EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Local students make Pigeons come home
Columbia Blue
announces Arlington Honor Roll at Oregon
State University
results
-Continued from PAGE ONE
On July 12, 87 players
participated in the Colum-
bia Blue Senior Golf As-
sociation Tournament held
at the par-68 China Creek
Golf Course in Arlington.
Columbia Division (0
to 10 Handicap)
First place on the gross
side went to Tom Hoskott
from China Creek with a
score of 72.
First place on the net
side went to Scott Burright
from Willow Creek Coun-
try Club, who shot a 73
with a 6 handicap for a net
score of 67.
Other W.C.C.C. mem-
bers competing on the gross
side were: 3 rd place, Duane
Disque with a gross score of
78; 4 th place, Dave Pranger
with a gross score of 79;
and 8 th place, Dennis Peck
with a gross score of 81.
Blue Division (11 to 16
Handicap)
First place on the gross
side went to Pete Kelly
from The Dalles Country
Club with a gross score
of 78.
First place on the net
side went to Harry Withrow
from Pine Meadows, who
shot a 79 with a 16 handicap
for a net score of 63.
Other W.C.C.C. mem-
bers competing on the gross
side were: 3 rd place, John
McCabe with a gross score
of 84, and 7 th place, Curt
Day with a gross score of
89.
Also competing on the
net side was Tom Shears,
who shot a 85 with a 13
handicap for a net score
of 72.
Senior Division (17
and over Handicap)
First place on the gross
side went to John Sallee
from China Creek with a
gross score of 81.
First place on the net
side went to Larry Brown
from Pine Meadows, who
shot a 90 with a 24 handicap
for a net score of 66.
Other W.C.C.C. mem-
bers competing on the gross
side were: 4 th place, Roger
Ehrmantraut with a gross
score of 93, and 8 th place,
Mike Gorman with a gross
score of 99.
Other members com-
peting on the net side were:
4 th place, Curtis Cutsforth,
who shot a 99 with a 25
handicap for a net score of
74; 6 th place, Alan Scott,
who shot a 100 with a 25
handicap for a net score
of 75: and 7 th place, Mike
Sweek who shot a 104 with
a 27 handicap for a net
score of 77.
The Columbia Blue Se-
nior Golf event is scheduled
for Aug. 14 at The Dalles
Country Club in The Dalles.
There will be two flights,
one at 7:30 a.m. and the
other at 1 p.m.
Each flight is limited to
48 golfers, so anyone who
did not sign up at Arlington
should contact the pro shop
at The Dalles Country Club
at 541-296-5252 after July
24 to reserve a cart and a tee
time; ask for Chase.
Local rules for The
Dalles include no wearing
of bib overalls, no T-shirts,
no tank tops, no tattered
jeans and no outside alcohol
allowed on the course.
Names of students who
have made the Scholastic
Honor Roll for Spring 2023
have been announced by
Oregon State University.
To be on the Honor
Roll, students must earn a
B-plus (3.5) or better and
carry at least six graded
hours of course work. Mor-
row County students on the
Honor Roll included:
Boardman—Cooper
O. Szasz, Senior, Chemical
Engineering.
Heppner—Harley A.
Anderson, Freshman, Crop
and Soil Science; Carson P.
Brosnan, Senior, Business
Administration; Tatum N.
Clark, Senior, Psychology;
Keegan M. Gibbs, Senior,
Agricultural & Food Busi-
ness Management; Gibson
T. McCurry, Senior, Civil
Engineering.
Ione—Kylie N. Boor,
Sophomore, Biochemistry Inside the pigeon pen. -Photo
and Biophysics; and Jes- by Angie Hanson
sica Medina, Sophomore,
Kinesiology.
Irrigon—Jacob Ayala,
Freshman, Kinesiology;
Taylor D. Davis, Junior,
Biology; Jazlyn Romero,
Senior, Marketing; and
Bruno Salas Garcia, Senior,
Microbiology.
Boardman drowning
victim recovered in the
Columbia River
The body of drown-
ing victim Irwin Parcero
Perez, 35, of Boardman,
was located and recovered
on the afternoon of July
18. Perez had slipped into
the Columbia River while
fishing July 16.
The body was located
by the Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office, which was
assisted by the Corps of
Engineers. Perez’s body
was located in about 10 feet
of water near the location
where he was last seen.
Sheriff John Bowles,
Undersheriff Brian Snyder
and Deputy Andrew Mar-
tin were able to swim and
locate, retrieve and recover
the body. After two and a
half hours, the recovery was
complete, and the body of
Perez was on the Morrow
County Marine Rescue
boat.
Sheriff’s office staff
met with Burns Mortuary
at the Boardman Marina
and the body was turned
over to them. Bowles and
staff were able to contact
the family and friends at the
Marina, give information
and answer questions.
