TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Obituaries
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Heppner
Alvin ‘Al’ James Vinson
Alvin ‘Al’ James Vin- celled in operating the pow-
son, 65, of El Centro, CA er plant. In 1988 he moved
passed away at Kadlec to Yuba City, CA to be on
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Hospital in Richland, WA the start-up crew build-
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
Published weekly by Sykes Publishing, LLC and entered as periodical matter at the
on June 26, 2015 after a ing a power plant utilizing
Post Office at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879. Periodical postage
brief illness. Services will the LM5000 jet engine to
paid at Heppner, Oregon. Office at 188 W. Willow Street. Telephone (541) 676-
produce steam. In
be held in October
9228. Fax (541) 676-9211. E-mail: editor@rapidserve.net or david@rapidserve.
net. Web site: www.heppner.net. Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner
1991 he was moved
2015 at the Elks
Gazette-Times, P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $30 in
to Holtville, where
Lodge
in
Heppner,
Morrow County; $24 senior rate (in Morrow County only; 65 years or older); $36
the company took
with more details to
elsewhere; $30 student subscriptions.
David Sykes ..............................................................................................Publisher
over the geo-ther-
follow.
Andrea Di Salvo ............................................................................................ Editor
mal wells. In 1993
Al was born to
All News and Advertising Deadline is Monday at 5 p.m.
he started working
Delbert
Ted
and
Su-
For Advertising: advertising deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Cost for a display ad is $5 per
for the Imperial
zanne B. Vinson on Alvin ‘Al’
column inch. Cost for classified ad is 50¢ per word. Cost for Card of Thanks is $10 up to
100 words. Cost for a classified display ad is $5.75 per column inch.
October 30, 1949 in James Vinson Irrigation district
For Public/Legal Notices: public/legal notices deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Dates for pub-
in El Centro as an
Heppner. He gradu-
lication must be specified. Affidavits must be required at the time of submission. Affidavits
ated from Heppner High auxiliary operator at the
require three weeks to process after last date of publication (a sooner return date must be
specified if required).
School in 1968. He went to power plant. He continued
For Obituaries: Obituaries are published in the Heppner GT at no charge and are edited to
work for Lott’s Electric in to work there, working him-
meet news guidelines. Families wishing to include information not included in the guidelines
Heppner during his junior self up the ranks to become
or who wish to have the obituary written in a certain way must purchase advertising space
for the obituary.
and senior years of high a Journeymen Power Plant
For Letters to the Editor: Letters to the Editor MUST be signed by the author. The Heppner
school. After graduation Operator at the time of his
GT will not publish unsigned letters. All letters MUST include the author’s address and phone
he went to work at USG in death.
number for use by the GT office. The GT reserves the right to edit letters. The GT is not
He was involved with
Pilot Rock, OR and lived in
responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will
be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10.
many organizations, includ-
Pendleton, OR.
On Sept. 30, 1972 he ing Heppner Elks #358 and
married Alma E. Dile and Pendleton Eagles #28, had
they moved shortly there- more than 50 foster chil-
after to Heppner, where he dren, and was a host parent
went to work for Kinzua to many foreign exchange
Corp. in the lumber indus- students through American
try. He had many different Field Service (AFS). In
jobs and worked his way 1999 he joined the Opti-
Kolleen Chapa of Heppner has been named to the
up to the Co-Gen 10 Meg mist International organi-
Western Oregon University President’s Honor Roll for
Steam Plant, where he ex-
spring term 2015. Students named to the WOU President’s
Honor Roll must achieve a 4.0 GPA for the term.
Chapa is the daughter of Jodi Segraves of Heppner.
“You are among a special group of students, those
who have earned the highest grade possible in each course
Editor’s note: Sheena the passenger boarding
they took,” wrote university President Mark Weiss in a Christman, Ione native bridge, severe thunder-
letter in which he also quoted Isaac D’Israeli: “‘It is a and graduate of Ione High storms, a car hitting the
wretched waste to be gratified with mediocrity when the School, volunteered this airplane during boarding
excellent lies before us.’”
summer with World Or- (no joke!), and the FAA de-
phans in northern Iraq. She ciding to reroute the flight.
