RA ❋ ✁✂❆❨✱ ✄❆ ☎✆ ✝✞✱ ✝✟✶✞ ❚✆✠ ✡☛☞✠ ❱✠ ✌ ✺✍ LOCAL result. “Blake’s a great kid and a hard work- er,” he said. “He did everything he said he was going to do and made a great trail.” Chambers agreed. ➳➵➸➺➻ Continued from Page 1A “MERA was kind of limited on the num- ber of its motorcycle trails, so I wanted to add another one to give people a little more to ride,” Frost said. “I wanted to make it ❺⑧ ②♥✇❻q ➀♠④✈♠❷♠ ⑥♠ ⑩③④④♠t ✈q r⑨ ♦r ❸♠④④⑤➆ Chambers said. “It’s an impressive un- dertaking for a young man and a very well thought out and implemented trail con- nection. He’s an exceptional young man.” Frost’s trail, designated Route No. 306 Dead Bull, will be ready to ride in May or ♠♥♦♣ qr srt♠✉♥q♠ ✈✇ t✈①②③④q♣⑤ ♦rs♠q⑥✈✇⑦ anyone could ride on but with features that others could push themselves on a little.” With the plans ready, Frost and Bar- ber approached Sean Chambers, Union County Parks Coordinator and land man- ager at MERA. Frost explained his plan to Chambers for his approval before starting the trail building. “It needed my OK to get through the pro- cess, a kind of check and balance thing, and ⑧ r⑨♠✉♠t s♣ ⑩✉r❶♠♦♦✈r✇♥④ r❷♠✉♦✈⑦⑥q ❶r✉ ⑩✉r - viding drainage and those things we look at for building a sustainable trail,” Chambers said. “I let him go with his ideas and just did some minor tweeking.” The trail design was impressive to Cham- bers, who has worked with Eagle Scouts and other individuals in the past on similar projects. He said Frost really understood what had been built at MERA, and he de- signed his own piece with his own signature and in a most professional way. “He created a stacked loop trail system,” Chambers said. “There is a long loop and ⑥✈♦ q✉♥✈④ ⑩✉r❷✈t♠♦ ♥ ②③qr⑨ qr ⑦♠q qr ♦rs♠ other elevations. It provides a variety of options that we all enjoy.” One loop gets boring, but with Frost’s new trail, a rider can mix it up in a variety r❶ t✈⑨♠✉♠✇q ❸♥♣♦ ♥✇t s♥❹♠ ✈q q⑥♥q s③②⑥ more enjoyable. ➳➵❒➸❮❰Ï Continued from Page 1A For example, Wistocki said, tru- ant students may be running to a drug dealer or away from a bully ♥q ♦②⑥rr④❿ ➷⑥♠ ➀♠♦q ❸♥♣ qr ❼✇t r③q what these students are running to or from is to check their cellphones, ❸⑥♠✉♠ r✇♠ ②♥✇ ❼✇t ❸⑥r q⑥♠♣ ⑥♥❷♠ interactions with on social media. “It is all in here. It is all recorded,” said Wistocki, pointing to a smart- phone. Wistocki said everyone should strive to have an open mind and not dismiss students who are chroni- cally absent. “When a student is truant, it is not enough just to say, ‘That kid is a handful and he or she does not care.’ We must show that child there is a better way. We have to show them the resources that are available to them so they can suc- ceed in school,” he said. He believes it is critical for stu- dents to see they have an opportu- nity to turn things around and also recognize that dire consequences are on the horizon if they do not. “Once the child knows there is hope (and realizes) ‘I will end up like that felon or that heroin ad- dict if I don’t stay in school, we are hoping (it) will curtail their Ô➺❮ÕÖ Continued from Page 1A and passed, lowering the ②⑥♥✉⑦♠ qr ♥ ✉♠⑦③④♥✉ q✉♥①② ❷✈r④♥q✈r✇ ♥✇t ♥ ❼✇♠ r❶ ➼➽➾➾❿ A 2017 article in Forbes re- ported the texting law in Alaska was “quietly scaled back” because a smaller fee was “easier to prosecute.” In Oregon, drivers face a ②⑥♥✉⑦♠ r❶ ➼➚⑤➾➾➾ ❶r✉ ③♦✈✇⑦ a cellphone while driving, which is equivalent to the ⑩♥♣ ❶✉rs ➽❿➪➶ t♥♣♦ r❶ ❸r✉❹ for the average American, ac- cording to GoCompare. The ❶♠♠ ✈♦ q❸✈②♠ q⑥♠ ➼➽➾➾ ❼✇♠ r❶ the next highest state, which is Indiana. According to Kelly Kapri, manager of the Oregon De- partment of Transportaion’s Distracted Driving Program, the fee is high in Oregon for a good reason. “We found it didn’t impact driver behavior unless the ❼✇♠♦ ❸♠✉♠ ⑥✈⑦⑥ ♠✇r③⑦⑥⑤➆ ♦⑥♠ said. The average fee nationally for using a cellphone while t✉✈❷✈✇⑦ ✈♦ ➼➚➾➾⑤ ♥②②r✉t✈✇⑦ to GoCompare, while the average fee for speeding is ➼➚➶➽❿➽➾⑤ ②rs⑩♥✉♠t qr ➈✉♠ - ⑦r✇❻♦ ➼➚➹➾ ♥❷♠✉♥⑦♠ ♦⑩♠♠t✈✇⑦ ticket, making Oregon rare in that drivers can be charged much more for using a cell- phone than for speeding. The Oregon Distracted Driving Law — or cellphone ④♥❸ ➘ ❸♠✇q ✈✇qr ♠⑨♠②q r✇ Oct.1, 2017, and is part of an ♥♦ ♦rr✇ ♥♦ q⑥♠ ♦✇r❸ s♠④q♦ r⑨ ➂q❿ ➇s✈④♣❿ Chambers said that motorcycle trails are in- creasing in popularity as MERA gets more of a trail system put together. They are get- ting some good miles and loop options. The trail runs along a ridgeline and there’s a main route that was once a cow q✉♥✈④ q⑥♥q ✉✈t♠✉♦ ②♥✇ ❶r④④r❸❿ ➈⑨ qr q⑥♠ ♦✈t♠ are rock jumps and dead logs across the ➊➋➌➍➎➏➐➑➍➒➓ ➔→➋➍➋ ➣↔↕➙➛ ➜➝➞➟➠ ➡➟➢➤➥ ↕ ➠➞➞↔ ➠➦↕➠ ➧➢↔↔ ➨➡↔➠➢➩↕➠➛ ➠➦➛ ➟➞➢↔ ➫➞➝ ➠➦➛ ➭➞➠➞➝➨➯➨↔➛ ➠➝↕➢↔➲ ❺⑧q❻♦ ♥ srt♠✉♥q♠ t✈①②③④q♣ q✉♥✈④⑤ ♥✇t ✈q q⑥♠ q✉♥✈④ ⑩♥q⑥❿ ⑧q ➀♠②♥s♠ ♥ ❶♥s✈④♣ ♥⑨♥✈✉ r❶ will be a fun trail to ride,” Barber said. “It’s got some really neat views on it, and ✈q ❼q♦ ✈✇ ✉♠♥④④♣ ❸♠④④ ❸✈q⑥ q⑥♠ rq⑥♠✉ q✉♥✈④ ♦♣♦ - tems we got going up there.” ❺⑧ t✈t ♥ ⑩✉♠❽❾♥⑦⑦✈✇⑦ r❶ q⑥♠ ✉r③q♠ ⑧ ❸♥✇q - ed to do and afterward, Mark, Sean and cutters, and brush removers. “It took a couple of days to do that,” Frost said. “My brothers Wyatt and Justin and my father, Steven Frost, helped me with the trails. As I cut, they stacked up the limbs so I didn’t have to stop and do that.” ⑧ ❸♠✇q r③q ♥✇t srt✈❼♠t q⑥♠ ⑩♥q⑥ r❶ s♣ ➁♠ ②③q q⑥♠ ❼✇♥④ ⑩♥q⑥ ✈✇qr q⑥♠ ⑥♥✉t ♠♥✉q⑥ ③♦✈✇⑦ ♥ ➂②➃♠rt ④r✇⑦❽⑥♥✇t④♠t ❶r✉♠♦q ❼✉♠ qrr④❿ ➄❶q♠✉ ✈q ❸♥♦ ❼✇♥④④♣ ②③q r③q⑤ ➅♥✉➀♠✉ trail to make it work and add some other features to it,” Frost said. “Once Sean ap- proved it, I could start cutting the brush