Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 29, 2020 -- THREE
~ Letters to the Editor ~
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Constitution, greatest
statement of human
liberty
To the editor:
The Constitution of the
USA states, “In order to
form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure do-
mestic Tranquility, provide
for the common defense,
promote the general Wel-
fare, and secure the Bless-
ings of Liberty…” The
greatest statement of human
liberty ever written. The
Declaration of Indepen-
dence affirmed this liberty.
“We hold these Truths to be
self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Cre-
ator with certain unalien-
able Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness.”
Today in America there
is no justice, there is no
domestic tranquility, there
is no general welfare and
the blessings of liberty have
been replaced by mandato-
ry masks, closed businesses
and government supported
riots and desecration of our
forefathers’ blood-bought
heritage and blessings.
What happened to “Life,
Liberty, and the pursuit of
Happiness?”
Patrick Henry said it
best when confronted with
a less serious affront to the
inalienable rights endowed
by our Creator. “Is life so
dear, or peace so sweet, as
to be purchased at the price
of chains and slavery. For-
bid it Almighty God. I know
not what course others may
take; but as for me, give me
liberty or give me death.”
Is safety from a virus
that 99.7 percent recover
from worth the price of
chains and slavery? Even
the CDC admitted “no sig-
nificant effect of… face
masks on transmission of
laboratory- confirmed in-
fluenza.” (May 2020, CDC
Journal Infectious Diseas-
es). Even the corrupt WHO
has recently warned against
“the public routinely wear-
ing masks.”
Despite near unani-
mous mask compliance
in the USA the numbers
continue to escalate. Why?
Because the same elites that
take away our liberty, count
the COVID-19 numbers.
They have an agenda. 1)
Ruin America’s domestic
tranquility and blessings of
economic independence to
take down President Trump.
2) End our Constitutional
Republic and replace it
with Socialism Progressive
Marxism. 3) Control and
enslave the citizens by po-
litically stacking the courts
to deny justice to those that
will not yield their creator
endowed liberty.
Governor Brown has
enslaved Oregonians. Trag-
ically they are frightened,
public officials are black-
mailed and most are easily
manipulated by corrupt
officials and their false
pledges of safety. How
could any Oregonian trust
this Governor? She used
Federal and state agents
to murder Lavoy Finicum
because his peaceful protest
undermined her agenda.
In direct contrast she has
refused to accept Federal
agents to quench the may-
hem in Portland. Why?
Because she encourages the
destruction of our justice,
our domestic tranquility,
our general welfare, and our
liberty in Portland. This de-
struction of our way of life
meets her political agenda.
She lies with the help of
her Democrat surrogates
and claims the destruction
of Portland is “peaceful
protest.”
She is closing our
schools for the same rea-
son, the same Marxist/fas-
cists agenda. There is no
reason our schools should
close. Our youth are not
susceptible to COVID-19
and there is no evidence of
COVID-19 transmission
between youth an adult.
Our youth are being de-
nied their education, their
freedom, their liberty and
their hope and dreams of
the future. In like manner,
this Governor is forcing the
church to submit to her dic-
tates, and in time all will be
forced to bow on one knee,
like our sports idols, to the
new god of BLM, defunded
police and open prisons.
It is time for Orego-
nians and Americans to
choose whom they will
serve. I will bow my knee
to only one God, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Stuart Dick, Irrigon
Small Business
Support Fund for
South Morrow
County to receive
$50,000
By Lori Roach
The City of Heppner
was awarded $25,000 from
the Oregon Emergency
Board for the COVID-19
Emergency Business As-
sistance Grant Fund, which
will be matched by Willow
Creek Valley Economic
Development Group (WC-
VEDG) with an addition-
al $25,000. The Heppner
Chamber of Commerce will
oversee the Small Business
Support Fund for South
Morrow County on behalf
of the City of Heppner and
WCVEDG.
“I think it’s a great op-
portunity that has been
given to us to help support
the small businesses that
are being affected by these
difficult times,” said Hep-
pner City Manager Kraig
Cutsforth.
The Small Business
Support Fund for South
Morrow County will help
businesses that were unable
to access funds through
the PPP (Paycheck Protec-
tion Program) or the EIDL
(Economic Injury Disaster
Loan).
“The uncertainty and
unknowns of this pandemic
make it difficult to plan or
confidently operate a busi-
ness. Having any kind of
financial assistance adds a
much-needed cushion that
will assist in overcoming
some of this uncertainty.
WCVEDG’s hope is that;
these owners can relax a
little bit. Survive this part
and focus on the future so
that they will be here to
serve us in the spring,” said
Kim Cutsforth, president of
WCVEDG.