Despite the flight home,
sent home weekly updates
to family and friends, which I had a great (and safe) time
the G-T was lucky enough in northern Iraq. During my
also to receive. This is the seven-week stay, I learned
last of those letters. She about how World Orphans
and others are working to
writes:
Ryan Rochelle Dougherty, daughter of Cliff and
Below are few stories provide homes to those who
Dawna Dougherty of Heppner, and a Heppner High and pictures from my final have been forced to flee
School 2014 graduate, has been named to Arizona State weeks in Iraq.
ISIS; I was able to practice
University Dean’s List with a 4.0 GPA.
1. Returning Home. my Arabic with the Shabuk
“It is a pleasure to inform you that you have made As many of you know, I Kurdish families; I joined
the Dean’s List of the School of Nutrition and Health made it back to Salt Lake the mayor of Soran and
Promotion for Fall 2014 and Spring semester 2015. We City at approximately 2 his family for a traditional
are exceptionally proud of each student who achieves a.m. on July 14. My return Iftar meal (i.e. the dinner
this academic distinction and of the hard work and
dedication to study that it reflects. Congratulations on
this outstanding achievement. My best wishes for your
continued success in your academic career,” wrote Keith
D. Lindor, Executive Vice Provost and Dean, Arizona
State University.
GAZETTE-TIMES
Chapa named to
WOU President’s
Honor Roll
zation with the Sunrise of
Imperial Valley club. He
was also a member of the
DVOO’s club in Ocotillo,
CA, where he held many
positions at both the club
and district level, includ-
ing Club President; Honor;
Distinguished; and Out-
standing Lt. Governor and
Distinguished Governor
2013-2014, CALSO #41.
He was also a life member,
Builder of Excellence for
helping start a new club,
Finance Committee Chair
for District 41 and District
Foundation Rep for Califor-
nia South #41. He obtained
the Level 10 PGI, which
was to be awarded at the
international convention in
New Orleans July 9, 2015.
He loved traveling,
reading and working Su-
doku puzzles.
Al was preceded in
death by his parents, Del-
bert and Suzanne Vinson;
his sister, Dorothy Wilson;
nephew, Mark Vinson; and
numerous aunts and uncles.
He is survived by his
wife, Alma, of 43 years;
foster daughter, Bobby
McGuire, Tonasket WA;
nieces, Lisa (Gary) Green
of Gold Bar, WA, Tammy
(Ted) Fisher of Tacoma,
WA, Melissa Martini of
Portland, OR; nephews,
James (Katrina) Vinson of
Dallas OR, Perry (Patty)
Wilson of Pullman, WA;
brother-in-law Tom Wilson
of Heppner; great-nieces,
Amber (Curtis) Maddex,
Heather (Garret) Ascherl,
Megan and Erika McDon-
ald; great-nephew, Garrett
Vinson; great-great-neph-
ews Corbin and Braden
Ascherl; brother, Richard
Vinson of Cody, WY; sister-
in-law, Peggy Shuman; and
his beloved dogs, Mollie,
Dixie and Mannie.
In lieu of flowers, dona-
tions may be made in his
name to: Optimist Inter-
national Foundation, 4494
Lindell Blvd., St Louis, MO
63108, www.oifoundation.
org, to the Heppner Elks
#358 scholarship fund, PO
Box 494, Heppner, OR
97836, or to the charity of
choice.
Letters from Iraq
Dougherty named to
Arizona State Dean’s
List
Marriage Licenses
The Morrow County
Clerk’s office has released
the following report of mar-
riage licenses:
July 15, 2015: -Jes-
sica Angelica Adams, 22,
of Irrigon and Ashley Ann
Sorrell, 23, of Irrigon.
-Richard Lee Dawson
Jr., 49, of Heppner and
Kristal Iris Harrison, 46, of
Heppner.
July 16, 2015: -Char-
lotte Ann Jeffries, 52, of
Boardman and Scott Merrill
McBride, 52, of Boardman.
-Brenda Zamora Velas-
co, 28, of Boardman and
Pioquinto Ramirez, 21, of
Stanfield, OR.
Chamber lunch meeting
The next lunch meeting of the Heppner Chamber
of Commerce will be an all entities report on Thursday,
Aug. 6, at noon in Heppner City Hall conference room.
Also at the meeting, the Heppner Chamber Board of
Directors will go over a three-year strategic plan it has
been working to develop.
