Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1979)
:r BESS I E VETZELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER L I 3 EUGENE OR 97403 VOL. 97, NO. 8 r': p' V i '7 ft cp( . w -.' i ; ; I I I ! i j ;'.,; i f " I :; . . - L i ft ' & ' ... Tmni ur' Itwf , -"W""" ws Award winners at Tuesday night's Future Farmers of America banquet are, left to right, Ken Bailey, af mechanics; Marie Van Schoiack, Star Chapter Farmer, dairy efficiency, diversified livestock production; Scott Sherer, placement in sales and service to agriculture; Ann Hospital Board seeks bids from health management corporations Pioneer Memorial Hospi tal's Board of Trustees voted Tuesday night to seek firm bids from a variety of health care management corpora tions interested in contracting for the operation of the Heppner medical facility. The bids are to be submitted within a 30 day period, so that they would be available for consideration during the next regular board meeting. Voting on the proposal to seek the bids submitted by new board member Dan Sweeney was unanimous. Earlier in the meeting, .Sweeney had unsuccessfully attempted to bring the board to a vote on "which manage ment philosophy we're going to follow" maintaining the status quo or contracting with a health care management corporation. Board members resisted Sweeney's request for an immediate vote on the matter. Board President Fred martin noted that a hospital in Burns recently canceled its contract with a medical management corporation, and a hospital in the Lakeview area, after lengbty deliberations on whether to contract with a management firm, decided against the move. "I want to know why this happened before we vote on this here," he said. Martin also stated that the board "needs to know if the people of the county want to go this route. I'm not convinced the people will go for it. I want to be sure." "We can't decide in one sit-down what we're going to do," commented board mem ber Alice Bartlett, noting that most board members have less than four months' exper ience on the panel. "We have to look at more than one package." Heppner resident Jewell Hager argued that board members "Have had long enough to investigate" the possibility of contracting with a management corporation. She asked for a show-of-hands vote of the 25 citizens 'attend ing the meeting on whether they wanted an immediate decision on management cor poration question, with a majority of those attending the meeting indicating that they did. Prior to his motion calling for the vote to seek proposals from the hospital manage ment firms, Sweeney stated that the hospital board needs "a level of expertise that we or at least I am not able to deliver." With a reliable management firm, "we can expect the leadership and resources... that are the basis of our problems now. I feel the community would support us if we show direction." None of the board members spoke against Sweeney's prop osal to solicit bids from management corporations. In other developments, Pio neer Memorial Administrator Elks' 82nd Annual set for Saturday Heppner Elks and their out-of-town guests are extended an invitation to attend the local lodge's 82nd Annual by Exalted Ruler Jerry Anderson. The Annual will kick off Saturday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. with a Ladies Tea at the lodge. An initiation ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. followed by a social hour. Dinner for the event will be prepared and served from 6-8 p.m. by the Heppner American Legion. The Ritz a contemporary show band will headline entertainment in the downstairs lounge with a second band providing live music upstairs beginning at 9 p.m. Annual goers may register at the door for $25 per couple. Pre-registration is accepted by calling 676-9181 days or 676-5826 evenings, with special coupons given to those who register early. Those attend ing the dance only will pay a $5 cover charge for entertainment. Morrow HEPPNER, OREGON Van Schoiack, swine production, Star Greenhand; Julie Grieb, public speaking, beef efficiency, Outstanding Senior Student; Ron Young, placement in ag production; and Terry Gray, Outstanding Beginning Student. Bob Byrnes reported that the public's use of the hospital picked up markedly during anuary, with the average daily patient load 108 per cent over December's totals. A total of 58 admissions were recorded during January, and at one point during recent weeks, the occupancy rate reached 100 per cent. January's increased patient load meant that "for all practical purposes, we just about broke even" for the month, Byrnes said. However, thus far this fiscal year, the hospital has been averaging only 27 per cent occupancy, down from 39 per cent during the same period the previous year. Hospital balance sheets now that Pioneer Memorial has experienced a net loss of $39,898 thus far this year. The Hep p net JLV County's THURSDAY, FEB. 22, 1979 -r . f - a-; Byrnes reported that a meeting originally scheduled for today between a board of trustees negotiator and a representative of the Federa tion of City, County and Municipal Employees, AFL