Grants will be based
on the number of employ-
ees or fixed expenses and
will range from $2,500 to
$10,000 per business. Fifty
percent of the funds must be
awarded to sole proprietors
if possible. A marketing
program is being created
to ensure that historically
disadvantaged population
groups are not overlooked.
In addition to self-cer-
tifying they have not re-
ceived funds from PPP or
EIDL, businesses must
also follow the following
criteria for the individual
business grants:
-they were prohibited
from operation as directed
by Executive Order 20-
12; or
-they had a sales or
revenue decrease of 50 per-
cent or more in the month
of March or April 2020, as
compared against sales or
revenues of January or Feb-
ruary 2020, or as compared
against the same period in
2019.
-they also must demon-
strate they are headquar-
tered and with principal
operations in Oregon.
-they must self-certify
that its businesses and its
operations are and will,
remain compliant with all
local, state and federal laws
-they will also pro-
vide business, financial
and ownership information
necessary to determine and
verify eligibility.
The one-time awards
through the Small Business
Support Fund for South
Morrow County will focus
on businesses that have
been adversely affected
economically in one of the
following two categories:
-Those for-profit and
non-profit (limited to
501(C)(3) corporations)
businesses that were pro-
hibited from operation as
directed by Executive Or-
der 20-12.
-Those eligible
for-profit businesses that
can demonstrate a one-
month decline in revenue
greater than 50 percent in
the month of March 2020
or April 2020 as compared
against sales in the month
of January 2020 or Febru-
ary 2020, or as compared
against the same period
in 2019. Those non-prof-
it businesses (limited to
501(C)(3) corporations)
that can demonstrate a de-
cline in revenue greater
than 50 percent across the
months of March 2020 and
April 2020 as compared
against the same period in
2019.
-Businesses also must
have fewer than 25 em-
ployees.
Grant packets for qual-
ifying businesses will be
available online, as well as
at the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce office once all
the details are in place.
For more information
e-mail Lori Roach at the
Heppner Chamber of Com-
merce at heppnercham-
ber@gmail.com
A View from the Green
Over the Tee Cup
Pat Dougherty took
low gross of the field and
Judy Harris took low net at
the July 21 playday held at
the Willow Creek Country
Club. Karen Haguewood
had the least puts of the
field. Eleven ladies partic-
ipated.
Low gross for flight
A went to Karen Thomp-
son and Pat Edmundson
had low gross for flight B.
Flight C low gross win-
ner was Sharon Harrison.
Kathy Martin got low net
and Lorene Montgomery
had the least putts for flight
C.
Karen Haguewood got
a chip-in on #10.
Willow Creek men
host championship
The Willow Creek
Country Club men’s club
hosted the club champi-
onship on July 25 and 25,
with 21 players. Greg Grant
won the championship with
a two-day total of 132.
Gene Orwick was the net
champion with 117 and
Grants to help small business
A series of CARES Act
grants announced by the
U.S. Department of Com-
merce, Economic Develop-
ment Administration (EDA)
are expected to support en-
trepreneurs and small busi-
nesses across Oregon that
have been financially im-
pacted by COVID-19. This
funding is a result of the
CARES Act that Congress
passed into law earlier this
year.
The EDA grants will
include $1.1 million for
Greater Eastern Oregon
Development Corpora-
tion, Pendleton, OR. This
funding will support eco-
nomic opportunities for
small businesses in Gil-
liam, Grant, Harney, Mal-
heur, Morrow, Umatilla and
Wheeler counties.
“GEODC appreciates
the opportunity to support
small businesses with af-
fordable loan terms to re-
build our rural economy,”
said Susan Christensen,
Executive Director, Greater
Eastern Oregon Develop-
ment Corporation.
Ron Bowman was again the
senior champion.
Taking first place in
gross was Greg Grant. Dave
Pranger was second and
Ron Bowman was third. In
net, Gene Orwick came in
first, Delbert Binschus sec-
ond and John Edmundson
was third.
Players getting the best
KP were Scott Burright on
#5-14 with 11’1” and John
Edmundson on #3-12 with
1’7”. KP second shot win-
ners were Charlie Ferguson
on #6-15 with 2’ and Ron
Bowman on #1-10 with 3’.
The next men’s play
event will be held August 9
with Ron Bowman, Duane
Disque and Barry Munkers
hosting.
