EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Cherrys win yard of the month Cultural Coalition grant
recipients announced
By Kay Proctor
Keeping their corner lot
shady and green on a steep
slope has earned Steve and
Becky Cherry the May Yard
of the Month recognition,
the first for 2021.
Steve grew up in the
Redmond countryside
where his parents were, and
still are, serious gardeners
including building a large
pond and caring for about
three-quarters of an acre of
golf course quality lawn.
He mentions that sitting
on his covered back porch
of their Heppner home,
looking across the draw
through multiple shrubs and
trees feels like living in the
country and is his favorite
part of their yard. Original-
ly from Prineville, Becky
mentions that her favorite
place in their yard is “her
sewing room in the house.”
Beginning their mar-
ried lives together in Hep-
pner, Steve also began
his career with Oregon
State Fish and Wildlife
in Heppner 21 years ago.
Becky has done childcare
at home, pre-school and day
care at Heppner Day Care,
and is now at Community
Counseling Solutions. Sons
Andrew and Jordan both
graduated from high school
locally, but live elsewhere
in Oregon for their careers.
Both have married and
blessed the Cherry’s with
granddaughters, Everly and
Thea. Sam, their four-year-
old Brittney spaniel, shares
their home now.
The Cherry’s first Hep-
pner home was on a flat lot
on Gale Street, so moving
to the hillside home was a
change. On the north side
yard, juniper shrubs close
to the house were removed
by Steve, then a dump truck
load of dirt brought in to
help level and fill in. Total
The Morrow County
Cultural Coalition, support-
ed by Oregon’s Cultural
Trust Foundation, recently
announced the following
grant recipients for 2020
awards to Morrow County
organizations:
-Inland Northwest
Musicians, to assist local
musicians in sustaining
their ability to continue to
provide free concerts to the
citizens of Morrow County
following the COVID 19
pandemic shut down.
-Heppner Community
Foundation for collecting,
reproducing and displaying
historical photographs of
ranching, logging, farming
and local history in the re-
furbished historic Gilliam
and Bisbee building.
Steve and Becky Cherry win yard of the month
-Oregon Trail Library
underground sprinklers auger through the junipers District for efforts in im-
were installed by Steve to set posts.
and a landscaper friend in
Preferring shrubs and
the entire yard. Steve also perennials, other plantings
Starting May 20, 2021,
built a shed at the end of the include rhododendrons, lily
side yard.
of the valley, colorful tulips the Oregon Trail Library
Overgrown English ivy and a row of boxwood, District is now fine free for
in the backyard was quite a which is deer resistant. all patrons. OTLD Board
project to remove. A more Steve says that he likes of Directors voted May
gently sloping path now things “to look good and 19, 2021, to adopt a fine
leads down to the lower green” and is trying to plant free policy. “Fine free”
part of the yard where Steve to fill in so he won’t have means that patrons will
has fenced off an area for a to weed although Becky not be fined daily for over-
variety of fruit trees: three suggests getting a miniature due materials. This change
peach (his favorites), one goat to keep things trimmed is part of an institutional
movement from libraries
nectarine, one apple and back.
one pear. The couple to-
Becky’s favorite plant- nationwide, guided by the
gether cans the peach crop ings are her fragrant lav- recommendations of the
while the other fruits are enders along a fence line American Library Associa-
enjoyed fresh.
and a very special row of tion in an effort to increase
Tall pine trees have pink peonies which bloom free public access to library
been trimmed up by Steve every year just before June services.
As a special gift to pa-
and some trees had to be re- 9, the date that, sadly, her
moved including a noxious 15-month-old daughter, trons during these challeng-
ing times, the Oregon Trail
common sumac in the front Taylor, passed away.
yard. The south side yard
Yard of the Month is Library District will also
has a heavy border of tall co-sponsored by the Hep- erase all past overdue fines
pines and a bank of older pner Volunteers, MCGG/ for patrons. This does not
juniper shrubs. When Steve Green Feed Store and the include past fees for lost or
damaged items.
built a fence there, he had to City of Heppner.
proving access to informa-
tion and services regarding
arts and crafts videos and
increasing digital offerings
for patrons to access at
home.
