FROM PAGE ONE
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2022
BARRIERS
Continued from Page A1
“We have more
resources locally, in the
span of my career, than
we’ve ever had,” he said
at the downtown meeting.
“But, we also have more
social issues in the span of
my career than we’ve ever
had.”
“Our hope is that
through proactive, reg-
ular outreach eff orts and
providing some low bar-
rier services those who are
experiencing substance use
and mental health chal-
lenges will begin to trust
us,” Grigg said. “Even if
those individuals do not
agree to services or assis-
tance at the time, that rela-
tionship of trust devel-
oped over time will lead
to seeking of services in
FOOTBALL
Continued from Page A1
released a statement on
behalf of the district, stating
that La Grande accepts the
fi ndings of the investiga-
tion and is grateful for the
willing collaboration of
coaches, staff , students,
offi cials and community
during the investigation
process.
“From the beginning of
this process, La Grande
and Gladstone have been
strong in our intent toward
solidarity and reciprocity
in resolving a diffi cult situ-
ation in order to build trust
and strength in the rela-
tionship between our dis-
tricts,” the statement read.
According to OSAA,
the organization is
working with the offi cials’
association that called the
playoff game in order to
implement implicit bias
training and OSAA’s racial
equity training. The state-
ment also indicated that
OSAA is working with
all its offi cials’ associa-
tions on protocols involved
the future. The hope
is that when they are
then ready to seek
assistance they will go
to those they trust.”
New opportunities
Grigg
Bell
Strope
While the Center
for Human Develop-
ment focuses primarily
on mental health and sub-
stance abuse services,
recent funding as a result
of Measure 110 has opened
the door for potential
expanded assistance related
to housing.
The 2020 ballot mea-
sure reclassifi ed penal-
ties for possession of con-
trolled substances, putting
an emphasis on addiction
treatment and recovery.
While the measure has
limited law enforce-
ment’s reach in terms of
drug abuse, the initia-
tive increased funding
for recovery centers and
mental health organizations
across Oregon.
CHD, along with com-
munity behavioral health
programs in Wallowa
and Baker counties, was
awarded funding in August
2021 as a direct result of
Measure 110 for the pur-
pose of outreach to indi-
viduals struggling with
substance abuse. CHD
received six months of
added funding for this spe-
cifi c cause, along with an
additional six months due
to COVID-19-related hiring
diffi culties across the state.
“These dollars are cur-
rently being used to expand
in reporting any poten-
tial acts of discrimi-
nation during athletic
competitions.
La Grande and Glad-
stone both conducted ele-
ments of the OSAA’s
S.T.A.R. Initiative, which
promotes sportsmanship
and equality within ath-
letic events. Prior to any
outcome of the investiga-
tion, both school districts
took steps to rebuild rela-
tions for future sporting
events.
“We participated and
did everything they needed
us to do. I was always
confi dent in our kids and
our coaches,” La Grande
Athletic Director Darren
Goodman said. “We have
great kids, great coaches
and great families.”
Other outcomes of the
investigation included the
implementation of OSAA’s
Racial Equity Training at
La Grande, conversations
between La Grande and
other league member about
expected behavior at future
athletic competitions, cre-
ating a point of contact at
La Grande and Gladstone
to welcome visiting teams
to their venues, reviewing
the language in the stu-
dent codes of conduct at
both school districts and
a meeting between both
teams’ captains, athletic
directors and coaches to
ensure positive relations
moving forward.
According to OSAA,
the La Grande and Glad-
stone boys basketball
teams planned a shared
meal and shaking of hands
at halfcourt on the day of
the scheduled matchup on
Dec. 20. The game was
canceled due to inclement
weather, but the plans
represented a fi rst step
in healing the relations
between schools.
“In our school dis-
trict, we will continue
to actively teach, model
and reinforce that words
matter,” Mendoza’s state-
ment read. “Our focus
going forward will be to
repair and restore our rela-
tionship with Gladstone as
well as proactively create
healthy environments
and experiences for all
stakeholders.”
the supported employ-
ment services and addi-
tional proactive outreach
to individuals in the com-
munity experiencing sub-
stance use disorder,” Grigg
said. “We hope that CHD
can increase outreach to all
individuals experiencing
substance use disorder,
including those without
stable housing.”
Grigg also noted that
CHD is in the process of
applying for additional
funds that would lead to
collaborating with other
local entities and increased
eff orts toward rental assis-
tance for local homeless
individuals. A portion of
the funding, if granted,
would be directed toward
additional recovery housing
units in Union County.
“If awarded additional
M110 funding, CHD hopes
to develop 24/7 Substance
Alex Wittwer/The Observer, File
HOSPITALS
Continued from Page A1
curve of hospitalizations by
stepping up public health
measures to reduce the
spread of infection,” Graven
said.
Still, the latest surge in
hospitalizations is com-
pounded by staffi ng short-
ages, diffi culty fi nding a
place to discharge some
patients who no longer
need hospital treatment
and a shortage of blood
and monoclonal anti-
bodies, said Hultberg, the
hospital trade group’s pres-
ident and chief executive
offi cer.
