SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Orem Receives Oregon
Wheat scholarship
Madison Orem
Ione FFA Chapter Pres-
ident Madison Orem has
been awarded an Oregon
Wheat Foundation Schol-
arship. Orem is one of 12
recipients state-wide.
Annually, up to 12
scholarships of $1,500 each
are awarded to graduating
high school seniors who
are the children of grower
members of the Oregon
Wheat Growers League,
or whose parents are em-
ployed by a grower member
of the Oregon Wheat Grow-
ers League. The scholarship
is also open to students who
have worked summers for
grower members. Scholar-
ship recipients are selected
based on school and com-
munity involvement, scho-
lastic performance, and an
essay on the wheat industry.
After graduating from
high school, Orem plans
on attending a four-year
land-grant university to
earn a degree in animal sci-
ence and pursue veterinary
school.
“I have always been
passionate about the live-
stock industry and would
like to find ways to improve
it,” said Orem. “The most
important thing to me is that
I am doing something I am
passionate about and work-
ing to help the agricultural
industry.”
“This scholarship pro-
gram allows Oregon Wheat
to invest in the future of our
state and industry,” said
Tom Winn, chair of the
Foundation. “We congrat-
ulate all of the scholarship
recipients and thank the
generous donors who allow
this program to continue
to grow and make a differ-
ence in the lives of young
people.”
The Oregon Wheat
Foundation was formed
in 1980 to raise funds for
specific projects, including
the annual scholarship
program. The mission of
The Oregon Wheat Com-
mission and the Oregon
Wheat Growers League
is to cooperate to enhance
the profitability of Oregon
wheat growers by commu-
nicating with and educating
ourselves and the public;
assuring markets; and con-
ducting and stimulating
research. OWGL will be
politically proactive and
work to strengthen our or-
ganizations and our indus-
try. For more information
go to www.owgl.com.
County parks committee
to meet March 7
Morrow County Parks
Committee will hold a regu-
lar meeting Tuesday, March
7, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at
the Morrow County Public
Works Department, 365
West Highway 74, Lex-
ington.
Agenda items will in-
clude committee member
seats, park host applica-
tions, and park projects and
updates.
The meeting is open to
the public.
Creative Care Preschool
to host bunco fundraiser
Creative Care Pre-
school in Ione is hosting a
bunco night fundraiser on
March 10 at 6 p.m. at Ione
Legion Hall. Cost is $20 per
player, and light snacks will
be served. Numerous prizes
will be awarded and raffled
throughout the night from
generous donations from
the community.
Creative Care Pre-
school is a private preschool
that operates during the
school year for three- to
four-year-olds. Head teach-
er Stephanie McElligott and
assistant teacher Crystal
Gilbert have had a busy
year teaching a curriculum
of Zoophonics, math, tak-
ing trips to Ione Public Li-
brary, visiting Krebs Sheep
Company to see lambing,
creating and playing.
Creative Care Pre-
school is held at Ione Com-
munity School; however,
it continues to be a private
preschool. Fundraisers like
this help support curricu-
lum, snacks, projects and
trips for Creative Care Pre-
school students.
Trivia night returns
during St. Paddy’s
celebration
The Heppner Day Care
will host a trivia night
during the St. Patrick’s
Celebration this year.
Formerly known as Mr.
Bill’s Trivia, the trivia will
be by Two Dads Tipsy Triv-
ia of Hermiston. It will be
held at the Gilliam & Bis-
bee building on Thursday,
March 16, at 7 p.m., with
an option of dinner service
for $5 starting at 6:30. A
no-host bar will be provided
by Bucknum’s Bar & Grill.
Entry fees are $150
per team. All funds raised
directly benefit the daycare.
Trivia will include a
wide variety of topics, in-
cluding St. Patrick’s Day
questions. Teams of six
can preregister or sign up
Print & Mailing Services
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Sykes Publishing
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541-676-9228
on the day of the event.
Preregistration forms can
be found on the Heppner
Day Care Facebook page
or by contacting Heppner
Day Care at 541-676-5429.
Community members
who don’t sign up for a
team are welcome to join in
the fun as spectators.
Heppner Day Care is
a non-profit, fully licensed
and community-based or-
ganization specializing in
quality care for children
three to eight years old, in-
cluding preschool for chil-
dren three to five years old.
The facilities are located
in Heppner and have been
serving Morrow County
families for more than 30
years.
Oregon potato growers
donate 18 tons of
potatoes to food drive
Oregon’s potato grow-
ers donated 36,000 pounds
of potatoes—or 18 tons—to
the annual Capitol Food
Drive recently.
“Oregon’s potato grow-
ers play a very important
role in Oregon’s agriculture
economy. I am so grateful
to the farmers who came
together to make this sig-
nificant donation to Ore-
gon’s families in need,”
said Senator Bill Hansell
(R-Athena).
Oregon potato growers
have made a similar sized
donation to the annual food
drive at Oregon’s Capi-
tol building every year in
recent memory. The food
drive is an important op-
portunity each year for leg-
islators and those working
in the Capitol to support
those experiencing food
insecurity—and provides
an opportunity for friendly
competition as the House
and Senate compete for
who can secure the most
donations.
“This substantial con-
tribution from Oregon’s
potato growers speaks to
how integral a part of both
our economy and our com-
munity these farmers are,”
said Hansell. “Thank you
to those farmers who were
willing to donate their po-
tatoes. We are grateful for
your contribution to fight-
ing food insecurity in our
state.”
Oregon is the fourth
highest producing state in
the country when it comes
to potato production. In
2020, the 2.7 billion pounds
of potatoes grown in Ore-
gon resulted in nearly 217
million dollars in value
at the farm gate and an
estimated $571 million in
economic value to the state
after packing and process-
ing.
More than 7,000 Or-
egon full time equivalent
jobs are the direct or in-
direct result of Oregon’s
potato industry.
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Visit gorge.net or call 541-436-0223