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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 2021)
FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 17, 2021 OWGL opposes congressman’s Snake River proposal Oregon Wheat Growers League strongly opposes the proposal floated by Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson to breach the four lower Snake River dams. The Columbia-Snake River System provides the most environmentally friendly and safest mode of trans- portation for getting wheat to market. The loss of those dams would significantly increase emissions, requir- ing wheat and other prod- ucts to move from barge to rail and truck transpor- tation, directly conflicting with our region’s climate goals. The Congressman’s plan to create a “Columbia Basin Fund” for regional economic and environ- mental transition does not address the harm that would be caused to both the econo- my and environment by his proposal. OWGL joins their partners in firmly opposing this proposal which tar- gets the lower Snake River Dams and the long-term viability of our agricultural economy. As one of the largest wheat-producing states in the U.S., IGPA cannot over- state the importance of the river system to Idaho’s grain growers. Wheat is grown in 42 of Idaho’s 44 counties and last year alone, Idaho’s wheat grow- ers produced a record-set- ting 112-million-bushel crop. Every year, about half of the state’s wheat is used domestically while the other half is exported to overseas markets. Idaho is uniquely positioned to ac- cess the global marketplace by moving grain from the Port of Lewiston, through the Columbia-Snake River system to Portland, then onto foreign customers. Most of the top customers are countries in the Pacific Rim – Japan, the Philip- pines, Korea, China, and Taiwan. But the Colum- bia-Snake River System moves more than just Ida- ho wheat – the four dams on the lower Snake River move nearly 10 percent of the entire nation’s wheat exports each year. Barging wheat is the most environmentally friendly mode of transpor- tation available. Without the ability to barge goods down the river, diesel fuel consumption would in- crease by nearly 5 million gallons per year as barges would be replaced by less efficient truck-to-rail ship- ments. At least 201 addi- tional unit trains and 23.8 million miles in additional trucking activity would be required annually, resulting in increases in CO2 and other harmful emissions by over 1.2 million tons per year. The river system also provides low cost, clean hy- dropower to Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. Over 90 percent of the Northwest’s renewable energy comes from hydroelectric dams. Spiritually Speaking Turn Away and Turn Towards By Fr. Thankachan Joseph SDB, St. Patrick Church Lent, a nearly 40-day period of fasting, prayer, alms- giving, mortification, self-sacrifice and self-denial, begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. The length of the Lenten fast was established in the 4 th century as 46 days (40 days, not counting Sundays). During Lent, participants eat sparingly or give up a particular food habit or other habits. It is not uncommon for people to give up smoking during Lent, or to reduce the use of social media, watching television, eating candy or telling lies. It is six weeks of self-disciplining. The book of Genesis describes the creation of the world and mankind. Adam and Eve had a very good relationship with God before the sin. In chapters 4-6, we see evil increasing and man falling prey to sin and its con- sequences. God decides to destroy the world with flood. Even when Noah is preparing the boat, others went on with sinning and turning away from God. But in Genesis 9:8-15 we see that God established a new relationship with mankind. Noah and his descendants are offered a covenant promising that God would protect and nurture them, a covenant sealed with a rainbow. The First Letter of St. Peter very clearly explains this aspect of salvation through baptism. The flood foreshad- owed our Holy Baptism, through which we are cleansed of original sin and set free to live a life for Christ. St. Peter writes like this about baptism, “…not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities and power subject to him.” In the Gospel reading of the day, Jesus is preaching repentance. Led by the Holy Spirit to the desert, He overcomes the temptations of the Satan. After 40 days in the desert of human existence, amidst barrenness and temptations, challenged not just with the elements but with Satan himself (Mk 1:12-15), Jesus emerges on the public stage ready for his public ministry, for proclamation of the Good News and healing of the Bad News, for Lenten death and Easter resurrection. His new covenant would be a perpetual one, reconciling humanity to God, sealed in the blood and water of the Lamb, offered on the ark of the altar and the altar of the Cross. He did this for our ransom from our slavery of sin. Sin breaks us from God and his friendship. Let’s reflect more this week on how we can return to God. God continuously calls us to conversion and waits for us to return to him like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, or rather, he runs after us like the hound of heaven in the poem of Francis Thompson. Jesus did not leave behind a list of sins, but he showed the meaning and seriousness of sin by the way he re- sponded to events and situations. He redefined many of the existing teachings on sin (Mt.5:21f). a) Refusal to help those in need: The last judgement Morrow County to get 100 vaccine doses this week By David Sykes According to figures released by the state, Mor- row County will receive 100 doses of COVID-19 vaccine this week. The doses were expected to be delivered on Tuesday, and it was not announced where in the county or to whom the vaccines would be administered. See the table below for a look at how many doses and where the doses were distributed across the State of Oregon this week. This recent allotment follows several weeks where the county received either no doses or very few of the COVID vaccine, prompting county commis- sioners