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About Nyssa gate city journal. (Nyssa, Or.) 1937-199? | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1973)
University of Oregon Library ____________________________________ Th* Sugar City Nyssa, Oregon 67th Year, 27th Issue »urna/ Thursday, July 5, 1973 Nyssa Infant A premature baby boy, whose »other died from botulism poisoning last week, remains on the critical list in a Boise hospital. The boy was born June 20 after his mother, Racquel Gon sales, 32, was admitted to St. Alphonsus Hospital along with her father, Anselmo Sifuentes, 69, both of Nyssa. Both died of botulism poisoning last week. Health officials said blood tests showed the baby did not have botulism, but is suffering from prematurity problems. They said the baby is believed to be the first in medical his tory born to a woman suffering from botulism. Health officials are still look ing for the source at the poison- 1M Payne Renamed To Commission 3,000 ONION CRATES burst into Hames in the J.R. Simplot Co. yards, with flames spreading to nearby warehouse. EQUITABLE SAVINGS DECLARES DIVIDEND JOE S. ‘SCOTTY’ PAYNE The appointments were an nounced by Oregon Governor Tom McCall. Kalina succeeds Richard M. Lyon, Junction City, on the seven member dairy panel. Payne operates an 80-acre dairy farm and milks 70 re bate red Guernseys. He is an officer of the Malheur County Dairy Herd Improvement Asso ciation and is a former member of the Oregon Dairy Council, Oregon Guernsey Breeders Association and the Malheur County Dairy Board. The Board of Directors of Equitable Savings and Ixian Association declared a cash divi dend of 6<,‘ per share at their monthly meeting on June 26, 1973, in Portland, Oregon. According to W’illiam E. Love, president and chief executive officer, the 6f per share divi dend will be paid on July 25, 1973, to stockholders of re cord at the close of business on July 10, 1973. Equitable has paid cash divi dends on Its capital stock in each year since 1947. Equitable Savings, with assets of $590 million, operates 36 offices in the states of Oregon, Washing ton and Idaho. Dr. Clay Morgan on Boise School Board Dr. Claytan Morgan, a Boise physician and surgeon, has been appointed to the Boise School Board to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Neal New house last month. Dr. Morgan, 45, is a former Nyssa resident and physician, and the son of Mrs. Frank Mor gan. Car Body Smashing Machine To Be In County Masher Incorporated, based in Medford, Oregon, will be m Malheur County, with a car body smashing machine. Mal heur County, The Bureau of Land Management, andtheOre gon State Highway Division are coordinating efforts to concen trate car bodies so that they can be smashed and removed. July 27 is the date tentatively set for the smasher. Four sites have been desig nated in the cuunty as car smashing locations. These are the Vale City Dump, the county landfill at Lytle Blvd., Burns Junction tai V. S. 95 andOregon Highway 78, and McDermitt. Re sidents with abandoned autos ar< requested to take them to one of Ten Cents SPKTACULAR BlAZf DAMAGES J. R. SIMH0Î WAREHOUSE, 1OSS OVER $100,000 «Still Critical Joe S. Payne, of Vale, chair man of the Oregon Dairy Pro- duals Commission, has been re appointed to a three-year term on the board and Raymond t. Ka lina, Scio dairyman, was na med to a first term. Thunderegg Capital these four sites if possible, or contact the county Solid Waste office at 473-3420. If there are 20 or more ve hicles In any condition at one spot in the county, it can be arranged to have the smasher come to that spot. Private junk yard owners are requested to contact the office if they have 20 or more vehicles they wish to have hauled away. Unlike some smashers, this machine can smash cars with out burning out the insides. In stead, the seat covers are cut and stuffing is removed. For this reason, there Is less pol lution of the atmosphere. Fur ther, Oregon State Law pro hibits burning of automobiles. Diane Thomas Crowned Malheur Dairy Princess Diane Thomas, 17, Adrian was named Malheur County Dairy Princess last Friday evening at the annual Dairy Princess banquet at the East side Cafe. Over 200 persons attended the banquet. Miss Thomas was also given the title of Miss Congeniality. Terry Lynn Jantzen, Vale, was named first runner-up, and Dee Anna Chamberlain, also Vale, was the third contestant for the county title. Adrian Students Earn Honor» 212 undergraduate students at Eastern Oregon State College in La Grande earned 3.5 or bet ter (hiring springterm, accord ing to Dr. James Hathhorn, Dean of students. Included in the listing were David Phelps, Joann Timmer man and Carolyn Ward, all of Adrian. UO JOURNALISM STUDENTS HONORED Twenty-nine journalism stu dents at