A wee bit o’ Ireland almost here
35C
azette
imes
VOL. I l l
NO. 8
8 Pages Wednesday, February 26, 1992
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
iJ K S T B A I L
Cardinals celebrate district win
By Anne Morter
The lone Cardinals wrapped up
a state tournament berth and the
Big Sky Conference Champion
ship with a victory over Sherman
County last Friday at Umatilla
High School. By defeating the
Huskies, the number-one team
from the East Division, the Cards
claimed the conference’s number-
one seeding, heading into the
state tournament to be held March
3-7 in Baker City.
The game was close from the
start. The Cards came out with
the hot shooting hand, grabbing
a 17-12 first quarter lead. By
halftime, the Huskies worked
their way back into the game and
into a 28-28 tie with the Car
dinals. It was a three or four
point, back and forth game in the
second half. In the fourth quarter.
Sherman held a five-point lead
before the Cards came roaring
back. Gabe Garcia hit a three-
pointer to tie the game and then
down the stretch David
Wagenblast hit six crucial free
throws in a row to ice the win and
the Cardinals first trip to the state
tournament since 1980.
Mike Garrett led all scorers
with 22 points. Ryan Halvorsen,
playing a super first half, added
17 points shooting eight for 10
from the floor. Garcia added 12
and Wagenblast had 10 to pace
the Cardinals in double figures.
Mike Garrett pulled down 10
boards to lead the Cards to a
30-24
rebounding
edge.
Halvorsen and Aaron Heideman
added seven each. Along with his
clutch free throw shooting, David
Mustangs/Fillies head for District
Four teams Columbia Basin
Conference teams are headed for
District Tournament action this
weekend Feb. 28 and 29 at the
Pendleton Convention Center in
Pendleton.
In the girls bracket second
place Heppner (10-2) faces off
against third place Pilot Rock
(7-5) in a 1:30 p.m. match and
number one Weston-McEwen
(12-0) plays fourth place
Wahtonka (5-7) in an evening
game. The winners of these
games will play Saturday at 1:30
p.m. to determine the top seed at
the Class 2A regional tournament
held March 6-7 in Pendleton.
The Heppner Mustangs (8 ^ )
are headed into the tournament in
third place and will play the se
cond place team Wasco County
Redsides (9-3). The Mustangs
split with with the much bigger
Wasco County in regular league
play and are looking for another
win when they meet again at 3
p.m. at the Convention Center.
League cham pion W eston-
McEwen (11-1) will play fourth
place Pilot Rock (6-6) in an even
ing game beginning approximate
ly at 8:30 p.m. for the right to ad
vance to the Class 2A regional
tournam ent M arch 6-7 in
Pendleton. The winners of these
games will play Saturday at 3
p.m. to determine seed for
regional s.
If the league champion loses in
the first round it would play at
home against the loser of Satur
day’s game in a challenge for the
No. 2 regional tournament seed.
Heppner residents
have no water
and all to attend the pageant
Saturday, March 14 at 8 p.m.
night at 7:30 p.m .. .a great place
to go after Mrs. O ’Leary’s Irish
Stew.
V olksw alk-the
Valley
Volkswalkers and Rose City
Roamers will be hosting a
volkswalk between noon and 2
p.m. at Heppner High chool and
ending at 5 p.m. Route informa
tion is available at the Chamber
office.
Of course, KUMA Coffee
Hour, the parade, bed race and
the traditional events of the past
will be repeated. Remember, the
St. Patrick’s auction to be held
across from the city park, brings
in funding for next year’s event,
so one and all are encouraged to
donate auction items.
Hughes and Ball encourage
everyone to become involved and
to send brochures and posters to
friends and relatives. RV Park
ing will be available at the
fairgrounds. “ It takes a lot of
leprechauns to make Heppner’s
annual “ Wee Bit O ’ Ireland” a
success,” says Hughes, “ and the
many volunteers are to be com
mended.” Get ready for the
wearing ‘o the green.”
