FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Spiritually Speaking
We are called to walk
with Him
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph
The readings this week invite us
to reflect on the following: how God
chooses people for particular missions
within the Church and how God chooses
all of us who believe to give witness to Fr. Thankachan
Him. Far too often we have no sense of Joseph
being called or a sense that God might
be asking something of us. But God calls each one of us
and invites us to follow Him and to proclaim His message
to others. Are we able to recognize the invitation of the
Lord to be with Him and learn from Him? Do we see
and acknowledge the prophets of our own time? Today’s
readings call us to open our hearts and our minds to the
presence of God in others.
From the prophet Amos (7:12-15) we understand that
he was a poor shepherd. Amos is a prophet of social jus-
tice who was called from his farm by God and sent to do
a prophet’s job. He knew that he was not a professional,
yet God chose him. And what was his work? What did
he preach? Amos preached to the people in the Northern
Kingdom of Israel in the 8 th century BC. Though a rich
and prosperous nation under Jeroboam II (783-743 BC),
Israel’s social inequality was rampant, especially where
the rich freely exploited the poor. Moreover, in those
days, religion was a liturgical show business. Armed with
God’s command, Amos condemned all sorts of corruption,
including greed, corrupt city life, social injustice, and false
religious displays. Now we understand why Amaziah, the
professional priest of Bethel, who was only interested
in amassing wealth, wanted to chase Amos away to the
southern kingdom, Judah. Though eventually expelled
from Israel, Amos did not stop speaking in the name of
God against injustice. He remained faithful to his call and
mission. Most of us have no sense of being called. We are
very much like Amos, going about our own business and
doing what we have to do to earn our living and get along
in life. But by our baptisms, each of us is called to take
up this threefold role as priest, king, and prophet. We are
called to be priests because we are called to intercede for
others. We are called to be kings because we are called
to serve others. We are called to be prophets because the
word of God must be proclaimed by us.
St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (1:3-14), originally a
liturgical hymn, highlights God’s plan of uniting all things
in Himself. He has made known to us the mystery of His
will in accord with His favor that He set forth in Christ
as “a plan for the fullness of time, to sum up all things in
Christ, in heaven and on earth” (Ephesians 1: 8-9). God
invites everyone to participate in it. St. Paul encourages us
to live up to that expectation. In other words, our lives and
actions should move in the direction of God’s intention
because “we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance towards
redemption as God’s possession” (Ephesians 1: 14).
In the Gospel of Mark, 6:7-13, the disciples are called,
they are the chosen ones. Jesus sends out the twelve on
a long and difficult mission. But He tells them they are
to take no bag. Now, what sense does that make? Well, it
would make a lot of sense if the disciples were traveling
today by airplane. Checked luggage can quickly add a
sizeable amount to an airline ticket.
But Jesus has a different kind of luggage in mind: a
spiritual baggage that can weigh us down. This baggage
comes in a number of different designs, but today I want
to offer three of them for your consideration. Jesus is
asking us to leave behind the bags of our hurts, our fears,
and our dreams.
Clearly, Jesus sends us out on a mission of love and
service. But He wants us to travel light. What kind of use-
less burden do you insist on bringing with you? What kind
of heavy luggage are you determined to check for your
flight? Jesus reminds us that such luggage is unnecessary.
He asks us to leave the bags of our hurts, our fears, and
our false dreams at home and fly free.
Marriage Licenses
The Morrow County
Clerk’s office has released
the following report of
marriage licenses:
June 3, 2021: - Tanner
Lewis Collier, 23, Board-
man, and Adriana Armenta,
24, Irrigon.
- Jason Ray Whitbeck,
49, Irrigon, and Lori Ann
Moss, 51, Irrigon.
June 9, 2021: - Jose
Good News Only
By Doris Brosnan
Hot weather or cold
weather, always good to
know that Columbia Basin
Electric continues to make
its free audits of our homes
available. A good idea to
find out how energy-effi-
cient our home is, or to hear
suggestions of how to make
it more so.
As George Nairns re-
tires from her adminis-
trator’s position at Wil-
low Creek Terrace, the
opportunity for another
qualified individual opens
up. Presently, Samarra Van-
Doorn is acting as interim
administrator, with eleven
years work experience at
the Terrace.
And Kelly Fritz has
been selected as the assis-
tant director at the Neigh-
borhood Center. This is a
new position, meant to have
a positive impact on the op-
erations and on the duties of
director Lisa Patton.
