COMMUNITY
East Oregonian
A6
Helping others stay
well is a worthy cause
MARC
MULLINS
MARC’S REMARKS
A
nyone who has
been following the
news, whether on
television, radio or online,
has seen the dramatic
rise in COVID-19 cases
in India. In the past three
months, the number of
confi rmed cases in India
has risen dramatically
from just over 11,000 to
more than 400,000 per
day. In the past week,
India’s daily COVID-19
death toll surpassed 4,000
for the fi rst time. Reports
now inform us there have
been more than 21 million
cases and 238,000 related
deaths in India since the
pandemic began.
Personally, I feel
deep empathy for those
who have lost loved
ones, whether from this
pandemic or otherwise.
My own brother died
April 14 as a result of
cancer, and I offi ciated at
his graveside service on
my birthday, April 28. The
reality of grief is undeni-
able.
In his historical fi ction
novel, “Memoirs of a
Geisha,” author Arthur
Golden wrote, “Grief is a
most peculiar thing; we’re
so helpless in the face of
it. It’s like a window that
will simply open of its
own accord. The room
grows cold, and we can
do nothing but shiver. But
it opens a little less each
time, and a little less; and
one day we wonder what
has become of it.” I have
found this to be true of
grief for myself. Initially
overwhelming, in time the
sting of grief can diminish.
Still, however, I feel
deeply for those who
experience the death of
loved ones, whether from
COVID-19 or from other
causes, whether close
to home or in faraway
places, such as India.
When I earnestly ponder
the events of this past
year, and consider the
lives and livelihoods that
have been lost, there is an
irrefutable sadness that
passes over my spirit.
Such does not have to
either consume or limit
me, though. I have the
power to help make things
better.
One thing I can do
— something we all can
do — is to help protect
others from the adverse
eff ects of COVID-19. I
can, and do, choose to
wear a face mask when
away from home. I do my
best to keep appropriate
distance between myself
and others. Furthermore,
I did become vaccinated
at the earliest opportunity.
These are measures we all
can take with respect to
others and regard for all.
While some may
think, “I’m not going to
let others tell me how to
live my life,” I choose to
concentrate on a diff er-
ent thought: “I’m going
to do everything within
my control to help protect
myself and others.”
I encourage you to
think fi rst about the
welfare and well-being
of others, and then to act
in such ways as to help
promote considerate and
responsible behavior. Let’s
each do our part to bring
an end to this pandemic.
———
Marc Mullins is pastor of
the First Christian Church
of Pendleton, Oregon,
where he also utilizes his
gifts as a musician, singer
and songwriter.
Thursday, May 13, 2021
COMMUNITY BRIEFING
•Sydney Adams: BMCC/
Eastern Oregon University
La Grande/Oregon Health
Science University La
Grande, nursing.
For information about
the auxiliary, call the direc-
tor of volunteer services at
541-667-3690.
Summer program
off ers kids’ fun in
Boardman
BOARDMAN — As
summer approaches, parents
are encouraged to register
their children for FUNtastic
Kidz or Teen Summer. The
programs will off er activi-
ties and lunch at no charge
in separate sessions for kids
ages 5-12 and 12-17.
Coordinated by the
Boardman Pool & Recre-
ation Center in conjunction
with the Morrow County
School District, the program
runs Monday, June 21,
through Thursday, July 22.
The time for kids ages 5-12 is
from 8:30-11:30 a.m., and for
those ages 12-17 it runs from
1:15-4 p.m.
P r e - r e g i s t r a t io n i s
required. Also, free busing
options are available for
Boardman and Ir rigon
students. For more infor-
mation, visit www.board-
manparkand rec.com /
funtastic-kidz or email
tessa@boardmanparkan-
drec.com.
New scholarship
off ered by
Round-Up, HOF
PENDLETON — The
Pendleton Round-Up &
Happy Canyon Hall of
Fame, in partnership with
the contract personnel of
the Pendleton Round-Up
and Happy Canyon, is off er-
ing a $2,500 scholarship to a
Blue Mountain Community
College (BMCC) student
to support their education.
One recipient from qualifi ed
applicants will be selected
to receive the scholarship
award.
The Pendleton Round-Up
& Happy Canyon Hall of
Fame Contract Personnel
Scholarship is made possible
through the generous contri-
butions by the stock contract
personnel of the Pendle-
ton Round-Up and Happy
Canyon, and the board of
directors of the Pendleton
TruCare fi lls
bottles for babies
East Oregonian, File
The Boardman Pool and Recreation Center, which opened in
July 2017, will provide programs and lunch for FUNtastic Kids
and Teen Summer in July and August 2021.