the University of Ore- goo have been announced win ners of scholarship and awards Among the award winners are two students from Nyssa. They are Jeanine Saito, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Salto, and Richard Sept. Eugene, who is spending this summer in Nyssa working for the Gate City Jour nal. Jeanine is one of six jour nalism students, all graduates of Oregon high schools who plan careers in the news-editorial area of journalism. They were each awarded a $250 scholar ship from the Oregon Newspa per Publishers Association. Richard was one of three journalism students honored for outstanding scholarship. He was recipient of the William G.Gur- ney Memorial Award. U.S. Savings Bond Sales Up U.S. Savings Bonds sales _ in Oregon continued their strong The three girls gave their upward trend during the month talks before groups throughout of May. The U.S. Treasury sales the county, and were judged on figures for May released today these appearances as well as by State Chairman Thomas Pri- at the banquet. Carol Knothe, deaux reveal that Oregonians County Home Economist; Dave purchased $4,338,315 worth of Waldo, Nyssa businessman; and bonds during the month. This is George Gurr, BLM district an increase of $338,300 over manager served as judges May of last year, boosting Ore throughout the contest. gon’s sales year-to-date to$23,- Terry Chamberlain, last 364,168. year's dairy princess and also The true strength of the sti from Adrian, crowned tbe new mulated activity in Savings princess. She told about her Bonds is best attested to by travels throughout tbe state, and the fact that for the 32nd con about the State Dairy Princess secutive month sales have far contest, which will be held early outstripped redemptions in the in 1974. state. Currently, Oregonians’ total holdings of Series E and H NEW POSTMASTER bofcds is in excess of $500 mil lion. Local Bond representatives AT WESTFALL feel that the main motivating Mrs. Martha E. Romans has factors stimulating sales are been appointed Postmasler in the increased public aware Westfall, Oregon, the Postal ness of the tax advantages af Service announced today. Mrs. forded for retirement programs Romans received her appoint and college education plans. ment under merit selection pro Currently, local volunteers are cedures authorized for the Pos conducting the annual Payroll tal Service in legislation enac Savings Campaign. The start ted by Congress and signed by ling number of participants in President Nixon. creasing their allotments leads to this conclusion. Nationally, May E and Hbond sales were the highest on re cord for any months since the H Bond was issued in June 1952. May E and H Bond sales exceeded redemptions at cost price by $254 million. The cash value of Series E and H Bonds and Freedom Shares outstanding on May 31 reached an all-time peak of $59.7 million. The ac cumulation of interest during 1973 on outstanding E Bonds alone amounted to $1,084 mil lion. Jim Leslie, Malheur County Savings Bond Chairman, said sales have reached 49 percent MRS MARTHA E. ROMANS of the 1973 goal of $340,000 She assumes her new duties through May. after having entered the Postal College Transfer Service in 1970. The appointee is a native Program Available of Butler, Oklahoma, and pre sently resides in Westfall. She Eastern Oregon College, La came to Oregon (Willow Creek Grande, Oregon, and Treasure Area) in 1958. Valley Community College have John G. Rost, Sectional Cen entered into an agreement ter Manager-Postmaster, Boise,whereby students can attend installed her as Postmaster at Treasure Valley Community Westfall on June 29. College for their first two years then transfer to Eastern Oregon College and complete a bache Nyssa Artist lor's degree in business-eco nomics. While at Treasure Val Displays Paintings ley Community College the stu Showing his paintings for the dent may take 30to40credits in technical agriculture which will first time at the Nyssa Public be fully transferable to Eastern Library is Mr. Earl Webb of Oregon College. The student will Nyssa. Mr. Webb has taught himself graduate from Eastern Oregon to paint. The materials that College with a major in bu he uses to paint with are canvas siness-economics and a minor in agriculture. This program is and canvas board oils. Some paintings which can be a great deal more liberal than seen during the month of July the usual transfer program to a four-year college or university. are: "Blue Colonial Puppy,” At present Treasure Valley "My Family,” "The Big One,” Community College has a two- and "Ducks Taking Off." year curriculum in agricultural business which will fit very well into this new four-year program. Shortly after 8:50 p.m. last Thursday, June 28, the Nyssa fire siren started to wail. People