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VOL. NO.
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The Heppner high school Rodeo team brought home the State
Championship from Redmond last weekend. Team members
pictured are Ron Currin, Lawrence Rice, Jack Yocom, Wade
West, Tony Currin, Dan Van Schoiack, Janice Healy, Cindy
Doctors will quit practice
ere oil
Drs. Richard A. Carpenter
and Joseph H. Diehl made
official Monday, the an
nouncement last week that
they would discontinue their
practice at the Heppner Medi
cal Clinic in August.
The doctors said they would
discontinue practice at the
clinic on August 1, 1978.
Patients may arrange for
transfer of their medical
records to another physician
by contacting the clinic at
Post Office Box 1109, Heppner,
' Oregon 97836 or by phoning
676-9148.
In a separate interview with
The Gazette-Times this week,
Dr. Joe Diehl took time to
explain some of his reasons
for leaving his practice here;
some thoughts for the com
munity in attracting new
doctors; and to take exception
to some attitudes expressed at
a meeting concerning . the
situation held last week, also
expressed in a Gazette-Times
editorial.
"It wasn't an easy decision
for my wife Marilyn and I to
make," opened Diehl, explain
ing the move of his family
from Pendleton to Heppner a
year ago.
"We came here with every
intention of staying for a long
time, raising our children,"
said Diehl. "The problem is
that the practice situation
promised, hasn't material
ized." Diehl explains that a clinic
in Boardman was promised by
July 1, 1977 which made viable
a three-man practice be
tween the existing Heppner
clinic and the new Boardman
clinic. At that time three
doctors were partners in the
practice. At that time Dr. Joe
Gifford was also a partner in
the practice.
"Well, the clinic wasn't
finished by December. ..it
wasn't even finished by March
of 1978," said Diehl, "which
i , BESS I E WET2EIL
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NEWSPAPER LIB
EUGENE OR 97403
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26
HEPPNER, OREGON,
Heppner High Rodeo Club
best team in state
JFe are tfce Champions...
An
gut 1
left three doctors with a
two-man practice."
"After Dr. Gifford left, Dr.
Carpenter and I still felt that
we had a committment to the
staffing of the Boardman
clinic and proceeded in that
direction," continued Diehl.
"We hired an x-ray techni
cian, bought office equipment
that we still have and all we
got was adverse publicity...
the people in Boardman made
it abundantly clear they didn't
want affiliation with Heppner
physicians or Pioneer Memor
ial Hospital."
"We feel that we went well
over half-way in meeting our
committment in regards to the
Boardman clinic," concluded
Diehl.
Along the same lines, Diehl
takes exception to the implica
tion that he is walking away
from clinics that were built for
him.
"No one's given me a nickel
since I've been here," said
Diehl.' "We've paid our own
way, all the way."
Diehl explains that he was
not involved in the initial
promotion of either clinics and
that he was in fact, recruited
here Drs. Gifford and Carpen
ter. Asked about the "30-day
notice" given the community,
Diehl said he thought it was
fair and all that was required
by the standards of his
profession.
"It's not what I'd like for the
people, but we were in a
position that a decision had to
be made. ..with consideration
given to our family, the
children and school," said
Diehl.
s Looking to the future of
medical services in Morrow
County, Diehl echoed the
sentiments of Hospital Admi
nistrator Bob Byrnes and
others concerned with health
care services in recent weeks.
, That is : Morrow County is at a
A
xff
Morrow
Dougherty, Maureen Healy, Mary Daly, Jana Steagall,
Marie Yocom and JoLynn Daly. Janice Healy was named All
Around Cowgirl, in addition.
critical point in determining
what level of health care and
services will be available.
That end decision lies with
the people of the community,
Diehl feels.
"There has to be an attitude
of cooperation rather than
isolation both within the
county and in respect to health
care facilities outside Morrow
County," said Diehl.
As health care costs spiral,
the hospitals providing that
care become stratified as to
the level of care offered in
relationship to the size of the
community.
An example would be the
high levels of care available in
the Tri-Cities, major hospi
tals; fewer services and
specialities are offered at
hospitals in Walla Walla, but
more than what is offered in
Pendleton. The Pendleton hos
pitals in turn, provide more
Dryland wheat yields expected
to average 30-31 bushels;
farmers wrestle set-aside issue
Dryland wheat yields in
Morrow County during the
upcoming winter wheat har
vest are expected to average
30 to 31 bushels per acre,
according to County Exten
sion Agent Harold Kerr and
Morrow County Grain Grow
ers manager Larry Mills.
