Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 4, 2015
$100M in USDA funding available for
CSP
The USDA Natural
Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) announces
$100 million in federal
funds available this year
through the Conserva-
tion Stewardship Program
(CSP), part of the 2014
Farm Bill.
CSP applications are
accepted all year; however,
farmers, ranchers and forest
landowners should submit
applications by Feb. 27 to
ensure they are considered
for this year’s funding (ap-
plications received after
that date will be considered
for future funding).
This year’s total CSP
investment may result in
the enrollment of up to 7.7
million acres in the program
by private landowners.
“CSP is a way of incen-
tivizing farmers, ranchers,
and private forest managers
who maintain a high level
of conservation on their
land and agree to adopt
higher levels of steward-
ship,” said Ron Alvarado,
Oregon State Conserva-
tion at USDA’s Natural
Resources Conservation
Service. “By focusing on
multiple resource con-
cerns, landowners are able
to achieve a sustainable
landscape and maintain or
increase the productivity of
their operations.”
Through CSP, partici-
pants take additional con-
servation steps to improve
the resource conditions on
their land, including soil, air
and habitat quality, water
quality and quantity, and
energy conservation.
The 2014 Farm Bill
brought changes to CSP
including an expanded
conservation activity list
that will offer participants
greater options to meet their
conservation needs and pro-
tect the natural resources on
their land. These conserva-
tion activities, called en-
hancements, include use of
cover crop mixes, on-farm
forage based grazing sys-
tems, and wildlife friendly
fencing.
CSP will also help
broaden the impacts of
NRCS’s Landscape Conser-
vation Initiatives through
a new pilot effort, which
accelerates private lands
conservation activities to
address particular goals,
such as creating habitat for
at-risk species and conserv-
ing and cleaning water.
In Oregon, the Landscape
Conservation Initiative ef-
forts are focused on Sage-
Grouse.
Learn more about CSP
and other NRCS Farm Bill
programs online at www.
or.nrcs.usda.gov or visit
the Heppner USDA service
center.
Churches are on a
mission with
Valentine’s dinner
Local man to present
in debate on evolution
vs. creation
Trippers will be offering
a romantic candlelit four-
course Italian dinner at
the All Saints Parish Hall,
complete with live music
and three menu options:
lasagna (meat or vegetar-
ian), spaghetti, or seafood
fettuccine.
There will be two seat-
ings, one at 5 p.m. and a
second at 7 p.m. Reserva-
tions are required, and may
be made by advance ticket
Science or Religion?” will
be held on Saturday, Feb.
7, at 7 p.m. in Room 200
in the Science Building at
Blue Mountain Community
College.
Presenting creation will
be Dick Temple of Lexing-
ton. Temple, a veterinarian,
received a B.S. degree in
animal science from Ore-
gon State University and an
M.S. in veterinary science
and a Ph.D. in veterinary
medicine from Colorado
State University.
Temple states that his
sixth-grade teacher told
him that the Bible cannot be
trusted. He says he quickly
realized that if the Bible is
the truth from the creator
of the universe, then the
creator makes the rules.
However, he reasoned, if
the creator left no message
or there is no creator, then
he (Temple) could make his
own rules.
Due to the seriousness
of the consequences of the
issue, he started a life-long
quest for reliable evidence
on the subject. Temple de-
scribes himself as a “seeker
of truth.” Temple states that
he does not represent any
organization.
- FIVE
You’re never too old
to try something new
Ernie McCabe arriving at his 90 th birthday party riding on the
back of son John McCabe’s Harley. It was Ernie’s first time
Presenting evolution on a motorcycle. It goes to show, you’re never too old to try
A debate on the topic
On Valentine’s Day, purchase only, at a cost of
will
be Tim Hoffnagle of something new. –Contributed photo
“Evolution
vs.
Creation:
the Hopeful Saints Mission $20 per person.
Proceeds from this
event will offset the costs
of travel to Haiti for the
next well-building mission
trip, scheduled to occur the
first week in November.
More information
about the dinner and the
Shared Ministry’s well-
building activities is avail-
able by calling the office
of Hope Lutheran Church
and All Saints Episcopal
Church at 541-676-9970.
Muslim-turned-
Christian to speak on
Islam
La Grande, OR. Hoffnagle
is a research biologist with
B.S. degrees in fisheries
resources and wildlife re-
sources from the Univer-
sity of Idaho, an M.S. in
biology from Murray State
University, and a Ph.D. in
biology from the University
of North Dakota.
He has worked/studied
in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho,
Kentucky, North Dakota,
Oregon, South Dakota, Ten-
nessee, Washington, and
Wyoming.
He is the author of 26
peer-reviewed scientific
papers, four book chap-
ters, and numerous reports
and presentations on top-
ics including paddlefish,
commercial fisheries, fish
parasites and diseases,
Grand Canyon fishes and
their habitat, and salmonid
physiology, genetics, and
management.
Moderator for the event
will be former BMCC pres-
ident John Turner.
The public is invited to
attend. Admission is free.
Live stream will be
available on the internet
at http://youtu.be/Tl5BW-
d3eXTk.
escaped to South Africa
and then America. He now
travels America “educat-
ing on the truth of Islam
and proclaiming the truth
of the Bible and salvation
in Jesus Christ.” He is an
associate representative
with The Voice of the Mar-
tyrs, a ministry dedicated
to supporting persecuted
Christians worldwide.
All are invited to come
hear his story and learn the
truth behind Islam. Aside
from the Feb. 15 evening
presentation, he also will be
speaking during the normal
Bible study from 9:30-
10:30 a.m. and the worship
service from 10:45-12 p.m.
