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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 2022)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, November 23 , 2022 -- THREE ~ Letters to the Editor ~ The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10. Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net. Recall is not all Commissioners show up and or nothing Melissa Lindsay has make the case been a good public servant. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on a vari- ety of issues and especially appreciate her help in bring- ing the state of Oregon on board with the Ione waste- water project. She has been proactive and constructive in representing Morrow County’s needs at every level. She ran for office on a public service agenda when she was elected and attempted to implement her agenda. She ran again on her agenda and lost by a few votes. Clearly, her agenda was of interest to many voters in the county. She deserved to serve out the remainder of her term. I can’t say the same of Jim Doherty. He is a man who is becoming renowned for his angry outbursts when someone disagrees with him. Plus, he seems to be driven by ambition itself, not public service. I will be splitting my vote on this recall, let’s start with a whole new commis- sion in January. Jerry Rietmann Ione, OR Doherty in it for himself Don’t let Jim Doherty fool you. He’s in it for himself. According to the minutes from the Sept. 23, 2020, commissioners meet- ing, Jim Doherty agrees to lead the team to create an application process and criteria to see who gets the grant money for impacted businesses. Then over the next three months money goes twice to O’Doherty Outfitters and once to O’Doherty Cattle Co. Isn’t it nice to make the rules to give yourself money and decide how much? Jim lists both of these companies on his statement of Economic Interest. Jim was the only livestock producer that got money. I thought that this money was meant for the businesses that were actu- ally impacted. You know, the restaurants, bars, hair dressers and others that by mandate had to shut their doors. So let me recap. Jim lobbies the compensation committee for a 40 percent increase in pay for himself. He votes for a 20 percent increase in pay for himself, just after telling the road employees the county is holding them to a two- and-a-half percent COLA. He travels all over North America on the county’s dime without ever giving a report on the benefit to the taxpayers, and he heads up a committee to give himself money. Jim Doherty needs to hit the road. Vote yes to recall him. John Wenholz, Irrigon, OR ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. Dear Morrow County, It is certainly your vote and decision to either recall or not to recall your elected officials—not that of some- one from another county. Yet, as a commissioner from Harney County, I offer some observations for your consideration. Having worked with Commissioner Lindsay and Commissioner Doherty for five years, I have seen how sincere, productive, dedicated and effective they are in regional and state matters, for and on behalf of Morrow County. I recommend you vote no on their recall. Whether educating and informing the state leg- islature on how concepts and bills are either good or bad for the people of Morrow County, or how to improve emerging legisla- tion—Melissa Lindsay and Jim Doherty have shown up and made the case. Whether seeking fund- ing for fairgrounds, city and county infrastructure, or other grant funding, Melis- sa and Jim have shown up and made the case. It has been a profes- sional pleasure and bene- ficial experience to work with these Morrow Coun- ty commissioners across county and regional mat- ters. I value them and they represent you, the people of Morrow County, so well. I believe in recalling officials who are corrupt or who have broken the trust with voters. I do not believe in recalling officials merely if or when they make deci- sions that may disappoint. As you make your deci- sion on whether or not to re- call commissioners Lindsay and Doherty, please know that they have represented Morrow County well across the region and state. Me- lissa and Jim love Morrow County and I appreciate the teamwork and integrity they brought to our mutual work. Sincerely yours, Patty Dorroh Burns, OR Stand with Lindsay Today I write a letter in defense of my mother, Melissa Lindsay, that truly I never imagined I’d be writing. Although I may be biased in my support, I stand with her today as I always have. My mother’s work ethic, selflessness and unwavering dedication to always do what she believes correct are attributes I see in my mother that have always amazed and inspired me. As a mother she