Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Bikeway ride this
weekend
Drivers are reminded
to watch for “slow mov-
ing traffic” this weekend,
Sept. 17-18, during the
fifth annual Blue Mountain
Century Ride.
The Blue Mountain
Century Bikeway is a scenic
loop of approximately 108
miles starting and ending in
Heppner. The route initially
follows the Blue Mountain
Scenic Byway east through
the Blue Mountains to Hwy.
395. It then travels north
from forest to rangelands
to Nye Junction, and west
through eastern Oregon’s
rolling hills to Heppner.
The Oregon Parks and
Recreation Dept. refers to
the Blue Mountain Century
Scenic Bikeway as one of
the best-of-the-best road
bike routes in Oregon. The
bikeway offers some of the
most remote and extreme
road riding in Oregon, so
riders will be especially
glad for the lunch and water
supplied and carried by the
ride organizers. Also part of
the fully-supported bicycle
tour are sag wagons, food
and mechanic support.
More information and
is available at http://www.
heppnerchamber.com/rec-
reation-cycling.
Vets who need routine
audiology, optometry
appointments can soon
directly schedule
WA S H I N G T O N —
Veterans receiving care at
Department of Veterans Af-
fairs (VA) Medical Centers
will now be able to sched-
ule routine ear and eye
appointments at local VA
audiology and optometry
clinics without a primary
care referral—a move that
eliminates multiple steps
and gets veterans into ap-
pointments quicker.
Before now, veterans
seeking appointments with
audiologists or optometrists
had to first make an ap-
pointment with a primary
care physician for a referral
for a routine clinic consult
visit. A clinic representative
would contact the patient to
set up the consult appoint-
ment, which could result
in a several weeks’ lag
between the appointment
and when the veteran was
actually seen.
The new process, the
Audiology and Optometry
Direct Scheduling Initia-
tive, which began as a suc-
cessful pilot at three sites
in 2015, is being expanded
to all VA Medical Centers.
“The Audiology and
Optometry Direct Schedul-
ing Initiative allows veter-
ans who need eye and ear
care to be seen sooner,”
said VA Secretary Robert
A. McDonald. “It also has
the benefit of freeing up
primary care physicians so
access to primary care im-
proves for other veterans as
well. This kind of process
improvement is exactly
the type of innovation we
expected when we launched
MyVA in 2014. In the end,
we changed a VA process
by considering the needs of
our veterans, a change that
allows for more timely care
and an improved veteran
experience.”
The Audiology and Op-
tometry Direct Scheduling
Initiative is one of a number
of efforts underway at VA
to improve veterans’ ac-
cess to care and wait times.
However, as access to care
improves, more and more
veterans are choosing VA
care, so even though the
VA is completing millions
more appointments, they
continue to have more work
to do.
“We want our veterans
and those who care for them
to know that we are doing
everything that we can to
improve their experience
with VA and to provide the
care our veterans deserve
in a thoughtful and timely
way,” said VA Under Sec-
retary Dr. David J. Shulkin.
“We have made progress,
but know there is more
work to be done.”
The Audiology and Op-
tometry Direct Scheduling
Initiative is expected to be
fully operational within all
VA Medical Centers by the
end of 2016.
- FIVE
Third Morrow County Harvest Festival
coming Oct. 1
Free event set to showcase region’s produce, local artisans,
and other food products with family activities and beer and
wine tasting
BOARDMAN—The
third annual Morrow Coun-
ty Harvest Festival is com-
ing to the SAGE Center on
Saturday, Oct. 1, from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m.
The event is presented
by the Boardman, Heppner
and Irrigon chambers of
commerce in conjunction
with the SAGE Center and
will be held at 101 Olson
Road in Boardman.
This year the Morrow
County Harvest Festival
will feature a variety of ven-
dors with homemade items.
Beer and wine tasting will
be available from 12 p.m.
to 5 p.m. by local producers
Sno Road Winery and Ord-
nance Brewing. Available
all day, the Kids Corner will
include horse and buggy
rides, new obstacle course,
miniature horses, pumpkin
painting, and photo booth.
SAGE Center Manager,
Kalie Davis, says she is
excited to see the festival
continue to grow.
“The Morrow County
chambers of commerce and
the SAGE Center wanted to
Attendees at last year’s harvest festival pile in the mule-driven wagon for a ride. Over 800
people attended the event. –Photo Courtesy of the SAGE Center
put together a fun harvest
festival with our own spin
on it. Each year the event
has grown in size and the
vendors have done a tre-
mendous job of providing
creative homemade goods.”
Davis said.
Event sponsors include
the Kiwanis Club of Board-
man, Tillamook, Lamb
Weston, Cascade Special-
ties, and the River Lodge
and Grill.
