Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2010)
n i l i n I li I n III Il,I,„II Bessie Wetzell Newspaper li bran University of Oregon Eugene. OR 97403 Education Center works to strengthen county’s $7.6 million health industry Health care responsible for 144 Morrow County jobs By David Sykes An organization based in La Grande has been working hard to keep Morrow County’s health care industry healthy itself, the executive director told the Heppner Chamber of VOL. 129 NO. 43 10 Pages Wednesday, October 27,2010 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon M.C. Fair & OTPR implementing Ambassador Program This year the Mor row County Fair and Or egon Trail Pro Rodeo are implementing a new Am bassador Program. A pplicants m ust be a resident o f Morrow County, between the ages of 16-20 years of age. The Fair is interested in those that are able to commit to service during the year starting November 2010 through November 2011. Activities include contact with local schools, parades at county events. county Music in the Park concerts. Chamber of Com merce events, community holiday events and all Mor row County Fair functions. Candidates may be required to participate in some Mor row County Rodeo events if needed, but will not be re quired to ride in the rodeo. Applications must be received by 11 a.m. on November 10 at the Fair Office. Late applications will not be considered. The Ambassador Program will be coordinated this year by Alita Nelson, at (541) 377- 7300 and Wendy McPher son, at (541)571-4309. A contestant inter view and parent informa tion session will be held on November 21 in Heppner at the fairgrounds at 1 p.m. For m ore in fo r mation call fair manager Ren’ee Yocom at 541-676- 9474. For applications con tact your local school or the fair office at mcfaire@ co.morrow.or.us. Listening sessions to be held regarding wind turbine health concerns O re g o n P u b lic Health officials will hold community listening ses sions regarding health con cerns about wind turbines in the community. The Of fice of Environmental Pub lic Health is conducting a Health Impact Assessment on the siting of wind farms in Oregon. Commerce last week. Amy Dunkak o f N ortheast O regon area H ealth Education C en ter (NEOAHEC) said the county has six physicians and 144 employees in the health care industry for a total of $7.6 million an nual contribution to the economy. That works out to 23 jobs and $ 1.3 million, per physician. Dunkak said there is a shortage of physicians looming in the future for rural areas and her orga nization is working to try and alleviate that short age. “ We try and attract health professionals to your community,” she told the Chamber o f Commerce. And it is not just physicians they deal with. “We work with physical therapists, physician’s assistants and dental professionals too,” she added. According to the 2008 cen su s, M orrow County has a total popula tion o f 11,140. She said 24.8 percent are over 55 years of age and 61 percent of those people need clini cal health care. She said “a lot of physicians are going to retire,” and her group is working to get young people interested in the medical field. Dunkak said there were 945 students in her region, which covers 10 counties in Oregon, who have gotten “intense health care training,” including Med Quest and other pro grams. Dunkak said educa tional efforts by her group will help keep Morrow County’s health industry viable. Two o f the most popular programs are Med Quest, a residential health career explorations camp for high school students, and G irls in Science, a one-day event for middle school girls held on the Eastern Oregon University campus. O ther program s Pendleton, 2001 SW Nye, from noon to 1 p.m. The final session will be held at the Arlington Grade School cafeteria, 1400 Main Street, from 6:30-8 p.m. For m ore in fo r mation visit http://www. oregon.gov/DHS/ph/hia/ By April Sykes windenergy.shtml or email M orrow County wind.hia@state.or.us. Health District Emergency Medical Services director Rusty Estes told the board at their regular meeting The A rtifactory, Buschke at 541-676-5826 year including baskets, ce Monday night in Lexington sponsored by the Heppner by filling out an application ramics, gourds, wood items, that the district now has St. Patrick’s Senior Center, at the Senior Center office. jew elry, country crafts, 46 EMS personnel and 28 is scheduled for Saturday, The table rental is $20 and paintings, baby quilts, ted ambulance drivers. November 13, from 9 a.m. will go to the Senior Center dy bears, doll beds, and Estes, who is also to 4 p.m. at the Senior to help keep their doors home decor. the Heppner Fire Chief, The Senior Cen said that Heppner now has Center. open and available for com ter will have cinnamon 20 EMS personnel. Board- Tables are avail munity events. able for vendors who wish There will be a va rolls, hot dogs, polish dogs, man has 10, Irrigon, 11, to participate and can be riety of items for sale this soups, and drinks for sale. lone, three, and Lexington, reserved by contacting Judy two. He said that five of those are paramedics, 14 are intermediates and 27 have basic certificates. He The 66th