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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 2021)
A10 FROM PAGE ONE Wallowa County Chieftain Skate: Continued from Page A1 These kids truly want to see something in this com- munity that would be a healthy activity and bring everybody together,” Pickens said. And while Pickens had invited skateboarder and motivational speaker Brandon Novak to speak at the opening event, it was a story from Joshua Bridgewater, who led the charge to get the fi rst skate park built, that stole the show. Bridgewater, 47, who now lives in Long Beach, California, made the 20-plus hour drive to Enterprise when learning that the skate park was being upgraded. In the late 1990s, Bridgewater moved back to Enterprise after living and attending school there for a time as a teenager in the late ‘80s. He said he was proba- bly the only skateboarder in town, and maybe in the county. “Back then, I believe I converted two kids. I use conversion lightly,” he said. “Skateboarding isn’t about converting Masks: Continued from Page A1 Disagreeing, but complying But despite their dis- agreement with the rul- ings coming down from the governor’s offi ce and state health offi cials, the districts plan to obey them. “We’re not going to defy the mandate,” Homan told the Chieftain on Thursday, Aug. 5. “Our school year begins Aug. 30 — and our admin- istration and staff will again strive to change directions to meet this recent order,” the letter from the ESD board, which was read Ronald Bond/Wallowa County Chieftain Joshua Bridgewater, a former Enterprise resident, skates in the halfpipe at the new skate park Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. Bridgerwater, who now lives in Long Beach, California, helped lead the eff ort for the original skate park two decades ago, but never got to skate in the completed park. He made the trip from California to be at the opening event for the new park. at an Aug. 2 board meet- ing, said. “Enterprise Dis- trict No. 21 is prepared to be a voice of advocacy for our students, parents and patrons. We will continue to seek additional local control, working in con- junction with our admin- istration and local health authority to provide the quality in person-in class instruction our patrons expect.” Homan explained what the Joseph board is seeking. “Local control is the ability for our school to work with our local health department, community and staff , and develop col- laboratively what is best for our school,” he said. “I Wednesday, August 11, 2021 people, it’s about stoking each other out. A really positive outlet.” Family circumstances led to Bridgewater mov- ing from the area for about a decade. He returned in his early 20s, still as one of the few skateboard- ers in the community, he said, and decided there was a need for another outlet for youths. “This community needs a skate park. Something for the kids that were like me, that didn’t go the path of tra- ditional sports, that were attracted to maybe some extreme sports, whether it be skateboarding, roll- erblading,” Bridgewa- ter said. “I started hitting the pavement, did some research (and) went to City Hall.” Support for the skate park grew — not only among youths, but par- ents, too. “I put all my heart and energy and whatever money we could raise into the park,” he said. “There was no concrete here. This was the pro- posed spot.” The money raised — Bridgewater said it was about $20,000 — funded the concrete pad. Ramps were con- had a phone conversation with (state Rep.) Bobby Levy yesterday. Our big thing is pushing for local control, but doing it the right way through com- munication with our leg- islators, with (the Oregon Department of Education), with the governor, so that is what we’re hoping peo- ple will do.” Homan, in a follow-up email to the Chieftain, said frustration comes from not having an opportunity to work with the state. “(W)e are frustrated with the lack of collabo- ration with the state and frustrated that the state has put schools back in a situ- ation that we have no con- trol of,” he said. “Unfortu- nately, I see schools in our county and around the state losing students at a very high rate, thus also aff ect- ing the fi nancial stability of schools. I hope in the end we do not lose school dis- tricts in small communities due to the exit of students. We want our community to know that we appreciate them and are working to do the best we can during these times and we realize the mandate can be very divisive, and we want to work together to gain our local control back.” Jones spoke highly of the way the last year was handled between the dis- tricts and local offi cials. “We’re not a fan of los- ing local decision mak- ing,” she said. “Wallowa County is an amazing place and we’ve had a great rela- tionship with Dr. (Eliz- abeth) Powers, who has really helped us maneuver through these uncharted waters, and it’s (been) a collaborative relationship with all three districts, the ESD, and Dr. Powers.” Obey or pay In a sense, Jason Duby w Jason Stewart and team roping during of overall champions e duo didn’t have the Th . Chief Joseph Days ther round, but had the fastest total in ei time of 12.2 seconds fastest combined me almost $2,500. to take ho S though, OF THE JASON DUBY JASON