Health district's financial picture turns
from rosy to red
Basale «îefczell
U of J News pa jar L i b r : . . - j
Eugene. OR 974J3
A rosy financial picture
from the Morrow County Health
District’s auditors last month has
turned to red again. According to
the MCHD November profit-
loss statement, the district took
a loss o f $ 176,243 in November,
following an October gain o f
$ 149,170. MCHD CEO Victor
V ander D oes said that the
Pioneer Memorial Hospital and
clinics in Heppner and Irrigon are
usually very busy during the
winter months, but the pattern
appears to be shifting, with the
flu season delayed this year.
A lso at the m eeting,
B o ard m an F ire P ro tectio n
District Fire Marshal Tom Bohm
appeared before the board to
seek in fo rm a tio n on the
ambulance services provided by
the district in the Boardman area.
B oard m e m b er Ed G len n ,
Boardman, said he had earlier
initiated a conversation with a
Boardman individual concerning
tra n s fe r o f th e B o ard m an
ambulance services to the fire
protection district. Glenn, who
was chastised by the board for
acting without first consulting the
board, said he acted as an
independent citizen in broaching
the subject. “I’m confused as to
why you have done that, rather
than come to the board," said
board member Linda LaRue,
lone. Steve Myren, a Boardman
EMT, said at the meeting that the
ambulance serv ice volunteers are
opposed to the fire district taking
over the service. According to
M yren, a fo rm er M orrow
County Sheriff’s deputy now
employed with CSEPP, three
entities have to agree to a transfer
o f serv ices from one district to
another, in this case the Morrow
C ounty C ourt, the M orrow
County Health District and the
B oardm an F ire P ro tectio n
District. Financial information
p ro v id e d by V ander D oes
showed that while the Boardman
Ambulance billed out S 114,331,
adjustm ents and w rite offs
resulted in only a 59 percent
recov ery rate-a S 17,243 loss for
the department. Board member
John Prag, Boardman, said that
it might be beneficial to the health
district to have another entity take
over the service if it is losing
money. However, it is anticipated
that PM H ’s designation as a
Critical Access Hospital will
improve the ambulance serv ice's
reimbursement rate. Bohm said
that he had spoken to two other
fire districts in the area that
prov ide ambulance serv ices and
they indicated that they had a 70
percent recovery rate. “ We’re
just looking at the facts,” said
Bohm.
In other business at the
meeting, the board:
-discussed redistricting
the district's election zones or
eliminating the zones entirely,
going to an at-large board. The
board also discussed moving
from a five-member board to a
se v e n -m e m b e r b o ard . No
decision was made.
-le a rn e d
th a t
a
p h y sician ’s assistant, Terry
Anderson, is expected to be on
board at the Irrigon Clinic by Jan.
20, b arrin g any d elay s in
licensing.
-retired to executive
session to resume discussion of
c o n tra ct n eg o tia tio n s w ith
Boardman physician. Dr. Robert
B oss, w ho cu rren tly has a
contract w ith the district.
lone Youth Group announces annual service
award recipients
VOL. 122
NO. 2
10 Pages
Wednesday, January 8,2003
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Grace sworn in as newest commissioner
(L-R): Jamie VandenBrink, Tracy Griffith, Diana McElligott and Caitlin Orem show the Christmas
gifts lone Youth Group purchased for an Outreach Ministry of Portland client.
Ray Grace is sworn into office as Morrow County’s newest commissioner Monday morning by
county clerk Barbara Bloodsworth. Grace, Heppner, was elected to the four-year office in
November. He replaces Dan Brosnan who did not run for re-relection.
Chamber announces plans for Town and Country
H eppner C ham ber
announces the annual Town and
Country Banquet Thursday, Jan.
16, at 7 p.m. at the Elks. N o­
host social hour will be at 6 p.m.
The keynote speaker,
sponsored by CenturyTel is Bill
Evans, who promises to keep us
laughing all the way home with
his anecdotal message, “ D on’t
P an ic T oday, W ait U n til
Tomorrow.” Bill Evans is part
humorist, comedian, storyteller
and practical advice giver. He
fo u n d ed the In s titu te o f
ProfessionalTraining in 1979 and
travels nationally to make his
presentations. He is sought after
as a public speaker because his
unique style creates a “ learn
w hile you are having fu n ”
atmosphere.