Favorable growing condi
tions this growing season are
responsible for bringing an
expected four to five bushels
per acre bonus to the average
acre of dryland wheat. The
10-year average yield for
dryland wheat is 26 bushels
per acre.
Both Mills and Kerr expect
that harvesting in the county
The Heppner
IH w
County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
THURSDAY,
Story on Page 9.,
i
services than does a hospital
in a town the size of Heppner.
"The hospital is a big
problem. It's not adequate and
doesn't or won't meet govern
ment and insurance regula
tions," said Diehl, continuing,
"which leaves the community
. to decide what it needs in a
hospital."
" In response to a question as
to how the community might
go about attracting doctors,
Diehl said he thought it more
important to sell the commu
nity to the doctor than provide
him with financial help or
guarantee.
"Medical journals are full of
advertisements offering doc
tors everything, including lar
ger, more attractive practice
areas," said Diehl, "therefore
I feel it is most important that
the people here sell the
community to the doctor."
will not begin until the week of
July 10. The north Lexington
area has traditionally been the
site of Morrow County's first
wheat harvest activity.
Barley will begin meeting
the combine probably during
the week of July 4, Kerr said.
Mills noted that barley plant
ings in the county include less
acreage than in recent years.
Many growers are now
grappling with the decision of
whether or not to plow up
required set-aside acres in
order to qualify for the federal
wheat support program.
Growers must plow under 20
per cent of their wheat
plantings in order to partici
tea I 1
A iiL
JUNE 29, 1978
Voters split on levie
The California-born taxpay
ers' revolt made its presence
known in Morrow County
Tuesday, as two of three
budget levies facing county
voters failed to pass.
Voters took the scalpel to
Pioneer Memorial Hospital's
operating levy, cutting down
that ballot measure by a
460-568 margin. County of
ficials were uncertain as to
what course they should
pursue in the wake of final
vote tallies that showed the
Morrow County general oper
ating levy deadlocked in a
513-513 tie.
Only the Blue Mountain
Community College budget
received a clear margin of
voter approval on its third
time at the polls, and after
considerable trimming. Mor
row County voters passed the
BMCC budget 566-467, with
Umatilla County voters giving
the measure even clearer
support 3,774 to 2.416.
"We'll have to sharpen the
pencil, and start shaving costs
wherever we can," said Pio
neer Hospital administrator
Bob Byrnes, indicating that
the levy measure, in a reduced
form, will be put before voters
again this fall. The exact date
for a new hospital budget
election was uncertain.
Byrnes said he did not know
how long the hospital could
Weather
by Don Gilliam
pate. They must decide
whether income lost for de
stroying the wheat to take part
in the program will be worth
the deficiency payments they
would receive.
The deficiency payment is
based on the difference be
tween the wheat target price,
currently set at $3.40 per
bushel, and the national aver
age price for the first five
months of marketing from
June to October.
"My guess is that the
majority of growers will not
choose to participate in the
program this year," said
Kerr.
if,i s ate!
TWO SECTIONS
iL
Pioneer Memorial defeated;
BMCC gets approval; County
budget vote ends in 513 tie
continue to operate without a
supplementary levy, since the
medical facility has been
operating at a loss for some
time. "I don't know where the
bottom of the bucket is," he
said.
When voters face a new
hospital operations levy later
this year, "it will boil down to
whether you want it (the
hospital) or whether you
don't."
Despite Tuesday's vote,
Byrnes was not without opt
imism. "We're facing a crisis
that I think will turn into a
plus factor," he said.
The current taxpayers' re
volt, spawned with the pass
age of California's Proposition
13 "had a good deal to do
with" the failure of the
county's general operating
levy to pass, said Judge D.O.
Nelson. - "I think there's a
general feeling now to vote
taxes down," he said.
An official recount of the
county budget votes was
scheduled to start today, June
29, in hopes of resolving the
ballot deadlock.
Nelson said he was un
certain what course the
county would follow should the
recount result in the levy's
failure or remain a tie.
