I University of Oregon Library Eugene, Ore. 97U03 I Nyssa Gate City Journal 67th Year, 26th Issue Th* Sugar City Botulism Kills Nyssa Resident BY RICHARD SEPT Sometime last Friday after­ noon,a bolt of lightning slashed down out of the overcast sky and crashed into the ground. The lightning set fire to nearby dry grass and brush; a higti afternoon wind started to swirl the flames through the tinder­ dry brush of the Succor Creek area south of Adrian. The first report on the fire was turned in to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) fire yard in Vale at 4:15 p.m., Fri- day, June 22. And when fire­ crews from Vale arrived in the area, they found a nKjor prai­ rie-fire sweeping through the rough, rocky country. Because ot higti winds, the terrain and the coming of night, the crews were unable to re­ main on the firelines, so they withdrew to their base camp, located about two miles up the Succor Creek Park road. Fri&y night, the glow and flames of the fire could be seen clearly from the Nyssa rodeo grounds, where a crowd was gathered watching the Nyssa Nite Rodeo. Bill Coleman of Nyssa had some horses pastured out south of Adrian and late Friday night the owner of the pasture called to warn him that the fire was moving in that direction. ‘‘As I drove along the main highway south of Adrian,’’ said Coleman, "I could feel the heat from the fire and the smoke was coming in through the vents on the truck.’’ Coleman found his stock safe, but he moved them into a near­ by corral as a precaution. No livestock was caught inthefire. Saito Receives NYSSA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT Rod George, right, presents Ray (arson with a desk clock engraved with a suitable inscription in appreciation of his many years of service to the Nyssa Community. Mrs. Sfardi larson, left, and Mrs. Tom Seppich are in the foreground. The photo at right shows Tom Seppich, master of cere­ monies, at the podium wi U i Mardl and Ray lars.nat the table. Seppich is a former Nyssa businessman and company employee, and is now in the purchasing office of the home office in Ogden. He kept the crowd in stitches with his remarks about old timers present that lie knew in the past, and kept the ¡arson’s going- away party in a light and friendly occasion. About 125 turned out for the dinner at the Eagle's Hall Monday to honor Lrrson on his promotion to Assistant Agriculturist for Amalgamated Sugar Company, after nine years as district manager in Nyssa, and many more years prior to that as fieldman in the Nyssa district. He will assume his new duties July 1. In addition to the gift from the Nyssa Chamber of Commerce, Superintendent W.L. Me II rt la nd presented ¡.arson with an engraved plaque In recognition of his 12 years on the Nyssa School Board. Mayor Larrv Bauman, factory superintendent Jack Stewart, and Bob Holmes, president of the Nate nal Fe­ deration of Sugar Beet Growers each paid tribute to the ser­ vices of Ray larson during his 23 years with the company in No.‘.a. Mrs. Irene larson, Ray’s mother, was also honored, and re­ cognition was given to the service of the late R.G. larson, Sr., first Nyssa district manager. Chemical Treatment of Tussock Moth (Continues PAM SAITO Pam was among 372 graduates, 123 who belong to the WRAIN program (Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing), in­ cluding Pam. She was gradua­ ted from the Nyssa High School in 1969. Under the WRAIN program, she attended the Uni­ versity of Oregon for two years and also two years at Walter Reed Hospital. She received her commission June 2 as First Lt. at Walter Reed Medical Center at Washington, D.C. She will receive six weeks basic military training starting July 10 at Ft. Sam Houston, near San Antonio, Texas. Her first assignment after com­ pleting basic training will be at Madigan Hospital at Ft. Lewis, Tacoma, Washington. T*n Cants SRV CREWS CONTAIN RANGE FIRE ON UM LAND SOUTH OF ADRIAN Anselmo Sifuentes, 69, of ■iyssa, the victim of botulism 'poisoninc, died Sunday, June 24, at St. Aiphonsus Hospital in Boise, Idaho. Sifuentes and his daughter, Raquel Goniales, 32, also of Nyssa, were hospitalised early last week suffering from food poisoning. On Wednesday, June 20, Mrs. Gonsales gave birth pre­ maturely to a baby boy. The child, the first known infant born to a victim of botulism poisoning, is being treated in the neo-natal unit at St. Luke's Hospital. Both mother and child are listed in critical condition. The source of the botulism, which earlier had been thought to be home-canned peppers, is unknown and employes of area health agencies will be attempt­ ing to retrace the food consump­ tion of the pair prior to the onset of the botulism poisoning. Pam Saito of Nyssa graduated June 1 with academic honors from the School of Nursing at the University of Maryland in Baltimore The commence­ ment took place at the Balti­ more Civic Center. She also belongs to Sigma Theta Tau, National Nursing Honor Society. Thund*r*gg Capital Nyssa, Oregon Thursday, Jun* 28, 1973 Over one-half of the first Zectran application on tussock moths on l.aGrande area test sites is complete, according to J. E. Schroeder,State Forester, Oregon State Department of Fo­ restry. The second application on the 35,000 test acres, only a small portion of the total in­ fested area, should begin by early next week If spraying goes according to schedule. The largest treatment area is being sprayedwithZectran whlh smaller test plots are receiving applications of Dylox, Sevin and Pyrethroid. One of the chemi­ cals being used has been proven effective against th»' moth, DDT, which can no longer be used in tin (MM Stat. 1 ft,. e|j chemical known to control the moth’s p»f>ulation. Researchers with crews of La Grande area students have been visiting each spray site be­ fore the applications to de­ termine the infestation on test trees and to set out paper and metal cards which will show Drivers' License how effectively the brightly-co­ lored chemicals applied by heli­ Exams Scheduled copter cover the test trees. These teams have found that The Oregon Motor Vehicles well over one-half of the eggs Division will be conductingdri­ deposited last year have already vers* license examinations in developed intoone-eigtith to one- this area on the following dates: quarter inch hairy caterpillars. Nyssa: City Library from The hatched larvae have begun 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 25: Aug. consuming the young green 22, and Sept. 19. growth on Douglas-firs and true Applicants are advised to file firs and will soon tiegin des­ their applications at least 45 troying entire trees. Workers minutes in advance of sche­ have noted that the young lar­ duled closing hours if they wish vae are being spread even fur­ to complete the examination on ther throughout the LaGrande the same day. area as the wind picks up the web- like strands the insect pro­ duces. Groups working in control areas not being sprayed are studying the progress of a na­ tural virus which they hope will begin to stem the infestation that already has wiped out 200,- 000 acres of forest land. EXCHANGE STUDENT TO RETURN HOME Christian Rodríguez, foreign exchange student from Colom­ bia, will leave Saturday after one year in Nyssa with the Dorothy Wilson family. CHRISTIAN RODRÍGUEZ His friends gathered at the W ilson home Tuesday evening for a going away party prior to his departure. Christian arrived late last summer and attended Nyssa Higti School, graduating with the 1973 class. He plans to be an attorney when he resumes his studies in Colombia. Following the death of a Nyssa man last week as a result of suspected food poisoning, many people have fears about the sa­ fety of their home canned food products, as well as questions about botulism. Helen Conner, Malheur County Extension Home Economist, says that botulism is the deadliest and rarest kind of food poisoning. About 65% of those who are known to have this form of food poisoning die. Inadequately pre­ served home canned foods con­ tinue to present the greatest