! TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 8, 2002 Lettera to the Editor The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow Editor's note: Letters to the Editor must be signed The Gazette-Times w ill not publish unsigned letters. Please include your address and phone number on a ll letters lor use by the G-T office. The G-T reserves the right to edit. The CrT is not responsible for accuracy o f statements made in letters. (Any letters expressing thanks w ill be placed in the classifieds under "Card o f Thanks "a t a cost o f $ 7.) Heppner G A Z E T T E -T IM E S U.S.P.S. 240-420 M orrow C ounty’s H om e-O w ned W eekly N ew spaper Published weekly and entered as periodical matter at the Post Office at Heppner. Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879 Periodical postage paid at Heppner. Oregon. Office at 147 W Willow Street Telephone(541)676-9228. Fax(541 >676-9211. E-mail, g t u heppner.net or gt:u rapidserse net. Web site: www heppner.net. Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner Gazette-Times. P.O Box 337, Heppner. Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: S24 in Morrow County; $18 senior rate (in Morrow County oniy; 62 years or older); $30 else­ where David S y k es................................................................................................................ Publisher Sarah C oder..................................................................................................................... Editor News deadline is Monday at S p m. For Advertising advertising deadline is Monday at 5 p.m Cost for a display ad is $4 75 per column inch Cost for classified ad is 50* per word. Cost for Card of Thanks is $7 up to 100 words Cost for a classified display ad is $5 35 per column inch For Public/Legal Notices: public/legal notices deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Dates for publication must be specified Affidavits must be required at the time of submission Affidavits require three weeks to process after last date of publication (a sooner return date must be specified if required) On the HEPPSER WEBSITE: www.keppner.net • Start or Change a Subscription • Place a C lassified Ad • Subm it a N ew s Story • View Real Estate for Sale • City Council & Planning Minutes • Local Businesses • County Park • Willow Creek Park Reservations • Free Digital Postcards • Senior Housing • and more! Bank of EO promotes two employees , "y Sherry Walters F r a n B a r n e tt The board of directors of the Bank o f Eastern Oregon has announced the follow ing prom otions. Sherry W alters, branch manager of the Arlington Branch, has been named assistant vice president o f the Bank of Eastern Oregon. Walters began her banking career in January of 1983 at the Arlington Branch as a secretary/ receptionist. She has held positions including new accounts, loan secretary, operations supervisor, and most recently, branch manager. She and her husband, Don, have lived in Arlington all of their married lives. They have two grown children and one grandson. They reside on the family farm where they are wheat farmers. Fran B arnett, branch manager of the lone Br^ich of the Bank of Eastern Oregon, has also been named an assistant vice president. Barnett began working for the bank in 1972. Barnett has served in all operations positions at the bank and also is a consumer loan officer. She was most recently named branch manager at the lone Branch. She and her husband, Dave, who owns the service station in lone, have three children and nine grandchildren. Gem and mineral show slated The Hatrockhounds Gem and Mineral Society, Inc. will host the 16th annual rock and gem show. Nature’s Treasures Under Foot, May 18 and 19 at the Umatilla County Fairgrounds Senior Center Building in Hermiston. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, everyone is invited to view demonstrations such as rock and gem carving and goldsmithing; visit with dealers and buy books and equipment; participate in a silent auction, and win door prizes. Events and prizes will be presented for children as well and the senior citizens will provide lunch. Admission is free and the public is invited to bring their own rock and have it identified and cut. For more information, contact Juanita Ross, chairperson, at 567- 2542 or Don Homeck, president, at 567-9312. Boardman flea market, June 7-9 Boardman’s eighth annual flea market will be held June 7-9 along NE Front Street in Boardman. The event begins at dawn and lasts until dusk. The public is invited to bring the whole family for “hours of «unique shopping.” t For further information, or to be a vendor, contact Judy Scott at C481 -7606. She will be taking vendor applications until Saturday, May E5. RESPONSE AT THE SPEED OF LIFE AIR LIFE OF OREGON ifi ** m * * ■ ' JB&n Annual Membership >¿■ 31 an™ Ask about ground membership, too! Protects your entire family from out-of-pocket flight . ; costs for one year! I o i n t o d a y ! 