Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 17, 2024)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 17, 2024 -- SEVEN Wildbill running for State Morrow County Rural Senate District 29 non affiliated Transportation Equity Project Prepares for Columbia River swim to highlight nitrate contamination in Lower Umatilla Basin Tania Wildbill Tania Wildbill is run- ning for Oregon State Sen- ate District 29 as a non- affiliated candidate and is not taking donations for her campaign. She is training for a swim across a portion of the Columbia River to raise awareness about ni- trate issues in the Lower Umatilla Basin Ground- water Management Area. A resident of Pendleton, Oregon, Tania was born and raised in New York. She attended Spence School, La Guardia High School of the Arts, and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Tania worked as a re- porter, producer, and anchor for media outlets includ- ing Rice Thresher, KASE/ KVET Radio, Texas As- sociated Press Radio, and KCUW Radio. She also worked for CNN and The International Herald Tri- bune in Paris, France, cov- ering major political events like the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York City and the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston, Texas. Tania’s fundraising and grant writing efforts resulted in acquiring 9.5 million dollars in federal, state, and private funds. She secured a $350,000 grant from the Oregon De- partment of Education to establish the Nixyáawii Community School on the Umatilla Indian Reserva- tion in Pendleton, Oregon. In filmmaking, Tania co-wrote, produced, and directed the documenta- ry “American Cowboys,” about the 1911 Pendleton Round-Up, which gained recognition at film festivals and was broadcast on PBS affiliates across the United States. Tania established the Yoga Round-Up, the first yoga festival in Oregon, and opened Wellness Wave, LLC, a retreat destination and studio. She received the National Indian Health Board Award for Local Area Impact. Tania hosts the week- ly radio show “Wellness Works” on KCUW Ra- dio, focusing on healthy lifestyle success stories from tribal members of the Confederated Tribes of The Umatilla Indian Res- ervation, earning her the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center’s “Creativity and Innovation Award.” Oregon State Senate District 29 comprises all of Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler counties. Morrow County Fair quilting competition Cara Osmin with her bargello quilt that won the 2023 Morrow County Fair. - Contributed Photo Quilting has taken Ameri- ca by storm, and Morrow County residents are a part of that growing inter- est. From the north to the south, Morrow County has numerous talented quilters who create works of art which vary from pothold- ers to king-size quilts. The Morrow County Fair offers oppor- tunities for all quilters, with categories for beginner quilters and accomplished quilters alike. There are classes for youth, adults, professionals, 70 and over, and the physically chal- lenged. The entries may be hand-quilted, tied, or ma- chine-quilted. They may be creations that come from a kit, use a panel, or are the individual works that have garnered admiration through the generations, as the Fair theme proclaims. Quilting Depart- ment Superintendents, Cara Osmin and Babette Wall, both accomplished quilters, welcome all quil- ters to bring their fabric art to share. They are pleased to announce three special prizes to encourage entries. A $25 award will be given to the winner of the Judge’s Choice entry. The win- ner of the People’s Choice Award will receive a special gift, and the creator of the Grand Champion Quilt will receive a gift basket from Mama Bear’s Quilt Shop in Stanfield. Babette says, “Quilters are incredible kindred spirits. We are pos- sessed with cutting up per- fectly good fabric into tiny pieces and then sewing it back together. As your Quilt Division Superintendents, Cara and I are excited to see all the wonderful creations of our fellow band of quil- ters.” Awarded for Excellence HEPPNER – Oregon’s statewide advisory commit- tee on equitable community engagement, the Commu- nity Involvement Advisory Committee (CIAC), has awarded the Most Out- standing Project – Small Jurisdiction: Achievement in Community Engagement Award to Morrow County and its partners who re- searched and developed the report, “Rural Trans- portation Equity in Morrow County.” The Achievement in Community Engagement or ACE Award recognizes organizations and indi- viduals who have actively promoted and implement- ed the values of Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goal 1 through an outstanding community engagement strategy. All projects recog- nized with an ACE Award make innovative use of re- sources, build partnerships across and throughout the community, and intention- ally engage historically marginalized and under- served communities. “This project’s goal was to better understand the challenges of commu- nity members who live and work in Morrow County,” said Dr. Daniel Paul Cost- ie, Assistant Professor of Public Administration at Eastern Oregon University (EOU) and lead author of the report. “The research team consisted of Morrow County, Euvalcree, Rural Engagement and Vitality Center (REV), and EOU. Under my supervision, and with feedback and guidance from Morrow County and Euvalcree, two outstanding students created a survey which