Pioneer Memorial
Hospice celebrates 10th
anniversary of helping
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Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
November is National Hospice Month
^^KSG/V/^
Pioneer Memorial Hospice celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Pictured are some of the
hospice staff (L-R): Robanai Disque, RN, Director; Mary Walker, Office Clerk; Lani Pryor,
RN; Carmelo Di Salvo, Chaplin and Bereavement Coordinator; Sherry Ewing, Office Manager;
and Ashleigh McIntosh, RN. -Photo by David Sykes
/F à
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gazette
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Bv David Sykes
P io n e e r M em o rial
Hospice began as an or
ganization 10 years ago
when it received its Medi
care certification in July of
2002, and has been helping
terminally-ill patients and
their families ever since,
explains current director
Robanai Disque from her
office in the bottom floor of
Pioneer Memorial Hospital
in Heppner.
In conjunction with the
anniversary, November is
National Hospice Month,
and Disque sat down with
the Gazette to talk about
what hospice offers and
how they have helped peo
ple over the years.
With a staff o f four
nurses, one part-time so
cial worker, one part-time
chaplain, two home-health
aids, office staff and 30
volunteers, hospice offers
service, support and care
to individuals and their
families in the final stages
of a terminal illness.
“We try and keep them
as comfortable as possible
through the dying process,”
says Disque, as she explains
ho sp ice’s role during a
very difficult time in a per
son’s life. “Our motto is,
‘We are going to give the
best quality of life possible
whether for two months or
two years.’”
-See HOSPICE ANNIVER
SARY/PACE SIX
Courthouse shaken by
Local man arraigned on bomb scare
multiple charges
VOL. 131
N 0 . 46 8 Pages
Morrow County Dis
trict A ttorney Justin W.
Nelson announced last Fri
day that Heppner man Jared
Lee W icklund, 36, was
arraigned on two counts of
Burglary in the First De
gree, a Class A felony, and
one count of Criminal Tres
pass in the First Degree,
a Class A misdemeanor.
The arraignment followed
Wicklund’s arrest the previ
ous Sunday.
On the afternoon o f
Nov. 11, the Morrow Coun
ty Sheriff’s Office received
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
a report from a homeowner Wicklund for the crimes.
in Heppner who said she
The defendant was ar
had caught someone in her raigned on the indictment
home. The victim indicated on Nov. 16 by Judge Dan
that she caught the
iel Hill. Judge Hill
intruder before any
set bail at $20,000.
items could be tak
W ic k lu n d , w ho
en, and also indi
was represented by
cated that she knew
defense attorney
the burglar. Deputy
C raig C h ild ress,
Nathan Braun of
pleaded not guilty
the Morrow Coun J a r e d Le e to the charges. The
ty Sheriff’s Office Wicklund
court set pre-trial
in v estigated the
conference hearing
case. Within two
for Dec. 13, trial
hours, Deputy Braun had readiness for Dec. 27, and
located and arrested Jared trial for Jan. 10, 2013.
Governor seeks to reduce
local school district role
Says state control o f collective bargaining would
be better financial decision
By April Sykes
G overnor John Kit-
zhaber, through a record
ing o f his speech to the
Oregon School Board As
sociation that was shown at
the Morrow County School
Board meeting Nov. 15 at
Sam Boardman Elementary
School, laid out his plan for
education funding.
Kitzhaber said he would
like to see the state take
over collective bargaining
from local school districts.
He said that since Measure
5 gave school funding over
to the state, it would be a
better financial decision for
the state to take over bar
gaining from local districts.
He said there was “a discon
nect” between bargaining
at the local level and state
funding, and recommended
aligning state funding with
local bargaining.
The governor said the
state needs to address what
diverts money from the
school system, and sug
gested cuts in the amount
of money spent on public
health care (Medicare and
Medicaid) and public safety
(law enforcement) to bet
ter fund education. Since
both the Oregon House and
the Oregon Senate have
a Democrat majority, it is
likely that Kitzhaber will
get his way.
Kitzhaber also said that
his administration will be
working to resolve the issue
of spiraling out-of-control-
-See MC SCHOOL DIS-
TRICT/PAGE SIX
City considers ordinance
regulating sidewalk usage
New rules would require permission for fundraisers,
bake sales and other activities held on city sidewalks
By David Sykes
A new ordinance under
consideration by the Hep
pner City Council would
require anyone wishing to
use downtown sidewalks
to sell items or set up dis
plays to seek permission
G-T Trophy Corner
By Andrea Di Salvo
The Morrow County
Courthouse in Heppner re
ceived some unwanted ex
citement Monday afternoon
in the form of a bomb threat
that caused the evacuation
of the building.