1 - 8 0 0 - 3 5 3 - 0 4 9 7 continued from page l Tim Kamp, 14, lives in Portland with his mom, Grace, an RN; dad, Keith, who works for the PostaJ Service; and his 17- year-old brother, Josh, a senior at Thoughts about Heppner Centennial High School. Tim also To the Editor: The Heppner mountains are a stayed with the Lovgren family Good Morning, very good place to four-wheel and and went four-wheeling, hiking 1 just want to share with have good hunting. Lexington has and to the W ranglers rodeo. you a paper that my son, Colton, great food at RJ’s and it also has “They’re really fun,” he said of his host family. “I like staying out wrote for a third grade class a very good Polaris dealership.” there. 1 miss my friends and assignment about one o f his W hile 1 grew up in favorite places ... Heppner. Heppner, and have my own communication and I miss home, “Hi, 1 am Colton Hill. I special feelings about the town but I like getting away from all want to tell you about Heppner, and the people that make up the the troubles back there.” He the Heppner mountains, and community, it makes me smile at especially noticed the smaller Lexington. These three locations the special bond that Colton has classes at Heppner Junior High. “The clothes are different,” he are very cool. Heppner is very created with this w onderful says. “Not the girls, but the guys modem and very nice. Also, it place. has a very low amount of litter. (s) Shelley Stroeber-Hill wear totally different clothes. They live different here. They’re Walla Walla, Wa. friendly. The girls here are different, not all preppy and Disappointed with small audiences everything. No offense (to the To the Editor: However, 1 must also C entennial girls standing This past w eekend, express my great disappointment nearby).” Heppner High School presented with the small audiences. Drama Phil Markel, 14, lives in “The Magician’s Nephew,” a play at Heppner is self-supporting, and Gresham with his dad, Dan, who based on the book of the same there are no “pay to play” fees w orks in the Safew ay dairy name by C.S. Lewis. for actors. We did not meet our department; his mom, Liz, who The actors had worked expenses on this one, and 1 cannot works in a school kitchen; brother, hard and presented a fine play. I understand why quality family Jeff, 17, a junior at Centennial would like to especially commend theater was not supported by the High School; and sister, Jessica, Colton Helfrecht for doing so well community. My children loved it. 12, who is in the sixth grade. Phil, in his first lead role, Tylynn Smith I am also upset at our who stayed with the Tom and for being a wonderfully wicked robbery, of course: too bad the Laura M cElligott fam ily in queen, and Tyler Henderson for thieves didn’t listen to the play, Heppner, went bike riding and playing Aslan with dignity. And which taught that happiness bowling during his visit. He says Claire, if you were an animal, you comes from choosing good, not he misses having a TV and cable, would surely be a rabbit! evil. but likes the idea that the bowling (s) Lea Mathieu alley is so close to his host family’s Heppner home. “I like that everyone knows everyone else, but it’s really small, there aren’t many stores and it’s, Don’t cut early intervention like, in the middle of nowhere,” To the Editor: says Phil. “The girls, like, don’t My mother and I are is his aide’s name and he always dress up as much, but the guys jointly raising my autistic son. asks for her before school. With are pretty much the same, except, When he was two and a half, she her help he concentrates, like, they wear similar cowboy­ m entioned that there was participates and enjoys school. like clothes. Some people don’t something different about him. He One Wednesday she was gone think we know about country life.” was not talking yet, nor was he and the difference was apparent. Travis Knedel, 12, lives in affectionate, and he cried if we The following week he didn’t want Portland with his mom, Sheri, who dressed him. 1 got angry with her to go because he thought she’d works at VSR Graphics; dad, for it. She got help through the be gone. Joel, who works at Laser Quick; ESD. My basic point is that I and brother Troy, 12. Travis says Soon the ESD people