"We're in a state of limbo,"
he said. "Itis not often that
you have a tie vote."
Turnout was fairly heavy at
the polls in Heppner Tuesday.
Heppner voters cast in favor
of the hospital levy by a
244-233 margin and approved
the BMCC measure 242-234.
However, Heppne'rites turned
thumbs down tp the county
budget, voting 231-245 against
it.
HI
Wed., June 21
Thurs., June 22
Fri., June 23
Sat., June 24
Sun.. June 25
Mon., June 26
Tues., June 27
LOW
82
80
74
64
73
77
85
PREC
53
45
48
50
50
45
48
.04
.06
.35
.08
CBEC names
new manager,
Fred Toombs
Fred Toombs of Wheatland,
Wyo., will take over duties as
general manager of the Colu
bia Electric Cooperative start
ing Aug. 7.
The Wyoming man will fill a
vacancy created by the May
26 departure of former mana
ger Dave Harrison, who left
Heppner to become an insur
ance agent in Washington.
Lonnie Williams of Heppner
has been filling in as interim
manager for the power coop
erative. Toombs, 42, has been serv
ing as general manager of the
Wheatland REA Co-op in
Wyoming. He plans to bring
his wife and four children to
the area.
14 PAGES
Only about one in seven
registered voters turned out at
the polls in Irrigon, where vote
finals were 56-63 against the
county budget, 30-89 against
the hospital levy, and 55-64
against BMCC.
While Irrigon voted against
all three issues, lone voters
gave approval to the three
levies. Ionians passed the
county levy by a 96-61 margin,
voted 93-63 for the hospital and
102-58 for BMCC.
Irrigators warned to
keep water off roadways
Morrow County's irrigated farms are the subject
of an announcement this week from the County Court,
concerning sprinklers that are allowed to hit the road
with water.
County Judge D.O. Nelson said numerous
complailnts have been received from travelers about
water on state and county roads from sprinklers.
Nelson said Oregon law prohibits farmers from
letting sprinklers hit the roadway with water. Morrow
County will advise violators of the infraction by letter
from the County Roadmaster when complaints are
' received. If the situation isn't corrected, Nelson said
the farmers in violation would be cited.
Morrow Republicans to
elect officers tonight
The Morrow County Republican Central Com
mittee will meet at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 29 at the
Grain Growers conference room in Lexington.
Avon Melby, chairman of the committee, said the
meeting will be organizational in nature with election
of new officers for two-year terms.
Monday will be a holiday
for some businesses
Monday, July 3 will be a holiday for some, while
others in Heppner put in their regular 8-to-5.
Open for business as usual will be Central Market,
Murray's Drug, Gardner's Men's Wear, Peterson's
Jewelers, Jerry's Mobile and Mini Mart, the financial
institutions and the Heppner Gazette-Times, as well as
most service stations.
Closed Monday will be the Shoe Box, Kroll's
Department Store, Cole's House of Fashion and Posy
Patch, Case Furniture, Court Street Market and the
Lebush Shoppe.
City, county and state offices will be open for
business as usual on Monday.
All businesses will be closed on Tuesday, July 4.
Early deadlines at G- T
Because the Fourth of July falls on Tuesday this
year, the Gazette-Times will establish early deadlines
for all news and advertising.
Advertising copy and general news items should be
at the Gazette-Times office by 5 p.m. Friday, June 30.
The office will be open Monday, July 3 and classified
ads will be accepted until noon that day.
The Gazette-Times will be closed Tuesday, July 4.
Farmers must report
acreage by July 3
The final date for farmers to certify 1978 acreage
for harvest is July 3, according to Judy Buschke,
executive director of the ASCS in Morrow County.
"It is important for all operators to report their
acres to insure the opportunity to fully participate in
future programs," said Mrs. Buschke.
For the farmer's convenience, the ASCS office will
be open on Thursday, June 29 and Monday, July 3 from
7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
20c PER COPY
Lexington voters turned
down all three levies, voting
69-81 against the county bud
get; 73-78 against the hospital
measure and 72-79 against the
BMCC levy.
Boardman voters were
overwhelmingly opposed to
the hospital measure, casting
105 negative votes to only 20 in
favor. The county budget lost
by a scant 61-63 margin in
Boardman, with voters there
approving the BMCC levy
95-32.
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