Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 26, 2021 -- THREE
Good News Only
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at a cost of $10. Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net.
Put up or shut up
Why does Mike Simp-
son expect others to present
alternatives to his $33 bil-
lion plan to gut the econ-
omy of the Pacific North-
west? He claims, “We need
to have honest conversa-
tions?” So, let’s be honest.
The science has already
been proven and recorded
as fact, fish and dams can
successfully co-exist. As a
matter of fact, the highest
numbers of both salmon
and steelhead ever record-
ed returning to our rivers
came during a ten-year pe-
riod that began twenty-five
years after the last dam was
completed.
From 1938 – 1947,
approximately 1.9 million
anadromous fish returned
over Bonneville Dam, the
only dam in the river system
at that time. From 2000 –
2009, approximately 6.8
million salmon and steel-
head returned to our river
system, an increase of 358
percent. The last dam was
completed on the Snake
River in 1975. Proof posi-
tive that fish and dams can,
and do, co-exist.
Simpson and his min-
ions need to prove their
scheme to breach our dams
and destroy our economy,
at such a great cost, will
result in the return of even
one more fish to our rivers.
The burden of proof is on
them alone, nobody else.
If they cannot prove their
case, they need to shut up
and go home.
Dick Sherwin
Lewiston, ID
Representing: Citizens
for the Preservation of Fish
and Dams
Time to resume litter
pickup in Heppner
To the editor,
As we move towards
returning to normal as we
move past the Covid virus,
it is time to tidy up town in
respect to the ODOT Adopt
a Highway Litter Pick Up
Program.
Our residents and busi-
nesses alongside the high-
ways have been removing
any litter from their high-
way frontages. Our citizens
are picking up our state
highways through town as
they go for healthy walks.
Our cooperating organiza-
tions: The Bank of Eastern
Oregon, the Heppner Lions,
and the Morrow County
employees are doing the
entries to town.
These efforts make our
community nice for our
residents and our visitors.
Thanks are extended to all.
John Edmundson,
Heppner
A View from the Green
Over the Tee Cup
Karen Haguewood had Clement. Fairway shots
low gross of the field at the for flight B went to Karen
playday held May 18 at Haguewood.
Kris Lindner took low
the Willow Creek Country
Club in Heppner. Judy Har- gross for flight C. Jean
ris had low net of the field Creswick had low net and
and least putts was split Lorene Montgomery had
between Pat Edmundson the least putts. Sharon Har-
rison had fairway shots for
and Sharon Harrison.
For flight B the low flight C.
in tax revenue, $28,183 in
other operating revenue for gross winner was Tiffany
$1,255,633 in total operat-
ing revenue; $1,346,069 in
total operating expenses,
$43,307 in a non-oper-
ating gain, for a loss of
$47,128 for the month and
an average monthly gain of
$176,766.
Heppner student Jessi-
-received the following
Pioneer Memorial Hos- ca Kempken, 23, has been
pital report for April: six accepted into the pharmacy
inpatient admissions, four program at Oregon State
swing bed admissions, eight University. Kemken has
admissions for observation, lived in Heppner since she
621 total out-patients with was in the fourth grade and
ER, 68 emergency room has worked at Murray’s
encounters, 1,668 lab tests, Drug as a certified phar-
42 CT scans, two lower macy technician during the
endoscopy procedures, one summers and holidays for
upper endoscopy proce- the past three years.
Jessica graduated at the
dure, 31 respiratory therapy
top of her class from Hep-
procedures.
-received the follow- pner High School in 2016,
ing clinic reports: Pioneer receiving academic honors
Memorial Clinic in Hep- and numerous scholarships.
pner-391 patient visits, with She was a tri-sport athlete
Jessica Kempken
five new patients, 33 seen and served as team cap-
by a nurse, 20 no-shows and tain in volleyball, basket- College of Pharmacy and
44 cancellations; Irrigon ball and softball. She also will be graduating in June
Medical Clinic-422 patient held leadership positions with a bachelor’s of bio
visits, 87 seen by a nurse in student government, health science degree. She
and 29 no-shows; Ione National Honor Society will start the pharmacy
Community Clinic-38 pa- and FBLA, before attending program this fall.