“This was a team effort
from the initial search to the
final recovery. I would like
to thank all agencies who
assisted with this incident.
I am glad we were able to
make this recovery for the
family and friends of Mr.
Perez. Our thoughts and
prayers go out to the family
and friends during this time
of loss,” said Bowles.
Fundraiser for
BEO Bancorp reports
Temples this Sunday second quarter earnings
A fundraiser for Dick
and Karen Temple will be
held at the Holly Rebekah
Lodge in Lexington on
Sunday, July 30. The event
is sponsored by Holly Re-
bekah Lodge and Heppner
Christian Church. All pro-
ceeds will go to the Temples
to help with medical-related
expenses.
A meal of a pulled pork
sandwich, coleslaw, dessert
and drink will be available
for $10 and will be served
from 2-4 p.m. or until food
runs out. A silent auction
will be held during the
meal, with a live auction to
follow about 4:30 p.m.
Everyone is invited to
join in and finish the day
playing bingo at 5 p.m.
Cost for bingo is $5 for a
10-game pack of cards or
50 cents per card.
Lexington to hold
work session,
meeting Aug. 8
The Town of Lexing-
ton will hold a work ses-
sion with Anderson Perry
& Associates starting at 5
p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 8,
followed by a public town
council meeting starting at
approximately 6 p.m. All
meetings on that day are
open to the public and the
town council encourages
community members to
attend.
The meeting will take
place in person at Lexing-
ton Town Hall, 425 F Street
in Lexington. The meeting
will also be streamed online
via Zoom, meeting ID:
687 755 5033, passcode:
Lexington.
Any questions or con-
cerns regarding this meet-
ing should be directed to
Veronica Ferguson, Town
Recorder, at 541-989-8515
or by email to lexington.
oregon@gmail.com.
Calico Bones at Irrigon
Music in the Park
Irrigon welcomes Cal-
ico Bones on July 31 for
Music in the Parks. The
performance will take place
at the Irrigon Marina Park.
Calico Bones is a folk,
indie, Americana sister
act from Wallowa, OR.
This duo is known for its
tight harmonies, rhythmic
instrumentation and va-
riety. Finding inspiration
in multiple genres makes
for a unique sound. Their
style can range from soft,
melancholy vocalizing to
belting at the top of their
lungs—and everything in
between.
The concerts are free
to the public and begin at
7 p.m. on Monday nights.
Visitors are encouraged to
bring chairs and blankets.
The series is funded by the
Morrow County Unified
Recreation District and
Portland General Electric
and sponsored by the North
Morrow Community Foun-
dation.
In the event of inclem-
ent weather, Irrigon perfor-
mances will be held at the
Irrigon Senior Center.
BEO Bancorp (OTCB-
B:BEOB) and its subsid-
iary, Bank of Eastern Or-
egon, announced second
quarter 2023 consolidated
net income of $3,319,000 or
$2.76 per share. Total assets
were $820 million with net
loans of $505.4 million and
deposits at $742.29 million.
Shareholders’ equity was at
$55.43 million.
President and CEO
Jeff Bailey reported that
second quarter earnings
were up 56.2 percent com-
pared to the same period in
2022; earnings per share
increased 56.8 percent.
Total assets decreased 1.9
percent, deposits are down
3.7 percent and net loans
were up 2.5 percent.
EVP and Chief Finan-
cial Officer Mark Lemmon
said that first and second
quarter earnings were near-
ly identical at just over $3.3
million, equating to $6.63
million year-to-date.
“Solid earnings have
added significantly to
shareholder equity, which
is up 16.7 percent year-
over-year,” said Lemmon.
“Like most banks, we
are seeing a use of deposits
by customers. The slight
decrease in deposits com-
pared to last year is not
surprising,” added Chief
Operations Officer and EVP
Becky Kindle.
EVP and Chief Lending
Officer John Qualls said
that, as an agriculturally
based bank, BEO typically
sees a seasonal increase in
loans.
“We have seen that
happen this year, but it oc-
curred a bit later than usu-
al,” he said. “For our wheat
producers, 2022 was a very
good harvest; 2023 appears
to be average production
at best.
“Cattle prices are strong
with tightened supplies and
relatively strong demand,”
added Qualls.
Meanwhile, EVP and
Chief Credit Officer Ed
Rollins said that overall
credit quality is holding up
nicely even with increased
interest rates.
“Refinances have obvi-
ously slowed down in this
rate environment,” said
Rollins, “but we haven’t
seen any substantial in-
crease in classified assets.”
Bailey said the market
expects the Federal Reserve
to increase interest rates
later this month, with ad-
ditional increases possible
through the balance of the
year.
“The Fed has a difficult
task in trying to achieve a
soft landing while trying to
curb inflation,” said Bailey.
