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HEPPNER, OR — Bank of Eastern Oregon is proud to announce its school mascot debit card program contributed over $7,261 to participating area high schools in 2024. "The school mascot cards provide much needed extra funding for these student body programs," said Becky Kindle, EVP & Chief Operations Officer. Initiated in September 2013, the Bank of Eastern Oregon mascot debit card program serves the high school associated student body programs of Heppner, Riverside, Irrigon, I...
"Fire is a good servant, but a bad master." — ancient proverb I’ve heard a few people say that the 2024 fires that carved a path of destruction through Gilliam and Wheeler counties were “once in a lifetime” events. The kind of blazes that someone will ask about in 20 years after another fire hits, to which, we will certainly say, “oh no my boy – you should have seen that fire in 2024.” But it is hard to say with any certainty whether such megafires are one-offs or a part of...
Last week I regaled you, Dear Reader, with my wondrous excitement at receipt of a book-gift from a customer, Dick Verinder. It was his press’s reissue in 2015 of Bernard Darwin’s The Riviera Golf Courses. In 1913, Darwin and his golfing entourage were playing then with “baffing spoons” and “niblicks,” with “mashies” and “brassies.” By 1927, he was lamenting a “most mournful” trend in golf as those colorfully named clubs were being replaced with numbered clubs. In “Mou...
Days of Yore for January 16, 2025 10 years ago— Another long-held family ranch in Gilliam County has sold. Known as the Rattray ranch in the Mayville area, the original holdings have been in the family for over 100 years. Five generations of Rattray families have had an opportunity to live the life of rodeo, ranching, cattle production, range and wildlife management on the ranch. Recently the ranch was sold to Western Rivers Conservancy, the conservation group that several y...
Excursions may be cancelled due to extreme winter weather, to keep our community members safe. Condon Meal Site Bus: Thursdays January 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th Thursday February 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th Please contact GC Transportation to request being picked up – 541-351-9545. Wildhorse Casino Bus: Wildhorse excursions are scheduled for the second Tuesday of the month. January 14, 2025 February 11, 2025 Depart Condon by 8:00/Arlington 9:00 11:00 am -3:00 pm at Casino Back i...
The Condon Caring Quilts group invites all interested sewists to join them for a "sew-in" on January 9th, 10th, and 11th (come one or all three days) at St John Parish Hall in Condon. The group plans fun filled days sewing quilts to be presented to military veterans living in the Condon area. Presentations will be made during Condon's 2025 Fabulous Fourth of July. Most necessary supplies will be provided during the sew-in, including irons, cutting mats, fabric and pre-cut...
First Day Hikes is a program of free, guided hikes offered by the fifty state park systems of the U.S. each year on New Year's Day. The program began in 1992 in Massachusetts, and then went nationwide in 2012. The purpose of the hikes in Oregon through the State Parks system is to encourage people to connect with nature, and to start out the new year on the right foot. On January 1, 2025, 25-30 people met at the Experience Center at Cottonwood Canyon State Park on the John...
Breakfast Bliss Waffles It's been awhile since I've created my own recipe and I've already written about most of them here. But now I have a new recipe to share with you – an original that I made up all by myself. Google said that no one else has thought of this same recipe so I call that "out-Googling myself". That happened only once before. That was when I blended an Asian ingredient into an Italian recipe; that's called fusion cooking. I added some tamarind paste to an I...
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” — Mother Teresa It’s hard to see peace and stability in our day-to-day lives. Anger and vitriol have become commonplace in our society, and the hatred that exists for our fellow Americans is hard to ignore. The events from January 6, 2021 were a turning-point in this nation. And the aftermath of the 2020 election set us on a truly ugly path. Thinking about that day, four years ago, I wonder...
Days of Yore for January 9, 2025 10 years ago— Members of the Port of Arlington Commission met with engineers and a host of representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jan. 5 at the Port office. The meeting wasn’t a social call, and the Corps representatives’ repeated chorus of “We’re here to help make this easier” wasn’t making anything any easier. The meeting was the latest in a series of often contentious gatherings over the past seven years, since the Corps of...
“Let’s go out to Dottie. Dottie, whadd’ya got?”, Part One It was just a $17 book, a signed Ann Patchett novel, The Dutch House, a nice-looking book that had gone to its new custodian in Montgomery, Texas, Dick Verinder. Upon its arrival he wrote by e-mail in thanks and asked if I’d like a book in return. “Wow! That’s never happened. Okay, sure.” A week later I received a signed and numbered copy of The Riviera Golf Courses, a brilliant little tome that was reissued in 201...
The Best of Days of Yore 2024 10 years ago – But all this weather has brought out the best in people. The most impressive thing was the parents who stood at the top and the bottom of the Wheeler High hill so the sledders would be safe. Great job! Centenarian Dewey Thomas of Wasco commented how easy it was to have his driver’s license renewed, and noted he won’t have to do that again for eight years! A birthday celebration was held October 26 at the school in Moro. Damas...
Days of Yore for January 2, 2025 10 years ago— Dale Scobert, a man with 39 years experience in law enforcement, will become Condon’s new police force come the first of the new year. Scobert is replacing retiring Bill Gubser, who has been city policeman for Condon for the past 14 years. Katie Cook, Jude Berray and Mac Stinchfield were among the 38 folks who turned out for the second annual Cottonwood Canyon First Day Hike. Temperature on the river was 17 degrees but it was cle...
