A6 The BulleTin • Friday, January 8, 2021
Council
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: I have been in
a relationship with a won-
derful man, “Andy,” for two
years. I couldn’t ask for a
better partner. We are both
divorced with children, and
they get along like brothers
and sisters.
Even though our marriages
ended, mine wasn’t an ordeal.
My ex and I both knew it
wasn’t working anymore, and
we still get along pretty well.
But Andy and his ex-wife
never got along and argued
for 18 years, and herein lies
the problem. He gives me no
space — ever.
I have discussed it with
him numerous times, and
his response is, “Well, I have
never been this happy, and I
love spending time with you.”
I enjoy our time, too, but I
feel controlled without him
acting controlling. He wants
to be with me every minute.
I look forward to going to
work to escape! How can I
get him to listen?
— Joined at the Hip
Dear Joined: The next
time you have “the conversa-
tion,” and he tells you he has
to be with you every minute
because he loves spending
time with you, remind him
that there are two of you in
this relationship. Then in-
form him that with no time
for yourself or friends, you
feel claustrophobic, which
isn’t healthy for you or the re-
lationship.
Healthy relationships are
those in which both parties
allow each other the space to
be individuals. If you don’t
draw a line and insist that he
accept it, he will smother you.
Dear Abby: You always
give great advice on how to
respond to people. My hus-
band had a stroke 2 1/2 years
ago. We ventured out for the
first time to a store. He was
holding onto the cart and
stopped to rest. A man be-
hind us, who was obviously
following too close, threw
up his hands in disgust. Evi-
dently we weren’t moving fast
enough for him, so he made
a snide remark; I replied that
my husband is recovering
from a stroke.
Unfortunately, a week ago
he suffered another stroke.
How can I respond to people
who are rude to those who
might be slow or disabled?
— Patience in California
Dear Patience: I think you
handled the situation beauti-
fully. All you can do is hang
on to your temper and try to
calmly educate people like
the impatient (and rude) in-
dividual you encountered
that day.
Dear Abby: My fiancee and
I will be moving in together
soon, and we’re looking for-
ward to a pet-filled life. The
concern we both share is that
my mother and hers are al-
lergic to animals and will
probably never be able to visit
because of it. We love each
other’s parents and would like
to have them in our lives as
much as possible. Are there
rules of etiquette for pets and
families with allergies?
— Pet Lover in Georgia
Dear Pet Lover: If your
parents are highly allergic,
putting your pets in another
room or outside won’t work
because their hair and dander
would be in your carpets and
on your furniture. In a case
like this, your parents should
talk to their doctors and ask
if they can get vaccinated to
lessen or alleviate their aller-
gies. If that isn’t an option,
you and your fiancee may
have to visit THEM, wearing
freshly laundered clothes so
you won’t bring any allergens
with you.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
eeee DYNAMIC | eee POSITIVE | eee AVERAGE | eeSO-SO | DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR FRIDAY, JAN. 8, 2021: Influential,
intense and precise, you can focus all your energy into one presentation,
performance or product, and become famous for it. This year, you explode
suddenly on the scene with a new project, which is very successful. If single,
you must give others more of a chance. You are pursued by many. If attached,
you’re usually worshipped by your partner who thinks you’re almost godlike.
AQUARIUS is their own god.
Continued from A1
But Russell noted on
Wednesday the importance of
moving forward with swear-
ing in councilors, calling it a
“celebration of democracy.”
“Tonight we affirm that our
democracy is greater than any
individual or party,” Russell
said.
The new councilors all said
they were excited and ready to
start serving the community.
“Even on a day like today …
I am so excited about the pos-
sibilities for what these next
years hold,” Perkins said.
The ceremony ushered in
what is believed to be Bend’s
most diverse council in his-
tory, with a female majority
for the first time and the first
queer councilor of color.
This fact was not lost on
Councilor Barb Campbell.
“I am so happy to see after
decades and decades of coun-
Schools
Continued from A1
The transition to in-person
learning will start slowly, over a
four-week period.
