Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 15, 2021 -- THREE
Spiritually Speaking
Let us see your face, we
shall be saved
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph
We might sometimes feel that if only we had been
there when Christ was born, we would
have been so fortunate, and at times we
have doubts and wish we could see God
and be reassured in our faith. So, Sun-
day’s response psalm voices our plea:
“Lord make us turn to you; Lord let us
see your face and we shall be saved.” The Fr. Thankachan
Lord is coming. Are we ready to see him, Joseph
meet him, hear him?
The prophet Micah (5:1-4a), who came from Beth-
lehem, a contemporary of Isaiah, Amos and Hosea,
preached the message of repentance, asking the people to
turn away from their sins. Micah reminds the people that
the Messiah will not come from the sophisticated well-
known city of Jerusalem. Its people were too hardened,
their kings had been oppressing the people, and the pres-
ent kings were no good. He points out that the Messiah
will come from the small town of Bethlehem: “Oh Beth-
lehem, you who are one of the little clans of Judea, from
you shall come forth for me one who is to rule Israel.”
Bethlehem means “house of bread,” and this town had no
importance at that time but had ancient ties to the dynasty
of Jesse and his son David. Micah makes the God’s great
promise to His people. Between that promise and its
fulfillment was a long time of waiting. Only those who
waited in hope saw that promise fulfilled. As believers,
we want to draw close to God, want to experience God,
and we pray that we might encounter Him. We have our
expectations of how God should come into our lives, but
God has His own way. That He will come into our world
is certain, but will we encounter Him? Perhaps we have
to abandon our “Jerusalem” and look for little unknown
Bethlehem, abandon our plans and wait in hope for His
coming. Have I seen Jesus on the street where I live?
Perhaps He does live there, but only with eyes of faith
can we recognize Him.
From the Letter to the Hebrews (10:5-10), we read,
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body
you prepared for me; in holocaust and sin offerings you
took no delight. Behold I come to do your will of God”
(5-6). What He desires from us is our willingness to be
obedient to Him and His statutes so that our sins might be
forgiven, and He might come into our lives. To prepare for
His coming, we have to repent, turn away from our sins,
and turn to God. Often, we create barriers to His coming
into our lives. If we stick to our old ways, to our sinful
habits and prejudices, we will not hear His call when He
knocks at the doors of our hearts.
The Gospel of Luke (1:39-45) tells of Mary’s visit
to her cousin Elizabeth, to assist her in her pregnancy.
We are told that through Mary, God kept that promise
announced a long time ago through the prophet Micah.
Important is not only that God came into her life, but that
she recognized His coming. As Mary enters Elizabeth’s
house, Elizabeth beholds with eyes of faith the coming
of the Lord into her life. Mary could just be a younger
cousin on a social visit that happens to come when Eliz-
abeth needs help. But Elizabeth sees God’s hand and the
Lord’s presence in what is happening. “Why has this
happened to me that the mother of my Lord comes to
me?” At Christmas, God keeps His promise, that Promise
One is named Jesus, revealed to all who have faith and
fulfilled in all who have love. We will only recognize the
face of Jesus when we have love in our hearts, for God
and for our neighbor. We might look for God in the high
and mighty, yet He might be hidden in the small, the sick,
the senile, the simple and the socially outcast.
On Christmas we remember the magnanimity of God,
who shared His only son with humanity, a little babe
bringing peace, joy and happiness to a suffering humanity.
Just as the Father shared His Son with us and dispelled
our gloom, sin, shame and suffering, so, too, we are called
to dispel the gloom, suffering and shame of others. We
have a beautiful example in Mary, who reaches out to the
needy, who prepared herself for the first Christmas by
sharing her joy with her cousin Elizabeth. We, too, can
thus prepare for Christmas, as the miracle of Christmas
is the miracle of sharing and reaching out.
Tom & Jerry Party
December 17th
5:00 pm
Steak Dinner
6:30 pm
Music
School board to proceed with bond issue
By April Hilton-Sykes
The Morrow County
School Board, at their Mon-
day night meeting at Hep-
pner Elementary School,
voted to proceed with plans
to put up a bond issue for
construction and refurbish-
ing district schools. The
board chose a middle of
the road plan and intends
to present it to voters in
February of 2022.
The middle option
which specifies a bond
amount of $138 million
with a $2.67 tax rate calls
for:
1) Educational
needs-modernizing learn-
ing environments and ad-
ministration area, improve
technology and add ADA
Improvements.
2) Safety and Secu-
rity-securing entry vesti-
bules, card access control,
fire sprinkler upgrades and
adding cameras.
