Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, November 5, 2003 - THREE
November is National Hospice Month Morrow County School District # 1
By Molly Rhea,
News
Oir. of Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice
A s N ovem ber is “N ational H ospice M onth” the
v o lunteers and s ta ff at P ioneer M em orial H ospice are
celebrating our first full year o f M edicare-certified operation
w ith an Open House. The celebration will be Monday, Nov.
17, 2003 from 3-7 p.m ., at the H om e H ealth and H ospice
office, which is located behind Pioneer M emorial Hospital.
Since our July 2002 start-up, Pioneer M em orial
Hospice has provided care to more than 20 terminally ill patients
and their families.
Having a nationally recognized month offers us a time
to reflect upon the m eaning and im portance o f hospice care.
The term hospice was used centuries ago to describe places
o f refuge along the rugged paths o f the Swiss Alps where weary
travelers could find rest and loving care. Today the term is
used to describe a system o f care given to those w alking the
path o f a terminal illness. Pioneer Memorial Hospice provides
support and care for persons in the last phases o f a term inal
disease, so that they m ay live as fully and as com fortably as
possible. We recognize dying as part o f the normal process o f
living and focus on maintaining the quality o f their remaining
life.
Hospice takes a team approach in caring for the patient
and their family. This team consists o f a physician, nurses, a
social worker, chaplain and volunteers. O ur goals for end-of-
life care include preservation o f dignity, loving support o f family,
reconciliation o f the spirit, and re lie f from the suffering o f
terminal illness. More and more American are looking for better
w ays to face the em otional and practical realities o f serious
illness and dying, hospice can assist w ith those needs. The
reality o f death and dying need not be all angst and agony, but
can be a tim e o f personal growth, resolution and inner peace.
Pioneer Memorial Hospice serves Morrow and Gilliam
counties, and is a source o f information regarding end-of-life
care. O ur hospice team consists o f passionate and practiced
advocates for the appropriate care o f dying patients. We offer
training opportunities to community members who are seeking
more information on hospice care and have a library dedicated
to grief assistance and care for the terminally ill, that is available
to the public. O ur services are available to everyone. Funding
is provided through insurance reim bursem ents and private
donations.
For information regarding attending Hospice Volunteer
Training classes, or having a speaker on hospice related topics,
call M olly Rhea, H om e Health and Hospice Director at (541)
676-2946.
Neighborhood Center
explains donation process
A spokesperson for
th e N e ig h b o rh o o d C e n te r
says, “ We lift our hearts and
sin g p ra is e s fo r liv in g in
communities o f caring people,
for together w e m ake a great
team , and it really takes team
work to make things happen.”
Sharing and caring for others,
from house fire survivors and
abuse victim s, to the elderly
and low-income families, has
b e e n th e m is s io n o f th e
N eighborhood C enter since
1968.
The C enter’s struggle
continues in fully meeting the
n e e d s o f th e s e t a r g e te d
in d iv id u a ls. T h e b u ild in g
location on Main Street allows
easy access by pedestrian,
handicapped and m otorized
traffic. All items contributed are
cycled through the Center and
used to adm inister to these
need s. M aterial d o n atio n s
( s o f a s , w a s h e r s , ta b le s ,
televisions, etc) are utilized to
g e n e r a te fu n d s f o r th e
operation o f this program.
T he N e ig h b o rh o o d
C enter is currently suffering
“ after hours recycling” that
reduces the amount o f income
g e n e ra te d fo r a s s is ta n c e .
W hen an item is donated, it
becom es the property o f the
N eig h b o rh o o d C enter, the
parking lot o f which is private
property. The staff and board
members would like to remind
“ after hours adm irers” that
rem oval o f an article that has
b een d o n a te d is th eft and
trespass.
To assist in regulating
lo s s
of
ite m s ,
th e
N eighborhood C enter asks
th a t d o n o rs p le a s e m ak e
contributions during operation
hours. O perating hours are
M onday through Thursday, 8
a.m .-12 p.m . and 1-4 p.m .
Benefactors are encouraged to
maintain their support through
donations o f m aterial item s
th a t e n a b le th e C e n te r to
produce cash for its programs.
W ith assistance from caring
individuals, the losses to the
C enter w ill be stem m ed and
support for neighbors in need
will continue.
By Dr. Jack Crippen, Superintendent
Willow C reek Terrace
available for respite care
The recent cold spell, along with the play-off games in
high school sports all signal that winter is on the way and the
first nine weeks o f the school year is now in the history books,
or perhaps 1 should say in the databases. 1 hope all o f you with
stu d en ts in school w ere able to attend parent teach er
conferences. M any o f them w ere student lead, which means
your child was able to explain to you how he/she did this last
nine w eeks and w hat they expect to accom plish in the next
nine weeks.
What does “Think before you Ink” mean?
“Think Before You Ink” is a voter education project
to remind people o f their rights and responsibilities concerning
signing petitions as they apply to O regon’s initiative process.
They have four points to their education project, which are as
follows: You have the right to know the impact o f an initiative;
You have the right to protect your signature from forgery; You
have the right to know w ho is really behind the measure; and
You have the responsibility not to waste your signature.
If you are asked to sign a petition and feel you need
m ore inform ation before you sign, call the Voter Education
Project or the Oregon Secretary o f State or visit their website,
1 (800)295-5597 o r w w w .votereducationproject.org.
How are the District’s enrollment numbers this year?
The enrollm ent num bers show an increase for the
beginning o f the 2003-2004 school year. A t first glance it
appears our num bers have dropped from last year. Because
o f the opening o f the two new elementary schools one cannot
ju st look at the school totals and tell if enrollm ent is up or
down. One also, cannot simply subtract last y ear’s total from
this year’s total. However, when one subtracts the lone student
population from last y ear’s num ber (2331 - 1 5 8 = 2173) and
com pares that num ber to this y e a r’s num ber (2243) it shows
an increase o f 70 students. We hope this increase continues
through the year.