was then distributed by the research partners. We then analyzed the data for key themes, then draft- ed the report based on the findings.” “We submitted our application for the ACE Award on behalf of these community-focused or- ganizations, because we felt strongly that they de- served recognition for this amazing contribution to our county,” said Morrow County Planning Director Tamra Mabbott. “The level of engagement we had from our community was out- standing. We have learned so much from this process.” “The CIAC is thrilled to recognize Morrow Coun- ty and their partners with this award,” shared CIAC Chair Leah Rausch. “Ru- ral engagement is a chal- lenge, and Morrow County succeeded in ways that demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the work.” In 2023, Morrow Coun- ty was awarded a grant through the Oregon Depart- ment of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to study ways to engage traditionally underserved community members to identify opportunities to improve access to tran- sit. The county planning department’s vision was also seeking to learn how to engage traditionally un- derserved populations with planning. DLCD Transit Planner, Madeline Phillips, engaged directly with EOU and REV program staff, set up a Technical Advisory Committee comprised of businesses, special dis- tricts, and the Confederat- ed Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation who provides a free transit ser- vice throughout the region. In Spring 2024, Mor- row County launched a fixed route bus system in Boardman that provides transportation for employ- ees who work at companies in and around the Port of Morrow. The survey results provided valuable insight the Planning Department will also use in the 2024 Heritage rail Plan update. The CIAC was im- pressed by the following project elements: Using demographics to understand the audience and coordination with ex- isting community-based or- ganizations to reach them, Meeting community members where they were, Coordination with Eastern Oregon University for survey development and analysis, and Consideration of and future aspiration to update Morrow County’s Goal 1 plan to accommodate less traditional modalities in community engagement. Partners in the project included Morrow County Planning Department, East- ern Oregon University, the Rural Engagement & Vital- ity Center, and Euvalcree, a culturally specific organi- zation. Each organization will be recognized with an ACE Award. The report can be found at www.revcenter. org/reports. The Land Conservation and Development Com- mission has committed to uplifting and celebrat- ing the values of Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goal 1 for equitable community engagement through the ACE Awards and other activities. The tenets of the ACE Award support the commission’s commitment to the ongoing improvement of community engagement throughout Oregon. Please direct inqui- ries to: Matthew Jensen, County Administrator mjensen@co.morrow.or.us (541) 676-2529 WCCC Ladies play day results There were 6 players in the ladies’ gameplay at the Willow Creek Country Club on July 9 th . The weath- er was hot and dry. The results are as follows; Low Gross of the field was Tif- fany Clement. The low Net field was Kris Linder. The least putts of the field were Sharon Harrison. Flights- Low gross was (A) Coral Mitchell, (B) Betty Carter. The low net was Karen Smith Griffith. Chips ins- Sharon Harrison. Upcom- ing events: Tuesdays play begin at 8 am. Please sign in early on hot days we may play earlier due to the heat. SMCSM celebrates one year anniversary Jakie Alleman and Jerry Conklin speaking at the anniversary - Photo by Annalynn Black Julia Brown Jodi Seagraves By Annlynn Black The South Morrow County Seniors Matter (SMCSM) celebrated their first anniversary at their weekly ‘Seniors Matter’ luncheon on July 16 th . The event was attended by many individuals, including Sher- iff John Bowels, City Man- ager John Doherty, Perla Martinez from the Board- man Food Pantry, Julia Brown from Age+, and the two individuals who run SMCSM, Jerry Conklin and Jackie Alleman. During the celebra- tion, Sheriff John Bowels provided an update on the Lone Rock Fire, keeping everyone informed about the ongoing situation. Jerry Conklin, one of the organizers of SMCSM, delivered a heartfelt speech during the event. He took the opportunity to express his gratitude towards the dedicated volunteers who contribute their time ev- ery week. Conklin also acknowledged the various organizations that have provided financial support to SMCSM. Moreover, he made sure to thank his partner, Jackie Alleman, for her valuable contri- butions to the cause. Jodi Seagraves, the lead cook for the senior luncheon, also gave a speech thank- ing everyone who comes to support SMCSM and acknowledging her brother Todd, who passed away, for donating $3,000 worth of food before his passing. Julia Brown from Age+, a nonprofit organiza- tion dedicated to enhancing the lives of seniors, also gave a speech during the anniversary celebration. She recognized the hard work and dedication of Jerry Conklin, applauding his efforts in improving the lives of senior citizens in Heppner. Bombing Range Road closed due traffic accident Morrow County Sher- iff reported that Bombing Range Road was Closed Monday MP 10-14 due to Critical Incident - Oregon State Police is investigat- ing a serious motor vehicle accident (MVA).
