SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021
HOPE
The Baker City Rotary
Club learned about the Hope
House when club members
Continued from A1
attended a Lobster Fest fun-
Residents are from across draiser to support activities
across the region.
the U.S. Many were born
“My club solicited their club
outside the country and were
for help to go out to the Hope
involved in failed adoptions.
House’s campus in Marsing
“They can come having
to plant trees, and Baker City
been born in Russia, Mexico,
India, China, Africa, all over,” wanted to know more about
Velvick said. “51% of our kids them and be involved,” said
Multanen, from the Boise
were born somewhere else
and brought by their adoptive Sunrise Rotary Club.
Anthony Bailey, president
families to us eventually.”
Hope House also provides of the Baker City Rotary
Club, said local Rotarians
a home for children from
plan to become more involved
Oregon, Idaho, Washington,
in other projects benefi ting
Montana and Arizona.
the Hope House.
“And they come and they
“You just see the kids
grow up with us and we try
to give them the best we can,” and you see there’s hope and
that’s what it’s all about,”
Velvick said.
Bailey said.
According to the Hope
The Hope House is in need
House website — www.
of staff for different positions,
ahome2come2.com — “Hope
including people to work with
House will strive to ensure
that the emotional and social the kids, kitchen staff, those
who can organize recreation
needs of all children and
and sports, a handyman/
youths are met. To this end,
woodworker, and night duty
Hope House contracts with
person for the girls’ home.
appropriate Psychiatric,
Anyone who is interested
Psychological, Social Work,
and Counseling professionals in learning more about the
Hope House can visit their
for all children and youths
website, www.ahome2come2.
needing these services. Hope
com.
House also provides activi-
Their website has different
ties and outings designed to
provide for the development of options for how people can
help through donations or
appropriate social skills.”
employment.
Velvick said Hope House
The Baker City Rotary
staff try to get in touch with
adoptive parents at least once is also looking for members.
Anyone who is interested in
a year to give them a chance
to visit with their child. Most the Rotary Club can attend
their meetings generally
say no and even refuse the
held at the Baker Tower on
phone calls the Hope House
Monday nights.
places, she said.
“We are engaged in a lot
Velvick said three children
who lived at Hope House later of projects if they want to be
involved,” Bailey said.
moved to Baker City.
MICHAEL
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“I wasn’t doing it for me, I
was doing it for my kid,” she
said of her decision to seek
treatment.
However, Amber said that
once she started that treat-
ment, she understood that,
however sincere she was in
worrying about her son, she
“realized I couldn’t do it for
anyone but myself. There was
no other option for me.”
In the wake of Michael’s
death, Amber said she has
wondered whether her brother
might have succeeded with
treatment as she did, if only he
had dedicated himself.
But she also recognizes
that Michael had mental
health issues as well as the
addiction challenge.
After Michael was ar-
rested in 2016 on a charge of
unauthorized use of a motor
vehicle, his court-appointed
attorney fi led a motion stating
that Michael might be unfi t to
participate in his defense due
to “mental disease or defect.”
But the attorney withdrew
the motion a month later, in
September 2016, after Michael
was evaluated by a licensed
psychologist who determined
that Michael was able to assist
in his defense.
Michael pleaded guilty to
the charge and was sentenced
to 10 days in jail and 24
months of probation. He was
also required to “participate in
a mental health evaluation.”
Amber said her brother’s
addictions, which started with
marijuana and prescription
pills and later included meth,
also played a signifi cant role in
his troubles.
According to records from
Baker County Circuit Court,
in July 2018 Michael, after
being charged with driv-
ing under the infl uence of
intoxicants, signed a diver-
sion agreement in which he
pledged to complete an alcohol
and drug abuse assessment.
Amber said her brother
started treatment but never
completed it.
A May 2018 report from
the Baker County Parole and
Probation department states
that Michael had “failed to en-
ter into and complete drug and
alcohol treatment” and that
four urine samples he submit-
ted were positive for THC, a
compound in marijuana.
“Mr. Gabiola has been
given several chances and
many offi ce visits discussing
his drug use,” the report states.
“Mr. Gabiola refuses to stop
using marijuana.”
An October 2018 report
from the Parole and Proba-
tion department states that
Michael “last attended a treat-
ment class at New Directions
Northwest on Sept. 12, 2018.”
“At this current time Mr.
