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VOL 108 NO. 4 9 _________ Wednesday, December 5, 1990
Local students adopt serviceman
The burning sands of Saudi Arabia
are a little bit closer to home for
students in a first grade class at
Heppner Elementary School. The
students of Mrs. Pat Edmundson
have adopted a serviceman station
ed in Arabia-Army Sergeant James
McConnell.
McConnell, 23, the son of Charles
and Vivian McConnell of Heppner
and brother of Cindy Sumner, who
is an aide in Mrs. Edmundson's
class, is a military police specialist.
He had been stationed at Fort
George G. Meade, Maryland, when
he was deployed to the Middle East
as a part of Operation Desert Shield.
He was a 1985 graduate of Heppner
High School. McConnell and his
wife, Shelly, met in Germany where
she was also stationed with the Ar
my. They have a seven-month-old
son, Tyler. He had also been station
ed in Panama during the crisis there.
In letters written home in mid-
November, McConnell said that
winter had hit, with temperatures
ranging from the 90s to the high 60s,
although nights were "really cold.”
His mother said that he had written
that the soldiers slept with 25 men
to a tent and had to wait in long lines
for food, showers and latrines. He
also said that conditions were very
dry and they couldn’t seem to drink
enough water. He also commented
that they couldn’t find solid ground,
but that the Saudis were glad they
were there. Letter writing was
limited to ‘lights out’ with the help
of a flashlight.
Cindy Sumner said that she had
received labels from the bottled
water that the men drink-the only
souvenirs Jim was able to send
tome.
________ Heppner
35 *
8 Pages
teaching members of the Royal
Saudi Air Force to work on F-I5s.
The Stillmans lived at Khamis
Mushayt, which is located in the
south near the Red Sea, and about
100 miles from the country of
Yemen.
The nearest largest city was Abha.
Janice Stillman says that the area in
which they lived was quite different
from where American service men
and women are stationed. They liv
ed in a more mountainous area, with
an altitude of around 8,000 feet,
which made it hard to breathe. While
it wasn’t in the desert, Janice says
it was still quite warm.
The Stillmans lived in a compound
on a Saudi Air Force base which was
populated
by
around
350
Westerners, mostly Americans and
British. The family lived in a
Jim Mcconnell
Western-style home and the com
pound had a pool, sports facilities
In the meantime, children back at
and other amenities. “ It was
home are learning about Arabia and
wonderful," commented Janice.
waiting for a letter from the
The Stillman children, Aaron, six,
“ adopted soldier.” Mrs. Edmund
son says that the students have to be and Robert 11, attended an
American-run school on the base.
careful of what they draw and have
Students attending the school
been cautioned not to draw pictures
of baby Jesus or other religious sym represented 18 different na
bols, but may send packages of tionalities, including Egyptians,
Pakistanis, Australians, British and
powdered soft drink mix.
Americans. Janice taught English to
Mrs. Edmundson’s class has an
Saudi women on the base.
added bonus and another perspective
Janice said that as a woman she
of Saudi Arabia in that one of the
could do just about anything she
students in the class, Aaron Stillman,
wished, but was advised to dress
lived in Saudi Arabia for a year with
very modestly when venturing out in
his parents, Janice and Rory
Stillman. Rory, who was bom and
public to avoid harassment. She said
raised in Heppner, spent 15 months
she often rode the bus, as do the
Saudi women, because they are not
employed with the McDonald
allowed to drive. There was a con
Douglas company working with the
venience store on base, but major
Saudi military. While there, he was
shopping was done on the Saudi
involved in aircraft maintenance.
economy. In the larger cities she
says there are Western stores such
as Safeway.
* The Stillmans arrived in Heppner
from Saudi Arabia a year ago.
lone Kindergarten class
Burnside-McElligott replaces Wright reaches out to serviceman
as county health nurse
Laura Burnside-McElligott
Laura Burnside-McElligott has
been hired as the Morrow County
Health Nurse effective Jan. 1 to
replace Pat Wright, who resigned
Oct. 19 after 16 years as county
health nurse.
“ We had six excellent candidates,
but Laura was an outstanding pro
spect,” said Morrow County Judge
Louis Carlson. “ She has a tremen
dous background of experience. Her
experience and education made her
an outstanding candidate. She had
qualifications for seeking grant fun
ding and has shown a desire to ex-
pand the services of the health nurse
into pre-natal and early intervention
health care issues when funds
become available.”
