Dec. 1, 2012 QVPR

It’s time for Christmas cheer in QuincyThursday, December 1, 2011 • Quincy, Washington • Volume 63, Number 24 • USPS No 453-080 • 12 pages • www.qvpr.com • 75 cents

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Billings, state cuts concern hospital

Chuck Allen/Post-Register

Joan Reynolds holds the telegraph she received that falsely declared her husband, Homer, was lost in action during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. She learned a week later that her husband was still alive.

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By ChuCk [email protected]

Looming state budget cuts, a ballooning number of debts sent to collections and billing complaints from two customers added up to a somber Quincy Valley Medical Center board meeting on Monday, Nov. 28.

The meeting opened with two customers, Shana Moloso and Roxie Pilliar, describing the frustrations they have had with the company QVMC uses to do its billing.

Moloso said she worked with QVMC’s billing depart-ment to make a monthly pay-ment for expenses not covered by insurance. She makes the payments each month, but still receives notices from the billing company, Computer Programs and Systems, Inc., stating that she will be sent to collections if she doesn’t pay the balance owed. The bills are also unclear and not itemized, Moloso said.

“I don’t know how much I owe this facility,” she said. “Every statement gives another balance.”

She said she has talked with the billing company and hospital personnel about the situation, but the notices keep

Staff report

The Christmas season is coming to the Quincy Valley in a big way this weekend with several events and opportunities to give.

Community Christmas toy Drive

The Community Christmas Toy Drive begins this week. Trees with envelopes that have infor-mation about a needy child in the community are up at St. Pius X Catholic Church, Rob’s Video, Studio 90, Key Bank, Washington Trust Bank, Gates True Value and Ace Hardware. To participate in the drive, select an envelope and purchase a gift for the child, then deliver the gift to Key Bank by Monday, Dec. 16. Money for the drive can also be donated to Key Bank, and

volunteers to help deliver the toys will be gladly welcomed, said organizer JoAnn Alvarado. For information, call the bank at 787-1526. Alvarado added that no new names can be added to the list of the approximately 200 children selected for the toy drive.

Faith Community ChurCh Bazaar

The Quincy Faith Community Church will hold a Christmas Bazaar from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the church at 1005 10th Ave. SW, across from the hospital. The bazaar will feature crafts and goodies from local vendors. For information, call 237-3204.

Holiday fun starts this weekend in the Quincy Valley

Chuck Allen/Post-Register

The Giving Tree at Key Bank is ready with names of children needing toys. Toy drive volunteers include (from left) JoAnn Alvarado, Amie Durfee, Carrie Durfee, Jamie Nguyen, Eva Young, Tammara Green and Janice Stephens.

When the bad news came first

By ChuCk [email protected]

Dec. 16, 1941 is a date that will live in infamy for Joan Reynolds.

That’s when she received a telegraph relaying the news that her husband of almost one year, Homer Reynolds, was lost in action during the Japa-nese Imperial navy’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor nine days earlier.

Homer, a nine-year veteran with the US Navy, was serv-ing on the USS California, a battleship anchored in Pearl Harbor’s Battleship Row, that fateful Sunday morning. Joan said her Homer, who was a gunner’s mate, was sitting on

the ship’s deck reading the newspaper when the first wave of Japanese dive bombers and torpedo planes arrived over Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

During much of the attack, Homer was assigned to man a motor launch to ferry Califor-nia crew members from the shore. For three days after the attack, the California’s crew tried to save the ship, which was struck by two torpedoes and a bomb, but the damage was too great and the pumps keeping it afloat were shut off. The California sunk into the harbor’s muddy floor with only the superstructure exposed.

Please see Christmas page A6

QVMC board talks financial issues

70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

Reynolds recalls false report that her husband was killed at Pearl Harbor

Please see Reynolds page B6

Please see Hospital page A6

Port district makes pitch for Intermodal facility grantBy Mike irwinWenatchee World

Rail shipments out of Quincy are chugging along so well that the Port of Quincy is already pushing for expansion of its 18-month-old shipping terminal.

A bunch of bigwigs — legislators, business own-

ers, civic leaders — have sent letters to the state Department of Transportation urging the agency to steer some grant dollars straight down the track (woo! woo!) to Quincy.

The so-called TIGER grant (Transportation In-vestment Generating Economic Recovery) is federal money channeled through the DOT from the $787

billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.Up for grabs in this application round is about

$535 million, with the Port of Quincy asking for roughly $30 million for terminal improvements. So far, more than 1,000 applicants (cities, ports, highway

Please see Port page A6

dessert dash will be part of the fun as those who attend will get to bid on their choice of delicious desserts from the dessert table. Also, there will be a diamond raffle with tickets sold for $10 during the event.

Prior to the live auction is the presentation of the chamber’s Business of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards.

The live auction will feature a number of fun and exciting items, including winery tours and packages, tickets to sporting events, specially prepared meals, getaway packages and other great items.

The auction is the main fundraising event for the Chamber and Rotary Club. Proceeds from the event help support their activities and charitable contributions in the community.

Tickets for the event are $50 each and are going fast, said Vizena. To purchase tickets or donate to the event, call 787-2140.

Moose Lodge on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $15 per plate.

The money raised from the event will help Massey and his family with their expenses.

“We’re doing this because we love him and care for him,” Wilder said. “He’s been there for a lot of people and we want to be there for him now.”

Massey said it’s difficult to be in a position of need.

