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Morrow School Board reverses decision on Lexington attendance Bessie letsell U o f 0 Ne w s p a p e r L i b r a r y E u g e n e , OR 9 / 4 0 3 VOL. 122 NO. 42 10 Pages Wednesday, October 15,2003 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home to close Nov. 10 P io n e e r M e m o ria l ^Nursing hom e will close its doors on Nov. 10 after 50 years o f operation, according to M orrow C ou n ty H ealth D istrict C E O Victor Vander Does. (See letter to the editor, page tw o.) Vander Does said that the district can no longer afford to operate the facility, citing low occupancy, with “no potential for m ore residents” and g o v e rn m e n t reim bursem ent at below cost o f operation. The closure will not a ff e c t P io n e e r M e m o ria l H o s p ita l n o r th e c lin ic s operated by the hospital. In addition to Pioneer Memorial Clinic in H eppner and Irrigon Clinic, the district subsidizes a private clinic operated by Dr. R obert B oss in Boardm an. T he d istric t a lso o p e ra tes ambulance services. Vander Does said that th e low o c c u p a n c y at the nursing home is the result o f a num ber o f factors. People are healthier and are staying in their homes longer, he said. Vander D oes, D irector o f N ursing lam m y Henderson and Sandy Hanna, resident care manager, sa y th a t n u r s in g h o m e occupancy is dow n e v e ry w h e re . A n o th e r c o n trib u tin g facto r is that M orrow County has a limited p o p u latio n from w hich to draw. Assisted living facilities also provide another option. M C H D m e t in a special meeting in Boardman, on Oct. 8, to decide the fate o f the nursing hom e, w hich was hom e for 12 residents. M CHD also expects to lay off 18 f u ll- tim e e q u iv a le n t em ployees, probably around 12-15 em ployees, as a result o f the closure. T he w hole district has a total o f 60 full time equivalent employees. Henderson and Hanna said the new s w as m et by employees and residents with “mixed emotions— anger and s a d n e s s .” “ S o m e w e re surprised, some weren’t,” they said. The layoffs affect nearly every departm ent— certified nursing assistants-15 full and part-tim e em ployees to five full-time, dietary-from five to 1.4, housekeeping-from three to one, maintenance-from two to one, business office/medical r e c o r d s - f iv e to fo u r, adm inistrative-from four to three. O ne registered nurse will be absorbed back into the hospital because o f nursing shortages there. A savings is also expected by not having to hire agency nurses to fill in. R esidents have until Nov. 10 to find a new facility. Vander Does said that som e o f the residents may be eligible continued page three Lexington Grange gives books to HES The M orrow County School Board voted to reverse its decision concerning the L e x in g to n /P in e C ity attendance area at its regular m eetin g M onday night in Boardm an. The board voted four to three to repeal the blanket inter-district w aiver which allowed students living in the L exington-Pine City area to attend lone schools if they wish. Bill Kuhn made the motion, with Kuhn, Heppner, John Renfro, Lexington, Ken M atlack, Irrigon, and Craig M iles, H eppner, voting in favor o f the m otion and Julie W e ik e l, B o a rd m a n , P at M c N a m e e , I rr ig o n , a n d B a rn e y L in d s a y , n o rth Lexington area, voting against the proposal. L indsay had earlier proposed that M CSD allow the students in question to attend lone Schools if they had already attended school at lo n e , w h ic h h a d b e e n approved by the board. Prior to the M onday night vote, W eikel said th at she w as opposed to students being h e ld h o s ta g e b e c a u s e o f money and M cNamee said he was in favor o f leaving the exception for the Lexington/ Pine City students as it was. Craig Miles suggested that the tw o e n titie s w o rk on a com prom ise, “ Before we do anything to strain relations with lone.” “We made a decision,” said Miles. “ I'm not sure as a board we want to be reversing ourselves.” M ik e A r m a to , o f Heppner, speaking in support o f the reversal, com m ented that the M CSD’s responsibility is to the students who reside in the district. "The change in policy was not created by the M o rro w C o u n ty S c h o o l D istrict. It w as created by lo n e ’s secession. You can b la m e th e lo n e S c h o o l District,” said Armato. He also s a id th a t SA T s c o re s o f Heppner students were above those at lone. A rm ato and Kuhn were earlier proponents o f a plan to close lone High School and m erge it w ith Heppner High School to save the district m oney w ithout c u ttin g c u r r ic u lu m and te a c h e rs d u rin g a se v e re budget crunch prior to lone's secession. A ccording to board discussion Monday night, the board believed that the lone School District was allow ing students outside the ISD to attend school in lone without release from M CSD . State regulations specify that if a district does not release a student from attending in its district, state school support fu n d s do not fo llo w th at student—neither district would get the funds. According to the state budget, currently each student brings $5,219 to his attendance district. M orrow C ounty School D istrict had built its budget based on earlier projections w ith $4,848 in s ta te sc h o o l s u p p o rt p e r student. A suggestion that the tw o districts split the m onies in question was not pursued b ecau se o f c o n c ern s o v e r legality. The board also voted to recommend for approval to th e U m a tilla -M o r ro w Education Service D istrict three petitions for boundary changes requested o f MCSD. Tw o p e titio n s w ere from fam ilies residing in M CSD who requested to have the boundary changed so that they w o u ld re s id e in the ISD attendance area. A third was from a family residing in ISD w ho requested to have the boundary changed so that they w ould reside in M CSD. All three families resided near the boundaries. Kuhn