Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 11, 2021 -- THREE
Masks required in
all schools
Ione School District not able to
ignore the mandate
The Oregon Depart-
ment of Education has up-
dated the Ready Schools,
Safe Learners Resilience
Framework for the 2021-
2022 School Year. This
update includes new rules
regarding face coverings
for schools. This is prompt-
ed by OHA’s adoption of
a rule on August 2, 2021,
that requires face coverings
for all students, staff and
visitors that are indoors.
This all follows Governor
Brown’s announcement that
masks will be required in all
schools for 2021-22 school
year on July 29, 2021.
Kevin Dinning, Su-
perintendent / Secondary
Principal Ione School Dis-
trict, told the Gazette, “The
Ione School board, district
and school leadership have
voiced our concerns regard-
ing this change, and we
want to assure you all that
we will continue to work
with our local health district
and county commissioners
to advocate for local control
for our communities.”
“We will continue to
voice that we feel our com-
munity and local districts
can make the most sound
decisions for our students
and stakeholders. While
we all continue to advocate
for local control, we are not
able to ignore this mandate
as it is law. It is important
to note that we have re-
tained local authority over
all school and district pro-
grams and events that take
place outside of the school
day. We will continue to
leverage those opportuni-
ties and those presented in
the framework to ensure
that we can offer a safe and
supportive environment
By Doris Brosnan
Apologies for an over-
sight last week: Those
third- and fourth-genera-
tion Huddlekins who re-
cently enjoyed a stay with
grandparents Cal and Bev
Sherman in Sunriver kay-
aking, paddle boarding,
swimming and floating the
lazy river were Kyle, from
Denver, CO; Mahaley from
Austin, TX; and Ron and
family from Portland and
Vancouver.
Last Wednesday, Ida
Farra celebrated her 104 th
(not a typo) birthday in the
Pioneer Memorial solarium
with many friends. The
Payne ladies had created a
large birthday banner dec-
orated with 104 pictures of
flowers, and Maya and Isa
also brought her a gallon jar
full of exactly 104 pieces
of candy. (Ida does like
candy.) Purple (her favorite
color) balloons and flow-
ers completed the festive
atmosphere. Ida shared her
day with Lennon Albitre,
Kathleen Greenup’s son,
who turned seven and fas-
cinated Ida with his red hair
and many freckles, and she
shared birthday cupcakes
and ice cream – Ida’s fa-
vorite, Tillamook from the
carton – with her many
guests.
Just two months ago,
Bob and Judy Stevens were
so pleased to share that they
had become great grandpar-
ents for the first time. Now,
they are just as tickled to
announce that granddaugh-
ter Katelyn, their son’s
daughter, and Mike Murphy
welcomed their first baby,
Calli, on August 1. She
weighed in at eight pounds
and was twenty inches long.
The family lives in Dal-
lasport, WA.
Karen Wolff reports, “I
returned home last Wednes-
for our students,” Dinning
continued.
The Ione School Dis-
trict will begin the masking
requirement on August 12,
2021, to allow some time to
support the students, staff
and community members
through the transition. They
will continue to provide in-
formation for stakeholders
regarding virtual school
options that would allow a
student to remain in the dis-
trict, but not attend school
in person.
The Kindergarten Jump
Start program has begun
and the staff will continue
to work on a plan to facil-
itate that program outside,
as much as possible. “We
know this situation is not
ideal, but we want you to
know that we support what
is best for your family. We
will entertain every effort in
planning for the next year
to include as much outdoor
facilitation as possible,”
noted Dinning.
In advocating for local
control or expressing con-
cerns around this recent rule
change, the Ione district
will continue providing
the county commissioners
with the public’s concerns.
Those concerns may be
emailed to Dinning at kev-
in.dinning@ionesd.org, and
he will forward them to the
commissioners.
As with the last school
year, changes to the plan are
expected. Specifically, the
mask rule will be reviewed
on a monthly basis. Fur-
ther information on board
meetings, county meetings
and other than in person
learning options for the
district will be provided as
it becomes available.
Work to begin on
Blue Mountain
Scenic Byway
Contractors have begun
prep work to chip seal 33.6
miles of the Blue Mountain
Scenic Byway on the North
Fork John Day Ranger
District. This project is
one of two projects on the
Umatilla National Forest
that was funded this year
through the Great American
Outdoors Act.
