Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 1999)
Irish eyes smile on St. Pat's festivities P F S S I F! W E T 2 E L L U OF ORE •• r v; S P A r F R L I B E U S E N E OR 9 7 4 0 3 Visitors from Ireland Irish eyes smiled upon the 17th annual St. Patnck’s festivities held in Heppner March 12-14. An enthusiastic audience at the KUMA Coffee Hour at the Elks Club Saturday welcomed some special guests all the way from Ireland. The four from the Emerald Isle were accompanied by their cousin and former Heppner resident, Bill Mitchell from Daly City, CA, who makes the trek to the festivities each year. Pictured from left to right are: Josephine (Josie) O’Brien Carr. Bill Mitchell; Boede O’Brien Lyons, who was a former queen of the Heppner St. Patrick's festivities; Michael Carr, Josie’s husband; and Patsy O'Brien Reilly. Bill's mother and the three O'Briens' father were brother and sister. Bill was also bom in Ireland. The quartet from Ireland arrived March 10 in Portland and stayed there two nights before traveling on to The Dalles where they stayed with cousins. In Heppner they visited with the Campbell and O'Brien families. During the coffee hour, Patsy took second place in the Brogue contest and Michael was coaxed into singing an Irish song, much to the delight of the crowd. From Heppner, they planned to go to Reno and then Chicago, where Michael's son lives, before returning home. Health district gives CAT scan go ahead VOL. 118 NO. 11 8 Pages Wednesday, March 17,1999 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon New school superintendent named Culminating a five-month search process, the Morrow County School District has chosen Bruce Anderson, Prineville, to replace retiring Chuck Starr as superintendent of schools, beginning July 1, 1999. Anderson is currently completing his seventh year as superintendent of the Crook County School District in Prineville. After extensive interviews, reference checks, and visitation to communities, the Morrow County School Board agreed with the Superintendent Search S creening C om m ittee (composed of three Board members, four local advisory committee members, two teachers, two classified employees, two principals and the district administrative secretary) in selecting Anderson for the position. Seventeen qualified people applied for the job. Bruce Anderson, 53, is married and has three grown children. He has 25 years of school administration experience, including the past 20 years as a superintendent in Oregon. Anderson earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees at California Polytechnic State University. He started his teaching career in 1968, as a vocational agriculture teacher in Selma, California. In 1969, he began a three-year stint as an officer in the U. S. Army. In 1972, he returned to teaching in Modesto, California. Anderson moved to Oregon in 1979, where he became superintendent/principal of the Adrian School District. Since then, he has served as superintendent of the Nyssa, Colton and Tillamook School Districts, before moving to Prineville in 1992. "I am very pleased to have been selected to serve as superintendent of schools in Morrow County," said Anderson. Morrow County School District has an excellent reputation for quality education which is a tribute to the staff, school board and community. Students have, and will, continue to benefit from the district's commitment to quality. The challenge for me is to continue to build on this reputation and meet the higher educational expectations of the community and state." My wife, Dana, and I are looking forward to relocating in Morrow County,"he continued. "Our desire to live and work in a rural community is truly realized in this opportunity. Being an active member of the community is part of my commitment." It is my plan to build on the good work already in progress, listen to the concerns and interests of the communities, and provide support to the board and staff as the district moves Dr. Boss, health district start strategy discussions Dr. Robert Boss and the Morrow County Health District have announced that they have started discussions about closer collaboration to serve the health care needs of the Boardman area, according to a news release from the district The health district board of directors has given Interim administrator Sheila Dahlman the go-ahead to enter detailed discussions with Dr. Boss regarding the future of clinic operations in north Morrow County. Dahlman noted that both parties are entering the discussions with the hope that an agreement can ultimately be reached regarding the clinic operations in Boardman. "We know that we must find a way to maintain the best possible clinic service for the people of Boardman," said Dr. Boss. "It's my hope that we can ultimately see an expanded and consolidated clinic operation here. We're working toward that end." "While we know that there have been diverse opinions regarding the health service," said Dahlman, "the health district is committed to serving all of Morrow County. This means that we need to ensure that the Boardman area will have the services of Dr. Boss and other providers, while enhancing outpatient services and planning for the future." Dahlman and Dr. Boss indicated that they hope to come to agreement to form a single clinic in Boardman that will build on the services that already are offered. "Ultimately, we'd like to find a way to build a new clinic in Boardman," said Ms. Dahlman. "This will require that we all pull together." "While we have much work to do, we are hopeful," Dr. Boss said of the discussions with the health district.. "I'd like to retire in Boardman someday. If we can build a clinic that win be stable into the future, that will be our small contribution to the long-term health of the area." For more information