Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 24,2005 - THREE
Letters to the Editor
Editor's note: Letters to the Editor must be signed.
The Gazette-Times w ill not publish unsigned letters.
Please include your address and phone number on a ll
letters for use by the C-T office. The C-T reserves
the right to edit.
The C-T is not responsible for
accuracy o f statements made in letters. (Any letters
expressing thanks w ill be placed in the classifieds
under ' Card o f Thanks' at a cost o f $10.)
Resident says senior apartments
are a great place to live
To the Editor:
I ’m
B arbara
Struthers, the first resident of
the St. P a tric k ’s S enior
A partm ents. I have beep
happy and very comfortable
here. T his place is so
convenient- within walking
distance of the post office,
bank, drug and grocery
stores, dentist, optometrist,
cafes and to churches. The
clinics and hospital are also
near by.
We have a great
bunch of tenants here and
there are plenty of things to
do- e x ercise class on
T uesday and T hursday
mornings, cards or dominoes
on T uesday and Friday
a fte rn o o n s, bingo on
Tuesday evenings, the senior
d in n e r on W ednesday
afternoon, jigsaw puzzles
every day and a well stocked
library.
The rent is very
re aso n ab le w hen you
c o n sid e r that it co v ers
everything except TV and
telephone. When we have a
problem we call Doug and
he fixes it or sees that it gets
fixed. Things like a leaky
roof may take awhile, but it
gets done.
T here are several
apartments available now.
Come take a tour and find a
great place to live.
(s) Barbara Struthers
Heppner
Asbestos bill unfair to US citizens
. To the Editor:
RR unfair Bailout Bill for
Asbestos Manufactures S-
852
I grew up in a family
of carpenters, and handy fix-
it men. I learned how to
repair and build things to
make ends meet. It was just
a common place event. We
were all around asbestos and
didn't think a thing of it and
definitely didn't know about
the h azard s involved. I
remember going to school as
a young child and seeing
ceiling tiles fall out of the
ceiling at school, in a haze
of dust, w e’d w atch our
favorite janitor sweep it up
and get a ladder and replace
it. Then he’d throw the mess
in the dumpster. We had no
clue. This was in the 60’s
As I got older, I
¡h e lp e d my dad and
grandfather tear down old
: houses and saved as much of
the old lumber, and ceiling
tiles, bricks, fixtures and
floor tiles that were halfway
decent to recycle and reuse
in additions on other houses
that we were remodeling.
Then we would scrap the
rest, which is worse, because
-w e w ould not only be
; covered with the dust and
i powder of all the materials
• that we were dumping in
; landfills, but exposed the
I environment to the asbestos
particles and disposed of it
improperly, but at that time
that was the way it was done.
The hazards, unknown to us
w ere com m on place to
disposes of this material.
As I got older, I
w orked for num erous
.' businesses and contractors
as an electrician, heating and
; air c o n d itio n in g rep air
' technician, one of the tasks
was to redo all the boiler
lines and knock off all the old
asbestos material on to the
floor and sweep it up put it
in a bucket and add water
and make a paste out of it
and use our bare hands to
repack the new pipe fittings,
because otherw ise, using
gloves the paste would just
stick to the gloves and not
the pipe fittings. This was in
the early eighties. We still did
not know the hazards of
asbestos, I was just trying to
do the job and make a living.
We grew up with asbestos all
around us, in our homes and
schools as well as the work
place. With no knowledge as
to what the future held.
Now our legislation
is trying to pass this bill, and
saying, “O ops, sorry no
harm done and nothing
personal,” lets just back the
m anufactures o f asbestos
and stop all claims and future
settlements and we will keep
on m anufacturing it and
killing people and the past
deaths are forgotten. Oh,
w e’ll take it out of some of
the products to make it look
like they are complying with
the rules, but they are just
common men, women and
c h ild ren th at this has
destroyed and damage and
we the leg islatu re know
what is good for the people.
Call your U.S. Senators and
tell them No. This bill is
arbitrary in so many ways to
so many people.
(s) Rick Earlley
Eugene
We p rin t
Gift
Certificates
Heppner
Gazette-Times
676-9228
Highland Hills Ranch
A World-Class Upland Bird Hunting Lodge
outside o f Condon, Oregon
Is looking for professional Individuals
to fill the following positions:
Hunting Guides
Chef
Cleaning Personnel
Inside Staff
Please call
( 541 ) 296-2447
Councilwoman speaks out against
my opinion regarding issues
recall
To the Editor:
To Charles Sumner, chief
petitioner, and the People of
Lexington:
T his w eek, Mr.
Sumner and two others have
been c irc u la tin g recall
p etitio n s ag ain st M ayor
Edwards and myself.