“All of the Morrow
County Harvest Festival
activities are free for fami-
lies to participate in thanks
to the generous donations
from our sponsors.” Davis
said.
For more information
about the event go to www.
visitsage.com or call the
SAGE Center at 541-481-
7243, Boardman Chamber
of Commerce at 541-481-
3014, Heppner Chamber
of Commerce at 541-676-
5536, or Irrigon Chamber
of Commerce at 541-922-
3857.
sor Joanne Burleson reports
that the laying of water lines
will be followed by the wa-
ter pump, sidewalks, grass,
plants, and benches, with
the end of October as the
hoped-for conclusion. This
project is only possible be-
cause of a gracious financial
donation and the donation
of time and expertise by
several volunteers.
Residents can also con-
tinue to lose themselves in
some good books when not
busy with other commit-
ments. The book-exchange
service Ed Struthers pro-
vided before moving away
will continue, thanks to the
local librarians. Another act
of kindness the Community
appreciates.
A new service intro-
duced this month is the
transportation to church
services provided through
the cooperation of the Mor-
row County LOOP program
and the Shared Ministries of
All Saints’ Episcopal and
Hope Lutheran Churches.
For area residents, includ-
ing those at the Terrace, a
free ride to one’s church on
Sunday mornings can be ar-
ranged by calling Suzanne
Jepsen, 541-676-9850.
September has already
ushered in two more birth-
days at the Terrace: Bonnie
Gates celebrated her special
day on the fourth. Barbara
Struthers welcomed her
huge family on her 95 th
birthday on the 11 th . No
more scheduled birthdays
this month or next month,
but maybe a new Resident
will move into the available
apartment and bring an Oc-
tober birthday celebration
along. Readers are invited
to call 541-676-0004 for
information about the apart-
ment.
The Community has
recently welcomed Juanita
Garnicia to their kitchen
as the head cook. Juanita
has worked at the Terrace
for some time but only
stepped into this spot when
Cindy Johnson moved from
Heppner. Soon, they will
welcome two new staff
members who are now in
training. The Residents and
Staff on the Hill always
look forward to welcom-
ing a newcomer—staff and
resident—as they view the
event as filled with oppor-
tunities for themselves and
the new personality.
A View from the Hill
By Doris Brosnan
Readers who view with
appreciation the long his-
tory and unique sound of
accordion music will want
to watch news from Wil-
low Creek Terrace for an
announcement that Kelly
Weaver will be returning.
The Residents thoroughly
enjoyed his one-hour ac-
cordion concert on Aug.
11 and agree that they will
invite him for encore per-
formances and invite area
friends to join them.
Readers are also invited
to join the Community on
the Hill Sept. 16, either by
coming up or by taking time
at 11 a.m. wherever they
are, to recite the Pledge
of Allegiance. This coor-
dinated effort across our
nation on Constitution Day
attempts to have the pledge
recited from coast to coast
at the same time, the more
voices the better. More in-
formation can be found on
the internet.
September is a sort of
slow-down month after the
summer months’ activities,
which included Music-in-
the-Park concerts and the
Morrow County Fair. No
September outings are yet
planned, but Residents will
continue to have opportuni-
ties for at-home activities
that include Bingo, cross-
word puzzles, morning con-
versations and exercises,
movies, and seasonal crafts.
The Residents who par-
ticipate in these stimulating
activities appreciate the
many volunteers and Staff
who provide them. Crafts
persons who wish to offer
craft-making opportunities
for the Residents are invited
to contact George Nairns,
676-0004.
The perfect Fall weath-
er will invite Residents
to wander out for some
“sidewalk supervising” as
the landscaping project on
the adjacent lot resumes
tomorrow. Project supervi-
LES SCHWAB CONGRATULATES RODEO WINNERS!
Chamber lunch meeting
Morrow County All Around
Champion Buckle Sponsored
by Les Schwab Tires
Photo courtesy of Lindsey Wyllie Productions
3 -WAY TIE
BULL RIDING WINNER:
Jace Catlin, Toledo
Event Sponsored by
Les Schwab Tires
There will be no chamber lunch meeting on Sept. 15,
as the chamber will be getting ready for the fifth annual
Blue Mountain Century Scenic Bikeway ride Sept. 17-18.
The next lunch meeting of the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce will be an all entities report on Thursday, Oct.
6, at noon in Heppner City Hall conference room.
On Thursday, Oct. 20, the chamber will hold a
candidate’s forum for Heppner mayor and city council
candidates. RSVPs will be required at 541-676-5536, and
this lunch will be open to the community.
HUNTER'S NIGHT
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Shayla
Reese
Weygandt Currin
Fabian
Guerra
124 N. MAIN STREET HEPPNER OR 97836
STEAK DINNER
AT 6PM
LODGE AT 8PM
PRIZES & RAFFLE