Morrow County Chief
Deputy Clerk Kandy Boyd
received the call around
2:41 p.m. Monday after
noon. Boyd said the caller
was a male; his message
was chilling.
“ He said, ‘There are
several bombs located in
several locations within
the county courthouse and
they are set to detonate in
25 minutes. This is not a
bomb threat; this is not a
bomb scare; this is a bomb
promise,”' Boyd recounted.
‘That was it. ‘Click.’”
Boyd im m e d ia te ly
went to Morrow County
Court Executive Secretary/
Personnel Director Karen
Wolff, who called 911 and
proceeded to clear employ
ees out of the building.
“We just got everybody
out,” said Wolff.
Though it was a situ
ation no one in the Mor
row County Courthouse
had ever dealt with before,
Wolff said the employees
did an excellent job, staying
calm and organized during
the evacuation.
“Nobody got hysteri
cal,” she said.
“Kandy did an excel
lent job, getting all the facts
and securing the elections
office,” she added, saying
it was a big concern, since
election results have not yet
been certified.
Wolff said that, by the
time employees cleared the
building, first responders
from the Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office and Hep
pner Volunteer Fire Depart
ment were arriving on the
scene.
“When we cleared the
building and came outside,
Deputy Wilson was here
and did an excellent job
finding out the facts,” said
Wolff. “The fire depart
ment came and secured the
building so no one could
get close. They just did an
excellent job.”
Wolff said the experi
ence was surreal, with the
full impact not hitting home ‘
until everyone was safely
out of the building.
“ I didn’t get worried
or scared until everyone
was out. Then it hit us,”
she said.
Unfortunately, this was
not the first time Senior
Deputy Paul Wilson had to
deal with something like
this; the MCSO deputy said
he had to respond to a bomb
scare this spring at the Irri-
-See BOMB SCARE/PAGE
EIGHT
New city council members
take office in January
By David Sykes
T hree new co u n cil
members, a new mayor and
a returning council member
will be sworn into office at
the Heppner City Council
meeting in January.
Joe Perry will take the
helm as H eppner’s new
mayor. He origi
nally was running
unopposed for the
position but then
b e a t o u t A lv in
Liu, 438 to 139,
in the election. Liu
mounted an unsuc
cessful, last-minute
write-in campaign
for the mayor’s po
sition. Perry is replacing
Les Paustian. who did not
run for reelection.
from the city beforehand.
The ordinance would also
cover sidewalk cafes, sand
wich board advertising and
booths during town-wide
events such as the Morrow
County Fair and Rodeo
The H e p p n e r
and the St. Patrick’s Day G azette-T im es will be
Celebration.
closed in observance o f the
Consideration of the or Thanksgiving Day holiday
dinance began when coun
cil member Cody High,
who works for Bucknum's
Tavern on Main St., asked
the council several months
ago about setting up tables
on the sidewalk in front of
the tavern from which to
serve food. The council felt
at that time that there were
inadequate rules to cover
Perry, 61, was bom in a member o f the Morrow
Portland but lived all his life County H ealth D istrict
in Washington. He moved Board.
to Heppner a little
A wi d o we r ,
Perry has no family
more than two years
ago to work for the
in the area, but has
Bank o f Eastern
four children and
17 grandchildren in
Oregon as a com
various states.
mercial loan officer.
Skip Matthews
He holds a
B a c h e lo r
will take the spot
previously held by
of Arts de- Skip
Cindi Doherty, who
g re e in Matthews
did not run for re-
economics
and a master’s de election.
Matthews, 56, is origi
gree in agricultural
nally
from the Willamette
econom ics from
Valley
but came to Eastern
Washington State
Oregon
in 1979. He has
U niversity. Prior
government-related made his home in Heppner
experience includes being since 1986. He holds a
a school board member in -See NEW COUNCIL MEM
BERS/PAGE FOUR
W hite Salm on, WA and
G-T closed for Thanksgiving
Thursday, Nov. 22, and
We wish everyone
Friday, Nov. 23. Normal a safe and happy Thanks-
business hours will resume giving weekend.
Monday, Nov. 26.
Nature's Nuts
Premium Wild Bird Food
Wyatt Steagall, 12, of Lexington shot his first elk, a spike, in
the Heppner unit this year. -Contributedphoto
-See CITY COUNCIL/PAGE
FIVE
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