THE SPOKESMAN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021 P3
St. Charles tops list for Central Oregon top employer
BY SUZANNE ROIG
The Bulletin
St. Charles Health System led the
pack of Central Oregon top employ-
ers, a position its held for the past two
decades, according to the Economic
Development for Central Oregon an-
nual survey.
Each year the nonprofit, Economic
Development for Central Oregon,
ranks the top employers in the re-
gion. The top five employers in 2021
include St. Charles with 4,626 em-
ployees, Bright Wood Corp. regional
office with 1,093 employees, Sunriver
Resort with 1,000 and Les Schwab
Headquarters and tire centers re-
gional with 890 employees, according
to the annual list.
Central Oregon’s top
employers in 2021
By number of employees
St. Charles Health System
4,626
Bright Wood Corp.
1,093
Sunriver Resort
1,000
Les Schwab Tire
890
Source: Economic Development
for Central Oregon
“As the Central Oregon region
grows, so grows the demand for
health care services _ and that trans-
lates into jobs,” said Jenn Welander,
St. Charles’ chief financial officer.
“Health care is a labor intensive busi-
ness, with our caregivers’ salaries ac-
counting for about 60% of our operat-
ing costs.”
The semi-isolation of Central Or-
egon sets up the region for just one
hospital system, said Roger Lee, Eco-
nomic Development for Central Ore-
gon CEO. St. Charles has four hospi-
tals each located in Bend, Redmond,
Prineville and Madras.
The number of employees in Cen-
tral Oregon has been tracked for the
past 20 years and is used to paint an
economic picture to lure new business
to the area by EDCO.
“Similar sized regions adjacent to
other metros may have multiple hos-
pital systems serving a broader re-
gion, which has the effect of splitting
that employment up over multiple
employers so perhaps they don’t end
up being at the No. 1 spot, but still
very much being high on the list,”
Lee said.
Except for the No. 1 and 2 place,
the list shows a lot of movement up
and down. For example Les Schwab
at No. 4 in 2021 was the third largest
employer in 2019. And Lonza went
from No. 14 in 2019 to 10th largest
employer in Central Oregon.
What the list does show is that
many companies lost employ-
ees over the past year due to shut
downs from efforts to contain the
COVID-19 pandemic.
One example is Rosendin Electric
in Redmond went from the eighth
largest employer in 2019 to to the
16th.
With restrictions lifting when the
county moved from high to mod-
erate risk for spreading COVID-19,
more businesses are able to open
and add employees in Central Ore-
gon, according to Damon Runberg,
Oregon Employment Department
regional economist’s February em-
ployment report. Around seven out
of every 10 jobs lost during the initial
COVID-19 shock were added back
across the region in February, Run-
berg reported.
e e
Reporter: 541-633-2117, sroig@bendbulletin.com
FLASHBACK
1971: Forest Service helicopter expert assigned to Redmond
100 years ago
April 7, 1921 — 9-year-old
Boy Loses Tips Off 2 Fingers in
Explosion
Russel Snyder, nine-year-old
Powell Butte school boy, tem-
porarily lost the sight of one
eye and had two fingers and
the thumb of his right hand
blown off at the first joint when
a giant dynamite cap exploded
in his hand Friday night.
The dynamite cap was
picked up, his parents say, in
the road in front of the Powell
Butte community hall while
the boy was on the way home
from school.
After he arrived home, he
took his pocket knife and be-
gan to cut the cap open. It ex-
ploded.
The boy was hurried to the
Redmond hospital where it
was feared Saturday that he
might not regain the sight in
one of his eyes. When he left
the hospital Tuesday, however,
he had partially regained use of
the eye, and it is believed there
will be no permanent defect in
his sight.
Investigation is being made
to determine who left the cap
in the road, and, it is said, the
persons responsible may be
sued for damages.
75 years ago
April 11, 1946 — Food Pro-
gram To Reduce Meals For
Cafe Diners
Oregon restaurant diners
are going to find that meals a
la carte will include less bread,
pies, pastries and fried foods,
according to a report from the
Oregon Food for Famine Relief
committee.
Cooperation of public eating
establishments in the emer-
gency program to conserve
wheat and fats for shipment to
famine-stricken countries has
been pledged by state leaders of
their trade associations. Letters
urging full compliance with
the saving measures recom-
mended by the famine emer-
gency committee have been
sent to all members by the Or-
egon Hotel association and the
Oregon Restaurant association.