to ask why counties like Morrow with higher per capita infection rates, were getting low doses and Brown was diverting so much to the cities. Emotions about the inequitable distribution boiled over in late January when a 600-dose shipment was diverted by Governor Kate Brown away from Morrow County to the metro areas of the state. Commissioners called a special meeting January 28 inviting representative Greg Smith and Umatilla Coun- ty Commissioner George Murdock to attend and talk strategy on how to get a more equitable distribution of vaccines for Morrow and Umatilla counties. Across the state, Morrow County is rated number three and Umatilla number four in rates of infection in their populations, and commis- sioners felt COVID “hot spots” like this should at least get their fair share of vaccines. During the meeting, the consensus among the local political leadership was that the distribution had become very politicized with no evidence of equity of dis- tribution. The hour-long meeting produced an agree- ment that Representative Greg Smith should write a letter to Brown asking for a virtual meeting with Come in to Peterson’s Jewelers and pick up a FREE 2021 Calendar! No purchase necessary! (541) 676-9200 177 N. Main Heppner, Oregon 97836 himself and the Morrow and Umatilla county com- missioners. “The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss vaccine distribu- tion throughout District 57, focusing on Morrow and Umatilla counties,” Smith said in his letter. Governor Brown sub- sequently refused to meet with the group. When asked why she would not, Smith said, “Right now, the Gov- ernor feels as if she is in a very difficult position. She has stated that she is going to maintain her current course of action. Governor Brown’s preference at this time is to communicate through the Association of Oregon Counties.” When asked about the refusal to meet, commis- sioner Don Russell said he didn’t really know much other than Greg Smith’s office had told him the meeting was denied. “It is my understanding that we did get promised 200 doses of Moderna (vac- cine) first round vaccine for this week (Feb. 7),” Russell told the Gazette. “This is more than we had been getting, so maybe we accomplished something. The federal government had been allocating 50,000 doses per week to Oregon and a per capita share to Morrow County would be 150 doses per week. I don’t know if there is a cause and effect or not. We also got an interview with OPB and the governor being a political person doesn’t like negative publicity,” Russell said. “So even though we didn’t get the one-on-one conversa- tion, it looks like we may have moved the needle at least for this week.” Commissioner Doherty did not comment on why he thought the governor scene and the stories of the Rich Man and Lazarus show that we are judged according to our refusal to reach out to persons who need timely support and assistance. (Mt. 25: 41-46; Lk. 16: 19f) b) Waste of Talents: Every one of us is gifted Fr. Thankachan Joseph with multi talents, and the parable of the talents re- minds us that we should not be like the one who buried the talent. (Mt. 25.24-30) How do you make use of your God-given talents and energy to bring the lost ones back to God’s flock? c) Unwillingness to Forgive: The parable of the unforgiving servant, from the Gospel of Matthew, is the best example for our refusal to forgive others daily. Do we have a habit of forgiving people who offend or hurt us? d) Pharisaism: There is a growing tendency among many of us to condemn others, as we see in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee, when he came to pray in the temple, instead of praying, was despising the tax collector. During this holy season of Lent, let’s try to get rid of this aspect of pharisaic nature hidden in us. (Lk. 18:11-12) e) Refusal to accept and stand by one’s own people: From the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus highlights the elder brother as one who refuses to accept his own brother when he returns. A lesson to us all. (Lk. 15: 25-32) f) Ingratitude: With the parable of the healing of 10 lepers, the Lord is reminding everyone to be grateful to God for the numerous blessings we receive every day in our lives, though we have received much more than we truly need or deserve. (Lk 17:11-19) g) Selfishness and hoarding: Do we behave like the rich fool, who instead of sharing with the poor and the needy around him, was foolish and selfish. Let’s try to come out of this selfish mentality and share with the people who need what God gives through our hands. (Lk 12:13-21) This Lenten season is an invitation from God to all of us to return to him. God does not keep track of our sins (cf. Lk. 15:21f). As we see in the parable of the prodigal son, when we return God is just waiting to receive us back. But our guilty conscience torments us and we punish ourselves. This Lenten season, He is waiting to welcome us all to His kingdom. For God, our readiness to forgive and contrition are more important. Readiness to change is a necessary condition as we see in the life of Zacchaeus. (Lk. 19:8) Reparation for the rapture is necessary. The Gospel of the day gives us a very good example, after Jesus’ 40 days and nights of fasting and prayer, He comes out proclaiming the message of repentance. Jesus embarks on His ministry, strong, focused, determined and bold. In the same way, everyday spend a little time with the Lord reading scriptures. With the strength that we receive from the reading of the scriptures and the sacraments, and with the help of the Lord, we must also balance our prayers and fasting with repentance on our part and become Gospel signs to the people around us. God wants from us our conversion – to change our hearts and turn towards and closer to Him. refused to meet with the commissioners but did tell Rep. Smith’s office, “At this juncture nothing positive can come from a meeting this belated. I have no inter- at the state administration Morrow County still seek est in visiting with anyone that I don’t personally re- council with the state, count quest. If the others from me out,” Doherty said.
