FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Renewal of activities at Ione
Community Church
Public invited to help with ‘Walk
Audit’for safer school streets
Ione Community
Church Council approved
a relaxation of its Covid
19 policies at its meeting
on April 27 th . It was the
view of the members of the
Council that with many of
the members and friends of
the church already vacci-
nated and the opportunity
available for others to be
vaccinated, as well – that
the church should shift the
responsibility of being safe
from Covid-19 from the
church to the individual.
Each person may determine
the degree of risk they wish
to take for themselves.
The new policy states
that all normal church-spon-
sored activities will be re-
opened and resumed. All
individuals are asked to
make their own choices
concerning the manner in
which they wish to protect
themselves and participate.
As the church returns to
normal activity, anyone
may still choose to wear
masks, meet via ZOOM, or
worship via live streaming.
The church has developed
the capacity to live stream
worship during the past
year – and will continue
to provide this to those
who are unable, or do not
choose, to attend in person.
Anyone not feeling
well or those who are sick-
are asked not to participate
in person. Such persons
are asked to let the church
The City of Heppner
and local schools are seek-
ing help from local citizen
willing to participate in
a “Walk Audit” that will
hopefully make city streets
safer for kids.
Local citizens are being
asked to volunteer for one
or two days and observe
students arriving and leav-
ing the elementary and ju-
nior senior high schools and
document the walking and
biking conditions around
the area. The observation
and documentation com-
pleted by the volunteers
By Doris Brosnan
“Say it with flowers,”
instructed the FTD Moth-
ers’ Day ad of 1918, and
it still seems to retain its
allure. Many mothers and
mothers’ mothers received
cards and bouquets last
weekend. Some also surely
received candy, extra hugs
and I love you’s. So nice to
be thought of in a special
way. Also, a day that, for
some, brought additional
thoughts of our mothers
who have passed on.
Apparently, a slip of a
finger – or maybe a slip of
focus – last week resulted
in one of the Papanastasiou
twin’s names being typed
as “Olen” when his name
is actually “Owen”. (Apol-
ogetic oops.)
Rick and Anita Peter-
son look forward to becom-
ing grandparents to their
first grandchild in Novem-
ber. Corey and Katelynn
Peterson, who live near
Pendleton, know that they
will have a girl. Congrats
to all.
Tori Lovgren reports
that her wedding shower
on May 2 finally did it. It
hit her with the realization
that she is actually getting
married. The “knot will be
tied” at the Lovgren Ranch
on June 12.
It was a whirlwind
of busy days that Caden
Hedman just experienced.
Caden joined St. Patrick
Church on Saturday, the 7 th
and then headed for Okla-
homa on Tuesday, the 10 th ,
because Caden has also
joined the National Guard
and had to report for basic
training.
We r e m e m b e r t h e
young fisherman who had
no luck fishing in Willow
Creek because the fish were
sleeping. Good news for
this young man, he found
some livelier fish last week
and made his first catch..
Seen on Monday: the
ODFW tanker putting more
fish into Willow Creek, at
the bridge at the north end
of Gale Street. Confirmed
by the employee doing
the stocking, these are big
enough to be keepers.
Yes, another public
bench donated to honor the
know that they are ill, so
we can be sure to meet
their needs: a meal, a ride
to the doctor, help them
get connected to the live
streaming or ZOOM – just
to name a few.
All those preparing
food or doing kitchen clean-
up will be asked to wear
gloves and masks for these
tasks. Those not doing these
jobs are asked to remain
outside the kitchen area.
The church will con-
tinue to be proactive in
providing fresh air in the
building by cracking the
windows. The thermostat
will be turned up and/or
down for comfort on days
that are very cold or very
hot.
“Ione Community
Church rejoices in the abil-
ity to come together more
fully and to do so with
such a renewed sense of
safety. This is the season
of Resurrection. We, as the
church, have celebrated the
Resurrection of Christ at
Easter. Resurrection means
“resurgence, revival, re-
newal”. How fitting that it is
in this season of spring- and
the rebirth of hope- that we,
as a church, are ready to
embrace all of this as we lift
our heads out of the experi-
ence of the past year to new
ways to meet, and learn, and
grow together once again,”
said a spokesperson.
The continued, “Easter
filled us with the promise
of the “new life” Christ
brought us in the gift of the
Spirit - enabling us to live
“beyond ourselves” as Beth
Moore would say. The gifts
of the Spirit are love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gen-
tleness, and self-control.
The gift of the Holy Spirit
enables us to love more than
we can love on our own; be
more patient than we are
naturally; to control our
words and our actions with
strength that is beyond our
human nature. You get the
picture. This “new life” that
God calls us to, enriches our
lives and our relationships
beyond measure. And His
grace forgives us when
we can’t quite do what is
needed. This is the “Good
News” – knowing Christ
brings us to ALL that we
can be. As we experience
His great love and for-
giveness, we ourselves are
resurrected and made new
as we reach out to live fully
in these gifts. And our life
and relationships – indeed
the world - are changed and
renewed and made more
fully whole. As a “Resur-
rection People” may we
come together once again
to build, renew, and serve
actively as a community of
faith. Worship at Ione Com-
munity Church is at 11:00
a.m. on Sunday mornings.
