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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2016)
Page 8A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian PGG: Co-op must pay back a $15 million term loan to CoBank upgrades, such as adding grain piles at the McNary with United Grain is the best Terminal, but it wasn’t possible outcome for growers enough. Members “voted and the community. with their bushels,” he said at “Through the negotiated the time, taking their business agreement, (United Grain) elsewhere. has voiced a commitment United Grain will have the to maintaining crucial oper- chance to make those assets ations as well as investing SUR¿WDEOHDJDLQKHVDLG in the long-term viability of “They can be competitive, grain facilities,” Hawkins DQGKDYHWKH¿QDQFLDOPXVFOH said in a statement. to do it,” Jacobson said. For PGG, it’s another As for PGG, the co-op step forward in dissolving must pay back a $15 million the 86-year-old cooperative, term loan to CoBank and will which had been synonymous be on the hook for environ- with the region’s agriculture. mental liabilities from selling Members voted to dissolve off its remaining divisions. PGG on May 2 following a Jacobson said he believes VWULQJ RI GHYDVWDWLQJ ¿QDQ- the other departments can cial losses that pointed to a be absorbed by outside busi- FULVLV RI FRQ¿GHQFH DPRQJ nesses, similar to what has growers. happened with grain. He said In 2012, the U.S. he is optimistic at least some Department of Agriculture equity will be returned to the suspended PGG’s grain co-op’s 1,850 members, but warehouse license for 44 days it’s too early to tell how much. due to auditing discrepancies. For now, he said the The license was restored, but priority is on maintaining the co-op discovered it had services for the farmers overstated earnings in 2010 throughout the region. and 2011 by a combined $7.5 “This has been a long and million. The East Oregonian GLI¿FXOW VWUXJJOH IRU D ORW RI has requested public records these producers,” Jacobson from the Farm Service said. “This would probably Agency pertaining to the case. be the best outcome we could PGG lost another $4.4 have hoped for.” million in 2013 and $7.9 United Grain formed in million in 2014, according to 1969, and its Vancouver ¿QDQFLDOUHFRUGV0HDQZKLOH Export Terminal has a neighboring Morrow County capacity for storing 8 million *UDLQ*URZHUVSRVWHGDSUR¿W bushels of grain. For informa- of $321,315 last year, and tion on cash bids, visit www. Northwest Grain Growers ugcpnw.com. in Walla Walla made $4.4 ——— million. Contact George Plaven at Jacobson said they were gplaven@eastoregonian.com able to make some facility or 541-966-0825. Continued from 1A Wednesday, June 15, 2016 HOSPITAL: Harwood started in 1997 He launched a county-wide community health assessment in 2011. He served in year before. Geller said the downturn health-related groups such as Pendleton resulted in part because of a dispute with Community Health Partnership, Pend- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska that leton Transportation Committee, Umatilla left CHI’s Nebraska BCBS patients out of County Behavioral Health Advisory network, meaning they had to pay more Council, Greater Oregon Behavioral IRU KHDOWK FDUH RU ¿QG DQRWKHU QHWZRUN Health, Inc. Quality Advisory Committee, The tide is turning now that CHI and Blue Oregon-Washington Health Network, Cross are back together, said Geller, but Kickin’ Cancer New Beginnings Board the going is slow. of Trustees and the local and regional “Volumes are coming back,” he said. advisory councils for the Eastern Oregon “It just takes time. These changes can’t Coordinated Care Organization. occur overnight.” He’ll miss the personal moments the He said other factors in the decline most, however. included rapid expansion, high informa- “It’s been a privilege to walk with indi- tion technology investments and a soft- viduals and their families as they face the ening of admissions in other areas. Geller end of their lives,” Harwood said. “That’s said the Northwest Division, of which St. such an honor.” Anthony is a part, is solid. He’ll also miss community connections “We are the strongest,” he said. “We if it turns out he must move. Harwood, are the linchpin.” a long-distance runner, has coached the He said patient volumes have stayed Sunridge Middle School cross-country level in Pendleton, averaging 12 patients team for 16 years. This year, 56 runners per day. Geller said all of CHI’s hospitals turned out for the team. DQG FOLQLFV DUH PDNLQJ FXWV LQ VWDI¿QJ Though getting laid off is jarring, OHYHOVDQGZRUNLQJWRLQFUHDVHHI¿FLHQFLHV Harwood has come through much worse. in purchasing, accounts receivable and He has struggled with cerebral palsy since other areas. birth, but decided to go out for cross- “It’s all for one and one for all,” he said. country at his South Dakota high school. Geller attributed some of the belt-tight- +LVJRDO"1RWWR¿QLVKODVW(YHQWXDOO\KH ening to rapid growth. CHI doubled in size KHOSHGKLVWHDPSODFHLQWKHWRS¿YHDWVWDWH WKHSDVW¿YH\HDUV for three years in a row. He has run seven “That’s been a big challenge, just marathons, though he can’t wiggle the toes integrating all these new players into a on his right foot and has to consciously tell common culture, a common vision, a his right leg to push off. common strategy,” he said. As a 19-year-old he survived the Of St. Anthony’s layoffs, Geller said crash of a water truck he drove while “All these decisions — they were not made on a construction crew. His face had 17 in haste. These are all good people. We’ve fractures. One of his eyes hung out of the supported their transitions elsewhere. It’s a socket. His mother didn’t recognize him. GLI¿FXOWSDWFKWRJHWWKURXJK´ In comparison, a layoff isn’t a tragedy. Harwood said he is sad about leaving. As Harwood looks for another job in He started in 1997 as the hospital’s lone KLV¿HOGKHOHDQVRQKLVIDLWK chaplain. Eventually, he reached out to “I have to remind myself, it’s not about the churches in town to start an on-call me,” Harwood said. “It’s about a bigger chaplaincy program with local ministers. plan. It’s what God wants to do. I trust In 2009, he became the director of Mission that.” Services. In this position, Harwood ——— continued chaplain duties and also looked Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@ for ways to improve community health. eastoregonian.com or call 541-966-0810. Continued from 1A JULY 30 SCHOOL: Board passed $61.7M budget Continued from 1A later, our public is going to be tapped out,” he said. Other board members said the district can hold conver- sations with the public about pursuing another bond if it gets the grant. Ultimately, all the present board members voted to apply for the grant. Before their regular meeting, the board unanimously passed a $61.7 million budget with a $34 million general fund. Although Superintendent Jon Peterson described it as a “status quo” budget, he wrote that the district would continue to prioritize improving gradu- ation rates, particularly those of Native American students and students with disabilities, continued enhancement of the career technical education program for grades 6-12, early childhood education and imple- PHQWLQJ WKH GLVWULFW¶V ¿YH\HDU strategic plan. The school board also DSSRLQWHG RI¿FHUV QDPLQJ Debbie McBee chair and Lynn Lieuallen vice-chair. Lastly, the school board thanked Peterson and Assistant Superintendent Tricia Mooney ahead of their departures at the end of the month. Peterson is set to retire while Mooney took a similar position with the Hermiston School District. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. 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