Work will be ongo-
ing for approximately four
weeks and includes clean-
ing the road surface, seal-
ing cracks in the road and
patching potholes followed
by chip sealing the en-
tire roadway. Construction
crews are moving equip-
ment on-site this week and
stock piling gravel. The
chip seal is anticipated
to begin on Aug. 16. The
construction work will re-
quire that the full length of
the Blue Mountain Scenic
Byway will periodically
have delays and traffic will
be managed by flaggers and
pilot cars from Aug. 16 until
approximately Aug. 30. The
road will reopen once work
is completed. Construction
signs will be posted at each
end of the project and as
needed in work zones.
The Blue Mountain
Scenic Byway is a pop-
ular 145-mile route that
travels from near Arling-
ton to Granite. This road
is also a major portal to
both the Umatilla and Wal-
lowa-Whitman National
Forests, offering numerous
opportunities for scenic
views and recreation. The
deferred maintenance on
this portion of the road
will reduce risk to public
The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following
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to Heppner.net.
Better to be red
To the editor,
health was already com-
When I was growing promised. Are we going to
up in the late 1950s Nikita allow fear of a man-made
Khrushchev, Russia’s dic- pandemic that kills one
tator, pounded his shoes percent ruin our way of life
on the table at the United and destroy families and
Nations and promised, “We friendships?
will bury you.” “Better to
What happened to
be Red than dead.” Amer- choice? My body my,
icans were exhorted. This choice, right? 73 million
manifest doctrinal take- babies died (murdered) in
over of America is nearly their mother’s womb in
complete. Virtually every 2020 because of choice.
vestige of our American In comparison, 2 million
heritage (the Bible, love of citizens of the world died
country and God, honoring in 2020 of Covid 19 and the
our forefathers and their whole world is in lockdown
heritage, prayer, American with no choice. God’s word
individualism and sover- says, “Choose this day who
eignty) has been removed you shall serve” (Joshua
and/or dishonored and So- 24:15). It is better to die
cialism/Communist cen- as a free man than live as
sorship now controls our a coward.
schools, our news media,
When you are forced to
our government.
wear a mask (and your chil-
Better Red than dead dren) because Gov. Brown’s
means better to yield your OSHA will once again shut
liberty and freedom than down businesses and local
die of Covid. Better Red governments, our schools
than dead means it is better that resist (better Red than
to “show your papers” as dead) remember this. 6,000
in Hitler’s Germany than it illegal immigrants enter
is to resist Covid 19 driven America every day and our
Socialist tyranny. Better current Socialist/Commu-
Red than dead means wear nist American government
your mask, take your shot does not require masks,
(and the next and next), vaccinations or Covid 19
and see your unvaccinated testing and those that are
friend as your enemy, than Covid infected are trucked
live as a free man like our all over America.
forefathers that shed their
This Covid inspired
blood for our liberty.
fear mongering of Amer-
For me and my house ica and the world is not
it is better to die of Covid about protecting you or
than live in fear. In Mor- your loved ones from the
row County there has been unvaccinated or the mani-
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: 1,274 diagnosed Covid 19 fold variants that are com-
cases and 17 deaths. That ing. It is a fulfillment of
means 98.6 percent of those Khrushchev’s prophecy. Do
diagnosed with Covid 19 not allow fear of Covid 19,
survive. In Umatilla Coun- the shot, masks or any other
ty the survival rate is 99.1 coming tyranny separate us
for his master’s in psychol- someone in the know sends percent. Of those Covid 19 as Americans.
ogy. Lindsey was raised in in a tidbit about any of these deaths most die “with, not
Stuart Dick,
Alyeska and attended the individuals, it can be shared of Covid” because their
Irrigon
University of Montana. The with GT readers. Would be
couple moved to Lexington great to feature some each
about two and a half years week, so please contribute.
that seems to be taking over other people’s good news?
ago, and both work for
Can it be?. High school
the town?)
Well, “other people” will
Community Counseling, sports practices already?
A pleasing experience surely enjoy reading yours.
Lindsey as an HR manager One can hope for a high
last week: Adding to my Please, share your good-
and Tyler as a mental health school fall-sports season
worn-looking wardrobe, news tidbits by sending
specialist.
like the ones common be-
a top that actually – ready them before Monday af-
Tyler is just one more fore the pandemic. Good
for this? – has stripes that ternoon to dbrosnan123@
example of graduates of luck to the gridiron, vol-
match at the seams. (Mrs. gmail.com, or call 541-676-
Heppner High School re- leyball and cross-country
Hager would be so aston- 5382 or 541-223-1490, or
turning as professionals teams.
ished and pleased.)
stop me on the street.
to establish homes and ca-
They’re everywhere.
