Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2000)
TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 16, 2000 CARA passage shocking The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow Letters to the Editor H eppner Editor's note: Letters to the Editor must be signed The Cazette-Times will not publish unsigned letters. Please include your address and phone number on all letters for use by the C-T office The G-T reserves the right to edit The C-T is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. GAZETTE-TIMES U S P S 240-420 Morrow County's Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper Published weekly and entered as periodical matter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March 3,1879 Periodical postage paid at Heppner, Oregon Office at 147 W Willow Street Telephone (541 >676-9228 Fax (541)676-9211 E-mail gt@hcppncr net or gt(ifrapidserve net Web site www heppner net Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner Gazette-Times, P O Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836 Subscriptions: S22 in Morrow County, $16 senior rate (in Morrow County only; 62 years or older); $29 else where David Sykes................................................................................................................Publisher April Hiltoo-Sykes ....................................................................................................... Editor On the HEPPNER WEBSITE: www.heppner.net • Start or Change a Subscription • Place a Classified Ad • Submit a News Story • View Real Estate for Sale • City Council & Planning Minutes • Local Businesses • County Park • Willow Creek Park Reservations • Free Digital Postcards • Senior Housing • and more! Q u een T r a c y seat over fences. Queen Tracy has always lived in their picturesque mountain home in the Blue Mountains above Anson Wright Park. Her family moved here from the Willamette Valley before Tracy was bom. Tim says that during his growing up years he had relatives living in this area. Tim and his father became familiar with the mountains during fishing and hunting trips. So, after he and Kathy were married, he convinced Kathy that the "wide open spaces" in Eastern Oregon would be a great place to raise a family. At first Kathy was overwhelmed by the remoteness of this area. Also they had to adjust to harsh, snowy winters, sometimes inconvenienced by frozen water lines and drifted snow when their daughters were babies. The deck of their modem home now overlooks a forested acreage where they have put down roots for the past 22 years. Perhaps that pioneering spirit was ijanded down from Tim's ancestors who came westward from Virginia by covered wagon. So, when the Rankin girls started school, they rose at 5 a.m. to have time to trudge about a mile to the main highway where they met the school bus for that long ride to School. It was cold, dark and scary walking down that road during winter mornings, says Tracy. However as soon as her sister, Jennifer, became old enough to steer an old jeep down their private road she herded that vehicle to the bus stop on the highway. Tim and Kathy usually had to leave much earlier to be on time at their places of employment. Becoming self- reliant and responsible were instilled during Tracy's growing up years. As accomplished drivers, all three girls are proficient at safely towing a trailer loaded with horses. Years of hard work have made their place a haven for their family and their animals Like their parents, the girls became horse enthusiasts and accomplished trainers. Presently they have 13 horses, excluding the "extras" the girls have brought home. Tracy's personal mount, "April Drift" is a seven-year-old sorrel Quarterhorse mare who grew up there. She has been trained exclusive by Tracy. She says her mare is "strong willed," but after years of training she is dependable and "willing to please" and adaptable, whether it be at horse shows, parades or rodeo events. Queen Tracy graduated from Heppner High School this year. In spite of the many miles of travel between her home and school, Tracy was involved in many school activities and community service events. She was on the volleyball, basketball, track and golf teams. She belonged to the Wildhorse, Outdoor, OSSOM and drama clubs. She was also an FFA member and continues to be active in the Wranglers Club and the Barrel Club. She was also an honors student, earning a scholarship to Blue Mountain Community College. This "last chick to leave the nest" will be a student there this fall. To help finance her college years, Tracy has held outside jobs every summer including baby sitting and outside work for the Y.C.C. Forest Service. This from pa*e one summer she has been employed at Central Market, where she is privileged to have flexible hours to accommodate her court duties. The official outfits for this year's three-member court were made by Yvonne Morter, lone. The princesses' divided riding skirts and vests of "cinnabar and sand” are accented with white. Tracy's white outfit also has colorful accents and all these outfits are lavishly adorned with covered wagon appliques and fringes. Along with work outfits, this court also has some colorful chaps that will be used for arena participation when the girls help run back stock in the arena during the Morrow County performance. Tracy