Next week, students in grades
K-3 will return to their schools
for a one-day orientation, going
over safety and protocols. These
students will start Monday-Fri-
day, full-time in-person learn-
ing on Jan. 25.
During the week of Jan. 25,
fourth and fifth graders will
also have a one-day orienta-
tion. They’ll start in-person
school on Feb. 1,, but in a hy-
brid model — half of students
will be in school Mondays and
Thursdays, the other half will
be in school Tuesdays and Fri-
days. When not inside class-
rooms, students will continue
distance learning.
For all elementary students,
the only live Webex instruction
for the two weeks prior to re-
turning to classrooms will be
daily morning meetings. All
other online instruction will be
done over the Seesaw or Goo-
gle Classroom online learning
portals.
Ninth-graders will have two
possible weeks to visit their
high schools for orientation
sessions: the week of Jan. 25 and
the week of Feb. 1. This is be-
cause the district’s three largest
high schools have between 350-
500 ninth graders, and more
days are needed to bring them
Four new members took an oath of office to join the Bend City Council in a virtual ceremony on Wednes-
day. The new councilors are Anthony Broadman, top left, and Melanie Kebler, Megan Perkins and Rita
Schenkelberg, left to right in the middle row.
cils that were mostly men,
now we have more women,
which I think is only fair,”
Campbell said Wednesday. “I
just think it’s going to be an
interesting and exciting coun-
cil.”
The new council will begin
setting goals for the next two
years at a meeting on Jan. 20.
back in a socially distanced
fashion, said Katie Legace, the
district’s deputy superintendent.
Middle school students will
also have their one-day orienta-
tion some time during the week
of Feb. 1. Older high school stu-
dents will not have an orienta-
tion day.
All middle and high school
students will start hybrid
in-person learning on Feb. 8,
two weeks after K-3 students
return. Before then, online in-
struction will not include live
Webex sessions.
One major benefit of these
transitional weeks is giving
teachers more time to prepare
for teaching classes in-person
after months of online instruc-
tion, Nordquist said.
“Teaching comprehensive
distance learning and teach-
ing students in your classroom
looks very different,” she said.
No matter what, elementary
students will return to class-
rooms in the next few weeks,
Nordquist said. But if local
COVID-19 numbers spike
later in January, middle and
high schoolers’ return may be
pushed back, she said.
Families who do not want
their children back in class-
rooms yet can enroll into
Bend-La Pine Online, a
long-running online school
program with dedicated teach-
ers, Nordquist said. The oppo-
site is also true: the approxi-
mately 1,300 students currently
in Bend-La Pine Online can
leave and join in-person learn-
ing.
State-required COVID-19
safety precautions, like mask
wearing, social distancing and
hand washing, will be enforced
in schools, Nordquist said.
Sarah Barclay, president
of the Bend Education Asso-
ciation teachers’ union, said
schools must be vigilant to en-
sure those COVID-19 rules are
followed.
“There’s no way this is going
to be 0% risk, but we can mit-
igate it as much as possible by
following safety procedures,”
she said.
Barclay added that although
the teachers’ union will not
delay the start of school un-
til teachers are vaccinated —
which isn’t expected to happen
until the spring — the organiza-
tion will push for educators to
receive the vaccine soon.
“We will continue to press on
anyone who will listen to speed
up that process, so we can get
vaccines as quickly as possible,”
she said.
Local parents had mixed re-
actions to Bend-La Pine’s re-
opening plan.
Kerstin Arias, whose son at-
tends sixth grade at High Des-
ert Middle School, said she was
excited for him to return to
class, as long as COVID-19 pre-
cautions were followed.
“I’m hyped, I’m pumped up,”
she said. “Kids need to be at
school. They need to be around
other children.”
Nicole Perullo — mother
of a fifth grader at William E.
Miller Elementary and twin
seventh graders at Pacific Crest
Middle School — called the re-
opening plan an “epic failure.”
She believes schools shouldn’t
reopen while COVID-19 num-
bers are high, unvaccinated
teachers are being put at risk,
and schools will continuously
open and close over and over as
COVID-19 spikes throughout
the winter.
