tW O - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 22,
town and country
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
H eppner
G A Z E T T E -T IM E S
U.S.P S. 240-420
M o r r o w C o u n t y ’s H o m e - O w n e d W e e k l y N e w s p a p e r
Pub lishe d w eekly and entered as periodical m aner at the Post O ffic e at Heppner, O re go n
under the A c t o f M a r c h 3, 1879. P e n o d ic a l postage p aid at Heppner, O rego n. O ffice at 147
W W illo w Street T elep hone(541 >676-9228. F a x (5 4 1 )6 7 6 -9 2 1 1 E -m a il gtiu heppner net
or gtui rap id scrve net W e b site w w w heppner net Postm aster send address changes to
the H ep p ne r G azette-Tim es, P.O. B o x 337, Heppner, O re g o n 97836. Sub scrip tions; $ 2 4 in
M o rr o w C ou nty ; $ 1 8 senior rate (in M o rr o w C o u n ty on ly; 62 ye a rs o r older); $ 3 0 else
where.
D a v id S y k e s .............................................................................................. P u b lish e r
K atie W a ll .................................................................................................... Editor
New* deadline it Monday at S p.m.
For Advertising, advertising deadline is Monday at 5 p.m Cost for a display ad is $4 75 per column
inch Cost for classified ad is 5 0 * per word Cost for Card of Thanks is $7 up to 100 words Cost for
a classified display ad is $5 35 per column inch
For Public/Legal Notices public/legal notices deadline is Monday at 5 p m. Dates for publication
must be specified Affidavits must be required at the time of submission Affidavits require three
weeks to process after last date of publication (a sooner return date must be specified if required)
On the HEPPNER WEBSITE: www.heppner.net
• Start or C hange a Subscription
• Place a C lassified Ad • Subm it a N ew s 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!
Letters to the Editor
Editor's note: Letters to the Editor must be signed. The Cazette-Times will not publish
unsigned letters. Please include your address and phone num ber o n all letters for use b y
the G -T office. The C-T reserves the right to edit. The G-T is not responsible for accuracy of
statements made in letters. (Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds
under “Card of Thanks “at a cost of $ 7.)
Keep the state afloat and vote yes on 28
cost the av erag e O regon
taxpayer less than $ 10 a month.
Please vote yes on Measure 28
and turn in your ballots by Jan.
28.
(s) Jan Schott
Fossil
To the Editor:
M easure 28 is a
tem porary th re e -y e ar tax
increase, the kind that kept our
state afloat during the recession
of the early ‘80s. Measure 28 will
Don’t let the cuts happen, vote Yes on 28
To the Editor:
Did you know that in
1981 Oregonians paid an income
tax of 10 percent? Did you know
that in 1982 Oregon had a
budget crisis? Here is the
information that I acquired from
the O regon D epartm ent o f
Revenue. In 1981, our income
tax was 10 percent. In 1982, ’83
and '84, the surtax raised it to
10.8 percent. In ’85 and ’86, it
went back to 10 percent. In
1987, it went to nine percent,
where we are currently. Yes, the
1982 Legislative Assembly had
the intestinal fortitude backed by
the Governor to implement a
surtax for three years.
Did you know that in
overall taxes we pay less than 43
other states? Did you know that
on Jan. 1, 1996, PERS state
employees went to a Tier 2? That
is 41 percent o f the current work
force that have earned only 0.82
percent of the money going into
PERS in the last six years. That
is less than one percent and these
folks will never receive the lavish
retirements that Oregonians are
upset about.
My spouse and I will be
voting for Measure 28 and hope
the cuts to so many programs and
jobs will not happen. We also
hope the Legislative Assembly
will finally step forward and do
their job.
(s) Keith Jordan
Bums
School district office never offered
the School District office is
definitely a consideration the
town council would have to look
at. But let us let the truth be
known. The Town Council of
Lexington never said, “They did
not want the District Office.”
They did not take any action
because they were never given
the option to take action.
(s) Glenn Anderson
lone
To the Editor:
The Town of Lexington
was not offered the option of
taking over the Morrow County
School District Office Building
located in Lexington. It was
rumored that this was one ofthe
options being considered but the
town council has yet to receive
any notice or options concerning
this. Since the town council was
meeting the same night as the
school district to discuss their
options, it would have been
speculation on the town’s part to
assume this rumor was true. In
addition, the agenda for this
meeting was set and full. The
town council took no action on
this rumor since it had received
no official contact (and still has
not). To take action on something
that was never offered would be
presumptuous.