says that along with a demanding schedule, they have enjoyed some fun activities like water skiing while in Prineville. There were also canoe races and swimming at Wallowa Lake during their trip for the Joseph Rodeo, although the girls "got in trouble" for diving off the docks. This trio also had an enjoyable time when they met with a Japanese delegation of Portland- based grain buyers who visited Morrow County tp, learn more atnmt local wheat. The court was asked to explain, about rodeo» since these men had never seen this type of show. The girls graciously tried to answer all questions, including one that asked, "Do the contestants ride pigs?" After a luncheon Tracy and Salli paired up with two Japanese men for a friendly game of golf. "They spoke English," says Tracy, "But when they reverted to the Japanese language, we didn't know if they were commenting on our golfing or us. It was great fun." Always the creature lover, Tracy will again have 4-H lambs to show and market at fair. She has always been fond of birds that have shared their home. One time she was very upset because a pet bird escaped its cage and flew outdoors. Tracy also plans to show some of her "friends"— her pet Rhode Island Red or Barred Rock chickens at the fair- - a busy time for a busy girl, who a short time ago was a mutton buster and a peewee barrel racer. A week of fair activities, grand entries, the parade and court luncheon round out the schedule for Queen Tracy and her princesses, Salli McElligott and Rachel Faber. Tracy says they are looking forward to these events and to greeting both local people and out-of-town guests. Tracy's special guests are her supportive grandparents, Bob and Marcy Logan of Beavercreek, who plan to be on hand for the festivities. Rodeo from page one respectively. The local favorites and the nationally ranked contestants will fill the Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo with outstanding talents, determination and drive from Aug. 18-20. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see such skill in these professional cowboys and cowgirls. They are here to do what they do best, rodeo. Wc Print BU8INE88 CARDS H eppner (io eette- Times Speak up, don't enable drug problem To the Editor: In support of an individual's bravery- I am submitting this letter in support of Cindy Brosnan's letter in the August 9 edition of the Heppner Gazette-Times. Ironically, also in support of Juliana Wanous for her bravery as well. I have been a member of this community for a short while, moving here three years ago with my husband and family. We moved here for the very reasons Cindy stated. Heppner is a lovely town with tremendous potential for a wholesome life style. I have heard that Heppner suffers from a drug problem that seemingly goes unnoticed. I think that "unnoticed" is the key word here. This is a small community. Most of us do know our neighbors. Most of us probably do have an idea that there might be "something funny" going on next door. The sale, use and distribution of drugs have behavior-specific clues that might speak to your intuition. Trust your intuition. Maybe you have witnessed the actual use, solicitation, or evidence of drugs in your own home, office or classroom. Speak up. Protect yourself, your children, and your neighbor from becoming a victim of potential robbery or abuse. Call one of our local law enforcement agencies. Start a Neighborhood Watch program. We have a city manager that cares a great deal about the future of our community. All of the members of our city council; our mayor; our city, local, state and county employees; business owners; and the many, many generous citizens who tirelessly donate their time and resources to make this a better place to live need our support. We need to support each other by adopting a zero tolerance approach to drugs in our community. Don't enable the problem to exist by remaining silent. If you or someone you know has a drug habit, then you need to speak up too. Ask for help. Life has many challenges, some seem overwhelming. A senes of challenges can knock you down. It's sometimes hard to see these challenges as opportunities for personal growth, and we all may need a crutch at some time. There are crutches that hold you up and there are crutches that allow you to fall. Pick one that makes you proud of who you are. We all have something positive to contribute, contributing enhances your self worth and your community's value. (s) Pam Schmidt Heppner recent reports, the present parks are 15 billion dollars in arrears on current maintenance. In addition there is no provision for federal payments in lieu of taxes to local governments for taxes lost. The sponsors have provided for this by allowing no input from local governments, ranchers or other citizens who may be affected. The unforgivable part of this legislation is that our Congressmen have removed themselves from any supervision of these funds and pretty effectively prohibited every one else except the presidential appointees from doing the same. One lesson that we should all learn from CARA is never to trust a politician. After all the talk about fiscal responsibility, a Republican congressman sponsored this legislation in the House and Sen. Murkowski R, Alaska sponsored it in the Senate. It passed out of committee with four Republican senators, including