TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
H eppner
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 188 W Willow Street Telephone (541) 676-9228. Fax (541) 676-9211 E-
mail editortirapidserve.net or davidta heppner net Website: www.heppner net. Post
master send address changes to the Heppner Gazette-Times. P.O Box 337. Heppner.
Oregon 97836 Subscriptions: $26 in Morrow County; $20 senior rate (in Morrow
County only; 62 years or older); $32 elsewhere, $26 student subscriptions.
David S y k e s.....................................................................................................Publisher
Katie Foster....................................................................................................... Editor
All News and Advertising Deadline is Monday at 5 p.m.
For Advertising: advertising deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Cost for a display ad is $4 90 per
column inch. Cost for classified ad is 50c per word. Cost for Card of Thanks is $10 up to 100
words. Cost for a classified display ad is $5.50 per column inch.
For Public/Legal Notices: public/legal notices deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Dates tor publi
cation 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).
For Obituaries Obituaries are published in the Heppner GT at no charge and are edited to
meet news guidelines. Families wishing to include information not included in the guidelines
or who wish to have the obituary wntten in a certain way must purchase advertising space
for the obituary
For Letters to the Editor: Letters to the Editor MUST be signed by the author. The Heppner
GT will not publish unsigned letters. All letters MUST include the author’s address and
phone number for use by the GT office. The GT reserves the nght to edit letters The GT 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 $10.
On the HEPPNER WEBSITE: www.heppner.net
•
Start or C h a n g e a S u b scrip tion
• P la c e a C la s s ifie d A d • S u b m it a N e w s Story
• V ie w R eal E state for S a le • City Council & Planning Minutes
• Local Businesses • County Park • W illow Creek Park Reservations
• Free Digital Postcards • Senior Housing • and more!
Elks Americanism contest
As the Elks plan for
the implementation of the
new Grand Lodge program,
it is necessary for lodges to
in co rp o rate the new
Americanism Essay Contest
into
that
plan.
By
distributing the new theme,
“Why I am proud to be an
American,” at this Spring
time of year, lodges will
have plenty of opportunity
to get into area schools
early, let teachers know
about the program and
solicit their participation in
this most worthy program
for the fall school term.
Every exalted ruler and
Lodge
A m ericanism
Committee chairman is being
asked to follow through with
this contest and let students
in their community express
their feelings regarding our
country and the flag.
To help facilitate the
program , the Elks are
working with the schools to
help the children participate.
They are giving the teachers
the new rules and deadlines.
A nyone
w ishing
to
participate in the contest
should contact their teachers
or an Elks member. The
contest is open to students
in grades 5 through 8.
___________~
Letters to the Editor
The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following
criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper w ill need to have the name o f
the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide
your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The address and
phone number w ill only be used for verification and w ill not be printed in the
newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the nght to edit. The
GT is not responsible for accuracy o f statements made in letters. Any letters
expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under "Card ot Thanks” at a
cost o f $10.
Irrigon school problems should be
addressed, not swept under the rug
To the Editor:
Those o f us who
took the time to find out
what is really happening at
our school, reported our
findings to Superintendent
Burrows in late sum m er
2005, hoping the problem
could be solved with little
publicity. As you know, that
has not happened. Business
as usual is ongoing at Irrigon
Junior/Senior High School.
Personally, 1 would much
rather talk directly to the
Board members than air our
dirty laundry in public. Since
we
have
seen
no
improvement in the quality
o f adm inistration at our
school, I have decided tc
answer the unfair persona
charges that have been
leveled against me.
Twice Sami Griffin
has attempted to vilify me at
public meetings. The first
time was during the March
Irrigon High School Booster
Club meeting. Although she
never said my name, the
majority of the people in
attendance knew who she
was talking about. She said
I had talked to M ark
B urrow s, e-m ailed the
MCSD Board and called a
rep o rter. The first two
charges are accurate but I
did not call a reporter At the
MCSD board m eeting in
A pril she changed her
O regon
In te rn a tio n a l
Speedway
Thank You
Morrow County voters
for your support!
Your trust In Oregon Intern ation al Speedway
to bring jobs and econom ic developm ent to
M orrow County Is g rea tly appreciated.
Through your support o f Measure 25-45 Morrow County now has a
Speedway Activity District and the ability to collect an excise tax on
ticket sales and certain retail goods and services sold only within the
Speedway Activity District. Revenue from this tax w ill pay for the infra
structure - roads, sewers,
waste treatment, utilities
- required to support this
project.