A big thank you to our
Here’s hoping that
reers. Such good news for They’re everywhere. But
contributors this week. some good news comes to
our south Morrow County the good news is that some
Don’t we all enjoy reading everyone reading this.
communities, returning people are working to erad-
young people. Fortunate for icate the goat head, punc-
the area, also, is that sever- ture vine plants that have
al individuals raised here a long scientific name and
I o n e C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h
knew a good thing when have been thriving where
they had it and chose to stay they hurt when stepped
4 7 0 E M a i n S t r e e t , I o n e
and further develop their on, puncture bike tires, get
skills and talents among stuck in pets’ paws and
Summer worship at 10:00 AM
their fellow Mustangs, invade flowerbeds. Any-
Sunday Mornings
Jackrabbits and Cardinals. one not sure of what they
Another contributing seg- look like can find images
ment of our communities is online under the above
that of Boomerangers, those names or ask our friendly
individuals who moved librarians to find an im-
away, made their way else- age. And then have a good
where, and moved back look especially along our
to their hometowns upon sidewalks and driveways.
retirement. What a wonder- We can all watch for this
ful mix of individuals: two ground-spreading plant and
“Y o u w i l l s e e k M e a n d f i n d M e , w h e n
and three generations who dig it, burn it, or spray it
y o u s e a r c h f o r M e w i t h a l l y o u r h e a r t . ”
can “remember when….” before those yellow flowers
- J e r e m i a h 2 9 : 1 3
with the newcomers to the become more plants, more
community who eagerly burrs. (Then, should we
Join Us in the Search
say, “Tell me more.” All discuss the Virginia Creeper
contributing their skills
and knowledge to the bet-
terment of south Morrow
County.
Many readers would be
interested in learning about
area graduates who have
returned to pursue their
careers and about graduates
who chose to remain in their
hometowns to pursue their
careers. Just a top-of-my-
head list easily contains
well over twenty family
names, but many more can
surely be added. So, when
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Good News Only
day after a five-day cruise
from Seattle to Ketchikan
and back. Ashley (our
youngest) works for Royal
Caribbean Cruise Lines in
their Call Center in Spring-
field, OR. Royal Caribbean
is beginning to send ships
back to sea following the
pandemic. Before a ship
goes out with guests, they
send it out with employee
volunteers and a guest.
This allows the shipboard
employees to practice their
procedures and protocols.
The employees are given a
role play, such as being late
for an assigned check-in
time or being the whiney
unvaccinated guest. The
employee then reports how
the situation was handled.
We were sailing on the “Od-
yssey of the Seas,” which
can carry up to 4900 guests,
with 1500 staff. They had
the 1500 staff, but only
600 guests. It was a very
different cruise from other
cruises. No waiting for
elevators, no lines, lots of
room to move around. Lots
of hand-sanitizer stations,
which guests are required
to use. ‘Washy, Washy,’ as
you are escorted to the hand
wash station before meals.
It was a very fun Mom/
Daughter trip.”
John and Kelly Boy-
er travelled to Girdwood,
Alaska, for the July 10
wedding of son, Tyler, and
Lindsey McKnight. Kelly
says that the Alyeska Re-
sort, which attracts visitors
from around the world,
was a beautiful venue for
the couple’s ceremony, and
the view from the top of
Mt. Alyeska, accessed via
a tram, where the wedding
party enjoyed the rehearsal
dinner, was spectacular.
Tyler, an HHS graduate,
attended Linfield College
and then Lewis and Clark
safety and extend the life
of this scenic route for 10-
20 years.
This project is part of
the investment of up to
$40 million in 2021 for 29
projects on national forests
in Oregon and Washington
through the Great American
Outdoors Act (GAOA),
intended to address critical
deferred maintenance and
improve transportation and
recreation infrastructure.
Nationally, the funds will
allow the Forest Service to
implement more than 500
infrastructure improvement
projects essential to the
continued use and enjoy-
ment of national forests
lands this year.
In addition to the Blue
Mountain Scenic Byway
chip seal project, the Uma-
tilla National Forest re-
ceived funding to replace
the Burnt Cabin Trail Bridge
on the Walla Walla Ranger
District. Implementing both
projects this year will pro-
vide safe and enhanced
visitor access through these
areas of the Umatilla Na-
tional Forest. The projects
will also support local em-
ployment opportunities and
strengthen shared steward-
ship of national forests and
grasslands by expanding
the Forest Service work
with public and private
partners. The forest will
continue to share updates
on these GAOA projects as
construction begins.
Additional projects
may be implemented on the
Umatilla National Forest
and will be announced as
funding is allocated.
~ Letters to the Editor ~