Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 21, 2018
- FIVE
Heppner Mustang golf team begins season
The Heppner Mustang
golf team started their sea-
son off at the Echo Hills
Country Club Invitational.
The first few holes were
played in a steady rainfall
but as the day progressed, it
cleared off and warmed up
to make it an enjoyable first
outing for the teams in at-
tendance. Scores were kept
but there were no individual
or team awards at the end
of the day. It was more of a
learning tournament to get
the players ready for future
competitions. Other teams
participating were from
Wallowa, Enterprise, Grant
Union and Echo/Stanfield.
This year’s Mustang
golf team has a total of 21
players on the team. Key re-
turners for the girls include
Sophie Grant, Claire Grieb,
Madison Combe, Caitlyn
Scrivner, Nicole Proph-
eter and Suzy Cason. The
Mustangs also have four
freshman girls on the team.
They are Marlee Mitchell,
Kayla McAninch, Ken-
nisyn Wilkins and Sasha
Keown. Sasha is from Ar-
lington and is the daughter
of former Morrow County
School District Assistant
Superintendent, Mike Ke-
own.
Returners for the boys
team include Kellen Grant,
Cason Mitchell, Reno Fer-
guson, Logan Burright,
Casey Fletcher, Charles
Cason and Wyatt McNary.
The boys team also has
four first year participants,
Gavin Hanna Robinson,
Kevin Rea, Hunter Greenup
and Drew Coe.
The girls’ team has a
tournament in The Dalles
this week and then both
teams travel to Hillsboro
at the end of spring break.
Both teams will play a prac-
tice round at Quail Valley
Country Club. It is the site
for both the girls and boys
state championships. The
next day the boys will play
in a invitational tournament
at Pumpkin Ridge Golf
Club.
It should be an out-
standing year for Mus-
tang golf as both teams are
strong and should contend
for district and state golf
championships.
Casey Fletcher admires his putt. -Photo by Kirsti Cason
Cason Mitchell lines up a putt. -Photo by Kirsti Cason
Heppner students
compete in Kid-
Wind challenge
Sophie Grant follows through after a big drive. Photo by Kirsti
Cason.
MCHD recognizes employees
Morrow County Health
District’s employees, ex-
ecutives and the board of
directors gathered for the
district’s annual employee
recognition banquet held at
the fairgrounds in Heppner
on Mar. 9. Dinner was pre-
pared by Pioneer Memorial
Hospital’s dietary manager
Patty Rill and her crew.
Dr. Russ Nichols served as
master of ceremonies.
Chief executive officer,
Bob Houser, FACHE and
HR director Patti Allstott
presented longevity awards
to the following employ-
ees: chief financial officer,
Nicole Mahoney and emer-
gency medical services
director, Rusty Estes – 20-
year awards. Mahoney was
recognized for her con-
tributions to the district’s
Students from Heppner consisted of measuring the
leadership team and her
Jr/Sr High School recently efficiency of the turbines
expertise in rural healthcare
competed at the KidWind by measuring the milliwatts
financial operations. Estes
challenge at Riverside High of power the turbines could
was cited for his work and
gather from wind tunnel
School.
prior volunteer service with
Two teams from Hep- test. The second part was
the Emergency Medical
pner participated, the eighth an interview with the judges
Services department, which
grade team “The Nerd where students talked with
together total 33 years.
Herds” consisting of Roen people in the wind power
Trish Maben, RN at Pioneer
Waite and Hannah Finch industry to demonstrate
Memorial Clinic, received
and the seventh grade team their knowledge of wind
a 40-year award. She was
“Mustangs” with Jacob energy and design.
recognized for her devotion
The Nerd Herd placed
Finch, Paul Lindsay, and
and compassion to patients
second, qualifying for na-
Madison Palmer.
and her dedication to the
The competition con- tionals in Chicago. The
health district. Dr. Kenneth
tained two parts, the wind- Mustangs placed third and
Wenberg, who provides
mill challenge and an inter- qualified for regionals in
contracted services at Pio-
view with a team of judges. Seattle.
neer Memorial Hospital,
The windmill challenge
received a 30-year award
for his help in delivering
healthcare services at the
hospital and for filling in
at the district’s clinics in
Heppner and Irrigon when
needed. Carmelo Di Salvo,
Home Health and Hospice
Clerk and Hospital and
Hospice Chaplain, was
not in attendance, but was
recognized for five-years
of service and his compas-
sion towards patients and
families.
Three staff members
KidWind competitors (L-R): Hannah Finch, Roen Waite, Paul Lindsay, Madison Palmer and
were
voted to receive the
Jacob Finch. -Contributed photo.
district’s Service Excel-
lence award by fellow staff
members. Dr. Nichols read
the nomination information
about each recipient and
CEO Bob Houser presented
the awards to:
Laboratory director,
Betty Hickerson – Hick-
erson started in the lab at
Pioneer Memorial Hospital
in 1990 and became the
director in 2001. She also
managed the radiology de-
partment for a number of
years. Hickerson’s nomi-
nations cited her apprecia-
tion to her staff and other
members of the district’s
team and pitching in to help
with whatever is needed.
Quotes include, “She is a
supportive friend to lean on,
she is there to mentor oth-
ers, always allowing others
to go into her department
to learn.” “Her humor and
passion are very much ap-
preciated by many of us.”
And “…she goes above and
beyond her job on a daily
basis.”
Primary care services
manager, Kris Jones – Jones
started with the Health Dis-
trict at Pioneer Memorial
Clinic in 2013 and began
her managerial role in 2015.
NOW
HIRING
DRIVERS
Morrow County Health District recognized employees for longevity and service excellence
at the district’s annual banquet held Mar. 9. L-R: Dr. Kenneth Wenberg, CFO Nicole Ma-
honey, EMS Director Rusty Estes, Laboratory Director Betty Hickerson, Human Resources
Director Patti Allstott, Trish Maben, RN and Primary Care Services Manager Kris Jones.
Not pictured – Carmelo Di Salvo, Home Health & Hospice Clerk and Hospice and Hospital
Chaplain. -Contributed photo.
Jones oversees operations
of the district’s primary care
clinics in Heppner, Irrigon
and Ione. Her nomination
states, “She juggles many
deadlines and demands.
Kris is one of the best su-
pervisors/bosses a person
could have. She makes us
all feel appreciated. Her
creative methods of training
and role playing are truly
enjoyable,” and “There is
never a dull moment with
her in the building. The
positive energy and joy
she exudes is simply con-
tagious.”
Human resources direc-
tor, Patti Allstott – Allstott
joined the administration
staff of the district in 2004
and became the HR director
in 2005. She has also worn
other managerial hats for
Pioneer Memorial Clinic
and in marketing for the
district. Allstott’s nomina-
tion states, “She does an
excellent job and is com-
mitted to the district and its
employees. She is always
there to help with any ac-
tivities that need help. She
has always been a great
support in helping answer
questions that do not have
an easy answer,” and “Patti
is one of those people you
come across that truly has a
caring heart.”
In closing the evening’s
events, Houser gave a re-
port on current activities of
the district, including a new
physician and physician as-
sistant joining the Irrigon
Medical Clinic staff, and a
building expansion project
that will soon break ground
at that location. He also
talked about the construc-
tion of the new procedures
suite at the hospital to al-
low the hospital to again
perform Endoscopy – up-
per and lower/colonoscopy
testing. He also gave an
update on the district’s
purchase of a building in
Boardman that will soon
house the district’s Pioneer
Memorial Home Health and
Hospice office, as well as
the Eastern Oregon Physi-
cal Therapy office and Mur-
ray’s Boardman Pharmacy.
Houser told the group that
there are good things ahead
for Morrow County Health
District and in healthcare
services for the people of
Morrow County.
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Heppner Gazette-Times
188 West Willow • 676-9228