Round-Up & Happy Canyon
Hall of Fame. The Pendle-
ton Round-Up and Happy
Canyon Board of Directors’
support of the Let ‘er Buck
Cares Fund also helped to
make this scholarship possi-
ble.
The purpose of this schol-
arship is to provide fi nancial
support to a student attend-
ing BMCC to help off set the
costs of going to college at
the discretion of the schol-
arship recipient, including
tuition, fees, books, housing,
food, utilities, fuel and more.
Applicants must be able to
show proof of enrollment at
BMCC during Winter Term
2021-22, and hold a mini-
mum 2.0 GPA.
Interested students must
submit a completed appli-
cation along with an essay
(maximum 750 words)
discussing why the Pendle-
ton Round-Up and Happy
Canyon are important to
them and to the community.
Applications will be
blind-reviewed by the Pend-
leton Round-Up & Happy
Canyon Hall of Fame Schol-
arship Committee and Hall
of Fame president in August
2021, and a selection commit-
tee of Pendleton Round-Up
cont ract person nel on
Sept. 14. The scholarship
winner will be announced
and, if present, introduced
during the Sept. 15 perfor-
mance of the Pendleton
Round-Up during the Hall
of Fame Inductee Introduc-
tion event in the Round-Up
Arena. Attendance during
the announcement is not a
requirement for scholarship
eligibility.
To apply, interested
students should download
the fi llable application from
the Pendleton Round-Up
&Happy Canyon website,
www.pendletonroundup.
eom/p/round-up/halloff am-
einductees, or from the Hall
of Fame’s Facebook page,
www.facebook.com/ruphall-
off ame. Applications must be
emailed to ruphalloff ame@
gmail.com by Aug. 1.
Hospital
auxiliary awards
scholarships
HERMISTON — Area
students pursuing their
education in the fi eld of medi-
cine were recently awarded
$2,000 scholarships from
the Good Shepherd Medical
Center Auxiliary.
Hermiston students earn-
ing scholarships included:
•Kyler Mikami: Blue
Mou nt ai n Com mu n it y
College/Brigham Young
University, biophysics/chem-
istry/pre-med;
•Megan Billings: BMCC/
Lane Community College/
Linn-Benton Community
College, nursing;
HERMISTON — A Baby
Bottle Campaign continues
through mid-June to help
raise money for TruCare
Pregnancy Clinic.
TruCare is celebrating
moms and mother figures
throughout the month of
May. People are invited to
fi ll baby bottles with cash in
honor or memory of someone
special. Honored recipients
will receive personalized
notes and recognition on
social media. The campaign
will run through Father’s
Day, which is June 20.
People can also “fill” a
bottle virtually online via
www.myegiving.com/App/
Giving/tcpc by making a
$25 donation for one bottle,
$50 for two or other custom
amounts. Financial contri-
butions provide help in
funding pregnancy testing,
ultrasounds and pregnancy
support in the community.
A nonprofit organiza-
tion, TruCare was originally
founded as Pregnancy Care
Services in Pendleton in
1993, opening a Hermiston
offi ce in May 2011. In early
2018, TruCare became an
independent entity from the
center in Pendleton.
TruCare provides free
and confidential services
in English and Spanish. It
provides options counseling,
community referrals and
parenting classes. Parents
also can obtain needed baby
supplies through the center.
The facility is located
at 140 S.W. 11th St., Herm-
iston. For more informa-
tion, contact 541-567-2393,
kristi@trucareprc.com or
visit www.trucareprc.com.
— EO Media Group
Without any advance notice to the clients and the community
who depend on these programs and the employees who provide
these critical services, Umatilla County put out a request for
proposal (RFP) to outsource their long standing alcohol and
drug treatment program with:
x No opportunity for public comment
x No fiscal reason for the decision
x No clinical reason for the decision
This program is supported by grants and funding from the state.
It serves many of our most vulnerable community members
efficiently and effectively, and helps ensure safe communities
across our County.
Clients who receive these services will be negatively impacted
by a change in providers as continuity is an important element
in recovery.
There is no reason to rush this decision and we
demand that the County formally postpone
the process, and hold public hearings to
explain why it is changing a program that is
working well for County residents, and to give
the community, the clients, and the employees
a chance to be heard.
Call Board Chair George Murdock
541-278-6202 or email him at
george.murdock@umatillacounty.net
and tell him to postpone the
contracting process.
Oregon AFSCME, Local 3742
WHY IS UMATILLA COUNTY PROPOSING TO
END COUNTY-RUN ALCOHOL AND DRUG
SERVICES AFTER NEARLY 30 YEARS?