I cannot speculate what
action the Town Council of
Lexington would take ifthey were
offered the School D istrict
Building. The reason stated in the
Gazette-Times, claiming why the
Town of Lexington did not want
2003
DA’s Report
On Jan. 16, Cynthia
O lson, 42, Boardm an, was
convicted of the Class C Felony,
Unlawful Use o f a Weapon.
M orrow C ounty D istrict
A ttorney, D avid C. A llen,
dism issed the charge o f
A ttempted M urder after an
extensive investigation revealed a
history o f domestic violence
between Olson and the alleged
victim, her husband, Walter
Olson. Olson was given 36
months of formal probation and
will be required to undergo
alcohol treatment and mental
health counseling as part o f her
sentence.
Market, Heppner, purchased the
business about two years ago
from F orrest and G ail
Burkenbine. Houwelings came
down from the vicinity o f Gig
Harbor, WA, along with their
two children, Charlene, a ninth
grader and Jason, a seventh
grader. The have become an
active part ofthe community not
only at the store but in many
other aspects of community life.
They give back one
percent o f receipts collected by
local non-profits and provide
discounts for many local groups.
The help arrange for and provide
a tra ile r from soft drink
distributors forevents. The store
also helps as corporate sponsors
of the Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo,
and has provided space and help
with the Chamber of Commerce
reindeer and Santa project.
Kim helped to set up
pictures with Santa this past year
and both helped w ith the
Heppner Light Parade. Kim has
also organized flea markets for
St. Pat’s Celebration. She works
behind the scenes at the store,
helping out when needed and
devotes much o f her time to
being a full-time mom. She
works with her church and is
active in many other community
activities.
Bert was bom in Holland
and came to the U.S. at age six.
He started with Fred M eyer’s
while still in high school and
worked his way up to become
th e ir you n g est ev er store
manager. He later went to
A sso ciated
G rocers
in
management. In the community
he is part o f the Chamber of
C om m erce board and a
supporting o fficer o f Odd
Fellows.
Bert enjoys spending
time with his horses when not at
the store or with his family and
Kim enjoys golfing. According to
Cliff Green, who “heard from
reliable sources,” Bert’s long time
dream has finally come true, he
has a new bam where he spends
a lot of his free time. “So when
he gets in trouble, he is not in the
dog house, but in the bam,” joked
Green.
Educator o f the Year,
Cherry Webber, who retired in
June o f2002, taught for 22 years
in H eppner, startin g w ith
kindergarten and moving to first
grade, with a few blended first
and second grade classes.
Webber graduated from
Pasco High School in 1963, and
was voted “Best Dressed.” She
then went on to Washington
State University where she
graduated in 1967 and began her
teaching career in Port Hueneme,
CA.
She moved back to the
Pullman area in 1969 and spent
two years with family members
in northern Idaho, living the rustic
life, but finally decided she was
“sick and tired” o f it and came
back to the civilization o f
Issaquah, WA.
She was teach in g
preschool and class called
"Walkabouts”, for 18-month
olds when she received a call
from Don Cole, inviting her for
an interview in Heppner. She
decided to come to Heppner
because she thought it was a
“cute” little town.
Although she has retired
from teaching, many ofher things
are still floating around HES in
Get The Most Out Of Your Heating System
With Our “20 Point Check”
“A 23% refrigerant
undercharge (about the
amount in a large juice
glass) can result in a
52% efficiency loss.
-Texas AAM University
”
h i H ard To Bmp A Trent
lx Zeller, S e n ice lech n ic ia n Sales
Ty, a member o f EHC, has been in the
HVAC industry for the past 10 years and
holds many certifications and licenses.
xlipse
Hermiston, Oregon
Good People-Great Service
With our 20 Point Check, we can
help identify problems with your
heating system to prevent future
damage or loss of efficiency.
As a part of our check, we evaluate
the refrigerant charge of your
system. A unit can be undercharged
or overcharged, with either way
affecting the energy efficiency of the
Ca|| Us At
(541) 564-1031
continued from page I
different teacher’s classrooms.
Webber’s daughter. Laurel, who
took after her mom and joined
the teaching profession, also
adorns her classroom with many
ofher mother’s things.
