Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 12, 2023 -- THREE
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Manly Men
Do you know what I
miss? I miss men. No…
it’s not like it sounds. I’m
not crying in my Cheerios,
wishing I was surrounded
by men. It’s just that I’m so
tired of the whole “men are
evil” mantra. I feel sorry for
little boys. It’s not easy be-
ing raised in today’s world.
It seems there’s a voice on
every corner and, lately,
it’s gone from a whisper to
a scream. “Hey boys…you
can be anything you wanna
be, as long as it’s not a man-
ly man. That testosterone
stuff isn’t for you…That’s
only for girls.” And don’t
ask what a girl is…they’re
still working on that.
So, here are the new
rules, boys. First of all,
avoid Toxic Masculinity
at all costs. You know…
the desire to hunt, fish,
drive fast cars, shoot guns,
fix things and protect the
ones you love? Not cool.
Instead, get some leggings
and exchange your logger
boots for stilettos. Work on
getting your feelings hurt
and, whatever you do, don’t
let anyone know you like
girls. Girls are bad, unless
they’re girls who like girls.
Actually, boys are bad too,
unless they are boys who
act like girls. Just ignore
that confusion you’re feel-
ing, kids…and trust your
teachers (not your parents).
God wasn’t confused
when he made Adam. And
He didn’t just accidentally
leave the St off of Eve when
He named her. He made
them very different, and He
did it for a reason. You can’t
put a puzzle together when
all the pieces are shaped
alike. Besides, how boring
would that be?
As a woman of the
old-fashioned Webster defi-
nition, am I offended by
the term “weaker sex”?
Nope. Why? Because I’m
confident in the fact that I
have some valuable skills
as a woman and those skills
don’t need to include lifting
a small car. Recognizing
the strength of the opposite
sex doesn’t make me weak
or less valuable. It makes
me appreciative. It’s ok to
recognize the value in each
other and our differences.
Maybe we’re supposed to
complete each other. Maybe
that was the plan.
If you can’t see the
differences, then you aren’t
looking. We’re built dif-
ferently, we have different
hormones, and we think
differently. I’ve heard it said
that if you ask a man what
he’s thinking, you will get
“Nothing.” It’s not neces-
sarily because his mind is
nearing empty. It’s just that
he doesn’t feel the need to
share his current thoughts.
Ask a woman the same
question…get comfortable,
you may be there a while.
Then ask a man to describe
his living room and you will
get “Blue.” Ask a wom-
an the same question and
you’ll get a very detailed
description complete with
drapery style and her desire
for a new couch. And that’s
ok. There’s room for both of
us on this planet, and hope-
fully, a new couch.
So men, raise that hairy
arm and let that baritone
voice be heard. Don’t let
them make you meek. And
when you get a minute…
please, come unload my
hay.
“He created them male
and female and blessed
them. And he named them
‘Mankind’ when they were
created” (Genesis 5:2).
Susie Crosby
Heppner, OR
Depression and anxiety
recovery class coming soon
The Nedley Depression
and Anxiety Recovery Pro-
gram is coming to Heppner.
Classes are sponsored by
the Heppner Seventh-day
Adventist Church and will
be held in the conference
room of the Gilliam and
Bisbee building, dates and
times to be announced soon.
Classes include dis-
cussions regarding causes
and simple solutions for
depression and anxiety.
According to a statement
from the church, more than
90 percent of participants
have reported improvement
in eight weeks in both de-
pression and anxiety, as
well as mental acuity.
Sessions are two hours
one night a week for eight
weeks. The sessions are free
but there will be a charge
for materials.
For more information,
please email depressionre-
coveryclinic@gmail.com.
Ione announces
honor roll
Ione Community
School has announced hon-
or roll awards from the third
nine-week grading period.
On the honor roll with
a 4.0 GPA are Caydance
Kreitzer, Janielle Bartee,
Isabelle Ogden, Miley
Strzelewicz, Zamara Dot-
son, Henry Giefing, Khira
Kreitzer, Noelia Ramirez,
Brionna Serrano, Brayden
McNeil, Mika Limberg,
Leelynn Vandever, Sunem
Calvillo, Carson Eynetich,
Madison Orem, Kalvin Ri-
etmann and Bryce Rollins.
Receiving honor roll
recognition with a 3.5- 3.99
GPA for the nine-week
grading period are Ari-
el Gray, Gage Heideman,
Ciciley Stefani, Rosa Agu-
ilar, Novalee Campbell,
Olivia Ogden, Phegley
Padberg, Koby Baker, Vic-
toria De La Torre, Michael
McElligott, Kyle McGill
and Martin Medina.
