Local woman participates in
Washington, D.C. health bill protest
By Kerry Rietmann
As the debate over
the current healthcare re
form bill continued to build
and grow last w eek 1 found
m yself in a tide o f 20,000
to 40,000 other concerned
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper l-.brar.
University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403
HEPPNER
imes
VOL. 128
NO. 45
10 Pages
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Immunization clinics set at three district
elementary schools; more clinics tentative
By April Sykes
M orrow C o u n ty
School D istrict Superin
tendent Mark Burrows told
the board that H1N1 (Sw ine
Flu) im m unizations have
been scheduled for students
at district schools sta rt
ing with Heppner Elemen
tary School this Thursday,
November 12. Immuniza
tions will be held at A.C.
Houghton Elem entary in
Irrigon and Sam Boardman
Elementary Friday, Novem
ber 13.
Burrow s told the
G a z e tte -T im es T uesday
morning that the Health De
partment has told him that
clinics previously sched
uled at Irrigon Elementary,
Irrigon High School and
Morrow Education Center
in Irrigon on Wednesday,
November 18, Windy River
Elementary and Riverside
High School in Boardman
on Thursday, November 19,
and Heppner High School
on Tuesday, November 24,
are now tentative depend
ing on the vaccine avail
ability.
Burrows said that
ch ild ren nine years and
younger will need two vac
cinations, the second o f
which they are tentatively
scheduling in December.
M orrow C o u n ty
Health Department Direc-
citizens pulled to Washing
ton, D.C., w ith tw o or three
days notice. The rush to the
Capitol was generated by
a bill that has, in the view
o f many, been poorly con
ceived, poorly written, and
has been given no time for
consideration or process.
In an effort to be heard,
citizens gathered at a rally
on the capitol steps with
the entire Republican cau
cus, speakers such as actor
Jon Voight, Representative
M ichele B achm ann, talk
show host Mark Levine,
and Minority Leader John
Boehner.
Representative Mi
chele Bachman of Minneso
ta put out a plea on Friday,
October 29, for everyone
who cared to let their faces
be seen in Washington be
fore the vote on healthcare
in the House. By Nov ember
5, 20,000 to 40,000 people
were together on the steps
of the Capitol Building.
For many months I
have been emailing and fax
ing as many representatives
as I feel could be swayed to
vote against this massive
takeover of our healthcare
system . W hile I believe
there are areas that need to
be improved in the cost and
delivery o f healthcare in
this nation, I am deeply con
cerned about this particular
bill. It has extreme flaws
and does not accom plish
what it professes to. It is
extraordinarily expensive,
it demolishes the freedoms
of choice that we enjoy, it
rations care, and attempts
to tax us into submission. It
takes away our freedom of
choice regarding our most
important possession - our
own body. It eliminates our
ability to choose our level
o f care and to let our doctors
Top Photo: Tens of thousands of concerned citizens rallied
in protest of the proposed healthcare reform hill. Bottom
Photo: Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann spoke
at the recent healthcare reform rails in Washington. D.C. She
is pictured at the podium with the approximate 2.000 page
healthcare reform bill. Photos by Kerry Rietmann
decide what is best for our
personal health. It contin
ues the legislative branch’s
system atic destruction of
our economic prosperity.
It is a bill that is not about
healthcare - but power and
control. It is a government
takeover o f some o f our
most basic liberties.
It was em pow er
ing and impressive to be
a part o f a crow d of such
warmth, energy, and com
mon purpose. Most were
middle-aged moms, dads,
grandm as, and grandpas
whose passion for the free
tor Sheree Sm ith, R.N .,
said that the immunizations
will be delivered via shots,
rather than a nasal mist.
Burrows said that
flyers in both English and
Spanish, along with a con
sent and claim form and
general information about
the H1N1 virus have been
sent home to parents. Chil
dren will not be able to
receive the immunizations
if the consent form is not
retu rn ed com pleted and
signed.
S m ith ’s inform a By David Sykes
“We like to get local people
S o u th M o rro w to come to work for us. It
tion form said that in addi
tion to the school-age popu- C ounty is exceptionally is a great part time jo b ,”
she sa id . “ Local
-See SCHOOL DISTRICT/Page hard to count, cen
SEVEN sus w orker M au
people know their
reen Anderson told
way around so that
the H eppner City
is why we like local
hosted in 29 years.
C ouncil M onday.
workers.” Anderson
OSAA ticket prices A n d erso n w as at
said the jobs w ould
will apply for these games. the council m eet
pay $12 per hour
Prices are $6 for adults and ing to begin recruit Maureen
with 55 cents per
$4 for students.
ing workers for the Anderson
m ile reim bursed.
upcom ing census,
She said applicants
and also tell the council would have to take a basic
how the process would be skills test and pass a back
completed.
ground check as part o f the
“ S o u th M o rro w application. The jobs will
County is large and spread start in January and w ill run
The Heppner Ga- out and we need 12-18 five to 10 weeks.
zette-Times will be closed tem porary w orkers to do
A n d e r s o n s a id
on November 26 and 27 in the jo b ,” Anderson said. people who are interested
observance o f the Thanks- »
.
