Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Wednesday, June 29,2011
- FIVE
HEALTH DISTRICT WRE students receive Ice Age boulder placed
-Continuedfrom PAGE Stefancik, who is affili-
ONE ated with OHSU, following percussion instruments
on Heritage Trail
fell short of the district’s review of their credential
$600,000 goal and $83,869
in charity write-offs con-
tributed to the large loss,
The district had $194,911
in total revenue deductions,
including the bad debts and
$159,980 in contractual
and other adjustments, and
$612,444 in total operating
expenses.
B lauer rep o rted
that a business arrange-
ment with cardiologist Dr.
Tim Hanlon, who earlier
had provided cardiac care
at Pioneer Memorial Clinic
in Heppner, will not be pos-
sible, because Hanlon and
Oregon Health Sciences
University (OHSU) have
discontinued their relation-
ship. However, Blauer said
that he is continuing talks
with OHSU, which has a
cardiac care clinic in The
Dalles. He said that a physi-
cian w ith The Dalles OHSU
clinic is planning a visit to
Heppner and, says Blauer,
will hopefully provide local
cardiac care for the district
on a once-a month-basis.
In other business,
the board:
-approved purchase
of 12 infusion pumps from
B. Braun Medical at a cost
of around $35,730. Director
of Nursing Services Molly
Rhea said that many of the
old IV devices have become
inoperable and obsolete,
She said that the new com-
puterized devices will also
m inim ize the danger o f
overdose and are consistent
with what other providers
in the area, as well as life
flight crews, are using. The
result will be less transi-
tion time for patients. The
Hospital Foundation has
donated $9,000 toward that
purchase.
-heard from Blauer
that the district anticipates
scheduling electronic re-
cords training for staff from
August through December,
He said that he foresees
some double-staffing dur-
ing that period so that the
district has both paper and
electronic records during the
transition. He said that the
federal government, which
mandated the switch from
paper to electronic records,
has backed off on deadlines
for the second phase of the
requirements because of so
much pushback from health
care entities.
-heard that the ren-
ovation of the sidewalks at
Pioneer Memorial Clinic
should be completed by the
end of the week.
-leamed from Blau-
er that work on the Com-
munity Health Improve-
ment Project, a long-term
process, is continuing, and
around $40,000 from the
state office of rural health
is available for an as-yet-to-
be-determined project.
-approved reap-
pointment ofMCHD medi-
cal staff Dr. Ed Berretta,
Dr. Betsy Anderson, Dr.
Kenneth Wenberg and Dr.
files,
-approved a reso-
lution that amended the
proposed budget and ad-
opted the amended budget,
Budgeted expenditures/
capital purchases include:
$ 140,000 for scheduled re-
placement of a new ambu-
lance for Irrigon to be pur-
chased through a flex-lease
program;$15,390foraGli-
descope (which assists in
opening airways for patient
resuscitation) for Pioneer
Memorial Hospital emer-
gency room to be purchased
through a combination of a
grant, donation and cash;
$250,000 for the Irrigon
Clinic expansion through
a flex -lease and loan;
$224,847 for electronic
health records software and
hardware Stage I-through
federal electronic health
records reim bursem ent;
$22,700 for financial scan-
ning software-cash on hand;
$ 11,650 for Forms Express
printing software-cash on
hand; $12,300 for concrete
restoration at PMC-cash
on hand; $35,730 for 12
infusion pumps-grant/do-
nation/cash; for a total of
$712,617 with $390,000 to
be financed by loans other
than bank loans. $224,847
to be paid by federal elec-
tronic records reimburse-
ment funds; $80,770 to be
paid with cash on hand; and
$ 17,000 to be paid by grants
and donations,
-approved a reso-
lution authorizing check
signing for Blauer, Rhea,
Mahoney and board Chair
Larry Mills,
-received the fol-
lowing report for May:
Pioneer Memorial Clinic
had 450 patient visits with
31 new patients, 45 seen by
a nurse and five no-shows;
Irrigon Medical Clinic had
167 patient visits with 37
new patients, 43 seen by a
nurse and three no-shows;
Heppner Ambulance had
18 total page-outs and 15
transports for $17,087 in
revenue; Boardman Ambu-
lance had 19 page-outs and
11 transports for $12,482
in revenue; Irrigon Ambu-
lance had 19 page-outs with
12 transports for $12,372
in revenue; there were six
flights; Pioneer Memo-
rial Hospital had four ad-
missions, four swing bed
admissions; five admitted
for observation; one swing
nursing facility admission,
444 total outpatients, 73
total emergency room en-
counters; 1441 lab tests,
104 x-ray procedures, 11
CT scans, 25 EKG tests,
five co lo n o sco p y p ro
cedures, two endoscopy
procedures, two colon/
endoscopy procedures, 58
respiratory therapy proce-
dures; Home Health had 86
patient visits; Hospice had
no admissions; pharmacy
had 761 drug doses for
$39,331 in drug revenue.