The following students
earned honorable mention
recognition for the third
nine-week grading period:
Adrian Mendoza-Tapia,
Addison Bennett, Leonardo
Cabrera, William McElli-
gott, Zion Ramos-Lopez,
Keltie Rietmann, Hunter
Scoggin, Fernando Serrano,
Gift Cross, Lizzie Doherty,
Carter Eynetich, Delaney
Stefani, Liam Heideman,
Arionna Looney, Corey
Rice, Kelly Doherty, John
McElligott, Jolene Serrano
and Marcus Radcliffe.
Good News Only by Doris Brosnan
Good news: No rain during the Easter egg hunts!
Probably many smiles and even some laughter accom-
panied the hunts sponsored by the Elks, Heppner Family
Foods, and the several private hunts at homes around the
community.
When the three Bennett girls were young, the Easter
egg hunt happened in the house, engineered by their par-
ents, Don and Jean. Now, for the first time after 100 years
(the family has lived on this Hinton Creek place for over
100 years) and a pandemic, someone had a brainstorm of
an idea: an egg hunt outside! For the great-grandkids, Don
and Jean’s grandkids hid about “500 eggs” in the perfect
place, the bluff behind the house. From below, the bluff
looks intimidating, even dangerous, but it is wide enough
for trails that run for about one-eighth of a mile on which
the girls often rode their horses. Fun for all and exciting
for the little ones who explored and found treasures on
the bluff that has always been there!
Recently, Chaise Meyer, grandson of Bruce and Diane
McCurdy Moyer, and his girlfriend, Bella Honzel, decid-
ed to take a trip to Oregon from their home in Montana.
One of the destinations was Heppner to visit old family
memories and enjoy sights of the St. Patrick’s Day Cele-
bration. During their visit to the Heppner Museum, they
found a 1962 Heppner High School yearbook containing
pictures of activities that Bruce and Diane participated
in during their school years in Heppner. Next was the
Farm Museum to look for an elk mount that Chaise’s
great-great-grandfather Harlan McCurdy Sr. shot in 1936.
They drove by homes that Bruce and Diane were raised in
before embarking on a walk around town to look for sham-
rock displays of relatives. They enjoyed viewing Diane’s
sister Karen McCurdy Dubuque’s shamrock and looking
for Harlan and Donna McCurdy’s display (submitted
by Chaise’s aunt, Randi Moyer, for 2023). They visited
and took pictures of Chaise’s great-great-grandparents
William and Katie Cunningham’s (Bruce’s grandparents)
flag commemorating being the 1996 St. Patrick’s Day
Honored Family. Then on to the Heppner Cemetery to
find graves of departed relatives, including Cunningham,
Moyer and McCurdy. Following visits to other Heppner
sights was a visit with a longtime family friend, Diana
Ball. Chaise and Bella very much enjoyed Heppner and
hope to return to attend the 2024 St. Patrick Day Cele-
bration, along with other family members.
So far, published in the EO has been the honor roll
list for OSU, and congratulations go out to several local
students: Carson Brosnan, senior; Kason Cimmiyotti,
freshman; Tatum Clark, senior; Keegan Gibbs, senior;
Jessica Medina, sophomore; and Gibson McCurry, senior.
Great list of 3.5 GPAs, or better!
Further congratulations go out to Gibson McCurry,
who has successfully passed the Engineering Fundamen-
tals test, so can now practice as a civil engineer. Gibson
had recently received his associate’s degree from Blue
Mountain Community College, and he will soon graduate
Oregon State College (in June) with a degree in Civil
Engineering. He will then start his job with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service. And plaudits, also, to
Mackenzie Heideman, who recently graduated from Mt.
Hood Community College with a two-year degree in
business. These two have lots to celebrate! Soon after all
of the above, wedding bells are in their future plans, and
an entirely new adventure awaits them both. Parents have
much to be proud of and are excited for both of them.
And congratulations, as well, to Kaden Combe, now
employed by Union Pacific Railroad! Kaden completed
six weeks of required training and now continues on-the-
job training as a conductor on runs between LaGrande
and Hinkle. With this “one foot in the door,” if Kaden
chooses to stay with UPR, the next step in the hierarchy
of the business will be that of engineer. He spends his
at-home time in Pendleton and Heppner.