running our of their homes to look for the fire witnessed a towering column of flames and smoke roaring up from the northeast part of town. When the first crews of Nyssa volunteer firemen reached the scene, an area bounded by N. 1st. Street, Walnut and Green Avenue and the Union Pacific railroad tracks, they dis covered a stack of 2,500 to 3,000 wooden onion crates feed ing the 70-foot tower of flames. The crates belonged to the J.R. Simplot Company, a Boise based firm, and were stacked near the company’s processing plant, located at 2 Walnut Ave. A high southerly wind roiled the flames through the neatly- stacked crates and in a matter of minutes the entire pile was ablaze. Heat from the fire caused nearby power poles to catch fire and started to pop light fixtures attached to them. White-bot showers of sparks, coming from bur ..(-through powerlines, stood out against the smoke-darkened sky, the air was filled with a static charge of heat, smoke and excitement. Arriving just after the trucks, fireman Ralph Lawrence of Nyssa said, "We’ve fought pallet fires before, so we knew there was nothing we could do to save them.” "We concentrated on trying to save the adjacent buildings,” said Lawrence. Just after 9:00 p.m., Nyssa Chief of Police Alvin Allen arrived on the scene and sent out a request for additional men and equipment. "When 1 saw the flames and the wind,” said Allen, “I didn't think we’d be able to stop it before it reached Main Street.” Also, Chief Allen started to alert shed owners in the area to be ready to empty their buildings if the fire started to spread. Homes across the alley from the burning mountain of crates started to smoke and blister on the outside walls closest to the fire. "Somebody help us,” pleaded a young woman standing in the street, "we’ve got to get the stuff out of this house.” A cluster of people broke from the crowd standing on the west side of 1st. Street and rushed into the smoking house. One man picked up a garden hose and started to spray the rear wall of the house. A stream of men, women and children snaked in and out of the house with arms loaded. In a few minutes a pile of furniture and personal be longings sat outside the house near the curb. Two homes near the flames had the furniture removed, but neither one caught fire. One of the homes emptied belonged to Jack Robison, 522 N. 1st. st., and it did receive slight damage on the roof. "I heard the fire siren and went out the back door to see where the fire was,” said Robi son. "1 saw the north end of that stack of crates was burn ing, so I grabbed the hose and started to water down the house ’cause I knew there was no point in trying to fight the fire with a garden hose.” Robison's neighbor Mrs. Mary McConnell, 528 N. 1st. St., lost her garage to the flames and feared for her home. After firemen saved the house, the elderly Mrs. McConnell was comforted by friends and neigh bors who attempted to calm her. Two additional trucks, one from Ontario and one from Adrian, had a difficult time reaching the fire because of the crowds. However, after they arrived and got set up they were able to turn their at tention to the burning crates and the J.R. Simplot building lo- cated about 200 feet from the fire. A five-gallon container of liquid insulating compound standing next to the building exploded with a crack and a flash of white flames. A sheet of fire rolled up the side of the metal building and over its roof. Firemen gave up on the burning crates and rushed to control the fire within the Simplot building. With the added crews, the firefighters were able to direct their efforts toward saving the building: one crew forced an entrance through the side and took a hose into the smoking plant, another crew played a stream of water onto the roof and other firemen made an entry through the large load ing-doors at the front of the building. At about 10:05 p.m. an Ontario fireman said, ‘‘I think we’ve got it controlled inside the warehouse. Fortunately there wasn't much inside to burn.” Nyssa Fire Chief Delbert Malloy said that the entire blaze was under control at 10:30 p.m., but mop-up crews remained on the fire until about 2 00 a.m. Friday, June 29. Emergency equipment and personnel on the fire included: 3 trucks from Nyssa, 1 from Ontario, 1 from Adrian, 11 Nyssa police officers, 2 State Police cars, and 1 Sheriffs deputy. Only one injury was reported. An employe of the J.R. Sim plot So., Butch Overstreet, re ceived minor burns to his right hand and arm when he drove a tractor away from the flames. Even as the firemen started their mop-up operation, crews from Idaho Power Co. started making emergency repairs to restore power to the area. Ad- cording to Dale Adams, Nyssa district manager for the power firm, the crews had restored