Laura Mirsky put together a fine survey of, ahem, “art” photography for Benedikt Taschen that resulted in Forbidden Erotica: the Rotenberg Collection (Koln, Germany: Taschen Books, 2000). Her brilliant Foreword highlighted the place of “the nude” in the history of photography. It seems to have been virtually parallel, simultaneous. Credit for the world’s first Selfie goes to Mr. Robert Cornelius, who snapped a self-portrait in October of 1839. He was then a 30-year-o...
Book clubs, like readers, come in all shapes and sizes. The one thing they all have in common is the love of literature. Many literary groups grew from the ashes of the pandemic, while others have been in existence for over a hundred years. A quote by Mason Cooley sums it up quite well…”Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” I reached out to both of my sisters-in-law about their book clubs. Hollyn, in Redding, CA has been a member of Ex Libri...
My favorite seasoning is Maldon sea salt flakes. An English family has made the salt for over 140 years and it’s used in the royal kitchens; it says so on the box. The salt seems more like magic dust than salt because it has a “feel” in addition to taste. This is difficult to describe and the closest I can say is that the salt adds “completeness”. Somehow the salt magnifies and unifies all the flavors and whoosh —the food goes into full bloom without tasting overly salt...
In my last message from the mayor, I would like to thank you for your support and encouragement during the last two years. It has been a tremendous honor for me to serve as your mayor. While there is never enough time to accomplish everything, I am proud of the things that were done. I'd like to thank Chase Misner for supplying the materials, constructing, and helping to install the frame to hang the business signs. The digital message board is a wonderful way to keep our...
I am bursting with pride to see my Condon Grade School classmates honored for their contributions as they retire from the city council. To these great examples of servant leadership, our small class of 1977 has also contributed years of public service from Leah (Potter) Watkins and Rena (Rattray) Kennedy, who have made quite a positive impact on Condon and Gilliam County! Thank you all for making Condon a place where I love to come home and visit. — Roger Tipley...
Days of Yore for December 26, 2024 10 years ago— On Nov. 22, the windsock at the Asher Community Health Center blew off the pole. This is the wind directional indicator that the air ambulance pilots use. The custodian took it to the clinic, but as of the end of last week it still hadn’t been replaced. Perhaps some good Christmas elves, or good citizens of Fossil, could assist in replacing the windsock. The national average for a gallon of gas plunged another 15 cents to $2....
The Condon Community Food Pantry held its most recent board meeting on December 11, 2024, to discuss achievements, financial updates, and new operational requirements. The meeting was attended by Chairman and Food Pantry Director Kolona Morin, Secretary Kirk Stonick, Ron Miller, Randy Anderson, and Lynnette Stoddard. Financial Update The minutes from the previous meeting and the financial statements were approved unanimously. The pantry reported a total of $21,330.00 in donati...
The Anarchist Cookbook (1971). Sinister Wisdom. Whole Earth Catalog (1969). “The S.C.U.M. Manifesto” (1968). The Foxfire Book (1972). Our Bodies, Ourselves (1973). Silent Spring (1962). Woman’s Body, Woman’s Right (1974). Diet For a Small Planet (1976). The Dialectics of Sex (1970). The Giving Tree (1964). Hidden From History (1973). “The Tragedy of the Commons” (1968). I’m pretty sure that you, too, Dear Reader, could easily name a dozen printed works that meant somethi...
I often experiment with recipes and rarely make one exactly as it reads. I am definitely a kitchen witch . . . a little bit of this, a little bit of that (no, I don’t use eye of newt). My one-of-a-kind cast iron cauldron makes whatever I cook turn out wickedly good. And recently, Condon resident Rick Knoernschild carved me a lovely soup ladle out of juniper so now the cauldron is complete. Thank you, Rick, for such a thoughtful gift. When I met with Rick to pick up the l...
Days of Yore for December 19, 2024 10 years ago— Staff at Cottonwood Canyon State Park will host the park’s second annual First Day Hike on January 1. The hike will be led by park rangers and will focus on the development of Oregon’s newest park from cattle ranch to future development. The hike is two miles on uneven ground. North Gilliam County Rural Fire Protection District firefighters were pleased to take delivery of two new wildland brush trucks. The purchase of the truck...
Can a Christmas parade be planned in five days? Yes, it can, if you put two feisty gals together when each of them holds a special place in their hearts for the tiny town of Spray, Oregon. When Hannah Nead, of Stanley Valley Ranch, got the notion in her head to plan a Spray Christmas Parade at the last minute, she called her friend Joni Kabana, owner of the Spray General Store, who regularly plans events throughout the year. At first, Joni was hesitant to give it a whirl,...
On Friday, December 13, 2024, the Women of the Wasco Community Church hosted their second Cookies for a Cause fundraiser, spreading love and holiday cheer throughout the community. This outreach ministry brought together the talents and hearts of many to make a difference for a local family facing medical challenges this season. The women baked their favorite cookies in the days leading up to the event, and the night before the sale, an enthusiastic assembly line came together...