Cost of lunch is $10; Murray’s will cater.
Chamber lunch attendees are asked to RSVP at 541-
676-5536 no later than the Wednesday before to guarantee
a lunch.
Yazidi kids. –Contributed photo
flight was not as smooth as
I had hoped it would be. I
flew from Erbil to Vienna
on Sunday (7/12), stayed
overnight in Vienna, and
then flew from Vienna to
Chicago’s O’Hare Inter-
national Airport on Mon-
day (7/13). I spent 10-plus
frustrating hours at O’Hare
before finally boarding my
flight to Salt Lake City. My
flight from Chicago to Salt
Lake City was delayed due
to numerous gate changes,
mechanical problems with
when Muslims break their
fast during Ramadan); and
I enjoyed visiting with the
Yazidi women. Overall, it
was a great learning and
growing experience, and
I look forward to doing it
again in the future.
2. Living in Soran—
Water. Getting water for
household use in Soran can
Sheena Christman shows off the view from the top of Korek
Mountain. –Contributed photo
be tricky. This is because
each house has its own
water tank, and water to
fill these tanks arrives at
each house only every other
day. In addition, a pump is
needed to move the water
from the city pipes to the
rooftop water tanks. This
means that when the elec-
tricity is off or when there
is only electricity from
the community generator
(which happens often), the
pump either doesn’t work
or it doesn’t work well.
3. Visitors. There were
lots of visitors to Soran dur-
ing my stay in Iraq. They
came from Italy, Poland,
Australia, and the United
States in order to learn more
about World Orphan’s work
in Iraq. Teresa and Magda
spent two weeks in Soran,
while Bettina, Kelly, and
Gary had just one day to
spare.
4. The Neighbors. Liv-
ing next door to the Rays
and Buxtons is a Sunni
Arab family from Anbar
province. We visited this
family on several occasions
and learned that they fled
north to the Kurdish region
because of ISIS. Souad,
the 19-year-old daughter,
told us that her family has
served in both the Iraqi
military (e.g., her dad was
injured in the Iraq-Iran
war) and Iraqi law enforce-
ment and, as a result, they
have been targeted by ISIS.
Souad’s uncle, for example,
was a police officer. He
went missing over a year
ago, and Souad’s family be-
lieves that ISIS kidnapped
and murdered him.
To learn more about the
Buxton family (my hosts),
visit: http://flickerflame.
org/.
To learn more about
The Refuge Initiative, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/
refugeinitiative.
To learn more about
World Orphans and to sup-
port World Orphans’ work
in Iraq, visit: http://worldor-
phans.org/iraq-emergency-
fund/.
‘Walk for Water’ plans cool
fun for a cause
Children and adults
young and young at heart
are invited to have fun and
get wet for a cause with the
Walk for Water 3K on Aug.
8 in Heppner.
Sign-ups for the walk/
run begin at 9 a.m. at All
Saints Episcopal Church.
Participants will then race
around town, stopping at
four obstacle points where
they will choose a water
obstacle and complete it to
move on. The race will end
back at All Saints.
Cost to participate is a
suggested donation of $10
for adults and $5 for chil-
dren. Proceeds go toward
the Shared Ministry’s next
well-drilling mission trip
to Haiti.
Kinzua Lunch Group Live, online
The Kinzua Lunch Group met at Service Creek July
weather
spotter
training
Beer & Wine Tasting next week
The National Weather
17. Those attending were Jean Ann and OL Adams, and
Bonnie Campbell, Heppner; Bruce and Dixie Hollomon,
Hermiston; Windy Likptak, Condon; and Pat Hyatt, Rol-
lene Allen and Marilyn Garcia, Fossil. The next lunch will
be August 21 at 11:30 a.m. at Service Creek.
August 20th 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Entertainment & Food Available
Come see us out at the fair
Now accepting applications for part time positions:
Counter/espresso, Floral. Contact Ann or Linda at
Murray's Drug 541-676-9158 mrydrugs@centurytel.net.
MURRAY'S DRUG - 217 N MAIN PHONE 676-9158
Service will conduct a live,
online weather spotter train-
ing at 7 p.m. on Wednesday,
July 29.
Registration details are
at weather.gov/pendleton or
by calling 541-276-7832
and asking for Doug Weber.