Change for Charity raises more
than $15,700
The H ep p n er
Neighborhood Center re
ceived a check for $487
from Community Bank re
cently as part of the bank’s
Change for Charity drive.
The area-wide Change for
Charity drive raised more
VOL. 130
NO. 52 8 Pages
Wednesday. December 28, 2011
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
New website gives cattle
growers voice in wolf debate
Wallowa County ranchers use digital media to
tell their stories
A group o f cattle
growers in Wallowa County
has teamed up to tell their
side o f the w o lf debate
currently plaguing north
eastern Oregon.
The organization is
spreading the word through
the use o f both publications
and modern technology,
including its website, www.
oregonwolfeducation.org/.
Visitors to the web
site can listen to weekly
w o lf updates or w atch
stream ing videos o f the
group’s current project, a
professional documentary
meant to educate the public
on how the grey w olf is
affecting lives in Wallowa
County.
The s e lf - p r o
claimed goal of the site is to
enlighten people about “the
seriousness o f the spread
of the wolf throughout the
state, especially from an
economic standpoint and
the ability o f our citizens
to enjoy time honored fam
ily activities, customs and
culture.”
The d o cum enta
ry, the first 15 minutes of
which is available on the
site’s homepage, captures
A new web site, www.oregonwoIfeducation.org, includes
among other information a video showing the graphic dev
astation (above) caused by the newly introduced wolves on
the elk and cattle populations in Wallowa County.
real-life stories involving
the grey wolf. The film
makers interviewed key
players such as Wallowa
County Sheriff Fred Steen
and Enterprise veterinarian
Dave Schaefer.
The film is un-
apologetic as it shows the
trials wolves have caused
Wallowa County ranchers,
including added stress, time
and money.
“We have seen the
effects of the wolf on other
states such as Idaho and
Montana, and we know this
is an issue that we are and
will be facing in the near
future,” the organization
states on its site. “We need
to be able to protect our
rural lifestyle, livestock,
big game and our private
property rights which we
have seen eroded away in
those other states.”
than $ 15,700 overall, an in
crease of more than $4,000
from last year.
Community Bank
conducted the charity drive
in all of their areas from
November 1, through De
cember 16. The program is
an annual effort to collect
funds from the community
to be used in that same com
munity. Community Bank
matched $.50 on every dol
lar collected. Each branch
manager selected a local
charity for which to raise
funds in order to directly
benefit the citizens in that
area. The organization cho
sen by the Heppner branch
was the Heppner Neighbor
hood Center.
Community Bank
donated an extra $1,000 to
the charities in the region
where the most donations
were collected. Heppner is
in the region that collected
the most, and the extra
$1,000 for their charities.
Other communities in the
region included Hermiston,
Pendleton, Milton-Freewa-
-Contributed photo
ter, Walla Walla and Clark-
ston. It was a close race; the
winning region collected
$5,080, while the branches
in Joseph, Enterprise, Wal
lowa, Elgin, Union, La
G rande and Baker City
collected $4,741.
As a result of the
drive, H eppner’s Neigh
borhood Center received a
check for $487, which in
cludes funds raised plus the
50-cent-on-the-dollar match
by Community Bank.
Total of donations
to charities in Umatilla,
Walla Walla, Asotin and
M orrow C ounties was
$8,619.
Health district reports another
gain in November
By April Sykes
The Morrow Coun
ty Health District Board,
dispensing with the regular
December meeting date be
cause of holiday conflicts,
received notice from Nicole
Mahoney, chief financial
officer, that the gross pa
tient revenue in November
was up over $12,000 from
October and the total oper
ating revenue was up over
$42,00 from the previous
month.
Gross patient rev
enue for November was
$643,899, com pared to
$631,241 in O cto b er;
total operating revenue
was $794,091, up from
$751,830 in October. Op
erating expenses were up
slightly, to $649,426 from
$645,990 in October; how-
ever the non-operating gain
was $9,205 in November,
down from $84,347 in Oc
tober; for a $ 153,870 profit
in November, compared to a
$190,186 profit in October.
Average monthly year-to-
date gain was $46,310.