“It’s kind of embarrassing,” he said. “I don’t really like all of the attention.”

He said he does appreciate the care and concern his friends have shown him and his family.

Massey and his wife, Crystal, live in Ephrata. He was two children, Kyle, 20, and Kristen, 19. His mother, Sharon Kirkpatrick, and brother, Kraig Massey, both still live in Quincy.

Massey said there is little that can be done for his disease. There are some medicines that help with some of the symptoms, but they are expensive and not very effective.

“There really isn’t much they have to offer for ALS,” Massey said. “You just have to hope for the best.”

For information on the barbecue or to make a donation, call Wilder at the Les Schwab store at 787-1551.

A6October 27, 2011 Valley News

Hospital anticipates losing $348,107 for 2011, prepares a preliminary 2012 budget that calls for a profit of $410,785

School walk day promotes fitness

Friend:Continued from front page

QVMC prepares budget to recover losses expected in 2011By ChuCk [email protected]

Quincy Valley Medical Center will likely lose money for a second year in a row.

According to a report from Dean Taplett, QVMC controller, to the hospital’s board of directors, the medical center is projected to finish the year with a loss of $348,107. Last year, the hospital lost $134,259.

According to Taplett’s financial report, the hospital is expected to generate $10.163 mil-lion in revenue through 2011 and have $11.758 million in expenses. The medical center is ex-

pected to finish the year with $1.246 million in non-operating revenue, which will add up to a loss of $348,107.

Taplett and the medical center’s financial committee also presented the board with a preliminary budget for 2012. The budget calls for revenues of $10.680 million and operating expenses of $11.369 million and non-operat-ing revenue of $1.1 million for a net income of $410,785.

Taplett said the majority of the $389,000 in cuts to the expense will come from not operating an ambulance service. In July, the medical center gave up its ambulance service to Protection-1,

a private ambulance service run by Quincy paramedic Brian Williamson.

Administrator Mehdi Merred said the ex-pected gains in revenue will come from more accurate billing procedures and gaining more market share for the services the medical center provides to the community.

The medical center plans to increase its ex-posure in the community by purchasing space on a billboard in Quincy. The billboard ad will remind local residents of what the center has to offer and will also direct visitors to the hospital facility, said Michele Wurl, director of com-munity relations.

In other business, Taplett gave a report on how collections and billings are going with the new electronic medical records and billing system at the hospital. The system was installed earlier this year as part of a federal mandate.

Taplett said the conversion had created a temporary log jam in the billing office that is now being reduced. The medical center currently has $3.360 million in receivables. Usually, the medical center has between $1.8 million and $2 million in receivables, he said.

Taplett said he was optimistic that the changes the staff are making will yield big results in reducing the number of outstanding balances.

Benefitdinner-auction

to help Keith Massey and family

Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Moose Lodge from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Earlier this year, Massey, a Quincy native who worked for 13 years at Quincy Les Schwab, was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). His friends in Quincy will hold a

benefit dinner with a silent auction to raise money to help him and his family in their time of need.

Admission to the barbecue dinner is $15 a plate at the door. There will be many items up for bid during the silent auction. For information or to make a donation, contact Quincy Les Schwab

manager Marty Wilder at 787-1551.

QuincyValley

CHAMBERCOMMERCE

OF

LTD was struck from behind by a 2010 Chevrolet express van driven by Juan M. Rivera, 28, of East Wenatchee.

The force of the collision pushed DeLong’s LTD into the westbound lane where it was stuck by a 1997 Dodge Intrepid driven by Jose C. Santiago, 47, of Quincy.

DeLong, Santiago and

Manuel G. Cisneros, 26, of Chelan, who was a passenger in the Chevrolet van, were all transported to Quincy Valley Medical Center with injuries.

Patrol investigators deter-mined the cause of the crash as failure to yield and charged Rivera with failing to yield to a left turn.

Two people were injured in a crash at the intersection of roads E NW and 5 NW at 12:50 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20.

According to a report in The

Grant County Journal, Brenda Lucero, 48, of Ephrata, was driving south on Road E NW in a 2011 Kia Sorento when she ran a stop sign. Her vehicle collided with a 1985 Freight-liner tractor, which was hauling empty trailers, driven by Klayt H. Long, 29, of Quincy.

Lucero received broken ribs and was transported to Columbia Basin Hospital in Ephrata.

Long received a bruised left leg, but declined treatment.

Crashes:Continued from front page

Auction:Continued from front page

By TAmmArA [email protected]

Last Thursday, Oct. 20, marked Quincy’s involvement in the International Walk to School Month. “This is the first one Quincy has ever participated in,” said PEP grant coordinator Matt Tait.

The event was facilitated by the Quincy School District, Quincy Police Department and Quincy Fire District 3 in partnership with Safe Kids of Grant County.

That morning, children were dropped off at a central location close to their school, and they

walked several blocks. Participating schools were Mountain View Elementary, Pioneer Elementary and Monument Elementary. Tait assisted in drawing safe routes for kids, so they would also be more prepared next year when more students will likely walk to their neighborhood school if they live close enough. “There are grants for cities through Safe Kids of Grant County to help install more sidewalks and crosswalks,” he said.

Tait is most excited about how the event raised health awareness, which ties in to PEP (Physical Education Program) goals of increas-ing activity and healthy lifestyles for kids. The

Tammara Green/Post-Register

Teachers and students participate in Walk to School Day, on Oct. 20.