Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 5, 2023 -- THREE
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Inland Development
awards more than
$25k in scholarships
Open The Book
Is it just me, or does it
seem like nothing makes
sense anymore? Things
that used to be obvious are
up for debate. Facts are not
facts and can be ignored
at will, and there is no
such thing as truth. Men
are women. Women are
men. Unborn babies aren’t
babies. Child mutilation
is a good thing, parents
are terrorists, and children
“belong to us all.” Crimi-
nals are victims, cops are
bad and guns have a mind
of their own. Ignore skin
color and you’re a racist.
Disagree with someone and
you’re intolerant. Believe
marriage and sex should be
between a man and a wom-
an (real ones) and you’re a
homophobe and a hater.
Open a Bible in front
of someone and you’re
cramming your religion
down their throat. Pray
out loud and you’re guilty
of hate speech. Our jus-
tice department is unjust.
Our enemies own our land,
supply our meds, and make
deals with our First Family.
But “Climate Change” is
the real enemy and our gov-
ernment (who can’t create a
blade of grass from scratch)
will fix it if we do exactly
what they say and hand
over our freedom. Drug
cartels own our borders, as
well as a fentanyl and sex
trafficking business that
makes Walmart look like
a Mom and Pop store. Our
clearly demented president
doesn’t know where he is
most of the time but has
the power to start World
War III. Question any of
this and you’re a conspiracy
theorist.
There is only one way
this all makes sense, and it
has to do with a 2,000-year-
old book. The Bible says
there is a battle between
good and evil. It’s getting
more obvious as time goes
on. Satan knows his time is
short and he’s stepping up
his game. Jesus warned us.
The Apostle Paul warned
us, too.
“For we are not fighting
against flesh-and-blood
enemies, but against evil
rulers and authorities of
the unseen world, against
mighty powers in this dark
world, and against evil
spirits in the heavenly plac-
es” (Ephesians 6:12). It
doesn’t take a Bible scholar
to see the predictions taking
shape. From a cashless soci-
ety to a one-world govern-
ment. If you really want to
know what’s coming, open
a Bible, even a dusty one.
Read it for yourself. There’s
no other book that’s more
relevant in these times.
“You should know this,
Timothy, that in the last
days there will be very dif-
ficult times. For people will
love only themselves and
their money. They will be
boastful and proud, scoffing
at God, disobedient to their
parents, and ungrateful.
They will consider noth-
ing sacred. They will be
unloving and unforgiving;
they will slander others and
have no self-control. They
will be cruel and hate what
is good. They will betray
their friends, be reckless,
be puffed up with pride,
and love pleasure rather
than God. They will act re-
ligious, but they will reject
the power that could make
them godly. Stay away from
people like that!” (2 Timo-
thy 3:1-5.)
Susie Crosby
Prineville, OR
BMCC receives approval
for UAS degree, program
Paul Lindsay
Braden Atkins
In its ongoing effort to
help youngsters in Eastern
Oregon embark on educa-
tional pursuits after high
school, the local nonprofit
Inland Development Cor-
poration has awarded more
than $25,000 in scholar-
ships to 21 area students.
The scholarships come as
part of the Nate Arbogast
Memorial Scholarship pro-
gram, which has awarded
nearly $700,000 to almost
300 students in Eastern
Oregon since 2010.
A full list of recipients
was not released.
“As a nonprofit that
works to improve internet
access to schools in rural
Eastern Oregon, we also
believe in giving back to all
the communities we serve,”
said Jill Parker, president of
Inland’s board of directors.
“Youths in these communi-
ties have promising futures.
Inland is honored to help
them realize their educa-
tional dreams.”
As it’s done every year
since 2010, Inland selected
area students based on an
application process that
emphasizes academics,
community involvement,
service and leadership. This
year’s scholarships ranged
from $1,000 to $1,700 and
went to students in Board-
man, Irrigon, Heppner and
Ione.
The scholarship
amounts are paid after re-
cipients complete their first
full term at their education-
al institution. Awardees
can use the scholarships
for education at two- and
four-year colleges, trade
apprenticeships and tech
schools.
Braden Atkins grad-
uated from Irrigon Jr/Sr
High School this year and
received a scholarship from
Inland. He plans to pursue
his associate degree of ap-
plied sciences, majoring in
computer science, at Blue
Mountain Community Col-
lege in Pendleton.
“I am honored to re-
ceive this scholarship,” he
said, “and I am looking
forward to attending classes
at BMCC this coming fall.”
The Inland scholarship
program launched in 2010
when Nate Arbogast, the
founding general manager
for Inland Development,
passed away after a skiing
accident. Inland created
the scholarship program
as a way to recognize Ar-
bogast’s efforts in bringing
fiber optic technology to
surrounding rural commu-
nities.
“I know Nate Arbogast
was an influential member
of our community and was
key to bringing important
technology to our school in
Heppner,” said Paul Lind-
say, a scholarship recipient
and graduate of Heppner
High School, who will ma-
jor in nursing at Eastern Or-
egon University in the fall.
“I think it is amazing how
Nate’s legacy is continued
in this scholarship, and I
can’t tell you how grateful
I am to receive it.”
WCCC to hold free
golf clinic for kids
Willow Creek Country
Club will host a free kids
golf clinic Thursday and
Friday, July 6-7. The clinic
is for all kids ages seven
through 13. Registration
will begin at 8:30 a.m. on
Thursday, July 6.
In addition to the clinic,
WCCC will hold a kids golf
tournament and barbecue
on Saturday, July 22, from
8 a.m. to noon.
While preregistration is
BMCC will offer an associate’s degree in unmanned aircraft
systems (UAS) beginning this fall. -Photo courtesy of FAA
Blue Mountain com-
munity College has re-
ceived approval for a new
Unmanned Aircraft Sys-
tems (UAS) Associate of
Applied Science program,
the college announced re-
cently.
According to a BMCC
release, the Oregon Higher
Education Coordinating
Commission (HECC) re-
viewed and approved the
college’s application for the
new program last month.
The U.S. Department of
Education classification
designated and approved
for this new program is
36.0207 – Remote Aircraft
Pilot. With this approval,
the two-year AAS UAS is
financial aid eligible for
students.
“We look forward to
this training opportunity
and with our workforce
partners, we will continue
striving to meet current and
future workforce needs,”
says Tammy Krawczyk,
Dean of Regional Work-
force and Community Ed-
ucation for BMCC.
Years prior, BMCC of-
fered two non-credit certifi-
cates, which were not eligi-
ble for financial assistance.
BMCC was the first cohort
of 27 colleges nationwide
to receive certification from
the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration for Unmanned
Aircraft Systems Collegiate
Training Initiative in 2020.
UAS for-credit cours-
es including UAS101 and
UAS211 are scheduled
along with other required
credit courses in the UAS
degree this fall. Students
who indicate intent to pur-
sue the UAS two-year AAS
degree can apply for feder-
al, state and local financial
aid and scholarships.
BMCC will contin-
ue to offer the non-credit
certificate options as well.
For more information on
how to pursue a degree
and career in UAS, contact
Tammy Krawczyk at tkraw-
czyk@bluecc.edu or Phil-
ip Schmitz at pschmitz@
bluecc.edu.
not required for the clinic,
interested parents are asked
to email Donald Matthews
at donaldgmatthews@
gmail.com or message him
on Facebook to give the
club an idea of how many
to expect. Questions about
either event can also be
directed to Matthews.
Free golfing for kids
is funded by the Morrow
County Unified Recreation
District.
Boardman to sponsor
community-wide clean-up
in July
The City of Boardman
will sponsor a communi-
ty-wide clean-up the month
of July. The city has garbage
vouchers available, with a
$50 limit, to residents of
the City of Boardman. The
vouchers are valid during
the month of July at Finley
Butte Landfill and the North
Morrow Transfer Station.
The garbage voucher
program encourages citi-
zens to clean up their res-
idences by disposing of
yard debris. City residents
may pick up their vouchers
at Boardman City Hall at
200 City Center Circle. For
more information on this
program, call Boardman
City Hall at 481-9252.
CDA ribbon cutting
next week
The Columbia Devel-
opment Authority (CDA)
is inviting community
members to attend a ribbon
cutting celebration at the
former Army Depot, now
Camp Rees, on Wednes-
day, July 12. The Ribbon
Cutting Celebration will
begin at 10 a.m. with a
short program led by the
CDA, followed by a com-
plimentary barbecue and a
tour of the Depot.
During the event, the
CDA will share about the
development process and
conduct a tour of the site,
including exploring an ig-
loo, visiting the southern
Oregon trail, viewing the
1944 igloo explosion site
and the former demilitariza-
tion site.
Spiritually Speaking
Father Thankachan Joseph
St. Patrick Catholic Church Heppner
Come to Me and Learn
from Me
Father Thankachan Joseph, Pastor of St. Mary’s
Church, Wasco.
This Sunday’s readings invite everyone to unload
worries and overburdens at the feet of the Lord. He in-
vites every one of us to the rest He provides. Everyone at
times finds life difficult. We become overburdened with
problems, worries and anxiety. In this week’s Gospel,
however, Christ tells us to bring all our burdens to Him,
and He will give us comfort, peace and strength. Let us
pay attention to his loving invitation to go to him with
love and trust.
The first reading is from the Book of Zechariah (9:9-
10). Zechariah was a contemporary of Alexander the
Great, who conquered the known world at the age of 21
and was known to be brash and arrogant.
In sharp contrast to this emperor, Zachariah sees true
greatness in the Messiah, the King, who would be mindful
of the lowly. Whereas Alexander and the last kings of
Judah would ride on chariots and horses, using their bows
and arrows and instruments of power, the Savior, Christ,
would come on a donkey—not to signify humiliation but
humility, serenity and peaceful intentions. His era would
be not one of force but one of peace established through
justice, especially for the poor and oppressed.
We are constantly confronted, at the business as
well as individual level, by the choice of two opposing
lifestyles: one built on the exercise of power, domination,
violence, manipulation and aggression, leading to an
unstable impression of peace, or one founded on justice,
mutual respect, reverence for life, gentleness and com-
passion, leading toward lasting peace.
The Gospel of this week is taken from Mathew (11:
25-30). In it, Christ offers us two invitations: 1) Come to
Me. 2) Take my yoke and learn from Me. The Lord wel-
comes and invites everyone who is burdened, exhausted,
despairing, and those who are about to stop and collapse
due to their daily routines. This burden could be the
burden of responsibility that comes from being a leader,
a parent or teacher. Then there is the burden that comes
from being sick, handicapped, widowed or divorced, or
the burden of coping with losses—job losses, loss of a
relationship, loss of emotional support.
We may also be weary from too much attraction to
pleasures of the flesh and the guilty feelings from that.
Maybe we are not sincere with our parents or spouses. And
there is the burden that sometimes we carry as we look
after others—for instance, care of an aged relative, for the
terminally ill, care of the handicapped or slow learners.
No matter what weariness we feel, no matter how heavy
the burden we carry, Jesus invites us to come to him.
“Come to me all you who labor and are overburdened,
and I will give you rest.”
We need to notice the fact that Jesus does not say, “I
will get rid of all that is burdening you.”
Rather, He says, “Shoulder my yoke and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden
light,” (Mathew 11:30). In the time of Jesus, many people
found the law itself was burdensome, and religion far
from uplifting. Today, as well, some people seem to find
religion burdensome and oppressive, so they have given
up on religion and on God, but that does not seem to have
freed them of the burden they are carrying within.
In the Gospel of John, we read, “Peace I bequeath
to you, my own peace I give to you, a peace which the
world cannot give, this is my gift to you,” (John 14:27).
At times when I face difficulties, worries of all types,
when I face that I am about to stop and fall down, where do
I turn for help? I have seen people going to the mountains,
basketball courts, golf courses, going with their friends to
eat, drink and make merry, searching for respite from their
anxiety, sometimes under the influence of intoxicants. At
such times, the Lord is calling us to Him, “Come to me.
Shoulder my yoke….” instead of rushing to man-made
solutions.
Only when we come to Jesus will we find true free-
dom from all that oppresses us. Jesus invites us to take His
yoke upon our shoulders. If we discover Jesus in every
burden, in every yoke that is placed on our shoulders, we
will find the burden light and the yoke easy to bear, for
love makes every burden light.
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