contact Alan R. Yordy of The Infinity Group at 541-451-7900. forward with its school improvement effort. Getting students ready to be successful citizens in the 21st Century, is my top priority. Whatever I can do to cause this to happen will be my focus." Being part of the Morrow County School District is an experience I look forward to with anticipation. See you in July." The school board will take formal action on Anderson's contract at their April 12 meeting at lone High School. The Morrow County Health District, at its March 1 meeting, voted to pursue a lease/purchase plan for a CAT scan machine which would be installed at Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Heppner. The board decided to go with the lease/purchase option following community concern about outright purchase of the scanner, considering previous financial difficulties of the district. Administrator Sheila Dahlman and district medical providers, however, had assured the board that they currently send numerous patients out of town for scans, more than enough to pay for a machine if it were available locally. According to Dahlman, a "very conservative" estimate of only 20 scans a month completed at the hospital at $600 each, for example, would bnng in $ 12,000 a month in gross revenue. According to Dahlman, having a CAT scan machine at Pioneer Memorial would enable some patients to stay at PMH after scan results indicate that they do not have to be sent to specialists elsewhere. In addition to using the scanner to diagnose medical problems on-site, PMH eventually plans to use the scanner for telemedicine, by which the image is sent via computer to specialists virtually OTPR float St. Pat's Leprechaun's choice gp* tâN ir !# ? „Jr ? ' Hospital gets best float The Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo float took the Leprechaun's Choice award at the 17th annual St. Patrick's Parade held Saturday, March 13, in Heppner. The OTPR float also took first place in the community floats. St. Patrick's Church was second in that category and the Heppner Day Care float was third. "Die Pioneer Memorial Hospital float was first in the floats category; Kirk & Robinson Ranch, second; and Morrow County Fair Committee, third. The Heppner High School band was first in bands and musical group entries; lone Elementary, second; and Heppner Elementary, third. In the Irish character entries. Lexington Polaris received the first prize and Cub Scout Pack 661 was second. The Heppner FFA Club was first in the Irish open class, with Katie Bacon, second, and Morrow County Gram Growers, third. In the bicycle entries, Matt McCabe took first place, the Wambeke Wagon, second, and Wacey Coil and Tomas Elguezabal, third. Scott Dougherty and Deona Hodges were first in the golf cart entries, with Taighler Dougherty, second. In antique autos built prior to 1945, Pat and Linda Johnston were first; Ken Nehls, second and Jack and Eileen Burger, third. In antique autos built after 1945, Ed Longhorn was first; Larry and Cindy Curry, second; and Dennis Long (Hermiston Classic Car Club), third. Charles Reiber was first in the custom and special events cars. Bud Englert, second; and Steven and Sandy Jellison, third. 'Life After Kinzua' town hall meeting A town hall meeting, "Preparing for Life after Kinzua," has been planned for Thursday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at Heppner High School cafeteria. The meeting will include a panel discussion with representatives from Morrow County, Port of Morrow, Oregon Economic Development Division, Morrow County School District, Heppner Economic Development Corp., city of Heppner and CAPECO. anywhere. "My feeling is without this technology, we will be closed," said board member Meg Murray, in approving the request. "We have to upgrade. We have to have telemedicine." One company's leasing proposal lists payments for the machine at around $3,643 a month for a five-year lease and $2,747 for a seven-year lease. The board is considering leasing a refurbished unit for $150 thousand. In other business the board: -Heard about Dahlman's concerns about the computer system currently in use at PMH. The district haa a contract with Western Health Systems to provide computers services, but the district has terminated that contract and must find an alternative system by November of this year. -Heard from Dahlman the district has over $70,000 in bad debt and that she had instructed staff to send out final demand letters and turn the debts over to a collections agency. -Approved a request from Jay Straley, PMH lab manager, to purchase a new chemical analyzer. A new analyzer is estimated at around $96,000- 98,000, including chemicals, with lease purchase payments around $2,900-$3,000 a month. However, since chemicals would be much less for for a new machine, monthly payments (including lease and reagents) would be around $ 1,500 less than the current payments. -Received the following report on the number of patients seen at district facilities: Pioneer Memorial Clinic: total-726, Dr. Bumham-154, Wendy Haack, nurse practitioner-273, Dr. Wenburg-227, Dr. Berretta-16, nurse (injections)-56; Irrigon Medical Clinic: total-198, Dr. deSoyza-106, Sheridan Tamasky, physician's assistant-92, new patients-61; Boardman Medical Clinic-total 141, Dr. Bumham- 44, Tamasky-88, Dr. Wenburg-9, new patients-34. -Heard the following ambulance run report: Heppner- 11 total runs; Boardman -12 total runs; Irrigon-11 total runs. -Received monthly financial reports which indicated a $11,379 loss for the month of December and a $7,435 loss for the month of January. -Heard a report from Home Health director Molly Rhea. continued page 2 Lawn Thatcher Rentals Available Lawn & Garden Items M orrow Lexington Arriving Daily! 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