TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 7,2008
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
GAZETTE-TIMES
U.S.P.S. 240-420
M orrow County ’s H om e-O w ned W eekly N ew spaper
Published weekly and entered as periodical maner 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.
K-mail editors rapidserve net or david(u rapidserve net Web site: www.heppner.
net Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner Gazette-Times, PC) Box
337, Heppner, Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $27 in Morrow County; $ 2 1 senior
rate (in Morrow County only; 62 years or older), $33 elsewhere; $27 student
subscriptions.
David Sykes.....................................................................................................Publisher
Autumn M organ................................................................................................... Editor
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number for use by the GT office The GT reserves the right 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.
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Allyn to celebrate birthday
A birthday celebration for Lois Allyn will be held
Sunday, May 11, at Lexington Baptist Church after the
Sunday services. The public is invited to have birthday
cake and celebrate.
Smith to celebrate 80th birthday
An 80th birthday party will be held for Bill Smith
on Saturday, May 10. The party will be held from noon
to 5 p.m. at the ARC building at 215 W. Orchard Avenue
in Hermiston. Refreshments and entertainment will be
prov ided. N o g i f t s ^ f i S « ® * * ,,
■ir
*
week
H e p p n er High
School will be holding a
plant sale May 7-9 from
3-6 p.m. and May 10 from
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The plants
were raised by the HHS
horticulture class.
Plant selections in­
clude: Pansies, Petunias,
Portulaca, Guara, Tick Seed,
Geraniums (zonal and ivy),
veggies (tomatoes, squash,
cucumbers, jalapeno pep­
pers), herbs (dill, b asil,
oregano, rosem ary), herb
gardens, hanging baskets,
flower bags, coleus, mari­
golds and much more.
Senior Center Menu
United Methodist Church members will be serv­
ing lunch on Wednesday, May 14. The menu will include
cheeseburgers, oven backed French fries, tomatoes, onions,
lettuce, pineapple and flat apple pie.
Pioneer Memorial Clinic has expanded its telephone
hours to provide greater service to our patients. Ap­
pointments can now be scheduled Monday through
Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Regular clinic office hours remain
unchanged from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and
1:30 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
(541) 676-5504 • 130 Thom pson Ave., Heppner, OR
Equal Opportunity Provider/Employer
Thought about going green?
Every ton of recycled office paper
saves 380 gallons of oil.
M orrow County P ub lic W orks
Transfer Stations
Open Saturday and S u n d a ys
9 :0 0 - 4 :0 0
Q u e stio n s call 541-989-9500
Join us fo r Mother's Day J
Sunday May 11th
from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Special: Chicken or Shrimp Fettucine
Salad Bar & Regular Menu
also available
422-9800
Vandals strike cross on hill
Letter to the editor:
I stood there and looked, not believing what I saw,
at the destruction o f something that was dear to me and
many others.
I remember, it was about 20 years ago when sev­
eral o f us guys and our wives, with a lot o f equipment and
a considerable amount of funds, put in a lot o f time and
expense to build something that we thought would be ap­
preciated by many, not counting those o f us that worked
so hard, and here 1 was standing here looking at a totally
destructed part o f my life. How could anyone do such a
thing?
It was in the early 30’s when I understand the first
cross went on the hill. It was wooden and lasted for many
years. A new wooden cross went up when the first one,
because o f many years of snow and rain and wind and sun,
just got tired and laid down.
A new cross went on the hill at the same spot, I
believe, and it lasted for many more years but finally gave
up and it fell down.
Bob Jepsen came to me one day and asked for help
to put up a new cross. My first thought was wood. The
people at Kinzua said “Okay, what do you want.” They
cut some special timbers but in the mean time we decided
on medal because it would last longer.
Somehow it came to mind that the reach or tongue
o f a log truck trailer would be just the thing. I called many
owners and drivers and came up with 66 feet. Joe Miller
spent 16 hours at no charge welding and painting it making
a cross 20 feet high and 13 feet wide and when you look
on the hill today that is what you see.
