A6
COMMUNITY/RECORDS
East Oregonian
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
History shows humans can endure
MARC
MULLINS
MARC’S REMARKS
Since the news of COVID-
19 first was broadcast, people
throughout the world have been
faced with disconcerting chal-
lenge and hardship. For nearly
two years the virus has spread
and mutated far and wide, causing
some to wonder if life will ever get
back to “normal” again (whatever
“normal” may mean).
Perhaps it will help to recog-
nize that ours isn’t the fi rst time in
history during which people have
faced terrible circumstances.
From 165-180 A.D. the 15-year
Antonine Plague caused 5 million
deaths.
Less than 400 years later, from
541-542 A.D., the Plague of Justin-
ian was the world’s fi rst episode of
bubonic plague, resulting in an
estimated 30-50 million deaths.
A little more than 800 years
later, from 1347-1352 A.D., the
Black Death killed as many as 200
million people.
Then, beginning in the early
16th century A.D., European
explorers brought smallpox,
measles and other viruses to the
New World that killed some 25-55
million Native Americans.
The cholera pandemic impacted
the world during much of the 19th
century. Between 1817-1923 some
1 million people died.
The H1N1 virus slammed
the world from 1918-20. That
pandemic, sometimes called the
Spanish Flu, came in two waves,
infecting as many as 500 million
people with estimates of 50 million
deaths worldwide.
In 1957, the year I was born, the
H2N2 virus brought about what
has become known as the Asian
fl u. In one year some 1 million died
worldwide, with 70,000 deaths in
the U.S.
Throughout history, people
have responded in various ways
to plagues such as these. In 1632
A.D. people in the German village
of Oberammergau responded to the
Black Plague by turning to God
and asking for divine help. Resi-
dents were faced with great distress
after a man named Kaspar Schisler
brought the plague into the village.
As a result, leaders of the commu-
nity decided to hold a passion play,
once every ten years, depicting the
last week of the life of Christ. From
that day on, not a single person died
from the plague, even though a vast
number of the village had become
infected.
For the past 389 years the villag-
ers of Oberammergau continued
their commitment to present the
entire Passion play — with its illus-
trious sets, music and costumes —
for one season every 10 years. It is
an incredibly vivid and amazing
production to behold.
This coming May 12-22, my
wife, Wendy, and I will host a tour
to Italy, Austria and Germany. On
Friday, May 20, 2022, we and others
who join us will attend the day-long
play in Oberammergau. The play
Friends of the Irrigon Library organize bazaar
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
IR RIGON — Twen-
ty-four years ago, Barb
Huwe founded the Friends of
the Irrigon Library because
she felt her town could not
support its library with-
out help, she said. Now the
group’s treasurer, her mission
to help the library has contin-
ued to the present day. As she
sold treats at the Friends of
the Irrigon Library’ annual
holiday bazaar, now in its
third year, she and others
raised money for the library.
The event was Friday and
Saturday, Nov. 5 and 6, at the
Irrigon Public Library, 490
N.E. Main Ave., Irrigon. Not
only was the bazaar a fund-
raiser, it also was a get-to-
gether of community-minded
people and a showcase of
goods from local vendors,
she said.
“We have so much talent
in the area,” she said. She
added it was nice to return
after it had been canceled
last year due to COVID-
19 concerns. And though it
was smaller than it had been
pre-pandemic, she was happy
it could come back at all.
Jennifer Smith, Friends
president, also was happy,
and pointed out her organiza-
tion has supported programs
in Irrigon and Boardman and
has paid for library equip-
ment.
The Friends charged each
vendor $20 to appear at the
bazaar. Nine vendors were
present, down from 13 two
years ago, Smith said.
She said she was looking
forward to other events, such
as the annual softball tourna-
ment in July, a book sale and
a spring bazaar.
Kris Jones, Irrigon, was
among the vendors. The
owner of Four Season Acres,
she was selling handmade
signs, home decor and vari-
ous crafts.
In working at the bazaar,
she said she was building up
for a you-cut Christmas tree
plot on her four-acre Irrigon
farm.
“We planted 400 trees last
spring — little babies, Doug-
las fi rs and Nobles,” she said.
She added she lost more
than half of them with the
heat, but she remains unde-
terred. It will take around
fi ve or six years for them to
be ready, and she said intends
to work for that day.
