Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - THREE
St. Patrick’s Senior Center
I have attended a number of Heppner’s St. Patrick’s
celebrations (not all). Usually special tasks in some of the events
have required my attention at the expense of others. This year
1 decided to imagine this to be my first time - to see what 1 may
not have noticed; to hear sounds that escaped my attention in
other years; to really take note of the variety o f events and
activities, especially new ones added. Following are some word
images of my 2003 experience.
Thursday: I entered a sanctuary - no formal lines and
lines of chairs. Tlie room was filled with neatly spaced small
tables, white cloths, small green napkins on each side, and a
small blooming violet as centerpiece of each. The early arrivals
were seated throughout the room, not huddled just inside the
doors. Subdues conversation was soon a crescendo of voices
and laughter as more people arrived, empty spaces filled, and
curtain time approached.
Then darkness - silence - curtain - we are transported
to a different time and place: Ancient Ireland - to learn of St
Brigid and St. Patrick... Young folk, men and women o f the
parish, invite us into a new “real time,” and experience of this
reality... It is the threshold of our celebration.
Friday: St. Patrick’s Senior Center, 4 p.m. - Last minute
preparations for Mrs. O ’Leary’s stew. People in green aprons
at their tables; leprechauns all ready for their pranks and
shamrock stickers. I missed the Ceremony of Dedication for
the new People’s Fountain, at the comer o f Murray Drugs. I
walked through little groups visiting and laughing; and now,
some of them were moving to the opposite comer, waiting,
joking, meeting and greeting.
The appointed hour- 5 p.m.: They came, steadily -
newcomers, old-comers, natives, visitors, family, all with some
familiar green insignia, especially wonderful Irish smiles. A
pleasant, quiet hum o f visiting and laughter hovered over the
room for two hours, while the United Methodists served an
evening meal.
The Old Time Fiddlers at the fair pavilion- 7 p.m.: a
full house - and the wonderful rhythmic rhythm of Irish music.
Fiddles, guitars, banjo, harmonica, singing with toe-tapping,
clapping happy audience responding to every number. The
performers, from six to 86, were energetic and eager to share
their love of the music, whether soloists, duos, in families or
other groups. Some were from far away and others were local.
What joy they exhibited and with the same kind o f joy they
were received.
Saturday - 8:45 a.m.: another trek to St. Patrick’s
Senior Center for breakfast. A light rain began to fall, the streets
. were quiet; less than a dozen had come at this hour. And then
we felt the town wake up. Ed Baker and Tom Wilson were
soon very busy as more came for biscuits and gravy, eggs and
sausage, hashbrowns and coffee, orange juice and peach-half.
By 9 a.m., people were arriving by clan. The Senior Center
volunteers were very busy.
KUMA Coffee Hour broadcast at 10 a.m.: I felt as if
I had entered a focal point o f energy and good will - song,
story, laughter, bagpipe, fiddles, polkas, pathetic ballads, a
wonderfully free good-hearted “Irish madness” prevailed. It
happens like this only in Heppner.
Noon: Irish Potato Soup served at St. Patrick’s Senior
Center. People loved it and were glad to come out o f the rain
- but no dampened spirits on this day.
The Parade at 1 p.m.: “The Riotous Bunch” were first
to follow the color guard and dignitaries. And then brave
walking groups, people marching, people watching, all dripping
and enjoying.
Into the afternoon and long into the evening, at the
high school, the Elks club and other places, the show went on.
One line from a song sung by the Sentimentalists stays with me
to reflect a mood of the weekend: “In the lilt of Irish laughter, I
hear the angels sing.”
Does there need to be more?
The place and the people of St. Patrick’s Senior Center
• contribute to every aspect of, and to the spirit of the celebration.
Cruz-In winners announced
VanWinkle-McHaney
Just one of the many vehicles at the Cruz-ln
Fifty-one vehicles
from the Columbia Basin and
B lue
M ountain
area
participated in the 2003 St.
Patrick’s Celebration Cruz-In,
March 15 in Heppner.
A w ards
w ere
presented to the following
participants in their various
categories: Carol Hudson
from The Dalles won the
People’s Choice award with
h er 1953 S tu d e b a k er
Commander Convertible and
also won in her classification.
The L ep rech au n ’s
Choice award went to Rick
Peterson of lone with his 1959
S tu d eb ak er S ilv erh aw k .
A n o th er lone re sid en t,
L in d sey K in caid , w as
presented the Best Dressed
Award as a chauffeur with his
1985 L incoln S tretch
Limousine.
The Car Club award
went to the Mid-Columbia
Car Club, The Dalles, who had
12 entries.
Other winners and
th e ir v eh icles in clu d ed
Pendleton residents, Bob and
Susie Calhaun with their 1970
Dodge Charger and George
and Sue Nelson with their
1957 MGA convertible.
Sharon H arriso n ,
Lexington, was a winner with
her 1956 Ford T-Bird.
D ave and V ickie
Farley, The Dalles, won an
award for their 1961 Chevy
Corv ette. Another The Dalles
resident, Keith Jallen, went
home with an award for his
1957 Chevy Camero pickup.
M ark and Deon
M agnuson o f H erm iston
placed first in class with their
1968 Shelby Mustang.
Wasco resident Jack
Wallace took home the top
aw ard for his
1963
International pickup.
