Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 4, 2020)
LOCAL SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020 COUNCIL HEALTH Continued from Page 1A Continued from Page 1A Bell becomes new police chief Strope announced Wednesday evening at the conclusion of the city council meeting that Lt. Gary Bell of the police department will be La Grande’s new chief of police. “I was excited with the offer and feel extremely honored to have the Bell opportunity to continue to serve our community in this capacity,” Bell said. “The support I have received from inside the department and from the community is very humbling.” Bell began working as an offi cer with the La Grande police 26 years ago, rising to become the second in command. His work has included serving as the media contact for the department and now brings him the opportunity to lead the group of 31 employees. “I’m looking forward to strengthening already great relationships with our pro- fessional partners and with stakeholders in our commu- nity,” Bell said. Strope did not announce when Bell would start the job. Bell said he does not plan to make any drastic changes to the department but does hope to fi ll some vacancies as soon as pos- sible. He said he is excited to bring lessons he has learned as a police offi cer and his core values to his new position. “I will continue to do all I can to support our police offi cers, 911 dispatchers, and professional staff at the department, which in turn leads to our collectively achieving mission suc- cess and a safe community where we can live, work, recreate and raise our fami- lies,” Bell said. Bell will succeed Chief Brian Harvey, who announced his retirement at the beginning of March. Harvey served the last 11 years as police chief and said it was time to take a step away. Harvey’s retire- ment is effective May 4. “Chief Harvey is leaving us in excellent shape, and we have many really good things happening at the department,” Bell said. “I will ensure we stay the course and adhere to our values, which will help us achieve continued successes.” ODOT to replace Whiskey Creek Culvert on Highway 244 Observer staff LA GRANDE — The Oregon Department of Transportation announced it plans to replace the Whiskey Creek Culvert under Highway 244 (Uki- ah-Hilgard Highway). The project is one of several dozen transportation proj- ects the state road agency has planned along Eastern Oregon highways this year. Near mile post 45 (approximately 16 miles west of La Grande), trav- elers can expect lane clo- sures,fl aggers and delays up to 20 minutes once work is underway later this summer, according to ODOT. Crews will complete work before winter sets in. The decades-old, 5-foot diameter metal pipe will be replaced with a 22-foot- wide, pre-cast concrete box culvert. The culvert is undersized and does not meet requirements for fi sh passage or water fl ow during high water events. Conditions in recent years have resulted in fl ooding of the adjacent land and roadway where Whiskey Creek connects under the highway to the Grande Ronde River. The new concrete box culvert will accommodate high water events and meet fi sh passage criteria. you are living alone, is not always possible. This lack of connection can cause anxiety and heighten feel- ings of loneliness. “When we isolate from others we tend to focus more on our own thoughts, stresses and challenges,” said Aaron Grigg, mental health coordinator at the Center for Human Devel- opment Inc., La Grande. “Isolation can naturally create negative thinking, which leads to negative beliefs about ourselves and the situation we are in.” Financial diffi culties from possible job loss or having to adapt to working from home can compound the stress. If you’re not at home alone, being isolated as a household may create added pressure to all mem- bers of the family. Cabin fever, lack of fresh air and being confi ned to the house can increase tensions. With children now doing “People who may not have noticed symptoms of depression and anxiety before the quarantine may now be feeling the strain from lack of connection and lack of physical touch.” — Meegan Harp, therapist their school work at home, another pressure has been added for parents, Harp pointed out. The change is no easier on the stu- dents who are adjusting to learning in a new way. While stress due to COVID-19 can create or exacerbate mental health struggles, there are ways to fi ght against these prob- lems, with and without pro- fessional help. Promote positive mental health Grigg said one of the most important actions during social distancing is to stay socially connected. “When we do this, our thoughts tend to become more positive, we become more hopeful for our future, and we feel more gratitude for what we have,” Grigg said. “Now that we are encouraging people to social distance in order to stop COVID-19 from spreading social con- nection is a much greater challenge, but is possible.” Grigg suggested letter writing, frequent phone calls or video calls and texting as ways to main- tain social connection. He shared a story about his mother-in-law’s 80th birthday being celebrated through letters of appreci- ation instead of a party as a way of maintaining that needed connection without breaking social isolation rules. THE OBSERVER — 5A For those who are not isolating alone, such as families, limiting screen time and connecting with one another is important. Family walks and board games are a great way to stay connected, Grigg said. Setting and sticking to a routine is another way. Grigg, Matteucci and Harp suggested to maintain good mental health. “Flexibility and cre- ativity will be people’s big- gest strength right now, along with the self-dis- cipline to structure their days,” Matteucci said. “Determine what you want your day to look like: get a project done, watch Zoom tutorials, play a board game with the kids, have a virtual chat with a friend or rela- tive, write a thank-you note ... Create