A hole was dug with a backhoe in that rocky old
hill. Forty-four sacks o f cement mix were used to hold
the cross in place and thanks to Columbia Basin Electric.
A boom truck held it in place until the cement set. About
this time the telephone company put a building and tower
close by and gave us electricity to light the cross.
We have had our troubles off and on but nothing
like what has happened this time. The heavy metal box that
housed the electrical system’s wiring, light fixture and the
mount were completely crushed by rocks large and small.
To do this damage took a lot o f effort and time.
The people involved in putting up this cross
were Bob and Suzanne Jepsen, Bob and Aloha DeSpain,
George Jefferies, John Edmundson and Bill and Merilee
McDowell.
Also, contributions were made by Pettyjohn’s
Building Supply, Horseshoe Hereford Ranch, Jay Coil,
John Britt and Guy Van Arsdale.
The light has been repaired and will shine day and
night again.
Law enforcement has been asked to keep an eye
for vandalism and we are asking the public to keep watch
also, but we would especially ask those responsible for
the vandalism to re-think what they have done and find a
better way to spend their time.
Bob DeSpain
Heppner
Appreciation for community help
Letter to the editor:
We live in one of the best communities I have ever
known. We appreciate all the donations o f food and money
that were given on behalf o f Heeyoung’s dental bill. We
raised $ 1,500 at the bake sales.
All the donations from people Heeyoung did not
know personally really moved him emotionally. He was
very appreciative o f everyone. He comes from a city o f
four million people and yet you can feel like a stranger.
He has really enjoyed the small town community feeling.
He is amazed at how friendly everyone is.
It also surprises the kids how fast moms find things
out. We just smile and say moms have their ways.
Heppner continually amazes us at how quickly we
can join together and come to one another’s aide. Being on
the receiving end is very humbling. Again we appreciate
and are so grateful for everyone who gave o f their time
and money to come to a young man’s aide.
John and Kathy Marick (Heeyoung’s host parents)
Heppner
Encouragement to vote for Leann Rea
TAYLOB'S RESTAURANT IN IONS
TAYLOR'S RESTAURANT
Letters to the Editor ~
The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submined to the newspaper will need to have the
name of 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 will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves
the right to edit. 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.
Heppner
HHS
~
Letter to the editor:
We encourage you to vote for Leann Rea in the
upcoming election for Morrow County commissioner.
Leann is dedicated to Morrow County and will bring new
energy to our area.
We met Leann as a young mother. She was an
active volunteer supporting youth groups throughout the
county. She helped many young 4-H members and con­
tinues to assist Morrow County senior citizens. Leann has
served on numerous county and state committees. Morrow
County is her priority and she wants to make sure we move
forward as a strong unified county.
Please vote for Leann Rea as Morrow County
commissioner.
Vem and Francine Evans
Irrigon
Justice Court
1200 lb. Low-Profile Hydraulic Transmission Jack
Has four adjustable load support arms that swivel,
easily accessible release valve, four full swivel
ball-bearing casters and a wide support base.
Lowest Price of the Year: ONLY $449.00
Morrow County
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
For farm equipment, vielt our web Ute at www.nicn.aet
Leann Rea for Morrow County
Letter to the editor:
We believe Leann Rea will best serve the residents
o f Morrow County as our next county commissioner.
The current conflict over the disbursement o f the
tippage fees still remains a divisive issue. The cities o f
Morrow County were motivated, in part, by the fact that
their tax base is almost entirely derived from single family
households, with almost no taxes from the industries or
businesses where they work. Most surrounding cities have
a large industrial tax base. This puts our bedroom com­
munities at a definite disadvantage. These communities
are left to their own devises or to go begging for money
from the county commissioners.