Burnside-McElligott, 36, attended
an intercollegiate nursing education
program at W ashington State
University at Pullman, with the last
two years of her schooling in con
junction with Gonzaga University at
Spokane, Whitman College at Walla
Walla and Eastern Washington State
University at Cheny, WA. She
graduated in 1981 with a bachelor of
science degree in nursing. While at
tending school she did health
assessments for Head Start children,
scoliosis screenings and case
management for WIC program
(Women, Infants, Children) clients
for a county health department. She
also worked with the Multiple
Sclerosis Society in health teaching
as well as direct care.
She worked four years at Pioneer
Memorial Hospital in Heppner and
one and a half years at Good
Samaritan Hospital in Portland as a
‘critical care float' in which she
traveled to different areas of the
hospital including intensive care,
cardiac care, neurology and en
docrinology units to care for patients
in critical condition.
She is now employed at Good
Hermiston, where she works in the
critical care center. As a house
supervisor she is responsible for staf
fing for all departments, for backup
as a resource tool, obtaining
medicine from the pharmacy after
pharmacy hours and as backup in the
emergency room and medical and
surgical floors. She also teaches pre
natal education classes at Pioneer
Memorial Hospital.
“ The first thing we need to do is
look at what the county needs and
what the people need,” said Bum-
side McElligott. She said that several
newly state-mandated programs will
be implemented by the Morrow
County Health Department. Those
programs include in-home monitor
ing of at-risk infants to prevent
health and social problems, and pro
viding well-child care to low income
families. She is currently attending
classes on in-home assessment for at-
risk infants and plans on spending
time with the Umatilla County
Health Department.
“ At this point,” she said,
“ Umatilla County is providing for
family planning for Morrow Coun
ty. A goal is to get accessible fami
ly planning services back into the
county.”
Burnside-McElligott and her hus
band Tom, have five children and
live in Heppner.
Shepherd Community Hospital in
No downtown
Christmas
music this year
Volunteers needed to fix decorations
Bill Kuhn displays the newly renovated Christmas lights
Heppner’s Christmas decorations
are falling apart, and community
volunteers are needed to spend an
evening refurbishing them.
Purchased used 13 years ago from
The Dalles, the decorations are at
least 25 years old. says local attorney
Bill Kuhn, who along with Bob Kahl
has been working on the renovation
project through the local chamber of
commerce.
There are 36 decorations in
downtown Heppner. and it will cost
about $100 apiece to fix them, said
Kahl Money for the renovation will
come from the Heppner Chamber of
Com m erce’s portion o f Cycle
Oregon revenue.
But it’s help we need now. says
Kuhn. “ We need labor to make this
project work.”
A work night is scheduled for next
Monday night. Dec. 10 from 5:30 to
8:30 p.m. at the Heppner fire hall.
Kuhn estimated it will take ap
proximately three hours to refurbish
the decorations, if 20 to 30 people
show up.
The decorations will be taken
down from the poles by Tom
Springer of Tom’s TV and redone in
an assembly line type method. The
old garlands will be stripped off,
wiring and lights checked over and
new garlands and lights added, Kahl
said. They will be taken out and put
back up the same night.
The senior citizens have agreed to
furnish a meal for the volunteers
who help with the renovation
project.
Anyone who has questions about
the work party to fix Heppner’s
Christmas decorations may contact
either Bill Kuhn or Bob Kahl.
The Grinch really did steal
Christmas...or at least he stole the
Christmas music. And Heppner
shoppers won’t enjoy Christmas
carols downtown any more.
Gardner’s Men’s Wear owner Roe
Gardner has been forced to discon
nect his speaker system, which
usually broadcasts Christmas music
throughout the downtown area for
the enjoyment of Christmas shoppers
and passers-by.
Gardner has received two letters
from a company called BMI Licen
sing threatening him with a lawsuit
if he continues to broadcast music in
his store-unless he signs an agree
ment with them for payment of
royalties.
According to Gardner, BMI has
signed with various composers, so
that any time music is played in a
commercial setting, such as a store
or mall, they will receive royalties.
Gardner said that BMI has set up
several payment categories, depen
ding on business square footage: up
to 1,500 feet, $60 a year; up to 2,500
feet, $120 yearly; up to 5,000 feet,
$240; and over 5,000 feet $480.
Each business level, such as a
department store with more than one
floor level, is assessed separately, at
$60 a floor after the first floor.
Gardner said that a restaurant in
Hermiston went to court over the
music royalty issue and lost big’.
Bah Humbug.
lone’s Kindergarten class of 10
have been “ busy little elves,” says
lone Kindergarten teacher Sue
Warren.
Following the lead of Cameron
Krebs, the class has been fixing a
care package to send to former lone
resident Kevin Ball, who is station
ed in Saudi Arabia.
The class has made granola to
send when studying letter “ G” last
# eek , sacked popcorn, sang
Christmas songs on a tape and made
Christmas greeting cards.
