A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017
OPINION
Canine kids are Harkenrider’s support appreciated
doggone special by Bighaus, former sports editor
exhibits symptoms of ob-
sessive-compulsive disor-
der or maybe even autism.
We sang a rousing My friends laugh when I
round of “Happy Birth- say that, but think about
day” Monday morning in it, dogs get other “human”
celebration of Lucifer’s diseases.
The General will only
eighth birthday.
drink out of certain
While we didn’t
dishes. When he
throw a big party
was about 9 months
and invite all the
old, a paper towel
neighborhood dogs,
fell into his water
we did give Luci-
bowl by the daybed.
fer and the General
He jumped down
some canned dog
and stared at it.
food. They get the
“Take care of
good stuff on spe- Tammy
Malgesini
that,” he seemed
cial occasions. The INSIDE MY
to be saying. So, I
following morning, SHOES
squeezed the water
I swear the General
looked at me like, “What out of the paper towel and
gives!?” when I placed a threw it away.
He had a look on his
bowl of regular food at his
face like, “That’s it, that’s
feet.
While both of our dogs all you’re going to do.”
are part of the Malgesini Honesty, I don’t know
pack, Lucifer, a black Ger- what more I could do.
man shepherd, is John’s But he never drank out
dog and the General, a of that bowl again. He
5-year-old tan/black Ger- would jump over it, run
downstairs and get a drink
man shepherd, is mine.
After having Jeter, my and then come back up-
13-year-old German shep- stairs. After several more
herd, put down in April weeks, I finally removed
2012, I was initially hes- the bowl.
And, playing hide-and-
itant to get another dog.
I didn’t think I wanted to seek is hilarious. When I
go through the difficulty peer out and see him run-
of losing another canine ning frantically looking
kid. Lucifer helped me for me, I want to yell out,
through the grief process “Dude, use your sense of
and I’m grateful the Gen- smell!”
What’s even more en-
eral joined our pack. I
can’t imagine life without tertaining is when Lucifer
hides with John. Serious-
my sweet boy.
The General is definite- ly, this 95-pound dog will
ly the most intelligent dog stand perfectly still in the
shadows. I swear some-
I’ve ever had.
However, he has issues. times Lucifer even flashes
I used to think it was an eye-roll while watch-
pretty amazing that he ing his brother searching
never had an accident for them.
John and I readily admit
in the house. Serious-
ly, house training was a our canine kids have us
breeze. But later, it be- wrapped around their dew
came apparent he had claws. It’s all good — the
some quirks when it came boys always happily greet
to going to the bathroom, us when we come home,
which I shared about in a they rarely talk back and
as long as they have food,
past column.
The goofy guy also has water and the occasional
tactile issues. I think he belly rub, they’re happy.
By TAMMY MALGESINI
COMMUNITY EDITOR
By BILL BIGHAUS
GUEST COMMENT
I spent a few moments
the other day rummaging
through boxes in my ga-
rage trying to find one of
the squeeze coin purses
Frank Harkenrider gave to
me in the late 1970s.
You know the one, pur-
ple and gold in color, made
from plastic or
rubber, adver-
tising Frank’s
Union Oil busi-
ness and carry-
ing the football
schedule of his
beloved Herm-
iston Bulldogs.
Many people
in Hermiston,
no doubt, still Bighaus
have one or two
of the small, old-fashioned
relics tucked away in a
shoebox or junk drawer.
I couldn’t immediately
find mine, I think I have
one from 1977 or 1978,
but I enjoyed the pursuit.
It helped bring back a
lot of wonderful memo-
ries about hanging with
my friend “Harkie,” while
also mourning his recent
passing.
I don’t think there is a
person on the planet who
loved “Hermy” more than
Frank Harkenrider, but he
was more than just Herm-
iston’s No. 1 sports fan to
me.
As the young sports
editor of The Hermiston
Herald in the late 1970s,
I, too, loved sports and
Frank was one of my early
supporters.
I am grateful that his
encouragement,
knowl-
edge and friendship helped
make my new job and new
community seem a lot less
scary. There was no one
more loyal to me.
He always called me
“Billy,” and was a tremen-
dous guy to have in my
corner as I embarked on
what was quite a learning
experience in the newspa-
per business.
And, in the end, Frank
definitely helped make my
stay in Hermiston, from
1976-85, some of the best
years of my life.
We immediately bond-
ed over sports, and had
a lot of terrific visits and
conversations. He would
talk Hermiston sports with
anyone who would
listen.
Sometimes
I
felt he just want-
ed to know if I
knew something
he didn’t.
Chances are I
didn’t.
Frank, with his
unbridled
pas-
sion and complete
devotion to high
school athletics, was ev-
erywhere and at every-
thing sports-related during
my time at The Herald.
With his loud voice, in-
fectious smile and laugh,
and outgoing personality,
he was definitely a big part
of the ballpark experience.
