Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 3, 2022 -- THREE
Spiritually Speaking
Be watchful and
vigilant
-Continued from PAGE ONE
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph
This Sunday’s first reading is from
the Book of Wisdom (18, 6-9). Wisdom
was written about a century before the
coming of Jesus, by a faithful, literate
Jew living in cosmopolitan Alexandria,
Egypt. One of his purposes was to bolster Fr. Thankachan
the faith of fellow Jews living in a world Joseph
indifferent and sometimes hostile to their
beliefs. The theme of the writer is how the providence
of God has protected the chosen people throughout
salvation history, especially during their oppression in
Egypt and during the Exodus therefrom under Moses. In
Exodus, chapters 11 and 12, while the angel of the Lord
was striking down the first-born of Pharaoh and other
Egyptians, the vigilant Hebrew slaves were both offering
grateful sacrifice to the Lord and eating the meat of the
lamb to fortify themselves for their coming escape from
the slavery of Pharaoh. That night was the first Passover.
Like those Jewish slaves in Egypt, we, too, are called to
cling to the hope of a future that may seem too good to
be true, and we, too, are expected to be steadfast in our
faith, even when we see no signs of the fulfilment of
God’s promises.
The second reading is from Hebrews (11:1-2, 8-19). It
contains the only explicit definition of faith in the Bible:
“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for, and evidence
of things not seen.” Abraham heard the voice of God sum-
moning him to a different land, where God promised to
grant him many descendants. By faith, Abraham left his
homeland, accepted God’s promise that his descendants
would form a great nation and was willing to sacrifice
his son Isaac at God’s command. Despite obstacles and
setbacks, Abraham stayed obedient, “for he thought that
the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.”
The Gospel of Luke (12:32-48) is one of three escha-
tological discourses in the Gospel. All three of the Synop-
tic Gospels record Jesus’s concern that his disciples keep
alert, keep watch over themselves with careful attention.
Jesus explains that we must be vigilant like the servant
waiting for his master’s unexpected return or like the wise
homeowner who was well prepared for the unexpected
break-in of a thief. Since the time of our death is quite
uncertain, we, too, must be ready to meet our Lord at any
moment. He should find us carrying out our task of love,
mercy, and service, rather than leaving things undone
or half-done. He should also find us at peace with God,
ourselves, and with our fellowmen (Eph.4:26). There are
four reasons the believer must keep watch: 1) Because the
time of the Lord’s return is unknown. 2) Because he has
been given a specific task to have completed when Christ
returns. 3) Because Christ is returning unexpectedly,
suddenly. 4) Because he can be caught napping sleeping.
We need to be vigilant and ready to face the Lord. One
of the traditional means for remaining alert is prayer. The
most important element in prayer is listening to God – an
attitude of attention to the “tiny whispering sound” of the
Lord (1 Kings 19:11-12). Such attentiveness demands that
we set aside a quiet time every day during which we can
tune our ears to the divine sounds of love, harmony and
peace. Let us recall the words of the Book of Revelation:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears
my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and
dine with him and he with me” (3:20).
We need to wait for the Lord. “Waiting for Christ to
return” means working for the coming of the Kingdom of
God. This means doing God’s will by rendering humble
service to others, by combating poverty, by ending the
hatred that divides us, by establishing peace among indi-
viduals and nations, by curbing the pride that causes us to
become confrontational, and by building social structures
that respect the dignity of individual humans. We must
wait for the Lord in our daily lives by learning to see Jesus
in the least of our brothers and sisters. The Lord comes
unexpectedly into our lives everyday through events and
people we meet. But the ultimate, unexpected coming of
the Lord in our lives is the moment of death. We should
be watchful to recognize the Lord and be prepared to meet
him in the little unexpected opportunities of everyday life.
This is the best way to prepare for the ultimate encounter
with the Lord at the hour of death.
Heppner hosting
volleyball camp
The Heppner Volley-
ball program will be hosting
a Heppner youth volleyball
skills camp next week at
the Heppner High School
gym. Cost will be $20 and
includes a team shirt.
The camp for 4 th to 6 th
graders will be held Mon-
day and Tuesday, August 8
and 9 from 5:30 to 7 p.m..
MISLABELED
TESTS
for women who may be
pregnant. Private business-
es such as Boardman Foods
have also joined in on these
mitigation efforts.
On how the samples
got messed up to be begin
with, the Gazette contacted
Doherty. He said it was
testing done by the private
business, not the county,
that apparently made a mis-
take on Drago’s water test.
He said somehow another
property’s water sample
with the high nitrate level
was incorrectly assigned to
Drago’s address.
Following this mis-
handling of test samples,
however, Doherty had an-
nounced at an open county
commission meeting that
the 68 ppm results were at
that time the highest results
recorded in the county.
Doherty did not identify the
property address but did say
it was in the Irrigon area.
Drago wants to know why
this information was an-
nounced publicly as people
might associate it with his
property since it was being
talked about. “Why was I
being used as an example?”
Drago wanted to know.
“Sounds a little odd to me,”
he said.
Drago, who is 92-years-
old said when word of the
nitrate contamination first
came out he and his wife
were “very concerned”
and went to a doctor for
examinations. He said the
doctor told him if they were
drinking water at that level
of contamination, 68ppm,
they would both be “very
sick.” We’ve been drinking
the water for 10 years,” he
said of his well water, and
both are in good health. He
also said he has never had
a nitrate filter installed on
his well.
When asked who has
access to all the water sam-
ple results now being col-
lected, including addresses
around the county, Doherty
said he personally gets
emails with all the results
including property address-
es, but he is not sure who
else in county government
gets this information. He
said he doesn’t know who
sees the results when tests
are conducted by the pri-
vate businesses. Doherty
explained that he contacted
Roy Drago’s son, rather
than going directly to the
property owners, about the
high nitrate level because
they are family friends and
he wanted to tell them right
away about the high nitrate
levels.
On the integrity of the
tests, Doherty said he has
complete confidence. “I’m
1,000 percent behind the
tests. I trust the process,”
he said.
Heppner temps
slightly warmer in
July
According to prelim-
inary data received by
NOAA’s National Weather
Service in Pendleton, tem-
peratures at Heppner aver-
aged slightly warmer than
normal during the month of
July 2022.
The average tempera-
ture was 73.0 degrees which
was 2.0 degrees warmer
than the normal average
temperature for this month.
High temperatures aver-
aged 89.2 degrees with the
high of 105 degrees being
recorded on the 31 st . Low
temperatures averaged 56.9
degrees with the low of 50
degrees being recorded on
the 18 th . There were 13 days
with a high temperature
above 90 degrees.
Precipitation was much
below normal during July,
totaling 0.03 inches, which
was 0.28 inches below nor-
mal. Precipitation of at
least .01 inch was reported
on zero days. The heaviest
amount of precipitation
was 0.03 inches, which was
reported on the 4 th .
-Aracely Urenda, 31,
Boardman, and Kenneth
Paul Kippley, 40, Board-
man.
July 27, 2022: -Juan
Carlos Moreno Lara, 30,
Irrigon, and Andrea Celina
Islas Castaneda, 30, Irrigon.
July 29, 2022: -Heidi
Melissa Garcia, 22, Umatil-
la, and Casey Emmett Horn,
40, Umatilla.
Camp for 7 th and 8 th grad-
ers will also be from 5:30
to 7 p.m. on Wednesday
and Thursday, August 10
and 11.
Those who are unable
to attend but would like
to play this year should
contact their coach, Mrs.
Payne (Jr. High) or Mrs.
Rosenbalm (Colt).
Valby Lutheran Church
Valby Road
Ione Oregon. 97843
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348 N. Main St. Heppner
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Family Events
The City of Irrigon would serve small to medi-
is positioned to receive um sized businesses with a
$1,000,000 for a business focus on enhancing oppor-
incubator facility thanks to tunities for minority busi-
a provision secured by Or- ness enterprises (MBE) and
egon Senators Ron Wyden low-income populations.
The project represents
and Jeff Merkley in annual
spending legislation in- a partnership between the
troduced in the Senate on City of Irrigon and the
Thursday. If signed into Port of Morrow, which will
law, the bill would direct provide additional funding
funding to Irrigon to con- to complete the project.
struct a new facility that “ T h e C i t y
would meet area business of Irrigon is
needs with space for start- grateful to
ups and growth of local the Port of
Morrow for
businesses.
Once complete, the their gener-
business opportunity in- ous financial
cubator building would a n d s t a f f Lisa Mittels-
provide a well-maintained support for dorf, Execu-
facility that can efficiently this project,” tive Director
accommodate multiple use noted Palm- of the Port of
types, including distribu- quist. “The Morrow
tion, manufacturing and project fits
warehousing to meet the hand and glove with the
needs of the region. With an current business develop-
estimated available space ments happening in our
of 10,000 square feet, the community”.
“The Port is proud to
building would allow a
variety of small size spaces, partner with Irrigon on
with flexibility to accom- this initiative, which will
modate specific business support new and emerg-
needs within the interior, ing businesses with the
including office space and space and opportunity they
need to succeed,” said Lisa
restrooms.
Mittelsdorf, Executive
“Irrigon
Director of the Port of
is very excit-
Morrow. “This facility will
ed about this
be particularly effective in
funding,” said
creating opportunities for
Irrigon City
minority and low-income
Manager Aar-
individuals in our commu-
on Palmquist.
nity that need it most. We
“This grant
greatly appreciate Sena-
brings oppor-
tunities for sus- Aaron Palm- tor Merkley and Senator
tainable growth quist, Irrigon Wyden’s work to secure
in our commu- City Manager this provision.”
Funding was included
nity and our
region. The incubator de- as a Congressionally Di-
velopment project will help rected Spending (CDS) pro-
entrepreneurs take that first vision within annual gov-
big step toward launching ernment funding legislation
introduced by the Senate
their own business.”
Funding would address Appropriations Committee.
a longstanding need for The Senate legislation will
economic development in still need to be reconciled
Irrigon. Currently, Irrigon with proposals from the
has limited locations for House of Representatives
small businesses to start-up, as part of negotiations to
which restrains economic finalize a bicameral, bi-
development, particularly partisan agreement. Final
for disadvantaged popu- legislation is expected later
lations. The new facility this year.
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Marriage Licenses
The Morrow County
Clerk’s office has released
the following report of
marriage licenses:
July 6, 2022: -Jesus
Emanuel Sanchez Arella-
no, 20, Irrigon, and Wendy
Nicole Soto Cardenas, 19,
Irrigon.
July 7, 2022: -Wacy
Chance Coil, 30, Lexing-
ton, and Kylie Michelle
Neuneker, 29, Lexington.
US Senate advances
$1 million for
Irrigon business
incubator
217 North Main St.,
Heppner, OR
Phone 676-9158 Floral 676-9426
murraysdrug.com
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm • Sat 8am-6pm • Sun 9am-2pm
Pharmacy- Mon-Fri 9am-6pm