-Morrow County His-
torical Society to help with
the costs of printing the
Morrow County Chroni-
cles.
Applications for the
2021 culturally based ac-
tivities in Morrow County
are now being accepted.
Projects supported in the
past have included quilting,
art displays, historical li-
brary books, cultural enter-
tainment and events, kids’
activities in the parks and
schools, drama and musical
workshops. Grants can be
awarded up to 50 percent
of the total project cost. For
complete guidelines and
application forms please
contact Jaylene Papineau
541-676-5630 or jpapin-
eau@co.morrow.or.us or
visit the Morrow County
web site under the Clerk/
Elections Office, Morrow
County Cultural Coalition
Information. Applications
must be submitted by Au-
gust 1, 2021. You may also
visit the Oregon Cultural
Trust site at https://cultur-
altrust.org/
Anyone interested in
making a donation to the
Oregon Cultural trust or
interested in participating in
the committee may contact
Melissa Lindsay 541-561-
0234 or Jaylene Papineau
541-676-5630. The local
coalition is actively seeking
volunteers for the commit-
tee.
Only the overdue (late)
charges on your OTLD
account will disappear.
Lost and damaged charges
will remain your financial
responsibility. If you order
items from another library
and then check them out at
an OTLD branch, you will
not be charged overdue
fines. If you go to a different
library, which still charges
fines, and check items out
at that location, you will be
charged fines for overdue
items. We cannot waive
these fines.
Going fine free does not
mean that you do not have
to bring your books back to
the library. Items still have a
due date and materials still
need to be returned. Mate-
rials can be renewed two
times if there are no holds.
If an item is not returned,
or is returned damaged,
patrons will still be charged
for lost or damaged items.
Many libraries within the
Sage Library System and
in Oregon have gone fine
free already.
This change is for all
of the patrons of the library.
The library’s mission is to
provide free and equitable
access to all. Library Direc-
tor, Kathy Street, is very ex-
cited for the change. “Many
new patrons are afraid to
establish an account for
fear of costs. Especially
families.” Fines should not
prevent any member of the
community from accessing
services. Studies in libraries
that have eliminated fines
show that there has been
no impact on return rates.
In fact, it can even increase
use of library materials.
The Heppner High
School class of 1965 will
celebrate growing up in
Heppner Saturday, July 17
at the Gilliam and Bisbee
Building beginning at 5
p.m. The class also invites
all classes of the 60’s as
well as family and friends
to share the appreciation of
growing up in the 50’s and
60’s in Heppner.
Alvin Liu of the Gate-
way Café will cater the
Saturday event serving a
prime rib dinner and Buck-
num’s will have a full bar.
Music, karaoke and fun will
be provided by Roger Leon-
nig and the class of 1967.
Tables are still available
by reservation only for $30
prior to June 20.
The class will also host
golf at Willow Creek Coun-
try Club on Saturday from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the
Gateway Café will be open
for dinner Friday, July 16
and breakfast July 17 and
18.
Those interested are
asked to contact Stuart Dick
at 541-377-5451 or Ken Ev-
ans at 541-571-7982. Dick
told the Gazette, “We have
a great heritage to celebrate
growing up in Heppner and
eastern Oregon. After a year
and a half of COVID, it is
time to have a party.”
Library now fine free
Class of ’65 plans celebration
Heppner to hold
open mic event
The local open mic -
Music in the Park will be
held Sunday, June 6 from
4 to 7 p.m. at the Heppner
City Park.
The event
trailer will be set up with a
full sound system, featuring
local talent and possibly out
of town performers.
Attendees are asked to
bring their own lawn chairs
and follow social distanc-
ing guidelines set by the
state. Those interested in
performing should contact
Dale Bates at 541-980-
5694.
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