our own Senator Smith, joining the solid Democratic minority to pass the bill. Since Senator Smith had promised as late as the day before the vote to oppose CARA perhaps we should all hear an explanation before he returns to Washington. For those of us who are used to dredging rivers and harbors or an occasional new post office as pork barrel politics this new "green pork" seems like the final insult. I urge everyone to call or write Wyden and Smith this week to express your views. (s) Don McElligott lone To the Editor: The last three weeks have been a particularly shocking time for those of us who have become hardened to the excesses of the Clinton administration. I am refemng to the passage out of the Natural Resource Committee of the CARA act which appropriates about three billion dollars a year for 15 years off budget, an entitlement, to acquire lands for federal parks , federal conservation areas and state parks. Also for trails, baseball stadiums, urban parks, wildlife and endangered species habitat as well as for environmental societies projects. In effect this money would be spent at the discretion of the President and his secretaries of interior and agriculture. Although about a billion a year is reserved for the states, it is not allocated on any recognizable fair basis but will be granted at the discretion of the same people. The bill allows the federal or state governments to condemn private lands to form or add to existing parks and reserves. The big sales pitch is that this will not cost us taxpayers any money because all the funds will be taken from existing offshore oil royalties. The proponents, including our own Senator Wyden, forget to tell us that these moneys currently are deposited in the general fund and will have to be replaced if we are to maintain our armed services, infrastructure, social security and other expenditures. Nothing in this bill provides for maintaining these new acquisitions and, according to Heppner, Nyssa loses a great man (Editor's note: The follow letter to the editor was reprinted from the Argus Observer, Ontario.) To the Editor: The Heppner and Nyssa communities of this state lost a wonderful man and good teacher with the recent passing of Juan Elguezabal. Mr. Elguezabal was a teacher, coach, and friend of mine. I first met Mr. Elguezabal when I was in his seventh grade social studies class at Nyssa Junior High in 1978. At first I thought he was a bit gruff, but as I got to know him I began to really like him and he became one of my favorite teachers. When I entered Nyssa High School as a freshman in 1980, he was the line coach for the football team, and since I played one of the positions on the line, he was my coach. Mr. Elguezabal was tough and he worked us hard, but he was fair and was one of the best coaches I ever played for. I learned quite a bit from this man, and it comes across in my own teaching and coaching. I next came in contact with Mr. Elguezabal several years later at my father's funeral in 1995. He was one of my former teachers that showed up to pay their last respects to my father and to be there for me and my family. I appreciated that more than he or anyone else would ever know. Although I never played baseball for him, I know that he was an excellent baseball coach and my son was able to play for him when he played on the 1997 Owyhee All-Stars Little League Baseball Team. My son liked him and I knew that he was getting great coaching from Mr. Elguezabal and the rest of the coaching staff. I last saw Mr. Elguezabal after this year's Ontario High School graduation as we were both going to our cars. It was hard to see him in the condition that he was in, and I knew that his cancer was advancing, although I did not know how bad it really was. I hugged him and told him that I was praying for him. I had a feeling this would be the last time that I would see him, and I thank God that he let me have that chance. I am writing this letter to let the Treasure Valley know how much Mr. Elguezabal meant to my life and the lives o f many of his former students. He was a good man who did a lot for me, as far as influencing my life, and I just wanted to tell him one last time. My condolences and prayers go out to the family he has left behind and I appreciate you sharing him with me. (s)Joe Gamer Social science teacher Ontario High School Nyssa High School Class of 1984 rt-n-n-q £ □ □ B asbets CtlUMCS Q u il ts PAIHTtyg O S □ «/ □ r p iu VILI n AGF AffTISAA/ '9 •f * tc !Q f F IN E B A S K E T S Opening August 43, 2Q00 SUPPLIES - CLASSES» - GALLERY Other "shops" will open about every 2-3 months A R T IS A N V IL L A G E 288 N. Main Street, Heppner (5 4 1 ) 6 7 6 -8 2 8 2 Hours: Mon.-Thurs.: 9:30-6 • Friday: 9:30-5 Sat.: Closed • Sunday: 1-5 FREE DRAWINGS: Free Basket Free Class Free Supplies •See our Basket Making Demonstrations at the Fair on Aug. 16-18 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (outside near the old beef bam). 1 COOD LOCK TO ALL THE CONTESTANTS AT THE OREGON TRAIL PRO RODEO AND MORROW COUNTY RODEO Jöu&1/aßu&. Heppner Hardware 106 E. M ay Ave. • Heppner 676-9961 b FREE RODEO TICKET with purchase of $25 or more Wrangler Western Wear men’s or ladies’ regular-priced items. One per customer while they last. O E M G a r d n e r ’s M en ’s W e a r 193 The Western Original" N . Main St. • Heppner (541)676-9218
