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.
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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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