It didn’t matter if that
park was in Hermiston,
Boardman or Echo.
Frank, wearing that
Union Oil shirt and hat,
was rarely sitting down,
always mingling with
friends and fans no matter
the sport, and usually giv-
ing the umpires/referees a
hard time.
For decades, win or
lose, he always kept com-
ing back.
He had a detailed mem-
ory of seasons, good and
bad, going back to his
days as a Hermiston High
School student in the early
1940s.
Sadly, with Frank’s
death in late July at age
90, the sports scene in
Hermiston just won’t be
the same anymore.
He will be saluted by
the community on Satur-
day, Sept. 9, with a cele-
bration of life set for 11:15
a.m. at Hermiston High.
One of my favorite
“Harkie” moments came
in the aftermath of Herm-
iston’s
history-making
football win at Pendleton
in 1984.
After the Bulldogs
scored their first victory
over the Buckaroos since
1922, Frank and his bud-
dy, Dan Rodriguez, met
at midfield of the Round-
Up Grounds and toasted
the 27-14 win by sipping
warm champagne they had
smuggled into the stadium
in a plastic jug.
They were simply two
of the happiest sports fans
I’ve ever seen.
Cheerleader,
super
fan, community favorite,
venerable public servant,
Frank will be forever a
Bulldog.
I never did get a chance
to tell him he also had a
positive impact on my life
as a sports writer.
His amazing support
early on helped launch me
on a nearly 41-year career
in the newspaper business,
and I can’t thank Frank
enough for what he did for
me when I was first start-
ing out.
He always had Hermis-
ton’s back – and mine.
His personal touch
helped inspire me and I
will always cherish my re-
lationship with him.
Now, maybe we all
should be working on
building a statue of him
somewhere in return for
his fervent support of all
things “Hermy” and for
leaving us a trail of memo-
ries behind.
First
things
first,
though, I’ve got to go find
that coin purse.
Bill Bighaus was the
sports editor for the
Hermiston Herald from
1976 to 1985 and is now
semi-retired from journal-
ism and living in Billings,
Montana.
WORSHIP
COMMUNITY
NEW BEGINNINGS
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Worship Service 10:30 AM
Sunday School 9:00 AM
Pastor J.C. Barnett
Children’s Church & Nursery Available
700 West Orchard Avenue
P.O. Box 933
Hermiston, Oregon
541-567-8441
Seventh-day
Adventist Church
Saturdays
Sabbath School........9:30 a.m.
Worship Service......11:00 a.m.
English & Spanish Services
567-8241
855 W. Highland • Hermiston
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St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
On Our Journey
With Jesus.
Scripture, Tradition and Reason
Family service 9am Sunday
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
t. PH: 567-6672
We are an all inclusive Church
who welcomes all.
LANDMARK BAPTIST
CHURCH
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Pastor David Dever
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship..............6:00pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......6:00pm
www.hermistonlmbc.com
Grace Baptist Church
21 N. Bonanza Street, Echo OR
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
Phone: (541) 376-8108
Sunday School • 9:30am
Worship • 10:45am
Children’s Church • 11:15am
Potluck & Communion ~
First Sunday of the Month
Nursery provided for all services
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:45 AM
6:00 PM
Wed Prayer & Worship - 7:00 PM
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
First Christian
Church
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
DAILY MASS: Monday-Friday
...............................English 7:00 am
Thursday...............Spanish 6:00 pm
SATURDAY:.........English 5:00 pm
...............................Spanish 7:00 pm
SUNDAY:..............English 9:00 am
..........................Bilingual 11:00 am
..............................Spanish 1:00 pm
Offi ce..............................567-5812
“Proclaiming the Message of
Hope, Living the Gospel of Love”
Coffee and Mingle Time 9:15 am
Worship Gathering 10:00 am
Children’s Church 10:00 am
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
First United
Methodist
Church
Hermiston
191 E. Gladys Ave , Hermiston OR
Worship 10:00 AM
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Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power,
NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista.
235 SW 3rd
Phone 567-7678
Rev. Ed Baker - Rev. Nina Baker
Sunday:
Sunday School........10:00 am
Worship...................11:00 am
Evening Service........7:00 pm
Wednesday Service..7:00 pm
“Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you.”
1 Pet. 5:7
Echo
Community Church
1255 Hwy. 395 S. • 567-5834
oasisvineyard.us
+
The Full Gospel
Home Church
1520 W ORCHARD AVE
Sunday Worship Service
10:30 am Classes for Kids @ 9:15 am
SEEKING JESUS, SHARING LIFE,
SERVING PEOPLE
www.hermistonnazarene.org
Sunday Worship 11am • 541-567-3002
Nursery available Check us out on Face Book
Worship Livestream at herfumc.com
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
Rev. Dr. Jim Pierce, pastor
To share your
worship times
call
541-278-2678