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Morrow County's Award-W inning Weekly Newspaper
VOL. 96, NO. 48
THURSDAY, NOV. 30, 1978
HEPPNER, OREGON
TWO SECTIONS 14 PAGES
20 cents
t j
V V
V
JFe are the
champions
Sumner
general
Defeated District 55 Rep.
Jack Sumner last week won
his lawsuit charging Demo
cratic rival Chuck Bennett
with making false campaign
statements. Sumner's victory
in Marion County Circuit
Court has opened the door to a
bid by the Heppner Democrat
to invalidate Bennett's pri
mary nomination, possibly
negating the outcome of the
More patients needed...
Hospital audit shows loss
While revenue taken in for patient services rose 20 per cent
from the previous year, rising health care costs and other
considerations resulted in a net loss of $45,782 for Pioneer
Memorial Hospital at the end of fiscal year 1978 on June 30.
The financial information was made available Tuesday
night by accountant Glen Finch of Beaverton, in presenting
the annual audit report to the hospital's board of trustees.
Hospital services cost patients a total of $366,600 during
FY 1978, up from $344,497 the previous year. Nursing home
care cost $88,292 during the fiscal year recently ended, up
from $69,746. Costs for providing services totaled $387,533 at
the end of FY 1978, up from $323,367 the previous year.
The financial report showed that the hospital's nursing
home charged 10 per cent less than the amount required to
cover expenses, accounting for a deficit of roughly $22,000.
The daily base charge needed to break even for nursing home
care was estimated at $29.41. Finch estimated that at the end
of the 1979 fiscal year, the daily break-even rate would rise to
$31.79 per day.
The hospital's nursing home rates have come under fire for
being too high during recent meetings of the hospital board.
Finch indicated to the board that it would make sounder
financial sense to raise rates to come closer to meeting costs.
Welfare agencies currently pay a maximum of less than
$23 per day for nursing home residents of the hospital.
Hospital administrator Bob Byrnes reported that
admissions to Pioneer Memorial were down 48 per cent from
a year ago, with the average rate of occupancy down from 43
per cent to 26 per cent "the lowest it's been in years."
Finances received for patient care at' the hospital in recent
months have been "far from encouraging," Byrnes told the
board, stating that "the only thing that can turn it around is
an increase in patient activity."
Costs for several other hospital services besides the
nursing home also showed they were operating at a loss.
According to the audit report, delivery and labor room
7
wins election suit;
election questioned
November general election as
well.
Legal and political observ
ers can only speculate on
whether Sumner may be able
to retain his seat in the Oregon
House of Representatives,
since there is no legal pre
cendent for the issue. The
matter would likely have to be
settled in the Oregon Court of
Appeals.
m n i
5 .1
Ione's Head Coach Gordon Meyers turns on a winning smile
as he holds aloft State Class B trophy following win over
MacLaren Saturday. Cardinals captured the state crown in a
dazzling . display of high-performance football that
characterized Ione's' unblemished grid season. More photos
and story on Card victory appear on page nine.
Although the Marion County
jury ruled in Sumner's favor
last week, the Morrow County
politician did not receive as
sweeping a judgement as he
was seeking. Sumner had filed
for $10,000 in general damages
and $25,000 punitive damages
from Bennett, who defeated
him during the May primary.
The jury awarded only $147 in
general damages and no
charges to patients covered only 54 per cent of the expenses
involved. Lab charges covered 92 per cent of costs, and
nursing service charges covered 88 per cent of costs.
Hospital services showing profits included x-ray work,
which made 20 per cent above costs; drug sales, 27 per cent
above costs, and emergency room service, 19 per cent above
costs.
Finch's accounting firm recommended seven points of
change that would serve to improve hospital financial
operations and controls. The recommendations included
steps to avoid duplication in patient accounts records, the
bonding of all business office personnel, and requiring
supervisors to initial payroll records. Byrnes told the board
that he had already initiated most of the recommendations.
The audit noted that the hospital's "accounting, statistical
and reporting procedures have shown considerable
improvement over the prior year," and that "our review
disclosed no weaknesses that we considered significant in
relation to the audit of the financial statements."
In other developments Tuesday, the hospital board voted to
approve a grievance procedure for employes, that would
include establishing a "hospital relations committee"
consisting of three non-administrative employes. The
committee would attempt to resolve disputes between
workers and management that cannot be handled at the
supervisor-employee level. The committee would also be
charged with meeting periodically with the hospital board to
advise management on employee sentiment on various
hospital issues.
