FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Good News Only by Doris Brosnan
When one walks a nine-year-old melancholy collie, the
pace is s-l-o-w, so stepping aside to let Petra Payne and
Janelle Ellis jog by on the sidewalk was a courteous ges-
ture, as was the second stepping aside when they reversed
directions. Petra announced, as they passed, that they
were planning a six-mile run that day. Impressive young
women: they and friends also training as they are work
outside their homes fulltime, they work the requirements
of being wives and mothers, and yet, all of them find the
time and energy to work at training for a half-marathon
next month in Portland. Joining their effort are Kathleen
Greenup and Jaci Hughes Drigen, and training for the
full marathon are Amber Peck Gregg and Annie Hisler
Weygant. With an app, they check on one another’s
weekly training progress and encourage one another.
How great to be talented and to share that talent
with others. Last Friday evening, Terry Harper visited
the Willow Creek Terrace with his guitar and played an
impromptu concert on the front porch for the several
residents who came out to enjoy the entertainment.
Archie and Diana Ball enjoyed a visit last Sunday
with Bob and Pat Fetsch, who came over from Pendle-
ton. Bob was a classmate of Archie’s. He and Pat come
every September from Montana for the Round-Up and
stay for several days with Bob’s sister, Marlene and her
husband, Tom Currin. A great afternoon visit on Balls’
deck included refreshing Klondike bars that were a gift
for Balls’ 58th anniversary, which was the following day.
The Drake Family’s reunion last weekend was a huge
affair that spanned a few days and a variety of activities.
Usually a gathering every two years, this one had been post-
poned because of Covid, so many family members hadn’t
seen one another for four years. What a great happening.
Many more feel-good moments must be waiting
to be shared. Please, send yours to dbrosnan123@
gmail.com or call 541-223-1490. Please, share.
Here’s hoping that some good news comes to everyone
reading this.
Heppner AWANA Club starts program next Tuesday
Enjoying activities at AWANA Club
Heppner AWANA Club
will begin its 2022-23 club
year next Tuesday, Sept. 13,
with registration and an ice
cream social for club mem-
bers and their parents. The
club will meet at the Chris-
tian Life Center (“dome
church”) in Heppner.
The evening will be-
gin at 6 p.m. with club
registration and ice cream
for everyone attending.
The event will also include
games and a short welcome
from AWANA Commander
Dale Bates.
Meetings will be held
from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
on Tuesdays throughout
the club year. Every week
includes a different theme;
club members can start
planning now for “Bring a
Friend” night on Sept. 20,
“Cowboy Night” on Sept.
27 and a family barbecue
for “Parent Night” on Oct.
4.
The Heppner AWANA
program is the combined
effort of local churches to
teach children what the
Bible is all about. AWANA
stands for “Approved Work-
men Are Not Ashamed,”
based on II Timothy 2:15.
Games, songs and a Bible
lesson are included during
a typical club meeting.
The Christian Life Cen-
ter is located at 535 W.
Morgan St. in Heppner. For
more information, contact
AWANA Secretary An-
drea Di Salvo at awana.
heppner@gmail.com, 757-
285-5792, or via Facebook
Messenger.
Irrigon Junior-Senior High Prepare new track for School Year
Spiritually Speaking
God’s Mercy & Compassion
Chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel has been called “the Gospel
within the Gospel” because it tells the good news about
our forgiving Heavenly Father’s mercy, the “Parable of
the Lost and Found,” with three illustrations: the stories
of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. They
remind us that we have a God who welcomes sinners
and forgives their sins whenever they return to Him with
sincere repentance. For today’s discussion, we focus on
the parable of the lost son.
The Caring and Compassionate Father, like a modern
father, gives to his sons out of love. When the younger
boy demands his share of property, the father gives it,
knowing home would become a prison if the son were
forced to stay. But the father knows his son is immature
and knows not what he is doing. The father waits on the
front porch every night, watching the road from the city,
hoping the son will recognize his mistake. After many
years, one evening, he recognizes his son coming down
the road. The father runs to him, his heart pounding, his
eyes filling with tears of relief. Sobbing, he hugs his boy
tightly. The boy says something about not being worthy
to come home, asking only to hire on as a field worker.
The father hears nothing of this. His heart says: “I don’t
care where you’ve been or what you’ve done. All I care
about is that you are home and I love you!”