She said she also plans to
have a pumpkin patch and
berries on her property.
Terri Sandlin, owner of
Terri’s Touch, was another
vendor at the bazaar. She
was selling masks, pothold-
ers, pillowcases and more.
Erick Peterson/East Oregonian
Barb Huwe, left, and Jennifer Smith sell baked goods Friday,
Nov. 5, 2021, at third annual holiday bazaar of the Friends of
the Irrigon Library.
This was not her fi rst event,
she said, as she has appeared
at markets other regional
markets, including in Pend-
leton and Hermiston.
A retired teacher, she said
she needed to fi nd something
to do with her free time. This
business is a nice diversion,
she said. Also, she added, it
allows her to express herself
through the things she makes.
The Irrigon bazaar was
a lot of fun, she said, and
she said she would return
next year.
Tickets sales open
for Festival of Trees
Library friends
to elect board
HERMISTON — The
Friends of the Hermiston
Public Library will hold board
elections Wednesday, Nov. 17,
6-7 p.m. at the library, 235 E.
Gladys Ave., Hermiston.
In addition to encour-
aging use of the library, the
nonprofit group supports
improvements at the facil-
ity and hosts fundraisers for
PUBLIC SAFETY
Friday, Oct. 5
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
HERMISTON — Tickets
now are on sale for Hermis-
ton’s Festival of Trees 2021.
This year’s event is Satur-
day, Dec. 4 at the Hermiston
Community Center, 415 S.
Highway 395. The purchase
of tickets will include a time
slot for shopping, bidding and
viewing of trees and holiday
items:
• 2-3 p.m., family hour,
$25/per family.
• 3-4 p.m., individuals,
$20/per person.
• 4-5 p.m., 5-6 p.m. or
6-7 p.m., adults 21 and older,
$20/per person (includes
wine tasting at the event).
The annual fundraiser
benefi ts the Good Shepherd
Community Health Founda-
tion and Hermiston Kiwanis
Club. Both entities use funds
to support projects in the
community, including those
that focus on health and
wellness, and programs that
provide opportunities for
children and youths.
Tickets can be purchased
at the Hermiston Chamber of
Commerce, 630 S. Highway
395. For more information,
visit www.facebook.com/
HermistonFestivalofTrees or
send a message via the event’s
Facebook page. In addition, an
upcoming community story
in the East Oregonian will
provide additional details.
will take place on an open-air stage
against a beautiful backdrop of
towering Alpine mountains. I’m
grateful that travel is opening up
more and more to allow for jour-
neys such as this. (If interested,
feel welcome to contact me before
the end of November by calling my
church offi ce, 541-276-5358.)
History has demonstrated that
we humans can endure much and
come through even stronger despite
the diffi culties or challenges that
confront us. As we continue to
maneuver through this current
pandemic, let us do so with stead-
fast hope, compassionate love, and
sacrifi cial grace.
———
Marc Mullins is co-pastor of
the First Christian Church of
Pendleton.
7:43 a.m. — A caller reported the theft of a vehicle from
Villadom Mobile Home & RV Park, 53785 W. Crockett
Road, Milton-Freewater.
8:35 a.m. — A caller asked the Morrow County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce to check on the welfare of family members in Irrigon
because they may be in mental or emotional duress. The
sheriff ’s offi ce checked.
11:18 a.m. — A caller reported the theft of a vehicle at
Columbia Crest Apartments, 1500 Second St., Umatilla.
Police took a report.
11:27 a.m. — Hermiston police responded to the 700
block of West Alder Street on a report of an assault.
12:38 p.m. — A resident on Joy Lane, Hermiston,
reported the theft of a vehicle.
3:50 p.m. — A 911 caller reported a fi ght at Western
Express, 28810 Staff ord Hansel Road, Hermiston.
4:05 p.m. — Hermiston police responded to the 700
block of Southeast View Drive on a report of a burglary.
6:18 p.m. — Stanfi eld police responded to Copper
Corner Apartments, Stanfi eld, on a report of a disturbance.
6:58 p.m. — Pendleton police responded to two reports
of a theft on the 200 block of Southwest 20th Street.