Kevin, the son of Marie and Jim
Boor is a 1990 graduate of lone High
School.
During their study of “ H” this
week the class learned that Saudi
Arabia was in the eastern
hemisphere through use of a world
globe and that lone is in the northern
hemisphere.
The children wish to send the
greeting of “ have a happy holiday”
to all of the servicemen and women
stationed in Operation Desert Shield
and “ are thankful for the men and
women who are serving our coun
try.”
Wick hired as PMH administrator
Pioneer Memorial Hospital Ad
ministrator Ernest Wick has ac
cepted a one-year contract with the
Morrow County Medical Board ac
cording to Jackie Bergstrom, board
chairman. Wick will earn $53,000
a year in addition to benefits, as
specified by the contract, which will
be renegotiated yearly.
Effective December 10, Wick will
also assume duties for additional pay
as X-ray technician to replace pre
sent X-ray technician Faith Healy,
who has announced her resignation.
The board is seking a permanent X-
ray technician to replace Healy.
Prior to Dec. 1, Wick was an
employee of St. Anthony Hospital,
which was under contract to manage
PMH. St. Anthony, Aug. 20.
notified the Morrow County Medical
Board of its decision to terminate its
contract with PMH on Dec. 1, say
ing only that “ St. Anthony is in the
process of reorganization and will
not be able to provide management
services any longer.”
“ We still have a very good
understanding with St. Anthony,”
said Bergstrom. Services formerly
provided by St. Anthony will now be
purchased individually, she said.
Wick has been PMH administrator
as an employee of St. Anthony since
June 1987.
Garden Bugs to sponsor
Christmas lighting contest
The Lexington Garden Bugs, in
cooperation with the city of Lex
ington, will again sponsor a
Christmas lighting contest.
Prizes will be: first place, $50; se
cond place, $25; and third place,
$10. Judging by unbiased non-club
members will take place approx
imately five days before Christmas
and will be based on appearance
from the street.
Last year’s winners will not
qualify for this year’s prizes but are
encouraged to decorate again.
Lion-Soroptimist fruit sale Sat.
The annual Lions and Soroptimist
clubs’ Christmas fruit sale will be
this Saturday, Dec. 8 from 8 a m.
to noon in Heppner.
Club members will sell oranges
and grapefruit door to door. Those
who wil Inot be home Saturday may
order fruit from any Soroptimist or
Lions club member.
Church sponsors ‘Iraq In Prophecy’
The Lexington Baptist Church will
be sponsoring a video entitled “ Iraq
In Prophecy” over the next three
Sundays, December 9, 16 and 23,
from 10-10:45 a m. This will be an
in depth study of the current Middle
East crisis by renowned bible scholar
Dr. Elmer Towns. “ This incredible
journey into Bible prophecy is a
must f<y Christians,” said a church
spokesperson.
Turn on your
Christmas lights
December 16th
Heppner’s annual Christmas
lighting contest will be held Sunday
December 16. The contest is spon
sored by the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce and will feature cash
prizes for the best indoor and out
door display of homes in Heppner.
The best outdoor lighting awards
will be $50, $25 and $15 for first,
second and third place respectively.
The best indoor displays will receive
$20 and $10 for first and second
place. A special recognition for
festive business lighting of $15 will
also be awarded.
Kids’ lunch with
Santa Sun.
Area children can “ do lunch”
with Santa this Sunday, Dec. 9 from
noon to 4 p.m. at the Heppner Elks
Club. During this time, parents can
get in a little Christmas shopping
around town.
Santa will visit from noon to 1
p.m., during which time lunch will
be served and photographs of the
children with Santa Claus will be
taken. Children’s movies will be
shown from 1 to 4 p.m.
Cost is $2 per child for lunch and
the photo with Santa.
Christmas
Coloring contest
pictures
available
Soroptimist Christmas coloring
contest forms for children aged pre
school through fourth grade will be
available at Murray’s Drugs, the
G azette-Tim es and H eppner
Elementary School.
Pictures should be returned by
Dec. 12 to the place they were pick
ed up or to the Gazette.
Winners of the contest will be in
vited to attend the Soroptimist
meeting on Dec. 20. Cash prizes of
$10. $5 and $3 will be awarded to
first, second and third place winners
in three age groups, pre-school and
kindergarten, first and second and
third and fourth.
Contest entrants have until
Christmas to pick their colored pic
tures up at the Gazette.
Make this Christmas special for
the coin collector....We have
1990 Coin Mint Sets
for only
$975
MSS&nss-
Arlington • Hoppnor
Heooner • Ion*
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"Your Independent Home Owned
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