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.