The 1971 Dodge Dart
belonging to Gary Jones o f
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Hermiston took top honors in
his class.
The Dalles resident
Robert Peickert entered his
1950 Ford Club Coupe and
was awarded top of his class.
Other The Dalles residents
w ho w ere w inners w ere
Theeou and Donna Keller who
entered their 1960 GMC
Modified pickup and Sam
Bilyeu who brought his 1938
Studebaker Commander.
M orrow C ounty
residents Lyle and Helen Bliss
entered their 1953 Modified
British Ford and went home
as winners in that class.
Driving from North
Powder with their 1923 T-
B ucker Street Rod were
Steve and Judy Nelson and
they went home as winners in
their class.
Spike and Delores
Pieesoli from H erm iston
brought th eir 2003 Ford
Mustang.
Tony M cCullough
brought his 1972 Chevy Nova
SS from Kennewick, WA and
took home a winner’s plaque
for his class.
Sponsors of the 2003
C ru z-In w ere: A lpine
Constructions, Artisan Village,
Bank of Eastern Oregon, Blue
Mountain Ceramic, Brannon
Auto Repair, Bucknum’s, C-
4 Construction, Louis and
Betty Carlson, Columbia Basin
Electric, Columbia River Title
C om pany,
C oppock'
Surveying, Country Shears,
Devin Oil Company, D&L
A uto
P arts,
D rake
Construction, G.D. Linger
Longer Lounge, Green’s Feed
S tore, H ayden Fam ily
Dentistry, Heppner Auto Parts,
H eppner G azette Tim es,
H eppner A uto S erv ice,
Heppner Hardware, Heppner
High School student body,
Hermiston Dairy Queen, Jay
Coil Fabrication, John’s Other
Place, Klamath First Bank,
Kuhn and Spicer, Lexington
Auto Body, Lott’s Electric,
Les Schwab, Miller and Sons
E x cav atio n ,
M iller
M an u factu rin g , M orrow
C ounty G rain G row ers,
Murray Drugs, Northwestern
Motel, Peterson’s Jewelers,
Pettyjohn’s Farm and Building
Supply, Pot O ’ Gold Café,
R.J. Steak House and Lounge,
Red Apple Market, R&W
Drive-In, Shamrock Lanes,
Sherrell Insurance Agency,
Wheatland Insurance, Willow
Creek Clinic, Willow Creek
Realty, Hair Expressions and
Rodgers Electric.
C USTO M
BANNERS
Heppner
Gazette-Times
Joseph McHaney and Jessica VanWinkle
Jim and Georgia VanWinkle of Heppner announce the
engagement of their daughter, Jessica VanWinkle of La Grande,
to Joseph McHaney of Pendleton.
VanWinkle is a 1998 graduate of Heppner High
School. In June she will graduate from Oregon Health Sciences
University in La Grande with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
McHaney, the son of Mike and Tammy McHaney of
Madras and Daw n Madrid of Vancouver, Wash., is a 1997
graduate of Condon High School and a 2002 graduate of
Eastern Oregon University with a degree in English. He is
employed as a sports reporter for the East Oregonian in
Pendleton.
The couple plans an Aug. 9,2003 wedding.
Brownfield-Pitarys
Nick Pitarys, Jr. and Alissa Brownfield
Nancy and Dick Snider, lone and Steve and Luanne
Brownfield, Heppner, announce the engagement o f their
daughter Alissa Kathryn Brownfield to Nicholas Alexander
Pitarys, Jr., son of Patricia Robertson of Fishkill, NY.
Brownfield graduated from Heppner High School in
1994. She attended Oregon State University for one year,
and attended travel school in Kennewick, WA before moving
to Denver, CO, in 1996. She is currently employed with
Advantage Wireless, Inc. in Englewood, CO as a manager for
the Denver metro area.
Pitarys graduated from John Jay High School in
Hopewell Junction, NY in 1988. He received his BA from
Seton Hall University in 1992. He moved to Phoenix, AZ in
1995 and has been employed as the Arizona market manager
with the Englewood, CO based company o f Advantage
Wireless, Inc., since September o f2000.
The couple plans a June 28,2003 wedding in Oregon.
Local Girl Scout troop to sell cookies
Heppner, Lexington
and lone now have their very
own Girl Scouts troop. Troop
#400, lead by Teresa Hintz of
Heppner, currently has 18
members and meets Monday
evenings, from 6-7:30 p.m., at
H eppner Day C are. The
group is open to girls in
kindergarten through twelfth
grade.
The Bank of Eastern
Oregon donated $200 to the
group for start up expenses
and M erry B rannon o f
H eppner Day C are has
donated the space.
The girls will be out
Saturday, March 22, in front
of the lieppner Post Office
and H eppner Red Apple
selling Girl Scout cookies.
They w ill also be in Lexington
and lone the fo llow ing
Saturday, March 29.
Any one interested in
jo in in g Troop #400 can
contact Hintz at 676-5985.
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If you missed the concert,
don't miss the CDs!
^
MuMiUj'J DflUj
217 North Main • Heppner* 676-9158
Serving Heppner, Lexington A lone
m (Gardner’s
Men’s Wear
(541) 676-9218
193 N. Main Street • Heppner
t