Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1997)
EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 3 1 ,1 9 9 7 The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow Heppner G A Z E T T E -T IM E S U S P S 240-420 Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper Published weekh and entered as periodical matter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879. Periodical postage paid at Heppner, Oregon Office at 147 West W illow Street Telephone (541) 676-9228 Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner Gazette-Times, P.O Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $18 in Morrow , W heeler, Gilliam and Grant Coun ties; $25 elsewhere April Hilton-Sykes News Editor Stephanie Jensen ................................................................... TspesettMg Monique Devin Advertising Layout & Graphics Bonnie B e n n e tt................. Distribution Penni Keersemaker .....................................................................................Printer David Sykes, Publisher O S U calving schools planned Calving techniques, herd health, calf survival, disease prevention, dystocia and other timely topics will be presented at the 1998 Oregon State University calving schools, according to Randy Mills, area livestock Extension agent for the OSU Extension Service. Three OSU calving schools have been scheduled over the next few months for Northeast Oregon. The first school will be held Monday, January 5, at the Umbarger Ranch near Pendleton. The second school will be held Friday, January 9, at the OSU Experiment Station at Union, The third school will be on Monday, March 23, at the Highview Ranch near Enterprise. The calving schools are designed to meet the needs of the novice producer, as well as the producer with a lifetime of experience, said an OSU news release. Hands-on learning is the focus of these one-day schools. Topics for discussion will include: third trimester management and nutrition; sire selection based on records (EPDs)- herd health programs - pre-breeding to third trimester; the birthing function - identifying membranes and fluids; calving equipment and its proper use; handling abnormal presentations, dystocia and proper assistance; post-calving management; special handling for first calf heifers; health programs - third trimester and following calving; calving bam facilities, chutes, etc; and getting them bred back on schedule. All classroom discussions will be stopped whenever a heifer starts to calve. Discussions will be held on emergency situations as they anse. The calving schools are sponsored by the Oregon State University Extension Service, Department of Animal Sciences, the School of Veterinary Medicine and the local county Extension Service. Preregistration is required and enrollment is limited to 12 participants for each school. Registrations will be taken on a first-received, first-enrolled basis. A registration fee of $40 will be charged to cover the expenses of the class. For additional information or to register for the calving schools contact the Extension Office in Umatilla County at 541/278- 5404; Union County at 541/963- 1010; and Wallowa County at 541/426-3143. Oregon beef producers recognized Beef producers throughout the state were recognized for their contributions to the Oregon Beef Industry during the 1997 Oregon Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) and Oregon Cattle Women Inc. annual convention and trade show in Bend. The awards were pre sented at the OCA president’s banquet. Three individuals and two counties were honored for their excellence in membership re cruitment. Jennifer Anderson, Eagle Point, was named “Top Hand in the Cattlemen’s Wran gler Club.” Other Wrangler Club honorées included Larry and Vicki Ashley, Maupin, and Rhee Lathrop, Lostine. Jackson County was recognized for having the largest increase in membership numbers and Linn County re ceived the award for posting the largest percentage increase in membership growth in 1997. Doc and Connie H atfield, Brothers, and Oregon Country Beef were presented the “Innova tive Business and M arketing Award” for the continuing suc cess of their 14 member beef marketing co-op. Bill McCormack, Prineville, Alan Withers, Paisley, and Henry Krebs, Wallowa, were honored as “Public Lands Protectors.” Larry Larson, Eastern Oregon State University, was recognized with the “Bull Dog Award-Search for Truth;” while Lowell Hursh, Wilsonville, received the “Be yond the Call of Duty” award and a thank you from the entire asso ciation for commitment to assist ing the producers of the state. Wamock Ranches, Inc., both of Baker City and Maupin, received a standing ovation for their ac complishments in land steward ship. The Wamock family re ceived the “ 1997 Oregon Cattlemen’s Association Envi ronmental Stewardship Award.” Also receiving standing ova tions were Bob Skinner, Jr., Jor dan Valley, after being named “Voice o f the Industry,” and Sharon Beck, Cove, who was pre sented the “President’s Award.” Dunng the western fun night at the convention, representative Denny Jones, O ntario, was roasted and toasted. Jones, presi dent of the OCA from 1968-69, was honored for his many years of service to the Oregon agricul tural community. B M C C lists scholarships Blue Mountain Community College offers a variety of scholarships to its students. Most are dispersed via the BMCC Foundation, while a few are presented from outside organizations. Some scholarships are awarded dunng the school year and others are secured spring term for dispersal throughout the following school year. Following is a list of scholarships recently made available from local and regional service organizations. The Scholarship Management Services is offering the EMI/Selena Scholarship. Applicants must be U. S. citizens, Hispanic, full-time sophomores at an accredited two- year college or technical