On the other side, we-the voters-voted no on the
tippage measure after realizing that the cities were request­
ing too large o f a percentage o f the tippage fees. After
reviewing the way the money was currently being spent
we feared losing ftmding for OSU Extension, the Irrigon-
Boardman Emergency Assistance Center, the Neighbor­
hood Center, the County Fair, Soil & Water Conservation,
etc. One possible solution is to form a committee, with
equal representation from throughout the county, to work
out a new method o f distribution o f the tippage fees. This
committee would operate similar to the county planning
commission.
Having been a Morrow County resident all her life,
Leann can remember years where snow removal and flood­
ing put real pressure on the county road budget requiring
emergency funding. This came at the price o f reducing
funding for other important services. If the newly formed
tippage fee committee should decide to allocate a percent­
age o f these fees to the communities, the county should
retain the ability to override allocated percentages in case
o f such emergencies. But under normal circumstances,
the cities would receive an allotted percentage o f the fees,
so they have the ability to plan their own budgets using
those funds.
Other issues o f concern for Morrow County as well
as the State o f Oregon include pollution, global warmi
and the high cost o f fossil fuels. As a result we have turn:
to alternative energy sources such as bio diesel and ethanol. '
Now, every acre that we devote to fuel crops takes an acre
directly out o f our food production. While alternate fuel
production is a necessary and noble endeavor the direct
results are higher food prices and ultimately food short­
ages. If you don’t believe this, check the price o f eggs,
milk, and soon your choice beef. Check your grocery stores
to see how many foreign items are on your shelves— our
pickles came from India, seafood from China, asparagus
from Peru, just to mention a few.
It becomes absolutely necessary, if we are going
to be successful with the energy projects, we must in­
crease food production acreage. Change is in the air and
the solution is increasing acreage under irrigation. The
governor has certainly realized this and Umatilla County
has been very active in this area. Increased production is
directly connected to water and water development. Mor­
row County has been slow to respond. We believe that
Morrow County needs to have a greater presence in this
process. Leann Rea’s experience as an irrigation district
manager, an irrigated farmer, and a paralegal for a water
right’s attorney gives her an understanding and motivation
to work with the issues at hand.
H ere’s a visionary thought: The bombing range
is one o f the finest pieces o f real estate with the greatest
potential for production. We believe that when we realize
how much we need the added production, pressures will
become great enough that this area will be developed.
With the Columbia Irrigation District to the east and RDO
Farming to the west, we know what the land could produce.
When a large area o f the bombing range on the west side
sold to RDO, the government sold to one individual with
no public input, no public sale. This is why, if development
on the bombing range should occur, it would be advan­
tageous to have an irrigation district manage the water
delivery. Then sell the land fairly to individual farmers.
We realize this is a dream with many hurdles but the end
result would certainly be worth the effort. Leann has told
us that many years ago she and her husband actually took
maps o f the bombing range and drew in circles and water
delivery systems, with this very dream in mind.
In the past, these hurdles have been dealt with. We
can recall when every other section o f the Eastern Oregon
Farming Corporation east o f the bombing range was BLM
ground. Through local pressure and good judgment, the
BLM had a land sale; and we have the production there
we have today.
The problems are not insurmountable.
We realize this is visionary. But we believe that
we need to take this kind o f approach to operate Morrow
County. Leann welcomes your ideas. Write her, Leann
Rea 79269 Rippee Rd., Boardman, OR 97818; Call her,
(541)481-5922; or e-mail her, lnjrea@ centurytel.com.
Together our visions are the strength o f this county. If we
want Morrow County to progress, we need your input.
Leann Rea wants to work with people to see this county
move forward. She wants to work with you to get things
done.
Every vote counts. Democrats check the box next to
Leann Rea; Republicans check the box and write in Leann
Rea on your ballot (spelling is important).
Trina Miles, The Irrigon Committee to elect Leann Rea
Pasco
Morrow County Jus­
tice Court Judge Charlotte
Gray has released the fol­
lowing report:
-Tyler Bradfield, 22,
two counts o f furnishing al­
cohol to minors, $945 fine.
-Alora D. H ender­ -Letters to the editor continued on page Three
son, 18, no o p erato r’s li­
cense, $244 fine.