service by 2:00 a.m. Friday. Also, telephone crews work ing at the fire site Friday after noon had service restored be fore 5:00 p.m. Friday afternoon Al Vogt, area manager for the J.R. Sim plot Co, was at the fire scene looking over the damage. “I really can’t say enough about those Nyssa and Ontario crews,” said Vogt. "Some how they got in the back of the building and saved the back part of the place.” Vogt said damage would pro bably run over $100,000, adding that his company’s insurance would cover all the fire-damage to the adjacent homes. Replacing the 2,500 to 3,000 onion crates may be a problem, according to Vogt, but the com pany expects to be ready for "business as usual” on or about July 20. As of Tuesday, July 2, the cause of the fire was still unknown, according to Chief Allen, but police are still investigating. Crowd Conduct at Eire Forces Crackdown By Nyssa Police Police officers at the scene of the J.R. Simplot Co. fire last Thursday night had a dif ficult time with the crowds of curious people who rushed to the area to watch the fire. According to the police, fire- men were hampered in their efforts to control the blaze, emergency vehicles had a pro- blem reaching the scene and in at least one case a car was driven over a firehose. Alvin Allen, Nyssa chief of police, said Friday afternoon that he is through putting up with such behavior. No cita- tations were issued Thursday night, but according to Allen, “they can be expected in the future. Particularly by cars pursuing the fire trucks.” "It’s bad enough to have foot traffic around there,” said Al len, "but when they drive in and park their cars all over the place that’s going too far.” “For a while there,” said Allen, "I didn’t think we’d be able to get the truck from On tario through to the fire.” Officers at the Thursday fire said people largely ignoredtheir instructions and one officer said the crowds "will cost someone a home before long” unless stopped. The following codes govern- public behavior at fires and will be applied by Nyssa offi cers in the future, according to Chief Allen. to Nyssa city According codes, “it is unlawful for a person at or near a fire to conduct himself in a disorderly manner or to refuse to observe promptly any order of any mem ber of the fire department or to resist, obstruct or hinder any member of the fire department." Also, according to Nyssa city codes, "all members of the fire department are en dowed with the same powers of arrest as are conferred upon peace officers." In addition, Oregon codes pro hibit “following within 500 feet of a fire apparatus, parking within 2 blocks of a point where a fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire alarm or within 3 blocks of a point where a fire is in progress.” V* EAU IKK NYSSA LIONS CLUB OFFICERS FOR THE 1973-74 Year were Installed Tuesday eve ning at a ladies night steak feed in South City Park. Robert M<( onnaha, ex District Governor from Ontario, was the installing officer. Officers, from left front row, are Dan Martin, secretary; the Rev. John Wor- rall, 3rd vice president, Lauren Wright, president, Otis Smith, lion tamer. Don Young, director, and Paul Kunkel, 2nd vice presi- 1 dent. Back row. Dirick Neq.y, director, Gale Christensen, director, Gene Stuns, tail twis ter; and the Rev. William Lewis, director. Officers absent for the installation were Ward Lundy, first vice president, and the Rev. David Martinez, treasurer. Gene Ches ter Is the outgoing president, Roy Wild was presented with a 25-year pin signifying 25 years of service to his community through Lions International, I SEACOG Announce MIN DATE MAX 64 Naw Office Hours June 27 99 • 65 June 28 98 The Southeast Oregon Council 66 of Governments (SEACOG) an June 29 90 62 nounces that effective July 9, 81 June 30 50 their office in the basement of July 1 78 47 the Vale City Hall will be clo July 2 90 53 sed during the noon hour. July 3 Owyhee Reservoir Murage The new office hours will be 612,450 Acre Feet from 8:30 a.m. tonoonandfrom 7/3/73 670,320 Acre Feet 1 to 5 p.m. 7/3/72 REPRESENTING OREGON AT THE eleventh annual National Youth ScienceCamp at Bartow, West Virginia are Rod Lewis, left, of Nyssa and George Sampson of Mc Minnville. Two delegates, selected by their gover nors on the basis of high achievements in science, represent each of the 50 states. The boys will be involved in a concen trated program including computer pro gramming, nature photography, lectures by top scientists and teachers, and sports acti vities. The 100 campers are guests of the State of West Virginia for three weeks, starting June 24, and they are scheduled to take trips to the National Radio Astronomy Ob servatory at nearby Greenbank, andtoWash- Ington, DC., FOR TOURS OF THE Capitol and the Smithsonian Institute. I