Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 9, 2025 -- THREE
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Left To-Do List
I don’t know if it’s my
generous mood lately or
I’m just getting soft in my
old age, but I’ve been feel-
ing a little sorry for the
Woke Folks. It’s got to
be tough watching your
country doing so well when
you’ve had such high hopes
for failure. As they watch
the successful endeavors of
President Trump, one after
the other, I’m sure many
have had to retreat to their
safe space and hold their
stuffies close.
Since I’d like to help
them out as much as pos-
sible, I’ve created a list
of causes they can get
behind…complete with
talking points. Not only
will it give them a sense of
purpose, but it might even
keep them off the streets.
One can only hope.
1. Save the Alligators:
Everyone knows how high-
fat humans are. Trump’s
Alligator Alcatraz will only
contribute to the high-fat/
cholesterol issue these ‘ga-
tors are battling. They need
compassion, not recycled
tacos.
2. Society for No Child
Left: The horrific Trump
Tariffs will only lead to
poverty. We can not let this
happen. The elimination
of children in the womb
should be top priority, so
we can save them from star-
vation and the devastating
heartbreak of no cheap im-
ported toys for the holidays.
3. Sports Fairness Act:
Women have been dominat-
ing Women’s Sports long
enough. The SF ACT will
ban women from Women’s
Sports forever. Go Lia!
4. Free Stuff Fighters:
We’ve had to pay our way
for too long. It’s time we
let the government pay for
everything. And no more
taxes!
5. Citizens For Nice
ICE: Deportations are cru-
el! This is a free country,
and criminals should be
able to live where they
want. ICE agents need to do
something worthwhile, like
sending Jews back to Israel.
Nice ICE, Baby!
6. The Lie Alliance:
Christians have been target-
ing lies for years. This has
to stop. Deception is one of
our best tools. CBS, MSN-
BC and ABC have shown
how effective lies can be.
And remember…there is no
truth…and that’s the truth!
7. AOC for Queen! She
would look pretty cool in
the royal robe, and she’d
be really good at yelling,
“Off with his head!” Plus,
you gotta admit, she’s better
looking than Kamala. And
remember…no kings!
8. Citizens for Peaceful
Protest Fund: Protesting
is our constitutional right.
Let’s support our peace-
ful protesters. Your funds
will help purchase terror-
ist flags, pallets of bricks,
flame throwers and bags of
poop. Make your dollars
count!
9. Ammo Exchange
Advocates: “If you like your
guns, you can keep your
guns!” We are not trying
to take away your guns. In
fact, give us your ammuni-
tion and you will receive
rubber bullets (extra-soft)
in exchange. Make Amer-
ica’s guns safe!
10. Better Biology
Foundation: We’ve been
living under the heavy hand
of Biology for years. We
need to stop categorizing
people by their anatomy.
This is so divisive, espe-
cially when we know our
real worth is determined by
our skin color. Black lives
matter way more than white
lives…common sense!
11. Anti-Trump Ac-
countability Accord: Our
motto is “If Trump is for it,
we’re against it.” Come on
folks. Get on board the hate
Trump train!
I hope this helps. Let’s
keep the Left on their cur-
rent path down Insanity
Street. It’s making mid-
terms look a lot better.
“A wise man’s heart
inclines to the right, but the
heart of a fool to the left”
Ecclesiastes 10:2.
Susie Crosby
Prineville, OR
Smith faces ethics investigation
-Continued from PAGE ONE
that at the time the grant
application was submitted,
those pay increases were
not actually approved by
the CDA board,” said Fen-
stermaker.
A public official may
not use or attempt to use
their position for financial
gain that would be unavail-
able to them otherwise.
In this case, Fenstermak-
er said, Smith would not
have been in a position to
discuss pay increases with
the OLDCC or develop the
grant application if he were
not the CDA’s executive
director.
Additionally, the pre-
liminary investigation
found he apparently failed
to disclose that conflict of
interest when working with
the OLDCC.
S m i t h ’s a t t o r n e y,
Amanda Gamblin, did not
speak to the pay increase
but addressed the alleged
conflict of interest and said
it was “undisputed” that the
CDA board in December of
2023 asked Smith to talk
to the OLDCC to see how
much funding was available
to the Port of Morrow to
administer the CDA.
However, she pointed
out that nobody recognized
it as a conflict of interest
since neither the OLDCC
nor the Port had the author-
ity to grant a raise.
“Greg didn’t see it, the
CDA attorney didn’t see
it, nobody saw a potential
conflict of interest because
Greg Smith wasn’t talking
to an organization that had
the authority to give him a
raise,” said Gamblin. “Only
the CDA board had the
authority to give anybody
a raise.
