FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 12,2006
lone School to hold performance Chamber Chatter
By Claudia Huelles. Exec. Dir.
with artist in residence
Mason Haguewood (left) and Zac Omn I right) watch as Okaidja
Afroso demonstrates Ghanian drumming techniques.
By Kay lee Pnlmateer and Tori
Heagy
T his w eek lone
C om m unity School has
hosted artist in residence
Okaidja Afroso. Afroso has
been teach in g A frican
dancing and drums to the
students. He has danced and
drummed with groups in his
native Ghana since he was a
child and has perform ed
throughout Africa, Europe
and the U.S.
Students have been
learning the basic techniques
of Ghanian drumm ing as
well as the c u ltu re and
people of Ghana through
d ialogue relatin g to the
m usic. The w eek will
culminate with an all-school
performance on Thursday,
A pril 13. C om m unity
m em bers are in v ited to
attend this free performance
at 2 p.m. in the high school
gymnasium.
Cardinal Booster Club news
The
C ard in al
Booster Club met Monday,
April 3 at the school library.
The club members
learned that the new track
and football storage unit is
in place and ready to be used.
C oach
Del
LaR ue
announced lone once again
has a pole vault practice area
and ath le tes w ill be
competing in the pole vault
at track meets this spring.
Jim Raible thanked
the club for concessions
support
th ro u g h o u t
bask etb all
season,
particularly for providing
pies for hom e gam es.
T he
C ard in al
Booster Club provides $600
in scholarship m oney to
graduating seniors from lone
High School. This year's
committee is Ryan Rudolf,
Del LaRue and H ow ard
★
M ullins. T his y e a r’s
graduation committee is Lisa
Rietmann, Melissa LaRue
and
A nita
O rem .
Club members will
look at 4lh of July t-shirts and
designs and discuss them at
the
next
m eeting.
The next meeting of
Cardinal Booster Club will
be Monday, May 1 at 7 p.m.
at the school library.
Bake Sale to
benefit Megan
Orr
A bake sale will be
held Friday, April 14 at 10
a.m. in front of Heppner
F am ily Foods. D onated
baked goods are welcome.
The fundraiser is for Megan
Orr who wants to participate
in the Australian Basketball
Down Under Tour.
Elect
“ G et
lost
and
discover Heppner.’’ Maybe
th is sh o u ld be our new
slogan. The Chamber had a
visitor today from Tri-Cities,
who recently took a new job
in Hermiston. In connection
with her job, she decided to
visit Heppner, which she
thought was just 14 miles
south. Some miles later she
was very relieved to discover
the gas station in Lexington
and since she had made it
that far, she came on into
H eppner, had lunch and
arrived at the Chamber of
Commerce.
We had a great visit.
She took a num ber o f
b ro c h u re s, three phone
books, and an Oregon map
and after a visit about the
area, I pointed her in the
direction of the hospital and
a ssisted liv in g . A few
minutes later she was back
with some Kudo bars and a
thank you. Obviously she
could see I have a weakness
for chocolate. Meeting new
people (and chocolate) is
one of the many perks of my
job.
Trivia Night was a
hum bling
e x p erien ce,
especially for some of us
who started out at the top
and rap id ly d ro p p ed to
winning the Trivia Crying
Towel. Everyone seemed to
have a good time and it will
p ro b ab ly be rep eated
annually, but next time not
so close to Casino Night, the
MS Walk and Pheasants
Forever. It has been
suggested that the date be
during winter solstice. In the
m ean tim e, put on those
walking shoes, bum off some
calories and then put them
back on at the first ever
Pheasants Forever Banquet.
There’s always something to
do in Heppner.
C y cle
O regon
DeSpain honored with 60-year
Legion pin
co m m ittees have been
form ed and many, many
volunteers will be needed.
Meetings will be scheduled
soon for the retailers to put
their heads together, since
2000 cyclists will arrive in
H eppner before noon on
Sunday, Sept. 10, looking for
things to do and places to
spend money. It sounds like
the Main Stage will be set up
right in the m iddle o f
downtown Heppner and the
public will be welcome to
atten d
all
of
the
entertainment. There will be
o p p o rtu n itie s
for
o rg a n iz a tio n s to set up
booths and work in many
areas; however, as the time
draws closer we would like
vendors to check in with the
committee and get on the
list. More information down
the road.
O r e g o n ’ s
International Speedway. Do
you
have
q u e stio n s,
concerns, and confusion?
Are you excited to make it
happen? Do you want to talk
it over with those who have
a tten d ed
num erous
meetings? Join the Chamber
membership at St. Patrick’s
Senior Center on Thursday,
April 13 at noon to hear
Steve Brucker present. It’s
exciting. It means jobs. It
m eans v isito rs, and as
someone said, “They will
help the economy and then
go home.” Come and learn
with the Chamber.
T h o u g h t fo r the
Week: “If you have an apple,
and I have an apple and we
exchange these apples, then
you and I will still each have
one apple. But if you have
an idea, and I have an idea,
and we exchange these ideas,
then each of us will have two
ideas.” - George Bernard
Shaw.
Red Hats hold tea at Willow
Creek Terrace
★
Red Hat Rowdy Jeanette Padberg visits with invited male guest
and Willow Creek Terrace resident George Jefferies.
Ken Grieb
Morrow County Commissioner
“Working for ALL of Morrow County”
Morrow County Grain Growers' Board
Morrow County Wheat Growers’ President 1999
&
The Red Hat Rowdies, the local Red Hat group,
held an afternoon tea at Willow Creek Terrace on April 5.