The Older Son: How wonderful it would have been if the
older son had said, “O how glad I am! The fact that my
brother has come home shows that he has changed. I’ve
missed him so much. I have prayed for his return. I’ve
shared with Father concern for his safety. I must hurry
to embrace him.” Instead, his deeper feelings prevail:
The way my father treated my younger brother was a
slap of my face. Maybe he could have taken him back
after a good telling off. Taken him back as a servant, not
as a son, and given him the heaviest and dirtiest jobs.
But instead, he runs to meet him, and before the waster
even had time to say he was sorry, Father throws his arms
around him and hugs him. He orders that my brother be
dressed in finery, and gives a feast in his honor. He was
acting like someone who has lost his senses. The Older
Son has the following defects: He is self-righteous,’; the
personification of pride and arrogance; is over-confident
and judgemental towards everyone; especially of his
younger brother; and could not forgive. I think these are
what the Lord demands we get rid of.
The Prodigal Son: The younger son feels that he has
outgrown his father and or his father’s life-style or
home. He asks his father to give him the portion of his
inheritance, thinking he would be happier away from
home, no longer under parental control. The far coun-
try apparently promised freedom but actually enslaved
the young man. While his money lasted, he had some
fair-weather friends, but when the money gave out, he
was reduced to destitution. He hired out to a gentile to
feed his swine and ended up eating animal food. It was
under such misery that he thought of his father, mother,
and home. To come back home was not easy. It called
for a lot of humility and courage. He knew what people
were thinking of him. The prodigal son shows us the
way to the Father’s house. He tells us, “I will arise
and go to my Father’s house, and I will say to him....”
Millions have heard these words and, inspired by them,
have come in from the dark and found welcome and
forgiveness from God.
Some people are lost like sheep who miss the way by
careless drifting; some, through life’s circumstances, are
misplaced like a lost coin. Others, like the young son,
are lost through willful rebellion. Still others are lost as
the older brother was - at home yet far from the father,
in church but full of hate, self-righteousness, prejudice,
envy and unforgiveness. God is seeking lost persons, as a
shepherd in the night, as a woman sweeping diligently, as
a father earnestly watching.
When a sheep is found,
the shepherd rejoices; when a coin is found, the woman
rejoices; when a son is found, the father rejoices; when a
sinner repents, God rejoices. Now is the day of salvation.
One big improvement is the new track currently under construction at Irrigon Junior-Senior High.
photos by Mike Royer
Students and staff return- competitive in previous want to extend a big thank
everything they provided
ing to Irrigon Junior-Se- years, and this improve- you to the Port of Morrow
in making this project hap-
nior High School will no- ment will increase safety and all our supporters for
pen.”
tice some upgrades when for runners and allow for
they return to classes. One home track meets.
Irrigon Junior-Senior
big improvement is the
High
School Principal Rose
new track currently under
construction at Irrigon Ju- Palmer noted that the im-
nior-Senior High. Athletic proved facility will be safer
Director Mike Royer stated, for everyone, with lighting
“This is something that our in the evening that will
school and community can provide “an opportunity for
take pride in. The track the community to expand
facility will provide an their recreation options.”
opportunity not only to our She also pointed out broad
junior high and high school community support with
athletes, but to our youth helping to fund this major
and community in general.” improvement, which in-
Construction began on cludes funding from Mor-
the project in June, remov- row County School District,
ing the gravel and dirt track the City of Irrigon, Morrow
to make way for the new County Unified Recreation
surface being installed by District, Columbia River
Beynon Sports of Tualatin, Technologies, Boardman
a fabricator for track and Community Development
field facilities. Much of the Association, CREZ Board,
heavy lifting has already and the Port of Morrow.
Royer has enjoyed
been done, with the Port
watching
this process un-
of Morrow donating over
fold,
stating,
“It was im-
$85,000 in labor and engi-
pressive
watching
things Currently, there is a three-inch deep base layer of
neering. Currently, there is
a three-inch deep base layer come together this past year asphalt, which will be covered in the next phase with
of asphalt, which will be to make it a reality. And I a synthetic rubberized surface.
covered in the next phase
with a synthetic rubberized
surface. The final track will
be red, with the finishing
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lane stripe painting slated
for early September. The
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fresh surface is expected to
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make its debut in mid-Sep-
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tember.
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Originally built to sup-
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port a middle school, the old
gravel track’s functionality
had become limiting for the
track and field competitors.
According to Royer, as the
school has grown the need
for a better surface has
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become increasingly appar-
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ent. In past years the track
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team bussed to Umatilla to
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have a more professional
surface to practice on. The
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new surface will allow stu-
dents to have an appropriate
facility for practices and
track meets. Royer noted
that Irrigon’s track and field
MEMBER FDIC
team has consistently been
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*"+,#!"-.)/0