Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1998)
Now it's staffing With financial fix near, opponents now say hospital understaffed P A S S I F WF T Z F L L U CF ORF n e w s p a p e r i . j b E U G E N E OR 9 7 4 0 3 VOL. 117 NO 39 10 Pages Wednesday, September 30,1998 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon lone homecoming game Oct. 2 lone High School students (left to right) Korey Morgan, Tori Odinet, Nikki McElligott, Niki Sullivan, Allison Halvorsen, teacher Jim Raible and office manager Cathy McCabe show off their "jammies" on pajama day Monday during homecoming week festivities. Students said enjoyed pajama day because they could sleep in. Tuesday was celebrity day at IHS, Wednesday, "rainbow" day with a class color competition, and "Thursday, Red, White and Black Day", featuring the school colors. The week's activities culminate on Friday, Oct. 2, with a volleyball game at 5 p.m., the football game at 7:30 p.m., with the crowning of the king and queen during halftime, and the dance from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a m. at the school. This year's homecoming court includes freshman prince and princess, Colin McElligott and Cyndi Heagy; sophomores, Zach Fabian and Ashley Carmack; juniors Jacob Neiffer, Steve Crum and Erin Crowell; and seniors Ryan Bennetto, Serge Malouin, an exchange student from Quebec, Niki Sullivan, Lela Gribskov and Tori Odinet. Andrea Mortimore promoted at Klamath First Klamath First Federal has announced the promotion of Andrea Mortimore at the Heppner Branch to operations officer. Mortimore has nine years of banking experience. Mortimore was raised in Kinzua and attended school in Fossil. She moved to Heppner in November of 1978. She and her husband, Roger, live in Heppner. Her hobbies include reading, latch hook and volunteering. Mortimore and the Heppner staff invite everyone to stop by and say hello. "We're here to help you with any of your financial needs and if you have any questions, We'd Be Honored to answer them," said Mortimore. Annual Hardman oyster feed Sat., Oct 3 The Hardman Community Center will hold their annual Oyster Feed, Salmon Bake and Ham Dinner this Saturday, Oct. 3, from 4:30-8:30 p.m. at the center in Hardman. The menu will also include pie, cake and coffee. Cost is $ 12 for adults and $4.50 for children with preschoolers admitted free. Special entertainment will be provided by "Absolutely Nobody", a BMCC quartet including Joe Lindsay. Kids aware/beware program A Kids Aware/Beware II program will be presented to third and fourth graders at Heppner Elementary School on Wednesday, Oct. 7, beginning at I p.m. in the HES auditorium. The safety awareness program for children ages eight to 10 will include presentations by representatives from the Heppner Police Department, the Heppner Fire Department and the Oregon Trail Library. Youngsters will receive free dictionaries and treats made possible with funding from Oregon Together and the Morrow County Commission on Children and Families. Parents are welcome to attend. Andrea Mortimore Flu shots offered at Central Market Flu shots will be offered at Central Market in Heppner from 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct 9. Pie sale Oct. 2 The All Saints' Episcopal Women will hold their annual pie sale at the BP station in Heppner on Friday, October 2, beginning at 8 p.m. With a financing deal that would avert the immediate closure of the Pioneer Memorial Hospital and nursing home seemingly in hand, the board of directors Monday heard a new problem some said could shut down the Heppner facility. Following news that a $400,000 loan package was well on the way to being wrapped up, board members Monday now expressed concern that inadequate staffing at the facility was a problem and could also cause a shutdown. Despite a report from a state nursing home inspector that said staffing was okay, several boardmembers said they were afraid they could be sued and lose their nursing licenses if something happened at the hospital or nursing home. They said not enough nurses and nurses aids were on duty at the hospital. Even when the medical district attorney said individual boardmembers would not be liable, and the that the district had an insurance policy to cover any lawsuit, a motion to close the hospital and nursing home was still made. The board voted down the motion, but not after emotional debate and testimony from the crowd of about 128 attending the meeting at the Senior Center in Irrigon. Larry Mills of Heppner, who had worked on a plan to provide emergency funding to keep the facilities open, and obtain an outside consultant to study the situation, was upset at the board's sudden turnaround. "Last week we were told that it was a financial situation that was causing the closer," Mills said. "Now we're are being told it is a staffing problem." Mills asked the board what was going on "We are out of compliance. We have had great difficulty staffing. We don't think we can take care of staffing in the near future," said Susan Brock, the soon to be departing administrator of the medical district. Brock works for a company called Western Health Resources which the board has been paying $170,000 per year to manage the health district, but Monday gave 60 days notice of its intent to sever relations with the district. Dan Grant, chief financial officer for the district, also announced his resignation effective Oct 1. Dr. Clyde Burnham who recently moved to Heppner and went to work for the health district, said the board was being "taken for a ride" on the issue of staffing. "The board is being taken for a ride. They have been intimidated. This is simply an attempt to intimate and stampede the board (into shutting down the hospital and nursing hom e)," he said. After a 30 minute recess Sharron Meyers, boardmember from Boardman, was the only one voting in favor of closing the facility