Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2011)
Heath district purchases new CT scanner Board member LaRue resigns By April Sykes u ^ n y o f o ^ Eugene, OK scanner, originally in the neighborhood of $420,000, for $327,000 through nego tiations on behalf of district employees and group pur chasing. The d istrict ap proved using the remainder of the monies for a down payment towards purchase o f an electronic records system if the Columbia Ba sin Electric Coop Board is agreeable. USDA monies to purchase the scanner were obtained with Columbia Basin Electric as an inter mediary. The CBEC board is to meet later this month. M orrow C ounty Health District CEO Mi chael Blauer told the board, at their regular meeting in Irrigon Monday, that the district has purchased a new CT scanner for an amount substantially less than originally planned. He said the district bought the v MCHD Chief Fi nancial Officer Nicole Ma honey said that she has contacted USDA and has learned that USDA will likely approve the request to use the monies towards the electronic records sys tem since the request is capital related. The other condition is that CBEC also approves the request and sends a letter indicating such to USDA. Phasing in o f an electronic record system is federally mandated and is expected to cost between $450,000-$500,000, ac- Local boy wins giant stocking from HeppnerMini-Mart Government study says Morrow County needs more locally grown and distributed food By David Sykes m ------- A recent govern ment report found that while well off people in Morrow County have access to good and plentiful food, there are in fact “pockets” of un der nourished, hungry and “food insecure” people in all areas of the county. From Our Roots, The People, Agriculture and Food of Gilliam, Mor row, Umatilla and Wheeler C ounties, was recently completed and issued by The Com m unity Action Program o f East Central O regon (C A P E C O ) in Pendleton. Funding for the study came from a federal government grant. “Three of the four counties are classified as frontier counties, com plete with “food deserts.” People with resources and transportation are generally well-fed, but co-exist with pockets of under-nourished, hungry or potentially inse cure individuals and com munities disadvantaged by the current trend o f pro curing food from distant sources,” the report sum marized. The study conclud ed that Morrow County residents should try and develop local food sources such as small scale food production, increased num ber of places buying and selling locally grown food sucfci as restaurants, grocery stores, farm ers’ markets and roadside food stands. The study also said county residents should be better educated on such things as hunting, fishing and har vesting wild foods, as well •COIXMBM P » .'U h M fOOl) LINKS Karen Wagner, Community Food Resource Developer, was program speaker at the Heppner Chamber of Commerce in Februray, 2010 when the Community Food Assessment pro gram was launched. Photo by David Sykes as better cooking, garden ing, shopping and nutrition skills. “In terms o f food secu rity , H ep p n er and Boardman residents’ food choices and needs are large ly being met through home town grocery stores and emergency services in their towns. Other communities (such as lone) residents drive up to 10 or more miles to reach full-service grocery stores, pantries or meal sites. Those unable to drive or to pay the rela tively higher prices at rural ‘mom and pop’ stores are dependent on limited local and personal resources and may be in jeopardy of food insecurity,” the study said. Any community that is not within 10 miles of a full service grocery store are considered “food deserts”. The study said M orrow County should work to “ensure regular access to a stable fresh food supply for all citizens year-round.” T he stu d y said that two fledgling farmers markets (including one in Heppner) and possible new roadside farm stands may provide greater local food access, availability and af fordability over time.” Some of the agri cultural facts documented in the study included that there are 421 farm s on 1,104,250 acres in Morrow County, with an average value of $1.9 million per farm and $973 per acre. Government payments (a mix of commodity, conser vation and land retirement programs) paid to farmers in the county have increased by 44 percent between 2002 and 2007, and are averaging $47,000 in yearly govern ment payments per farm in the county. Total net cash farm income in the county is $354 million, averaging $170,760 per farm and $65 net dollar income per acre. “The gap between the costs and returns of typical farm production cause many to ponder the benefits and val ue of current, conventional agricultural activities,” the report stated. The re p o rt was done on, Morrow, Uma tilla and Wheeler Counties where meetings were held and surveys conducted to collect data in each coun ty. SWCD and MC Livestock Growers to hold 24th joint program Jan. 13 The Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District and the Morrow County Livestock Growers will hold their 24,h annual joint program Thursday, January 13, at St. Patrick's Parish Hall in Heppner. M orrow SW CD will hold their regular Janu ary Board Meeting at 10 a.m. followed by a hosted lunch at noon. Those plan ning to attend are asked to RS VP to Morrow SWCD at 541-676-5452 or MC Ex tension at 541-676-9642. The program will Gavin Hanna, 9, of Heppner was this year’s lucky winner of the “Colossal Christmas Stocking” given away by the Hep pner Mini-Mart. Presenting the smiling Gavin with his prize are Mini-Mart employees Chelsey Hedman (left) and Shelbi Wiggers. - Photo by David Sykes begin at 1pm with Stepha nie Page, ODA Renewable Energy Specialist, followed by Chas Koenig Columbia Blue Mt. Resource Con servation & Development Ag Efficiency Coordinator. Page and Koenig will have inform ation on funding opportunities for projects. Matt Keenan, ODFW Ac cess & Habitat Program Co