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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2019)
➟➠➡➢➤➥ HOME & GARDEN SPECIAL Year of the hummingbird ➦➧➨➨➧➩ ➫➭ ➧➯ ➲➳➵ ➩➵➸ ➷➬➬➮ ➮➱✃ ❐➬ ➬❒❮ ❰➱Ï❒Ð➮ Ñ❒ÒÑÓ❮ÔÒÐ❮ ÕÐ❐❐➱ Ö➬×ÔÐ ➬Ø Ù➱ ➷❮➱Ú➮Ð MONDAY ➺ ❑➻➼➽➾ ➚➪ ➶➹➘➴ ➺ $1.50 Ladd Canyon project rolling Mental health resources lacking in Union County school districts ÛÜ ä ✉✈ ✇ ßåèà éêë t ìíîëïðëï ❲ ❳❨❩❬❭❪❫ ❴❵❪❫❴ ❜❨❩❫ ❝❞❜❜❞❢❣❭❵❥ ❩❜ ❜❞❭❭❞❦❧ ♣❩❴❞❵❞❩❦❴ ♠❦❝ ❨❪❵♠❞❦❞❦❧ ♥❞❨❪❪❴♦ qrs ❴♠❥❴ ÛÜ ÝÞßàáßâãäåæçèá éêë ìíîëïðëï Oregon is the lowest ranked state for access to mental health services in the country, according to Mental Health America, ñ òòóôõöñ÷ôøùú ûøûü÷øýþ dedicated to addressing and promoting mental health needs across the country. In its 2019 State of Mental Health in America report, MHA ranks the state 51st out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is also ranked 44th in the nation for youth mental health ÿüö ✁ ý ñùùõ ✂ ✄ û þ ☎ öÿö úñþñ sets, low rankings indicate a higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care. MHA reported 44 million American adults live with a mental health condition, which is about 18 percent of the adult U.S. population. Fifty percent of adults with a mental health condition ex- perience their onset by the age of 14, but this number spikes to 75 percent by the age of 25, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a grassroots organi- zation dedicated to raising awareness and providing support and education on mental health issues. According to NAMI’s ö ÿ þö ûö ✁ û ý ✡ ö õø ☛ þ ☎ ✆ ✝ ✁ ✞ ✟✠ live with a mental health condition (in the U.S.), but less than half of these individuals receive need- ed services,” and schools “play an important role” in “providing a unique op- portunity to identify and treat mental health condi- tions by serving students where they already are.” Prevalence of Mental Illness in U.S. Adults and Youth, 2019 ▼✏✑✒✓✔ ❍✏✓✔✒✕ ✖✗✏✘✐✙✓✴ ✚✛✶✾ ✜✢✣✢✤ ✥✦ ✧✤★✢✣✩ ✪✤✣✩✢✫ ✬★ ❆✭✤✮✬✯✣ ✮✤✰✥✮✢ ✱✲✲✳✵✷✸✹✺ ✻✳ ✻✼✸✽ ✷✿✻✿ ✽❀✻ ✲✳❁❂✸❃❀✷ ❄❅ ❇❀✹✻✿❃ ❈❀✿❃✻✼ ✱❁❀✵✸✲✿❉ ❊✵❀✺✳✹ ❋●■❏ ✸✽ ✻✼❀ ❃✳❑❀✽✻ ✵✿✹▲❀✷ ✽✻✿✻❀ ✸✹ ✻✼❀ ✹✿✻✸✳✹ ✿✹✷ ❡✸✽✻✵✸✲✻ ✳◆ ❖✳❃P❁❄✸✿❉ ❁❀✿✹✸✹✺ ✸✻ ✼✿✽ ✻✼❀ ✼✸✺✼❀✽✻ ❂✵❀❤✿❃❀✹✲❀ ✳◆ ❁❀✹✻✿❃ ✸❃❃✹❀✽✽ ✿✹✷ ✻✼❀ ❃✳❑❀✽✻ ✿✲✲❀✽✽ ✻✳ ❁❀✹✻✿❃ ✼❀✿❃✻✼ ✽❀✵❤✸✲❀✽◗ ❘✿✹▲❀✷ ❙P✽✻ ✿❄✳❤❀ ❊✵❀✺✳✹ ✿✵❀ ✱❃✿✽▲✿ ❋●❛❏ ✿✹✷ ❚✷✿✼✳ ❋❯❱❏◗ Aaron Grigg, mental health director at the Cen- ter for Human Develop- ment in La Grande, agrees that schools are in a special position to provide on-hand mental health care to youth. “We know we need to do more to help kids develop resiliency, and one of the best places to do that is in the school setting because they’re easily accessible,” he said. “Rather than ask- ing them to leave school to come to an appointment at ø ☛ ÷ ø ☞ ö ✞ ✌☛ ÿ ✍ ✝ ö ✁ û ✎ ✁ û þ ☎ ö schools is really important (so we can) meet students where they’re at.” The schools of Union County are no exception. CHD is responsible for contracting most of the school counselors in Union County, but Greater Ore- gon Behavioral Health, Inc. is responsible for providing funds for these counsel- ors and wellness centers, according to Erin Rust, a school-based program co- ordinator at GOBHI. GOBHI is also the coordi- nated