Gabiola has shown Baker
County Parole and Probation
that he is unwilling to partici-
pate in his supervision,” the
report states. “Mr. Gabiola is
not attending alcohol and drug
treatment and has moved
to an unknown location and
due to Mr. Gabiola refusing to
report to Baker County Parole
and Probation, this offi ce is
unable to assist Mr. Gabiola in
his drug recovery.”
An August 2019 report from
Parole and Probation states
that Michael “has ... stopped
participating in his outpatient
drug treatment program with
New Directions.”
‘Something went downhill’
Amber said that since
her brother died she has
reread a series of messages
Michael sent to her, dating to
early 2019.
She said his mental health
seemed to decline noticeably
starting about then.
“Something went downhill
— I’m not sure what it was,”
Amber said.
She said Michael frequent-
ly would talk to himself in
public, but she believes that to
some extent he did so inten-
tionally, to attract attention.
Amber said that in 2020
she and her mother tried to
convince police to pick up
Michael on what’s known as a
“mental health hold.”
Under Oregon law, a police
offi cer can take into custody
a person who the offi cer has
probable cause to believe is a
danger to himself or to others
and needs immediate treat-
ment for mental illness.
“We really struggled to
even get someone to talk to us
about that,” Amber said.
There is also a legal process
by which a person can be
civilly committed and sent to
the state mental hospital in
Salem, Baker County District
Attorney Greg Baxter said.
But it can be diffi cult in
some cases, particularly when,
as with Michael, the person
BAKER CITY HERALD — A3
LOCAL
SNOW
Continued from A1
Craig Sipp, manager of
ODOT’s Region 5, which en-
compasses a high percentage
of Eastern Oregon including
Baker County, agreed.
“If we have back-to-back
storms, it may take us longer
to get to some of the second-
ary highways,” he said.
Sipp said ODOT’s Region
5 has approximately 12
unfi lled road maintenance
Alex Wittwer/The (La Grande) Observer, File
positions, signifi cantly more A snowplow works near Imbler in February 2021.
than what is average for this
ODOT always adds to its it needs must be skilled driv-
time of year.
road maintenance staff in the ers with commercial driver’s
winter, Strandberg said, and licenses. ODOT will provide
Open positions
many of those hired are sea- the training needed to earn
Statewide ODOT has
167 road maintenance posi- sonal employees. He said that a CDL, but Clark said he
would rather hire drivers
tions now open. There were despite the labor shortage,
who have experience operat-
travelers can expect to see
86 openings at the same
ing heavy equipment before
time in 2020 and 29 in 2019 ODOT maintenance crews
clearing snow night and day. they start working in bad
during the same period.
“We will be keeping equip- weather conditions.
Strandberg said ODOT’s Re-
Another concern of Clark’s
gion 5 has seen openings for ment on the road as much as
is keeping a supply of re-
possible,” he said.
maintenance staff steadily
placement parts available for
Ace Clark, ODOT’s
rise since 2019.
Strandberg said it is not manager of District 13, which snowplows. This is important
includes Union and Wallowa because replacement parts
known if the COVID-19
may be diffi cult to get quickly
counties and most of Baker
pandemic is partially
responsible for the employee County, said that it has been due to supply chain issues.
“We have been trying to
diffi cult to hire road mainte-
shortage. Strandberg said
stock up,” he said.
nance staff because there is
99% of ODOT’s employees
Clark said he has talented
in Oregon complied with the so much competition now for
employees due to a regional workers who have multiple
state’s COVID-19 vaccine
and nationwide labor short- skills and he is optimistic
mandate which took effect
things will go relatively
in October. This meant that age. With everyone compet-
smoothly this winter.
ing for employees, many
99% of ODOT’s employees
“We are very fortunate
employers are boosting their
either were vaccinated or
because we have very good
compensation packages.
fi led for and received an
employees,” Clark said.
“It is hard to recruit
exemption for health or
when everybody is paying
religious reasons.
more. It is hard to compete,” Safety fi rst
He said it is unknown
Clark said.
if some of the employees
Sipp said that anyone
ODOT’s problem is com- interested in working for
who retired this year did so
because of concerns about the pounded by the fact that the ODOT this winter should
road maintenance employees contact the department.
state vaccine mandate.
has both addiction and mental
health issues, to determine
which factor is responsible for
the person being a danger to
himself or to others, Baxter
said.
And he agrees with Amber
that no one can force an adult,
even one committed to a drug
abuse treatment facility, to
actually take advantage of the
opportunity.
The situation can also be
problematic for police, said Ty
Duby, Baker City Police chief.
