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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 12, 2025)
SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 12, 2025 Mustang junior high wrestlers head to state Brody Knutz takes the down position against a Milton Free- (L) Laila Jones squares off against her opponent regional water wrestler during the regional middle school qualifier. middle school qualifier. -Contributed Photo -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo By Andrea Di Salvo Four junior high Mus- tang wrestlers are headed to the state tournament after qualifying at the Eastern Regional Middle School 2025 Qualifier in Boardman this past weekend. The state tournament will take place in Albany this Saturday, March 15 Laila Jones, one of only two junior high female wrestlers this year, tops the list by placing second in the district tournament and qualifying for state in the 185-pound bracket. Hep- pner’s other female wrestler is Paisley Cutsforth, who wrestled an impressive sea- son but fell just short of the mark at the district qualifier. On the boy’s side, Hayden Cimmiyotti (195), Jayden Rowlette (140) and Aidden Ramos (117) all qualified for state by plac- ing third in their respective brackets. Full Eastern Regional Middle School 2025 Qual- ifier stats are: In the 102-pound brack- et, Brody Knutz scored four team points. In Champi- onship Round 1, he won by fall over Bryson Hayes of Enterprise/Wallowa in 0:20. In Championship Round 2, he lost by fall to Braydn Beck of Central (Milton-Freewater) in 0:42. In Cons. Round 2, Jessee Savage of Umatilla won by fall over Brody in 1:48. Also in the 102 bracket, Frank Di Salvo lost by de- cision to Kellen Croghan of Enterprise/Wallowa, 15-9 in Championship Round 1. In Cons. Round 1, Dun- nam Muller of Sunridge (Pendleton) won by major decision over Frank, 12-3. In the 110 bracket, Jax- son Wight placed fourth and scored 18.5 team points. In Championship Round 1, he won by fall over Saw- yer Hunt of Grant Union in 2:01. In Championship Round 2, he won by fall over Elden Coke of La Grande in 1:26. In the quar- terfinals, he won by fall over Dylan Scherrer of Heppner in 0:13. In the semifinal, Preston Hen- dricks of Central (Mil- ton-Freewater) won by fall over Jaxson in 1:16. In the Cons. Semi, Jaxson won by tech fall over Desmond Lar- vik of La Grande, 18-3. In the third-place match, Jase Whatley of Grant Union won by major decision over Jaxson, 11-3. Dylan Scherrer, also in the 110 bracket, scored 6.0 team points. After re- ceiving a bye in Champi- onship Round 1, he won by fall over Max Coronado of Sandstone (Hermiston) in 1:12. in Championship Round 2. In the quarterfi- nals, Jaxson Wight of Hep- pner won by fall over Dylan in 0:13. In Cons. Round 4, Gavin Tubbs of Pine Eagle won by fall over Dylan in 1:37. Wrestling at 117, Aid- den Ramos placed third and scored 22 team points. In Championship Round 1, Tech savvy for seniors: Bridging the digital divide Heppner High School senior Laila Hess guides Marge Kenny through functions on her phone while Mariah Castellanos looks on. -Con- tributed photo In an increasingly dig- ital world, technology can feel overwhelming for older adults. However, a growing number of local teens are stepping up to help seniors bridge the gap, teaching them how to use smart- phones, computers and social media. South Morrow County Seniors Matter is offer- ing a Tech Savvy Class for Seniors. Anne Morter, Blue Mountain Commu- nity College Workforce Training Center Director, is providing her department’s mobile computer lab (grant funded by the Wildhorse Foundation) and expertise for a course that covers ac- cessing the internet, online safety, and the use of tablets and cell phones. “For older adults, the internet can be a lifeline to social connections, services and information that may be harder to access otherwise,” says Morter. Morter leads the class and teams with students from Heppner High School to give class participants a one-on-one experience. These intergenerational tech support sessions not only empower seniors, but create meaningful connec- tions between young and old. Students are positive about this experience be- cause, “We get to show off a bit to our grandparents and it helps us complete the community service hours that we must have to grad- uate,” shares one student. Rita Bergstrom, a se- nior taking