Join us.”
superintendents, Combe
will be the only principal on
the policy-making board.”
Steve Schaber’s Ione
shop class receives a big
thank you for making a
new lasered sign for the
Ione Library, located at
the corner of Spring and
Second Streets. And good
news for the patrons and
staff of the library is that
it is going fine-free. Becky
Doherty is the librarian with
the answers to all questions,
541-561-9828. Days and
hours of operation are avail-
able on site.
HHS drama club will
stage Matilda on May 19
and 20. The musical with
family appeal is about a
five-year-old and about
good winning over evil.
Kudos to Hayden Hy-
att and his Mustang base-
ball teammates. Hayden
is earning plaudits for his
impressive performance
on the pitching mound, and
the team is recording the
first winning season for a
Heppner team in over six
years, a 10-1 record as of
last Saturday.
Proof of the outstand-
ing good a small commu-
nity can accomplish are
the works of the Ione Ed-
ucation Foundation, which
has been raising money
for Ione-School students
for 19 years. Last year, the
generosity of IEF donors
made possible the distribu-
tion of $10,040 for student
activities in and out of the
classroom, critical to ad-
vancing student learning
and overall positive educa-
tion experiences.
And Ione is going to be
looking spiffier than usual
after May 29, clean up day.
Readers interested in
joining a book club might
want to check out the
Page-Turners Book Club,
which will be meeting at
Perks and Brews in Ione
on May 11 at 5 p.m. Betty
Gray, 541-422-7335, will
gladly share information
with you.
The women, ranging
in age from 50’s, 60, and
70’s to 90, who play tennis
almost every morning are
extending a suggestion to
sizes will be limited to
12 participants and masks
will be required. To volun-
teer for this effort citizens
are asked to RSVP on the
internet web site: bit.ly/
HeppnerSRTS. Anyone
with questions can contact
Dieter Waite at 541-676-
9128 or email him at dieter.
waite@morrow.k12..or.us.
“This is an opportunity to
make our streets safer and
more comfortable for stu-
dents and families to walk
and bike,” said organizers
of the event.
A view from the hill
By Doris Brosnan
Already this month
has been one of variety at
Willow Creek Terrace, as
it started with the addition
of several flowering plants
and the flowers that adorned
Medina Spirit, the horse
that won the Kentucky Der-
by, a favorite race for some
viewers. Then, laughter
was encouraged on “World
Laughter Day” and last
week, walking about the
Terrace during “National
Walking Week.” Cinco de
Mayo was observed on the
5 th , full of color, Mexican
trivia and good food. The
Pedicure Party was a hit
the next day, just in time
for happy feet on Mothers’
Day, which brought some
flowers and some visitors to
Good News Only
memory of a loved one is
in the Heritage Park (be-
tween Main/Hwy 74 and
Gale/Riverside Street). The
beautiful Mustang blue “In
Memory of Roger Schoo-
nover” is a cause to pause
and appreciate some fond
memories. (At least three
more can be located around
Heppner, plus the ones
gifted to the community by
the Class of ‘91 as a thank-
you.)
Contact was made last
week with another Ga-
zette Times reader who was
raised in our area before
moving away. Tass Morri-
son, who graduated from
Ione High School in ‘63,
has subscribed to the GT
since ‘97, when her moth-
er, Irma Morrison died.
She reports that the paper
“still comes to me under
her name, and I will never
change that. Even though I
don’t know many names…
it is still very interesting to
see what people there are up
to and to read about the pos-
itive things happening in
your area. I… stay connect-
ed with friends there, and
through the G-T as well.”
Tass spent 30+ years as an
educator and continues to
serve, now as a member
of her local North Santiam
District school board.
Another fan of the
Heppner Gazette Times
now lives in Salem, and
although he does not sub-
scribe, he reaches for the
paper as soon as he arrives
at his father’s in Heppner
for a visit. He says he likes
to know what is happening
here, even though he recog-
nizes few last names.
Matt Combe, Principal
of HHS, has been elected to
serve on the OSAA (Oregon
Schools Activities Associa-
tion) executive board. The
organization of 293 schools
is a policy maker, the mis-
sion of which is to “serve
member schools by provid-
ing leadership and state co-
ordination for the conduct
of interscholastic activities,
which will enrich the ed-
ucational experiences of
high school students.” (East
Oregonian, May 6) “Com-
prised mostly of school
will be used to identify
“barriers to safe walking
and biking as well as po-
tential improvements.”
