Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 3, 2008)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 3,2008 - FIVE Letters to the Editor The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy o f statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under “Card o f Thanks” at a cost of $10. Mental health providers don t shop at local businesses Boardman residents have been chastised by your reporters and in your editorials (The Hermiston Herald, July 11) for lack o f interest in a second Morrow-Wheeler Behavioral Health residential facility in their commu nity. I find it curious that reporters and editors create and publish critical information about any community without checking the validity o f information disseminated by those that live and work elsewhere. As stated in the articles and subsequent editorials (The Hermiston Herald), the Boardman community does have a MWBH residential treatment facility - Columbia River Ranch. In the beginning, my business was involved with supplying patient medications to that facility. Cor porate administrators decided they could get a better deal by utilizing a pharmacy supplier located in the Willamette Valley, and they terminated our agreement on very short notice. Purchasing medications out o f Morrow County, and out o f Eastern Oregon, continued for several months. The facility administrators encountered problems with their new provider, and asked if my local business would be their medication provider once again. This arrange ment continued for a few months, until the administrators changed to a chain pharmacy in Umatilla County for their patient medications, again on short notice. Each time 1 was invited to be the pharmaceutical provider for Columbia River Ranch patients, required a $20,000-$25,000 additional investment to my normal in ventory. When the provider arrangement was terminated, some medications were able to be returned to the whole saler, but always at a loss. Columbia River Ranch continues to use an out-of- town, out-of-Morrow County, pharmaceutical provider. Your editorials indicated the proposed facil ity would purchase $3,000-54,000 in groceries from our community market. Had anyone attempted to verify this statement, they would have found that the majority o f grocery supplies for Columbia River Ranch patient meals are purchased out o f town, out o f Morrow County, and out o f Oregon. Columbia River Ranch patients freely walk and bicycle in the Boardman community, and do make personal purchases at local businesses. We enjoy these community residents as individuals, and appreciate their patronage. Your statement “the currently proposed treatment facility would have a local monthly payroll o f $65,000,” needs clarification. Columbia River Ranch utilizes a contracted provider for most o f their medication and treatment therapies. This provider is in Portland, and uses tele-medicine for the most part. Does the $65,000 monthly payroll for the proposed facility include a Portland-based treatment therapist? Co lumbia River Ranch administrators no longer use Columbia River Community Health Clinic for patient medical care. Patients are seen at the Irrigon Medical Clinic, resulting in some economic benefit to Morrow County. Based on my experience as a community pharmacy provider, I support the development o f resident treatment centers as compassionate treatment for mental health clients who need assistance. It is inaccurate to consider such centers as “Community Economic Development” opportunities. The Boardman Community has “stepped to the plate” and continues to make a good attempt to service the needs o f the existing residential treatment facility, Columbia River Ranch. In the future, we encourage reporters and editors to seek more than one viewpoint, plus check and verify background information, before they denigrate any com munity. Raymond D. Michael, registered pharmacist and owner o f Boardman Health Mart Pharmacy & Hardware Boardman Frustrated with the lack of response Editor s Note: This letter was written by Terry Tallman to Congressman Walden and was sent to the Heppner Gazette-Times to run in the editorial section. Dear Congressman Walden, We have been working with your staff regarding a serious situation that is occurring in Morrow County. They have been very helpful and cooperative and suggested we write this letter providing details o f the situation. During late June of this year, several thunderstorms rolled through the region leaving numerous lightning caused fires in its wake. The largest and most serious fire was on the US Navy Bombing Range, burning a total of at least 45,000 acres. We were very' disappointed with the fire fighting ef forts, or lack thereof, o f the US Navy. We are also frustrated with the lack of response since the time o f the fires. Morrow County wants to maintain our positive relationship with the Navy. We don’t want our willing ness to be collaborative in finding solutions to issues to be mistaken with the thought the US Navy can continue to do nothing to protect the environment o f the Bombing Range and the people that are impacted by this environment. The choice to take no action leads to increased liability, loss of public safety and increased road costs. This is a public safety issue