:r BESS I E VETZELL
U OF ORE
NEWSPAPER L I 3
EUGENE OR 97403
VOL. 97, NO. 8
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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
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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
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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.