TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 5, 2022
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
A View from the Hill
By Doris Brosnan
New, important clean-
ing/sanitizing changes at
the Terrace due to Covid.
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Sounds as though 2022
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
might be starting as did
SEARCH OLD COPIES OF THE HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES ON-LINE: 2021. Fingers crossed by
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/
residents and staff for a
year more relaxed and less
Published weekly by Sykes Publishing and entered as periodical matter at the Post
Office at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879. Periodical postage paid
threatening.
at Heppner, Oregon. Office at 188 W. Willow Street. Telephone (541) 676-9228. Fax
Viewing snow-covered
(541) 676-9211. E-mail: editor@rapidserve.net or david@rapidserve.net. Web site:
www.heppner.net. Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner Gazette-Times,
Mother Nature can be re-
P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $31 in Morrow County; $25
laxing when toasty warm
senior rate (in Morrow County only; 65 years or older); $37 elsewhere; $31 student
inside, and routine activities
subscriptions.
David Sykes ..............................................................................................Publisher
can contribute to a relaxing
Bobbi Gordon................................................................................................ Editor
atmosphere, so residents
Giselle Moses.........................................................................................Advertising
have those to look forward
All News and Advertising Deadline is Monday at 5 p.m.
to this month. Possibly
For Advertising: advertising deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Cost for a display ad is $5.25 per
column inch. Cost for classified ad is 50¢ per word. Cost for Card of Thanks is $10 up to
making a comeback to rou-
100 words. Cost for a classified display ad is $6.05 per column inch.
tine activities this month is
For Public/Legal Notices: public/legal notices deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. Dates for publi-
the sharing of the jigsaw
cation must be specified. Affidavits must be requested at the time of submission. Affidavits
require three weeks to process after last date of publication (a sooner return date must be
puzzle in the common area.
specified if required).
The morning discussion
For Obituaries: Obituaries are published in the Heppner GT at no charge and are edited to
meet news guidelines. Families wishing to include information not included in the guidelines
group tends to become a bit
or who wish to have the obituary written in a certain way must purchase advertising space
more animated sometimes,
for the obituary.
depending on the topics, but
For Letters to the Editor: Letters to the Editor MUST be signed by the author. The Heppner
GT will not publish unsigned letters. All letters MUST include the author’s address and phone
some of this month’s topics
number for use by the GT office. The GT reserves the right to edit letters. The GT is not
lend themselves just pleas-
responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will
be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10.
ant memory-sharing. An
example will be on the 13 th ,
Make-a-Dream-Come-True
Day, as participants share
Send engagement and wedding announcements to editor@rapidserve.net or dreams they have held. And
upload to Heppner.net.
surely spouses will deserve
many compliments when
they become the discussion
topic on the 26 th .
And other special-
ly-designated days on the
calendar will provide dis-
cussion kick-offs: Peace
was on the first; Wheel of
Fortune the 6 th , compli-
ments the 24 th , and puzzles,
the 29 th . Trivia Day on the
4 th provided some morning
fun.
Of course, some foods
get attention on their desig-
nated, celebrated days, so
the kitchen will be working
to get them included in the
menus: crème puffs (were
on the 2 nd ), apricots (9 th ),
Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
Engagements
Kilkenny-Russell
engagement
announced
hot pastrami (14 th ), bagels
(15 th ), chocolate cake (27 th )
and blueberry pancakes
(28 th ).
Only time will tell
how many times pizza will
appear on menus during
National Pizza Week, be-
ginning on the 10 th , though
daily would not be too often
for some residents.
Only National Hat Day
on the 15 th seems to be one
on which some residents
and staff members might
grace the halls and din-
ing room with uncommon
clothing, a variety of cha-
peaux.
No one at the Terrace
will be celebrating a birth-
day this month, but two
new employees are getting
into the rhythm on the hill
and will be ready to help
celebrate next month. Luis
Larracuente, of Heppner,
and Joseph Reyes, of Ione,
are the latest new faces.
Residents and staff wel-
come the new help with dai-
ly living at Willow Creek
Terrace, and they are eager
to welcome new residents,
as well. Information is
available on their Face-
book page and by calling
541-676-0004.
The new year began
with what has become a
tradition at the Terrace, the
prime-rib meal. That such
a pleasant tradition contin-
ues could be considered a
good omen about the year
ahead – even though the
long electricity outage was
a chilly beginning that kept
everyone snuggled in bed
longer than usual - which
would be viewed with re-
lief by everyone at Willow
Creek Terrace.
~ Letters to the Editor ~
The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following
criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name
of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you
provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The
address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be
printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the
right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in
letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under
“Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10. Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload
to Heppner.net.
