FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 14, 2018
March is Colorectal CITY PARKS
Awareness Month
-Continued from PAGE ONE
March is National
Colorectal Cancer Aware-
ness Month and Morrow
County Health District
wants to stress the impor-
tance of being proactive to
protect yourself from this
highly preventable disease.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
(CDC) states that colorec-
tal cancer is the second
leading cause of cancer
deaths in the U.S. among
both men and women. “Ev-
ery year, about 140,000
Americans are diagnosed
with colorectal cancer, and
more than 50,000 people
die from it. But the disease
is highly preventable, by
getting screened beginning
at age 50,” the CDC ad-
vises. Pre-cancerous polyps
and colorectal cancer don’t
always cause symptoms at
first. That’s why getting
screened is so important,
according to the CDC.
What can you do to
help prevent this cancer?
If you’re between the ages
of 50 and 75, get screened;
if you’re over age 75 ask
your doctor if you should
be screened; stay physically
active; use alcohol in mod-
eration and don’t smoke,
the CDC advises.
Lower endoscopy tests,
commonly called colo-
noscopy, are available at
Pioneer Memorial Hospital
in a new procedure suite,
making it convenient for lo-
cal people to easily have the
testing done close to home.
“I was a little nervous
at first to have it done at
PMH because I work there
and know all the staff, but
they took great care of me
and it was so much better
not having to travel out of
town as I had before - with
no breakfast or coffee, and
then waiting several hours
before I was taken back
for the test,” said a Mor-
row County Health District
employee. “I’ll have them
done at PMH from now
on.”
For more information
about colorectal screenings,
contact Pioneer Memorial
Clinic at 541-676-2949, or
Irrigon Medical Clinic at
541-922-5880.
FBLA selling pie,
coffee at fiddle show
The FBLA (Future
Business Leaders of Amer-
ica) students will be serving
homemade pie with coffee,
tea, water, hot cider or hot
chocolate at the Fiddle
Show being held Saturday,
Mar. 17 at the fairgrounds
Annex beginning at 6:30
p.m.
The homemade pies
will include peach, mixed
berry (strawberry, rasp-
berry, blackberry and blue-
berry), pecan, blueberry,
cherry, apple, lemon ice-
box pie and a Butterfinger
cheese cake.
Everyone is welcome
to come listen to old time
fiddle music and support the
FBLA students.
the complex will be main-
tained by the parks district.
Cutsforth said the park
district will also receive a
yearly $11,000 grant from
the Bryant Foundation for
upkeep and maintenance.
Cutsforth said another
project being done is the
sodding of the baseball
fields. She said there were
a lot of volunteers out work-
ing on the sodding recently.
Also on the schedule is
replacement of the St. Pat-
rick’s Senior Center roof.
The Center received a grant
from Wildhorse and also a
large grant from the Foun-
dation. Total cost of the
new roof is $40,000. Also
thanks to Foundation fund-
ing there has been new soil
put in at the rodeo grounds
and the indoor arena at
the Fairgrounds and there
Program for
foster children
draws large crowd
The Umatilla-Morrow
program for foster chil-
dren held a one-of-a-kind
Paris themed inaugural
fundraising gala on Feb.
24 in Hermiston. The gala
benefits CASA (Court Ap-
pointed Special Advocates),
which finds and trains advo-
cates for the more than 160
foster children in Umatilla
and Morrow counties.
An “Evening in Paris”
was the theme that boasted
the Eiffel Tower standing
tall as the backdrop to the
dueling piano duo as they
Chamber announcements
Thursday, Mar. 15
through Sunday, Mar. 18,
36 th Annual Wee Bit O’
Ireland St. Patrick’s Cel-
ebration. The St. Patrick’s
committee is busy planning
this year’s event. If you are
interested in volunteering
for any part of the week-
end, contact the Heppner
Chamber at 541-676-5536.
The schedule and entry
forms are available at hep-
pnerchamber.com, by email
to heppnerchamber@cen-
turytel.net, on Facebook
at St. Patrick’s Celebration
Heppner Oregon USA or
by calling the chamber at
541-676-5536.
Father Condon’s play
“Searching for Meaning”
will be performed on Thurs-
day, Mar. 15 at 7 p.m. at the
St. Patrick’s Parish Hall.
Starting Sunday, Mar.
18, 5:30-7 p.m., a 10-week
class on Love and Respect
sponsored by Heppner
Christian Church. This
class is entitled The Love
she Most Desires and the
Respect he Desperately
Needs. The class will in-
clude videos, a book and
supportive interaction. Cost
is $10 for the book and
childcare will be provided
(those needing childcare
are asked to sign up prior to
the class to ensure that there
is enough help). For more
information or to sign up
for the class or arrange for
childcare, please call Ray at
831-578-6451.
Friday, Mar. 23 from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m., WorkZone
Traffic Control/Flagger
Course. This course is for
construction, utilities, tree
trimmers, tow truck drivers,
etc. and includes instruction
and all reference books for
the class. Upon successful
passage of the exam, stu-
dents will receive a flagger
card, valid for three years
NOW
HIRING
DRIVERS
will be a new batting facil-
ity for baseball practice
installed, probably down
by the softball field near
the swimming pool. Other
projects being aided with
Foundation funding is new
paving at the golf course
parking lot, and a big proj-
ect to remodel and upgrade
the Gilliam Bisbee building
in Heppner. The building
is currently owned by the
county and Cutsforth said
the aim is to remodel that
building into an events
center to be used by the
community.
