Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 15, 2023 -- THREE
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State of Delusion
Speeches have got
to be pretty good to keep
my attention; might be a
direct result of ADD. The
president’s speech the other
night captured me for all of
60 seconds. To be honest,
I have a tough time see-
ing him without thinking
of Walter, Jeff Dunham’s
puppet, which can actually
be pretty entertaining.
But all puppets
aside, it’s the content of his
speeches that is tough to
hear. A few words in and
I’m rolling my eyes or pick-
ing up something to throw
at the TV. Just tell the truth.
We aren’t stupid. You can’t
tell us how great the econ-
omy is when we’ve just
walked out the store with
one small bag of groceries
and sixty bucks less in our
pockets….and no meat.
And we see the price at the
pump and remember what it
was before you “built back
better.”
Honesty matters. In
fact, it’s probably the most
important character trait
there is in my book. With-
out it, you have as much
integrity as a cheap, wet
paper towel. When you find
someone has lied to you, it
not only hurts like heck…
it makes you question ev-
erything they’ve ever said
or done. It takes away the
validity of anything they
say or do in the future. I’ve
heard, “Ooh, I wouldn’t lie
about that.” Really? Then
could you please publish a
list of all the circumstanc-
es in which you would
lie…just so I don’t have to
guess?
I recently heard
a young person say, “Just
don’t do it and say you did.”
Broke my heart. To them,
lying was an acceptable op-
tion, and not even a difficult
one to choose. I think we’re
missing something in the
education and direction of
kids today. Society speaks
loudly…most often more
loudly than parents.
So, how much is
trustworthiness worth? Do
we mind not knowing what
to believe when our pres-
ident speaks? Should we
have to research every-
thing that comes out of his
mouth? Sometimes I think
we’re so used to being lied
to, we give it no more than
a shoulder shrug. Where’s
the accountability? I’d love
to see a president raise his
hand and swear to tell the
truth before he makes a
speech. Just wondering…
how many years does one
get for committing perjury?
I miss the days when truth
mattered, when there were
consequences and when
we feared a God that pays
attention. I miss integrity.
When my kids were lit-
tle, they knew there was
one thing that would bring
about a swift and severe
reaction. Lie to me, child,
and you’ll be lucky to expe-
rience your next birthday. It
didn’t take long before they
got the hint. Thankfully,
all seven have experienced
several birthdays since.
Susie Crosby
Heppner, OR
Good News Only by Doris Brosnan
(No Heppner, Lexington or Ione individuals shared
tidbits this week, but HHS activities offer good-news bits
for local students.)
For school-sports enthusiasts who would like a real-
ly, really up-close look at the action in the arenas while
being paid, opportunity awaits: One can be in the thick
of it as an official! Individuals 18 years old or older can
receive necessary training that can lead to this occasional
work and alleviate the OSAA’s challenge to find enough
officials to cover the many sports. One web site with info
seems to be highschoolsportsofficials.com.
Congratulations to the HHS wrestlers who will be
going to state competition in Portland on the 23 rd and
24 th : Zach Brown, Jaime Cavin, Cade Cunningham and
Saul Lopez. Good luck!
Congratulations to the HHS boys (ranked ninth in
the state) and girls basketball teams. They will be headed
for the first playoff rounds in Pendleton this weekend.
Good luck!
Congratulations to all of the HHS FBLA members
who successfully competed in business-related challenges
at the Blue Mountain Region Leadership Conference in
La Grande. They are now qualified to compete in the state
competitions in April: Jackson Coiner, Morgan Cutsforth,
Owen Cunningham, Caden George, Caleb George, Ire-
lynn Kollman, Paul Lindsay, Saul Lopez, Trevor Nichols,
Mason Orem, Cameron Proudfoot, Katie Spivey, Karver
Wilkins and Brooklynn Wilson. Good luck, all!
Pizza is back! What a tribute to Drew Brannon’s
grandfather, Bob DeSpain: “DeSpain Pizza” opened on
Feb. 8, Bob’s birthdate. Good luck, Brannons!
Did you mark your calendar? This Saturday at 4
p.m. at the Heppner Elementary all-purpose building, the
Inland Northwest Orchestra will present a free concert.
Good news? Just in time for St. Pat’s weekend in
Heppner, ODOT seems to have created a hot pink and
white conglomeration of lines, letters, and numbers on
the highway-Main Street in preparation for a future bit
of work planned for this summer. So, our one-of-a-kind
shamrock intersection will be sharing space on Main
Street. Too bad the additions couldn’t at least be in green
and white.
Spread your happy moments farther by contributing
to “Good News Only.” An email to dbrosnan123@gmail.
com or call to 541-223-1490 will do it.
Here’s hoping that some good news comes to every-
one reading this!
State surveyors
make their mark on
local towns
Police state doesn’t seem
far-fetched
children due to fears of
When I was young,
some my age decided not to
have children due to fears
of a nuclear holocaust. I
was more afraid of a police
state.
Wanting children
very much, I finally decided
our country didn’t appear
to be headed for a police
state—any time soon, any-
way.
Now, some young people
are deciding not to have
climate change making the
earth uninhabitable.
I am still more afraid of a
police state.
And now I have
grandchildren, and a police
state here doesn’t seem so
far-fetched, or far away.
It’s up to us, the mercy of
God, and the lead-
ers God sends us, to keep
that from happening.