Coronavirus hospital-
izations in the region that
includes Portland have
already set new highs. The
next few weeks, Hultberg
said, are going to be partic-
ularly bad.
The omicron surge
is substantially diff erent
from past surges, pri-
marily because the variant
is far more contagious but
also less virulent. Hultberg
said the variant’s impact
on hospitals has also been
diff erent.
The wave that peaked
in September hit Southern
and Central Oregon par-
ticularly hard, while the
current surge is aff ecting
the entire state, she said,
and the people hospital-
ized with COVID-19 right
now are experiencing less
severe courses of illness.
And whereas previously
the heaviest strain was on
intensive care units, now
it’s the emergency depart-
ments and other medical
units facing the brunt of the
surge.
While staffi ng short-
ages have been an issue
throughout the pandemic,
at no point have health offi -
cials or hospital systems
spoken so regularly of the
problem.
Hultberg didn’t pro-
vide specifi c numbers for
the state, but made clear
the shortage of workers is
aff ecting hospitals across
Oregon, forcing many to
hire travel nurses.
Rural hospitals are
facing a particular chal-
lenge because agency
nurses tend to go where
they can earn more money,
which is usually in the
cities.
“Oregon hospitals are
resilient,” Hultberg said.
“But the pandemic has
taken a signifi cant toll.”
Use Disorder Mobile Out-
reach and Crisis Services.
Teams providing these ser-
vices would potentially
include a mental health
counselor, a certifi ed
alcohol and drug counselor
(CADC) and a certifi ed
recovery mentor (CRM),”
Grigg said. “A team like
this would be available to
respond 24/7 to individuals
in the community experi-
encing challenges with sub-
stance use regardless of
their setting.”
Continued eff orts
While law enforcement
and the city are making
diligent eff orts to address
housing instability in La
Grande, mental health
resources are viewed as a
key approach to the recent
concerns regarding Max
Square.
At the city meeting in
December, Strope noted
that the city engages reg-
ularly with the League of
Oregon Cities to collaborate
with other cities and gather
input from towns that may
have similar concerns as
La Grande moves forward.
Grigg noted that available
state resources could be
more abundant as a result of
Union County being a small
county, and an increase in
staff and funding through
Measure 110 could lead to
partnerships such as having
mental health experts on
call through police dispatch.
“CHD will continue
eff orts to fi nd ways to
improve housing options for
those experiencing behav-
ioral health challenges,”
Grigg said.
One way to access ser-
vices is to call the CHD
mental health crisis line at
541-962-8800, option 6.
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain, File
Ryan Sheehy, CEO of Fleet Development, speaks to the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners Dec.
15, 2021. The board approved an amended lease agreement for his Wallowa County Community Solar
project Wednesday, Jan. 19.
Commissioners OK amended
lease for solar energy project
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
Reunee Hays, left, looks at a hospital record with fellow house supervisor Danita Thamert in the intensive
care unit at Grande Ronde Hospital on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.
THE OBSERVER — A5
ENTERPRISE —
Another step forward
was taken for a new solar
energy project just out-
side of Enterprise on
Wednesday, Jan. 19, as
the Wallowa County
Board of Commissioners
approved an amended
lease agreement for the
project.
The agreement is for
a lease for Ryan Shee-
hy’s Fleet Development to
transform an unused 2.5-
acre corner of the coun-
ty’s former asphalt plant
site at Fish Hatchery Lane
and Homan Lane into
a solar power farm that
would provide energy to
local customers through
Pacifi c Power’s grid.
Sheehy’s Wallowa County
Community Solar has
been working for more
than three years on plan-
ning a 360-kilowatt com-
munity solar project
on the industrial-zoned
county land.
The original lease was
approved in late 2020.
Sheehy recently asked
county counsel Paige
Sully to request of the
commissioners that the
county sign an agreement
with Community Bank to
make the project collateral
so he can obtain necessary
funding for the project.
“This is a situation
where we would assign
the lease to Commu-
nity Bank, but it would
only take eff ect upon
defaulting the loan agree-
ment between Commu-
nity Bank and Wallowa
County (Community)
Solar,” Sully told the
commissioners. “By
virtue of the lease being
assigned to them, Com-
munity Bank would
accept all obligations of
the lease agreement, they
would assume all of the
Wallowa County Com-
munity Solar’s obligations
to the county in the event
that they were to take
possession of the lease
agreement.”
Sully said she does not
believe such a foreclosure
is likely.
“I see very little risk in
that occurring,” she said.
“This is necessary for
Wallowa County Com-
munity Solar to move for-
ward. … I recommend
that you approve it.”
Commissioner Todd
Nash asked for some clar-
ifi cation on just what
would be foreclosed upon
in such an event.
Sully said that should
such a foreclosure occur,
it would be for the lease
and the bank would likely
sell the project to a new
contractor who would
want the lease and be sub-
ject to its provisions.
As the commissioners
considered a vote on the
matter, Commissioner
John Hillock abstained,
as his business, Enter-
prise Electric, has done
some work on the project
and he wouldn’t want it
to appear as a confl ict of
interest.
The other two com-
missioners voted to
approve the amended
lease agreement.
Stephen Bump, MD—Internal Medicine