Willow Creek Valley Assisted Living receives
USDA loans to build facility in Heppner
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The Willow Creek Valley Assisted Living Board receives a token check for a SI70.000 Community
Facilities Loan Guarantee from USDA and local bank officials. WCVAL also received an additional
$680,000 Community Facilities Direct Loan from I'SDA. The loans will enable WCVAL to build an
assisted living facility in Heppner. Pictured left to right are: Jim Rippy. consultant; Sharon Harrison.
Klamath First Federal Heppner Branch manager; Darrell Raver. Bank of Eastern Oregon Heppner
Branch manager/loan officer; Diana Ball. Willow Creek V alley Assisted Living corresponding secretary :
Sharron Woodside. WCVAL treasurer; Suzanne Jepsen. WCVAL chairman; Gail Hughes. W CV Al. board
member; Bill Daniel, state community facilities specialist: and Paul Kershisnik. CSDA rural utilities
specialist.
members.
Funds for the assisted living
project, according to the letter
from Jerry W. Sheridan. Rural
Utilities Program director of
USDA. were "set aside as of
today." September 8.
On September 25. the promise
of that announcement was
symbolized in the "checks"
presented to members of the
nonprofit
organization
by
representatives of the USDA and
of the local banking community.
The USDA loan's 5.125 percent
interest rate is critical to the $1
million-plus
project.
The
difference between this rate and
Morrow County Schools are that of conventional lending rates
seeking people
who are will enable the 16-unit facility to
interested in becoming a mentor meet its monthly obligations.
Other funding will come from
in the Special Friends program.
This program is designed to pair loans totaling SI70.000. with
children with a positive adult role Bank of Eastern Oregon and
model. The number of volunteers Klamath First Federal and from
determines the number of donations.
"We continue to seek
children served. Statistics have
shown that when children receive donations." Suzanne Jepsen.
as little as a half-hour per week board chair, explained "In fact,
we very much need donations. "
of one-to-one unconditional
positive regard from an adult she continued. "We are counting
mentor, the results are almost on support from the community
to complete our financing
always positive and lasting.
Negative behaviors are not as
pronounced and the child has a
greater motivation for learning
and getting along with others.
This is how the program
works: Children are referred to
the program by their teacher.
These children may be shy.
acting out, have learning
disabilities or just in need of
more individual attention. They
are then paired with a volunteer.
Once a week, for 10 weeks, the
volunteer and student will meet
for
30-45
minutes
of
conversation, games and crafts.
At the end of the 10-week
period a party is held for the
volunteers and their students to
celebrate their accomplishments.
"It is indeed a small amount out
of one's time each week, and so
valuable to the children." said a
Morrow County Behavioral
Bear Scouts Curtis Harper.
Health news release.
These programs are great in Bryan Holland. Drew Johnson.
concept, but only work if Colter Rav er, along with Webelo
volunteers
step
forward." Matt Holland and Tiger Cub
continued the release. Many Chance Raver took a walking
programs like this have failed tour of histone Heppner on Sept.
due to lack of community 22
Marsha Sweek. historian and
involvement. When the program
fails it is the children who suffer. former director of the Morrow
Morrow County is in desperate County Museum, lead the scouts
need for adults to have more and their families through
involvement with their children." Heppner's history. They learned
Anyone interested in becoming about the vanous regional Indian
a volunteer for this program
should contact Tiah Sanderson at
either 676-9161 or 481-2911
The Special Friends program is
The Morrow County Fair
sponsored by both Morrow Board announces that Christina
County School District and Wall has been selected to be
Morrow County Behavioral Morrow County Fair and Oregon
Health Funding for the program Trail Pro Rodeo Court chaperon
comes through a grant provided for the year 2000-2001
Wall has had previous rodeo
by Eastern Oregon Health
court experience and says she is
Services Consortium.
By Doris Brosnan
The letter began. "Rural
Development is pleased to advise
you that your request for a loan
in the amount of S680.000 has
been approved." Though the
Board of Willow Creek Valley
Assisted Living had been
verbally assured that the USDA
would provide the funding it
sought, the official word brought
a sigh of relief to board
IUCC to worship in new church
The lone United Church o f
Christ will worship in their new
facility for the first time on
Sunday, Oct. 1.
Members and friends will
gather at 10:45 am . at St.
William's Catholic Church in
lone, and walk together to the
lone UCC church building at 395
Main Street for a special worship
service at 11 a m. "In Christ’s
Name" will be the title o f the
sermon by Reverend Paul Clay,
the pastor o f the church. Coffee
and refreshments will be served
after the service.
