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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2023)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 2, 2023 -- THREE ~ Letters to the Editor ~ Good News Only by Doris Brosnan The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10. Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net. Good news for Fall Season enthusiasts: At least four groups of Canadian Honkers have been spotted heading south. Factoid: Google says that in flight, such a group is called a skein, team or wedge. Another possible harbinger of fall: the usual tennis players have noticed a hint of fall in their morning play and, in fact, have delayed their play from chillier 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. “Let the Good Times Grow” at the 110 th Morrow County Fair, August 16 through the 20 th . Again this year, entrance to the fair will be free, thanks to Lamb Weston and Watt Construction. Much more information will soon be in the Gazette-Times, so we can be watching for details about the STEM trailer that will feature many free proj- ects, ax throwing, mechanical bull-riding, wee-ones’ car- nival, the entertainments and music, and so much more! The new secretary for the Fair Board, Sue Gibbs, has much on her plate as she works on the scheduling and organizing of the fair activities, but she can find time for Grandmother Privileges! Son Garrett and his wife Amanda presented Sue and husband Jay their first grandchild on Groundhog’s Day this year! Prairie City is not too far away for visits, hugs and kisses. Hudson Ryan’s parents work for the U.S. Forest Service (Garrett) and as an elementary teacher (Amanda). Last Wednesday, Luke Murray and family ended a two-week visit in Heppner and headed back to Kansas City, MO. The Murrays say they always enjoy these trips, usually made in the summer, which works well with Luke’s new position. Luke, son of John and Ann Murray, was recruited to be the headmaster of the new Chesterton Academy in KC. Katie, Luke’s wife, is a graphic designer. Their three young daughters are Juliett, Alice and Felic- ity. During this trip, they enjoyed the many Murray and Lindsay gatherings, possibly the biggest being the joint birthday celebration for Luke, Laurie and Sean, the three August birthday babies. More Good News in your life? Sharing with readers of the Gazette is as easy as sending your tidbit to dbros- nan123@gmail.com or calling 541-223-1490. Hope good news comes to everyone reading this column! Utopia To the liberal folks out there…here’s something to think about…seriously. If you could push a but- ton right now, and instantly have what the Democratic party envisions as a better world, what would that world look like? Maybe… Everyone putting what’s best for society over the needs of the individual. Climate control per- fected. Free health care and every single person vacci- nated. Legal and guilt-free abortions. Free childcare. Public schools with sexual freedom, 364 gen- ders, and no toxic mascu- linity. All history re-written from a Liberal perspective. No more unwanted pro- nouns. No more White Privi- lege (only Black Privilege). No rich capitalists. Ev- ery person equal in wealth (or poverty) with govern- ment pay. No more meat-eaters and all animals protected. No guns except the ones in the hands of the government. No police. Only trained counselors to defuse touchy situations. No Bible-thumping Christians. No real truth… to each his own. No more ten com- mandments or confining morals. Just do what feels right. No borders. Only global interests. Even if you got ev- erything on your wish list tomorrow, you would still have one big problem. That’s the problem of selfishness, greed and evil. You can’t legislate, regu- late, cancel it or demand it goes away. It’s a heart problem and it will still be there wreaking havoc in your new Utopia. There’s only one who can deal with the evil in the heart. He’s the one you canceled on your way to a perfect world. “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile’” (1 Corinthians 3:19-20). “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts” (Ro- man’s 1:21). Susie Crosby Prineville, OR Local man gives Willow Creek Terrace a helping hand Steve and Leann Lankford stand with the Willow Creek Ter- race sign, which Steve recently regrouted and gave a fresh coat of paint. The sign is one of many projects Lankford does during his volunteer hours at the Terrace. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo By Andrea Di Salvo One local man has qui- etly been garnering some attention through his works of service at Willow Creek Terrace. Steve Lankford is the husband of Leann Lank- ford, the assisted living facility’s administrator. Leann herself has a repu- tation for going above and beyond but brushes it aside, saying she’s getting paid for the work she puts in. Steve, on the other hand, isn’t on the payroll. However, he puts in mul- tiple hours a week at the facility. His work around WCT has included mowing, weeding, spraying, plumb- ing and power washing, as well as cleaning up the empty part of the lot and do- ing small appliance repairs. “But I enjoy it,” says Lankford. “It needed some tender loving care.” Willow Creek Terrace can’t afford full-time main- tenance, but the building and grounds need the work. While Covid-19 hit most places hard, Leann Lankford says the assisted living facility underwent a double-whammy when it came to maintenance. The facility suffered financially from the inability to fill va- cant rooms—three are still vacant—and restrictions and supply-chain issues made it nearly impossible to get anyone to the build- ing to perform upkeep and repairs. Most recently, Steve Lankford gave the Terrace’s sign a re-do. It was more than a fresh coat of paint. The sign was starting to rot, so Lankford says he dug out the rot and rechiseled the sign to restore its wel- coming look. He also spent some time last week giving some of the curbs a fresh coat of paint. “Every day, there’s something,” Lankford says. “We just kind of treat it like our house.” Residents like Bev Sherman appreciate that. Sherman, who sat on the front terrace last Wednes- day watching Lankford work and chatting with him, says she now sees WCT as a place she can spend the rest of her life. “I feel like it’s my home,” says Sherman. Leann Lankford says her husband stands out by the sheer amount of work he does, but he’s far from the only volunteer. “I’m always surprised by the people who will step up and volunteer,” she says. Volunteers keep Wil- low Creek Terrace run- ning, and the facility always needs more—not only to do manual labor, but also to visit with the residents and provide activities. “They love company,” says Leann. Anyone interested in volunteering time at the Terrace can call 541-676- 0004 or stop by the com- munity on the hill. A View from the Hill By Doris Brosnan The Staff’s teamwork and the Administrator’s guid- ance continue to pay dividends to the Residents at Willow Creek Terrace. Daily, the Residents can view the facts of their home surroundings, reaping the benefits of what a re- cent surprise visit by a representative of the Department of Health Services confirmed: Willow Creek Terrace is “the cleanest facility in Oregon” witnessed by that inspector and a sterling example of a home that affords proper care for its residents. Such reports are a goal of Administrator Leanne Lankford and her Staff. Two recent additions to the staff welcomed by all are Makayla Silvia and Heather Turnmire, and two other potential caregivers are currently in training. The shortage of staff members has continued to be a challenge that is currently being alleviated by Pioneer Memorial Hospital staff who are working shifts at the Terrace, greatly appre- ciated on the Hill. Lankford encourages interested, caring persons to inquire about the resident-care and kitchen positions, for which the starting salary has increased, as well as the new position of administrative assistant. As visitors approach the Terrace, the newly painted sign that greets them looks like new, thanks to Steve Lankford’s refurbishing, and visitors are apt to see several Residents going about what they have chosen as their outside work/play/entertainment. They are not really jobs when people opt to select them as enjoyable activities. So, Bev Sherman and Virginia Peck are apt to be watering and otherwise tending to the Terrace’s many colorful planters. And Alex Camarillo can often be spotted at the flower beds in the back, ensuring that weeds do not challenge the favored plants. The Terrace vegetable garden is, however, Jerry Green’s chosen interest, so he checks daily for ripe produce that can end up in a menu. Floss Watkins prefers her inside interest, enjoying the creation of rhubarb delights as she shares her knowledge and recipes with staff member Anna Grace Wenberg. The two have made a plethora of pies, cobblers and cakes with the rhubarb from the Terrace’s garden. This month, Jerry Green and Bev Sherman are cel- ebrating their birthdays—Bev’s tomorrow and Jerry’s on Friday—much to the delight of their neighbors, who appreciate these special days, enjoy the tasty birthday lunch menus, and view these days as another reason to celebrate living at the Terrace. Bringing more other spe- cial days to the weekly schedule, Deb Green is winning votes as “Activity Director Extraordinaire.” The Friday afternoon social hours have been a big hit, as have the routine activities such as craft-making, the game Right- Left-Center, bingo, trivia, discussions and exercising. Some Residents will be watching for information on the Morrow County Fair and Rodeo, hoping for the opportunities to take in a day or two of both. A day at the fair or watching cowboys and cowgirls perform is viewed as a nice, entertaining change of pace. Heppner releases drinking water report The City of Heppner has announced that it has released its Consumer Con- fidence Report: Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. Reports were