Community comes through in time of need
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Cindy and M ike Doherty on new porch addition of their hom e.
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VOL 115______ NO 37
8 Pages Wednesday, September 11, 1996,______ Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
Four new teachers hired in Heppner schools
B y A p ril H ilto n -S y k e s
The Morrow County School
District has hired four new
teach ers in the H eppner
Schools. Elizabeth "Beth” Slot-
tee will teach music at Heppner
Elementary (HES) and Hepp
ner High School (HHS), as well
as in the lone Schools (story in
the Aug. 28 G-T, page 1);
Glenn Zollner will teach vo-ag
and will also be the new FFA
advisor at HHS; Chuck Mat-
teson will teach alternative
education at HHS, a newly-
created position; and Sherry
Matteson will teach a combin
ed first and second grade
classroom at HES.
Beth S lottee, m usic teacher at
H H S , H E S and lone
G lenn Zollner
Glenn Zollner, 45, is original
ly from Mt. Angel and a
member of a fifth-generation
pioneer family there. He comes
to Heppner most recently from
Roseburg, where he has lived
the past seven years.
After graduating from high
school in Salem, Zollner en
listed in the Navy and did two
tours of duty in Vietnam. After
his discharge he did a stint as
a UPS driver. He then went
back to school and received a
bachelor of science degree in
agricultural education from
Oregon State University. After
college he was picked up by
private industry and worked in
developing wood treatment
equipment and agricultural ap
plication equipment, was a pro
ject engineer with a chemical
company, sold farm equipment
and worked in on-the-road
sales as a marketing manager
for a com pany that sold
harvestors and a broad line of
other agricultural equipment.
Through his long and varied
career, Zollner discovered that
what he really enjoyed was
teaching. " I have always
taught in one form or another, ”
he said. He then became a
su b stitu te teacher in the
Roseburg school district, most
ly in business, vo-ag and
welding. He was also an in
structor at Umpqua Communi
ty College in Roseburg, where
he taught GED classes, and
taught alternative education at
a high school. This past sum
mer, Zollner taught students in
computers and language arts in
an Upward Bound Program.
"I'm really excited about liv
ing in this area. I like the small
town ethics and I like the pace
of life here better,” commented
Zollner about his move to
Heppner. "I'm looking for
ward to meeting a lot of the
farmers and becoming a part of
the community.”
G ary W atkins and Sim on W inters prepare cem ent w alkw ay and ram p for the Doherty hom e.
B y A p ril H ilto n -S y k e s
Courthouse employees donat
ed their leave pool to Cindi and
Lorrie Fox, Bill and Jim 's
mother, (both Cindi and Lorrie
work for the county) so that
they could still have a paycheck
while they were away from
work.
Kinzua em ployees also
donated money to help with
Mike and Cindi Doherty of
Heppner know exactly how
they survived a devastating
family crisis last month--with
the help of their friends and
neighbors.
On July-41, the Dohertys
received a call in the middle of
the night that their 16-year-old
son, Adam, had been severely
injured in an automobile acci
dent, along with four other
Heppner boys, Brian Knowles,
Shaun Hisler and Bill and Jim
Schlaich.
Adam sustained severe
spinal injuries; Brian, critical
head injures; Bill, severe in
juries to his arm; Jim, bruises
and lacerations; and Shaun, a
knee injury.
Cindi and Mike say that as
soon as the community heard
about the accident people step
ped in with, money, food,
cooking, house cleaning and
moral support. The Bank of
Eastern Oregon set up an ac
count for donations for the
families and people organized
an auction-fund raiser.
"It's such a great communi
Dr. Bill Bitsas
ty. You just can't do anything
B y A p ril H ilto n -S y k e s
to repay these people," said
Dr.
William "B ill” Bitsas,
Mike, "except be there when
newly-hired
physician at the
they need it.” "A nd you pray
Pioneer
Memorial
Clinic and
that they will never need it,"
Hospital
in
Heppner,
has lived
added Cindi.
all
around
the
U.S.
and in
The Dohertys say that help
Europe, but has always intend
started to arrive while they
ed to have a rural practice.
were still at the hospital with
" I have been interested in
Adam. "A t one time in the
rural family practice since 1 was
hospital there were over 50
in high school," said Dr. Bitsas.
people in the waiting room ,"
" I have always wanted to live
said Mike. "H e was never
in the country."
without company any week
Bitsas began working for the
e n d ."
Morrow
County Health District
Over $6,000 was raised for
Sept.
3.