I have consulted my
lawyer and been advised that
these allegations are libelous
and su b ject to p o ten tial
repercussions.
The ch arg es are
untrue and the ravings of
in d iv id u a ls w ho have
nothing to do except spread
gossip and lies, with the
intent to influence votes and
take over the town. Soon
L ex in g to n w ill be ju st
another Antelope, if they are
allowed to do so. Some of
us still rem em ber w hat
happened there.
I
have
never
harassed any councilor. I
have spoken out in my
defense as a private citizen
and I definitely did not try or
threaten to run over one with
my car. I have said that no
councilor has the right to sit
in the o ffice all day,
disrupting the recorder and
spreading her gossip around
the town, as one other has
done.
I have never
th re a ten e d
em ployee
termination, but I have said
they needed to stand up for
themselves and not bellyache
their complaints to others
and then do nothing about it.
I have worked within
the co u n cil, m ade no
unauthorized contacts or
agreements outside of the
c o u n cil, unlike an o th er
councilor. 1 do not attend the
m eetin g s in to x ic a ted or
stoned and 1 have never cost
the tow n m oney by my
individual actions. I do speak
(i.e. I am not in favor of
creating a liability for the
town by taking out a loan for
the water project when a
grant application has never
even been considered.) At no
tim e have I e v er been
unprofessional. I have stated
my o p in io n s and why I
disagree with an issue. I have
not violated the Ethics of the
State of Oregon or the town
bylaws or used my office for
financial gain, nor have my
actio n s as a c o u n cilo r
re su lted in a m onetary
liability to the town.
I have activ ely
prom oted the town as a
member of the Willow Creek
V alley
E conom ic
D evelopm ent Group, the
Morrow County Needs and
Issu es C o m m ittee, the
Willow Creek Service Club
and Assisted Living Facility,
as w ell as on vario u s
committees.
I have devoted my
tim e, efforts, money and
even my health to the town.
In return, I have had my
property vandalized, trashed
and egged. I have received
hang up phone calls, threats,
false allegations and even
been physically assaulted.
L ast N ovem ber, I was
reelected for another four
years and have done nothing
to w arrant these actions.
These actions have all been
reported to the authorities
and are kept on file for future
use.
In conclusion, there
is no b asis for these
allegations, as they are false,
malicious and libelous. I will
not resign nor will any of my
votes be co n tro lle d by
individuals or by the local
Lexington cult.
(s) Luella Taylor
Lexington
St. Patrick’s Senior Center news
St.
P a tric k ’s
Catholic Parish volunteers
will host the noon senior
meal on Wednesday, Aug.
31. The m enu is ham,
mashed potatoes with gravy,
com, green salad, fruity jell-
o and birthday cake.
A bout 30 persons
rem ain ed to h ear Eva
Mabbott, executive director
of CAPECO, explain and
answer questions about the
relationship and agreement
between CAPECO and the
H ep p n er S enior C enter.
Som e o f the d iscu ssio n
included other options that
might be pursued to operate
the meal site. As a result of
the discussion, there will be
no change in the mode of
operation, staff remains the
same and communication
lines have been clarified.
Ed Baker announced
that the senior bus would be
taking people to the
“Westward Ho” Parade in
Pendleton. The exact time
w ill be announced later.
Baker also announced that
he was in need of volunteer
drivers- several have moved
and others have had a change
of status.
Three persons took
advantage of the open house
o f the senior apartm ents
during the fair. Judy Buschke
announced that there will be
an open house each
Wednesday during the time
of the meal. This is for the
convenience of people who
may be interested and may
have missed other scheduled
times.
P resid in g at the
senior board meeting was
Sheila Piper, newly elected
vice president. A certificate,
in appreciation of service,
w as p resen ted to Tom
Wilson. The next meeting
will be held Sept. 21 at 12:30
p.m.
Heppner team raises $2000 for cancer
walk
In its fifth year, the
Relay for Life Cancer Walk,
held in Hermiston, raised
$47,000, with $44,000 as net
intake.
Many people from
Heppner participated, with
the team raising $2000 and
the Heppner campsite being
named “Best D ecorated.”
The campsite had a survivors
theme, with a lagoon, thatch
hutch and tiki torches.
The support from
the community of Heppner
was greatly appreciated.
P lan s for next year are
already in progress.
Obituaries
Van Edward Rietmann
Van
Edw ard
Rietmann, 81, died in a farm
accident Sunday, Aug. 7,
2005 at the family ranch near
Condon.
A memorial service
was held Monday, Aug. 15,
at the U nited C hurch of
Christ in Condon.
Rietmann was bom
May 17, 1924 at lone, the
son of Edward and Ruth Van
V actor R ietm ann. He
graduated from Arlington
High School, served in the
Army during World War II
and graduated from Oregon
State College in 1948 with a
bachelor’s degree in animal
husbandry.