CIO, has been postponed at the request of the union. School Board gives names to new North End schools Names were selected for the two new North Morrow schools, an updated report on flood damage to lone schools was given, and the proposed budget for the coming school year was approved during a Monday night meeting of the Morrow County School Board. The board voted to name the new Boardman grade school Sam Boardman Elementary, in honor of the Boardman community's namesake, Sam uel Boardman, the first man to homestead the area now encompassed by the city of Boardman. A native of Mas sachusetts, Boardman was a construction engineer and avid amateur horticulturist, who was employed for many years by the state highway department. The new Irrigon junior high building's official name is now Columbia Junior High. The new school will be located a short distance from the banks of the Columbia River at Irrigon. Contracts for the two schools were recently award ed, and work on the structures should move into full swing this spring, with classes expected to open midway through the 1979-80 school year. Board members selected the names from a list of more than 20 suggestions for each school, many of them submit ted by residents of the Boardman and Irrigon com .nrTTixT JlJllYLl Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper Council to put Willow Creek Dam question to Heppner voters Heppner City Council agreed Thursday to give citizens a voice on the question of whether to build the proposed Willow Creek Dam, by placing the question on the ballot during the April 3 election. The move to seek citizens' opinions on the dam was introduced by councilmen Joe Miller and Cliff Green. Miller and Green made their feelings known on the "straw ballot" after Mayor Jerry Sweeney had attempted unsuccessfully to bring the council to a vote on whether to reaffirm sup port for the project. During the same election, the city will once more be seeking funding in excess of the six per cent limitation, Sweeney reported. Water sys tem problems, damage done to streets by the recent flooding, and other expenses will mean that "we will have to go farther out of the six per cent limitation than we did last year," Sweeney re marked. "We could use three times the amount that we currently have budgeted for paving," Mayor Sweeney noted, stating that the recent quick-thaw has left many streets "beyond patching it's a paving job, now." At some point in the near 1 future, a three mile stretch of 1930-vintage water main along Willow Creek just outside the city limits "will have to be replaced," Sweeney said. "That's a foregone conclu sion." munities. lone Principal Chuck Starr reported to the board that an updated review of damages done to lone schools as a result of the recent flooding shows losses estimated at just over $41,000. Approximately $17,000 of the total damaee estimate was done to the elementary school building. In that struc ture, a wall was pushed in, a refrigerator and soft drink machine ruined, teaching equipment and classroom gear was destroyed, junior high athletic uniforms spoiled, and a large quantity of supplies washed away or ruined. A piano in the building was filled with mud and debris, rendering it useless. The only way it could be removed was by demolishing it with a sledgehammer, Starr said. Damage was estimated at $5,100 in the lone High School Building where mud and water entered nearly every room through air vents and heat registers. Fencing around the athletic field was smashed down by flood-driven ice chunks and debris, with the field remaining covered with mud and trash. Miscel laneous damage to lone school property was set at $19,000. Starr praised the efforts of volunteers who pitched in to help with mop up and repair operations, including scores of lone area residents, Lions Club members, and school It is that stretch of water line that is believed respon sible for the current impure drinking water situation in Heppner. City Administrator Marshall Lovgren reported that the problem area is believed to' be located on a three-fourths mile stretch of line near the Wilkinson Ranch. Whether impurities are enter ing the system through a pipe rupture or a series of perfora tions is unknown. A possible cave-in below the casing in a city well has not been ruled out as being the source. City crews have kept water flowing through the line in order to maintain pressure, so that any leakage may be spotted. City Engineer Steve Anderson recommended turn ing on all three pumping stations along the Willow Creek line to increase pres sure, making any leakage all the more visible. "You might not find the leak at all until the ground dries up," Anderson commented. Meanwhile, precautionary boiling of drinking water remains the order of the day,' as water tests continue to indicate that bacteria content is above the safety level. The bacteria count has been slowly dropping, but two consecutive safe readings must be taken before the boiling order may be lifted. The city has been chlorinat ing the water supply at the recommendation of health officials, and the chlorine content