7:53 p.m. — Emergency services responded to the River
Lodge & Grill, 6 Marine Drive N.E., Boardman, for an
older male who fell and may have suff ered a concussion.
8:31 p.m. — The Morrow County Sheriff ’s Offi ce
responded to a reported burglary on Southeast Brandon
Street, Irrigon.
11:16 p.m. — Umatilla police received a report of an
assault at Umatilla Inn & Suites, 1370 Sixth St., Umatilla.
Saturday, Oct. 6
3:05 a.m. — Emergency services responded to the Lamb
Weston East Plant, 750 Columbia Ave. N.E., Boardman, for
a male who hit his head, was in and out of consciousness
and may have suff ered a concussion. The Boardman Fire
Rescue District responded and took the patient to Good
Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston.
4:04 a.m. — A resident on Dylan Road, Irrigon, reported
someone shot at this house,. The Morrow County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce responded, found no one fi red a gun and the parties
separated after an earlier disturbance.
9:25 a.m. — A caller reported a bull was loose in the
area of East Rock Street, Heppner.
1:33 p.m. — A resident on Walla Walla River Road,
Milton-Freewater, reported her stepson was at her place but
he is not supposed to be there and she had to push him out of
the house. The Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Offi ce took a report.
3:27 p.m. — An Irrigon resident on McCall Lane
reported he has a picture of a green vehicle that could be
involved in thefts in the area.
6:21 p.m. — Umatilla police received a complaint about
a male smoking in a room at the Econo Lodge, 1481 Sixth
St., Umatilla.
8:23 p.m. — A caller reported a male waved him down
on Blackhorse Canyon Lane, Heppner, for help with his
vehicle, but the male had a gun in his hand, so the caller
took off . The Morrow County Sheriff ’s Offi ce checked the
area but did not fi nd the male or the vehicle in question.
9:38 p.m. — Umatilla police received a report of
gunshots on Bridgeport Avenue.
Sunday, Nov. 7
Lukes Photos/Contributed Photo
A tree decorated by the Hermiston Gun Club was among the items up for bid during the
2018 Festival of Trees in Hermiston. Tickets now are on sale for designated time slots for this
year’s event, which is Dec. 4, 2021, at the Hermiston Community Center.
special projects, new mate-
rials and fun programs. The
library friends also host an
annual book sale.
Anyone interested in the
library is welcome to attend.
For information about join-
ing, contact friends@herm-
iston.or.us or 541-567-2882.
Veterans’ Aff airs
seeks grant
applicants
SALEM — The Oregon
Department of Veterans’
Aff airs recently announced
it is accepting proposals for a
new round of funding via its
Veteran Services Grant.
The grant money is aimed
at expanding and enhancing
services available to veterans
in communities across the
state. The 2021 Legislature
approved $938,118 to fund
eligible proposals that provide
direct services to veterans.
The Veteran Services
Grant Program awards
one-time grants to organi-
zations of up to $250,000
through a competitive grant
process. Proposals must
provide direct services, at
no cost to veterans, that help
improve outcomes in areas
such as health or behavioral
health care, housing secu-
rity, employment opportuni-
ties or stability, education and
training opportunities, trans-
portation accessibility and
availability, or other critical
services within a community.
To apply, organizations
must be designated as a
nonprofi t or veteran organi-
zation, or a tribal, regional or
local government. The 2021
Veteran Services Grant appli-
cation must be submitted by
Nov. 17.
To learn more about the
grant, funding criteria or a
link to the application, visit
www.oregon.gov/odva/agen-
cy-programs/grants/Pages/
Veteran-Services-Grant.
aspx. For questions, contact
Jacqueline Kemp, ODVA’s
grants coordinator, at jacque-
line.kemp@odva.oregon.gov
or 503-580-9049.
— EO Media Group
1:05 a.m. — A 911 caller reported a motor home was
on fi re at a storage unit on West Third Street, Hermiston.
1:45 a.m. — Umatilla Police responded to Country Club
Manor Apartments, 605 Umatilla Ave., on a report of a
domestic disturbance.
7:18 a.m. — A resident on Steen Road, Milton-Freewa-
ter, reported a burglary.
10:54 a.m. — Pendleton police responded to the fi rst
block of South Main Street on a report of an assault.
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1740-80 Washington
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