school who plan to transfer to a four- year college or university and enroll full-time fall 1998 in an undergraduate program leading to a bachelor's degree and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Darlene Herbert, the scholarship representative, in the Office ot the Registrar and Student Records in Morrow Hall, has a few Eastern Oregon University scholarship brochure and application packets. The deadline is March 2, 1998. Anyone interested in looking at an application is asked to contact her. The Oregon Nurserymen's Foundation is offering scholarships for students who are enrolled in a college horticulture program. The deadline for applications is April 1, 1998, and the scholarships are for the 1998- 99 school year. For information on any of the scholarships listed contact Darlene Herbert in the Office of the Registrar and Student Records in Morrow Hall at Blue Mountain Community College. Obituary Letters to the Mitor 4-H News Editor 's n o » : Letters to toe editor m ust be signed The Gezette- Times w ill not publish unsigned letters. Pieese Include your eddress end phone number on ell letters lor use by the Q-T office The Q-T reserves the right to edit The Incredible Edibles A wake-up call to medical board To the Editor: This is addressed to the Morrow County Health District Board about the proposals they are currently discussing. How can you in your right mind even consider re-employing Dr. Robert Boss. Not only did he refuse to cooperate with the medical board in the past. He refused to have his accounts examined. He did not use the health district facilities. Did Dr. Boss refer his patients to our facility? No, but to Good Shepherd. Did he ever provide coverage at Pioneer Memorial on weekends? No. On holidays, No, When the physicians here needed time off to be with their families, No. All Dr. Boss provided was a black hole into which health district funds were poured, with No, and I repeat, No return. Just the idea that the board would even consider this action is a slap in the face to the taxpayers of this county. The discussion of staffing the clinic for Dr. Ed Berretta, I assume means the Saturday on the weekend he provides coverage here at Pioneer Memorial for our over-worked physicians. The article goes on to say that, and I quote, "the number of patients who make appointments to see Berretta would probably justify additional staffing", end of quote. The first thing that strikes me right off is the word "probably". Sounds like guess-work, which considering this action is just the way our current elected board operates. I figure it would take around 28 patients to break even on the cost of staffing the clinic, plus the expense of paying Dr. Berretta for being here. That comes to 16.4 minutes per patient. Now, anyone who can honestly say that they have been in and out of any doctor's office in 16 minutes is a liar. So, now we know we can't spend 16 minutes per patient, we have to start paying the staff overtime. My statement is that we will not make enough revenue to cover expenses. Notice that I did not use the word "probably". Now that I've explained that quote and the word "probably", what else does this statement say? It says that our current staff of Dr, Emie Atkins and Wendy Haack, FNP, who work 25 out of 30 days a month are not good enough for the board. Not to mention that of those 25 days they work not for eight hours, nor 12 hours, but for 24 hours. What kind of a home life can anyone have working that much? (Just ask Ed and Jeanne Berretta. They moved to Walla Walla.) I know what kind, cause for the first four years I was here I worked 27 days a month, 24 hours a day and the home life stunk. Maybe the board should read the article and do their job and address the problems they were elected for. It's right there in black and white. 1) Revenues are down because Pioneer Memorial Clinic lacks a third provider. So find one! 2) Correct billing problems. That is an administrative issue, which the board was elected to oversee. 3) Do something about Medicare. Write to Congress, alert local representatives about the situation here, which is attacking all rural health care providers, not just Morrow County. 4) Investigate, prepare and apply for state and federal funds that are there for communities like Irrigon, Heppner and Boardman. 5) Promote the Boardman Clinic now. Dr. DeSoyza is doing an excellent job. We are receiving revenue now that we never received from Dr. Boss. All the revenue we receive from the Boardman Clinic is due to Dr. DeSoyza and her staff. Under Dr. Boss all we received was a bill to pay at the end of the month. This is a wake up call to the citizens of Morrow County. Let's make the medical board do what they were "elected" to do. They were not elected to review ambulance protocol, that is Dr. Atkins job as chief of staff. Nor are they required to hear reports from Home Health, that's why we have Mr. Ken Schmidt, administrator. The board's "job" is to oversee that the health district operates according to the regulations as set forth by our state and federal laws in the day to day operation of the district, not medical issues, not technical issues or clinical issues. Let us as a community express to the board members to do the job they themselves lobbied for, or the citizens of this county should see that they are relieved of their duties. (s) Jay Straley Heppner By Cyd Tullia Dunng their meeting, the Incredible Edibles made chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies. Club members were joined by a new member, Jeff Hunt. They also frosted sugar cookies. Amy Jepsen gave a presentation on how to correctly set the table. Stephanie Holland gave a practice presentation on a pizza cutter. After they had frosted and made all the cookies, they added them to other cookies they brought to the meeting and assembled plates of them and delivered them to some people