down. Vickie Kent abstained from the voting, and the motion failed. George Koffler of the Bank of Eastern Oregon outlined for the board a financial plan that would provide funding to the district so no facilities would have to be immediately closed. He said a $400,000 line of credit was being looked at to ease the district’s cash crunch. The cash flow problem has been brewing for some time and was apparently brought on by poor re im b u rs e m e n ts from government agencies, slow collections and the spending by the board of cash reserves on opening the Irrigon medical clinic and the purchase of an ambulance, purchases the board now acknowledges should have been funded with debt. Koffler said the loan would be secured by medical district real estate, equipment and accounts receivables, but would not include the hospital property or a lien against next year's tax revenue. Tax revenues equal about $525,000 per year, and will begin coming into the district by mid-November "If you take advantage of this loan you will be in no worse shape in June that you are now,” Koffler told the board. "We (the Bank of Eastern Oregon), would not be making this offer if we thought you couldn't repay it. The issue here is management, and management is trying to scuttle the ship," he said. Last Monday at the board's meeting in Heppner attended by over 300 people, the board was told that without an infusion of cash, there would only be enough money to operate for about three more weeks. It was reported this Monday that in seven out of the last 10 years the medical district has made money The district, however, lost $58,000 in 1996 and $306,000 in 1997. Mills urged the board that with the funding package on the way, drastic action was not necessary. He repeated his amazement that the some people had apparently found a new reason to shut down the hospital and nursing home , after the earlier reason for closure, financing, had apparently been solved. Mills also repeated his earlier announcement that the Pioneer Memorial Hospital foundation was ready to put up $20,000 to hire a consultant to come in and take a look at the total picture at the hospital and nursing home, including financing and future health services that could be offered. "All were saying is give us a chance to take a took at the thing," Mills told the board. The financing package is still being worked on and must be approved by the board, which meets next Monday night in Boardman. Health Dist. to meet Monday Hospital financial help The regular meeting of the Morrow County Health District will be held Monday, October accepted Anyone wishing to donate money to help with the Pioneer Memorial Hospital financial crisis, may do so through the Hospital Foundation, Foundation chairman Larry Mills said T uesday. Mills said all donations are tax deductible and can be mailed to Pioneer Memorial Hospital Foundation, PO Box 515, Heppner, OR 97836. "The funds will be used strictly for the hospital and nursing home," Mills said. 5, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Riverside High School auditorium in Boardman. People wishing to car pool to the meeting can meet at the Heppner City Park at 5:30 p.m. Scholarship deadlines announced The South Morrow County Scholarship Trust has announced a deadline of Friday, Oct. 23 for applications for the Elizabeth Slottee Memorial Scholarship and the Lexington Voter Precinct Scholarship. The Slottee Memorial Scholar ship is awarded annually to ajun- lor, senior or graduate student at an accredited college. The schol arship is awarded to a student majoring or minoring in music. If no applicants are found, the award may be given to a student who has been accepted into a school of education. The scholarship amount will be determined by the earnings of the donations of the community and the Slottee fam ily. The fund totals more than $ Central Market program has raised over $50,000 Since the beginning of its one percent of receipts donation program in 1992, Central Market of Heppner has donated over $50,000 to community projects The program was started as a way for Central Market to give something back to the community and has been quite successful, says owner Fome Burkenbine. The money is donated when customers put their grocery receipts in a donation box at the store The market then gives one percent of the collected receipts to ' a designated project. A majority of the collected funds has in the past been used to help build the swimming pool in Heppner, Burkenbine said. 10 , 000 . The Lexington Voter Precinct Scholarship is for $500 and will be awarded to a college sopho more, junior or senior living in the Lexington voters’ precinct. Applications in disk format may be picked up at lone or Hepp ner high schools from the coun seling dept, or at the Bank of Eastern Oregon or Klamath First Federal in Heppner. Contact George Koffler at 676-9125, or Sharon Harrison at 676-9164 for more information. Heppner police arrest man on rape charges Car wash Oct. 2 The lone High School yearbook staff has planned a car wash for this Friday, Oct. 2, at the lone Fire Hall from 9 a m. to 1 p.m. On Sept. 24, the Heppner Police Department arrested Robert C. Maker, 22, on charges of Rape III. On that same day, in conjunction with the Morrow County Sheriffs Office, a search warrant was executed at the Mt. Glen Apts in Heppner. Juan Villegas and Steven Epperson were arrested for possession of a controlled substance and Frequenting a place were a controlled substance is used. Culver game Oct. 10 The Heppner High School football game at Culver will be held Saturday, Oct. 10, rather than Friday, Oct. 9. tè e * U u rn m tj » d h * noci Orion tro orokomt' ~Ty ****** e r HD WINTER LT 179" t h r u CDc-é. 1 04Á GEMINI RA'i ß 0 9 9 ST 169" BLACK HIKER 0099 M orrow C o u n t y G rain G rowers Lexington 989-8221 • 1 -8 0 0 -4 5 2 -7 3 9 6 for farm tquipmtnt, nut our wtb site at www meg i»t