Downfall of rural
healthcare
To the editor;
Power hungry “lead-
ers” are the downfall of ru-
ral clinic healthcare. A year
ago, the Morrow County
Health District had 12 full
time providers serving the
residents of Heppner, Irri-
gon, Ione, Boardman and
all others in between. In a
matter of one year, turn-
over rates skyrocketed and
there are now two full time
providers, two plus part
time providers and other
“supervising” providers
who are out of state. All
are left to serve the health
needs of over 11,000 people
in Morrow County.
At what point do the
people of Morrow County
stop looking at the pro-
viders as the problem and
start looking at the admin-
istration and the board?
Despite constant reminders
of the complete lack of
patient care, we are al-
lowing those in charge to
dictate what rural health-
care looks like. These are
our friends, neighbors and
families. This is OUR life
and OUR healthcare Stand
up for what YOU want your
healthcare to look like. It’s
time to stand up for the
employees who spend their
lives taking care of you but
have nobody taking care
of them.
Your care team should
consist of people who are
100 percent focused and
invested on your healthcare
and not overworked and un-
derappreciated. Your health
should be their number one
priority while at work, not
their job security. Over 20+
employees have left or been
forced out by administra-
tion in the past three years.
90 percent of those within
the year.
What does that mean
for your healthcare? Those
employees of the Morrow
County Health District may
not be working there any-
more but we are still fight-
ing for you to have access to
a fair healthcare system and
the healthcare you deserve.
Now it’s your turn to stop
asking where they went and
start asking why they went.
Victoria Waltz,
Heppner
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Local Pharmacists praised for efforts in
‘unfair’ drug fees fight
Katherine Kilkenny and Thomas Russell
John and Diane Kilken-
ny of Heppner are pleased
to announce the engage-
ment of their daughter,
Katherine, to Thomas Rus-
sell of Portland. Thomas’
parents are Steve and Beth
Russell, also of Portland.
Katherine is a graduate
of Heppner High School,
She obtained a Bachelor of
Science degree in Nursing
from Gonzaga Universi-
ty, and then received her
Doctorate as a Psychiatric
Nurse Practitioner from the
University of San Diego.
She practices at Portland
Mental Health and Well-
ness.
Thomas graduated
from Lincoln High School
in Portland, and then gradu-
ated with a degree in Com-
munications from Portland
State University. He is
employed as a Software
Developer in Portland.
‘Ann and John Murray deserve credit for keeping
Wyden team apprised’
By David Sykes
Senator Ron Wyden’s
office recently praised the
efforts of local pharmacists
John and Ann Murray in
their help to fight the impo-
sition of unfair middleman
fees on small independent
pharmacies in Oregon.
Wyden claims these fees
are contributing to the loss
of rural pharmacies, such
as the recent Bi-Mart an-
nouncement of closing its
Public Works Director resigns
Morrow County Pub-
lic Works Di-
rector Matt
Scrivner has
resigned, the
county has
confirmed.
“His last
day will be
January 7,” Matt Scrivner
County Administrator Dar-
rell Green told the Ga-
zette-Times Monday.
“After this week, staff
will handle day to day oper-
ations. If they have projects
or situations they would
like some help on, they will
contact me,” Green said.
Green said the county hopes
to have someone in place
by the end of January to the
first part of February.
Scrivner served as as-
sistant road master from
Jan. 2015 to Nov. 2017
when he was then appointed
Director of Public Works
following the retirement of
Burke O’Brien.
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Independent pharmacists John and Ann Murray of Heppner have been working with US
Senator Ron Wyden’s office helping to protect rural hometown pharmacies from “unfair”
drug pricing practices.
56 pharmacies in Oregon
and the northwest.
“These community
mainstays now face a grow-
ing threat from an unfair
practice by big insurance
companies and pharma-
ceutical benefit managers
(PBM) that’s threatening
the small pharmacies’ abil-
ity to stay open,” Wyden
said of his efforts to stem
the practice.
He recently announced
that two federal agencies
are responding to his call
for action tackling this
“troubling growth in unfair
fees imposed by middle-
men,” and at the same time
praised the help of small
pharmacists such as the
Murrays in causing the ac-
tion. “Ann and John Murray
deserve a lot of credit for
keeping the Wyden team
apprised about the on-the-
ground impacts of these
fees,” Wyden’s La Grande
Field Representative Kath-
leen Cathey said. Cathey
said Wyden is still working
on the problem, and added
the Murrays, owners of
pharmacies in Boardman,
Condon and Heppner, have
“done a great job of keeping
us informed.”
“I very much look
forward to the upcoming
regulations that will put a
full stop to these anti-free
enterprise practices that
starve independent pharma-
cies of revenue and deprive
consumers of reliable and
accessible pharmacies in
their communities,” Wyden
added.