mailed out to residents and post of- fice box holders last week. Copies of the report are also available at Heppner City Hall or on the city website at cityofheppner.org. Over the Tee Cup The Willow Creek Country Club ladies held a scramble during their play day Tuesday, July 25. The winning team was Kris Lindner and Sara Rucker. In other events, the combined team for one and six score was a tie between the team of Karen Thomp- son and Eva Kilkenny and the team of Jannie Allen and Karen Smith-Griffith. Ladies’ play days are Tuesdays beginning at 8 a.m. Spiritually Speaking Father Thankachan Joseph St. Mary’s Catholic Church Wasco A Time to Transform Oneself This Sunday, the Church celebrates the Feast of The Transfiguration of the Lord, an invitation for all of us to transform ourselves to the values expressed in the parables we have been meditating upon. This coming Sunday’s scripture reading invites us to reflect on the theme of transfiguration, needing to get away and move from our present state to another level of a spiritual state. The word transfiguration literally would mean a complete change of form or appearance into a more spiritual state that is actually possible through reading and meditating upon the Word of God. In the Gospel of Matthew (17:1-9), Jesus prepares himself well for this. As usual, He takes with Him only a few of His close collaborators to Mount Tabor, where in front of them He was transfigured, glorified, and appeared before Peter, James, and John. In this manifestation, His fullness of glory and divinity was exposed to His close associates, and the presence of Moses and Elijah add the understanding that Christ is the fulfilment of the Law and the prophecies. It was revealed now that Christ was not just merely a human being, but also the divine Son of God. In the person of Jesus Christ, Savior of the World or the Messiah, were two distinct yet inseparable natures, Human and Divine, exposed to humanity. What happened then at the Transfiguration and what is its significance for us, dear brothers and sisters in Christ? We need to pay attention to how the Transfiguration of the Lord revealed to us what we ought to do as Christians, how we ought to be living our lives and our faith from now on. In the transfiguration scene, we hear a beautiful declaration of Peter suggesting to the Lord Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (v 5). He completely forgets Himself at this juncture and begins to live for others. Daily meditation on the Word of God should help us to have this experience of Mount Tabor, moving from our humanness to rise up to the di- vine nature that The Lord has instilled in each one of us. This particular scripture passage of transfiguration we usually reflect upon during the second week of lent. But not only for the season of Lent, every moment, we Catholics are called to re-examine our lives, how we have lived them thus far, and to think how we are going to proceed forward in life. Are we able to discern carefully what we are going to do with our lives from now on? In our real life, we have gone through and will continue to go through a lot of trials and challenges of the Gospel values. It is not easy to keep our faith and trust in God always and every time if we don’t believe in what we read in the Bible. God promised Abraham that he would be a father of a great family of faith. Jesus promised His disciples a glory that they will share with Him in heaven. These are our hopes. Christians do not hope in this material world, but we hope in God’s promises. We hope in God’s mercy that we will be glorified with Him in heaven if we accept suffering with Him. The words of Paul are very apt here: what we endure in this life is incomparable to the reward for us in the life to come. The striking aspect of today’s Gospel passage is the presence of Moses and Elijah. We know Moses as the lawgiver and Elijah the well-known prophet in the Old Testament. Jesus is presented as the fulfilment of the Law and prophecy. As we celebrate the feast of Transfiguration, we need to reflect on the words of the Heavenly Father: “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (v.6). Most probably these words are repeat- ed in the present time by the Heavenly Father in several ways and means, but do we pay attention to these words of Christ? What must we need to do to be addressed as His beloved Sons and Daughters? What are all the things we need to rid from our lives to become His favorite children? The Heavenly Father is waiting for our return. He wants us to turn to a new leaf as children of God. YOUR AD COULD BE HERE! Submit Ads heppner.net Call 541-676-9228 Email graphics@rapidserve.net We also offer design and printing services Heppner Gazette-Times Sykes Printing For Thomas G Martin A remembrance will be held at 1:00 pm, August 19th at the Willow Creek Country Club, Heppner - No flowers needed. If you would like to make a donation to the country club it would be great. Tommy loved this golf course. Come for a great visit.