was set in the old mind set that he liked staying with his hosts, the flooded our house and began tests he shouldn’t have all this special Mary and Kelwayne Haguewood on him. Sure enough, he was attention. And I was wrong; it’s family. During the week, he went autistic. We began educating not even about special attention. four-wheeling, and fishing with his ourselves with books and things It’s about early intervention. If family, “got attacked by their while he began speech, play and budget cuts are allowed to end this dog” and showed the McElligotts tactile therapy. My anger soon type of help, we will definitely pay his website, www.geocities.com/ subsided as I learned that with more, when someone has to sk8rsspankyl3. Travis made up early intervention, Chantz could spend twice as much time trying his own website, which, he says, be okay. And in mere months of to teach an autistic adult how to is “a bunch of pointless stuff in therapy he was now talking in five adjust. And those of our children general, music and flashclips.” He to six word sentences, wearing who have the help now, and could enjoys “anything” on the clothes all day, and passing out loose it, may regress, or even computer and playing with his cat. hugs and kisses left and right. become self-abusive, when that The thing he liked most about the When pre-school started, my oh so important part of their daily week in Heppner was getting mother and the ESD insisted that ritual is changed so drastically. away from the city and his he have an aide who would help (s) Deana and brother. His least favorite was “all him stay focused. I again objected, Tracey Hendricks the animal waste” and “dirt”. but mother stuck to her guns. I Heppner “Dirt’s okay,” he says, “but I don’t am now so glad she did. Melissa like getting dirty.” The difference in city and rural kids? “Their sense of humor and fighting.” “They (Heppner kids) don’t have as much a sense of humor as the kids in the city,” says Travis. “Also, here in fights, they push each other and the other pushes The M orrow County _ ^ back and it’s over. Back home, Sheriffs department is sponsoring J \x V 1 O they push each other and then the second annual Bicycle Rodeo ** A pinochle and social benefit to be held on Saturday, May 11, they wrestle on the ground and for Dean Connor will take place at 2 p.m. in the Bank of Eastern then they punch each other and then they get up and push each on Saturday, May 18, at 2 p.m. at Oregon parking lot. other some more and then cuss the Elks Lodge in Heppner. Children from toddler to The cost to play pinochle will ju n io r high school age are while being broken up.” “There’s be $3.50 and homemade desserts welcome to participate. Area actually fresh air here,” he adds. are $ 1.00. Tickets for a raffle are businesses have donated funds to “ In the city you go (sniff, cough).” $1 each. purchase bicycle helmets, which Kayla Wegleitner, 14, Everyone is invited to attend. will be given away at the event to lives in Portland with her mom, those who may not be able to Denise, who works at Liberty otherwise afford one. N orthw est Insurance. In All participants will Heppner, she stayed with the Lori receive a ticket in a drawing for and Wayne Seitz family and went num erous prizes, including to the Wranglers rodeo, horseback Barbies, remote-controlled cars, riding, jumped on the trampoline and a bicycle as grand prize. All and even drove a car. “Reggie (the prizes were donated by Wal- Seitz daughter) taught us how to Mart. drive,” laughs Kayla. They also The National Red Line had a barbecue and played games Freestyle team will perform as at the Seitz home. “ It’s nice well. here,” says Kayla. “It just seems more clean, not all the cars and Tta TKotteo i*c. .. fumes. It all looks the same-hills with brown and green.” “Kids CUSTOM HEAD SERVICE here are nicer than a lot of kids IF THE GOLF WERE ANY BETTER. at our school,” she says. “There Complete Auto Repair YOU'D BE WATCHING IT FROM YOUR COUCH. is a big difference in attitude. At our school, they’re snotty, really Computer Diagnostics T ik i to ttio links with our Birdio Mokor's snotty. Here th e y ’re more Spociol. Enjoy two IS-holo rounds of Parts & Engines welcoming.” “I miss the stores, V / golf with o cort ono night hotel stay ond plus Installation Delco my friends and my family,” adds 2 passes to Tamostslikt Cultural Institute Kayla, who likes going to the mall with her friends, relaxing, going for only $129 Sun-Thu ond $131 Fri-Set to movies, eating junk food and W I L O H O R t l R E tO R T C A U N O playing outside. Kayla says the TOe com tedhe cone orf