which potentially shuts down a major North-South thoroughfare in Morrow County. Many citizens drive on Bombing Range Road to get to and from work on a daily basis. There is the daily delivery o f solid waste to Finley Buttes Landfill based on contracts with municipalities throughout the Northwest. With our ever shrinking budgets, diverting o f county resources to continuously monitor Bombing Range Road to provide for public safety, because of a problem created by a policy where fire on this facility is happening annu ally with no or minimal care for the land before or after the fires, impacts our ability to complete other necessary road maintenance. The Bombing Range fire was also a threat to a large corporate tree farm, a sawmill and Cascade Specialties, a food processing plant, which all border the east side of the Bombing Range. These three entities provide employment to citizens of Morrow and Umatilla counties. ORS 368.256 Creation o f a road hazard outlines our responsibilities and remedies when a road hazard is created. We believe the Navy should be held to at least the same standard as other landowners and they should take responsibility for abating this road hazard. As always, we appreciate all you do for the citizens o f Morrow County and all o f Oregon. If you have any questions, please contact us. Terry K. Tallman Morrow County Judge Boardman Fall Quilt Show returns to Greenfield Grange nual Fall Quilt Show has expanded to two days for 2008. The Quilt Show will be held at Greenfield Grange #579, 2009 SW 1st St., the pink b u ild in g under the historic Boardm an Water Tower, on October 3 and 4. Show hours are 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. both days. Featured Local Quil- ter will be Judy Robinson, a resid en t o f H erm iston the past 30 years. Judy is married and has 11 grand children. She fell in love with quilting and fabric arts when she was 12 years old, and has been quilting about 25 years. Columbia Basin quilters will recognize Judy as the ow ner o f H erm is- ton’s “Country Loveables.” S ev eral y ears ago Judy sold “County Loveables” to “Aunty Ida’s,” and has been busy working on new projects in the area o f quilt ing and fabric art. J u d y fo u n d sh e m issed the relatio n sh ip s that evolved from quilting with other quilters, and now teaches classes at “Aunty Id a ’s .” Judy has a loyal following o f area quilters. Her recent series o f classes, “$ 10.00 Block of the Month, had 100 participants. She credits “ Ready to Sew ,” pre cut kits for som e o f the enthusiasm, but allows she really enjoys sharing her knowledge with other quilters. She will teach sev eral new quilting classes at Aunty Ida’s this fall: Begin ning Hand Appliqué Quilt ing; and Quilting Technique Updates. Judy will have three new quilts to share at the show, just a small portion of the 70-plus quilts she has on display in her home. Felted wool projects and em bel lished quilted wall hangings are her focus at the present time. Don’t miss this oppor tunity to visit and exchange ideas with this very special quitter. Now is the time to finish those quilts projects. get G ranny’s quilt out o f the cedar chest, and enter the 2008 B oardm an Fall Quilt Show. Entry Catego ries are: King; Queen; Full; Crib; Baby; Other; Hand Quilted; Machine Quilted; Hand Tied. If you wish your quilt to be judged, a $2.00 per quilt judging fee applies. Exhibitors must pre-register. Entry Forms are available at “Aunty Ida’s," Quilt Shop, 435 W. H erm iston Ave, Hermiston, OR. 9 am -5 pm, 541-567-2726. F o r in fo r m a tio n about exhibiting at the show, or other information, contact Marge Shankle, 541 481 - 3633. t Since the closing of the Kinzua Mill, Heppner has been ever so slowly dying off. Some may say that it is all due to the closing o f the mill but it hasn’t been the only factor. As a kid growing up in Heppner, my mother worked at Cal’s Cafe which is now known as GD’s. There were times of the year when you could count on the whole town being busy, everything from the bars, restaurants, gas sta tions and the motel. There were times like hunting season, fair and rodeo weekend. Those two events no longer bring in people which also brought in the money that helped keep this town alive. These two events have died off for different reasons. Fee hunting brought with it people willing to spend their money, but it also closed most o f the land we have all hunted for generations. I am a service man and I have been around the world and anyone who I’ve ever come across from Oregon that knew where Heppner was, was because their family had hunted here for years. This last hunting season the few' regular hunters that still come to our little town said they probably w on’t be back next year because there is no where for them to hunt anymore. How often do you see a “Welcome to Hunt” sign these days? The hunt ers that come to town now don’t gas up, they don’t eat in town, or get supplies in town, and this type o f hunter does not help Heppner’s economy or its citizens. As a kid, fair and rodeo weekend was a time to pig out on cotton candy and candy apples before going on w hat rides we did have and even though most o f them were the same as the year before we still had fun. The Wilkinson arena though it is a nice