your own list of positive activities and struc- ture your day accordingly. You will feel accomplished, loved, and perhaps fi nd new, more effective ways of coping with normal anxiety and depression.” Practicing self-care is another effective way to manage mental health during quarantine. Allowing time to refl ect and assess your emotional state can be a good way to restore balance, Harp said. Matteucci agreed. “Consider reaching for things that have been steady in the past, like some relationships, your favorite book, your faith, exercise and hobbies,” he said. “Try to fi nd time for these things and other self- care activities, even if it doesn’t feel good in the short term.” Help is available If attempts such as these to alleviate feelings of depression and anxiety are not effective, profes- sional help remains avail- able. In-person counseling is limited to emergencies, but the Center for Human Development, Blue Moun- tain Associates and Grande Ronde Recovery and Still Waters Counseling con- tinue to provide services through calls and video chat. Do not hesitate to reach out. Wallowa County offi cials talk up COVID-19 prep By Ellen Morris Bishop EO Media Group ENTERPRISE — Wal- lowa Memorial Hospital collaborated with the Wallowa County com- missioners and the Wal- lowa County sheriff this week to produce and post an 8-minute video sum- marizing the state of COVID-19 preparations in the county. The video features hos- pital nursing and emer- gency preparation coor- dinator Stacey Karvoski, Commission chairman John Hillock and Sheriff Steve Rogers. In the video, Karvoski notes Wallowa MemorialH began preparation and planning for COVID-19 in February, and the local incident command team meets twice daily for updates on corona- virus developments state- wide as well as nation- ally and globally. They have a plan for meeting demands on care that may be imposed if there is a surge in COVID-19 cases and have an adequate supply of personal protec- tive equipment. To date, the hos- pital has administered 18 COVID-19 tests, with 15 negative results. The remaining three have not been returned. The hos- pital is screening all vis- itors for temperature and self-reported illness. Hillock said helpful information about fi nan- cial support for businesses during the COVID-19 fi nancial storm is available on the websites of Oregon U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, and Oregon U.s. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. Hillock urged small busi- nesses to contact the Wal- lowa County Chamber of Commerce for more opportunities for aid. Hillock recognized Senior Meals on Wheels and Community Connec- tion for delivering food and company to home- bound adults, as well as the schools for delivering breakfast and lunches to students. He noted this week, supplies that Kar- voski requested will arrive at the hospital, like other rural counties in Eastern Oregon. Hillock also said he expects the National Guard will deliver addi- tional medical supplies from federal stockpiles next week. Rogers said the depart- ment is doing criminal fi ngerprints only and is not processing applica- tions of renewals for con- cealed handgun permits. The sheriff’s offi ce also will not take action until June on criminal cases involving concealed carry. Screen shot from Wallowa Memorial Hospital Facebook page Wallowa County offi cials produced a public service an- nouncement to report on the local preparations for the COVID-19 outbreak. Oregonians assemble 10,000 masks for health care workers By Andrew Selsky The Associated Press SALEM — Hospital workers in Oregon are astounded at the commu- nity response to an effort to provide those on the front lines of the corona- virus fi ght with protective masks. Oregon offi cials have been disappointed in the response by the federal government to its requests for protective gear. They requested 1 million N95 masks and received about 70,000. Of 1 million sur- gical masks requested, 287,000 have been received, according a state report. Much of it is past expiration dates. Some masks have faulty elastic and conse- quently are not being dis- tributed to Oregon health care workers, said Charles Boyle, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s spokesman. Other expired equip- ment, some dating back to the H1N1 outbreak of 2009, is unsuitable for surgical settings, Boyle said. However, the Trump administration did deliver all 140 ventilators that Oregon asked for. Faced with shortages, Salem Health, which runs two hospitals and sev- eral clinics in and around Oregon’s capital city, announced on March 26 it would hand out kits for people to make masks. So many cars lined up to receive the kits that a traffi c jam ensued. People had to be turned away because the response was so great. All the kits — with enough material to make around 10,000 masks — were handed out the fi rst day. The people returned Andrew Selsky/AP photos In this March 26, 2020, fi le photo, people from Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics, hand out kits to make surgical masks causing a traffi c jam in Salem. Hospital workers in Oregon are astounded at the community response to an effort to provide those on the front lines of the coronavirus fi ght with protective masks. By Friday, April, 3, 2020, the last day for drop-off, 10,942 assembled masks had been returned. “It’s incredible to see the community come together and put in their time and effort to protect our health care workers during this time,” said Elijah Tanner, a Salem Health spokesman. home and began assem- bling the blue masks using cutting boards and sewing machines. Then they began drop- ping them off this week. By Friday, the last day for drop off, 10,942 assem- bled masks had been delivered. At right, a man waiting on his bike wears a bandana to protect himself from the coronavirus waits to receive a kit for making surgical masks from Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics in Salem.