Merlin and Claudia
Hughes recently returned
from a five-day stay in
Anchorage, where they
were joined by daughter
Kimberly, grandson, Austin
and his wife, Angela, for
visiting with granddaugh-
ter, Destinee and for lots of
spectacular sight-seeing,
dining out and touring. This
was the first opportunity in
two years for all to be to-
gether. Midnight sun, 4 a.m.
sunrise, a cool 67 degrees.
Then, back to 112 degrees.
Bob and Judy Stevens
were thrilled to become
great grandparents a sec-
ond time, and they realized
that they wanted to share
the news. Son, Harold and
his wife, Tara, welcomed
Weston James to the fam-
ily in Tillamook on June
1. Weston joined sister,
Addilyn.
June Rollis, a fine ex-
ample for us all? June, at
age 64, has upped her phys-
ical fitness regimen. She
walks from her home near
Heppner Elementary to the
cemetery, where she walks
four laps of the grounds,
back down Chase St., to the
steps up to the courthouse
and back down to Court
St., where she takes on
the steps across from the
tennis courts, up past the
Tarnaskys, and back down
to her home. Then she gets
on her bike for a ride out
around the fairgrounds or
laps in the school parking
lot, before she goes inside
for her floor workout. And
she still has energy and
Juan Landa, 22, Hermiston,
and Mallory Annafay Mul-
care, 22, Hermiston.
June 18, 2021: - Cole
Hunter Evans, 24, Hooper,
WA, and Makenzi Kae
Hughes, 24, Hooper, WA.
Music in the Park returns to Heppner
This Sunday, July 11, at the City Park on Main Street
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Presenting "Neymark and Sons"
Joel Neymark on fiddle, mandolin, recorder, and guitar
His sons Gabe on bass and guitar and Elijah on ukulele and bass
All three on vocals
Pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, cookie and drink available
for purchase by donation to
Hopeful Saints Ministry's Mission and Outreach fund.
Music series made possible by a grant from the
Morrow County Unified Recreation District
Next month: The Wasteland Kings on August 8
time for watering, mowing
and doing in-house chores?
Whew.
On Saturday, Gil Bel-
lamy, of Salem, called to
bring to our attention bits
of a great serendipitous
story. Mary Kay Hughes
Bellamy’s mother, Majo,
attended school in Lexing-
ton in the school building
still standing. Mary Kay
attended grade school in
that building, and she later
worked for twenty years in
the Morrow County School
District Offices that the
building had been con-
verted to. And now, Mary
Kay and husband, Sam, are
owners of that same build-
ing, where the Bellamy clan
held a reunion over the July
4 th weekend.
The July 4 th parade in
Ione featured a profusion of
bicycles – some tiny, skate-
boards, and scooters fes-
tooned – as were their riders
– in red, white, and blue
ribbons, flags and clothing.
And leading the young were
the motorcycle riders who
carried the American and
Oregon flags, followed by
grand marshals Loyal and
Betty Burns in their red ‘02
Thunderbird. Betty’s day
was made even more spe-
cial by the visit from life-
long friend Alice Mallory
and her husband Darryl,
of Ashland. Alice attended
school with Betty in Bell,
CA, the two married in the
same year,50 years ago,
and they have maintained
their relationship over these
years of separation.
Allison (Sykes) Hayes
and family - husband, Matt,
and sons, August and Se-
bastian - are here visiting
David and April Sykes for
the week. While here, they
celebrated August’s seventh
birthday with his uncle
Andrew Sykes and aunt
Camille Sykes and her son,
Oscar, along with friends
Bill and Merilee McDowell
and their grandson, Henry
Burnside. They also went to
Heppner’s First Friday and
the Ione 4 th of July celebra-
tion. Later they will leave
for Seaside for a Sykes
Family reunion, after which
they will fly to their new
home in Cary, North Car-
olina, where this fall Matt
will start his new job with
the Asian Studies Library at
Duke University. Allison is
a 2001 graduate of Heppner
High School.
Good news that anoth-
er Airbnb option for our
visitors is now available.
“Farra’s Place,” once the
residence of Ida Farra, is
Justin and Andrea Nelson’s
recent addition to rentals in
our area and is listed online.
Good news comes in
small and large events,
common and uncommon,
and readers find pleasure in
reading about them: travel
away, visitors here, moving,
new homes, new jobs, new
family members, years of
married life, competitive,
enjoyable activities, …on
and on. Please, share your
tidbits by sending them by
Monday afternoon to dbros-
nan123@gmail.com, or call
541-223-1490.
Here’s hoping that
some good news comes to
everyone reading this.