Music specialist Wendy Appleton helps students at Windy
River Elementary unpack their new percussion instruments.
-Contributed photo
Eight years is a
long time for elementary
school students to wait
for music instruments, but
th at’s what happened to
music students at Windy
River Elementary School
in Boardman.
The new school
opened in 2003 with no
music supplies at all. In
2004, band instrum ents
were purchased for 6lh-
grade students, but band
was eliminated in 2009.
In 2006, 4,h-grade curric
ulum music books were
purchased, used by both
4,h- and 5,h-grade students.
No percussion instruments
were purchased to support
the 4th- and S'^-grade cur
riculum.
N o rth M o rro w
Community Foundation co
operates with principals and
staff of Irrigon and Board-
man Schools to identify
cultural, heritage and edu
cational needs and develop
solutions. Wendy Appleton,
a music specialist split be
tween Sam Boardman and
Windy River Elementary
Schools, informed the foun
dation that her students had
no classroom instruments
Over the Tee Cup
A beautiful and calm play day greeted the 19 la
dies that turned out at Willow Creek Country Club on June
21, gearing up for the 9-Hole Invitational on June 28.
Low gross of the field was held by Pat Edmunson;
low net was taken by Karen Thompson and least putts
went to Eva Kilkenny and Virginia Grant.
For flight A, Nancy Propheter had low gross,
Corol Mitchell had low net, Suzanne Jepsen had longest
putt, Karen Thompson had the long drive and Pat Dough
erty had KP on #11.
On flight B, Pat Dougherty had low gross, Burul
DeBoer had low net, and Jan Paustian had least putts and
long drive.
In flight C, Betty Carlson held low gross, Laura
Rogers and Suzanne Jepsen had low net, and Carrie Grieb
had both the least putts and the longest drive.
Virginia Grant had a chip-in on #18. She also
had birdies on #10 and #18. Pat Edmunson and Karen
Thompson both had birdies on #10.
service or show off in the tal
ent show.
The highlight o f the
festivities will be Monday,
July 4. The big day starts with
a firem an’s breakfast; 5K
walk/run; various kids’ events
and food vendors; the Red,
White and Blue parade and
Cruisin’ to the Blues car show;
and the traditional 4'h o f July
fireworks. A special highlight
this year will be a fly-over by
the U.S. Navy.
lo n e ’s 4th o f July
celebration is sponsored in
part by Morrow County Uni
fied Recreation District and
Wildhorse Casino.
John's Place
b Mark-A-Meal
7
Effective July , 2011, the Fire C hief
of the C ity of H eppner is im posing a
C L O S E D S E A S O N for open burning
based on local fire safety concerns.
This burning ban is for the City o f Heppner.
A rem inder that open burning also
includes a “burn barrel."
T he closed season will re m a in in effect
until fu rth e r n o tice this fall as p e r ORS 478.960.
This granite boulder dating back to the Ice Age was found
near Kunze Road in Boardman and now graces the Columbia
River Heritage Trail. -Contributedphoto
An Erratic Ice Age boulder has been engraved
and placed near the Morrow County Columbia River
Heritage Trail in a Boardman S. Main Street mini park.
Columbia River Heritage Trail is a non-motorized, walk
ing and biking path between the Boardman and Irrigon
communities.
The granite boulder was removed from a farm
pasture south of Kunze Road. Larry West, who grew up
in Boardman, purchased the land when he returned from
service in Vietnam. Two large granite boulders were em
bedded at the edge of a small creek. Larry said he cursed
the boulders many times when he tried to farm around
them. His cattle, however, enjoyed scratching themselves
on the edges of the blocks.