For further informa-
The February session of First Friday Friends of Jesus
tion, contact Eric Schon- will be held this Friday, Feb. 6, from 8 a.m. to noon at
bachler at 541-975-3161.
the All Saints parish hall. Community children ages four
through 12 are invited for a morning filled with Bible
stories, crafts, games, and a free lunch. More informa-
There’s lots to do on the World We Sing,” “Oh, tion is available by calling the Shared Ministry office at
Sunday morning at Hep- I Know the Lord’s Laid 541-676-9970.
pner United Methodist His Hands on Me,” and
Church. A free breakfast “Sent Forth by God’s Bless-
open to the community will ing,” with Carley Drake
be held from 8 - 10 a.m. Hot as accompanist. The choir
cakes, sausage, eggs and will perform “On Eagles’
beverages are on the menu. Wings.”
Holly Rebekah Lodge will host its monthly card
Jean Brazell will lead
A fellowship time will party this Saturday, Feb. 7 at the lodge hall in Lexington.
this week’s service with be held in the community Participants will start playing at 7 p.m. The cost is $5 per
this message: “God Wants room following the service. person for an evening of fun, friends and food. This event
Everyone to Know Him.”
Service begins at 10:30 is open to the public.
Liturgist Merle Cowett will a.m. All are welcome. For
read from the Isaiah and more information call 541-
Corinthians. Hymns will 676-9224 or e-mail hep-
include “Praise to the Lord pneroregonmethodists@
the Almighty,” “Christ for gmail.com.
Is Islam a peaceful reli-
gion? What is jihad? What
does the Quran really say
about women, non-Mus-
lims, and peace/war? What
is the mindset of Islamic
terrorists (ISIS, Al Qaeda,
etc.)? Why do they hate
Americans, Christians and
Jews? Is peace possible?
A presentation at Hep-
pner Christian Church on
Feb. 15 from 6-8 p.m. will
attempt to answer those
questions and more.
Presenter Pastor Muja-
hid El Masih was formerly
in the Pakistani military,
a student of Islam, and
a self-professed hater of
Americans, Christians and
Jews. At age 25 he became
a Christian. After persecu-
tion and death threats, he
First Friday Friends
of Jesus this week
HUMC this week
Holly Rebekah card
party this Saturday
D
E
T
N
A
W
Please call the lodge for reservations
Wednesday-Saturday 676-9181 after 4:00 pm.
addition, recognition of
the graduation rates goes
to the administration and
the teachers’ efforts and
work to give students all of
the opportunities to meet
the essential skills through
multiple means.”
The three high schools
also far exceeded the state
average for economically
disadvantaged students.
While the state average
sits at 64.24 percent, the
district average is 81.3 per-
cent, Heppner is 90 percent,
Riverside was 82.81 per-
cent and Irrigon was 77.55
percent.
Riverside and Irrigon
high schools both have a
high percentage of Hispan-
ic/Latino students, and the
four-year cohort graduation
rates for those students also
exceeded the state average
of 64.95 percent, with 87.27
percent and 73.08 percent,
respectively. Riverside also
showed a strong rate for
students with disabilities,
which had a state average
of 51.11 percent. Riverside
far exceeded that with a 75
percent rate.
“While we’re extreme-
ly pleased with these gradu-
ation rates, we know we still
have work to do,” Dirksen
said. “We ultimately want
100 percent of our students
to graduate.”
For more information
on high school gradua-
tion rates, visit the Oregon
Department of Education’s
website, www.ode.state.
or.us.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Your Household Hazardous Waste
Turn Them In!
VALENTINE'S DINNER
Menu will be Prime Rib,
vegetable, potatoes,
salad bar, bread and dessert.
Also one glass of
champagne per person!
The cost for dinner will be $40.00 a couple.
IRRIGON—All three
high schools in the Mor-
row County School Dis-
trict far exceeded the state
average for their respective
four-year cohort graduation
rates, which were released
to the public last Friday.
Heppner Jr.-Sr. High School
led the pack with a 96.3
percent four-year cohort
graduation rate—nearly 25
percent higher than the state
average.
Riverside Jr.-Sr. High
School (Boardman) had
an 83.1 percent four-year
cohort graduation rate,
while Irrigon Jr.-Sr. High
School’s was 79.03 per-
cent. The district’s average
was 83.23 percent, while
the state average is 71.98
percent.
The four-year cohort
graduation rate includes all
students who entered high
school for the first time
in 2010-2011 and earned
their regular or modified
high school diplomas by
the end of August 2014—
essentially the rate of the
students who earned their
diplomas within four years
of high school.
“Our parents and stu-
dents help complete the
whole picture of really
completing a student’s high
school education, and the
commitment from our stu-
dents and families in Mor-
row County is demonstrat-
ed by these high graduation
rates,” said Morrow County
School District Superin-
tendent Dirk Dirksen. “In
look for label marked “Warning” and “Danger”
HEPPNER ELKS MEMBERS
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14TH
STARTING AT 6:00PM.
Morrow County
graduation rates far
exceed state average
FREE
Friday April 10, 2015 Northend Transfer Station 69900
Frontage Lane, Boardman, OR
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Items not accepted: Empty containers, Ammunition, explosives, biological
waste and radio active waste. Question please call 541-989-9500
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Heppner
Gazette-
Times
(541) 676-9228 Fax (541) 676-9211
188 W. Willow Street Heppner, OR 97836