“So when the board in-
structed Greg Smith to talk
to the OLDCC about how
much grant funding it might
give to the fiscal agent,
that’s like three degrees re-
moved from anybody being
able to use their position to
benefit,” she added.
This investigation is
not related to any previous
allegations, nor is it tied to
Smith’s role as an Oregon
State legislator. The inves-
tigation itself could take
several months to complete
before it is returned to the
ethics commission for a
verdict.
An additional allega-
tion that Smith failed to dis-
close a conflict of interest as
a shareholder in the Bank
of Eastern Oregon when
discussing bank matters in
his role as CDA executive
director was dismissed.
New MCHD board members
-Continued from PAGE ONE
Dennis Burke
CEO for the health district
for several years.
“Bob’s been here, he
knows what need to be
done, specifically, and I feel
that we need to have some
action now,” said Nichols.
“We’ve been in a stagnant
position with the health
district, we’re going back-
wards, and I don’t think we
have time to wait until we
get a CEO in here to start
making needed changes
now.”
Houser, who was pres-
ent at the meeting, was in
favor of a one-year contract
with limited flexibility. He
said he would focus on
recruiting providers and
mid-level employees, as
well as a new CEO.
“(One) Who wants to
be in Heppner and live the
lifestyle of a small rural
hospital CEO,” he added.
“That includes being in-
volved in the community.”
Munkers said Houser
had been CEO before, and
he felt Burke was “right on
track.”
“I have great confidence
in him,” said Munkers.
“I think to take the
ship in a new direction, we
need a new captain,” Hanna
countered. “I think this is
absolutely the right direc-
tion to go with Mr. Houser.”
The board voted 4-1 to
ask Burke to step down and
hire Houser as temporary
CEO, with Munkers the
sole no vote.
Nichols and Spicer
were then selected to ne-
gotiate a contract with
Houser and bring it back to
the board for a vote at the
next meeting. The motion
passed 4-0 with Munkers
abstaining.
Burke did not object
to stepping down. He said
he had known Houser for
years and considered him a
competent leader.
“It has been a wonder-
ful pleasure being here,”
Burke added. “The staff is
marvelous. It’s a great little
community, and you’ve got
so much potential down
here.”
Houser took over his
duties Monday, July 7.
In other MCHD news,
the health district has re-
vealed that former CEO
Emily Roberts signed a
three-year contract in De-
cember of last year with
a base salary of $250,000
starting December 1, 2024.
Increases to $257,500 and
$265,225 were planned for
the next two years.
The salary figure did
not include the cost of ex-
tra benefits such as family
health insurance, retirement
contributions and other
benefits that were included
in both her employment
contract and separation
package.
According to Roberts’s
contract, she was entitled to
six months’ severance if she
resigned or was dismissed
without cause, opposed
to the one-year separation
agreement she received,
and she was required to
give 90 days’ notice for
voluntary resignation.
While no copy of for-
mer CFO/COO Nicole
Mahoney’s contract was
available, information on
health district wages for
executive team members
and the number of years
Mahoney worked at the dis-
trict would place her yearly
wage around $215,000 for
one of those positions.
The Gazette-Times was
unable to determine what
additional compensation
she may have received for
filling dual roles, or the cost
of her benefits package.
McDaniel family
picnic July 19
There will be a McDan-
iel family potluck picnic
Saturday, July 19, at Anson
Wright Park around the
fireplace. All family and
friends are invited. Bring
a chair, some food to share
and all your stories and
memories.
WCCC Sunday
men’s play
Eleven participated in
men’s play on Sunday, July
6, at Willow Creek Coun-
try Club. Results are as
follows:
KP #4-13, Tim Hed-
man, 8’8”.
Net—1 st , Curt Day, 58;
nd
2 , Terry Snider, 59.
Gross—1 st , Charlie
Ferguson, 67; 2 nd /3 rd (tie),
Dennis Peck-Duane Dis-
que, 72.
The next event will be
hosted by Donald Mathews
and Joe Armato on Sunday,
July 13. Remember to sign
up for Wednesday night
match play at the club-
house. Please sign up by
July 13 so the schedule can
be prepared for the start on
Wednesday, July 16.
Father Thankachan Joseph
Good Samaritan = Be a Good
Neighbor
This Sunday’s Gospel reading places before each of
us wonderful questions: Who is my neighbor? How much
do I know about that neighbor?
We hear Christ’s immortal parable about a man lying
wounded by the roadside and how two people passed him
by while a third stopped and helped him. Let us stop for
a moment and call to mind the number of times we have
passed by someone who needed a little help. Christ is our
Good Samaritan. He does not pass us by. He cares for us,
binding up our wounds.