Kemken intends to re-
tient visits, one new patient, Blue Mountain Community
College for two years.
turn to Heppner after she
34 seen by a nurse.
In 2018 Jessica was completes her doctorate.
-received the following
ambulance report: total accepted into the early ad- She is the daughter of Don-
page-outs-22 Heppner, 39, mission program at OSU na Sherman.
for $27,401 in revenue;
Boardman, 37, for $30,004
in revenue; Irrigon, for
$33,930 in revenue; Ione,
with seven life flights.
The Highview (Ione Cemetery) is having irrigation
-received the following
Home Health report: 157 issues and the cemetery is currently pretty dry looking.
patient visits; received the Staff would like to apologize for its appearance and plans
following Hospice report: to have the irrigation working again soon.
The meeting scheduled for June 2 has been resched-
no new admissions, one
death; received the follow- uled to June 21.
ing Pharmacy report: 3,170
drug doses for $110,249 in
drug revenue.
HEALTH DISTRICT
-Continued from PAGE ONE
City Council, suggested
the district make an effort
to get the news out to staff
before it appears in the pa-
per. No action was taken on
the suggestion to move the
meeting date.
Also at the meeting,
the board appointed Diane
Kilkenny, nurse and former
director for the Morrow
County Health Department,
to the board.
In other business, the
board:
-directed staff to per-
form a feasibility study
for increased service in the
northwest area of the coun-
ty, not to exceed $30,000.
-held executive ses-
sions concerning three is-
sues: trade negotiations,
submission of confidential
information to the board
and to consider the employ-
ment of a public officer,
employee, staff member or
individual agent.”
-received a report from
Chief Nursing Officer Kath-
leen Greenup, who noted
they were “currently fully
staffed.”
-approved a contract
extension for Amanda Fa-
bian, PA-C.
-passed resolutions to
authorize the county trea-
surer to invest funds and
to authorize individuals to
sign checks and vouchers.
-approved the “Cus-
tom Learning Program”
for rural hospitals, not to
exceed $76,000. “This is
a really good plan,” noted
VanderDoes.
-approved three items
for surplus.
-received the following
financial report for April:
the district had $1,193,166
in revenue, $151,176 in rev-
enue deductions, $185,460
Kempken accepted
into pharmacy
program
Cemetery having
irrigation problems
Lexington Burn Ban
The Fire Chief of the Town
of Lexington is imposing a
closed season for open
burning effective
Monday, June 1, 2021
until further notice.
The burning ban is for the Town of
Lexington and includes all burn
barrels and open burning.
Effective June 1, 2021, the
Fire Chief of the City of
Heppner is imposing a
BURN BAN.
This also includes
Burn Barrels.
Residents can request Natural Vegetation and
Debris Piles be burned by the
Fire Department during this period.
Sign up list for Fire Department burning
assistance is at Heppner City Hall or call
Fire Chief Steve Rhea @ 541-980-4232 or
Assistant Fire Chief Eric Chick @ 541-701-4910
By Doris Brosnan
The rains have cer-
tainly been good news,
hopefully in time to make
a positive difference for the
various crops.
A thank you and con-
gratulations to the indi-
viduals elected last week
to the various boards in
the county. Now come the
responsibilities entrusted
to them. The voters in Ione
continued support of their
school by passing the gen-
eral obligation bond.
Congratulations to
Ione’s two Crystal Apple
Award recipients acknowl-
edged on the 10 th . JoAnna
Lamb and Mary Rosenberg
were chosen for the extra
efforts they make in their
services to the school’s stu-
dents. The award is spon-
sored by the Intermountain
Education Service District.
Congratulations to the
HHS drama students and
Alaina Lemmon, director,
who delighted their audi-
ences with an entertaining
production of Matilda on
the May 19 and 20.
Ione School’s eleven
seniors enjoyed a luncheon
on the 19 th , welcomed by
their Topic Club hosts.