demonstrates -Continued to PAGE SIX Good News Only by Doris Brosnan Having a friend who is smarter than you is often help- ful, good news. Actual overheard, two-party observation and response last week: “Gosh, it seems to me that there are a lot more leaves on the ground this year!” …. “Well, duh! The trees have grown!” Last Thursday, the Monthly Birthday Luncheon group of Ione, Lexington and Heppner women met at Bucknum’s to celebrate. This month’s honoree was Nancy Ekstrom. What a wonderful surprise they had when they stepped up to pay and learned that someone had already paid for all of them! Sarah Ballard, HHS 2009 graduate, and John Ross recently celebrated their wedding in Iceland. The “beauti- ful wedding” was followed by a tour “of all the incredible sights” for the guests. Congratulations go out to the young couple, who make their home in New York City. Attendees at that destination wedding included Kim, Maggie and Joe Armato, who continued their trip with some fantastic touring. Kim reports impressive glaciers, geysers, waterfalls and tectonic plates. From Iceland, the threesome traveled to Florence, Italy, and surrounding areas, where they thoroughly enjoyed the food, muse- ums and churches. Then, on to Malta and “unbelievable, ancient (4000 B.C.) churches, museums, amazing food and vistas.” Kim says that she found their experiences “exhausting and enchanting.” A triple bonanza of laughter was a delightful experi- ence in the last couple of weeks: Where There’s a Will, There’s a Murder, performed by the HHS drama students, was a fun mystery parody; a few days later, Nunsense, a musical presented by the Community Theatre at BMCC, was full of humor; and just a few days later, more laughter carried the audience through The Drowsy Chaperone, a musical comedy production at West Salem High School. So much talent on those stages. And laughing felt so good! If you missed Cori Jo Lindsay in The Nutcracker last year, you have another opportunity to witness Cori Jo’s talent. This year, the performance of this traditional holiday ballet will be staged at BMCC beginning on Thursday, Dec. 1, and then on that following Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Better get your tickets! So many positive experiences coming our way this week! Please, add to our smiles by sharing your tidbit: dbrosnan123@gmail.com or call 541-223-1490. Here’s hoping that some good news comes to ev- eryone reading this! Christmas tree permits available Permits available hardcopy and online through Recreation.gov Christmas tree permits for the Umatilla National Forest are now available to purchase at Forest offices, several local businesses, and online through Recre- ation.gov. All National Forests offer Christmas tree per- mits online as an added convenience for the public and alternative to in-person interactions. Christmas tree permits purchased online must be printed to be valid and can only be used on Umatilla National Forest lands, as specified on the permit. Christmas tree per- mits cost $5 each and are limited to one per house- hold. An additional $2.50 fee will be charged for permits purchased through Recreation.gov. Traditional Christmas tree permits are still avail- able through Umatilla Na- tional Forest offices and several local businesses. All Umatilla National For- est offices are open for business Monday through Friday, including the Hep- pner Ranger District office in Heppner. Participating vendors are conveniently open eve- nings and weekend hours. In Morrow County, permits can be obtained at Heppner Mobil in Heppner and Ace Hardware in Boardman. Traditional permits are valid on National Forest System lands only and do not authorize tree cutting on private, state, or other federally managed lands. As part of the national Every Kid Outdoors initia- tive, all fourth graders are eligible for a free Christ- mas tree permit from their local National Forest. For students to receive a free tree permit, they must pres- ent a valid paper voucher printed from the Every Kid Outdoors website. Visit https://everykidoutdoors. gov/ and follow instructions to obtain and print the paper voucher. For more information about purchasing a permit and gathering a Christmas tree online, please visit https://www.recreation.gov and search for Umatilla National Forest. For more information about the Christmas tree program on the Umatilla National Forest is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/ umatilla. Spiritually Speaking Father Thankachan Joseph St. Patrick Catholic Church Heppner Wake up: Be prepared Waiting is a part of life. Parents wait to pick up their children at schools; at bus stops and airports, people wait for loved ones; we eagerly and patiently waited for an end to the pandemic in 2020. Advent is a season of profound waiting… a waiting for God to reveal himself, to come to us. This Sunday, the Church all over the world begins to cel- ebrate this time of waiting and expecting someone whom we love dearly. Arrivals can be interesting and exciting, especially when the situation or person expected is long-awaited. The coming of a near and dear one, the expected new addition to the family, the first meeting of a long-lost person, all these can be turning points in our lives. Jesus warns us to prepare ourselves because He might come suddenly. “Stay awake” is an alarm sounding on the first Sunday of Advent. It means to seize the opportunities of the present moment, prepare for Christmas, prepare for death, yes. But more importantly, prepare for the kingdom of God whenever it explodes into your life, to wait for God’s coming and believe that a new era is about to begin. The Prophet Isaiah (2:1-5) portrays a people waiting for God. The newly-returned exiles hope God will again adopt them as His children. Isaiah spoke this prophecy against the background of the political upheaval the Israelites were experi- encing during the second half of the eighth century. The might of the Assyrians threatened God’s people. The prophet insists that Jerusalem, no matter how insignificant among the powers of the region, had been gifted by God with wisdom and insights into living that would help it move into an era of peace. Isaiah has a dream of universal peace, with all people streaming to the mountain of the Lord. People would no longer harm themselves or one another; there would be no war. People would be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and walk in His ways. Some believed that this would happen at His first coming, others at His final coming. Others believed the prophet was daydreaming. In the letter to the Romans (13:11-14), the imagery is of getting up from sleep and facing the responsibilities that await us. “You know the time has come, you must wake up now, your salvation is near at hand.” Night and day, darkness and light symbolize the struggle we must go through to come to God. The first thing is to throw off our bedclothes and get dressed. Darkness can take many forms in our lives: hatred, lack of forgiveness, injustices, and addictions of all kinds. We need to recognize an area of darkness and eradicate it. God’s grace can free us and help us walk towards the light. Advent is a time to pray, to cast off the works of darkness and end our night. The first Sunday of Advent presents the Gospel from St. Matthew (24:37-44), the message to stay awake and be ready for the coming of the Lord. Matthew uses three stories to warn people of the significance of unpreparedness. He addresses what happened at the time of the flood, when people missed warning signs because they were busy with the things of the world. The flood came suddenly. Most people were so wrapped up in their everyday concerns that, unlike Noah, they had failed to prepare for the catastrophe. Worth noting is that what people were busy with was acceptable, but for what they failed to do they were guilty. Taking God into consideration while busy was missing. Noah, on the other hand, never became so immersed in daily concerns as to forget God. Jesus’s second story is the parable of the workers. The men were in the fields doing their work while the women were attending to home errands. One was chosen over the other to be lifted away. All were busy working, which is commendable, but in each case perhaps one was too busy, not taking God’s word to heart. The third story compares God to a thief in the night. A thief also strikes at the least likely moment, so again vigilance is required. We cannot postpone until tomorrow what we can do today. Robert Baden-Powell started the Scouts and Guides with the motto “Be prepared.” The Gospel concludes with this same tone: “So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Chamber lunch meeting The next Heppner Chamber of Commerce lun- cheon will be an all-entities meeting on Thursday, Dec. 8. The meeting will take place from noon to 1 p.m. at the Gilliam and Bisbee event center. Lunch will be loaded baked potatoes with chili, provided by Upper Place Concessions at a cost of $12 per person. RSVP to heppnercham- ber@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec 6. Submit News, Advertising & Announcements Letters To The Editor Send Us Photos Start A New Subscription Wishing each of you a W onderful S eason of T hanksgiving! HEPPNER HEPPNER ADMINISTRATION BRANCH 250 NW Gale St. 279 N. Main St. 541-676-0201 541-676-9125 MORTGAGE IONE HEPPNER OFFICE BRANCH 269 N. Main St. 280 Main St. 541-676-9884 541-422-7466 MEMBER FDIC