However, one group of hospital employes has opted for
another method of handling grienvances. The hospital's
non-licensed workers those who are not nurses, doctors, or
in management voted earlier this month to be represented
by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees Union. The union will cover about 20 hospital
workers.
,v
money in punitive damages.
According to the Salem
Statesman-Journal, the jury
deliberated for more than
seven hours on 12 statements
Bennett was alleged to have
made before ruling that two of
them constituted violations of
election laws. The two state
ments involved Bennett's un-
Cont. on page 2
County schools will seek money;
staff for new schools is reason
It now appears a sure bet
that Morrow County tax
pavers will be voting on a
request for more money for
the county school system
sometime next year.
Just how much more fund
ing will be sought remains
unknown. School board offic
ials are in the earlv stages of a
budget planning process, with
Superintendent Matt Doh
ertv's budget address not
scheduled to take place until
earlv Januarv. The school
board is also in the midst of
contract negotiations with its
employees.
But the need for more
money is already clear, as
outlined during a Monday
night meeting of the Morrow
County Board of Education.
At the center of the need for
more monev is the need to hire
new staffs to operate the new
Irrigon junior high and Board
man elementary schools. The
schools are expected to be
open for classes in Januarv of
1980 midway through the
school year.
In a proposal submitted
Monday night, the Boardman
school would require hiring
eight teachers, a principal, a
clerk-secretarv, head custod
ian, library aide, assistant
cook, and half-time bus
driver. The Irrigon junior high
would require hiring three
teachers, a principal, clerk
secretarv. head custodian,
custodian, library aide and
assistant cook.
The proposal calls for food
to be transported into the two
new schools during their
Farm-City
coming on
The annual Farm-City
Banquet bringing together
city folk and their country
neighbors will be held Satur
day, Dec. 9 at St. Patrick's
Parish Hall.
The banquet is sponsored by
the Morrow County Livestock
Growers Association and the
Heppner-Morrow County
Chamber of Commerce. The
banquet will be at 7 p.m.,
preceeded by a social hour at 6
p.m.
Awards for Conservation
Man of the Year, Cattleman of
the Year, 4-H and FFA
carcass winners, and Cham
ber of Commerce awards will
highlight the banquet.
Keynote speaker for the
banquet will be Arliegh Isley,
Klamath County Extension
Agent, who will give a talk on
the "absurdity of government
regulations."
Birdine Tullis, home exten
sion agent for Morrow County,
Port expected to name
new manager
The Port of Morrow Com
mission will meet Friday,
Dec. 1 at l p.m. for a regular
business session at which time
the announcement of a new
Port manager will be made.
Commission Chairman Le
Roy Gardner said enactment
of an ordinance authorizing
opening months, in order to
cut down on costs of preparing
meals-on-site. Dohertv indi
cated he mav propose that
architects change plans for
the new buildings, to make
cafeterias serving facilities,
rather than food preparing
sites, in an effort to save
monev. The food would be
prepared in cafeterias at A.C.
Houghton and Riverside.
Total cost for the new staffs
for the schools was estimated
at $212,000 for the first year,
Dohertv told the school board.
The cost mav prove even
higher, since the salary esti
mates were based on the
existing schedule, with a new
schedule now under negotia
tion. Included in the staffing
request for the coming year
were a new business and a
new science teacher at the
ever-growing Riverside facil
ity; a three-fourths time home
economics and art teacher at
lone High, and a half-time
physical education teacher at
Heppner Elementary. The two
new schools would also
require hiring full-time music,
art and PE teachers to serve
on the staffs of both facilities.
Some of th new employees
would be hired earlier than the
opening dates for the schools,
in order to organize and
perform preparation work.
Dohertv stressed that there
was no fat to be trimmed from
the staffing proposal, stating
"I feel it would be difficult to
give vou a cheaper package."
The board voted to include
the staffing proposal as pre
sented for budget committee
Banquet
Dec. 9
is organizing a style show
featuring Heppner busines
sesfor the banquet.
The Livestock Growers and
CowBelles will hold afternoon
business meetings that day.
Livestock Growers will meet
at the Parish Hall at 1 p.m.
with a featured talk by
Michael Heffner of Portland,
dealing with estate planning
and insurance management.
In attendance at the afternoon
session will be Oregon Cattle
man's Association President
Bill Ross and Executive
Secretary Don Ostensoe. Bill
Johns of the Oregon Beef
Commission will also be in
attendance.