*>. ■
..
,
vember 14, at 1 p.m.
lone will host Cove
on Friday, November 13, at
7 p.m. This will be the first
playoff game that lone has
Health Department announces
H1N1 vaccine clinics
The Morrow County Health Department will be
holding the following H1N1 vaccine clinics:
Thursday, November 12
-lone Schools 8:30-11 a.m.
-Heppner Elementary 1-3 p.m.
Friday, November 13
-AC Houghton 8:30-11 a.m.
-Sam Boardman Elementary 1-3 p.m.
-See HEALTH CARE RALLY/
Page SEVEN
Census seeks workers for South Morrow County
Heppner, lone to host playoff games
Both Heppner and
lone will host state foot
ball p la y o ff gam es this
weekend.
Heppner will host
Monroe on Saturday, No-
doms and liberty they have
enjoyed in this nation and
desire to protect its vision
was amazing. Representa
tive Greg Walden welcomed
every one from Oregon and
helped us find a place to
gether at the very front
o f the crowd. Oregonians
numbered about seven. It
was a group o f strangers
from around the state - from
Portland, Eastern Oregon,
Stayton, Medford, and Eu
gene - who returned with
new friendships.
Gazette-Times
to close for
Thanksgiving
can go to the Oregon State
Extension Office on N o
vem ber 19 and again on
December 7 at 9 a.m. and
1 p.m. to apply, or they can
call 1-866-861-2010 for
more information.
A n d e r s o n a ls o
urged people to be coop
erative when contacted by
the census as the results
will help rural areas get
their share o f tax dollars
like the stim ulus money
recently handed out by the
federal governm ent, and
will also determ ine how
many rep resen tativ es to
congress different areas w ill
See CITY COUNCIL Page
SEVEN
.
giving holiday The office M C G G show s profit despite drop in revenue
will re-open on Monday,
November 30, at 9 a.m.
Ambrose bags 300-class bull
By David Sykes
by $42,426,.
Despite a 7.4 per
The grain depart
cent dip in sales the Mor ment accounted for a large
row County Grain Growers part of the profitable year
showed over a three
showing $842.022
percent increase in
n e t in c o m e on
profit for 2009, it
over $54 m illion
w as announced at
in sales as opposed
the co-op’s annual
to $5,937 net on
meeting last Thurs
sales of about $57
day.
million last year.
“ We had a
F o r th e
John Kipple
pretty good y ear,” MCGG
future Ripple said
Manager John Rip Manager
the co-op would
ple said. “There were
be w o r k i n g to
lo w er co m m o d ity
in c re a se p ro fits
prices but bushels w ere up." by t aki ng a d v an tag e o f
Total income for the co-op markets, looking for new
was down $6,783,208 for customers and increasing
2009, but the co-op still sales in the farm supply
managed to increase profits department. He said the co
op would also continue to
look for ways to cut costs.
“Our staff did a good job of
containing costs last year,”
Ripple said.
The future is going
to be challenging," he told
members and guests at the
annual meeting held at the
fairgrounds in Heppner.
“ The slow down in the
economy and lower rainfall
are challenging. But we are
going after m arket share
and market reach. We in
creased market reach a year
ago and that is the way we
are going." he added.
The co-op is mem
ber owned and had total
sales o f over $84 million
in 2009.
H H S to hold annual V eteran's Day Program
H e p p n e r High
School will host their an
nual Veteran’s Day Program
on T hursday, N ovem ber
12, at 10:30 a.m. in the
gym nasium . Throughout
the morning veterans will
be speaking in different
classroom about their ex
periences.
A lunch for veter
ans and their spouses will
be provided.
All past and pres
ent service personnel, as
well as the public, are in
vited to attend.
GREEN FEED & SEED IN HEPPNER:
Tom Ambrose of Boardman killed this bull in the Heppner Unit, Ditch Creek area, on October
28. The hull is a 7x7 non-ty pical that unofficially scored 304 points on Bonne and Crockett's
calculator. -Contributed Photo
The Heppner Gazette-Times wants to see pictures o f your trophy
animals from this hunting season. Stop by to have your picture
taken, drop off photos, or email them to editor@rapidserve.net.
Wild Bird Feed on Sale!
A ll P urina w ild
ird C hows to % OFF
M orrow County Grain Growers Green Feed X S eed
242 W. Linden Way. Heppner • 6 7 6 -9 4 2 2 • 989-8 221 (MCGG main office)