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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2021)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 3, 2021 -- THREE ~ Letters to the Editor ~ The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with 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. The address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not 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. Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net. Town concerns about new retailer Brains of mankind connected to internet To the editor: To the individuals that have stated about their con- cerns of a new retailer com- ing to town. The City of Heppner would like to clarify several points for your idea of com- ing to City Council to reg- ulate the entity from being a member of the Heppner community: 1. You, as a citizen, are always welcome to come to any council meeting, but be aware that we are under extreme circumstances in regard to COVID regula- tions that limit meetings. The meeting will be limited to the council, two or three staff, the press and very few other individuals to maintain social distancing requirements. We do rec- ommend writing, calling, using a spokesperson and/ or using zoom to partic- ipate in helping to avoid a super spreader event or being turned away because of space. We will have the zoom information available at cityofheppner.org under council meetings. 2. The City of Heppner To the editor, We are entering into the ‘Brave New World’ as envisioned by Aldous Huxley in 1931. Huxley wrote of a dystopian world that included double talk, thought control, dehuman- ization and the end of indi- vidual liberty. In Huxley’s vision, all citizens are po- litically and scientifically programmed by the state through psychological and biological manipulation and brainwashing conditioning. Huxley foresaw the world of 5G where all machines, objects, devices, animals, insects and the brains of mankind will be connect- ed to the internet. This is called the Internet of Things (IoT). Huxley’s vision of a dystopian world foresaw artificial intelligence (AR), virtual reality (VR) and ro- bot, microchipped humans called augmented humans. The internet had not been invented when Huxley wrote his science fiction novel. Even a few years ago a world under virtual police state totalitarianism would have been improbable. How could a virus, on the earth since creation, turn the world into Huxley’s Brave New World? On Oct. 18, 2019 Bill Gates orchestrated Event 201 exercising a three- and-a-half-hour pandemic tabletop exercise that sim- ulated a series of dramatic world events that would be triggered by a worldwide COVID virus pandemic. Fifteen global businesses, government and public health leaders were players in the simulated exercise to bring forth the dystopi- an system the Bible calls the Beast. Gates and Dr. Anthony Fauci have been working for decades, ex- perimenting with vaccines and viruses on children in third world countries, par- ticularly India and Africa. The worldwide pandemic plan required research into manipulating viruses in the lab to explore and develop a path to cause animals viruses to infect humans. This research called “gain of function,” is so danger- ous that 200 scientists in the USA in 2014 forced the National Institute of Health to call for a moratorium. In the face of the moratorium, Dr. Fauci,, as director of the National Institute of Aller- gy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), “outsourced in 2015 the ‘gain of function’ research to the China Wu- han lab and licensed the lab to continue receiving the U.S. government funding.” (Dr. Fauci Backed Con- troversial Wuhan lab with U.S. dollars,” Newsweek, April 28, 2020) The Wuhan lab, under the direction of Dr. Fauci, experimented with the ability of a virus to jump from animals to humans, (‘spillover poten- tial’) “which requires that the virus be able to attach to receptors in cells of humans (allowing COVID-19 to bind) to the ACE2 receptor in human lungs, and other organs.” (Op. Cit. News- week April 28, 2021) Welcome to the brave new world of Dr. Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates, own- ers and patent holders of Moderna and Pfizer. These two men are more pow- erful than any governor, general or president. They control and manipulate the economy and liberty of the entire free world and can does not have a business li- cense requirement and does not regulate what business- es operate in the city limits. 3. The City of Heppner follows all zoning codes and offers free advice as to their purpose when wanting to find out if it is a permitted use in a particular zone. This information is avail- able on-line at the city’s website (cityofheppner. org). 4. Regarding what in- formation has been asked of the city, so far it has only been on permitted uses of a property and what utilities are available. 