He has purchased a
the boys' families in a lamb auc
home
in
Heppner
and he and
tion held at the Morrow Coun
his
fiancee,
Katherine
Dale,
ty Fair, organized by Ken and
have
six
horses-two
thorough
Kaedene Bailey and Sherry
breds, three appalousas and a
Matteson. All Cindi’s lodging
quarterhorse.
Dale teaches rid-'
while she stayed at Good
ing
and
trains
horses.
Samaritan Hospital and the
Dr.
Bitsas,
40,
was born in
Ronald McDonald House to be
Chicago
where
he
lived
until he
near Adam while he recuper
was seven, when the family
ated in Portland was paid by
moved to Missouri. When he
Kinzua Resources, M ike's
was 15 his family moved to Ita
employer. Morrow County
ly where his father had busi
expenses and Kinzua manage
ment matched that amount. In
addition Kinzua has donated
materials for a remodeling job
to make the Doherty house
wheelchair accessible. And
now, Kinzua employees and
others have been donating
labor for the remodeling.
C ontinued P age 4
Physician begins work at PM H/PM C
C huck M atteson
ty. "W e decided we wanted to
live here," added Chuck, "and
som etim es it's w orth the
sacrifices to get what you
want.”
So, they took a chance, pack
ed up their four children,
Justin, now 17, Lexi, 16, Ryan,
13, and Lacey, 11, and moved
to Heppner in June of 1994, at
that point without jobs.
But, the Mattesons had a lot
of experience to fall back on.
Sherry, 43, who graduated
from Redmond High School,
has a bachelor of science degree
in elementary education from
Eastern Oregon State College.
She and Chuck were married
while both were still in college
and were both hired right out
of college to teach in the Fern-
dale District outside Milton-
Freewater. She taught first
grade there for four years
before their first child was bom.
She then substituted 17 years,
first in the Ferndale District,
then for eight years in Red
mond and finally in Heppner,
while raising their children.
She also tytored students in
math last year. She will be
teaching a combined first and
second grade classroom at
Heppner Elementary School.
Chuck Matteson, 44, was
bom and raised in Benton Ci
ty, WA, graduating from
Kiona-Benton High School.
He attended Columbia Basin
S herry M atteson
Community College (CBCC) at
Pasco and then enrolled at
Although Chuck and Sherry
Walla Walla Community Col
Matteson are new teachers in
lege (WWCC) for one year
the Heppner schools, they are
before transferring to Eastern.
not new to the community.
He and Sherry had both been
Sherry, originally from Con
in junior rodeo and rodeoed in
don, was actually bom at the
college and, later, professional
hospital in Heppner. Her
ly. Chuck received rodeo
grandparents, Lawrence and
scholarsh ip s to all three
Alice Jones, homesteaded on a
schools. He also played basket
ranch between Condon and
ball for CBCC and WWCC.
lone. The Matteson family had
He taught ju n ior high
also come to the Heppner area
science, social studies and PE
before to cut poles.
at the Ferndale district for 12
"W e liked the Heppner
years, in addition to coaching
area,” said Sherry of their deci
sion to move to the communi-
C ontinued P ag e 2
ness. He says that the move
brought the family closer to
relatives in Greece. Both his
father and mother are of Greek
heritage.
Dr. Bitsas attended Reed Col
lege and received a B.A. in
biology in 1978. He attended
medical school at Oregon
Health Sciences University and
received his medical degree in
1984. He also completed a fami
ly practice residency at OHSU.
Following his residency, he
worked at the VA nursing
home in Vancouver, WA, and
established a private practice at
St. John's Clinic in Portland.
From there, he moved to II-
waco, WA, where he worked
for Pacific County Health at a
hospital and clinic. He was
then employed at Milton-
Freew ater for around six
months in a temporary job,
before moving to Spokane
three years ago.
Dr. Bitsas has a nine-year-old
daughter, Elizabeth Rose, who
lives in Portland and will be
visiting Heppner often.
Besides riding, Dr. Bitsas en
joys music, playing the banjo,
guitar and mandolin, garden
ing, bicycling and fishing.
A reception will be held to
welcome Dr. Bitsas and to give
appreciation to Dr. Ernie
Atkins on Thursday, Sept. 19,
from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Home
H ealth office at Pioneer
Memorial Clinic.
Dr. Atkins has been the sole
physician at the clinic since the
departure of Drs. Ed and
Jeanne Berretta, who are esta
blishing a practice in Walla
Walla.
Hunters Special
15% OFF Danner Boots
Sale Thru September 21, 1996
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221
1-800-452-7396_________
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