On the 15 th , several
high school students en-
joyed another sign that
social life is getting back
to normal, thanks to par-
ents eager to help this hap-
pen. The Heppner students
danced away the evening at
the prom held in the trans-
formed Elks lodge. Ione
students enjoyed a prom
with a spectacular touch
where they danced away
the evening under the stars,
in the park, which featured
a decorated dance floor on
the stage.
The new season of
high school and junior high
sports began last week as the
previous season wrapped
up. Heppner/Ione’s spec-
tacular high school baseball
season ended in a win in
the consolation round of
state playoffs last weekend.
This as HHS’s track-team
members who had placed
for 2A state competition
ran and threw in Union,
and the Ione School team
members who had placed
for 1A state competition did
the same in La Grande on
Saturday. This happened on
the day after the first basket-
ball games on Friday (both
towns’ girls and boys were
successful). Now every-
one, including junior-high
athletes, have moved on to
a short season of what has
traditionally been winter
sports.
Hunter Nichols, who
runs track at EOU, left on
Sunday with teammates
who were heading for Gulf
Shores, Alabama, for the
National Outdoor Track
competitions. Hunter will
be running the 800-meter
tomorrow. (He attended the
national indoor competition
last winter.) Good luck,
Hunter.
Some other signs of
some returning normality
are the events now planned
for the near future: Hep-
pner’s Farmers’ Market
return, June 17; the Town
and Country Banquet and
Awards event return on
June 17 (tickets available
at the Heppner Chamber
office, Murray’s, BEO);
Music in the Park return-
ing once a month in July,
August and September;
and expectations of a fair
and rodeo return in August.
Watch for coming details.
Another Red Cross
blood drive was scheduled
by the HHS Honor Society
for today at the St. Patrick
Church parish hall, so if
you are reading this early
enough, you might have
time to go donate.
Yes, Meredith Thom-
son Walters returned to
Heppner almost a year ago,
after having spent some
time in California with
a son’s family, and says
she is happy to be back in
the house that was always
home. She suspects that
one reason many people
have not realized she had
returned was because they
had not recognized her
when she waved. Hard to
realize who is behind that
face mask. Meredith’s son
Aaron has been experienc-
ing Heppner, too, since he
has been able to do his work
remotely while staying with
her, and he has been busy
beautifying the yard and
helping her make some
changes inside before he
returns to his home.
Betty Gray’s youngest
son, Les Mathews, came
from Phoenix to celebrate
his 53 rd birthday, which was
on the 17 th , and to stay for
a four-day visit. Les joined
Betty and his two siblings,
who came to share the mo-
ment, the first time in many
months being able to get
together.
Lorene Montgomery
reports that her son-in-law
Mike Prater (married to
her daughter Cathy) will
be inducted into the Idaho
Rodeo Hall of Fame on Lo-
rene’s birthday, October 15.
Mike, retired from his oil
business in Nampa, was a
well-known bull rider who
rodeoed when Paul Hisler
did, Lorene says.
Ever wonder if what
you think is true of our ar-
ea’s population numbers is
truly true? I did. According
to or.gov, the 2020 Census
lists Heppner residents at
1295, Ione with 330, and
Lexington with 265. This
means all communities
have gained new residents
since the 2010 numbers
listed: Heppner 1291, Ione
329, and Lexington 238.
(Look at you, Lexington.)
Ione’s city-wide clean-
up was noted before. Hep-
pner residents are getting a
cleanup assist and encour-
agement from the welcome
mat at the city’s site on
Riverside that will be open
through June 1 for yard
debris and for discards that
can go into the large dump-
ster-trailer on site.
Good news is always
welcomed news, so please
share your tidbits by send-
ing them to dbrosnan123@
gmail.com, or calling 541-
676-5382 or 541-223-1490
or stopping me on the street.
Here’s hoping that
some good news comes to
everyone reading this.
IONE RURAL FIRE
PROTECTION DISTRICT
BURN
BAN
EFFECTIVE JUNE 1, 2021
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE