Warm July eases into August
scorcher
HEPPNER
G T
50¢
azette
imes
VOL. 136
NO. 27 8 Pages
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
July was warmer than normal according to the National Weather Service.
July temperatures in August according to the
Heppner averaged warmer National Weather Service
than normal, a trend that is in Pendleton.
expected to continue into
The average tempera-
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Heppner Murrays to expand to Boardman
Day Care Health district continues to discuss remodel/expansion of
Heppner facilities
hires
multi-site
director
Heppner Daycare has
announced the hiring of
Katelyn Adams as its multi-
site director and preschool
teacher.
Adams has taught in
early childhood special
education for eight years in
both Oregon and Idaho. She
and her family will be re-
locating from Idaho to Or-
egon as her husband, Brad
Adams, has transferred in
his career.
Katelyn Adams was
raised in Pendleton, OR.
She went to high school
at Pendleton High School,
where she was involved
in Rhythmic Mode com-
petitive dance. Brad Adams
was raised in Heppner,
where he was involved in
athletics nearly year-round.
Together, they have three
boys, who will begin their
education at Heppner El-
ementary School and at the
preschool.
By April Sykes
Boardman Pharmacy.”
Murray’s Drug is ex-
Murray said that the
panding into Board-
Mountain Valley
man, John Murray
Land Co. office will
told the Morrow
also remain in that
County Health
building.
District Board at
MCHD CEO
its regular meeting
Bob Houser told
Monday night in
the board that the
Ione. John and Ann John Murray district plans to
Murray, who reside
move the Board-
in Heppner, currently have man MCHD Home Health
a pharmacy in Heppner and and Hospice office to space
one in Condon.
within the Moun-
Murray told the
tain Valley Land
board that the Mur-
building follow-
rays have purchased
ing completion of
the pharmacy from
remodeling to ac-
Good Shepherd,
commodate home
which had been
health and hospice,
operating out of Ann Murray anticipated around
Boardman Select
the first of January.
Market. He said he plans to Houser said that the dis-
relocate the pharmacy to the trict currently has a Home
Mountain Valley Land Co. Health and Hospice build-
building, which Murray’s ing leased in Boardman, but
Drug has also purchased, believes MCHD can break
located across the street the lease fairly easily.
from the market. Murray
Houser said that he
said that they plan to have also plans to contact Rocky
their son, Sean, operate the Mountain Physical Thera-
pharmacy. The pharmacy py, which provides physical
will be called “Murray’s therapy for the district at
Pioneer Memorial Clinic,
to inquire if they would
be interested in operating
out of the Mountain Valley
Land Co. building.
Also at the meeting,
the board voted in favor of
funding a feasibility study
in the neighborhood of
$50,000 concerning remod-
eling/expansion at Pioneer
Memorial Hospital and
Clinic in Heppner. Dr. Russ
Nichols told the board that
that crowding at the clinic
and hospital has reached a
crisis point in terms of be-
ing able to provide services
to the public, adding that
the current cramped condi-
tions create an atmosphere
of extreme stress for pro-
viders. He and administra-
tion also said that even in
a “slow” month like July,
patients have been turned
away because of lack of
space.
The board indicated
that the feasibility study
may help the district focus
on what the district needs in
additional space, whether to
County forms committee to
Solar
search for new administrator
eclipse
Commissioner to take job in interim
presentation By David Sykes
for the school district be-
“I have seen great value
The Morrow County fore coming to work for in an administrator,” said
tonight
Commissioners will ap- the county and she likened Human Resources Man-
Are you curious about
the solar eclipse? Would
you like to learn more about
it?
Morrow County Un-
dersheriff John Bowles will
be giving a presentation
tonight, Aug. 2, to inform
and prepare the commu-
nity concerning the historic
event that will affect every-
one later this month. The
total solar eclipse will take
place Monday, Aug. 21.
The presentation will
start at 7 p.m. and is open
to the public. The meeting
will be held in the Heppner
City Hall conference room.
Those planning on attend-
ing are asked to RSVP to
the Heppner Chamber at
541-676-5536; refresh-
ments will be served.
On the Inside....
Obituaries and Death
Notices.............................
.........PAGE TWO
View from the Green.........
.........PAGE TWO
Engagements &
Anniversaries...................
....PAGE THREE
DA & Justice Reports.......
....PAGE THREE
Shrine Players.................
......PAGE FOUR
Garden Highlights...........
........PAGE FIVE
Real Estate........................
...........PAGE SIX
Classifieds & Legals.........
....SEVEN & EIGHT
Boardman Quilt Show......
....PAGE EIGHT
Music in the Parks.........
....PAGE EIGHT
point a committee to find
a replacement for county
administrator Jerry Sorte,
who recently resigned, it
was decided last week.
The commission held
a special Friday, July 28,
meeting to decide what to
do about the vacant admin-
istrator position. In the his-
tory of the county there had
never been a paid adminis-
trator until Sorte was hired
following the last election.
At that time county govern-
ment was changed, doing
away with the full-time
elected judge position, and
instead going with three
equal commissioners and
a paid administrator. The
commission discussed if
they wanted to continue
with that structure.
“This was an enor-
mous historical change in
the county government,”
commission chair Melissa
Lindsay said. “And I want
to commend Jerry Sorte for
helping the county through
that change.” Sorte resigned
to take a position in Sweet
Home.
The commissioners
took public comment on
the administrative position
and whether or not to fill the
position, or perhaps go with
a model more like Uma-
tilla County, which divides
oversight and administra-
tive duties among the three
commissioners. Every per-
son who spoke to the com-
missioners urged them to
continue with the adminis-
trator position. Robin Jones
said she worked previously
the county administrator to
a superintendent job. She
said as an employee she fa-
vored having the full-time
administrator for a boss.
Heppner Chamber of Com-
merce and Willow Creek
Valley Economic Develop-
ment Group administrator
Sheryll Bates said she also
favors an administrator
over just commissioner
oversight.
“The main goal of the
commissioners should be
to be out in the commu-
nity meeting and talking
to people,” Bates said. She
wanted the administrator to
run day-to-day operations
of the county.
Former commissioner
LeAnn Rea, who was on
the commission when they
voted to change from the
full-time judge to three
equal commissioners, said
it was “extremely impor-
tant” the county went this
way because the judge
position actually involved
three jobs: juvenile judge,
county administrator and
an elected commissioner.
“That is more than any
one person should have,”
Rea said. “Commissioners
should be policy setters not
day-to-day operations. Hir-
ing Jerry Sorte was one of
the smartest thing we have
done,” she said.
“Morrow County is
a progressive county and
as an employee I want an
administrator,” said Anita
Pranger, head of the county
transportation department
The Loop.
ager Karen Wolff. “There
is someone in charge of
running the business of the
county.”
County Planner Carla
McLain said, as someone
in a remote location (her
office is in Irrigon) from the
county offices in Heppner,
she had had a lot of benefit
from having an administra-
tor.
“I have someone to
reach out and talk to and I
have seen a growth in com-
munication and conversa-
tion across departments,”
she said. She called having
a paid administrator for the
past 18 months a “grand
experiment.” “I would con-
tinue to support this grand
experiment,” she said.
McLane also said having
a full-time human resource
person, an outgrowth of the
administrator, has been very
helpful also.
“I have been involved
with special districts for
some time and we are prob-
ably four months away
from getting another ad-
ministrator,” commissioner
Don Russell said. He said
remodel or build and how to
fund construction.
Administration has tar-
geted five areas that could
have significant growth po-
tential, both in services pro-
vided and revenue growth:
-the lab, which has al-
ready outgrown the over-
flow space provided a year
ago. The department has
identified additional tests
that could be run there, that
are currently being sent out.
The lab currently generates
a “great deal” of revenue
for the district; additional
equipment means addi-
tional tests, which results
in additional revenue, said
administration.
-outpatient treatment
areas. Currently Room 204
in the hospital serves as an
Ultrasound and Dexa scan
room and has also served
as an emergency overflow
room. The room is also a
patient room that has had
to be taken out of service to
perform outpatient testing.
-See HEALTH DISTRICT/
PAGE THREE
ture in July was 72.5 de-
grees, which was 2.7 de-
grees above normal. High
temperatures averaged 89
degrees, which was 3.3
degrees above normal. The
highest was 98 degrees on
July 7. Low temperatures
averaged 56 degrees, which
was 2.1 degrees above nor-
mal. The lowest was 47
degrees on the 17 th .
On 11 days, the temper-
ature exceeded 90 degrees.
In addition to being hot,
it was dry—no precipitation
was measured during July,
bringing rainfall for the
month to 0.33 inches below
normal. Despite a strong
start, precipitation this year
has reached 8.32 inches,
which is 0.67 inches below
normal. Since October, the
water-year precipitation at
Heppner has been 12.64
inches, which is 0.41 inches
below normal.
The highest wind gust
at Heppner was 33 mph,
which occurred on the 15 th .
During the month of
July, there were no light-
ning flashes detected in the
vicinity of Heppner, accord-
ing to Earth Networks.
With the first week of
the month already climbing
to triple digits, the outlook
for August from NOAA’s
Climate Prediction Cen-
ter calls for above-normal
temperatures and near- to
below-normal precipitation.
-See WEATHER/PAGE FIVE
Library district
celebrates 25 th
anniversary
Morrow County Justice of the Peace Ann Spicer swears in
OTLD board members (L-R) Kraig Cutsforth, Mary Jones,
Lisa Constantine, Stephanie Loving and William J. Kuhn.
-Contributed photo
Oregon Trail Library
District is celebrating its
25 th anniversary this year.
Heppner and Boardman
voters approved the special
district in 1992. The origi-
nal OTLD Board of Direc-
tors included Gerry All-
dredge, David Youngbluth,
Mike Wetherell, William J.
Kuhn and Gary Marks. Ir-
rigon later voted to join the
district in 2000.
A n n S p i c e r, M o r-
row County Justice of the
Peace, swore in the 2017
OTLD elected board of
-See COUNTY COMMIS- directors during the July
SION/PAGE FIVE 19 board meeting at the
Irrigon Branch. Current
OTLD Board of Directors
are Mary Jones, Stephanie
Loving, Lisa Constantine,
Kraig Cutsforth and Wil-
liam J. Kuhn.
Special events have
been planned to celebrate
the anniversary throughout
the year. During October,
district-wide Community
Reads events will take place
at all branches. The Oregon
Trail: A New American
Journey by Rinker Buck has
been selected for this event.
November 1-2, Oregon
-See OTLD ANNIVERSARY/
PAGE EIGHT
ALL
NURSERY
STOCK
TREES - SHRUBS - PERENNIALS
Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed
242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)