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
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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.
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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
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