Cara Osmin, presenter
o f the award, shared memories
o f many o f Webber’s former
students who remembered how
she taught them their numbers,
letters and created a fun
environment in which to learn.
Due to a recent surgery,
Webber could not be at the
banquet, but her husband, Tim
Gray, accepted the award for her.
Youth of the Year, Diana
McElligott, a senior at lone High
School has been extremely active
both in school and community.
She has many accomplishments,
almost too numerous to name.
She is the daughter of Paul and
Charity McElligott of lone.
McElligott has helped
with lone’s 4th of July celebration,
gathered food for the Heppner
Neighborhood Center, delivered
Christmas tree to local residents,
coached and refereed lone’s
Pee-Wee basketball program,
and has helped lay sod at the
Morrow County fairgrounds,
painted bleachers and helped
w ith set-u p , and she has
volunteered with the 4-H snack
shack.
She is part of the STARS
and OSSOM programs, has
served as class officer in a variety
of capacities and clubs, including
National Honor Society and the
Letterman’s club. McElligott has
represented lone at Girls State.
She also serves as assistant
athletic direct for both lone
Middle and High schools and is
a tutor to many students in the
athletic programs.
She is active in her
church and the lone youth group.
She has worked with the group
gathering baby clothes for needy
infants that come through Good
Shepherd Medical Center in
Hermiston and has gone along on
the youth group trips to Burnside
Street in Portland.
This fall, McElligott was
honored as the W endy’s
Heiseman winner for the State of
Oregon. Not only is she active in
her sports, but maintains a 3.85
GPA, is an active member of the
National Honor Society and
Future Business Leaders o f
America.
She has been on many
first-team a ll-sta r team s,
participating in volleyball,
basketball and track. She was
also selected as one o f the
nation’stop junior girl athletes last
spring.
McElligott is also active
in numerous other organizations
and activities.
Finally, but certainly not
least, this y e a r’s Lifetim e
Achievement award went to
lone resident, Bill Rietmann.
According to Jannie Allen, who
presented the award, he is an
individual who believes in being
positive.
Rietmann and brother
Bob farmed the family wheat
farm with pride, energy and
honesty for 40 years. He was a
dedicated farmer who served as
an example for many others in
Morrow County. While not in the
field, he found an amazing amount
of time to serve his community.
Rietmann was mayor of
lone for eight years and served
on the lone City Council for 20
years. He currently serves on the
South
M orrow C ounty
Scholarship Committee. He is a
lifetime member of the Oregon
Wheat League, American Legion
Post #95, and the BPOE #358.
He was instrumental in
formed and maintaining the lone
Rural Fire Protection Board and
currently serves as chairman.
Rietmann is an active
member o f his church, lone
United Church of Christ, having
served as a moderator, deacon,
trustee, served on the search
com m ittee, the building
committee, which orchestrated
the new church building, and
served as a co n feren ce
representative. “And he rarely
misses a Sunday,” added Allen.
Rietmann and brother,
Bob, organized and coached
farm team baseball for their boys
and other children in the area
before Little League.
He is “a shining example
o f the perfect family man,”
commented Allen. Son, brother,
husband, father and grandfather
are honors he has worn well over
the years. His children, Mark and
Tami, Brian and Sharon and
Gregg and Shelly have made his
life a busy one w ith nine
grandchildren. Rietmann does not
miss an event and can be seen at
both lone and Heppner sporting
events in his “Papa” shirt with
both a Mustang and a Cardinal
on the chest.
nursing home cuts
continued from page one
Vander Does said that
small nursing homes would suffer
most, because they don’t have the
numbers to compensate for the
losses. He said he has learned
that the Wallowa nursing home
is considering shutting down.
He feels that one of the
problems is that federal monies
earm arked for health care
through the Pro Share program
have been used by the Oregon
legislature to balance their
budget. “One hundred thirty
million went into the general fund
last year that was supposed to
go into health care,” he said.
And, since the state is not
spending the money as was
d esig n ated , the feds are
c o n tem p latin g w h eth er to
discontinue the program. What’s
the solution? “The idea of major
subsidies would go a long way,”
Vander Does said.
He said he has also
heard that suits against the state
are being prepared to be filed on
behalf o f some residents in
danger of losing their benefits.
