Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2014)
HeppnerGazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 26, 2014 What a science fair! The eighth annual lone science fair boasted 113 entries this year, including a solar heater, a giant robotic claw, a study on bacteria and dog saliva, and the opportunity to smell socks drenched in skunk spray. The lone elementary school had 46 different projects entered, some done by individuals and others done with m ixed-grade teams. The team projects allowed sixth-graders the opportunity to develop leadership skills and share the learning process with their first- and second-grade partners. There also were 18 entries from the middle school, and 49 individual entries from the high school. The grand prize winners included Ann Rietman in the high school, Dayshawn Neal, Wyatt McNary and Roman Rodriquez in the middle school, and Matt Orem in the elementary school. Many students walked away with other awards. C ateg o ry w in n ers for the high school included Rachel Holland, Marisol A vila-R am ierez, Jenna Taylor, Daniel Doherty, Sadie H asbell, H annah F lynn, M addie C am p, John Maier. Katie Gilbert, E lizabeth Ayala, Jared Snyder, Hannah Padberg, Tristan Estabrook, Ashley M edina, Jessie F lynn, Hector Aguilar, Sydney Qualls, Brendan Thompson and Ann Rietmann. Middle school category w inners included Dayshawn Neal, Wyatt McNary and Roman Rodriquez; Aidan Barresse; Hayden Qualls and Nestor Ramirez; JD Aleksa; Gabe 1 larper; Sonia Medina and Morgan Orem; and Sydney Stefani. Category winners from the elem en tary school included Jessica Median (fifth), Katelynn Thompson and H ailey H eidem an (fourth), Jesus Escalante (fifth), Emma Rietmann and Cameron Proudfoot (sixth and second grades), Zoey Gilbert (sixth), Lilly Chamberlin (sixth), Matt Orem (sixth), Faviola J uarez and Gary Walls (fourth), Mackenzie Heideman and Katie Spivey (sixth and first grades), Elaina Ehrmantraut ~ A job well done from the Heppner community To the editor: I am writing to commend the Heppner community for doing an excellent job of preparing the town for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The town looked great, thanks to the efforts of businesses, individual citizens and several organizations, including the Heppner Chamber of Commerce, the Heppner Maintenance Section of the Oregon Department of Transportation, the employees ol the Bank of Eastern Oregon, the Heppner Lions Club, the Morrow County employees union, the Heppner Elementary School staff and the Heppner Ranger District employees. The town was completely litter-free and in Foreground: Rory Barresse displays his findings regarding great shape for both ourselves and our visitors. vinca growth. Background: Jason Juarez and Brendan (s) John Edmundson, Heppner Thompson wonder, “Got worms?” -Contributedphoto Yaniva Garcia and Sydney Qualls. Yaniva worked on a project that looked at the way light traveled through different liquids, while Sydney presented work on the effects of natural and artificial dyes. In the middle school, “ Da C law ,” p resen te d by Austin Morter, Tyson E p p e rso n and D an iel Eubanks, drew quite a few votes, tying with Hayden Qualls and Nestor Rani irez’s work on crystal growth in different temperatures. In the e le m e n ta ry school, the catapult built and tested by Matt Orem was a clear crowd pleaser and won the People’s Choice award for the elementary school category. USDA encourages early registration for FSA programs “We expect significant interest in these programs,” s a id G a r c ia . “ E a rly registration should help im p ro v e th e s ig n -u p process and allow us to expedite implementation of the programs. I strongly encourage producers to complete their paperwork ahead of time.” Examples of updates or changes to report include: -New p ro d u cers or producers who have not reported farm records to FSA. -Producers who have re c e n tly b o u g h t, sold or ren ted land. Those producers need to ensure that changes have been rep o rted and p ro p erly recorded by local FSA Letters to the Editor ~ rhe Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor w ith the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached, rhe address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. Ihe GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy o f statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under "Card of Thanks" at a cost o f $10. (sixth), M att Orem and Corey Rice (sixth grade and first), Emma Rietmann and Mackenzie Heideman (sixth), Lily Chamberlin and Liam Heideman (sixth and first), Jayne Simpson and Emily E hrm antraut (fourth), Jake Heideman (sixth), Josaylyn Nichols, H ailee Peck and Ethan Ramos (sixth, first, and second g rad es), K aren Cambero (sixth), Annabelle M cDaniel and M adison Alldritt (sixth). Once again, parents and community members were encouraged to vote for their favorite presentation from each age group. This year the high school winner Lexie Garret and her science fair project on yeast. -Contributed for the p eo p le’s choice award was tied between photo WASH IN G T O N — The U.S. Department of A g ric u ltu re 's (U SD A ) Farm S erv ice A gency (F S A ) A d m in is tr a to r Juan M. G arcia Friday recommended that farmers and ranchers who plan to participate in FSA programs r e g is t e r in a d v a n c e . Producers are encouraged to report farm records and business structure changes to a local FSA Service Center before April 15. E n r o llm e n t fo r the d is a s te r p ro g ram s authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, including the L iv e s to c k In d e m n ity Program (L IP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) will begin by April 15. -FIV E county office personnel. R ep o rts o f p u rc h a se d or sold property should include a copy of the land deed, and if land has been leased, then documentation should be provided that indicates the producer had/ has control of the acreage. -Producers that have changed business structures (e.g. formed a partnership or LLC) need to ensure that these relationships and shares are properly recorded with FSA. Even fam ily farm s that have records on file may want to ensure that this is recorded accurately as it may impact payment limits. Farm records can be updated during business h o u rs at FSA se rv ic e centers that administer the county where the farm or ranch is located. Producers can contact their local FSA Service Center in advance to find out what paperwork they may need. In addition, bank account information should be su p p lied or updated if necessary to en su re th a t p ro d u cers receive payments as quickly as possible through direct deposit. While any producer may report farm records and business structure changes, it is especially important for producers who suffered livestock, livestock grazing, honeybee, farm -raised fish, or tree/vine losses for 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014. and may be eligible for assistance through one of the four disaster programs. For further information about our disaster programs and USDA’s Farm Bill implementation plan, visit FSA’s 2014 Farm Bill w ebpage. FSA S ervice Center locations can be found on the FSA website. lone students ‘dig deep’ during special Community lunch presentation menu St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish members will serve lunch on Wednesday, April 2. at St. Patrick’s Senior Center. The meal will include baked fish with a parmesan crust, rice pilaf, mixed vegetables, pickles, hot rolls and orange tapioca. Milk is served at each meal. Suggested donation is $3.50 per meal. Menu is subject to change. Gone days versus modern ways Forgetfulness? Aging doesn't help with memory retention but you are still alright if you realize that somewhere in your gray matter is the answer to that burning question, like “Who was that I just spoke with?” However, like pain, sometimes its best to not remember certain things. But one simply can’t forget some of the past experiences. A reminder of things past was sent to me with pictures of antiquated things from years ago. There was a picture of a flimsy child's car seat that hung loosely over the back of the passenger side facing forward in the front seat. Nothing like today’s heavily padded and reinforced car seats that take two people to install in the back seat so children face backwards, a much improved safety factor. Somehow my three kids escaped car-related injuries before there were safe car seats, yet it would have saved some gray hair if restraints had been available for toddlers wrestling in the back of a station wagon. We have definitely outgrown some of the things that were so common years ago. The old crank wall phone is now an antique, as are farmer party lines. Nowadays kids have more gadgets than they have pockets; no wonder their pants sag to their knees. It amazes me how they can walk, chew gun and constantly text someone who might be just an arm’s length away. I sure hope face-to-face conversation, an important social skill, won’t become a lost art. Do some families actually get through a meal without ringing gadgets? Aside from the miraculous technology that keeps us in touch with world-wide issues and everyone else's problems, there are some things that should be censored. The vile gutter language of rappers is disgraceful. Such negative free speech can influence the behavior of people, especially younger folks, who are also subjected to lewd sexual innuendoes, nudity and raw violence. People can become desensitized to such vulgarity that does affect impressionable young minds. Okay I'm not suggesting returning to Grace Kelly or Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers movies. But today’s dancing has taken provocative poses to a whole new level as seen on “Dancing with the Stars” program. Formal ballroom dancing looks like a cake walk compared to the gyrations and holds that were deemed inappropriate ages ago. Jitter bugging days were once considered risque even though gals wore head-to-toe outfits including poodle skirts bouffant with petticoats. Then there are television shows that make me cringe. Again, I’m not suggesting returning to the Brady Bunch type show, but does there have to be so much bloody violence in what is supposed to entertainment? There will probably never be another Archie Bunker or Cosby’s Dr. Huckstable, but they made people laugh out loud for days. Now there are reality shows supposedly based on real life. Whimsical bearded characters act stupid and make duck calls while the money jingles in their pockets. Or how about Alaskans try ing not to freeze their buns in an outhouse that’s in danger of falling over during sub-zero weather? It also boggles my mind that some idiots are willing to bare it all and supposedly go empty handed (and everything else) as they tromp through a swamp or jungle so viewers can sympathize? Does all that whiteness pose a reflection issue for cameramen or blind first-aid teams close at hand? Looking at folks in the buff may be entertainment for some but hopefully modesty won’t become another endangered human behavior. (s) Merlyn Robinson, Heppner Agriculture secretary announces more opportunity for producers in new Farm Bill lone Middle School Leadership Team with national speaker Bill Cordes. His slogan is YOGOWYPI: “You get out what you put in.” During his talk, Cordes focused on relationships and respect; he had students laughing but also digging deep emotionally in a three-hour presentation March 18. Students at 4-H camp heard Cordes this summer and came back to school ready to hear him again and share him with the rest of the student body. The lone Education Foundation and the leadership team funded Cordes' trip to motivate, inspire and encourage all lone middle and high school students. Pictured with Cordes: Morgan Orem, Karsen Rios, Kaitlin Garrett and Sonia Medina. Not pictured: Maggie Flynn. Contributed photo W A S H IN G T O N — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Monday announced increased opportunity for producers as a result of the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill expands le n d in g o p p o rtu n itie s for many o f farmers and ran ch ers to begin and c o n tin u e o p e r a tio n s , including greater flexibility in determining eligibility, raising loan lim its, and em phasizing beginning and socially disadvantaged producers. i Changes that will take effect immediately include: -Elimination o f loan term limits for guaranteed operating loans; -M odification o f the definition o f beginning farmer, using the average farm size for the county as a qualifier instead o f the median farm size; -M odification o f the Joint F inancing D irect Farm Ownership Interest Rate to two percent less than regular Direct Farm Ownership rate, with a floor , of 2.5 percent. Previously, the rate was established at five percent; - I n c r e a s e o f th e maximum loan amount for Direct Farm Ownership dow n p a y m e n ts from $225,000 to $300,000; -Elimination o f rural residency requirement for Youth Loans, allow ing urban youth to benefit; -Debt forgiveness on Youth Loans, which will not p rev en t borrow ers from obtaining additional loans from the federal government; - I n c r e a s e o f th e g u a ra n te e am o u n t on Conservation Loans from 75 to 80 p e rc e n t and 90 percent for socially disadvantaged borrowers and beginning farmers; -M icroloans will not count tow ard loan term lim its for veterans and beginning farmers. Visit the FSA Farm Bill website for detailed information and updates to farm loan programs.