Adoption of the measures
will mean no more toast gar-
nishes flanking bacon and
eggs, lamb chops and simi-
lar dishes; one slice of bread
or one roll served with meals;
corn and buckwheat cakes in-
stead of wheat cakes; fruit, ice
cream and puddings for desert
instead of pie and cake, and
boiled or broiled fish instead of
fried fish.
Restaurant operators have
been advised that OPA re-
quirements will be met by at-
taching a notice to each menu
that the restaurant is cooperat-
ing with the famine emergency
program by serving wheats
and fats, and that any patron
who objects will be given a reg-
ular serving.
Praising the willingness of
the restaurant trade to cooper-
ate with the food conservation
program, E. Harvey Miller,
state emergency food program
manager, called upon house-
wives to adopt similar wheat-
and-fat saving measures in the
home.
“We are not asking anyone
to make a great sacrifice, as
there are plenty of other nutri-
tious foods we can substitute
for wheat products,” Miller de-
clared. “Every pound of wheat
and ounce of fat that we can
spare will help save the lives of
starving people. It’s a case of
‘spare a little and save a lot.’”
50 years ago
April 7, 1971 — ‘Copter ex-
pert, testing center added at
RAC
Redmond Air Center is
gaining the U.S. Forest Service’s
regional helicopter manage-
ment specialist and the nucleus
of a regional equipment devel-
opment testing center.
Helicopter expert Carl Yeust,
a veteran of 25 years with the
USFS, was reassigned to the
Redmond facility last month
from the Deschutes National
Forest Supervisor’s Office in
Bend, where he had for a year
carried the dual responsibility
of regional helicopter manage-
ment and assistant forest dis-
patcher on the Deschutes.
From RAC, he will be re-
sponsible for helicopter train-
ing for the region, be in charge
of equipment development
testing, and when available,
serve as alternate dispatcher
for the center. And when a re-
ally big fire breaks out in the
region, Yeust will be the man
directing the helicopter--an
offensive that may include the
25 birds contracted to the re-
gion plus others that may be
brought in from other areas.
Although the region only
owns one chopper, it has be-
come increasingly involved in
the business of helicopters over
the past five or six years, ac-
cording to Yeust. And in on the
effort from the beginning was
Yeust, who developed the first
helitack crew on the Umpqua
National Forest during his 12
years as fire control officer
there with the Diamond Lake
District.
Yeust also was the man be-
hind the testing and modifi-
cation of the retardant bucket
used with ‘copters--the subject
of a demonstration staged sev-
eral years ago at Redmond Air
Center.
This ties in with Yeust’s sec-
ond responsibility--the testing
of new equipment. Although
this region, comprised of Ore-
gon, Washington and a portion
of Idaho, has no equipment
development center, a certain
amount of testing has been
done “by bits and pieces,” ac-
cording to RAC information
officer Tony Percival. With the
arrival of Yeust and the current
bringing in of equipment, RAC
will become a nucleus of test-
ing activity for the region.
Already on tap for this sum-
mer is a fire resistant suit that
will be tested by RAC smoke-
jumpers and suppression crew
members.
But “helicopters are my
hobby,” in Yeust’s words, and
probably most of his time will
be devoted to that area. Like
his current two-day trip to Mt.
Rainier National Park, he will
be training USFS personnel
throughout the region on he-
licopter safety and how to best
utilize them for transporting
cargo, personnel and fire re-
tardant.
Although helicopter opera-
tion can be an expensive prop-
osition, running from over
$100 per hour for the small
three-man models used by the
USFS to $700 or more for the
14-man models for big fires,
they serve some extremely vital
functions in fighting fires.
While Yeust notes that the
birds are being used more
and more for fire retardant
drops, Percival points out
the time-saving they repre-
sent, whether moving men,
equipment or retardant. By
operating out of a highway
intersection near the fire and
eliminating the need for an air-
port, turn-around time is re-
duced substantially.
So far helicopters have been
used only limitedly on the east-
ern side of the Cascades, and
the closest available machine to
RAC now is at Bend. But Yeust
emphasizes that all national
forests and national parks are
beginning to develop helitack
crews.
On the smaller blazes, the
choppers land two or three
men where they can walk into
the fire and make equipment
and retardant drops, while on
larger blazes they pool together
to perform much the same
functions.