West always knew the boulders were special, as
they were quite different from the local basalt rocks. He
discovered it was originally one gigantic boulder until
someone in the past used dynamite to break it up into
two smaller boulders. Larry offered to donate the granite
boulders to the Boardman Park & Recreation District, for
a use to be identified later.
At the same time, new residents and visitors were
asking for more information about the pioneer wagon
replica in the City of Boardman mini park. The wagon
had been placed there as part of an effort in communities
along the trail routes to increase awareness of the 1993
Oregon Bicentennial. No interpretive signage was ever
developed.
The need for wagon signage and a significant use
for the boulders meshed. The Port of Morrow volunteered
heavy equipment to extract the boulders from the creek
and relocate to a more visible location. North Morrow
Community Foundation applied to Morrow County Cul
tural Coalition for funding to pay an engraver, and Board-
man Park & Recreation District oversaw the project.
The engraving, a phrase from the diary of early
pioneer and wagon trail leader Joel Palmer, is as fol
lows:
Oregon Trail 1841-1851, Upper Columbia River
Route.
1844, September 23: This day we traveled about
twenty miles. The first eight miles, the road is heavy
traveling; the remaining portion however is much better,
with the exception of the last five miles, which proved
to be quite rocky. There is an occasional green spot to be
found, but the whole distance we traveled since we first
struck the river cannot be regarded as more than a barren
sandy plain. -Joel Palmer.
For more information and a map of the Heritage
Trail, check www.columbiarivertrail.org.
lone’s red, white and blue
celebration begins Friday Chris Sykes joins Sykes
The city o f lone’s 4'h
o f July celebration will kick
off this Friday, July 1. Events
include a Bank o f Eastern
Oregon customer apprecia
tion barbecue, book sale, and
a Texas hold ’em and cribbage
tournament.
Saturday events are
an all-school reunion, a pro
duction by the Missoula Chil
dren’s Theatre and a wine and
beer tasting with music by
The lone community 4-H club will hold a bake
Matt Howard.
sale this Friday, July 1 from 9 a.m. until noon at the lone
On Sunday, partici
Market. Everyone is invited to stop by, stock up on har
pants can have breakfast in
vest cookies and support the lone community 4-H and
Paris, take sides in a rousing
livestock club.
game o f paintball, participate
in a g o lf tournament, attend
an interdenominational church
lone 4-H plans bake sale
or curriculum m aterials
beyond the 4lh grade.
An effort to pur
chase percussion instru
ments would form the basis
for a solid curriculum in the
5lh and 6th grades. Percus
sion instruments would also
provide the means to apply
music concepts and skills in
grades 4-6, and hopefully
build interest for involve
ment with Jr./Sr. band.
N o rth M o rro w
Com m unity Foundation
applied for partial fund
ing from Morrow County
C ultural C oalition and
found matching funds from
Portland General Electric
Foundation and commu
nity donors. Xylophones
of various sizes and extra
mallets were ordered and
purchased. Instruments fi
nally arrived at the very end
of school.
t
Students and music
specialist Wendy Appleton
were thrilled to open boxes
and unpack instruments.
Plans are already being
made to use the instru
ments at the beginning of
the 2011-2012 school year,
with ensemble playing a top
priority.
Real Estate
Chris Sykes has joined Sykes Real
Estate as a broker.
He received his license last month
and will operate out of a new branch office
at 25 SW Emigrant in Pendleton. The web
site is pendletonpropertys.com and his
email address is chris@sykesrealestate.
net.
Anyone wishing to contact Sykes
can also call him at 541 -276-2152 or 541-215-2274.
Library hosts award
winning storyteller
Join the Heppner library on Friday, July 1 at 2
p.m. for the program “Travelin’ Tales" by dynamic sto
ryteller Christopher Leebrick.
Mr. Leebrick has been performing as a storyteller
since he was 13. He has shared stories w ith thousands of
children and adults at schools, libraries, concert halls,
festivals and campfires.
The program is free and is recommended for ages
5-105. Community members are encouraged to bring the
whole family.
Either Lunch or Dinner of $ 10 or more
Bella Britt's
Urn CO, "A rim
Beginning," is out
JOHN'S PLACE 164 N. Main * H«ppn«r 541-678-5017
& available at Murray's Otug
L — »rfrf.lll JO.’I
J _________________ J
counts toward a free meal. Use your coupon today!
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