Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 3,2008 - FIVE
Letters to the Editor
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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
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