in and out of town. It was about a three hour meeting, so the club members ate lunch around 11:30 a.m.. The meeting was adjourned around 1 p.m.. The club leaders gave the members cooking utensils as Christmas presents. In the Service Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Kellie D. Matzen, a 1993 graduate of Riverside High School in Boardman, is in the Persian Gulf aboard the nuclear- powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, the lead ship of the USS Nimitz Battle Group. The Secretary of Defense ordered the battle group to the area early in response to rising tensions there. Matzen is one of more than 5,000 Sailors and Marines aboard the carrier who will be participating in Operation Southern Watch, which enforces the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. The USS Nimitz Battle Group is comprised of 10 tactical aircraft squadrons, eight ships and two submarines. Matzen's ship, homeported in Bremerton, Wash., will shift its home to Norfolk, Va., when it finishes its deployment in March. The shift will allow USS Nimitz to undergo repairs and to refuel its nuclear reactors at Newport News Shipyard. Matzen joined the Navy in February 1994. M a rin e C pl. C an d ice H. T rader, daughter of Trudy D. Trader of Irrigon, recently re ported for duty with 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Yakima, WA. The 1992 graduate of Riverside High School, Boardman, joined the Marine Corps in April, 1993. VERNON Robert Vemon Flatt, 70, a resident of The Dalles, formerly of Heppner, died at a care center in The Dalles on Friday, December 26, 1997. Viewing visitation was at the Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home on Dec. 29. Funeral services were Dec. 30 at the funeral home, with the Rev. Dale Gibson officiating. Elks Rites were conducted by BPOE Lodge #303. Interment followed at Parklawn Cemetery. Mr. Flatt was bom January 14, 1927, in Moro, the second of three children to Vemon and Lillian K. (Grage) Flatt. He grew up in Moro and graduated from high school there in 1945. After high school, Mr. Flatt lived and worked in The Dalles for two years, then moved to Heppner. On July 15, 1950, in Moro, he mamed his wife, Jane. He returned to The Dalles in 1965. He spent his entire career with Flatt's Truck Service Inc., until his retirement in the early 1990s. Mr. Flatt was a member of The Dalles Elks Lodge #303 since 1950. He was Exalted Ruler of the Heppner Elks Lodge in 1963. He also was a member of The Dalles Eagles and Moose Lodges. He enjoyed going for drives, dancing and his family. Mr. Flatt is survived by his three children, Nels Flatt of Portland Connie and Bob Van Sickle of Sedro Woolley, WA, and Keith and Martha Flatt of Wasco; step- grandchildren including Michelle Leach of Gladstone and Cathy DeMars of Oregon City; several step-great grandchildren; and his brother, Bill Flatt of Condon. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jane, and his sister, Lois Axtell, both who died in 1990, and by his grandson, Nicolas Nelson Flatt, who died in 1993. Memorials may be made to Casey Eye Institute, c/o The Dalles Elks Lodge, 200 E. 3rd, The Dalles, OR 97058, Alzheimer's Association, 1311 NW 21st Ave., Portland, OR 97209 or a chanty of choice. W e P r in t B u s in e s s C a rd s Gazette-Times Come Share With U s A t W illow C re e k B a p tist C k u rc k Sen. Wyden plans Heppner stop U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will hold his third town meeting of 1998 on Sunday, Jan. 4, at the Family Service Center, 106 E. May, Heppner, from 5-6:30 p.m. Wyden promised to hold a town meeting in every county each year he holds office. “We have a big state, and while it can take a little time to get to every county, every year, I made RO BERT FLATT W orship Service at 3 p.m . a promise and I’m glad to keep it,” said Wyden. “There’s no bet M e e tin g in th e 7 th -d a y A d v e n t is t C h u r c h ter way for me to listen to what Oregonians want from their Sena 560 N orth M inor tor than to meet with them in per- _ _ _ « son. All area residents are invited to attend the town meeting and speak with Wyden about any is r * EEECHEPS Sk THE C ffIC E TAVEPN^ sues or concerns they wish to ad ^ Cordially Invite ycu t© a dress. Q po 9 2 )0 ^ 0 ) A NEW y E A C ’S EV E P A C iy t! Shipsey sentenced for cattle killings Former John Day physician Patrick Shipsey, convicted of 11 felony counts of criminal mischief following his slaughter of 11 head of cattle, was sentenced Dec. 17. Shipsey was sentenced by Umatilla County Circuit Court Judge Garry Reynolds to 15 days in jail, 18 months probation, 880 hours of community service and $12,199 in restitution, fines, fees and assessments. Shipsey killed 11 head of cattle belonging to Mt. Vemon rancher Robert Sproul. The cattle had wandered . onto Shipsey's property. Shipsey claimed that he was trying to rehabilitate a cattle- ravaged stream that ran through his property and said he became increasingly frustrated by Sproul’s cattle. Shipsey had earlier placed an advertisement in The Oregonian newspaper criticizing Grant FOR COMPLETE IONE AND HEPPNER SPORTS SCHEDULES County ranching practices. Shipsey shot three of the cattle in November 1995 and eight more in October 1996. He used a single-shot, target model rifle that required him to open the bolt and reload for every shot. Shipsey was a chief petitioner of the 1996 measure that would have required ranchers and dairy farmers to fence cattle out of streams and rivers. The measure was defeated in the November election. Shipsey has been ordered to report to the Grant County Jail by Ab The Lesion Hall - lone Time: 9:C0pm to 2:3Cam Karaoke Snacks Door Prizes Party favors V5.it per person MUST BE 21 TC ATTEND Jan. 26. Drivers will be available if needed W e m ak e Posters Gazette-Times Visit Our WEB SITE At www.beobank.com Schednles: • Boys • Girls JV • Junior High I
