Bulletin Board Services open to everyone continue here: exercise Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m., cards Tuesday and Friday 1-4 p.m.(three tables in play last week), movie Thursday at 2 p.m., and the Wednesday luncheon 11 a.m.-l p.m., serving 91 last week. The menu for June 14 will be lasagna, tossed salad, peaches, garlic bread and pudding. Other activities are being explored. Recently an activities "brainstorming" committee presented the following list to the board of directors: 1) a baked food sale each month, 2) a talent show, 3) one-act plays with music, 4) raffles of special baskets, 5) special meals (like a Memorial Day dinner, old-time chicken ’n dumplings, a super soup supper or super salad supper, etc.), 6) a food auction, 7) "Cottage Dining," 8) ice cream cones and floats at the fair, 9) horticulture workshop, 10) arts and crafts (painting, sculpture, ceramics, quilting), 11) "Great Decisions" group, 12) Reminisce group, 13) understanding and improving memory, 14) poetry reading group, 15) monthly Sunday afternoon potluck with games, cards, videos, etc., 16) recreation after the Wednesday luncheon, 17) a senior band, 18) sponsor a Shakespearian Festival tour, 19) after-school tutoring at the center for grade-schoolers, 20) genealogy study, 21) a local flea market, 22) evening card parties. Anyone interested in participating in any of these may call the office (676-9030). If we have enough for any one of these, we'll try to offer it. Ju n e 10th - Saturday Barbecue Steak Feed with all the trimmings. Din ner starts at 6 p.m. Ju n e 15th ~ T hursday Ladies Night: Babette Wall and crew will be having a summer salad buffet. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. Cost will be 46.50. Flag Day Service upstairs before lodge. J u n e 18th - Sunday Elks Picnic at Cutsforth Park, starting around 10 a.m. Hot dogs, refreshments provided. Please bring your favorite salad or dessert. Games for the kids and adults as well! BINGO ON WEDNESDAYS! NOW STARTING AT 7:00 p.m. HEPPNER ELKS 358 676-9181 j| "Wttcre Friends M eet" 1 4 2 North Main 'PaJtù~fìme ¡i Swiss Quartz Accuracy Effective June 10, 2000» the Fire Chief of the City of Heppner is imposing a CLOSED SEASON for open burning based on local fire safety concerns. This burning ban is for the City o f Heppner. A reminder that open burning also includes a “burn barrel.*' The closed M uon will rem ain in effect until further notice this fall as per O K S 471.940. 20 ATM (660 ft.) Water Resistant e I e I e
