Blauer resigns as health
district CEO
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University ot Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
HEPPNER
Former CEO Vander Does to accept interim position
Bv April Sykes
Morrow County Health
District administrator Mi
chael Blauer submitted his
resignation to the board
5(K
zette
unes
VOL. 132
NO . 5
8 Pages
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Monday night, saying he time when the future of the
was leaving the district district was in peril.
the end o f March
The board ex
to accept a position
pects to em ploy
with Providence as
Vander Does be
CEO at Providence
ginning the first
Seaside Hospital.
o f April for two
“A good oppor
to four months at
tunity came up and
$ 10,000 per month
it was hard to pass Michael
until a permanent
up,” said Blauer, Blauer
administrator can
who added that his
be hired. Blauer
departure is “bittersweet.” started at $105,000 and is
Blauer has been CEO currently receiving a salary
for MCHD since June 30, of $115,000.
2009.
The board agreed on
B oard C hair L arry a salary range for the new
Mills told Blauer that the administrator of between
district is sorry to see him $110,000-$ 120,000, de
go, but wishes him well.
pending on qualifications.
MCHD staff has been in Additionally, the board is
contact with former MCHD offering a relocation allow
administrator Victor Vander ance of $3,500.
Does, who has agreed to
The district’s house in
serve as an interim admin Heppner, which is currently
istrator until a new one occupied by Blauer and his
is hired. Mills said that family, will be available for
Vander Does had planned a new administrator upon
an extended trip to Europe, Blauer's departure; how
but agreed to cancel his ever, it is not completely
trip to help out the district. furnished and would have
Vander Does was credited to be in order to make it
with turning around the available to Vander Does,
MCHD's bottom line at a since he and his wife opted
Bank of EO announces
tournament attendees
The Mustang wrestling team will be competing in the BEO Invitational Wrestling Tournament
this Saturday. Back (L-R): Coach Mark Lemmon, Kellie Nelson, Earl Propheten Tim Nelson,
Alex Smith, Coach Brian Lemmon and Ryan Smith. Front (L-R): Jared Lemmon, Jesse Boyd,
John Propheten Will Lutcher and Treston Maben. - Photo by Sandy Matthews
ment has been very in
volved in establishing this
annual tournam ent and
looks forward to the 2013
competition. The first four
years o f the event were
outstanding and we intend
the BEO Invitational to be
a ‘can’t miss’ tournament
on every school’s future
schedule,” said Lemmon.
“We appreciate bank staff
and local citizens who vol
unteer to help at the event
or sponsor amenities; their
help makes the tournament
run smoothly!”
Three arrested after
dispute
Last Saturday, Jan. 26,
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Office received a report of
a dispute on D i
vision Street near
Irrigon. It was fur
ther reported that
a female had been
struck in the head
with a baseball bat.
It was reported to
M orrow C ounty M a r k
Dispatch that two Shea
male subjects and
one female subject had fled
the residence on foot head
ing north on Division.
As M orrow County
Deputy Scott Carter arrived
in the area, he observed a
female subject, later iden
tified as Amanda Shrout
Starr, 32, walking north
on Division. Carter also
observed one male subject
run into some brush and
hide. Carter detained Shrout
Starr and, with the help of
Undersheriff Steve Myren checked.
and Sgt. Randy Rayburn,
Shrout Starr of Irrigon
searched the area where was arrested by MCSO for
the other subject interfering with a police
had last been seen. officer. Pendleton Police
Two subjects were Departm ent also served
subsequently lo a warrant on Shrout Starr
cated hiding in the after she was lodged in
sagebrush. Mark Umatilla County Jail.
Kyle Shea, 23, and
MCSO arrested Robert
Robert Wil
Shea of Irrigon on
Ky l e liam Shea,
U m atilla County
2 4 , w ere
w a rra n ts . M ark
both taken
Shea of Stanfield,
into custody. Mark
OR was arrested
Shea reported he
by MCSO on six
had been assaulted
U m atilla County
with a baseball bat,
Circuit Court war
as well, and was Robert
rants, three City of
William Shea
transported to Good
Pendleton warrants
Shepherd Hospital
and one Irrigon Jus
to be examined.
tice Court warrant.
The original victim,
Carter is actively inves
Rachel Henry of Irrigon, tigating this case at this time
was transported to Good and says he expects to add
Shepherd Hospital by am charges from the assault
bulance to have her injuries that allegedly occurred.
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
i
A nyone who would
like to volunteer or who has
any inquiries concerning
the upcoming event, contact
Heppner High School Ath
letic Director Greg Grant at
541-676-9138 or Lemmon
at 541-676-0224.
On March 16, Friends
Helping Friends will com
memorate the fifth annual
Rem embrance Walk/5K
Run while enjoying the 3181
St. Patrick's Day celebra
tion.