Last year by utilizing heli-
copters to return smokejump-
ers to RAC off the Deschutes,
considerable time was saved-
-enough in some cases to al-
low the same jumpers to make
another jump or two the same
day.
Yeust makes his home at
Meadow View Estates in Bend
with his wife, Dorothy, and
children, Carla, 15, and Craig,
12.
25 years ago
April 10, 1996 — Donation
a tribute to Jaqua
John Jaqua likes the view
from his front window of a
soccer field that covers and
acre of so of his farm near Eu-
gene, and he likes his nephew,
Dave Jaqua, who lives in Red-
mond and coaches youth soc-
cer.
That seemed reason enough
for the elder Jaqua to make
an unsolicited donation — of
$100,000 — to support his
nephew’s efforts to provide
more sports fields for local
youngsters.
It may seem astonishing that
someone would donate such a
large sum of money to a proj-
ect in a town far from where
he lives, but John Jaqua doesn’t
think so.
“I’m very fond of David,”
John Jaqua said, explaining his
decision to help fund devel-
opment of three soccer fields,
a baseball field and a softball
field on land across the street
from Hugh Hartman Middle
School.
“I just decided that would be
a good place to pay tribute to
my nephew, and it would be a
benefit to Redmond.”
John Jaqua hoped the proj-
ect would be named in honor
of his nephew, who has been
battling cancer since last fall,
and last week the Redmond
School Board approved. A
community group is work-
ing on raising funds to build
the David Jaqua Sports Com-
plex, and once it is finished the
school district and user groups
would provide maintenance of
the fields.
Dave Jaqua, a prominent at-
torney in his community as is
John, said he was overwhelmed
by the donation from his un-
cle, who watches his grandkids
play soccer on the field at his
farm.
“He’s obviously a very gen-
erous individual,” Dave said,
“and athletics and kids are re-
ally that important to him.”
As president of Redmond
Youth Soccer Association and
the father and soccer coach of
two daughters, Dave Jaqua be-
gan planning the sports field a
year ago. Despite his illness, he
continues to work on the proj-
ect and said he’s honored by
the name chosen for it.
“I couldn’t be more pleased
to have my name associated
with a youth athletic facility,”
he said. “To have this happen is
just tremendous for me.”
Hearing loss shouldn’t keep you
from sharing her big moments.
Even a mild hearing loss can drive the most active person
into their own world—feeling fl awed, vulnerable,
and disconnected from family and friends. The long-
term solution to your hearing problem is a unique
combination of professional hearing care services and
the right hearing instrument technology for your loss,
lifestyle, and budget.
At Miracle-Ear, you will enjoy a state-of-the-art
premiere product line featuring a variety of models and
solutions to fi t your lifestyle. We have been in business
over 70 years and our team of professionals are experts
in customizing a solution just for you. We believe our
job isn’t fi nished until our patients’ lives are improved, and your Miracle-Ear team is
committed to bringing the best possible hearing
care to your community and improving the lives of
their patients through better hearing.
Buy One Get One ME-3 70% OFF
Digital Hearing Aid
Rechargeable
Streaming Capabilities
Offer valid thru April 16, 2021.
Another Great Way to Save
MEMINI Audiotone for
ONLY $ 495
Hurry!
Offer ends
4/16/2021
Save on our full line of digital hearing solutions. Valid on one hearing device.
Good only from participating Miracle-Ear® representatives. One coupon per purchase. No other offers or discounts apply. Discount does not
apply to prior sales. Offer on MEMINI Audiotone. Cannot combine with any other offers. Cash value 1/20 cent. Offer expires 4/16/2021.
MIRACLE-EAR IS AMERICA’S #1 CHOICE
IN HEARING AIDS FOR OVER 70 YEARS!
NEW LOCATION!
111 NW Larch Ste 101
Redmond, OR 97756
541-330-5503
No other offers or discounts apply. All discounts do not apply to prior sales. Good only from participating Miracle-Ear representatives. **Hearing aids do not restore
natural hearing. Individual experiences vary depending on severity of hearing loss, accuracy of evaluation, proper fi t, and ability to adapt to a hearing aid. Only your
Miracle-Ear® representative can determine if a Miracle-Ear® hearing aid is right for you. ©2012 Miracle-Ear, Inc. 14548ROPA/HP4C/YEL
NO INTEREST FINANCING AND EVERYONE
APPROVED FINANCING NOW OFFERED!