“The current yield curve
still predicts a recession,
but it is flattening somewhat
as longer-term US Treasur-
ies have increased and the
short-term maturities stay
strong. I do not envy the
Fed’s job.”
Pigeons waiting to fly. -Photo
by Angie Hanson
were also used commer-
cially to deliver commu-
nication. They are usually
referred to as “pigeon post”
if used in mail service, or
“war pigeon” during wars.
Scientists aren’t really
sure how homing pigeons
find their way home, but
there are theories. Most
researchers believe that
the homing ability is based
on a “map and compass”
model, with the compass
feature allowing birds to
orient and the map feature
allowing birds to determine
their location relative to a
goal site (home loft).
While the compass
mechanism appears to rely
on the sun, the map mech-
anism has been highly de-
bated. Some researchers
believe that the map mech-
anism relies on the ability
of birds to detect the earth’s
magnetic field.
Theories also include
atmospheric odors they can
smell or visual landmarks
like roads or manmade
structures. Until recently,
scientists thought that there
were iron particles located
on the top of a pigeon’s
beak that aligned to earth’s
magnetic north, thus acting
Inside the pigeon pen. -Photo
by Angie Hanson
as compass that helps the
pigeon in determining its
home. They have since dis-
covered that the iron-rich
beak is actually related to
white blood cells that help
the birds with their immune
system.
Another popular theory
is an ultra-low frequency
sound the birds can hear
that takes them back toward
their loft.
While the pigeons may
not have to worry about
getting lost, the boys say
they have lots of natural
predators, including foxes,
snakes, hawks and owls. In
fact, they say a hawk has
already taken down one of
their pigeons.
So, what do they plan
to do with the birds in this
age of cell phones and inter-
net? That’s where their new
business, Pigeons Come
Home, comes in. They plan
to provide the pigeons for
weddings, funerals or any
other event where some-
one would like the birds
released. They say they will
take care of everything.
Once they train the pi-
geons to go the distance,
Mack and Keller will be
able to release the bird as
far away as Hermiston or
Boardman for an event.
They say there’s not a doubt
in their minds that their
pigeons will, in fact, come
home.
Right now, they plan
on charging between $50
and $200, depending on
the distance of the event
and the number of birds
wanted. The family can be
reached for more details at
541-676-8955.
BMCC releases spring
term honor roll
Blue Mountain Com-
munity College spring term
2022-2023 honor roll rec-
ognition went to the follow-
ing full-time students from
Morrow County:
President’s List (3.75 -
4.0 GPA): Zane Acock, Ana
Barajas, Wyatt Browne,
Andrea Caldera, Jada Cal-
loway, Kaylee Christy, Col-
by Crowell, Chad Doherty,
Liam Early, Ariel Estra-
da, Sanyana Felipe, Keith
Fleming, Caden George,
Jasper Hardy, Brady Har-
rington, Clifford Hauger,
Alyssa Hill, Piper Kelton,
McKenna Kendrick, Ire-
lynn Kollman, Abrianna,
Lomeli, Joel Lozano, Omar
Madrigal, Juliana Maga-
na, Juan Medina-Marquez,
Luke Meyers, Leah Muel-
ler, Irwyn Murgia Orte-
ga, Dianna Nunez Devine,
Edwin Pacheo, Monserrat
Pacheo, Axel Paredes-Ro-
sales, Hilary Payne, Matias
Perez, Mikayla Powell,
Cameron Proudfoot, Cae-
lyn Pullen, Mylee Quilter,
Damian Quiriconi, Jose
Romero, Crystal Sanchez,
Preston Slawson, Daralynn
Teeman, Jimena Villarreal,
Samanta Weiss and Kather-
ine Wilson.
Vice President’s List
(3.5 to 3.74): Victoria Ber-
nal, Morgan Cutsforth,
Audrey Guenther, Shelby
Harshman, Karensa Jones,
Arlene Mejia Lopez, Ivo-
nne Navarro, Mason Orem,
Monserrat Pacheco, Dairys
Pena, Emily Points, Carol
Salas, Olivia Sanchez San-
tana, Victoria Schenk and
Graysen Sopoer.
FUNDRAISER FOR TEMPLE'S
July 30th Dinner at 2:00
Silent Auction 2:00-4:00
Live Auction 4:30 BINGO at 5:00
Auction Items
Rodeo basket, bread and Jam basket,
Jack Rabbit Candles, ton of wood pellets,
cord of wood, gas card, assorted meat
basket, wine basket, Milwaukee cordless
drill, Browne House
Coffee, BBQ pellet grill,
Christmas wreath, box of
fruit, 40# of ground beef,
beef box, canvas picture,
hand tooled wine botle wall hanging,
family photo, crocheted quilt, 2 tons of
second cutting hay, peanut butter cups,
wool hand woven rug, and quilt
ODD FELLOW HALL IN LEXINGTON