Special thanks to those
who wrote letters to
the editor, pul signs
in business windows,
made phone calls, wrote
postal cards, and talked
to neighbors and friends
encouraging them to sup
port this measure.
Now it's up to OIS to
secure sanctioned race
date commitments and
build a world class motor
sports complex.
~ ___________
YES MCS Steering Committee (standing, left
to rightI Boh Okeson. Dean Kegler. BillieJean
Morris and Karen Pettigrew, celebrate the
win with Bill Gardner, left, and Stew Brucker
OIS will keep Morrow
County residents in
formed a s we move into
the speedway's development and construction phases
diatribe. This time she said I
had written a letter to the
editor. Actually, this is the
first letter I have written.
In view of the fact
that I did nothing illegal,
immoral or unethical, I find
it absolutely abhorrent that
at a time when young men,
including her grandson, are
risking their lives to bring
freedom to the people of
Iraq, she w ould deny a
:itizen of the United States
ner Constitutional right to
free speech. Even m ore
disturbing is the fact that
Ron Anthony’s supporters
applauded her effort. I guess
they do not believe in
democracy either.
What have I done to
earn Ms. Griffin’s disdain? I
have helped to expose some
of the problems within the
sch o o ls ad m in istra tio n .
Some people believe that by
exposing the problems at our
school I have brought shame
to it. I believe the shame is
in harboring the people who
are guilty of misdeeds. As an
old friend once told me, “It
is not a sin for a rat to come
into your house. The sin is
to let it live there.”
W hen
parents
a ttem p ted to air th e ir
concerns at the December
school board meeting, the
board told them they could
not talk about personalities
at a public meeting. (This
apparently does not apply to
private citizens.) They were
told they would have to ask
for an executive meeting.
For the parents, this meant
that the board did not want
to listen to them.
Following an article
in the E ast O regonian
addressing some of their
concerns, a mean spirited
letter, comprised of mostly
fiction, appeared in every
paper in the county. These
people were ridiculed and
called names because they
dared to attempt to expose
serious offences against their
children, each of which has
happened in the past two
years. O nly tw o o f the
people that signed that bit of
non sen se atten d ed the
meeting. Even the author
was not in attendance. Most
o f the sig n atu res w ere
e lic ite d
by
pure
m isrepresentation o f the
facts. The “negative nellies”
are the few people in Irrigon
that are supporting the abuse
of “other peoples” kids in
our schools.
P aren ts
w hose
children have had unresolved
problems at school should
contact Teachers Standards
and
P ractices.
T his
organization is investigating
IJSHS problems at this time.
Their web site is TSPC. They
need your help.
(s) Meredith De Haven
Irrigon
CUSTO M
BANNERS
Gazette-Times
676-9228
Wallowa, Rene of Heppner
and Sue of Cheney, WA; son,
Don
of
Spray;
23
g
randchildren,
44
g
reat
Richard E.
grandchildren and 16 great-
“Dick” Ruhl
great-grandchildren. She
was preceded in death by her
Richard E. “ Dick” husband, J.J.; children, Mac,
Ruhl, 65, died Friday, May Faye and Shirley; and three
19, 2006 at his home near grandchildren and six great
Lexington.
grandchildren.
At his request no
M e m o r i a l
serv ice w ill be held. contributions may be made
D isp o sitio n
w as
by to P io n eer M em orial
cremation.
H ospice, P.O. Box 9,
He was born Dec. 1, Heppner, OR 97836 or to
1940 at Heppner, the son of Willow Creek Terrace, 400
Laurel E. “Buck” and Viola Frank Gilliam Dr., Heppner,
Faye Gray Ruhl. He grew up OR 97836.
on the Ruhl family ranch in
Sweeney Mortuary
Black Horse Canyon near of Heppner is in charge of
L ex in g to n . He atten d ed arrangements.
school in Lexington and then
Heppner High School where
Births __________
he graduated. He went on to
play football for Oregon
B ra n d o n
Jesus
State University and played G alv ez- a son, B randon
in the 1965 Rose Bowl.