on both sides of the path.” Blazing the trail was no easy job, and it required cutting down brush and vegeta- tion for about 2-1/2 feet on either side of truant behavior,’’ Wistocki said. He emphasized students who have already been deemed, or are a few absences away from, becoming truant can have the course of their lives corrected with the help of diversion pro- grams. A diversion program in the criminal justice system is a form of sentence in which an of- fender joins a rehabilitation pro- gram in lieu of being punished. Someone in a diversion program may be assigned community ser- vice work or be required to meet daily with a law enforcement of- ❼②♠✉ ♦♠✉❷✈✇⑦ ♥♦ ♥ ✉♠♦r③✉②♠ r①②♠✉ at their school. ✃✈♦qr②❹✈ ♦♥✈t q⑥✈♦ ✈♦ ➀♠✇♠❼②✈♥④ ➀♠②♥③♦♠ ✈q ⑦✈❷♠♦ ♣r③✇⑦ r⑨♠✇t♠✉♦ ♥ chance to make amends and gives them a second chance. “Children need guidance,” Wis- tocki said. “They do not need hand- ②③⑨♦❿➆ He said the path to his philosphy of restorative justice began when he realized many of the young people ⑥♠ s♠q ♥♦ ♥ ⑩r④✈②♠ r①②♠✉ ✈✇ ❐♥⑩♠✉ - ville, Illinois, weren’t equipped to make good choices. “They didn’t have guidance and support to understand and identify the risks that certain behavior ex- posed them to,” Wistocki said. Diversion plans, which give ♠⑨r✉q qr ✉♠t③②♠ t✈♦q✉♥②q♠t driving, which ODOT re- ported caused 10 percent of ➈✉♠⑦r✇❻♦ q✉♥①② ❶♥q♥④✈q✈♠♦ ✈✇ ➶➾➚➪❿ The law makes it illegal to use a cellphone while driv- ing, but an update to the law in January 2018 gave courts the ability to waive the fee for ❼✉♦q❽q✈s♠ r⑨♠✇t♠✉♦ ✈❶ q⑥♠♣ take a class on the dangers of distracted driving. There are certain excep- tions to the law — for ex- ample, summoning medi- cal help is permitted, and if you are older than 18, you are also allowed to use your cellphone via a hands-free device. ➄ ♦♠②r✇t r⑨♠✇♦♠ ②♥✇ ✉♠ - ♦③④q ✈✇ ♥ ❼✇♠ r❶ ➼➶⑤➽➾➾⑤ ♥✇t ♥ q⑥✈✉t r⑨♠✇♦♠ ✈♦ ②r✇♦✈t♠✉♠t ♥ misdemeanor and can result ✈✇ ♥ ❼✇♠ r❶ ➼➹⑤➶➽➾ ♥✇t ♥ ♣♠♥✉ r❶ ➴♥✈④ q✈s♠❿ ➷⑥♠ ❼✇♠♦ ♥✇t penalties are more serious when cellphone use results in a car accident. The Distracted Driving Task Force, a committee within a ODOT, stated in its February report, “Distrac- tion is often described (as) regarding cellphone use but also occurs with other activi- ties such as consuming food or beverage, performing personal grooming, reading, interacting with a perma- nently installed device, or interacting with other pas- sengers and pets.” The task force was created to address the problem of distracted looked it over for some additional cutting. “It’s a pretty rough cut trail,” Frost said. “It will take a couple of years of riding to get worked in.” Barber was quite impressed with the end young people the opportunity to learn from their mistakes, are most ♠⑨♠②q✈❷♠ ❸⑥♠✇ q⑥♠♣ ②♥✇ ➀♠ t♠❷♠④ - oped with the help of parents, Wis- tocki said. He discovered this when working as a law enforcement of- ❼②♠✉❿ ➁♠ ❶r③✇t q⑥♠ sr✉♠ q✈s♠ ⑥♠ spent with parents, the better job he did of connecting with their son or daughter who was in trouble. Wistocki believes it is important to give parents a say in the develop- ment of their child’s diversion pro- gram. For the most part, parents are grateful to be involved in the process. “They were so appreciative their child was not put into the (criminal justice) system,” he said, explaining a diversion program can give par- ents “the opportunity to stop their child’s pipeline to prison.” Parents are often eager to help with the development of a diversion program because it “provides them with a sense of empowerment,” Wistocki added. ➷⑥♠ ❶r✉s♠✉ ⑩r④✈②♠ r①②♠✉ ♦q♥✉q♠t working with Northeast Oregon school districts earlier in 2019 and will continue to do so at least through June of 2020 as part of a pilot project. His services are available to all school districts in the InterMountain Education Ser- vice District, which encompasses ⑩♥q⑥ q⑥♥q ✉✈t♠✉♦ ②♥✇ ⑦r r❷♠✉❿ ➉✈⑨♠✉♠✇q ⑩♥✉q♦ r❶ q⑥♠ q✉♥✈④ ⑥♥❷♠ t✈⑨♠✉♠✇q ❶③✇ ❶♠♥ - tures that riders can enjoy. Frost will be coming back to the trail this spring to work on a few things, but he thinks what it really needs is some riding qr ♦srrq⑥ ✈q r③q❿ ➁♠ ✈♦ ②r✇❼t♠✇q ❼✇t✈✇⑦ riders will not be a problem as the MERA motorcycle trails are well liked for their quality, terrain and natural beauty. “MERA is the No. 1 tourist attraction in the valley,” Frost said. “After it was done, two dirt bikers from Baker City were riding q⑥♠ q✉♥✈④ ❶r✉ q⑥♠ ❼✉♦q q✈s♠⑤ ♥✇t q⑥♠♣ q⑥r③⑦⑥q it was cool because it had some good fea- q③✉♠♦ ♥✇t ❾③✈t✈q♣ q⑥♥q q⑥♠♣ ④✈❹♠t❿➆ “Everybody really likes the feel of these trails because they are a good challenge and well thought out,” Chambers said. most of Union, Umatilla and Mor- row counties. His expertise is also available to the Hermiston School District, which is not part of the IMESD, and school districts in Bak- er and Wallowa counties. Wistocki provides information on diversion programs via Juve- nileJusticeOnline.org, a website he created. He said that law enforce- ment, probation and school admin- istrators are referred to as diversion agents via this program. Wistocki was brought to Northeast Oregon as part of an ♠⑨r✉q qr ✉♠t③②♠ ②⑥✉r✇✈② ♥➀♦♠✇ - q♠♠✈♦s ✉♥q♠♦❿ ➷⑥♠ ♠⑨r✉q ✈♦ ➀♠✈✇⑦ spurred by the Oregon Depart- ment of Education, which be- gan placing greater emphasis on reducing chronic absenteeism rates about two years ago as a way to improve graduation rates. Students who are chronically ab- sent are less likely to earn a high school diploma. “Our chronic absenteeism rates are below the state average, but we always want to get