The dinner is sponsored
jointly by the Cattlemen and
Chamber and the cocktail
hour is hosted by the North
west and Pendleton Produc
tion Credit Associations and
the Federal Landbank of
Pendleton.
issuance oi pollution control
bonds for the Boardman
Coal-fired Plant will be delay
ed until later in the month.
The appointment of a new
Port manager follows the
release of former manager
Rupert Kennedy by the com
mission two weeks ago.
action.
In another money matter,
the board reviewed capital
requests for the coming bud
get vear totaling $60,715, for
an assortment of maintain
ance, repair and equipment
replacement projects. The
largest single item in the list
was a $10,000 request for
replacing the roof covering of
Heppner junior high building.
Capital requests for the new
budget year totaled about
$10,000 more than the amount
approved last year. The capi
tal requests were left intact by
the board and sent on to the
budget committee for consid
eration. Board member Irv
Rauch suggested that the
budget committee give prior
ity to funding maintainance
programs, rather than to new
purchases.
The board voted to approve
creating a third Riverside
junior high boys basketball
team. Officials of the school
explained that rising North
Morrow enrollment resulted
in 94 boys turning out for
basketball. Rather than cut
Parent-teacher
group organizes
Drug abuse, communication
between parents and teachers,
truancy and attendance were
major concerns voiced by
those attending an organizat
ional meeting of Concerned
Parents and Teachers Mon
day evening at Heppner Ele
mentary School.
Barbara James and Paul
Sumner, organizers of the
group, told the audience of
more than 35 persons they
visioned "a parent-teacher
group to work on all problems
affecting the school system."
Mrs. James said primary
areas of concern were "a lack
of discipline in the schools and
drug abuse" which included
both consumption of alcohol
and marijuana.
Sumner was elected presi
dent of the organization, with
Chamber outlines
lighting contest
Heppner residents and churches are invited to
participate in the Chamber of Commerce Christmas Lighting
Contest but those interested in having their displays judged
must return a coupon that appears in this week's paper.
First, second and third place cash awards will be
presented by the Chamber to winners in a residential
category and the same for three area churches. The cash
awards are $30, $20, and $10 respectively for first, second and
third place.
To be eligible for a prize, interested persons should clip
the coupon that appears on page 10 of this week's
Gazette-Times and return it to the Chamber at the address
given on the coupon.
Judging will be done on Sunday evening, Dec. 17 and
entry forms should be returned to the Chamber before
Friday, Dec. 15.
Displays in the residential division should be on the
exterior of the home or in plain view of the street if displayed
in a window. Entries will be judged on originality and
uniqueness as well as overall attractiveness.
Weather
by Don Gilliam
ting dozens of youths from the
two existing teams, they
suggested creating a third
team. The current coaching
staff would handle the direct
ion of the new team, so no new
personnel would be hired. The ,
only additional expense would
involve bus transportation.
In other action, the board
accepted resignations from
lone home economics teacher
Monica Swanson and from
Heppner Elementary teacher
Rachel Dick. Marcia Macom
ber of lone was hired to
replace Mrs. Swanson as
home economics teacher at
IHS, and to teach art part
time. W.E. Nelson Construction
Co.' of Boardman was low
bidder for the new Riverside
shop building. The Boardman
firm submitted a bid of
$323,560 for the project, for
which the board had budgeted
about $330,000. A round of
bidding on the project earlier
this year failed to bring a
bidder willing to perform the
work within the budget limitations.
Mrs. James serving as vice
president and Marie Struth
ers, secretary. Two commit
tees were also formed one to
begin work on the drug abuse
problem and a second to meet
with the School District's
advisory committees for
Southern Morrow County
schools.
Rod Aho, chairman of the
drug abuse committee, will
arrange a program for the
next meeting at which school
administrators, juvenile auth
orities and a local attorney
will be present to answer
questions. "
The next meeting of the
group will be Tuesday, Dec. 19
at 7:30 p.m. in the library at
the elementary school in
Heppner. The public is encour
aged to attend.
High Low Precip.
Tue.. Nov. 21 25 19 11
Wed., Nov. 22 35 21
Thu., Nov. 23 38 22
Fri., Nov. 24 35 26
Sat., Nov. 25 33 27
Sun., Nov. 26 29 17
Mon., Nov. 27 42 15 T
Tue., Nov. 28 49 32 .28