annual meeting of Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative, Inc. will be reported that the district held at the Gilliam County Fairgrounds in Condon on Thursday, November 4. now has 28 ambulance driv Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m., dinner will be held at 5:15 p.m., and a ers: 15 in Heppner, six in business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Boardman, four in Irrigon This meeting is for the purpose of electing four directors and for the transac and three in lone. Two of tion of any other business to properly come before this meeting. the Boardman personnel are full-tim e employees paid by the district and one in Irrigon is also a full time The Heppner Gazette-Times wants to see paid employee. pictures o f your trophy animals from this Estes said that a new EMT class has been hunting season. Stop by to have your scheduled in Boardman picture taken, drop off photos, or email with 10 people signed up. Last year the class was held them to editor@rapidserve.net. in Heppner with 11 enroll- The first session will be held on Novem ber 3 at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, One University Boulevard, on the third floor o f the Hoke Union Building in room 309 from 6:30-8 p.m. The next session will be held on November 4 at the Umatilla-Morrow ESD in offered are health career day funds that give $1,000 grants to communities that wish to coordinate a health career day for elementary stu dents. Another grant program also gives $1,000 grants to high Amy Dunkak, executive direc school students that tor of Northeast Oregon Area wish to coordinate a Health Education Center, ad breast health aware dressed the Heppner Chamber ness or fundraising event. Dunkak said of Commerce last week about another popular pro the organization's efforts to gram is In-A-Box strengthen Morrow County’s materials that offer health care industry. Photo by supplem ental sc i David Sykes ence materials avail able to check-out for the health care field. “Small fourth through eight grade towns are vying for health teachers focusing on the care professionals w ith oth body and environmental er communities. It is hard to sciences. get radiology techs and lab Patti Allstott, ad techs,” she said, “not just ministrative coordinator at physicians and physician’s the Morrow County Health assistants.” “Anything we District, who is on the board can do to get young people of directors for NEOAHEC, involved (in the health care said it is important to en field) will help us locally,” courage our youth to enter she said. Halloween arrives at Willow Creek Terrace George Nairns carved this large pumpkin as part of the Hal loween decorations at Willow Creek Terrace. The pumpkin was donated hy Duane and Kohanai Disque. Pictured with Nairns are Narin Stone and Teagan Ramsey. Photo by Megan Futter Emergency medical services personnel recruitment up Annual Artifactory planned for November Columbia Basin to hold annual meeting ing for the class and 10 pass ing the requirements. Four of the prospective EMTs are bilingual, he added. He told the board that MCHD EMS personnel are “some of the finest rescue people” in the state. The board told Es tes that he has been doing a “great job" of recruiting EMS personnel. Estes also said that it was time for an ambu lance rotation, with the Irri gon community next in line for a new ambulance. He estimated it take at least a year to complete the search, purchase a new vehicle and receive delivery. He said that after a new vehicle is purchased for Irrigon, Ir rigon’s old ambulance will go to Heppner, Heppner’s backup will go to lone and lone’s current vehicle will go to surplus. The last communi ty to receive a new vehicle was Boardman in 2007; Boardman’s second vehicle was purchased in 1997; Heppner's main ambulance was purchased in 2005 and its backup in 1997; lrrigon’s last ambulance was pur chased in 2000; and lone’s in 1987. Estes estimated that a new vehicle would cost in the neighborhood of $140,000. MCHD Board member LeAnn Rea, who is also a Morrow County Com m issioner, told the board that the county is in the process of negotiating with the Navy over usage of Bombing Range lands within Morrow County and possible purchase of a new ambulance. “They haven't paid the county any money for 72 years,” said Rea. She said that the county also wants to own Bombing Range Road, which is "the primary north-south cor ridor" in Morrow County. She noted that currently the road is in the Navy's jurisdiction and the Navy could choose to close the road at any time. She also mentioned that fire district personnel are often called out to assist w ith fires on the Navy Bombing Range and suggested that negotiations - Sï v m e d i c a l si. a i n ES Page SEVES YOUR CHOICE- $ 5.99 POWER SERVICE 9-1-1 EMERGENCY ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: Diesel Fuel Supplement (I qt) #8025 OR MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. POWER SERVICE DIESEL FUEL SUPPLEMENT Diesel Power Service ( I Q t.) #1025 . . . ALSO SAVE ON THE 80 OZ SIZE $11 99 $11 99 M o rro w C o u n ty G rain G ro w e rs i^exingtof^9|89^22^M i^00^52^396jjMi™*jjii£Bjojji»i^«wj^it^^ww » I