“For us as police it’s super
frustrating,” Duby said. “We
have limited resources to deal
with people who are, clearly to
me, a danger to themselves.”
Duby said police sometimes
end up arresting people mul-
tiple times, often because they
failed to attend counseling as
required by the court.
“That doesn’t solve the
problem,” Duby said. “There’s
a hole in the system.”
According to court records,
Michael wasn’t charged with
any crimes in Baker County
in 2019 or 2020. He was
charged with third-degree
theft on March 31, 2021, but
that charge was dismissed in
August 2021.
Amber said that although
she understands that police
are limited in what they can
do with an adult who isn’t
committing a crime, she
remembers an episode when
her brother was outside, in
20-degree weather, without
shoes or a shirt.
“I’m pretty sure that’s a
danger to himself,” she said.
Marji Lind, clinical director
at New Directions Northwest,
echoed Amber’s and the police
chief’s thoughts about the dif-
fi culties of convincing people
to seek help for addiction or
mental health issues.
“In recent months, our
wonderful and caring commu-
nity has been faced with the
loss of community members
who have struggled with
either mental health or addic-
tion challenges,” Lind wrote
in response to a question from
the Baker City Herald. “New
Directions Northwest, Inc.,
Baker County Community
Mental Health and Addictions
Program, recognizes these
challenges and empathizes
with those who are struggling
themselves and their precious
family and friends who suffer
alongside them.
“We want our community
members to know that New
Directions Northwest, Inc.
is here to help individuals
and their support systems in
any way we can,” Lind wrote.
“However, the heartbreak-
ing part of mental health
and addiction challenges
is that the help offered is
often declined by the sufferer.
The concept that suffering
individuals would choose to
deny assistance is very hard
to understand and often even
more diffi cult to accept, yet
even those with mental health
and addiction have the same
free agency to choose as those
that do not suffer from these
challenges. Nevertheless and
no matter how often we are
called upon or how often we
interact with an individual
and their family, New Direc-
tions is ever hopeful that this
time will be the time that help
is accepted.”
The last meeting
Amber said she last talked
with Michael two days before
he died.
It wasn’t a pleasant en-
counter.
Her brother was hanging
around outside the Baker City
Motel, which Amber manages.
He was talking to himself
and had multiple bags fi lled
with items.
“I told him he needed to
leave,” Amber said.
She had reported her
brother for trespassing.
“I had to set boundaries
with Michael,” she said. “As his
sister, he would take advan-
tage of me.”
Later that day, Amber
said she was carrying Mi-
chael’s bags to a dumpster
when he suddenly came up
behind her, yelling at her to
leave his stuff alone.
“We want people to look to
us for employment,” he said.
“We want people who will
enjoy doing this every day.”
Ken Patterson, area
manager for ODOT’s Region
5, said motorists should be
patient this winter since
there may be times when
snow will not be cleared
as quickly as expected. He
encourages people to avoid
driving when conditions
are poor. He said drivers
should monitor ODOT’s road
cameras on its Trip Check
website to make sure road
conditions are good before
they start a trip. Patterson
noted that many additional
cameras on I-84 between La
Grande and Pendleton have
been installed within the
past two years.
Strandberg also pointed
out that about a dozen
message boards have been
added between La Grande
and Pendleton over the past
two years. The message
boards alert drivers to up-
coming conditions, including
the presence of snow, ice, fog,
slow traffi c and accidents.
Strandberg also urges driv-
ers to be patient and noted
that it is never a good idea
to pass a snowplow, especial-
ly because ODOT now has
winged plows with blades on
both sides. He said drivers
who fi nd themselves behind
plows are actually in a good
position.
“The best place you can
be in a storm is behind a
snowplow,” Strandberg
said, adding that drivers
should never get too close to
snowplows because they do
make stops.
“I told him, ‘you can’t be
leaving that here,’ ” Amber
said. “He doesn’t understand.”
She said that even before
Michael died, she regretted
having to tell her brother, for
whom she had served as a
sort of surrogate mother when
they were kids, to stay away.
And now those memories
sting even more.
But Amber said the sad-
ness is mixed with frustration
about the limitations of the
justice system.
“All I wanted to do was
help him,” she said. “But I
couldn’t. Mike just didn’t
know how to be an adult, how
to grow up.
“But it’s not just my broth-
er. There’s nowhere for people
to go unless they’re willing
to walk in the door and say ‘I
need help.’ There needs to be
a voice for these people.”