Obituaries
Josie L. Peck
Josie L. Peck, 92, of
Heppner, died Sunday, Jan. 12,
2003, at Pioneer M emorial
Hospital in Heppner.
A memorial service was
held Jan. 18.
Peck was bom May 30,
1910, at Molalla, to William and
Martha Bonge Rowell. She grew
up in the lone area and attended
area schools, graduating from
lone High School in 1928.
On Nov. 25, 1928, she
married Henry Glover Peck at
lone. The couple lived at lone
and later at Hermiston before
moving to the Hood River Valley
where they operated an orchard.
They moved to Condon for a
tim e b efo re retu rn in g to
Hermiston.
In 1976, they retired to
the fam ily ranch betw een
Heppner and Lexington.
Peck was a member of
the R ebekah Lodge and
Lexington Grange.
S u rvivors include
daughters, Dorothy Tucker of
Salem, Jeanette Henkins o f
Douglas, Alaska, and Martha
Corcoran o f Juneau, Alaska;
sons, Ronald Peck o f Moro,
Lyle Peck and Richard Peck,
both of Heppner, Burton Peck of
Hermiston, William Peck o f
Nebo, N.C., and Raymond Peck
of Lexington; 30 grandchildren;
35 great-grandchildren; and four
great-great grandchildren. She
was preceded in death by her
husband, Henry; a son, James
Peck; and 11 brothers and
sisters.
Memorial contributions
may be m ade to P ioneer
Memorial Hospital, or Pioneer
Memorial Home Health, P.O.
Box 9, Heppner, OR 97836.
Sweeny Mortuary o f
H eppner is in charge o f
arrangements.
Racine Mae Jensen
Racine Mae Jensen, 75,
o f Irrigon died Sunday, Jan. 12,
2003 at her home.
A memorial service was
held Jan. 18.
Jensen was bom April
15, 1927, at Pawnee, OK, to
Raymond and Bertha Bames
Homaday. She was raised and
attended schools in Oklahoma
and later moved to Twin Falls,
ID.
R x P R E S C R IP T IO N P R O F IL E S
for tax o r in sura n ce p u rp o s e s
available u p o n re q u e s t.
MuMuj'i D juu )
On Feb. 25, 1947, she
married Clinton G. Jensen at
Elko, NV. They lived at Twin
Falls where they owned and
operated Norge Village Laundry
and Dry Cleaning until their
retirement in 1992. They recently
moved to Irrigon to be with
family.
Jensen was a member of
the Church o f Jesus Christ o f *
Latter-day Saints and was a
v o lu n teer at the Irrig o n -
Boardman Emergency Assistance
Center in Irrigon.
She enjoyed archery and
co m p etitio n sh o o tin g , the
outdoors and spending time with
her grandchildren.
Survivors include her
husband, Clinton of Irrigon; son,
C lin to n , Jr. o f F irth, ID;
daughters, Beverlee Frandson of
Twin Falls, ID, and Barbara
H ulse
o f Irrig o n ;
15
grandchildren; and many great
g ran d ch ild ren . She was
preceded in death by her parents
and by her sister, M adine
LeForce.
>
Burns M ortuary o f
H erm iston is in charge o f .
arrangements.
2003 Fair and
Rodeo Court
gearing up for
busy year
The 2003 F air and
Rodeo Court is getting ready for
a fun-filled year representing
Morrow County. After being
selected
in N ovem ber,
Princesses Megan McCabe and
Lexi Kennedy have been busy
getting their official outfits
ordered. They were in the
Heppner Starlight Parade in
December, and were officially
introduced at the Heppner Town
and Country Banquet on Jan. 16.
Their next public appearance will
be at the MCGG custom er
breakfast on Saturday, Feb. 15.
The co u rt is doing
fundraisers this year to help offset
some of the traveling and clothing
expenses that they will endure this
year. They are collecting Red
Apple Grocery receipts, with
drop sites at Murray Drugs,
Bank o f E aster O regon in
Heppner and lone, and the
MCGG Food Mart in Lexington.
The court is also selling raffle
tickets for a gift basket with gift
c e rtific a te s from M orrow
County businesses, and two
drawings for half a hog each, with
cutting and wrapping donated by
M ike’s Mobile Slaughter o f
Stanfield.
We Print
Envelopes
Heppner Gazette-Times
6 7 6 -9 2 2 8
I