Pie contest and auction sweetens community 50 < HEPPNER imes VOL. 122 NO. 31 6 Pages Wednesday, July 30,2003 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Health District will need tax levy or run out of money The Morrow County Health District will have to float a successful tax levy this spring or will run out of money next year, MCHD CEO Victor Vander Does told the board at th e ir reg u lar m eeting Monday night in lone. Vander Does told the board that they will have to put up a levy in the spring election, because if they wait until November it will be too late to save the district and most o f the services it provides. He said that the “w orst case scenario,” if the district runs out o f money, would be that the district would be forced to close the two district clinics, in Heppner and Irrigon, stop support paym ents to the Boardman clinic operated by Dr. Robert Boss and close Pioneer Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home, which show a loss. In that event, Vander Does said the district w ould retain em ergency services in Heppner and also continue operating Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, which makes money for the district. Vander Does told the board that the district needs an additional $300,000-plus to retain the services it now provides. “This is not a threat,” said Vander Does. “This will be a reality unless someone nice brings us in $300,000.” The district did receive a $3 0 0 ,000 g ift from the Bechdolt estate which helped balance the budget this year. Board member Ed Glenn told the board that he did not believe Boardman residents would be willing to approve such a levy and do u b ted w h eth er south Morrow County voters would pass it either. He said that such a move would likely increase pressure on Boardman to withdraw from the district. He and board member John Prag commented that the city of Boardman is so flush that it could possibly fund medical services on its own and also added that Boardman voters may want to approve their own levy, even though those serv ices could co st the residents o f Boardman as much as an additional $ 1 per thousand assessed valuation, according to earlier estimates by the district. Glenn and Prag said that they believed Dr. Boss’ clinic in Boardman would still remain open even if the district discontinues payment, and reiterated that primary care is the major service provided by the district in the Boardman and Irrigon area, with the residents o f north Morrow County already driving at least 20 minutes for emergency care. C lo sin g c lin ic s in Heppner and Irrigon would leave those towns without district-provided primary care. A physician, Dr. Kenneth Wenberg, maintains a private practice in Heppner, but there is no private clinic in Irrigon. Vander Does told the board that the state will allow PMH to retain its Trauma Level IV designation, even though, as a cost-saving measure, PMH will no longer have a physician on 24-hour call. Vander Does said that the district is in the process of hiring a mid-level provider, such as a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant, to cover the emergency room, which will save the district money. Board member Larry Mills suggested that the board discuss the tax issue, which is expected to be extremely co m p licated w ith compression, enterprise zones and other issues, with the district’s accountant Mike Bell. The district had a $270,310 profit for the month o f June, which includes the estate donation. Without the donation, the district showed a $37,000 loss for the month of June. The loss for May was $68,341. The year-to-date loss was $249,405, compared to a b u d g eted loss o f $267,848. Statistics show that Pioneer Memorial Clinic had 411 patient visits for the month of June and the Irrigon Clinic had 141 patient visits. Pioneer Memorial Hospital had a total o f 28 patients. The Heppner Ambulance had seven runs, Boardman, 15, and Irrigon, 13. Class of ‘93 to hold picnic H eppner High School Class o f 1993 is meeting for an informal reunion picnic at 11:30 a.m., on Saturday, Aug. 16 in the city park. Due to limited funds, the event is a bring- your-own-food affair. All class members and their families, friends and school employees are invited to attend. During the picnic, plans w ill be discussed concerning a possible formal reunion for the summer of 2004. Premium Cenex Motor Oil Quart Sale Multi-Grade: 5-20, 5-30,10-30,10-40 Don** ■«. » !* For Gasoline Engines ucatur'U* 10% O FF — * * Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 For form equipm ent, vtalt our web tite a t WWW. mcff.net The 2003 Celebrate Part of Celebrate Heppner Heppner Pie Auction raised $850 for the H eppner Chamber. Twenty-two pies where auctioned off, with Whitney Matthew’s Caramel Apple pie bringing in $ 105. At a pie ju d g in g co n test held before the auction, Dennis Wall took first with his Chocolate Almond Cream pie; April Sykes took second with her Rhubarb Sour Cream pie; and Betty Pfeiffer took third with her Apple pie. F irst and second Morrow County Fair & OTPR Princesses Megan place received a $100 gift McCabe (left) and Lexi Kennedy (right) display contest certificate to any Chamber pies, while auctioneer Larry Mills (background) works m erchant. Second place his magic. received a $50 gift certificate to any Chamber merchant. First and second place prizes were sponsored by Sherrell Insurance Agency. The third place prize, sponsored by John Gochnauer, was a $40 gift certificate to John’s Place Restaurant. A lso as a special treat, the three winners have decided to share their winning recipes with the community. I * piace_ Chocolate Almond Cream Pie, made Community members gathered together, July 25, to by Dennis Wall. C rust: G raham Celebrate Heppner, and enjoy a B-B-Q dinner in City Park sponsored by Bank of Eastern Oregon.(top and cracker crust bottom pictures) Filling: 2 boxes Jello® brand 5-minute chocolate pie filling, made with whole milk. Mix the filling according to the directions on the box. Put filling mixture into graham cracker crust. Topping: 1 pint heavy w hipping cream , 8 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon almond extract. W hip m ixture to m ake whipped cream. Place on top of filling. Garnish top with shaved semi-sweet chocolate bar and sliced almonds. Makes a 10-inch pie. 2nd Place- Rhubarb Sour Cream Pie, made by April Sykes. Crust: (M akes one double crust, however, you will need two double crusts for this recipe.) 2 'A cups flour, lA teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup Butter flavored Crisco® and 'A cup ice water. Mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Then cut in Crisco® until crumbly. Next mix in ice water. Divide dough into two pieces. Form Heppnerites and other Willow Valley residents stroll into circle and roll out on a along the sidewalk sales of Heppner businesses, during floured surface. Place one Celebrate Historic Heppner, July 25. unbaked crust in each pie plate. Filling: 6 cups rhubarb, cut in ‘/ 2 -inch slices or less, 3 cups sugar, 2 cups sour cream, V i cups flour and 2 tab lesp o o n s butter. Mix together rhubarb, sugar and flour. Stir in sour cream. Divide mixture and place in the two shells. Place 1 tablespoon of butter on top of each pie. Place one unbaked crust on top of each pie. Prick crust with fork several times. Bake 350 degrees for Sainarra D. Van Doom of Go Music In Heppner pro­ 1 to 1 lA hours, until crust is vides entertainment for the crowd downtown Friday. flaky and filling is bubbly. 3rd Place-Apple Pie, made by Betty Pfeiffer, last year’s first place winner. C rust: (m akes 3 double crusts) In a 1-cup m easuring cup, put 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 egg and then fill with water to make 1-cup. In a bowl, sift 5 cups flour and 2 teaspoons salt. C ut in 2 'A cups shortening until you get a “course meal" texture. To flour mixture add liquid mixture, stirring it in with a fork. Dough Kids trv their luck at the dunk tank downtown may be frozen successfully. Bake at 400 degrees Roll dough to make pie crust. and sprinkle a little on the crust. Place one crust in the bottom The take halfof the diy mixture for 50 minutes. of pie plate. and mix with half the apples Filling: 5 cups sliced and place those apples in apples, 2 heaping tablespoons crust. Add remaining dry ALL NEWS AND flour, V* teaspoon salt, I ingredients and cut butter on ADVERTISEMENT teasp o o n cin n am o n , Vi top. Then add rem aining DEADLINE: teaspoon nutmeg and 1 'A cups apples and sprinkle with 1 (2 cups if green apples) sugar. tablesp