Children from kindergarten
through sixth grade will meet at
9:30 a m. for Sunday school in
The new facility includes a
the Christian Education Building, sanctuary with a balcony, a large
and then join the walk to the new community room with a kitchen
church at 10:45 a.m.. The classes and a gas fireplace, Sunday
will begin meeting in the new school rooms, office space and a
building on the following spacious entry which expands
Sunday, Oct. 8, at 9:30 a.m.
and connects all the other areas
The old church building was o f the church. The architect, Gail
severely damaged by a fire on Sargent o f Hermiston, worked
April 23, 1998. After careful closely with the congregation to
study, the members o f the church create the design.
voted unanimously in January o f
The new church will be
1999 to replace the old building formally dedicated on Sunday,
with a new facility. Construction Oct. 22. The day will include
began in March o f 2000, and the worship at 11 a.m.. followed by a
interior o f the building is now
potluck and the dedication
nearly complete. Exterior work
and landscaping will continue service at 3 p.m. with a reception
afterward.
this fail.
Students gather at "the pole" for prayer
Eight students participated in
the "See You at the Pole-
National Day o f Student Prayer"
before school at Heppner High
School on September 20. Adults
gathered at the Morrow County
Courthouse in Heppner in
support o f the youth..
According to a news release, a
prayer meeting that started with
just one youth group, meeting in
the dark o f night in Texas in
1990, has grown so dramatically
that it may have impacted 56,000
schools this year. Students in
every state were expected to pray
on their campuses, observing the
11th annual "See You at the
Pole—National Day o f Student
Prayer".
Young people have been
bowing in prayer at their school
flagpoles around the world for 10
years as part o f See You at the
Pole, asking God to bring moral
and spiritual awakening to their
countries, the release said.
The See You at the Pole 2000
theme was "A Generation
Seeking God." taken from the
words o f King David recorded in
Psalm 24:3-6. "The passage
expresses a spiritual intensity
similar to what many youth
workers observe today in
teenagers o f the "Millennial
Generation,"
continued
the
release.
"Veteran church youth workers
have noted that there is a greater
fervency and seriousness in
young people who seek intimacy
with their Creator." the release
said. "This is expressed in
prolonged gatherings for worship
and prayer, often in a spirit o f
repentance. See You at the Pole
gatherings frequently include
heartfelt times o f singing and
passionate prayer."
News deadline
5 p.m. Monday
Students gather around the pole for prayer
lone graduate writes hit movie
Lisa Meyers, 1981 graduate o f
lone High School, working under
the pen name Darcy Meyers, has
co-written "The Watcher" for
Universal Studios.
The movie, starring James
Spader, Mansa Tomei and Keanu
Reeves, came out Sept. 8 and
spent two weeks as the number
one box office grosser.
Fellow alumni Teena Hubbard,
nee Lindstrom. (IHS 1981) was
in
Los
Angeles
for
a
chemical/biological
warfare
conference and touched base
with Meyers shortly before the
release o f the film.
Drawing class scheduled
A mixed media drawing class,
sponsored by Blue Mountain
Community College, will begin
this Thursday, September 28, at 7
p.m. at the Heppner High School
art room.
The 10-weck course will be
scheduled between Heppner and
lone art rooms each Thursday
from 7-8:30 p.m.
Instructors are Tom Shear and
Astnd Bruno.
The class is open to adults and
school age students, grades four
and up. who want to leam the
basics o f drawing or strengthen
their existing skills.
For more information or to pre-
register. call Anne Morter,
BMCC coordinator for South
Morrow County. 422-7040.
Mentors sought
for youth
package."
Citizens and organizations can
donate to the assisted living
project by sending donations to
Box 244 in Heppner. by
purchasing the paver bricks and
by placing their grocery receipts
in the box at Central Market.
Donations are also received at
City Hall and Twice upon a
time..., and the order forms for
bricks are available at Klamath
First Federal. Bank of Eastern
Oregon and City Hall.
If plans go as expected,
construction on the 16-umt
facility, to be located adjacent to
Lakeview Subdivision, will begin
in March of 2001. Board
members eager to "put a spade to
the ground" by November have
needed reminding that the
bidding process and the meeting
of conditions of the USDA loan
will take yet more time, so a
spring start on construction is a
realistic plan "We have many
details to work on." Jepsen noted,
"so our time will be well spent as
we look forward to actual
construction."
tribes' influence on Morrow
County Sweek talked about the
Oregon Trail’s impact on
Morrow County. Henry Heppner
and the "Heppner freeway”
through Hardman to the gold
fields of John Day.
The Scouts heard about Fort
Heppner. and the impact floods,
fires and tornadoes have had on
modem day Heppner. They also
v iewed some of Heppner's oldest
buildings.
OTPR chaperon selected
looking forward to working with
the court this year
The fair and rodeo court will be
selected on Sunday. Oct. 1,
starting at l p.m. at the Morrow
County Fairgrounds The public
is invited to attend
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