In other reports:
Pioneer Memorial Clinic
had 375 patient visits in
November with 16 new
patients, 60 seen by a nurse
and 11 no-shows; Irrigon
Medical Clinic had 152
patient visits, with 18 new
patients, 29 seen by a nurse
and nine no-shows; Hepp
ner Ambulance had 14 total
page-outs with nine trans
ports for $13,029 in reve
nue, Boardman Ambulance
had 39 total page-outs with
23 transports for $29,876
in revenue, Irrigon Ambu
lance had 14 total page
outs with 10 transports for
$12,080 in revenue, there
was one flight; Pioneer
Memorial Hospital had four
admissions in November,
two swing bed admissions,
12 admitted for observa
tion, 440 outpatients with
76 total emergency room
encounters, 1736 lab tests,
89 x-ray procedures, 27 CT
scans, 22 EKG tests, one
treadmill procedure, six
colonoscopy procedures,
one endoscopy procedure,
one colon/endoscopy proce
dure, 13 respiratory therapy
procedures; Home Health
had 125 patient visits; Hos
pice had three admissions;
pharmacy had 1246 drug
doses for $109,576 in drug
revenue.
CHIP Healthy Lifestyle Program
includes weight loss
S ir
f t T U f f l COMMUNITY HEALTH
n N H M I IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHII
OF MORROW COUNTY
IMWOMNC HfAlTH m ow WVWS TO MX1ING HtUS
An investor’s m eet
ing concerning the Heppner
senior housing project has
been scheduled for Tues
day, January 10, at 6 p.m
The follow in g is
provided by CHIP o f Mor
row County.
The New Year 2012
is upon us and if you have
resolved to adopt healthier
habits for yourself, consider
joining the “Biggest Win
ners” in a fun and friendly
atmosphere to lose weight
or incorporate more physi
cal activity in your life.
O f course there is prize
money at stake for those
who would like to compete
at Heppner City Hall.
clude an update on the for the greatest percentage
Currently investors project. Members o f the of body weight lost ($500
are being sought to invest community and investors for first, $300 for second
in the project.
are invited to attend.
The meeting will in
H eppner C h am
b e r’s A nnual Luncheon
will be held on Thursday,
January 5, from 11:30 a.m.
to 1 p.m. at All Saints’ Epis
copal Church in Heppner.
The l unc heon
will be catered by Alvin
Liu/Cornerstone Gallery
who will serve barbecued
chicken with sweet chipotle
sauce, sweet corn in but
ter, Al’s combread, baked
potato wedges with sea salt
and New York cheesecake
with blackberries.
Lunch cost is $10
each. Those planning to
Investors sought for senior housing
project; meeting set
Amy Kollman (L) presents the Change for Charity check to
Janis Skaggs (R) at the Neighborhood Center in Heppner.
and $ 100 for third place) in
each community...Board-
man, Irrigon, Heppner and
lone.
However, if you
would like to gain some ad
ditional health knowledge,
participate in light exercises
or share support and cama
raderie with others who
have the same goals, then
plan on attending any of the
12 free weekly community
sessions beginning Mon
day, January 9. People of
all abilities, levels of fitness
and enthusiasm are w el
come. CHIP also encour
ages you to visit your local
restaurants to find “Biggest
W inner” healthy meals
and specials or consider
participating in some of
the physical fitness classes
being offered in your com
munity.
See the Community
Health Improvement Part
nership (CHIP) of Morrow
County website at http://
www.ohsu.edu/MCCHIP
for information and reliable
health resources, or call
541-989-8232. The CHIP
of Morrow County is your
local health care providers
and the community work
ing together to develop and
implement local strategies
to enhance the health care
system and improve health
status of area residents.
Town and Country banquet tickets
Annual Chamber luncheon Jan. 5 to be sold
attend are asked to RSVP
to the Chamber office no
later than the morning of
Wednesday, January 4, so
that enough seating and
food can be accom m o
dated.
The public is wel
com e to attend, but an
RSVP is required.
Tickets for the Town Bank and Bank of Eastern
and Country banquet will Oregon in Heppner.
be available for $20 each
The Town and Coun
starting January 2 at the try banquet will be held on
Heppner Chamber office, Thursday, January 12, at
Murray’s Drug, Community
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS
AT 5:00 P.M.
\
I
the Morrow County Fair
grounds in Heppner with
social hour starting at 6 p.m
and the dinner and awards
ceremony getting underway
at 6:30 p.m.