Previous Heppnerites Dennis and Peggy O’Donnell
email humorous tidbits this way often, always a great start
to a day. A couple this week: “They say that 40 is the new
30 and 50 is the new 40, but all I know is that the older I
get, the more 9 p.m. is the new midnight.” And for women
readers: “Be grateful that no matter how much chocolate
you eat, your earrings still fit.”
Smiling and laughing feel so good and have medical
benefits, so let’s help keep the readers healthy by sharing
good news! Send your tidbits to dbrosnan123@gmail.com
or call 541-223-1490.
Here’s hoping that some good news comes to every-
one reading this!
Spiritually Speaking
Father Thankachan Joseph
St. Patrick Catholic Church Heppner
Misery – Mercy & Mystery
This Sunday, the universal Catholic Church will be
celebrating the “Feast of Divine Mercy,” which reminds
us about God’s divine love, care, affection and concern
for each of us. The Gospel reading of the day, John 20:19,
reminded me of the psycho-social impact the disciples
experienced during the first Easter morning: “It was late
that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered
together behind the locked doors, because they were
afraid of the Jewish authorities.” We have gone through
a tough time of this sort, the previous two years when the
pandemic hit and shut down our economy, our freedom
of movement and coming together - everything was in a
stand-still condition. Many of us remained behind closed
doors during the years of the pandemic like the apostles
in the Gospel.
We are also going through emotional wretchedness
because of our shame, guilt of the past, brokenness, dis-
appointments, failing to reach ambitious goals. We need
to look into ourselves, into how we can find ways and
means of overcoming unhealthy feelings of depression,
anxiety, hurt, loss of self-worth and hatred. In these mis-
erable conditions God comes with His Mercy.
The time of pandemic reminded us that there are no
differences or boundaries among those who suffer. The vi-
rus showed no discrimination. The second reading brings
us an understanding of the early Christian community
described in the Acts of the Apostles, 2:44-45: “All who
believed were together and had all things in common;
and they sold their possessions and goods and distribut-
ed them to all, as any had need.” I hail from India, and I
watched during the pandemic and witnessed that many
people in different parts of the world reached out to the
poor and the marginalized in their own locality, went out
in public risking their lives, empowering, consoling and
strengthening the weak and the lonely. I think the Divine
Master invites every one of us to continue the same acts of
kindness and benevolence to the people around us even to
this present time. The Divine Lord is inviting each one of
us to stretch our helping hand and reach out to someone
who is in need of service.
Saint Faustina, after meeting Jesus, wrote: “In a soul
that is suffering we should see Jesus on the cross, not a
parasite and a burden... [Lord] you give us the chance
to practice deeds of mercy, and we practice making
judgements” (Diary, 6 September 1937). Yet she herself
complained one day to Jesus that in being merciful, one
is thought to be naive. She said, “Lord, they often abuse
my goodness.” And Jesus replied, “Never mind, don’t let
it bother you, just be merciful to everyone always” (24
December 1937).
To everyone: let us not think only of our interests.
The Gospel of John (20:19-31) narrates an experience
we had gone through a few years ago, the lockdown/
shutdown experience similar to that which the apostles
immediately experienced in their lives after the death of
the Lord. Very fresh in our minds and hearts, the shutdown
was actually in the plan of God. In Genesis 7:16 we read:
“A male and female of each kind of living being went
into the boat with Noah, as God had commanded. Then
the Lord shut the door behind Noah.” Similarly, we read
in the Gospel passage: “The first day of the week, the
doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of
the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to
them, ‘Peace be with you.’” (20:20). When we are faced
with such situations the Lord will be there on our side
to whisper to each of us the same words of consolation,
“Peace be with you.”
The Lord invites each one of us to face the misery that
we are experiencing right now with hope and courage,
for there is a solution. The Lord is always faithful to His
promise: “I will be with you always, to the end of the age”
(Mathew 28:20). When we face the tough sea ahead of
us or troubles and problems crop up, keep in mind that in
these miserable situations of ours the Lord always comes
in and supports us with His peace, mercy, compassion
and tranquility. He does it through various ways. Those
of us who experience this mercy of the Lord by reaching
out to others with mercy and compassion take part in the
mystery of Christ.
Walk MS
returns
April 29
Heppner’s annual Walk
MS will take place Satur-
day, April 29, beginning at
10:30 a.m. Weather permit-
ting, the walk will go from
Hager Park to Heppner City
Park. The is no registration
fee, but donations are en-
couraged. The event will
conclude with a no-host
meal at Bucknum’s Tavern
in Heppner.
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