them lower,” said Landon Braden, the Inter- Mountain ESD’s chronic absentee- ism director. “We are truly lucky to have (Wistocki).” Wistocki has given six presenta- tions in Northeast Oregon and four webinars for people in the region. Over the next year he is set to give at least seven more talks here. He is focusing on social media issues like cyberbullying and sex- ting while working with Northeast Oregon educators, parents and stu- dents. He understands the perils social media pose to youths because he specialized in investigating com- puter crime and protecting children online during his last 22 years with the Naperville Police Department. Wistocki, a member of the Illi- nois Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, said the key to protect- ing children is getting their par- ents involved by taking steps like monitoring the online activity of their sons and daughters. He said he tells parents they need to keep up with what their children are doing on Snapchat and Ins- tagram and should monitor their social media contacts. “If you are not doing this some- body else will be,” Wistocki tells parents. One of the best ways for parents to do this is to use monitoring de- vices that allow them to see their children’s smartphone activity. He recommends parents get Android phones for their sons and daugh- ters since they are easier to monitor than iPhones. insurance plan. During part of 2018, employee pay- checks were delayed. The Bulletin recently went through a redesign to reduce newsprint use while emphasizing local news coverage. This is the second time Western Communications driving in Oregon and con- tinues to work on the issue through the Distracted Driv- ing Program. Every day, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes, the National Safety Council reported. April is Distracted Driving Awareness month. The Na- ❰Õ❮Ö❒Ö ×ÕÖ❰ØÙ Continued from Page 1A Continued from Page 1A That money is used to- ward Section 8 housing, child care, school lunch programs, highways and health care centers,” said Bushore, who also point- ed out the people who Avenue in Sonora sold ✉♠②♠✇q④♣ ❶r✉ ♥➀r③q ➼➚ s✈④ - lion, and the proceeds were used to pay property taxes and lower the com- pany’s outstanding debt. q✈r✇♥④ ➁✈⑦⑥❸♥♣ ➷✉♥①② ➬♥❶♠q♣ ✉♠②♠✈❷♠ q⑥♠ sr♦q ➀♠✇♠❼q♦ ⑥♥♦ ❼④♠t ❶r✉ Ó⑥♥⑩q♠✉ ➚➚ ⑩✉rq♠②q✈r✇❿ ➷⑥♠ ❼✉♦q ❸♥♦ ♦⑥♥✉♠⑥r④t♠✉♦⑤ r①②♠✉♦ r❶ q⑥♠ percent of drivers felt un- comfortable with a driver from this funding are those who generally fall in the “hard to count” category. Some citizens are reluc- tant to be counted based on concerns their infor- mation will not be pro- tected. “All of our enumera- tors swear an oath of which was initiated on Jan. 22, lists creditors both secured and unsecured. Among those owed are ❸⑥r ❸♥♦ t✈♦q✉♥②q♠t⑤ ♣♠q ➱➽ ②r✇❼t♠✇q✈♥④✈q♣⑤ ♥✇t q⑥♥q❻♦ percent admitted to driving distracted when alone. Kapri said the mission of the Dis- tracted Driving Task Force is to encourage Oregon drivers to take dangers of distracted driving more seriously. “Distracted driving is a costly mistake to make,” she said. 3-year dispute with Bank of America, the compa- ny’s largest creditor at the time. Chapter 11 allows companies the time to re- organize while remaining in business. “The family (the Chan- dler family and the stock- holders) would like to keep The Bulletin,” Costa said. “It’s the strongest market.” a lifetime oath,” she said. “There are both monetary and other penalties as- sociated if other informa- ✇rq r⑨♠✉ ♥ Ò③♥④✈❼♠t ⑥♠♥④q⑥ tion is disclosed.” More information will come out as the census ❵❛❜❝❞❣❤ ❵❜✐❥❛❦❜❧ planning progresses. The ✇✇✇❑▼◆❖P◗❘❯❲❳❩❬❭❪❬❩❲❑❫◆❴ census count must be completed in 2020. Administration will partner with ODOT to run a cam- paign in the month of April to raise awareness for the is- sue of distracted driving and to enforce the cellphone law. The task force report cited ♥ ➶➾➚➹ ♦q③t♣ q⑥♥q ♦q♥q♠t ➮➪ ➨➩➫➭➯➭➫ ➲➳➵➸➺➻➼➽➸ ➾➚➾➪➶➾➹ ➘➾➪➴➷➬➮➱✃➬➹ ✃❐❒➮✃➬➹ ➷❮➾➴✃➹ ❰✃➬➱➾➬➾ ❙❚❯❱❲ ❳ ❨❩❬❬❩❭❪ ❫❴❵❩❛❵ ❜❭❝❞❡❢❣❤❞❣❝❪❣❝❤ ❢❩❞❡ ✐❥❤❞ ❦❪❣ ❱❴❬❬❧ í îïðñ ñòóôôõöõ÷ð ø ùúûüý þÿ ✁✂ ú ✂ ÿ ✄✁ ☎✆ ✝✞✟✠✡☛✡✞☞✠ ✌ ✍✎✍✏✑✎✆✏✒ ✓✔☞✓✕✖☛✗✔✘✝ ✙✚✛✜✢✣ ✤✥ ✦✤✣✧★✩ ✪✫ ✬ ✭✮✯✣✰ ✦✤✣✧ ✱✤★✯✩ ✲✳✴ ✵✤★✯✩ ✲✫✶✴ ✷✸✹✺✻ ✼ ✽✾✺✻✿✽✹❀❁❂✿ ❃❄❅✻ ❁✺✽❆✹❃❁✺❇ ❈❉❃✻❊❋ í îïðï ●❍● ðõôîòó ■ ø ùúûüý þÿ ✁✂ ú ✂ ÿ ✄✁ ☎✑ ✝✞✟✠✡☛✡✞☞✠ ✌ ✍✎✒✍❏✎✏❏❑ ✓✔☞✓✕✖☛✗✔✘✝ ▲▼◆✢✩ ✪❖✪ ✷✼❊✪✫P❖✪P❋ ✵✤★✯✩ ✳❖ ✪❖✪◗ ✲✳❘✴✫✴ ÏÐÑÒ ÓÔÕÐÖ ×ØÙØÚÛÜÝÙÞßÜàÙáâ áã ÙÜÚÚ äåæçè éêêëçìææ ➷⑥♠ ➀♥✇❹✉③⑩q②♣ ❼④✈✇⑦⑤ company and the Internal Revenue Service. ⑧✇ ♥✇ ♠⑨r✉q qr ➀♥④♥✇②♠ ♠Ð - penses with revenues ear- lier this year the company ④♥✈t r⑨ ÑÑ ♠s⑩④r♣♠♠♦ ②rs - panywide and required 13 employees to work reduced work weeks. The company has fur- loughed workers and does in August 2011 to relieve ❼✇♥✇②✈♥④ ⑩✉♠♦♦③✉♠ ❶✉rs ♥ ♠♣♣q rt r ✉✈①③④⑤⑥④✉✈①③ ⑦♣⑧⑨r⑩✈❶♣❷ ❸❹❺❻❼❽❾❼❿➀❺ ➁❹➂➃❼➁❻❾➄➅➆❹ ➇➈➉➊➋➌➍➎➏ ➇➏➐➎➑➉➒➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓ ➔➊➌➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓→➇ ➣↔➌➐➑↕➎➙➛➐➎➑➉➒➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓ ➔➊➌➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓→➇ ➣➛➉ ➜ ➌➊➝➝ ➎➐ ➈➍➊➉ ➞➑➉➊➒ ➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓ ➔➊➌➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓→➇ ➟➑➠➊➛➡➝➊➒➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓ ➔➊➌➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓→➇ ➢➑➤➛➐➎➑➉➒➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➓➔➑↔➋ ➥➑↔➌➊➓➓➓ ➦➤➋➑➌➌ ➧➑➈➉ ❙✎✎ ✏✑✒ ✓✔✕✖✗✘② ✗✏✙ ✘✙ ✚✛✚✛✜ ✢✣ ✥✤✦✧★✩✪✫✬ ✭✮✯✰ ✲✩✧✯✳✰ ✴★✪✵ ✷✸✹✚✻ ✼✼✽✾✛✜✹✼ ✮✬ ✪✮✧✧ ✿✬✫✫ ✷❀✛✛✻ ✼❀✜✾✛✸❀❁ ▲❂❃❄❅❅❇ ❂♦♥❈❉ ❄♥❉ ❂❊❈●❄❍❈❉ ❢❂● ❂■❈● ❡❏ ❇❈❄●s