m ade the m o tio n to a p p ro v e th e changes, commenting that this action "will be the end o f it.” The board voted in favor o f opening the Irrigon Junior/Senior High School in Septem ber o f 2005. At the b e q u e s t o f an I rr ig o n d e le g a tio n , th e b o a rd considered opening the school in September 2004, but on the recommendation o f Columbia Middle School Principal Ron Anthony and Riverside High School Principal Dirk Dirksen, agreed to the Septem ber ’05 date. Their major concern was appropriate staffing for the two schools, with shop capabilities, proposed FFA classes and athletic scheduling also figuring in the e q u a tio n . T he new con fig u ratio n will include grades seven through 12 and all grades w ould be affected, ra th e r th an a p h a se -in o f stu d e n ts, w hich had been suggested earlier. “There is a prom ise (that it w ould be a phase-in),” said W eikel. “ I would suggest the board might c h a n g e th e n a m e o f th e M o rro w C o u n ty S c h o o l D is tr ic t th e w a y w e ’re changing th in g s,” retorted M cN am ee, referring to the board’s reversal on that issue and the L exington/Pine city issue. T he n a m e Irrig o n J u n io r /S e n io r H ig h w a s reco m m en d ed by a com m ittee, with the nam es lone High to celebrate Homecoming lone High School will be celebrating its Homecoming on T hursday, O ct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 17. D re ss fo r O c t. 16 should show C ardinal pride. The events o f the day will begin with a three-legged race at 12 noon. Evening events will begin at 6 p.m ., w ith Pow der P u ff f o o tb a ll. M a c h o M an volleyball will be held from 6:30-7 p.m. B eginning at 7 p.m., the volleyball team will sponsor a pizza feed. Finishing up the e v e n in g w ill be a bonfire/pep rally at 8 p.m. H o m eco m in g Day, Wilbur Jackson, Master of the Lexington Grange presented reading books to the first grade class at F rid ay , O ct. 17, w ill see Heppner Elementary School. activities begin at 4:55 p.m., w ith the honoring o f the senior Regular S E E . S O girl volleyball players and their j k e y parents. The volleyball game against Echo is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., D S & r BLACK V LOGGER JE A N S C LO SE OUT S A L E P R IC E $ 1 6 .9 9 {Lim itad ta mtact i an handl M o r r o w C o u n ty G r a in G r o w e r s Lexin gton 989-8221 • 1-800-452*7396 F*r fir m e q u ip m e n t . v l« it o u r w * b l i t « »« w w w m c f f n « t past state champion teams w ill be recognized. Senior football players a n d th e ir p a re n ts w ill be honored at 6:55 p.m., w ith the football gam e against Echo b e g in n in g at 7 p.m . T h e Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned at halftime. T he H o m e c o m in g dance will be held from 9 p.m.- 12 a.m. T h is y e a r ’s Hom ecoming court includes: freshm en. M ason B radfield and K a y la L aR ue; sophomores, Kyle Palmateer and Abby Key; juniors, Arthur E k s tro m and B a rb a ra Holland; and seniors, Johnny C o llin s , E m ily Key, Tim D oherty and Tina Tuzarova. C ro w n b e a re rs, from th e kindergarten class, are Rachel H o lla n d a n d B re n d a n Thompson. Columbia River Junior/Senior High and C olum bia Junior/ Senior High also considered. In other business, the board: -h e a rd from Ju d g e F rank Y ra g u e n , w ho w as charged w ith resolving the differences between ISD and MCSD concerning the division o f assets and liabilities. Judge Yraguen said that initially he b e lie v e d ISD w o u ld ow e M CSD , but f u r th e r examination o f the value o f the buildings resulted in M CSD o w in g IS D in e x c e s s o f $100,000. He said he based his valuation o f the buildings on rep la ce m e n t co sts and on assets and liabilities rather than the district’s bond levies. “The cost doesn’t equal the value,” he said. Judge Y raguen also said that a dispute betw een continued page two HES to hold Fall Carnival H eppner Elementary School w ill be having its annual Fall C arnival on Thursday, Oct. 23 from 6-8 p.m. It will be held in the new gymnasium and is being sponsored by the Parent Teacher Club. Bingo, hoop shoot, duck scoop, ju n k food walk, face painting and a fish pond are just a few o f the games and activities planned for kids, and kids at heart, to enjoy. H ot dogs an d popcorn will be available for th o s e w h o w o rk u p an a p p e tite and the A d o p t A Teacher Foundation will be s e llin g p ie c e s o f p ie fo r dessert. City still gets low interest water The H eppner City C ouncil learned Monday the city is still eligible for $4 m illion in low interest loans to com plete a renovation o f the city w ater system. There had been concern that an earlier-qualified-for one p e rc e n t loan m ay n o t be available after the council scaled back the p ro p o sed water renovation project. To qualify for the low interest loan, the city will decline $1 million in interim financing and pay $ 4 2 ,4 9 6 fo r le g a l a n d administrative fees. In other business the council discussed the possibility o f purchasing the former Klamath First Bank building on M ain St. in H eppner for use as a new city' hall facility. The Bank o f Eastern O regon recently purchased Klamath First and m e m b e rs o f th e c o u n c il indicated the building might be for sale. The council decided to wait and not spend $9,000 for a city hall renovation study. The council read a letter o f resig n a tio n from M orrow C o u n ty S h e r if f R a n d y Rayburn. Rayburn has been patrolling H eppner since the city signed a contract with the sheri ffdepartment to patrol the city. Rayburn was reported to have gone to work for Bruce Young Logging o f Heppner. The council heard that Jerry Roberts, a form er Herm iston police officer, would help with patrol in Heppner. Roberts has been w o rk in g at th e new county ATV park. The council voted to put a n e w y ie ld s ig n at th e intersection o f G ilm ore and Pioneer Drive. ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
