Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 16, 2025 -- THREE
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Rhea is
Dedicated to
C o m m u n i t y,
County
Healthcare
Molly Rhea’s whole
life has been dedicated to
the people of our communi-
ty along with the health care
system in Morrow County.
Molly knew early on in life
that serving our people was
her priority. She began her
education in the direction
of health care while still
attending Heppner High
School. Molly has put her
heart and soul into caring
for all our families and
friends. I know that while
addressing my parents’
health issues, I was always
glad to see Molly walk
into the room to help guide
us through many difficult
times.
Molly has covered all
the bases in every depart-
ment in the Morrow County
Health District under new
and old administrations.
With her many years of
experience, I am certain
she knows what works and
what doesn’t work between
faculty and administration,
as well as rules and regu-
lations that have to be fol-
lowed. Molly has the best
communications skills and
will not guard her opinions
and ideas because of who is
sitting in the room. She will
have an open communica-
tion between the adminis-
tration, board and the rest
of the team members that
are employed by Morrow
County Health District.
Our community is fac-
ing difficult times, and I
want to see people on the
board that will fight to keep
our health district alive;
people that have a solid
understanding of what it
takes to run the district and
to ask the hard questions.
Molly will have the time
that it takes to be there in
this crisis and withstand the
troubles that may arise with
dealing with unsatisfied
people.
How can you ask for
anyone better than someone
who has lived her entire
life in Heppner, raised her
family here, dedicated her
career to the caring of our
community and people and
now chooses to run for a
board that is in need of
leaders to keep our health
district alive?
I ask you to please
consider voting for Molly
Rhea, position number 2, on
the Morrow County Health
District Board.
Sandy Matthews
Heppner, OR
Rhea will
bring
Workable
Solutions
to Health
District
I am writing to express
my support for Molly
Rhea’s candidacy for the
Morrow County Health
District Board. Molly
brings a thoughtful, com-
munity-centered perspec-
tive to the table—one that
we urgently need as our
county navigates growing
healthcare challenges.
Molly is a natural team
builder who leads with
respect and integrity. She
doesn’t tear others down
to push her own agenda.
Instead, she takes the time
to understand people’s
strengths and challenges,
using that insight to bring
folks together and find real,
workable solutions.
Molly understands
the issues facing Morrow
County. From provider
shortages and transpor-
tation barriers to an ag-
ing population and limited
funding, she has a clear
vision for how we can work
together to build a stron-
ger, more accessible health
system. Her commitment
to listening to patients,
staff and community and
advocating for practical,
long-term solutions sets
her apart.
She is not only passion-
ate but prepared. Molly has
shown a genuine dedication
to the well-being of our
communities and has the
work ethic and integrity to
be an effective board mem-
ber. I have no doubt she will
be a thoughtful steward of
our health resources and a
strong voice for the people.
Please join me in voting
for Molly Rhea for the Mor-
row County Health District
Board. We need leader-
ship that listens, plans, and
cares—and that’s Molly.
Sincerely,
Jackie Alleman
Heppner, OR
Wolf
Reintroduction
is a Disaster
In light of the recent
article “Wolf kills calf
on Upper Rhea Creek,” I
would encourage everyone
to purchase the book, The
Real Wolf, by Ted B. Lyon
and Will N. Graves, and
read it.
It is full of documented
research on what a disaster
the introduction of wolves
has become. “Everything
you need to learn about the
truth concerning wolves
can be found in ‘The Real
Wolf,’ which is destined to
be the encyclopedia of wolf
facts....” a quote from Tom
Remington, author, writer,
researcher. The Real Wolf,
ISBN 978-1-59152-122-8.
Go to YouTube and search
for a speech delivered by
Ted B. Lyon – The Real
Wolf. The speech itself is a
real eye opener.
Yellowstone Park is a
disaster to wildlife. There
were 19,000 elk in the park
in 1995 and since the wolf
introduction the numbers
moved to 6,000 in 2009,
and just over 4,000 in 2012.
There were around 1,000
moose in Yellowstone in
1995 and now no moose
can be seen at all, thanks to
the introduction of wolves.
Lolo National For-
est in western Montana
had 12,000 elk in 1995; in
2011 the elk numbers had
dropped to 2,000.
Hunting outfitters in
Montana is becoming a
dying business, if it isn’t al-
ready dead. If wolves were
eliminated today, it would
still take years and years to
restore wildlife numbers.
As the wolves run out
of wildlife to kill, they turn
to ranchers’ livestock. In
August 2009 near Dillon,
MT wolves went on a kill-
ing spree and killed 120
sheep in one night. Nation-
wide, wolves are costing
ranchers $60,000,000 an-
nually—60 million dollars
annually. For every verified
“wolf kill” of livestock,
there are another six to
seven head destroyed by
wolves that are never re-
ported or found because
wolves hid the evidence by
total consumption or bury-
ing the animal to consume
later. These are expensive
losses to deal with by the
livestock industry, ranchers
that spend money locally.
And the wolves do not
mind killing people found
in the woods hiking; fight-
ing off one wolf may be
possible, but wolves work
in packs. Outdoorsmen
know that when they see
tame, inquisitive wolves,
they should get out of the
area quickly, but without
undue haste, while being
prepared to defend them-
selves.