the class said, “It really helped me learned how to use bullet points, borders and change colors as I want now.” Experts say that learn- ing technology can boost seniors’ independence and mental engagement while giving teens valuable teach- ing and communication skills. When asked if they help their parents and grandpar- ents at home, many students answered “Yes! Especially with the apps.” SMCSM plans to de- velop more programs team- ing teens and seniors to create meaningful benefits for both generations. The Tech Savvy classes are on Thursdays. If you would like more informa- tion, please contact South Morrow County Seniors Matter YOLO Activities Chairman Molly Rhea, 541- 399-3420 text or voice. WWW.HEPPNER.NET Submit News, Advertising & Announcements Letters To The Editor Send Us Photos Start A New Subscription he won by decision over Ely Murphy of Elgin, 10-7. In Champi- onship Round 2, Aidden won by fall over Gunner Adams of Irrigon in 0:39. In the quarterfinals, Aidden won by fall over Matteo St. Claire of La Grande in 0:08. In the semifinal, Bruin Bloomer of Baker won by fall over Aidden in 1:08. In the Cons. Semi, Aidden won by fall over Tam Yilma of La Grande in 0:26. In the third-place match, Aidden won by fall over Judd Mc- Crae of Imbler in 0:49. Jayden Macias (132) received a bye in Champi- onship Round 1. In Cham- pionship Round 2, Freddy Coronado of Sandstone (Hermiston) won by fall over Jayden in 0:17. In Cons. Round 2, William Hunt of Sunridge (Pend- leton) won by fall over Jayden in 0:33. Jayden Rowlette placed third in the 140-pound bracket and scored 17.5 team points. In Champion- ship Round 1, he won by fall over Leo Zarco of Echo in 0:20. In the quarterfinals, Parker Wolfe of La Grande won by fall over Jayden in 3:30. In Cons. Round 2, Jayden won by fall over Noah Gutierrez of Armand Larive (Hermiston) in 1:21. In Cons. Round 3, Jayden won by decision over Isa- iah Ponce of Sandstone (Hermiston), 18-15. In the Cons. Semi, Jayden won by tech fall over Kasyn Adkins of La Grande, 17-1. In the third-place match, Jayden won by decision over Park- er Wolfe of La Grande, 4-3. Hayden Cimmiyot- ti, wrestling in the 195-pound bracket, placed third and scored 18 team points. He received a bye in Championship Round 1. In the quarterfinals, Hayden won by fall over Beckett Davis of Echo in 0:24. In the semifinal, Cyrus De- rowitsch of Irrigon won by tech fall over Hayden, 18-0. In the Cons. Semi, Hayden won by fall over Joey Me- dina-Marquez of Riverside in 0:49. In the third-place match, Hayden won by fall over Beckett Davis of Echo in 0:22. Paisley Cutsforth, wrestling in the girls 110, scored five team points. In Championship Round 1, Paisley received a bye. In the quarterfinals, Au- brey Pinther of La Grande won by fall over Paisley in 0:28. In Cons. Round 2, Paisley won by fall over Kendahl Stevens of Sun- ridge (Pendleton) in 1:16. In Cons. Round 3, Paisley won by major decision over Brynlee Johnson of Union/ Cove, 10-0. In the Cons. Semi, Kailen McConnell of Union/Cove won by fall over Paisley in 1:12. Laila Jones (185) placed second and scored 18 team points. In the quar- terfinals, Laila won by fall over Peyten Ruth of Sun- ridge (Pendleton) in 2:59. In the semifinal, Laila won by fall over Analiyah Mu- noz of Nyssa in 2:24. In the first-place match, Harlee Ruth of Sunridge (Pendle- ton) won by major decision over Laila, 13-0. The state meet will take place at West Albany High School this Saturday. Girls start at 8 a.m.; boys start at 1 p.m. CBEC accepting scholarship applications Columbia Basin Elec- tric Cooperative offices in Heppner and Condon will be accepting applications for the Billy Gentry Me- morial Scholarship now through 5 p.m., April 15, 2025. Gentry started work for the Cooperative at 18 years old and retired in 1991 af- ter 43 years with the Coop- erative. Gentry worked as a truck driver, a pole setter, on the framing crew, jack- hammer operator, powder man before becoming the foreman and then line su- perintendent. Gentry loved his work family and the trade—anyone that was willing to work, no matter the weather or how long it took to restore power, was part of the family. Gentry was present at the Potter Ranch in 1949 to witness Columbia Basin Electric’s first member be provided power. The scholarship is only available to high school seniors who live in a home served by CBEC and attend school