addition crippled this event. Without a carnival the kids don’t really care to go, nothing against 4-H or any other part of the fair, but the kids aren’t that interested. If the kids don’t want to go then the parents aren’t being bugged to go and so business goes down. I remember before we had our nice new arena when the whole football field was the arena, why can’t we set up a carnival in a portion of the field. Yes we use it for parking now, but the old carnival didn’t take up that much space and if things continue to get worse, we w on’t even need the room for parking. I recently hear the rumor that Heppner is going to end the St. Patrick’s motor cross race because it is too dangerous. Is there a risk in riding? Yes, you’re right, but that’s why you take the measures to make it as safe as you can. The majority of riders know what they’re getting into when they get on a bike. I think riders will report anyone drinking because they are not just endangering their lives but others on the track at the same time. Riding equipment is a must, children under the age 18 must have parental release, if you have the riders show proof of medical in surance, don’t allow riders who aren’t of age to drink and if they have, then don’t let them ride. Let’s try to make it better before we say it’s not safe enough... I don’t hear anyone saying shut down the OHV Park because riding can be dangerous and I never heard anyone say cancel the rodeo because a bull rider was hurt. The motor cross race is probably the biggest attraction to Heppner in re cent years. Closing it will only put us closer to becoming another ghost town. Heppner may never be as good as it was but then again, if we as a community come together and make changes for the better and think about the long term con sequences o f these changes before we make them, then maybe we can make Heppner better than it was. Stacv Lauritsen VÍCW frOIll tllC lllll B y D o ris B ro s n a n J u d y Robinson Make Heppner better than it was The view from the Willow Creek Terrace Ga zebo is relaxing, the new fu rn itu re from the HHS Class o f ‘64 is comfy, and the sanding and staining that Jerry Baker did on the gazebo have put ju st the right finishing touch to that outdoor feature. Watching the season ch an g e from that vantage point should be especially enjoyable this month. E njoyable, too, is the garden bounty that Lyle and Virginia Peck, Dorothy Green, Sheri Stahl, Wendy A ppleton, Jim and Kathy Martin, and Kathy Meyer have shared with Terrace residents. And the flowers from Jan Stroeber, Susan Hisler, and the Batty and Anderson families continue to add a refreshing ambiance to the entry area. The atm osphere at the M orrow C ounty Fair was one of activities, sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of rural America, and 13 Ter race residents thoroughly enjoyed every m inute o f exploring all that the fair offered on August 14. Their tomatoes had not ripened in time for entry, but Gloria Klimaschesky had entered and won three red ribbons with her crochet work. The “O ver the Hill Sunshine G an g ,” aka resid en ts o f Willow Creek Terrace, did enter the talent contest that day. A total o f 11 brave and talented residents and their companion staff mem bers and volunteers offered their rendition o f “You Are My Sunshine” and invited the audience to join them. This was the third time the “Gang” participated in talent shows at the fair and was once again a crowd favor ite. Manager Naims reports that “great laughs were had by all.” That day at the fair might have been a fitting in troduction for new resident Katherine Lindstrom to the enjoyable and som etim es zany activities the Commu nity on the Hill get involved in, had she not already be gun her participation in the Terrace Olympics. As events were start ing in Beijing on August 8, competition also began on the Hill, with the put ting co n test. M isfortune struck for the competitors who could not negotiate the obstacles on the course and ended up in the sand trap or the water. One ball tightly circled the hole but refused at last to go in. Com peti tors' skills were so closely matched that a putt-off was necessary for determining second and third places. The medal winners at the awards ceremony were Floyd Green (gold), Katherine (silver), and “Granny” Felt (bronze). A ppropriately, th at e v e n in g ’s c e le b ra to ry m eal featured Chinese cuisine. On August 15, com petitors stretched their mus cles and tested their strength in wiffle ball batting. Again, winning figures were close, but Granny becam e a b i athlete when she won the gold with a 22’ 2” hit, Dot Halverson took silver with 2 1 ’ 9", and Elm er M eli- gan earned a bronze medal with 18’ 2”. That evening, competitors and spectators enjoyed the second o f their international meals, this one Mexican. On August 22, the com petition was possibly more o f a stretch for some participants than for others. Limbering up was especially important as they prepared for the biggest smile event. Entries ranged from tw o inches to the winning 3.5” smile by gold-medalist El mer Meligan, now a bi-ath- lete also. Close behind Me ligan were George Jefferies with his silver-winning 3.4” smile and Bert Johannes’s 3.1" bronze winner. Italian -Continued on Page EIGHT