President Teddy Ros-
evelt called wolves “Beast
of waste and desolation.”
And he would call our cur-
rent U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Dept., over the wolf issue,
“nature fakers.”
Randy Hughes
Lexington, OR
Support
Molly Rhea for
MCHD Board
I am writing this letter
in support of Molly Rhea
for the Morrow County
Health District Board.
Molly Rhea has lived
in Morrow County all of
her life and has been an
advocate for the best health-
care for the entire county
for many years. Molly has
served on many boards, she
is a nurse and she has also
been the Chief Nursing Of-
ficer for the health district.
She is a good mediator,
good listener and a strong
leader. She knows the laws
and statutes that govern
healthcare, and she has
a high regard for patient
confidentiality and is a good
problem solver.
Molly also started the
hospice program in Morrow
County. I was in the first
hospice volunteer class and
Molly was a great teacher.
She is well respected and
has received many awards
from the state association
for her work with hospice.
Hospice is a wonderful
program, and because of
Molly, we are so grateful
to have it going strong in
Morrow County. As the
Home Health and Hospice
Director, Molly has served
patients across all of Mor-
row County and formed
valuable relationships with
many other community
health care partners.
Molly provided ex-
cellent nursing care to me
through our home health
program after I had surgery.
She was kind, compas-
sionate, professional and
helpful.
Molly is experienced
with rural healthcare bud-
gets and she has had many
years of working with dif-
ferent agencies in Morrow
County and across the state.
She has clinical experience,
she is honest with high
ethical standards, she will
represent all of Morrow
County because she has
worked for the best interests
of healthcare in the whole
county her entire career.
Molly is retired now and
will be able to dedicate the
time necessary to be a good
board member for Morrow
County Health District.
Please join me and vote
for Molly Rhea because
she is the most qualified
candidate.
Sherree Mahoney
Heppner, OR
Questions
It’s been a rough week
for this little communi-
ty. It seems that it’s been
one loss after another, and
many have had to endure
so much heartbreak. Why
does a young family have
to lose their mom? Why is
my friend in the hospital
fighting for his life? Why
do people have to lose their
children, mates and parents
they love so much? Why
does there have to be such
pain?
I wish I had the kind
of faith that could just say
“God’s will” and never ask
why. But I do ask. I ask
why God doesn’t step in
and prevent disease or stop
a wreck from happening.
Doesn’t He love us enough
to stop tragedies like these?
I’ve asked this often. But I
can’t ask those questions
without looking at what I
know about Him. Yes, I’ve
seen miracles, healing and
protection that I know only
came from Him. And I’ve
seen blessings so unde-
served when the opposite
would be just. So, how
does God choose who to
bless with protection and
even miracles? Is He up
there just randomly pitch-
ing blessings like rocks to
see where they land? Not
a chance. Consider this….
I know there is a God
who does love us, even
though He doesn’t always
do things the way we want
Him to. God’s view isn’t
our view. He sees things
from beginning to end. He
knows the result of every
scenario. So am I, who can
barely see the moment, to
question His actions or mo-
tives? God reminds us, “For
as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so My ways
are higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your
thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).
When things make no
sense to us down here,
we can still be sure that
we have a God who is in
control. We can trust Him
to bring about our ultimate
best because His love is
even greater than we can
imagine. I hope we can
remember this…especially
in the midst of heartbreak.
As we celebrate Easter,
let’s really think about the
meaning of what happened
on the cross, and in the
tomb. Let’s learn why Je-
sus had to die and why his
resurrection was so import-
ant. Without it, there is no
redemption, no heaven and
no hope. But the tomb was
empty. Death was defeated,
and sin was paid for. If we
ask and believe, we will
be redeemed. I pray for
every broken heart in this
little community. Healing,
comfort, hope and a future
in heaven with…no death,
no tears and no more good-
byes. Because He is risen!
“For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only
Son, that whoever believes
in him should not perish
but have eternal life,” (John
3:16).
Susie Crosby
Prineville, OR
Vote Molly
Rhea for
Hospital Board
To the good people of
Morrow County:
I have been thinking
about the future of the Pi-
oneer Memorial Hospital
healthcare board.
Growing up in Morrow
County, I have always been
loyal to our medical ser-
vices. Until the last three
years, I have been greatly
disappointed with the hos-
pital and its staff manage-
ment. We have been sent
home with nothing wrong,
only to transport ourselves
to Kadlec. We have had
our labs lost or sent to the
wrong doctor. This is not
the way to run a hospital.
When looking at the
people wanting to run for
the board, I do strongly
recommend Molly Rhea.
She has always been there
when questioned regarding
medical issues. Please keep
her in mind when casting
your vote.
Thank you,
Sandi Richardson
Ione, OR
We Should
Work Together
as a County
over a large area.
It is well known that
certain personalities will set
the agenda, then recruit the
uninformed to further the
agenda. The disciples have
no access to the true facts.
This has affected the whole
county the last four years in
many ways.
Instead of creating hav-
oc, we should be working
informed and together to-
wards a county to be proud
of.
Thank you,
Stephen Munkers
Irrigon, OR
Letter to the Editor:
This letter is written
as a private citizen. As a
long-time resident of Mor-
row County, I am ashamed
of our citizens that react
and condemn without true
facts. The reputation of the
county at turmoil is known
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