has been monitored in tests to assure that the proper district personnel from Lex ington and Heppner. "We wouldn't have been able to reopen on Monday without their help." he said. Based on a $5 per hour rate, volunteers donated an estimated $6,000 worth of labor to the lone schools cleanup effort, Starr said. Since a number of items will have to be replaced prior to the next regular school board meeting, Superintendent Matt Doherty was authorized by the board to make emergency expenditures to replace dam aged equipment and lost supplies. In other money matters, the board officially adopted its proposed budget for the coming school year. The budget will require a total of $4,472,600, requiring an esti mated tax levy of more than $3.9 million, an increase of more than $800,000, or 23 per cent above the current rate. County taxpayers can expect to pay in the vicinity of $9.80 per $1,000 of property, compared with the current rate of $9.59. School taxes would come to roughly $490 for the owner of a $50,000 home, for example. Before adopting the budget, the board concurred with a recommendation by Doherty to raise the school district's contingency fund for unex pected expenses such as the Cont. on page 3 TWO SECTIONS 14 PAGES level will be maintained. In other action Thursday, the council agreed to allow the Heppner Planning Commis sion to decrease the number of commissioners from nine to seven. Planning Commission Director Terry Hager, in a letter to the council, termed the nine-member board "unweildy," and noted that it was difficult to obtain a quorum with so many members. Boiling order continues; dye used to trace leak Heppner City Administrator Marshall Lovgren said residents should continue to boil their water before using it as city crews are still attempting to locate the broken line. Lovgren said the city will use a yellow-green or red colored dye sometime this week to assist in locating th" break. Although the dye is not expected to get into the city's reservoirs, he said it might and informs residents that the dye is non-toxic and bio-degradeable. The coloring does not further contaminate the water, however, it could cause some problems with washing clothing. Lovgren urged caution if water appears that is colored with the dye. Atiyeh gives Morrow disaster area status Gov. Vic Atiyeh has de clared Morrow County a disaster area, making county residents who lost property during the recent flooding eligible for aid from a variety of federal agencies. Morrow was one of four Oregon counties to receive disaster status in the wake of the flooding. Also in line to receive federal assistance, mainly in the form of low interest loans, are Crook, Sherman and Umatilla counties. State Emergency Services Division Administrator Harvey Latham said the towns of lone, Stanfield, Prineville and Rufus will require a total of nearly $2-. 03 million in assistance to re cover from the effects of the thaw-triggered flooding. County officials estimated damage to Morrow at $500,000, mostly to roads, bridges and lone schools. Representatives from the federal Small Business Administration, Farmers' Home Administration and Soil Conservation Service were expected to arrive in Morrow County schools to open early on day of eclipse Morrow County Schools will open one hour early on Feb. 26, the day of the total eclipse. This action is being taken for two reasons. It will provide an opportunity for a certain amount of activity related to the eclipse to be conducted at school, this capitalizing on the event for educational pur poses, and it will remove students from bus stops and 20 cents The council appointed John Shaw to fill one of several vacancies on the panel, bring ing the number of commis sioners to the requested level of seven. Heppner banker Ken Miller was appointed to fill a vacancy on the city's budget committee, and Sweeney pres ented outgoing councilman Bob Jones a plaque commem orating his eight years of service on the council. County this week to inspect damage. They were also scheduled to meet with county officials, and be on hand to help residents fill out applica tion forms for the various federal relief programs. How ever, as of Wednesday morn ing, county officials said they had received no indication that the representatives had yet arrived. The Small Business Admin istration can provide low interest, long-term loans to eligible businessmen and homeowners. The FHA pro vides similar services, plus can make loans to cities to repair damage. The SCS has funds available to help farm ers repair agricultural land damaged or scoured by wash outs, replace erosion control constructions, and defray the cost of replacing certain farm equipment and fixtures dam aged or destroyed by flood waters. The governor's disaster dec laration also generally serves to speed up the processing of insurance claims filed by residents suffering flood dam age. unsupervised areas at the time when looking at the sun would be extremely danger ous. Parents are urged to take every precaution to help their children understand the dan ger of looking directly at the sun during the eclipse.