ordinator will have details on the availability of federal funds for increased access in the Columbia Basin and opportunities for landown ers to enroll. John W illiam s, OSU Extension Wallowa Co. and Rod Childers, OCA Wolf Committee Chair will give a preliminary report on a current Oregon/Idaho wolf study funded by the Oregon Beef Council. Russ Morgan, ODFW Wolf Co ordinator will complete the afternoon with the history of wolves in Oregon and what options Oregon has currently. Time will be available for questions after each presentation. Arbuckle Nordic Club announces schedule The Arbuckle Nordic Club will begin skiing on January 8. Everyone is welcome. If you do not have equipment call the trip leader and they may be able to arrange a loan of equipment for you. The club meets at the Heppner City Park at 9 a.m. on most Saturdays. The group skis locally, car pooling to the destination, usually a 25 minute trip. Those who attend should bring a lunch as the group always stops and builds a big warming fire around noon. Some skiers visit around the fire and then return to the vehicles while others may ski on for more exploration and exercise. Most of the time the group arrives back in town by 3 p.m. This season’s ski schedule follows: January 8 (trip leaders Steve and Luanne Brownfield); January 15 (trip leader Molly Rhea); January 22 (trip leaders Bill and Sherry Ewing); January 29 (trip leaders Dan and Sandra VanLiew); February 5 (trip leader John Edmundson); February 12 (trip leader Bill and Sherry Ewing); February 19 (Holiday weekend, no designated leader); February 26 (trip leaders Steve and Luanne Brownfield); and March 4 & 5 (ski to historic Cloud Cap Search and Rescue Shelter, trip leader John Edmundson). Town and Country Community Awards to be presented Jan. 13 “Heppner - A little Town w here big hearts abound ... in every direc tion” will be the theme for Heppner Chamber’s Town and Country Community Awards - sponsored by Cen- turyL ink, on Thursday, January 13, at the Morrow County Fairgrounds. The evening pro gram will begin at 6 p.m. with a no-host social hour (served by Bucknum’s) and 7 p.m. will start the dinner and program activities. The tickets are $20 each and can be purchased at Heppner Chamber; Bank of Eastern Oregon; M urray’s Drugs and Community Bank. Cornerstone Gal lery, Chef Alvin Liu will be serving up a meal consisting of: stuffed pork chop with pancetta apple reduction. grilled prawn with apricot honey glaze, honey toasted w alnut pear salad, seasoned basmati rice, dinner rolls and dessert. There will be a for mal introduction of the fair and rodeo ambassadors; a w inner will be drawn for jew elry donated by Peterson's Jewelers and a Phillips 9” Portable Wide screen DVD Player donated by Murray Drugs. Sandy Matthews and Dale Bates are working on “Your Com munity on a Big Screen" to enjoy, along with the announcements of the win ners for the annual awards - Youth Recognition, Busi ness o f Year, Woman of the Year, Man of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and C itizen-E ducator of the -See HEALTH DISTRICT/ Page TWO Year. YEAR EN D B LO W O U T SALE! Only $34.99 Reg. $99.00 i J L im ite d q u a n tité s - W h ile S u p p lie s L a s t G e a rW re n c h F le x H e a d Sets *< im i W m w n ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. cording to Mahoney. She estimates that around 90 percent of that amount may be eligible for federal reim bursem ent, however she says the dis trict will still need around $100,000 for a down pay ment. She said h o w Linda LaRue ever that it could be up to two years before the district receives any federal monies. “ We need to be aware that the feds don’t reimburse in a timely man ner,” added board member LeAnn Rea. In the mean time, “ We have to figure out how we’re going to pay for this,” stressed Blauer. “That's a lot of money and there are still some un knowns. If things continue to go well with Healthland (provider of hardware and software for the electronic records system), we’ll prob ably go with them ,” he added. Mahoney said that once the district begins to install the electronic records system the community may expect some economic de velopment benefits, since it could take months for installation and training and out-of-town experts will need to be on site. Phase I and II o f the electronic records sys tem will have to be accom plished within a year and a half, said Blauer. On the downside, the board learned from Mahoney that the district lost $85,903 for Novem ber, giving the district a loss o f $203,807 for the year to date, an average $40,761 monthly year-to- date loss. Gross patient revenue for the month was $503,988, with $17,456 less for bad debts, $91,376 less for contractual and other adjustments, $94,733 in tax revenue and $2,056 in other operating revenue for $491,945 in total operating revenue. Total operating expenses were $587,524. The district also received $9,675 for a non-operating net gain. B o ard m e m b er Linda LaRue, lone, ten dered her resignation from the board Monday night, effective immediately. LaR ue, who has been on the board 11 years, said that she would not be avail able for meetings and did not want to be an absentee board member. She and her husband, both retired, will be in Arizona for the next several months. “It’s been good,” said LaRue of her tenure. “I'm very proud of what's happened with the district.” “It’s been challenging and sometimes downright scary in the early years,” she added. At one point the dis trict had been on the brink of collapse, but its financial picture subsequently im proved greatly. “I’ve always ap preciated your counsel and advice,” joked board Chair Larry Mills. “Some of which we didn't take.” Board member LeAnn Rea added, “I want to thank you for everything I've learned from you.” LaRue’s term is up n N H T 9700 SA E N H T 9 9 0 0 M e tr ic M o r r o w C o u n t y G r a in G r o w e r s 1 Lexinaton 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 For rum !