Committee members
are gearing up for the
event, a yearly fundraiser
in memory of home health
nurse Donna Schonbachler.
Friends Helping Friends
strives each year to se
lect a cause that would be
near and dear to Donna’s
heart; this year, the St. Pat
rick’s Senior Center came
to mind. Donna served
as a senior center board
member, as well as health
care nurse for many of the
residents living at the St.
Patrick’s facility. Operat
ing only on volunteer help
for the most part, the senior
center is looking at a siz
able expense to replace the
building heating unit.
“ What better way to
start the project than with
. 4
Remembrance Walk/Run
donations?” asks one Re
membrance Walk/Run com
mittee member.
The m orning o f the
event will start off at 8:30
a.m. with a hosted social
hour and registration at
Heppner United Methodist
Church. Beginning at 9:30
a.m ., the Rem embrance
W alk/Run w ill proceed
following a route of green
shamrocks and pink hearts.
This year, runners may
be happy to know that the
high school hill has been
removed from their route in
favor of a gentler venue.
The committee once
again will make Remem
brance Shamrocks for loved
ones.. .with a $5 donation to
St. Patrick’s Senior Center,
an optional Remembrance
Shamrock will be added to
the walk route. Last year,
more than 200 names were
remembered. Each walk/
-See REMEMBRANCE
WALK/PAGE TWO
lone students, teachers
to receive iPads
By April Sykes
lone Communi t y
School Principal Jerry Ar
cher told the board at a Jan.
22 meeting that iPads for
many students and all teach
ers have been ordered and
should be on their way.
Archer said that enough
iPads for all high school
students and staff and two
or three for each elementary
classroom were purchased
through a grant from the
lone Education Association
and the lone Community
Business Organization.
The grant amount re
ceived for the iPads was
$71,613, with the school
district kicking in monies
out o f the general fund
for the remainder o f the
purchase.
“We will use what we
need to get all of the iPads
ordered,” said Archer.
He said the district’s
goal is to have the iPads
by Feb. 8 and in the hands
of students and staff after
spring break.
lone schools superin
tendent Mark Mulvihill,
who is also superintendent
of the Intermountain ESD,
said at an lone Schools
work session Dec. 4 that he
recommended giving each
high school student his own
iPad to take home and keep
if he graduates from high
school, to help close the
“achievement” gap. He said
that the “ ...engagement of
kids in the learning process
has increased dramatically
where iPads are in use in the
classroom (i.e., at Athena-
Weston) and digital text
books will be used in the
future with updates made
to history books as they
happen.” He said that get
ting staff trained properly
is key.
Archer said at the work
session that lone schools
hope to buy a new iPad
for every new freshman,
either through 1C ABO or
the committing of general-
fund dollars.
Mulvihill said at the
-See ISD TO BUY IPADS/
PAGE FIVE
GREEN FEED & SEED IN HEPPNER:
V alentines D ay Is C o m in g
20% OFF
4 MON
A ll M o n ta n a S ilv e r
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
-See MCHD CEO RESIGNS/
PAGE SIX
Remembrance
walk/5k run
planned
16 teams to compete in fifth annual BEO Wrestling
Invitational Tournament this weekend
Bank o f Eastern Or
egon has announced the
invitees to Bank of Eastern
Oregon’s 2013 Invitational
Wrestling Tournament, to
be held at Heppner High
School this Saturday, Feb.
2 .
High schools scheduled
to com pete are A drian,
Crane, Culver, Enterprise,
G rant Union, Heppner,
Imbler, Irrigon, Joseph,
La Grande, Mac-Hi, North
Lake, Pine Eagle, River
side, Union and Wallowa.
The competition begins
at 10 a.m., and Bank o f
Eastern Oregon invites the
public to come watch these
athletes compete. Tickets
are available at the door
and concessions will be
available.
Mark Lemmon, BEO’s
C hief Financial O fficer
and Heppner High School
wrestling coach, has been
instrumental in organizing
the bank's sponsorship of
the event.
“The bank’s manage
for a fifth-wheel upon their
retirement.
The district also owns a
furnished apartment build
ing; however, one apart
ment in the building is cur
rently used by a physician
who works for the district
several times a month but
lives elsewhere, and the
other has been used to pro
vide housing for visiting
med students.
Blauer advised the board
to advertise the position for
free online rather than with
the larger newspapers in
the Northwest, as suggested
by board chair Larry Mills.
He said that people of his
generation would be more
likely to go online for a
job search. Mills said the
reason he would suggest
going with the newspapers
is because he would prefer
hiring someone from the
Northwest. He said that,
previously, the district re
ceived numerous inquiries
from people in the Midwest
and South, who were not
Thru Feb. 14
SII .VHRSMITHS
^
—
Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed A Seed
242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-6221 (MCGG mein office)
s