Three Things: Chili cookoff, Quilts of Valor and Samaritan layoffs

Standing in the warm sun with a tiny cup of chili in one hand and a cold 4 Spirits Distillery beverage in the other, I had a fun time chatting with Philomath friends at last weekend’s Public Safety Chili Cook-off.

It’s one of my personal favorites as far as event coverage goes over the course of the year. First, I love chili and trying out all of the different varieties is a great time. This year, my wife and I attended without the kids and so with those responsibilities taken care of and since we live within walking distance of the rodeo grounds, we could also enjoy a few adult beverages.

To be honest, I’m guessing that I only made it to 12 to 15 of the 25 booths to sample chili. I know I visited one booth twice but only because a good friend was managing the team.

Overall, organizers said the gate attendance of this year’s event came in at 963 — and that does not include team members, families or staff. So overall, you’re talking well over 1,000 people partying at the Yew Wood Corral.

Here’s a rundown of the winners in each group:

• Police Group — Philomath Police Department
• BCSO Group — Benton County Sheriff’s Office Management Team
• Local Business Group 1 — Oregon State Credit Union
• Local Business Group 2 — KRKT Radio
• Emergency Services Group — Oregon Wing Civil Air Patrol
• People’s Choice Award — Corvallis Police Department

Congrats to all of those involved with putting the fundraiser together. This event raises money for a designated charity — 4 Spirits Veterans Scholarship Fund — plus the Philomath Police and Benton County Sheriff’s foundations. The cool thing about the scholarship fund is that it helps veterans pay for education expenses through Western Oregon University.

2. Quilts of Valor recipients

Philomath residents Mike Crocker, Ken Meyer and Ron Yechout received special recognition for their military service during an Aug. 11 Quilts of Valor Foundation presentation.

Crocker was a sergeant in the U.S. Marines from 1975-81 and after he was discharged, attended Oregon State University. Crocker came to Philomath for a student teaching assignment and after earning his degree, joined the district. He taught physical education and social studies until retirement.

Meyer was a captain in the U.S. Air Force with his service from 1963-67. He was stationed at Adair Air Force Station north of Corvallis. After moving to the area, he established his own real estate business in Philomath and continued running it until retirement.

Yechout was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1964. He went to military police school and served in the military police unit in South Vietnam until his discharge in March 1966. After leaving the service, Yechout started a career in banking and continued in that profession until his retirement in 2002.

A program that’s been in place for years, Quilts of Valor honor veterans who served during active wartime. The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a nonprofit organization that dates back to 2003 with a mission of honoring service members by covering them with a handmade quilt. A small Philomath-based sewing group made the quilts that were presented to those honored.

“I knew a Quilt of Valor had to be a quality-made quilt, not a ‘charity quilt.’ A Quilt of Valor had to be quilted, not tied, which meant hand or machine quilting,” the organization’s founder, Catherine Roberts, said in a story published on its website. “Quilts of Valor would be awarded, not just passed out like magazines or videos. A Quilt of Valor would say unequivocally, ‘Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and valor’ in serving our nation in combat.”

Organizers of the recent event wanted to thank those involved with the sewing group — Teresa Preddy, Vicki Watkins, Tara Bevandich, Connie Bevandich, Kay Yechout, Carol Stueve and Kim Spencer.

3. Samaritan layoffs

Samaritan Health Services reduced its workforce by about 80 positions, the organization confirmed Friday. The layoffs had occurred early this week.

Samaritan, a nonprofit regional health system, operates hospitals in Corvallis, Albany, Lebanon, Newport and Lincoln City along with several regional clinics. According to its website, the organization has more than 6,000 employees.

Samaritan said it was able to manage a small, yet positive, margin through the pandemic and the following couple of years. But in 2024, a variety of pressures, including rising inflation, cyber incidents, inclement weather, a decline in volume in some clinical areas and unfavorable payer reimbursements,  impacted Samaritan’s ability to maintain a favorable margin, the health system reported.

In July, officials said that operational expenses exceeded operational revenues by nearly $23 million.

“To recover and maintain financial stability, several measures are being put in place including expense control, project delays and staffing adjustments,” Samaritan said through a prepared statement. “We have reduced our workforce by about 80 positions, or 1% of our employee base, that were primarily not patient-facing. Some other employees have had a small change in hours or have voluntarily separated from the organization.”

Officials said that in addition to those actions, temporary pay cuts have been implemented for senior leaders for the duration of the year.

“The decision to eliminate positions within the organization was not taken lightly, but our current financial position is not sustainable,” Samaritan wrote, adding that with the expense reductions, it expects to continue its mission.

(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).