5. No applications have been made for review of zoning. Building permits are issued through Morrow County in Boardman (not Heppner) and are in ac- cordance with Oregon law, rules and code. We always welcome your concerns and ques- tions. Feel free to contact us by phone at 541-676-9618 or by email at heppner@ cityofheppner.org. Kraig Cutsforth, Heppner City Manager Improvement isn’t inevitable, change is To the editor: There is a possible change coming to the Hep- pner’s downtown culture and long-term vibrancy. Corporate America wants to come to town. You may have heard that Dollar General is looking to place one of its box stores where the RV park now sits. If you didn’t know, you should. Why? Because of the likely detrimental effects to our downtown that have al- ready befallen thousands of small, rural towns once they arrive, settle in and begin to exert their long-term effects on the business district and culture of the town. I suspect you may be saying my opinion is jaded because I have a 60-year- old main street business and just don’t want any competition, but that is not my main reason for writing today. Murrays has, and is, staying pertinent and competitive with mail-or- der pharmacies, big box retail pharmacies, little cookie cutter box pharma- cies, web-based pharma- cies, etc., etc. by providing personal customer service and home-town values to everything we do. Murrays will continue. My reason for writing in opposition to dollar box is the negative effect it will have on the culture of our town. Some people get up in the morning and go to work in a retail shop or service wanting to make a living, of course, but also to serve people. Kind, gen- erous, helpful, friendly, af- fordable service to the peo- ple of Heppner can result in a lifetime of living here, and a lifetime of having that well delivered service available here. Lifetimes lived here, especially when started at an early adult age (meaning our kids) result in a vibrant community. One filled with school kids, jobs, volunteers, parishioners, shoppers, neighbors and club members. They cre- ate something good called ‘quality of life’, which para- doxically is most likely why they chose to return or stay here in the first place. As attractive as riots and loot- ing are in other towns, they still are choosing to live in Heppner and participate. How on earth could one store possibly be the ruin- ation of our entire towns’ culture? Well, it has been proven in other communi- ties our size to be the first step toward it. A few specifics: The jobs they bring will not be additional to town, they will simply be shifted from a damaged business down the street. Googling these dollar box stores’ employ- ment practices shows that I would not want to work for them. Defective and ex- tremely poor-quality mer- chandise. Why did the Food and Drug Administration fine all three dollar box chains for selling outdated medica- tions? How much outdated merchandise do you have to sell to get a federal agen- cy involved to correct the problem? Or why would a class action suit be created across 16 states to address that Dollar General motor oil was of such poor quality as to be unusable in cars built after 1988? Why would Heppner want stores in town that bring such a low level of quality? Why would we want to worry about any of these issues in a business we have in town? And why would we want to sacrifice the livelihood of some of our bright, young, busi- nesspeople who brought to us such energizing events as Heppner’s First Friday summer get together? We deserve better than a dollar box. Please join me in ask- ing the city council for a conversation about the future of the business dis- trict in Heppner and how we can maintain the very best aspects of it. I firmly believe that corporate box stores are not the direction we should go for our town’s best future. Working togeth- er with our elected council people is the only way of accomplishing this. We will find a way. Respectfully submit- ted, John Murray require their vaccines on all humans without relinquish- ing mandated masks as a method of dystopian world control. The worldwide press and media cover and expedite their every diabol- ical exercise. Anyone that challenges or exposes them will be censored and at- tacked as xenophobic. This same press will usher in a ruthless antichrist system worse than Nazi Germany. What can be done to save our country, our way of life, our loved ones and our souls from this dysto- pian ‘brave new world’? Commit your heart to Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly prophesizes at the end of the age Satan will deceive the world and attempt to rule in defiance of Almighty God. The battle belongs to God and only the return of the Lord Jesus Christ will defeat this satanic beast system. Do not yield to this satanic plan. Support our local business, especially those forced to close. De- mand our schools open and stay open. Build up your immune system (more on that later). Find a Bible teaching church or home group. Build your faith through study of the Bible. Build your faith through prayer. Build your faith through standing up against falsehood, doubletalk un- equal application of the law. Stuart Dick, Irrigon