Since we now have students in Irrigon Elementary School
does that mean that the construction projects are
completed?
Well, no, it d oesn’t quite m ean that. It means that the
actual “building” part o f the project is finished. We have been
occupying the buildings on w hat is know n as tem porary
occupancy perm its. We have som e “punch list” items to be
com pleted by the contractors and we have ju st received our
final list from the building inspector o f items that need to be
done at each site before he will issue a final occupancy permit
for each project. T here is also a lot o f paper w ork to be
completed, design drawings to be updated to as built drawings,
w orkbooks on how to use and m aintain various pieces o f
equipm ent to be assem bled. All o f these item s are in som e
process o f com pletion now. There are also som e landscape
issues to take care o f at each site. Heery International has sent
Eric M anus to finish all the paper work and watch over the last
bits o f the project.
N an Hall o f H eery International, w ho has over seen
the design, bid and build parts o f the projects over the last two
years, has left us in M an u s’ hand and she has m oved on to
another H eery project closer to her hom e. O n b e h a lf o f the
District, I w ould like to say how m uch we appreciate Nan for
all o f her help and guidance in all phases o f the bond projects
as well as her w illingness to provide advice on questions we
had on other district projects. We will m iss her and we wish
her well.
Sofa area
“ E v e ry c a r e g iv e r
needs a rest from tim e to
tim e ,” say W illo w C re e k
Terrace Board C hairperson
Suzanne Jepsen, which is the
reason for the respite care
apartment at the assisted-living
facility.
O ne o f the sixteen
studio apartm ents at W illow
C reek Terrace is available to
individuals w ho need som e
c a re w h ile th e ir r e g u la r
care g iv e rs are aw ay for a
p e rio d o f tim e. M a n a g e r
N ancy Vander D oes reports
that “the door is open and we
w ould love to help out w ith
som eone’s care w hether for a
few hours or for several days,
whether the caregiver needs to
be gone for some shopping or
gone for a trip.”
W illo w
C re e k
Terrace provides assistance
with daily living activities and
features am enities such as
laundry and housekeeping
s e r v ic e s , T V r e c e p tio n ,
kitchenettes and meals served
in the dining room . N ursing
attention is available ifneeded,
as is tra n s p o rta tio n . T he
apartment used for respite care
is fully furnished.
T he assisted -liv in g
facility at 400 Frank Gilliam
D riv e a c c e p ts q u a lif ie d
M edicaid residents. Detailed
information about this service
at W illow C reek Terrace is
available on site and by calling
676-0004.
Candidates for Student Council
elections at HES
Did the School Board change the starting time of the
regular monthly meetings?
Yes they did. Starting w ith the N ovem ber Board
m eeting at H eppner E lem entary School, the regular board
meetings will begin at 7 p.m.
In an effort to streamline the board meeting, they also
will be receiving the principals’ reports and the maintenance
d irector’s report in w riting each m onth. The board feels this
will shorten the board meetings by approximately 45 minutes.
The Board will also be having the meeting in a larger
room, with a sound system, and a microphone for members o f
the audience to use during the time on the agenda for audience
participation.
The Board will continue to ask patrons to fill out a
request to address the Board, with their name and the name o f
the group they represent and the topic about which they wish
to speak. This enables the Board Chair to arrange the speakers
according to topics as well as helping with the taking o f the
minutes. Both items help to move the meeting along and keep
everyone on task.
If you have questions about items in this article or desire
an explanation o f items concerning education, please write or
e-m ail m e in care o f this new spaper or write to m e or stop in
and see me at either the M orrow County School District office
at 270 West M ain, Lexington, OR 97839 or on Thursdays or
by appointment at 500 Tatone, Boardman, OR 97818 (Windy
River Elementary School Room B3).
Heppner Elementary School held student council elections Nov. 4.
(Top to Bottom): Candidates include. President: Ashley Wolff,
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Catherine McElligott and Emily Thompson; Vice-President: Chance
Day. Jared Huddleston and Jared Hedman; Secretary: Taighler
Dougherty, Ian M u rra y and Jessica Hughes; Treasurer: To rri
Lovgren, M ark McCabe and Brynna Rust; and Publicity Manager:
WILLOW CREEK TERRACE ASSISTED LIVING
h u a respite ears studio apartment available
We w ill be cloted on Veteran’s Day,
TUetday, Noe. U
W hen Y ou N eed A R est
O r A re G oing T o B e G one
Y our L oved O ne C an S t a y W ith U s
The apartment is nicely furnished.
Meals, assistance with laundry, medication,
and activities of dally living are provided.
Peterson's
Jewelers,
C all N ancy A t
Happnar
676-9200
676-0004
Erin Price, Araceli Zavala and Wacy Coil. 4,h grade representative
candadiates: Logan Wanous, Natalie Rauch, Justin Pranger, Justin
Bailey, Carrie Haguewood, Chance Raver and Zach Hintz.
RCSC to hold meeting
T h e R h e a C re e k
Social C lub will be holding a
meeting Wednesday. Nov. 12,
at 1 0 a .m .,a tG D ’s.
G e o rg e
K o f f le r ,
president o f Bank o f Eastern
O regon, will be the special
guest speaker for the meeting.
K o f f le r w il l d i s c u s s th e
consolidation o f the Bank o f
Eastern Oregon and Klamath
First. He also said that he is
glad to answ er any questions.
A nyone interested is
w e l c o m e to a t t e n d the
meeting.