The observation and doc-
umentation will be part of
an effort by the city and
schools in partnership with
the Oregon Department of
Transportation to create
a “Safe Routes to School
Plan” for Heppner schools.
Volunteers will be
needed on two different
days, May 18 at the Hep-
pner Elementary school,
and May 19 at the High
School /Junior High. Group
everyone who wants to give
the courts a try. Yes, they
contain cracks, unfortunate-
ly, but those do not usually
impede play, which is a
great social way, a truly fun
way, to increase one’s phys-
ical activity and get more
fit. A good advertisement
of the benefits of tennis
is JoAnne Burleson, who
will turn 90 next month and
still makes some effective,
strategic hits.
If you haven’t already,
you need to vote by next
Tuesday, May 18. Such
an opportunity to make a
difference close to home.
And having several people
interested in serving on our
various boards is certainly
good news. The county
clerk’s office has answers
if you have voting-related
questions.
Repeated kudos to
those whom I consider
friends of Willow Creek
and Heppner. Yes, a few
careless people have lit-
tered on the banks, but the
cleanup is almost total. And
these people who care can
tidy up those few places in
just a matter of minutes.
Thank you.
Dana Wilson and his
helper, John Healy, are
working diligently at keep-
ing the look of our cem-
etery peaceful and attrac-
tive, somewhat challenging
when trying to combat the
dandelions without spray-
ing because of the strong
winds. Now they have those
seedy puffballs, referenced
last week in this column, to
fight. John seems to have
taken on this project with
gusto, half-jokingly saying
that he intends to “make
our cemetery look as good
as Arlington National Cem-
etery.”
Reading someone’s
good news can bring smiles
to our faces, so this col-
umn will continue to share
good-news tidbits as long as
people email them to dbros-
nan123@gmail.com or call
541-223-1490 (can leave a
message if necessary) or
stop me on the street.
As always, hoping
some good news comes to
everyone reading this.
the Terrace and was a start
to the “Week Honoring the
Aged,” a topic useful for
morning discussions about
strength and resilience.
Also, some residents and
the staff agreed that week to
send a note of appreciation
to the hair stylists who con-
tinue to come to the Terrace
to serve their clients.
This week has featured
“Eat What You Want Day”
yesterday and may be a
busy day of phone calls
tomorrow, which is “I Just
Called to Say I Love You
Day.”
Sunday will be “Love
a Tree Day,” observed by
staff and residents who
might be dressed in purple,
since it is also “Wear Purple
for Peace Day.” It also will
bring to the forefront for
discussion memory-care
research being done by the
Alzheimer’s Association.
Added to those discussion
topics will be Blue Jeans’
148 th birthday on the 20 th ,
American Red Cross’s 140 th
birthday on the 21 st . The
two personal birthdays that
week will be celebrated
with favorite lunchtime
menus for the neighbors
and families when Ray
French celebrates on the
18 th and Bev Harris cele-
brates on the 22 nd .
Some residents could
be lucky on the 23 rd , since
one never knows when one
might find a lucky penny on
“Lucky Penny Day.” That
will also be a day that will
surely bring smiles to many
faces if some generous
owners of pink flamingoes
will let the Terrace borrow
them – it is designated
“Pink Flamingo Day.” The
Terrace community would
enjoy adding to the few that
Anna Schwarzen donated,
planting and posing those
yard decorations for all to
see. (Call 541-676-0004 to
share or just bring them to
the Terrace.)
The following day will
feature “Brothers Day,” so
many tales will surely be
told at the morning dis-
cussion. That week of the
24 th will get residents and
staff outside for “Backyard
Games Week.” Friends
Helping Friends gave the
Terrace a generous donation
with which they purchased
some equipment for those
enjoyable activities.
The Terrace contin-
ues to offer job opportuni-
ties. Jobs that can include
such entertaining activities
with the residents but also
include the assistance to
the residents with varying
needs. One fulltime and
one parttime position, with
benefits, are available. Call
541-676-0004.
As the month ends with
Memorial Day on the 31 st ,
the residents will have more
stories to share as they
honor the men and women
who died while serving
in the U.S. military and
the residents’ loved ones
who have also passed on.
They will also observe the
“flowering” of the ceme-
tery as visitors also honor
their deceased loved ones.
The excellent care of the
cemetery by Dana Wil-
son and John Healy has
been greatly appreciated
by the neighboring Terrace,
and everyone hopes the
strong winds calm down
enough for the eradica-
tion of the dandelions, the
only remaining challenge.
The community on the hill
views that expanse as tran-
quil and serene.
The town of Lexing-
ton is offering free dump
vouchers for Lexington
residents to use for spring
cleanup. The vouchers are
available to pick up at the
town hall and can be used
at the south transfer station
May 15 and 16.
For additional informa-
tion, call the town hall at
541-989-8515.
Lexington offers
free dump vouchers