care organization for See Health / Page 5A Building confidence through horse riding ❲ ➀♠ ➁❨♠❦❝❪ ❞❦❴❵❨❣❢❵❩❨ ❪➂♣❭♠❞❦❴ ♥❩➃ ❵❨♠❞❦❞❦❧ ➃❞❵♥ ♥❩❨❴❪❴ ❢♠❦ ♣❩❴❞❵❞➄❪❭❥ ❞❦❜❭❣❪❦❢❪ ❫♠❦❥ ❝❞❜❜❪❨❪❦❵ ❵❥♣❪❴ ❩❜ ♣❪❩♣❭❪ ÛÜ ⑥ ìíîëïðëï çßà ✉ äå ✉ ß Ûãàä ⑦ ã ⑧ éêë Jaci Weishaar owns Vic- tory Acres in La Grande, where people can board their own horses or take horsemanship classes. As the head instructor, Weishaar works with peo- ple who ride horses fre- quently for sport and com- petitions, but also teaches children and adult novices. Weishaar also works with people who have PTSD, including veterans, and with children who have problems to work through, whether their challenges stem from dis- abilities like autism and ADHD or from a lack of ÿöù ④ ô øûýúöû ö ú ☛ ö þø ✝☛ ùô lying or shyness. She said working with horses can help anyone ùú ☛ ü ÿöù ④ ô øûýúöû ö ✞ ✝☛✁ “Removing the bridge See Ladd / Page 5A üõ þø ö ö ö þ ö ñõÿ þø ûøþ ø û þøñÿ ñ öÿ ñû ö ø÷þ þø þ÷öñþ ö÷ þ öõ ñ÷ö ø û ÿüö ý ñùô ñûõ ÿ öûþ ý ý÷ÿþ ñûú þ þøø ñ ùøþ ø ❞❍❡❢❣ ♠♦♣qr♦s t✉✈✈ ✇①②③④⑤⑥⑦①⑧⑦⑨③⑩⑤④❶①✇❷⑥③④⑦❸①⑧ ✑ ✏ ✎✆✔✞ ✠ ✥ ✝✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✹✓ ✸✓ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✽☛ ✺☛ ✙✗✞ ✄☎ ✄☞✌✞ ✆✝✝✞ ✍ ✟ ✝✥ ✞✠ ✥ ✡✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✸☛ ✹☛ ✄✔☞✝✝✕☞✔✡✥ ❹❺❻❼❽❾❿ ❹➉➊➋➌➍➎ ✙✚✞ ✞ ☞ ✏✥ ✖✠✆✔✓✗✗✒✥ ✥ ➀➁ ➂➃➄ ➀➅➆➇➈ ✄☞✌✌✎✏✞✑✒✥✥ ✻✓ ✘☞✑✑✠✔✒✥✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥✷✓ ❙✚☞✔✑✝✥✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥✼✓ ➏➐➑➒➓➔→➣ ↔↕↕➙➑➒➛➜➣➝ ➒➔➜➞ WEDNESDAY ö ý÷ÿþ ü ☎ ñÿö ø ④ þ ☎ ö ③☎ Ladd Canyon project will involve removing an eastbound lane bridge near the entrance into Ladd Canyon and re- placing it with a con- crete box culvert. The box will be large enough to accommodate log trucks and semi trucks, said Mike Remily of ODOT, manager of the Ladd Canyon Freight Improvement Project. Taking out the bridge ùù ö öûöý ✁ ñù ✝ ö ñ ☛ ÿö ✠⑤✠③ ø ☞ ✁ ñù ÿñ ✁ ú ✂ øñùÿ ñûú ✎ öþ øûýúöû ö ÿñ ú ODOT work scheduled for this year is complet- ed, around Oct. 31. The speed limit, according to ODOT, will then return to 70 miles per hour. it tends to get icy, the in themselves,” Weishaar said. “I love watching peo- ple grow.” She said part of the rea- son working with horses is so helpful to personal growth is the simple as- pect of achieving goals. ❷❸❹✘✒✏❺❻ ❼✕❸✒❸ People who come to her classes set horsemanship ❊❑✹❀✵ ✳◆ ❽✸✲✻✳✵❅ ✱✲✵❀✽ ❾✿✲✸ ❿❀✸✽✼✿✿✵ ❑✸✻✼ ✼❀✵ ❁✿✸✹ ✽✼✳❑✼✳✵✽❀❉ ❿✸❃❀❅◗ ❿❀✸✽✼✿✿✵ goals for themselves, and ✼✿✽ ❄❀❀✹ ✽✼✳❑✸✹✺ ✼✳✵✽❀✽ ✽✸✹✲❀ ✻✼❀ ✿✺❀ ✳◆ ■❯◗ she helps them achieve them. She said her person- as animal-assisted thera- children on her,” she said. Weishaar said horses al teaching style includes “She’s super quiet — just helped her during her youth ✝ ② ✁✡ ✆ pushing people a little bit manage pain and anxiety. sassy enough to teach quite a bit because she ex- out of their comfort zone. Humans can learn a lot them something, but very perienced bullying that she Weishaar said she tells from how horses deal with safe.” described as “severe.” them, “Now we’re going to stress and trauma, added The instructor said her “Horses were my outlet do this. Yes it’s hard, yes Weishaar, who often res- experience has