Bill has accum ulated
over two million domestic miles
on Delta Airlines alone traveling
from Alaska to Florida spreading
his message o f “Don’t Panic
Today, Wait Until Tomorrow” .
His anecdotal approach will have
you laughing all the way home.
Bill is a graduate o f the
University o f Washington and
currently resides in Port Orchard,
Wash., with his wife o f 31 years,
Barbara. They have three grown
children. Bill loves to hunt and fish
in his spare time and donates
time each year to helping high
school students throughout the
state o f Washington.
Tow n and C o u n try ,
which for many years was once
k n o w n as T he F arm -C ity
Banquet, is an opportunity for the
community and Willow Creek
Valley to gather under one roof.
It’s about retail businesses,
ranches, farm s, tow ns, and
individuals coming together, to
sh are lau g h ter, m e m o ries,
fe llo w s h ip , and to h o n o r
deserving citizens. Man, Woman,
Educator, Business, Youth, and
Lifetime Achievement Awards
will be announced. The Morrow
County Fair and Oregon Trail
P ro -R o d e o C o u rt w ill be
re c o g n iz e d , and th e O SU
Cooperator o f The Year award
will be presented.
A ll are w elco m e to
attend the afternoon Morrow
C ounty L ivestock G row ers
p ro g ra m , to in c lu d e a
presentation on Rural Agriculture
In O reg o n by O reg o n
C attlem en’s Assoc. President
Bob S kinner; a talk on the
Biology o f Wolves, and the
Senate Bill 1010 Plan.
B an q u et tic k e ts are
available at Bank o f Eastern
Oregon in Heppner and lone,
Murrays, Klamath First, and at
the Chamber o f Commerce.
Methodist Church
to host guest
speakers
The H eppner U nited
Methodist Church will be host to
the Reverends Teri and Evelyn
Erbele, missionaries to Moscow,
Russia, on Monday, Jan. 13. A
Potluck Dinner will begin the
evening at 6 p.m., followed by a
presentation by the Erbele’s.
Prior to their assignment
to Russia in 1999, they served
for six years in Nigeria, West
Africa. They have also served
U nited M ethodist C hurches
throughout Oegon, including the
Hermiston United M ethodist
Church.
E v ely n is c u rre n tly
involved in developing ministries
o f education and health-related
issues. Teri serves as treasurer
and overseer o f church initiative
d ev elo p m en t funds for the
R ussian U n ited M eth o d ist
Church.
T o g e th e r th e y are
prepared to bring to Heppner an
interesting and information-filled
evening. The community is inv ited
to attend.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
C aitlin O rem , D iana
McElligott, Tracy Griffith, Jamie
VandenBrink, and Karl Morgan
are the 2003 recipients o f the
Outstanding Serv ice Award given
by lone E cum enical Youth
Group.
“The award is the highest
honor given by the group and
reflects full participation and
sincere commitment and service
to o th e rs th ro u g h o u t high
school,” noted youth group
leader Jeri McElligott.
The recipients, all seniors
at lone H igh S chool, have
regularly attended meetings and
sold and delivered Christmas
trees to make money for group
projects. They have helped with
the annual food drive to benefit
the H eppner N eighborhood
C e n te r and sp o n so re d the
“ S ouper Bowl o f C a rin g ,”
collecting donations for a soup
kitchen in Portland as well as
collecting soup for the Center.
The youth have all made trips to
Burnside in Portland to serve the
poor. They have toured agencies,
served in soup kitchens, and
sorted clothing for the poor o f the
area. They have participated in
worship services, doing follow­
up projects to their trips and
sharing their experiences. They
have also sold cookies, snow
Karl Morgan (left) admits people to the Rlanchet House soup
kitchen in Portland.
and Morgan are all members of
cones and Italian sodas on the
the lone United Church o f Christ.
Fourth o f July to help fund
O rem and M c E llig o tt are
projects.
m e m b ers o f St. W illia m ’s
Griffith. VandenBrink
Catholic Church.
GET WORK DONE NOW... PAY FOR IT LATER!
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M
orrow
C ounty G
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
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