within our service territory. One $1,000 schol- arship will be awarded to a student in each high school within the service territory (Heppner, Ione, Condon and Fossil). CBEC will also award two additional $1,000.00 scholarships to students at-large who live in a home served by CBEC and are in their senior year of high school. “At CBEC, we take great pride in highlight- ing the value of coop- erative membership to young people,” stated a cooperative press re- lease. “After all, they are our members-in-train- ing. We provide a variety of programs that benefit young people, from safety demonstrations to sponsor- ing youth activities across our five-county service ter- ritory.” Applications are avail- able on the Columbia Basin Electric website at www. cbec.cc, from schools, or at one of Columbia Basin Electric’s offices. If you have questions, please feel free to contact our office in Heppner at 541-676-9146, or Condon at 541-384- 2023. DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5PM A View from the Hill by Doris Brosnan Busier days have returned to the Willow Creek Ter- race now that the various “bugs” seem to have made the rounds and given up! The residents and the staff view this with relief. Along with the usual weekly activities found on the schedule, several residents have added a dice game— Right, Center, Left—to their lists. (Rita Bowman intro- duced this game that her family plays often.) And more and more residents are choosing to join the morning exercise sessions. One of the occasional activities that has now returned is “Noodle Volleyball,” which is played with residents divided into two teams; with the “noodles” commonly used in swimming-pool exercises used as paddles to keep a balloon from touching the floor on one’s team’s side of a marked line on the floor. Good exercise and good laughs! And the return of sunnier, warmer weather is allowing interested residents to get in a daily walk on the sidewalk surrounding the Terrace. New to the Community on the Hill, Carolyn Willey moved in last month from her home in Heppner. Carolyn has been a long-time resident of Heppner. Taryn Dominguez was introduced as a new resi- dent-care associate last month, but now she has added a new responsibility, cooking the evening meal one evening a week. (An opening for a full-time cook continues.) Another new aspect of life at the Terrace is the Residents Council, an added means of communication between residents and staff. Presently, Pat Carty, JoAnne Burleson and Carolyn Willey will maintain close contact with other residents and be a voice for anyone who wishes them to convey something to the staff. And newly installed last week is the fiber optic line that equips the entire Terrace with a Wi-Fi system. Many residents have “smart” TVs and/or computers, so this advancement is welcomed. Many “shout-outs” are intended for many thoughtful individuals this month: Adding to his already substantial number of kudos, Shawn again must take a bow for his delicious meals that have the attention of everyone in the Community on the Hill and their visitors. Three res- ident-care associates very often go above expectations by volunteering to cover extra shifts for co-workers who are not able to come to work. When Administrator Leann sends out a request to all staff for help, she is usually re- lieved to have Michelle, Jasmine and AnnaGrace come to her aid…with smiles on their faces! Thanks to substantial donations from Friends Helping Friends and from the Ward family, the Terrace will soon be able to invest in new furniture and some other needed items. And the Terrace van is now being test-driven, to be sure it is totally healthy after John Gould at Les Schwab and Jason Patterson donated to get it dependable again. This van will be available for various residents’ needs. The van will shuttle interested residents to the Big Green Parade this Saturday. Some residents will choose to remain downtown for more of the weekend celebrations. On Monday, the actual St. Patrick’s Day, everyone will be encouraged to wear something green, and corned beef will be on the luncheon menu. So, weather promising spring, more activities, kind- ness of others, better health…all viewed by the Commu- nity on the Hill as reasons to be thankful! ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAY 5:00 P.M. 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