STEWART & ere the udly Pro onsore d b y p structed shortly after through a donation. Bridgewater, though, didn’t get to see the proj- ect to fruition, moving before the ramps were completed. “This is visually the fi rst time I’ve seen new ramps on the block of concrete that has so much sweat, blood and tears (of ours),” he said. “My orig- inal had a mini halfpipe on it. That never came to fruition until today.” That Bridgewater could even dip into the halfpipe Saturday is a marvel in itself. He said he was recovering from the latest set of what is now 41 surgeries related to being born with spina bifi da. He is partially par- alyzed from the waist down. Yet he has continued to be an advocate for the sport, and uses it in his work with special-needs youths. “I can tell you this is an awesome outlet for the youths of all ages,” he said. “You can skate despite limitations, phys- ically, mentally, what- ever. No matter what your home life is like … you can ride a skate- board. It’s for everybody, boys, girls, all ages.” Spike: Continued from Page A1 patients in Region 9 — which includes Umatilla, Union, Baker Malheur, Morrow and Wallowa counties — at 25. That’s higher than even the top total from the spike in Novem- ber (18) or December (17). The number did drop slightly to 22 on Monday. Regions 3 and 5 in South- western Oregon are also seeing unprecedented levels of hospi- talizations due to COVID-19, with 99 COVID patients in hos- pitals in Region 3, and 119 in Region 5 on Monday. Region 6 also reached a record with seven hospitalizations on Sunday. On Monday, OHA reported there were 575 people in the hospital statewide due to COVID. The increase in cases is part of a jump region and state- wide, with 3,229 cases and 14 deaths from over the weekend reported on Monday. Vaccination rates in the county have slowed to a trickle, as well, though they are still increasing. Wallowa County’s over- all vaccination rate has ticked up to 49.1%, while the rate of those 18 and older is up to 58.9%, and 67.8% of those 60 and older — those more sus- ceptible to the virus — have gotten a shot. schools are really left with- out an option but to follow the rules after the Oregon Health Authority added clar- ifi ed information on Aug. 2, which noted failure to com- ply could be costly. According to the text of OAR 333-019-1015, adopted by the OHA on Aug. 2, “A school that vio- lates this rule on or after Aug. 12, 2021 is subject to a civil penalty of $500 per day per violation.” The risk of being fi ned is one that the schools had to take into consideration. “The challenge is, and the board understands, we don’t want to, but we will follow whatever the orders are,” Jones said. “If you know- ingly disobey the law there are consequences and penal- ties in place.” Beyond that, there is the possibility that the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission could levy punishments if teachers are not compliant with the rule, with those ranging from a disciplinary letter to sus- pending or even revoking a teacher’s license, Jones said. “We could technically lose our jobs (if we dis- obey),” Pinkerton said during an Aug. 2 Enterprise School Board meeting. Pinkerton, in a follow-up with the Chieftain, added: “My knowledge is that because when we do accept our licensure, there is a code of ethics which if (we) break the law our license is revoked. That is something TSPC would be pursuing if (educators) did not comply.” She is opposed to TSPC taking that kind of position, saying that in doing so, they are questioning the integrity of teachers. “I’m so against it. We are educated, licensed pro- fessionals making decisions day in and day out to make sure we are ensuring the safety of our students,” she said. “For them to hang this over our head, in my opin- ion, is an insult.” Trent Danowski, dep- uty director and director of professional practices for TSPC, wrote in an email to the Chieftain that TSPC is still working on what the proper approach would be. “The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission is reviewing the Oregon Health Author- ity directives, and is work- ing in collaboration with the OHA and other partner state agencies to determine how best to respond to reports of noncompliance by TSPC-li- censed individuals,” he said. According to the latest OHA rules, masks are to be worn indoors at schools during regular school hours, during off -campus classes or fi eld trips during school hours, or educational activ- ities outside of school hours. The exceptions are when an individual is eat- ing, drinking or sleeping, playing an instrument that requires use of the mouth, in a private offi ce with the door closed, if a person is under 2, or during a P.E. class that includes swimming or another water sport, or a sport where a mask could be a strangulation hazard, such as wrestling. Social distancing of at least 3 feet is also strongly recommended. Jones said the schools are aligned in their position and will continue working for the ability to have control. “We will follow, because there isn’t really a choice,” she said, “but we are going to advocate like crazy to have our local control back.” Come join us for this years Grande Ronde Rodeo! August 13 & 14 Mavericks Arena FULL SEE OUR AD I LA G N THIS WE E OBSE RANDE KS RV E R