Sandra Johnson
Heppner, OR
Wheatridge wind
facility
-Continued from PAGE ONE Goal 5 aggregate resource
meet in other north or south
county locations.
The new schedule will
take effect March 1. The
previous schedule had been
set in place by ordinance in
1981.
The commissioners
also approved the find-
ings of the Morrow Coun-
ty Planning Commission
regarding a proposed new
rock quarry out of Ione
during a land use hearing
on Feb. 8.
Morrow County Public
Works applied to permit a
new rock quarry to be lo-
cated on property owned by
JJMC, LLC off of Ella Road
out of Ione. The application
included an amendment to
the Comprehensive Plan
inventory, rezoning the 20-
acre site to add a significant
resource overlay zone and a
conditional use permit. On
Dec. 6, the planning com-
mission voted unanimously
to recommend the board of
commissioners approve the
amendments and permit
application.
“We’ve lost a few pits
around the county,” said
Morrow County Public
Works Director Eric Imes.
“We’re trucking rock a long
ways, which costs a lot of
money. I’m looking for-
ward to getting this open,”
he added.
This was the first land
use hearing on the applica-
tion. A second will be held
Feb. 22.
Senior bake sale big
success
Trevor Nichols shows off some goodies for the senior
class cake auction held during the weekend’s bas-
ketball games. Along with a 50/50 raffle, this helped
to raise more than $5,000 for the class. Seniors and
their families say they’re grateful for the community
support. -Photo by Tylynn Cimmiyotti
Barbershop to sponsor
chili cookoff
Faded Joe’s Barber-
shop will hold a “Wee Bit
o’ Chili” chili cookoff on
Saturday, March 18, during
the Wee Bit O’ Ireland cel-
ebration in Heppner. All
proceeds will go to Tupper
Outdoor School.
Cooking will begin at
10 a.m. with judging from
12-1 p.m. Limited entries
are available for teams of
three. Contact Faded Joe’s
Barbershop for entry forms.
Morrow County
Republicans to meet
this week
The Morrow Coun-
ty Republicans (MCRP)
will meet at 6 p.m. this
Thursday, Feb. 23, at the
Morrow County Govern-
ment Building in Irrigon.
Precinct committeepersons
(PCPs) and anyone interest-
ed in the county Republican
Party are encouraged to
come and join the discus-
sions.
MCRP will begin
drafting a budget for 2023
and continue planning the
2023 fundraising event, as
well as discussing presence
at spring/summer commu-
nity events.
PCP positions are open
in Heppner, Lexington,
Boardman and Irrigon.
Individuals interested in
one of these positions are
encouraged to attend this
meeting to learn about the
positions. PCP appoint-
ments can be made during
MCRP meetings.
The Republican
Party is open to individuals
interested in conservative
ideals and values. The Re-
publican Party platform can
be found at https://oregon.
gop/. For more information
on the Morrow County
Republican Party, contact
Shrove Tuesday pancake
supper planned
Surveyors work on Main Street in Heppner as part of a larg-
er ODOT project that includes altering sidewalk wheelchair
ramps. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo
Survey crews were
working in Heppner last
week in preparation for a
planned re-do of sidewalk
wheelchair ramps. Hep-
pner City Manager Kraig
Cutsforth said it’s not a city
project, but rather part of
a statewide Oregon Dept.
of Transportation (ODOT)
plan, so all of Morrow
County’s towns can expect
surveyors and work crews
if they haven’t had them
already.
The work doesn’t affect
any of the city’s current or
future projects in a big way.
Cutsforth did say the city
had altered some of its past
plans, such as the work on
Chase and May streets, to
accommodate the state’s
new plans. Others have
been put on a back burner
to make sure time and many
spent won’t be wasted by
being wiped out by changes
the state chooses to make
later.
Most of the changes
will be slight, affecting only
the grade on the ramps.
Some will be major recon-
structions, such as altering
the intersection at Quaid
and Main to provide better
visibility and safer sidewalk
travel.
Cutsforth said he’s
been told more crews will
be back in town in the near
future—though hopefully
not the week of Wee Bit O’
Ireland.
According to the ODOT
website, the Umatilla/Mor-
row County portion of the
project is estimated to cost
nearly $12.5 million, with
$444,062 spent to date and
an estimated completion
date of November 2023.
The Gazette reached out to
ODOT but has not received
word on when actual work
might begin in South Mor-
row.
On Tuesday, Feb.
22, Hopeful Saints Ministry
will hold its annual Shrove
Tuesday pancake supper
from 5-8 p.m. at Hopeful
Saints Parish Hall on the
corner of Gale and Church
Streets in Heppner. Gluten
free pancake options will be
available.
Besides pancakes, there
will be ham, fruit, coffee,
tea, juice and milk—all you
can eat for $15 for families,
$5 for adults and $4 for
children.
All proceeds will
go to mission and outreach
needs in local communities.
Please note:
Murray’s special hours
Monday Feb 20th
Pharmacy Dept 2-6 pm only
Main store and Breaking Grounds 9-6
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
DELIGHTFULLY YUMMY
VEGETARIAN & PLANT
BASED COOKING
CLASS
7PM - Tuesday, February 28th
This month showcase is
Soups
Free - All Welcome
Recipes & Samples at Class
This event will be shared live on
Facebook @ Delightfully Yummy
Located & Hosted by Heppner SDA
Church
560 Minor Street, Heppner
Questions (541)561-9132