The
R ietm ann
heritage begin in Gilliam
C ounty in 1895 when
Rietmann’s grandfather, Sam
Ellis Van Vactor came to the
C ondon
area
from
Goldendale to practice law.
His m other, Ruth Van
Vactor, was bom at Condon
and his father, Edward, was
bom and raised north of lone
on a family homestead.
The family left the
farm at lone when Rietmann
was 12 years old and leased
a place on Dry Fork in
M orrow C ounty, later
purchasing a farm at Ajax
from A.K. York for $500
down. Rietmann farmed at
the A jax ranch w est of
Condon since 1948, and has
since expanded the ranch to
include land once owned by
Gilliam Country pioneers.
J.S. Burres, R.W. Potter and
others.
To
su p p lem en t
incom e
from
w heat
production, Rietmann also
raised chickens and hogs and
eventually turned to cattle,
now an integral part of the
operation.
W hile serv in g as
chairm an o f the O regon
W heat Growers League’s
W heat
D isposal
and
Transportation Committee,
he became acquainted with
Rose Ellen Schmid, a home
economist, for the Wheat
Growers League. They were
married in 1955 in Fruitland,
ID.
The Rietmanns have
worked over the years to
improve their wheat, grains
and
c a ttle -fa tte n in g
operation, to improve the
availability of water and at
ways to prevent topsoil
ero sio n . R ietm ann was
d ev o u tly co m m itted to
agriculture sustainability and
saving soil and water.
The United Church
o f C h rist has been an
important part of Rietmann’s
life and he has been active in
the UCC’s Pacific Northwest
C o n feren ce. He was a
founding board member of
Sum m it S prings V illage
Corporation and also served
for many years as a director
of Columbia Basin Electric
Cooperative, served on the
Condon School District 25J
board and as a G illiam
County commissioner.
He has been a major
contributor to a variety of
com m unity projects and
causes over the years. His
interests, generosity and
h u m an itarian ism
also
missions to Cuba, Central
A m erica and the S oviet
Union. He also promoted the
work of the United Nations.
Rietmann is survived
by his w ife, Rose E. o f
C ondon; son, Tom and
daughter-in-law Katie Cook
of Condon; daughter, Marie
Rietmann of W ashington,
D.C.; and grandchildren,
Jacob, Benjamin and Annika
of Condon. He was preceded
in death by his parents and
his brother, David, who died
in 1999.
M e m o r i a l
contributions may be made
to the U nited C hurch o f
C hrist E ndow m ent and
Memorial Fund, P.O. Box
223, Condon, OR 97823;
Laura B arnett A rts, P.O.
Box 165, C ondon, OR
97823; or to a charity of
choice.
Sweeney Mortuary
of Condon is in charge of
arrangements.
Abraham Murillo
Abraham M urillo,
20, o f B oardm an, died
Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005 at
Kadlec Medical Center in
Richland, WA.
The funeral service
was held Aug. 17 at Burns
M ortuary o f H erm iston.
Burial followed at Riverview
Cemetery in Boardman.
He was born Dec.
21, 1984, at Hermiston, to
Gloria and Efrain Murillo,
Sr. He was raised in Stanfield
until 1999 when his family
moved to Boardman. He
was going to be a senior at
Riverside High School this
fall.
He enjoyed school,
singing, church, swimming,
drawing and wanted to be a
paper boy.
He was a member of
the First Baptist Church in
Umatilla.
Survivors include his
parents, Gloria and Efrain
Murillo, Sr.; grandparents,
Irene Arellano of Hermiston
and Valentin and N arcisa
Lomas of Boardman; sister,
Ninfa Murillo of Beaverton;
brothers, Cain Murillo and
O m ar M urillo, both o f
B oardm an; a niece, a
nephew and many aunts,
uncles and cousins. He was
preceded in death by his
brother, Efrain Murillo, Jr.,
in 2000.
Burns Mortuary of
Hermiston is in charge of
arrangements.
Dallas Shockley
Dallas Shockley, 77,
of Shoreline, WA, died Aug.
3 at his home.
F uneral serv ices
were held Aug. 6 in Seattle.
Shockley was a
su p erin ten d e n t at lone
Schools from 1955 until the
1960 consolidation with
M orrow County. He was
also active in m anaging
transient labor camps during
the summer. Before coming
to lo n e, he w orked as a
teacher at Athena School.
A fter leaving lo n e, he
worked as an official for the
W ashington E d ucation
Association in Seattle.
Survivors include his
wife of 50-plus years. Dee
Shockley; children, Kathy,
Patrick, Rebecca and Mike;
and 10 grandchildren.