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