taught her growing up. They were my it’s scary, but you’re going cues horses that horses sport. They were my thera- to do it and you’re going to that might don’t dwell py. They were my healing,” on the she said. ✝ ✂ ✄⑨① ✎ ✁ ✎ ⑩ have trauma ➅➆➇➈➉➈ ➊➉➇➉ ➋➌ you to do something you’re in their pasts. past. “They She stressed that work- ➆➍➎➏➉➎ ➐➇➆➊➑➒➐ ➍➓➔ not capable of.” She said She said that live for the ing with horses is good for →➣➉➌ ➊➉➇➉ ➋➌ when her students accom- the 18-year- c o m f o r t everyone, whatever their ➈➓➆➇➎➔ →➣➉➌ ➊➉➇➉ ➋➌ and securi- challenges are or their past plish something they were old horse ➎➣➉➇↔➓➌➔ →➣➉➌ ➊➉➇➉ originally nervous to do, she currently ty they feel experiences have been. She ➋➌ ➣➉↔➏➑➒➐➔↕ they realize they are more uses for train- in this mo- ① ⑩ ② ☎ ➙ ➛➜➝➞ ➟➠➞➡➢➜➜➤➥ capable than they thought. ing children ment,” she students the same, even if ➦➧➨➠➤ ➦➩ ➫➞➝➭➦➤➯ ➲➝➤➠➡ Just being around hors- younger than said. ☎ ①✁ ✎ ✁ es is therapeutic, accord- 5 was rescued Accord- ly to help deal with a prob- ing to Weishaar. from a slaughter pen. ing to Weishaar, seeing a lem related to something “Grooming a horse is Weishaar said the horse horse overcome a problem like PTSD or ADHD. calming for them,” she was extremely timid at can teach people how to “I still treat it like they’re ✁ ✂ ❶ ✁ ✁ ✁ ⑩ ④ tackle their own problems coming to ride a horse. I sources including the careful training to get her and move past them. don’t treat them any dif- Mayo Clinic recognize used to her new life. “If the horse can do it, then ferent,” she said. See Horses / Page 5A time with animals as well “Now I put 3-year-old they can do it,” she said. ö ýûö ÷ö ① ñ ✁ û ✁ û ö ② ö þ ☛ ûþ ✁ ù ñùù ✆✁ ✝ ✝ whether they have a tan- gible problem to work through or not. “I really enjoy working with people and watch- ing them achieve their ✎ A $30 million Oregon Department of Trans- portation project in the Ladd Canyon area that will add a 1.5-mile third lane to Interstate 84 and other safety features is beginning. The launch of the 18-month Ladd Canyon Freight Improvement Project means the speed limit through ODOT’s work zone on the west side of Ladd Canyon is now 50 miles per hour. The reduced speed will ▲● ❆■▲ ❖❆❉ ✁❯■❊❚ ✂❖◆❊ ❆❈❈❊P❚❊❉ ❇❋❍❏❑❇❏ ◗❘ ❱❲❳❨❩❬❭❨❭❳❬❳ ✹❫ ☞✏✝❴ ✹❵✚✆❜✠✝ ✸ ✘✆ ❪✝✝✎✠ ✝✠✍✑✞ ❝✔✆✏✡✠❴ ✙✔✠❜☞✏ U.S. Cellular holds fundraiser ÛÜ çßà ✉ äå ✉ ß Ûãàä ⑦ ã ⑧ éêë ⑥ ìíîëïðëï ➳✂➵✂ ➸ öùù ☛ ùñ÷ ✞ þ ☎ ö ý ④ þ ☎ largest telecommunica- tion network in the na- þ ✁ øû ✞ ✁ ÿ ø ② ö÷ ✁ û ✎ õø ☛ þ ☎ groups an opportunity to fundraise that is much more high-tech than selling candy bars or col- lecting cans and bottles. Instead, groups can earn money by using social media. The U.S. Cellular pro- gram, called Community Connections, began in 2015 and can sponsor youth organizations with up to $1,000 toward ex- penses. According to U.S. Cel- lular’s website, many dif- ferent types of groups, like sports teams and academ- ic clubs, can apply to par- ticipate in the program, See Cellular / Page 2A ❤❑✐❢ ❑ ❘❏❋❥❦ ❞❡❢❑❧ ✛✜✢✢ ✣✤✦✧★✩✦✪✫✦✪ ✬✦✭✩✪✮✮✯ ✜✰ ✱✲✳✴✵✶✾✴✾✳✶✳✮✪ ✩✦✬✿ ✜✬ ✦✯✜❀✢✰✮ ✬✦✭✩♥✢✜❁✪✜✬✿✦✮★✩✦✪✫✦✪❂❃✮✯❂ ▼✮✪✦❃✮✬✰✜❃✰ ❀✬❄✮✮✬ ❅✜❁✦✲❛❂ Online at lagrandeobserver.com