Wallowa County Chieftain
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From A1/News
lot of the graduates remain
successful, and I think it’s
great when they can show
their family and kids a clean
and sober self, and that’s
huge.”
Like the DA’s office, both
Rutherford and Powers said
that their favorite thing about
the program is seeing people
succeed.
“I have a soft spot for ––
whether it’s a male or female
participant –– those who have
kids,” Powers said. “To hear
the stories of them being able
to be sober parents to their
kids.”
Rutherford added she
enjoys children finding a new
definition of normal in their
lives.
The judge said that the only
changes he’d like to see in the
program are a defense attor-
ney for those participants who
admit to extra-legal activities.
Housing is also a concern.
“This program makes a
lot of demands on people,”
Powers said. “They go to NA
and AA meetings, individ-
ual and group therapy ses-
sions, behavioral modification
classes, jobs, community ser-
vice and the treatment court
itself. You need the stable plat-
form of a place to live to pull
that off.”
“If anyone thinks this is a
loosey-goosey kind of pro-
gram, they need to understand
that it gets the results that ben-
efit everyone. There’s a big
benefit to the community in
the end-product,” he added.
COURT
Continued from Page A1
Another receives several days
of community work service for
using her prescription drugs
out of turn.
Even after punishment is
meted, however, the last words
they hear are encouragement.
Treatment court ends in about
a half-hour, always on a pos-
itive note, with many of the
program participants leaving
with a smile on their faces.
Judge Thomas Powers,
a fairly recent addition to
the circuit court bench, sees
the program as a huge bene-
fit to the legal system and to
participants.
Powers said that train-
ing includes a nation-wide
three-day conference of the
National Association of Drug
Treatment Court Profession-
als that includes intensive
workshops, skills training and
various expert lectures.
Judicial
conferences
within Oregon generally
include a specialty court sec-
tion that addresses treatment
court.
Heather Rutherford, a cir-
cuit court employee, also
serves as the court’s coordi-
nator, a position she held as a
fill-in at Union County Circuit
Court. She’s served in the pro-
gram since 2012.
She gathers all the infor-
mation, including that of the
participants, and puts it in
For many, it’s the first time in
years they’ve been surrounded by
people who want to support their
sobriety rather than enable it, and
that makes a huge difference.”
— Judge Thomas Powers
packets for those on the team.
She is also active in the
intake process, including
compiling personal histo-
ries. She also receives weekly
reports, which include how
a participant’s week went,
along with urinalysis results.
She tracks all the paperwork
and keeps it organized.
Both Powers and Ruther-
ford consider the program a
success.
“We take a lot of pride in
our success rate,” Powers
said. He added that he looks
at success on two levels: The
number of people who enter
the program and graduate and
how those graduates fare after
they leave the program.
“If you successfully com-
plete the program and gradu-
ate, there’s an assumption that
you’ve got the support net-
work and tools and skills, to
be successful outside of the
program,” he said.
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Powers said he enjoys see-
ing the positive changes many
participants make after com-
ing to the program either fresh
out of detox or still strung out.
“Eighteen months later,
they’re clean and sober,
they have a GED and stable
employment,” he said.
He noted the program helps
participants with wraparound
services that assist with hous-
ing, child-care and other ame-
nities, as do the peer support
groups.
“People who come in are
often here because the only
peer group they have are other
users or dealers,” he said. “For
many, it’s the first time in
years they’ve been surrounded
by people who want to sup-
port their sobriety rather than
enable it, and that makes a
huge difference.”
Rutherford agrees.
“I think it’s very much a
success,” she said. “I think a
February 28, 2018
IN BRIEF
Hunters group
plans fundraiser
The drawing for a coveted
guided bull elk hunt on The
Nature Conservancy’s Zum-
walt Prairie Preserve will
highlight the Union/Wal-
lowa Chapter of the Oregon
Hunters Association’s annual
fundraiser banquet March 17
at the Blue Mountain Confer-
ence Center in La Grande.
Ticket packages for adult
singles and groups range from
$40 to $1,500. Youth pack-
ages, which include dinner,
tickets for youth raffles and a
free gift, are sold for $20.
Funds raised at the ban-
quet are dedicated to local
wildlife habitat conserva-
tion projects and youth activ-
ities that the chapter spon-
sors each year. Tickets must
be purchased by March 12 or
until the banquet limit of 300
is reached.
Purchase ticket packages
by filling out a banquet form
or by calling Jed Farmer at
(541) 562-6267 or Morgan
Olsen at (541) 786-1283.
Library fairs on
the schedule
Libraries across Wallowa
County will be celebrating with
Library Fairs in coming weeks.
Fun activities for chil-
dren, free food and free chil-
dren’s book. Learn how to use
the SAGE Catalog, receive a
free library card and use the
Internet.
Celebrations are planned on
the following days and times:
• Enterprise Public Library,
3-7 p.m. Friday, March 9
• Troy Branch Library, 11
a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March
10
• Joseph Public Library, 2-6
p.m. Friday, March 16
Wallowa County Library
in Enterprise, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Friday, April 6
• Wallowa Public Library
in Wallowa, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
Saturday, April 7
EOU Oregon’s
rural university
Legislation has been
approved by the Oregon State
Senate and House designating
Eastern Oregon University as
Oregon’s Rural University.
“Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity has been serving rural Ore-
gon since its founding in 1929,”
said Sen. Bill Hansell, who rep-
resents Wallowa County. “Giv-
ing EOU this official designa-
tion will allow the university
to appeal to potential students
across the nation and leverage
federal Funds.”
EOU reports that a stat-
utory designation as a
rural-serving institution will
assist it in accessing certain
federal grants. EOU is located
in La Grande. The legislation
travels next to the governor
for her signature.
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