Buttons-this year is the 10th an
niversary so a special “ pot o'gold
button has been created by Judie
Laughlin. Purchase of this $5 but
ton by anyone over 18 will make
them eligible to win the $500
“ pot ‘o gold” to be drawn Sun
day, March 15 during the lamb
barbecue at the fairgrounds.
O ’G olfer
Challenge-the
Willow Creek G olfers are
challenging golf cart owners to
decorate their vehicles for the
parade. Of course, extra points
just might be given if there hap
pens to be a leprechaun at the
wheel. Sounds like an event that
might grow each year.
Shuttle Service-the Senior
Center will be offering a shuttle
service from the St. Patrick’s
Senior Center to the craft fair
located at All Saints Episcopal
Church and on to the sheep dog
trials. The shuttle will run from
10 to noon and 2-4 p.m. on the
half hour. Donations to the
leprechauns pot will be accepted.
Concert-returning this year will
be the Whammadiddle Dingbats
from the valley. They will be
featured at the junior high Friday
County health care a good deal
according to study
A research report by Mountain
States Health Corporation and the
University of Idaho has determin
ed that the health care system in
Morrow County is economically
viable. According to the report,
there is a $380,908 return to the
community on the $173,901 taxes
invested in Pioneer Memorial
Hospital. “ For the amount of
money the county puts into it,
you’re getting two for one,” said
Neil Meyer, economist from the
University of Idaho. “ You’re
getting more out of it than you’re
putting in.”
Out of total revenues of
$2,380,675, $173,901 came from
taxes and $380,908 was return
ed to the community
While most health care givers
at a meeting Tuesday evening in
Heppner were pleased with the
results, others felt it did not
reflect the changes since the study
began.
“ I’m happy with the results,”
said Heppner physician Jeanne
Berretta. “ Having Western
Health Resources (hospital
management firm) come in was
an incredibly big boost. The study
educated people in both the north
and the south areas of Morrow
Photo by Wayne Hams
County.”
Jay Straley, PMH laboratory
clinician, however, said that he
Wagenblast had nine assists and felt the study did not adequately
Garrett led the team with three take in to account the changes at
steals.
the hospital since the study was
The Cards shot 25 of 55 for 45 initiated. More lab work is done
percent from the floor. At the in county, he said, and a new
line, they were 16 of 24 for 67 physical therapist at PMH will
percent. Sherman also had some keep more money in the county.
good shooting numbers, hitting Two physicians now operate the
25 of 40 from the floor for 62 PMH Clinic while in 1987 there
percent and 11 of 15 from the line was only one physician in Hepp
for 73 percent.
ner, Dr. Wallace Wolff.
“ The kids played well. I was
Meyer said, however, that
pleased with the way they played while the study model was based
down the stretch,” said coach Del in 1987 the figures are from
LaRue. “ They kept their poise— 1990.
they were determined to go (to
The study also did not take in
state),” he added.
to account the social value of the
The Cardinals will kick off hospital, said Meyer, which can
State Tournament play against not be measured.
Wallowa in Baker City. That
Meyer suggested to hospital
game is scheduled for Thursday, and clinic officials that “ you buy
March 5 at Baker High School. what you can locally. Give local
people the opportunity.”
According to data from the
study the county’s entire medical
system, including the hospital,
nursing home, doctors and den
tists, are eleventh out of 20 coun
ty wide in terms of value added
Several Heppner residents sud
denly found themselves out of at $3,100,000, ranking behind
water one day last week. And the food production, food processing,
city found themselves in hot government industry, electric ser
vices, communications, catde
water.
According to Heppner city ad production, wood products,
ministrator Gary Marks, the city ow ner occupied dw ellings,
neglected to notify residents general retail trade, and road con
ahead of time, before turning
their water off. “ The city
apologizes for our error,” said
Marks.
Marks said that normal policy
is to give notice to property
owners who are at home in af
fected areas, unless there is an
emergency.
The water outage affected
residents in the Rock St. area out
to the fairgrounds.