In other action the
council voted to increase
the city utility commission
from three to five members.
It was hoped to make it
easier to have quorums at
the meetings.
dazzled the crowd.
Over 200 attendees en-
joyed a plated dinner, gift
boutique-style silent auc-
tion, CASA spotlight and
fresh flower stand.
The goal for this event
was not only to raise money
for the CASA program to
find and match volunteers
with children, but also to
raise awareness for the pro-
gram and the role it plays in
our community.
CASA volunteers are
a vital component in the
foster care system. This
outpouring of support from
the community is an im-
portant step in helping our
most vulnerable children,
says Maureen McGrath,
UMCHS Executive Di-
rector. These volunteers
act as the voice for foster
children and walk alongside
them during their journey
through foster care. Be-
ing placed in foster care is
one of the most traumatic
experiences that a child
can go through and the
court system can be a scary
and confusing concept for
children. CASA volunteers
are there to make sure the
children they volunteer for
have another caring person
on their side, speaking for
them, she said.
Next year’s event is
scheduled for Apr. 29, 2019
and will be an Evening in
Rome theme. For additional
information regarding at-
tending future events or to
help in any way, contact
Briana Montano at 541-
564-6878, CASA manager
Jesus Rome at 541-667-
6170 or access the website
at UMCHS.org.
SWEET
PRODUCTIONS
-Continued from PAGE ONE
Jodi Segraves of Sweet Productions hangs up her apron.
-Photo by Bobbi Gordon
talents. Approximately 15
years ago she ran the Sham-
rockettes Dance team for
more than two years, then
taught and coached drama
at Heppner High School for
seven years and established
the Silver Fox Banquet
Room and Stage, also lo-
cated at the restaurant site.
“The stage is a great joy for
me,” she said. “That’s why I
had high hopes in my Silver
Fox Banquet Room and
Stage. I was hoping to do
dinner theatre, but could not
attract any local talent for
shows. So, Karaoke, bands
and movie nights were the
events that have gone on for
the past four years.”
After her mother, Marti
Luther, retired and closed
the Victorian Rose Gift
Shop that shared the Sweet
Productions space, Seg-
raves remodeled to create
the banquet room, which
also provided space for
dance lessons. “After a
couple years of mothers
coming to me about dance,
last fall I decided to start the
Heppner Dance Troupe,”
said Segraves. The first
season she had 31 students
and the current season has
23. They will perform “Wee
Lil’ Toes” on Friday of St.
Patrick’s weekend. “I’ve
taught them some Irish
Jigs,” she said.
Segraves says that the
majority of her customers
are travelers on their way
through Heppner on the
Blue Mountain Highway.
“Many out-of-towners are
loyal and return multiple
times a year from Seattle,
Portland, Spokane and oth-
er locations.”
“I may be hanging up
my apron for the restau-
rant, but don’t count me
out for my baked goods or
for dance and travel plan-
ning,” she added, planning
to work on-line and from
home. Segraves says will
be selling her restaurant
items individually, because
of newer restaurant health
department rules that would
require a new restaurant
tenant to do major remod-
eling in order to take over.
One more factor in de-
ciding to close the restau-
rant is to be able to spend
more time with her grand-
daughter, who will be turn-
ing one year old next week.
In fact, her granddaughter’s
birthday party will “sadly”
be her last event in the ban-
quet room. “This grandma
is going to enjoy the break.
It’s been a crazy, busy time
in the last 11 years. It’s not
without a little sadness that
the doors of Sweet Produc-
tions will close this Satur-
day, Mar. 17, at 3 p.m.,” she
said. “I’ve poured my heart
and soul into this adventure
and I’m looking forward to
the new adventure God has
in store for me.”
from date of issue with-
out renewal. The card is
good in Oregon, Washing-
ton, Idaho and Montana.
This course will be held at
BMCC Higher Education
Center in Hermiston and
the cost is $115 to register
and the deadline is Mar. 19.
To register or for additional
information call 541-481-
2099 or email amorter@
bluecc.edu.
Monday, Apr. 2 from
12 noon to 2 p.m., ribbon
cutting and open house for
Community Counseling
Solutions new building at
550 W Sperry St. Appetiz-
ers will be provided.
Saturday, Apr. 7 from
9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Free
Household Hazardous
Waste Event at the North
A brunch fundraiser to for just $8 for adults and $5
Morrow Transfer Station,
support local athletes will for youth 11 and under.
69900 Frontage Lane,
be held at the Heppner Se-
All proceeds from the
Boardman. For more in-
nior Center from 8 a.m. to 1 brunch will benefit the Hep-
formation, please call Mor-
p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 17. pner Junior Senior High
row County Public Works
Brunch will include biscuits school cross country and
at 541-989-9500 or email
and gravy, scrambled eggs, track and field teams.
spointer@co.morrow.or.us.
bacon, fruit and a beverage
Heppner Public Library
is offering Drop In Teen
Time on the 2 nd and 4 th
Thursdays of every month
A planning meeting for the Fourth of July festivities will be held Mar. 16 at 7 p.m.
at 6 p.m. Contact the Hep- at Route 74 and should last about an hour. All are welcome to attend.
pner Library at 541-676-
Additional people are needed to help plan and make the event better. For more
9964 for more information. information, email heidi@hen-online.com.
Brunch fundraiser
to be held Saturday
4th of July meeting scheduled