During the very festive atmosphere, the ladies,
young and younger, and the invited males, took time out
to sing "Happy Birthday” to Elmer Meligan on his 93rd
birthday.
Myrna VanCleave provided background music for
the well-attended tea.
200 «
Oregon Wheat Growers' League President 2003
Morrow County Soil & Water Conservation District
1998- Present
Morrow County Planning Commission 1997-Present
Morrow County School District Advisory Committee
1999 2003
Lobby wheat issues at State and National level
SMART reading volunteer, Heppner Elementary School
Oregon Wheat Foundation Board
lone Community Agri-Business Organization
North Morrow' Vector Control District
National Association of Wheat Growers’ Budget Com
mittee
Morrow County School District Ag Science Advisory
Committee
OSU Extension Advisory Committee
Morrow County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Committee
(L-R): Conrad Tworek; Bob DeSpain; District Commander Ed
Baker; and lone Legion Commander Bob Baker.
Bob D eSpain has
shown his dedication to his
co u n try and the lone
American Legion Post #95
for 60 years. After looking
at the recruiting posters that
said, “ Uncle Sam W ants
You!” and "Loose Lips Sink
Ships” he decided he wanted
to join the Navy. DeSpain
joined in May 1943 and was
stationed for basic training at
Camp Farrgautt, ID. Basic
was two months of intense
training... marching, knot
ty in g , m arch in g , gun
cleaning, more marching,
cleaning and reassembling
his 30-06, more knot tying
and m arching. A fter two
m onths he was home on
furlough and spent time with
his parents and a girl named
Aloha. He didn't miss Camp
Faragutt. He was proud to
be in the navy a place he’d
always dreamed of being a
part of. He wanted to “see
the action” and the rest of the
world.
He
w as
sent
Treasure Island at Oakland,
CA. He volunteered for the
Armed Guard Duty and then
w o n d ered
w hat h e ’d
volunteered for. He was a
gunner for Merchant ships.
He learned how to dismantle
and oil 45 automatic pistols,
30-06 rifle s, 50 c a lib e r
m achine guns, 20 mil
cannons, 3-inch 50 cannons
and 5-inch 38 cannons. They
also had to identify US,
G erm an and Jap an ese
aircraft. The first ship he was
sent to was the “ n ew ”
Liberty ship, the SS Josiah
G. H olland. It was June
1943. They trained from San
F rancisco Bay, T reasure
Island and up to San Pedro
Bay. During the first trip out,
it was under the Golden Gate
Bridge and the water was
rough. DeSpain and many
other sailors were all sea
sick. He never got sea sick
again.
They lo ad ed The
Holland in l - ‘/2 days with
bunker fuel oil and other
supplies and headed to Pearl
Harbor- an eight-day trip.
All oil tankers were a priority
hit for German U boats and
planes. He served on several
ships inclu d in g the “ SS
Atlantic Coast.” He served
as a 20 MM gunner. The
Member FDIC
-
K e n G rie b
L e a d e rsh ip for M orrow C o u n ty
Paid for by Elect Grieb Committee
Customer Appreciation Day!
♦ **
Come into the bank on April 21, 2006, and get a
free Car Wash Coupon - then take time to let the
Heppner High School Football Team wash
that grit and grime from your automobile!
(BEO is making a $500 donation to the team!)
(Here's your chance to watch them perform off the field!)
Time: Between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Car W ash Area: Drive Thru side of the Bank
‘And every Friday in April,
the bank will have free
cookies and coffee, too!!”
armament was an old 5 inch
51 on the stem, a 3 inch 50
on the bow and 8-20MM’s.
They went to Pearl Harbor
several tim es and mainly
hau led o il, guns and
equipment. He loved his job
and being able to see the
action.
When officers found
out th at D eSpain co u ld
handle most situations, he
was given the mail detail. He
would go ashore to pick up
the ships mail. He could see
first hand the horror and
destruction on Pearl Harbor.
Watching other ships being
sunk and planes bombed was
a difficult for him, as well as
all the other young men who
fo u g h t fo r o u r co untry.
Some were only kids looking
for an adventure.
On Aug. 10, 1945,
they heard that the Japanese
had surrendered. They had
heard som ething about a
bomb, but didn't give all the
details. On Aug. 12, 1945,
they heard over the radio
that the Jap an ese and
Americans had stopped all
hostilities and the war was
over.
The total casualties
of the US in all theaters just
after the war was 1,076,245
with 405,399 killed. He still
feels sorry for not only the
A m erican p eople that
suffered, but for the Japanese
as well.
M any o f us w ill
never know or understand all
these men gave up to serve
in Uncle Sam’s military. We
can only thank God we live
in a free country and give
th an k s fo r the men and
women who represent our
country. The US Navy motto
was: We aim to deliver and
they did.
lone School’s
greenhouse
flourishing with
activity
By Kylee Svetich
The lone High
School horticulture class has
been hard at work this year
preparing and maintaining
the sch o o l’s greenhouse.
They now have a beautiful
selection of flowers, plants
and trees for sale. Sales will
benefit the lone greenhouse
and the high school
horticulture class and are
available Monday-Thursday
from 8-10 a.m.
Other projects going
on in the greenhouse include
a plant sale on Wednesday,
April 19 to help raise money
for O u td o o r School at
Tupper, elementary classes
p lan tin g
flo w ers
for
Mother's Day and donations
of trees to the City of lone,
the M orrow C ounty Fair
Board and the Willow Creek
Country Club.
Community
members afe invited to stop
by the greenhouse from 8-10
a.m. to check out what the
students have been doing.
We Print
Business Cards
Heppner G a ze tte