The Gospel of the day is from Luke (10:25-37), the
parable of the Good Samaritan, an answer to the question
of the scribe: “What should I do to inherit eternal life?”
The scriptural answer is “love God and express it by
loving your neighbor.” However, to the scribe the word
“neighbor” meant another Scribe or Pharisee—never a
Samaritan or a Gentile. Hence, the Scribe insisted on
further clarification of the word “neighbor.” So, Jesus
told him the parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable
clearly indicated that a “neighbor” is anyone who needs
help and anyone who gives that help.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus presents
three philosophies of life concerning our relationship
with our neighbors:
The philosophy of the thieves who robbed— “What is
yours is mine; I will take it by hook or crook.” In Jesus’s
day, the steep, winding, country road from Jerusalem to
Jericho was the haven of such bandit groups. No wonder
the Jewish traveller was robbed, stripped, beaten and left
for dead on the Jericho road. These thugs roamed the
countryside like packs of wild dogs attacking innocent
victims.
The philosophy of life of the Jewish priest and the
Levite— “What is mine is mine; I won’t part with it.” The
priests were powerful upper-class authorities governing
the Temple cult. The Levites were the priests’ associates,
who provided music, incense, sacred bread, Temple cur-
tains and adornments. In the parable, the representatives
of these classes did not pay any attention to the wounded
man because of their utter selfishness. Misplaced zeal for
their religious duty gave them a couple of lame excuses:
a) “If the man is dead and we touch him we will be un-
clean for seven days (Numbers 19:11) and disqualified
for temple service.” Thus, they saw the wounded man
on the road, not as a person needing help, but a source
of ritual impurity. b) “This may be a trap set for us, by
bandits.” This excuse has some validity, as bandits did
use a “wounded” member as a bait to trap other people.
The philosophy of the Samaritan— “What is mine is
yours as well. I shall share it with you.” The Samaritan
was generous enough to see the wounded Jew as a neigh-
bor. He ignored the long history of enmity between his
people and the Jews. The Good Samaritan was taking a
real risk, since the robbers who had assaulted the traveller
might still be nearby. Nevertheless, he gave first aid to
the wounded Jew, took him to a nearby inn and arranged
for his food and accommodation by giving the innkeeper
two denarii. Two denarii was a lot of money—enough, in
fact, to pay for more than three weeks’ board and lodg-
ing. The Samaritan also assured the innkeeper of further
payment for any additional medical requirements of the
wounded man.
We must remember that the road from Jerusalem
to Jericho passes right through our home, parish and
workplace. The Jericho road is any place where people
are being robbed of their dignity, their material goods or
their value as human beings. It is any place where there
is suffering and oppression. As a matter of fact, Jericho
Road may be our own home, the place where we are taking
care of our mother or father, husband or wife, or even our
own children. We may find our spouse, children or parents
lying “wounded” by bitter words or scathing criticism or
by other more blatant forms of verbal, emotional or phys-
ical abuse. Hence, Jesus invites us to have hearts of love.
What God wants more than anything is for us to show our
love to others, in our own home, in the workplace, and
in the neighborhood, as the Good Samaritan did. Jesus is
inviting us to have hearts of mercy for those who are being
hurt or mistreated on any of the “Jericho Roads” of life.
WWW.HEPPNER.NET
MUSIC IN THE PARK
HOSTED BY HOPEFUL SAINTS
Over the Tee Cup
The first day of July
was sunny and hot for the
women who ventured out
for the Tuesday ladies’ play
day at Willow Creek Coun-
try Club.
Low gross of the field
was taken by Pat Dougherty
Spiritually Speaking
and Shirley Martin.
Low net went to Kris
Lindner.
For flight B, Kim Carl-
son took low gross, Karen
Smith-Griffith had low net
and Colleen Neubert had
least putts.
Lunch
& Dinner
Menu
Featuring Brass Fire Band
at 5:00 pm on Sunday,
July 13 at Heppner City Park
Face Painting and activities at 3:00 pm
This is a free event thanks to the Morrow
County Unified Recreation District
M&D Equipment, LLC
7/10 - 7/16
Thursday - Pastrami Reuben with macaroni
Friday - French toast and sausage
Saturday - Bratwurst kabobs with deep fried
zucchini
Sunday - Closed
Monday - Hot dog, chips, and pasta salad
Tuesday - Hot Roast Beef dip with jojos
Tuesday Night - 6-9pm $2 hard shell tacos
Wednesday - Boneless wings and salad
QUALITY HOPPER TRAILERS FOR RENT
We rent good quality Wilson hopper bottom grain
trailers to farmers, truckers, fertilizer suppliers
George DesBrisay
541-571-2318
Craig Martin
541-571-8838
78471 AGNEW RD. HERMISTON, OR 97838