Cards win Big Sky Conference,
District Tournament Champions
OUt'urfJ /.j
Heppner’s Irish celebration co-
chairmen Claudia Hughes and
Diana Ball feel it’s probably no
secret that the festivities are
March 13, 14 and 15. Some 30
plus committee members have
been meeting monthly while
numerous others are behind the
scenes participating in the
pageant, cooking, making
costumes, painting signs, gather
ing auction items, making but
tons, cleaning the creek, prepar
ing for the ducky race, practic
ing Irish music, and doing all the
other jobs required for a suc
cessful celebration.
Some changes and new events
this year are:
Concessions-those organiza
tions having concessions are to
sign up at the city hall after the
owner of the property has ap
proved the location. This will en
sure that concessions are easily
accessible to all events and that
the information booth knows their
location.
Pageant-a new and exciting
event for Heppner. “ Erin Came
to County Morrow” will be a
family pageant to include history,
music, all generations and fun for
everyone. Jane Rawlins and crew
are hard at work and invite one
struction. Value added is defin
ed as wages and salaries, capital
income and direct business
taxes.)
Roger Cash, medical board
member from Boardman, com
mented however, that many of
the people who work at the food
processing plant and PGE in
north Morrow County do not live
in Morrow County and do not
return money to the Morrow
County economy.
In terms of employment, the
county’s health care system ranks
ninth out of 20 in employment,
with 106 and tenth out of 20 in
em ployee com pensation at
$2,500,000.
According to the report, for
every dollar that Pioneer
Memorial Hospital spends to pro
vide services, 42 cents is paid
directly to employees salaries an
benefits, four cents is used to pur
chase goods and services from
within the county (including
building maintenance, utilities,
postage, printing, etc.) and 54
cents is used to buy goods and
services from outside Morrow
County (including laboratory and
medical supplies, medical equip
ment and maintenance.)
For every dollar that PMH
Medical Clinic in Heppner and
the Boardman Health Care Center
spends to provide services, 50
cents is paid directly to
employees as salary and benefits,
six cents is paid to purchase
goods and services from within
the county and 44 cents is used
to buy goods and services from
outside Morrow County.
Get your St. Pat’s button
A lucky person with the right
“ Pot O’ Gold” button can win
$500 during the Heppner St.
Patrick’s celebration.
The St. Patrick’s Day buttons,
created by Judie Laughlin, are
available for $5 each at Murray’s
Drug, Heppner TV, Bank of
Eastern Oregon, Shoe Box and
First Interstate Bank.
Anyone 18 or over is eligible
to win. The drawing will be Sun
day, March 15 during the lamb
barbecue at the Morrow County
Fairgrounds.
Wallace files for district judge
Jeff Wallace
Jeff Wallace, Morrow County
District Attorney, announced that
he has filed with the Secretary of
State's office to become an of
ficial candidate for Umatilla-
Morrow County District Court
Judge. The position will be on the
ballot in the May primary
election.
Wallace also announced that
former legislator Stafford Hansell
and Milton-Freewater farmer
Martin Buchanan will serve as
co-chairmen of his campaign
steering committee. The commit
tee also includes Pendleton realtor
Kalvin Garton, Dan Daltoso of
Boardman, former Riverside
High School principal, Weston
farmer Chuck Price, Umapine
farmer Marvin Key and Bob
Cooper of Hermiston, a former
member of the Umatilla County
Fair Board, Keith Lewis of Hepp
ner will serve as campaign
treasurer.
Wallace has served as Morrow
County District Attorney since
1987. He was also a deputy
district attorney in Umatilla
County and was in private law
practice in Milton-Freewater and
Pendleton for four years. He
served as city administrator for
Weston from 1981 to 1983 and
is a former state FFA officer and
a lifelong Eastern Oregon
resident.
“ I believe that my broad base
of experience in criminal pro
secution, municipal law and
private practice will be assets on
the district court bench,” said
Wallace. “ I would also bring a
solid background in both
agriculture and law enforcement,
as well as years of experience as
a trial lawyer, to the district
court.”