Dollar General would represent positive economic growth within the community To the editor: Dollar General is cur- rently in a due diligence phase for a new location at 388 N. Main St. in Heppner, Oregon, which means we’re interested in adding a new store in Morrow County but have not committed to doing so quite yet. At this time, we anticipate having a final decision in late 2021. At Dollar General, we strive to be a positive business partner and good community neighbor. We believe the addition of a new Dollar General store to the Heppner community would represent positive economic growth within the community. Our beneficial impact would be reflected through the creation of local jobs and opportunities for employee development and career advancement and through grants provided through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation that positively impact literacy and education initiatives at schools, non-profits and libraries. We hope our new store would help customers save money on the items they purchase most often and need so they have re- maining funds to use to- ward purchases they want. Our customers are at the center of all that we do, Obituaries Robert Patrick McLaughlin Robert “Bob” Mc- way. He never stopped ask- Laughlin passed away ing questions and peacefully at home on would much prefer Tuesday, January 12, to learn about some- 2021, with his wife one else than to talk Bette by his side. Bob about himself. He was born August 30, will be remembered 1929 and raised on most as an honest, the family ranch near Robert humble man of in- Heppner, OR. The Patrick tegrity and for his ranch was homestead- McLaughlin lifelong love and ed in 1884 by his Irish commitment to his ancestors. He was ninth of family. 14 children, born to Cor- He is survived by his nelius and Mary (Doherty) wife Bette; brother, Terry McLaughlin. McLaughlin; son, Stephen He served in the U.S. (Rhonda) McLaughlin; Army from 1946-1948, daughter, Anne (Murray) returned to eastern Oregon Perkins; son, Chris (Shari) and eventually purchased McLaughlin; daughter, the family ranch from his Shannon (Mark) Cham- father. He met Elizabeth bers; daughter, Kelly (Jeff) “Bette” Scharn, and they Koker; 13 grandchildren, married in 1965. Bob op- five great-grandchildren, erated the ranch, putting and another on the way. their five children through Because education was college before selling and of such high value to him, moving to Bend, OR in a scholarship fund has been 2002. He easily made the established for graduates adjustment from thousands of Heppner High School of acres to life on a city attending an Oregon public lot, busying himself with institution. Those wishing reading, hiking, gardening, to make a contribution in babysitting grandkids and his honor can do so by travel. He never missed an donating to the Bob and opportunity to attend one of Bette McLaughlin Educa- his grandchildren’s athletic tion Foundation (contact a events, cheering for them family member for where to and their opponents. send the donation). Fond memories for his family include summiting South Sister on his 75 th birthday and the yearly Pi- lot Butte Challenge. He was a conservationist before it was “cool,” caring for his land and maintaining a lifelong curiosity of nature, as well as for the humans he encountered along the and meeting customers’ needs is Dollar General’s top priority when choosing store locations. In select- ing store sites, we take a number of factors into consideration, carefully evaluating each potential new store location to ensure we can continue to meet our customers’ price, value and selection needs. The store would em- ploy approximately 6-10 employees, depending on the individual needs of the store. Anyone interested in joining one of America’s fastest-growing retailers with competitive wages and benefits, world-class training and development and the ability to further them through our growing organization career – where approximately 75 percent of current store managers were promoted from within our organization – may ap- ply for available positions online at www.dollargen- eral.com/careers. Also, the critical role played by our stores has been evident during the COVID pandemic as cus- tomers seek convenient options to purchase es- sential household goods. During this time of national crisis, our customers have relied on Dollar General to remain open and provide the essential items they need at affordable prices in a smaller, less crowded and easy, in-and-out envi- ronment. We take this re- sponsibility of service very seriously, and we are proud to have remained open for our customers during these uncertain times. Our efforts were recognized by Forbes magazine, which identified Dollar General among its top 25 corporate responders to the COVID-19 pandemic and are reflected in a Harris Poll that outlines the es- sential role Dollar General stores play in the lives of our customers. Best, Angela Petkovic Dollar General Corporation Public Relations YOUR AD COULD BE HERE! 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