Spiritually Speaking
Pandemic: A Time to be
Empathetic
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph SDB, St. Patrick Church
Through in this Covid-19 situation we are facing,
we are all finding time for relaxation, entertainment and
games - like rushing to swimming pools, mountains with
our RV’s, golfing, soccer, etc. I am a bit alarmed to see
the flight of human beings into material things. We have
gone through the lockdown-mandate from government
authorities and following that we have tried to return to
our normal life. While reflecting on this, I came across
this particular scripture passage in my mind: In the second
book of Chronicles we read, “Whenever I hold back the
rain or send locusts to eat up the crops or send an epi-
demic on my people, if they pray to me and repent and
turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will
hear them in heaven, forgive their sins and make their land
prosperous again” (2 Chron 7:13-14). At present we are
going through the second phase of this pandemic situation,
and as I was going through Sunday’s three readings, this
particular scripture passage struck me. So, I thought to
bring it back for our reflection once again.
In Sunday’s first reading, Isaiah issues an invitation to
all the Israelites in exile in Babylon to come to a banquet.
As those people in exile experience the real hunger and
thirst for food and drink, we need to have the real thirst for
the Divine Master who can put an end to this prevailing
situation we are facing. In their exile, the Israelites experi-
enced hunger for they had nothing that could satisfy their
needs. When we are hungry, all we can think of is the next
meal and where it will come from. To these needy people
Isaiah said, “You who have no money, come receive grain
and eat.” This was an invitation to participate in God’s
love. The Lord is giving us this loving invitation to return
to Him with simplicity and humility for our mistakes. It’s
an invitation to pray, repent, and return to the Lord, as we
read from 2nd Chronicles.
In the second reading, Paul, writing to the Romans,
reminds them that no matter what bad times they may have
to go through - as we are facing now with the pandemic
- the people/believers in Christ, must remain firm in the
faith and undaunted because we can be certain that even
in hard times God loves us. Often when bad things happen
to us, especially when they are not of our own making, we
feel God does not love us or has abandoned us. Paul force-
fully contradicts this assumption. He assures the Romans
that nothing can separate us from the love of God. On
the contrary, our sufferings and trials can actually bring
us closer to God. The proof that we have experienced
that love will be our willingness to love others. St. Paul
exhorts the people of Rome to come close to the Lord in
such situations. Just for our reflection, has this pandemic
brought me little closer to the Lord and his precept.
In Chapter 14 of Saint Matthew’s Gospel, we see the
divine quality of Jesus, that of empathy, the capacity to
understand or feel what another person is experiencing
from within their frame of reference, the capacity to place
oneself in another’s position. This seems a real divine as
well as human element, which is almost disappearing
from our selfish world. In Chapter 14 at the beginning
of the story, Matthew tells us that Jesus took pity on the
people and was moved with compassion on them. Mir-
acles happen when we move beyond concern to action,
when we feel deeply within us the hurts and pains of
others. Concern is the cold voice of the logical brain,
whereas empathy is the warm language of the heart and
gut. Concern would say, “Send the people away.” Instead,
empathy says, “There is no need for them to go.” Concern
takes up causes, whereas empathy picks up people. Right
now, in this Covid-19 situation, concern speaks at a safe
distance through a microphone or letters to the editor and
is also seen advocating for the need for population con-
trol, contraception and abortion. But empathy is at work
in the midst of pain, nursing and feeding and supporting
the broken-hearted and befriending the lonely. Jesus had
empathy and compassion on the crowd and healed the
sick. And then when He challenged His disciples to share
the hunger of the people, a miracle of compassion took
place. Even if a few people have empathy/compassion,
miracles can take place.
Christ fed five thousand people in the desert and
everyone got as much as they wanted and still there were
twelve baskets of crumbs left over. But this miracle could
not have happened without the generosity and collabo-
ration of that little boy who was ready to part with all he
had. The miracle could happen because of this lad’s will-
ingness to part with all his food in spite of his weariness
and fatigue. Are we willing to part with what we possess
and share it with the person who needs our help? Mother
Teresa fed nine thousand people every day in Calcutta, but
this could not have happened without the generosity and
help of others. One day a young couple came to Mother
Teresa and gave her a large sum of money. “Where did
you get so much money?” Mother Teresa asked. “We were
married two days ago,” they replied. “We decided not to
have a wedding feast, but to give the money to the poor
instead.” “Why would you do this?” she asked. “Because
we love each other and wanted to begin our married life
with an act of sacrifice,” they replied.
To conclude these reflections, we need to keep in mind
that the Lord gives to others everything in abundance.
As we are faced with the situation of Covid-19, let’s
place ourselves more into his protective hands than into
material things of the world. As he took the five loaves
and two fishes and lifted it up to be a blessing for others,
ask him to lift us up from this pandemic we face; it may
be an invitation to be empathetic towards others and to
be blessing for others.
Funeral Notice
Val Marton Bailey – Val Marton Bailey, 66, of Lex-
ington passed away at his home on July 12, 2020 from
a yearlong battle with cancer. A celebration of life will
be held at his home, 71325 Blackhorse Canyon Road,
Lexington, on July 31 at 1 p.m.