A View from the Hill
By Doris Brosnan
The Willow Creek Ter-
race’s “Rocking Away the
Longest Day” event was
viewed as a huge success
last month. The rocking
chairs were out on Friday
the 18 th (because of sched-
uling necessities) and they
were almost in constant use.
Administrator Nairns re-
ports that it was a “wonder-
ful, mellow, low-key day”
because the Covid restric-
tions precluded the usual
extensive preparations, but
the number of rockers was
truly a gift. Thirty visitors
supported this fundraiser
for Alzheimer’s research by
responding to the call on the
Terrace’s Facebook page
or to the encouragement
of their loved ones at the
Terrace. And one supporter
went “virtual” by rocking
at home.
Administrator Nairns
will finish her seven-
teen-year tenure at the
Terrace today. As she re-
tires from this position
and moves into another,
Samarra VanDoorn takes up
the reins of interim admin-
istrator until the board fills
the position permanently.
VanDoorn has been at the
Terrace for eleven years,
having started in a part-time
position that developed into
full-time and for several
years now has included pre-
scription manager. Nairns
reports, “Samarra will do
a fantastic job, I am sure,
and she has the support of
the rest of the staff.”
Two new staff mem-
bers are now assisting the
residents: Matt Crystal has
joined the kitchen staff; and
Madelyn Nichols is work-
ing through the summer,
with plans to work when
home for extended breaks
from Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity this coming year.
Two apartments remain
available at the Terrace,
information about which
is accessed by calling 541-
676-0004. Residents and
staff look forward to wel-
coming new neighbors,
wishing they could have
moved in before today be-
cause tomorrow will be
Donna Bergstrom’s birth-
day celebration, and the
more the merrier is the
belief.
Unfortunately, visiting
restrictions remain in place
at the Terrace, so fewer
visitors can join the resi-
dents for special events like
Donna’s birthday. Mealtime
visitors are one of their
greatest losses because of
Covid restrictions, reports
Nairns. Although the state
has been reopened, some
restrictions continue for as-
sisted-living facilities, still
following some core princi-
ples of infection prevention.
Nairns understands the con-
fusion of some would-be
visitors to whom she must
say “I wish,” when the
rules prohibit some situa-
tions. Basically, yes, up to
two visitors can come to a
resident’s room to visit, up
to four can come to visit
a resident in the sunroom.
Outside visiting numbers
are not limited, however,
anyone who wishes to visit
at the Terrace should still,
please, schedule the visit
before coming. Doing so
will assure everyone that
not too many visitors are
trying to visit the same per-
son at the same time or want
to visit in an already-full
sunroom, which would
mean someone would have
to wait. And yes, masks are
still mandated as visitors
enter, and as Nairns points
out, every staff member
has to don a mask when
entering the Terrace and
not remove it until leaving.
She reminds everyone that
not all residents are vacci-
nated against the virus, and
still the occasional report
of a new case in Heppner
has been appearing on the
Sheriff’s Department Emer-
gency Management site.
Fortunately, residents
are not restricted to remain-
ing at the Terrace, and some
will certainly be attending
this Sunday’s Music-in-the-
Park concert. This month’s
in-house interests have be-
gun with their fireworks
show and ice cream on
their front lawn on Sunday
and will include, as usual,
morning discussions on a
variety of topics, several
that will stimulate mem-
ory-sharing. On the 12 th ,
“Different Colored Eyes
Day,” participants in the
a.m. will be able to find out
whether they fit the person-
ality-profiles that one’s eye
color is supposed to reflect.
On the 23 rd , the Terrace’s
Facebook page will feature
some pix of “Gorgeous
Grandmas” who live at the
Terrace, since it will be
“Gorgeous Grandma Day.”
And throughout the
month – George Nairns
favorite because she likes
ice cream – the commu-
nity on the hill will enjoy
some ice cream treats and
the All-American hot dog.
Starting up soon, the Sat-
urday matinees will kick
off with a “drive-in movie”
(bring on those walkers),
with popcorn, drink and
even an intermission. Nos-
talgia, stimulating con-
versations, fun topics, fun
foods…. All are viewed as
valuable at the Terrace.
Morrow County Dis-
trict Attorney Justin Nelson
has released the following
report:
- Edgar Rodriguez was
convicted of Unlawful Pos-
session of Methamphet-
amine and sentenced to 180
days jail, fine of $1,600,
24 months bench proba-
tion, drug use evaluation
and comply with any rec-
ommended treatment, not
associate with any person
known to use, sell, manu-
facture, deliver or possess
unlawful controlled sub-
stances or narcotics includ-
ing marijuana and 80 hours
of CSW.
DA’s Report
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