Jesus, was bom May 9,2006
Ruhl married Susan at St. Anthony Hospital in
M cQ uarry
also from Pendleton to Lidia Magallon
Heppner and they had two and Aaron Galvez-Angolo of
children, Dana and Rich. He Boardman.
received his master's degree
J a s m in e
A ra h i
in p h y sical e d u catio n , N a v a rr o
L e m u s-
a
startin g a teach in g and daughter. Jasmine Arahi, was
coaching career in Henely. born May 14, 2006 at Good
After two years, he moved Shepherd Medical Center in
to R oseburg w here he H erm iston to R osalba
continued his career for 27 Lem us C arillo and Luis
years. D ick and Susan Navarro of Irrigon.
divorced in 1978.
Ruhl returned to the Physician
Ruhl ranch every summer for prospect visits
h arv est,
retu rn in g
permanently after he retired community
in 1991. In 1993, his continued from page 1
companion, Lyn Reuteler,
jo in ed him on the ranch 25 total runs w ith 12
w here they have lived transports for $10,947 in
happily for the past 13 years. revenue; Irrigon Ambulance
had 11 total runs with five
tran
sp o rts for $4,005 in
Eva Griffith
revenue; there were three
Eva Griffith, 97, of flights; Pioneer Memorial
Heppner, died Tuesday, May Hospital had 12 admissions,
16, at Willow Creek Terrace 401 outpatients, 1,454 lab
Assisted Living in Heppner. tests, 83 x-ray procedures,
A graveside service 31 CT scans, 37 EKG tests
was held May 20 at the and two respiratory therapy
Heppner Masonic Cemetery. procedures; Home Health
A p o tlu ck
g ath erin g had 140 visits; Hospice had
ad m issio n s;
the
followed at the Heppner City tw o
pharmacy
administered
677
Park.
She was born Jan. drug doses for $40,574 in
30, 1909 at Lexington, the revenue; the hospital had
daughter of William H. and $ 2 1 ,8 0 0 in revenue for
Mary Blake Padberg. She hospital encounters.
-discussed a possible
lived all of her younger years
in C lark s C anyon and wellness outreach program
attended the Social Ridge for students as young as
S ch o o lh o u se. She then p reschool th ro u g h high
atten d ed high school in school.
-learn ed
of
a
Lexington. At the age of 13,
goodbye
Griffith was queen of the com m unity
scheduled
for
Dr.
Sam
Datta
Morrow County Fair and
on
Tuesday,
May
30,
from
3-
R odeo. She atten d ed
6
p.m.
Everyone
is
invited
to
Monmouth Normal School
attend.
Dr.
Datta
is
leaving
and a fte r receiv in g her
teaching degree, taught at the district for employment
in Hermiston.
lone.
-learned that Tom
On Dec. 22, 1928
W
icklund
is serv in g as
she married J.J. Griffith at
courier
between
the Irrigon
Vancouver, WA. The couple
and P io n eer
was p aren ts to seven C lin ic
Memorial.
Wicklund is also
children. They lived in the
w
orking
as a yard
Kahler Basin area near Spray
maintenance
person at PMH.
and at Enterprise for a short
-a p p o in ted board
tim e. They m oved to
members
John Gochnauer
Heppner in 1953. She started
and
Larry
M ills to the
cooking at the new Heppner
district’s
review
committee
High School w here she
to
review
credentials.
worked up until the time of
-learned that Vander
her retirement. She remained
D
oes
went
to Salem to
active after her t'etirement
testify
concerning
Medicare
working at Heppner Day
funding
for
sw
ing-bed
Care.
patients.
“I
think
we
have a
In 1975, she was
named Grand Marshall for shot,” said Vander Does,
the Morrow County Fair and who volunteered for a sub
R odeo.
She
enjoyed committee. “This is more
bowling, gardening, fair and progress than I’ve seen.”
-learn ed
from
rodeos, her dog Missy and
spending tim e w ith her Vander Does that the district
has receiv ed no audit
family.
Survivors include in fo rm atio n from the
d au g h ters, B everly o f B oardm an C om m unity
Health Care clinic.
Obituaries
Stay tuned! This w ill be an exciting adventure for
a ll o f us!
Bill Gardner
Managing Partner
Steve Brucker
Senior Vice President
Oregon International Speedway
Oregon International Speedway
NOW
C a « t Iro n • Bulli: T o u g h !
Bill Gardner is the founder of DiGard Racing, ime of the legendan names in
NASI AR See www Jtgurdroang nun
Morrow County G rain Growers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
»
f «
farm equipment. visit our web rite at www mcgf.net