3) Building system up-
grades-heating, ventilation,
electrical and plumbing-ad-
dresses most urgent needs
and replaces some aging
equipment;
4) Traffic Flow and
Parking Improvements at
Sam Boardman Elemen-
tary, Heppner, Jr./Sr. High
School, Irrigon Elementary
and Irrigon Jr./Sr. High
School;
4) Athletics and Activ-
ities-a full gym, locker and
wrestling room at Riverside
Jr./Sr. High School, a full
gym and locker room at
Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School
and an auxiliary gym and
locker room at Heppner Jr./
Sr. High School.
5) Boardman Capaci-
ty-Four elementary class-
rooms and four junior/se-
nior classrooms. Boardman
schools currently have room
for 276 more students.
A lower and a higher
bond amount were also
presented, with the lower
at $105 million and a $2.03
tax rate which includes:
the educational needs and
safety and security op-
tions, addresses most urgent
needs in building system
upgrades, makes traffic
flow improvements at SBE,
HJSHS and IES, provides
auxiliary gyms at RJSHS,
IJSHS and HJSHS, but does
not include added capacity
for Boardman Schools.
The higher option, at
$154,000,000 with a $2.99
tax rate, includes the edu-
cational needs, safety and
security options; major
system upgrades and re-
placements; traffic flow
and parking improvements
at SBE, HJSHS, Irrigon
Elementary, IJSHS and
A.C. Houghton Elementa-
ry; a full gym, locker and
wrestling room at RJSHS,
a full gym and locker room
at IJSHS, and an auxiliary
gym and locker room at
HJSHS; eight elementary
classrooms and four junior/
senior classrooms at Board-
man schools.
A graph of levy rates of
surrounding districts places
the Hermiston School Dis-
trict the highest at nearly
$3.50; Pendleton School
District at a little over $2;
Athena-Weston and Con-
don at around $1.75; and
Umatilla at nearly $1. Mor-
row County School District
was one of the lowest, along
with North Wasco School
District, Ukiah SD, South
Wasco County SD, Arling-
ton SD, Black Butte SD and
Ashwood SD.
Superintendent Dirk
Dirksen told the board that
the first order of business
was to recruit members
for a screening committee.
He suggested a board of
around 15-20 people from
the three different commu-
nities, Boardman, Irrigon
and Heppner areas.
Concerning growth in
the three areas, Dirksen
reported that Boardman
schools gained 33 students
over the past year. He said
he had expected that area to
have gained more students
this year.
He presented the fol-
lowing enrollment report for
December: A.C. Houghton
Elementary, Irrigon-217;
Sam Boardman Elementa-
ry, Boardman-334; Heppner
Elementary-176; Irrigon
Elementary-249; Windy
River Elementary, Board-
man-249; Heppner Jr./Sr.
High School-162; Irrigon
Jr./Sr. High School-371;
Riverside Jr./Sr. High
School, Boardman-488;
Morrow Education Center,
Irrigon-76; Total-2,254.
Boardman area schools
gained 33 students from
1,038 in December of 2020
to 1,071 in December 2021;
Heppner schools gained
27 students from 311 in
December 2020 to 338
in 2021; Irrigon schools
gained 10 students from
759 in 2020 to 769 in 2021;
the Morrow Education Cen-
ter lost 46 students, from
122 in 2020 to 76 in 2021;
the district gained 24 stu-
dents from 2,230 in 2020
to 2,254 in 2021.
Dirksen reported that
the district has started re-
ceiving taxes for the cur-
rent year and said, “They
are coming in higher”
than budgeted. Total reve-
nue for 2021-2022 shows
$32,187,062 in total re-
sources, $23,325,543 in
r e v e n u e y e a r- t o - d a t e ,
$9,422,589 anticipated, for
a total of $32,748,132.
Concerning Superin-
tendent Dirksen’s retire-
ment at the end of the school
year and the upcoming
superintendent search, the
board received a superin-
tendent salary comparison
by region. Dirksen said
that he would stay on, if
necessary to assist with the
bond issue.
In other business, the
board:
-heard a presentation
by Andrea Perry-Nelson,
on the STEM classrooms.
-heard a presentation
by students attending the
FFA convention.
-approved the follow-
ing employment action
Elks Members and Guests only
HEPPNER ELKS 358
"WHERE FRIENDS MEET"
541-676-9181 142 N MAIN ST
Public Comment at Board
Meetings-rescinded, Public
Comment at Board Meet-
ings, Compliance and Re-
porting on Standards, GBE
Equal Employment Oppor-
tunity, Workplace Harass-
ment, Suspected Sexual
Conduct with Students and
Reporting Requirements,
Suspected Abuse of a Child
Reporting Requirements,
Instruction Goals, Freedom
of Expression, Alternative
Education Programs, Bilin-
gual Education, Instruction-
al Resources-Instructional
Materials, School Counsel-
ing Program, Assessment
Program, Equal Education
Opportunity, Educational
Equity, admission of Non-
resident Students, Student
Conduct, Hazing-Harass-
ment-Intimidation-Bully-
ing-Menacing Cyberbully-
ing-Teen Dating Violence
or Domestic Violence-Stu-
dent, Weapons in Schools,
Suspected Abuse of a Child
Reporting Requirements
and Suspected Sexual Con-
duct with Students and
Reporting Requirements.
-adopted new, revised
or rescinded ARs on Dis-
crimination Complain Pro-
cedure, Public Comment at
Board Meetings, Suspected
Sexual Conduct Report
Procedures and Forms,
Hazing, Harassment, In-
timidation, Bullying, Men-
acing or Cyber Bullying
Report Procedures-Staff,
Suspected Sexual Con-
duct Report Procedures and
Form, Reporting of Sus-
pended Abuse of a Child,
Reporting of Suspected
Abuse of a Child, and Re-
porting of Suspected Abuse
of a Child.
-heard the following
announcements: winter
break from December
17-January 2; board work
session January 10, 6 p.m.
at the North District Office/
Morrow Education Center,
Irrigon; next board meeting,
Monday, January 10, 7 p.m.
at the North District Office.
Ch r i s t m a s a t
I o ne C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h
4 7 0 E M a i n S t r e e t , I o n e , O r e g o n
Church School & Adult Study at 10:00 am
Advent Worship at 11:00 AM with
Lighting of the Advent Candles each Sunday
until Christmas.
Children’s Christmas Program Dec. 12th
as a part of morning worship –with
potluck following.
Christmas Candlelight Worship
Christmas Eve –
Dec. 24th at 7:00 pm.
Send out your Christmas wishes
to your customers and the community!
The Heppner Gazette-Times will publish our
special Holiday edition on December 22nd.
The Christmas section will be full color and
is a great way to thank your customers for
their support throughout the year.
Contact Giselle at the Heppner Gazette-Times
for more information on how to have your
advertisement included.
Deadline for the December 22nd issue is
Monday, December 20th at 5pm
Pastors Invited to Submit
Christmas Messages
The Heppner Gazette-Times will
publish Christmas messages from
area pastors on
Wednesday, December 22nd
The deadline to submit messages is
Monday, December 20th at 5 p.m.
for December: resigna-
tions-Briggete Campos,
IJSHS CARE coordinator,
November 17, 2021, Tina
Crowell, RJSHS assistant
cheerleading coach, Tay-
lor Davis, IJSHS junior
high assistant girls’ basket-
ball coach, Jason Dunten,
IJSHS assistant high school
football coach, Rhonda
Fox-Brennan, RJSHS ju-
nior high head volleyball
coach and DART/TAG
coordinator, Bruce Krug,
IJSHS special education
teacher, January 30, 2022,
Eric Solis, IJSHS ed assis-
tant and junior high head
football coach, December
16, 2021, Hilaree Vander-
pas, RJSHS junior high
assistant girls’ basketball
coach; employment/pro-
motions/transfers-Angela
Hanson, HJSHS ed as-
sistant, Mariah Stephens,
HJSHS library tech; extra
duty contracts-Ken Grieb,
HJSHS c-team boys’ bas-
ketball coach, Michael
Hughes, RJSHS head golf
coach, Kacee Lathrop,
HJSHS junior high head
girls’ basketball coach, Dan
Locey, IJSHS temporary
high school assistant boys’
basketball coach, Gustavo
Madrigal, RJSHS assis-
tant high School wrestling
coach, Richole Osborne,
IJSHS head tennis coach,
Paulina Pena, RJSHS as-
sistant junior high girls’
basketball coach, Albert
Phillips, IJSHS C-team
boys’ basketball coach,
and Teiko Villegas, RJSHS
junior high head girls’ bas-
ketball coach.
-approved the follow-
ing for the first reading of
rescinded, new or revised
policies: All Students Be-
long-rescinded, All Stu-
dents Belong, Bidding Re-
quirements and Graduation
Requirements.
-adopted rescinded,
new or revised policies
on Nondiscrimination, In-
dividual Board Members’
Authority and Responsi-
bilities, Board Meetings,
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