“I would like (my kids) to
go back,” Perullo said. “I’m just
very nervous about the num-
bers.”
Jose Pacheco — father of
a kindergartner and fourth
grader at the K-8 Highland
Magnet at Kenwood School
and a sixth grader at High Des-
ert Middle School — said he’ll
likely send his two youngest
back to school, as the family al-
ready contracted COVID-19 in
October. He’ll let his oldest son
choose between returning to
High Desert or online school.
But Pacheco, a nurse at St.
Charles Bend, stressed that
families need to take this deci-
sion seriously.
“Everybody should weigh
their options,” he said. “If
grandma lives at home and she’s
at risk, probably not a good idea
to go back (to school).”
COVID-19 patients — the
thinking being these untested
treatments could possibly help
and were unlikely to harm. But
they’ve since been proven re-
peatedly to be ineffective. By
contrast, the steroid dexameth-
asone seems to give patients
a slight survival advantage,
though Baskerville cautioned it
wasn’t a “game-changer.”
“I tell you, (the pandemic)
has really taught us the humil-
ity of medicine,” he said. “We
think that we have the best
drugs and the best treatments
and the best hospitals in the
world, and we probably do, but
all it takes is one small virus to
derail the whole train.”
COVID-19 is essentially a
very bad viral pneumonia. By
the time patients reach Bask-
erville in the ICU, they’re in
pretty bad shape. There’s not a
lot he can do.
“You try to give the drugs
that work and eventually they
do tire out and go on a venti-
lator, and we try to shepherd
them through as best we can,”
he said. “But it is kind of wait
and see, and do no further
harm.”
Watching patients on ventila-
tors slowly die instills humility,
he said. Same with seeing them
say goodbye to their grandchil-
dren through an iPad.
“Who would ever think that
in our nation, people would die
alone from what is essentially a
flu-type virus?” he said.
Throughout the pandemic,
Baskerville has served as an
expert witness for the Oregon
Habeas Strike Force, a non-
profit legal defense group, tes-
tifying on behalf of more than
100 prisoners who’ve requested
early release due to health risks
associated with contracting the
virus. He’s been so busy lately
he now regularly appears in
court via video from the ICU,
always careful to keep patients
out of view.
Baskerville’s wife, Jennifer,
a registered nurse, has worked
throughout the pandemic as
a COVID-19 case investigator
for Deschutes County Public
Health, attempting to quickly
locate the newly infected
to help stanch the disease’s
spread. The pandemic has kept
the couple’s three kids away
from their schools, and their
friends, which has meant Mark
Baskerville’s presence around
the home is appreciated, she
said.
“It’s nice. When he’s home
we get him all to ourselves,”
she said.
And when he heads back
to Portland for another week
in the ICU, he switches gears
somewhere near Warm
Springs, he said.
“I never really feel stressed
from work. Sometimes I feel
tired, or frustrated, but I think
it helps living over here,” he
said.
He had one request for Bul-
letin readers: “Please, get the
vaccine.”
“I don’t have a crystal ball,
but I don’t think we’re out
of the woods yet,” he said.
“It would be horrible if we
dropped the ball right in front
of the end zone.”
e e
e e
Reporter: 541-633-2160,
bvisser@bendbulletin.com
Reporter: 541-617-7854,
jhogan@bendbulletin.com
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
eToday adds astuteness to your financial strategies. Examine em-
ployment and investment options. You will feel restless. A journey could be
refreshing and enlightening now. You would enjoy visiting a historical shrine
or monument. Tonight: Allow yourself plenty of rest.
Challenges
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
“We’re about as busy as
we’ve ever been,” Baskerville
said. “Oregon’s gotten lucky.
Whether we want to realize
that or not, we have. Remem-
ber what happened in New
York in the beginning, and
then in Florida, and then a
little later in Houston? We’ve
never seen that, although we’ve
prepared for it. I think it finally
caught up with us, and all these
surge plans we created back
in April, we’re implementing
now.”
Baskerville expects the cur-
rent surge, driven by people re-
turning indoors due to colder
weather, to last until about
mid-January.
Oregon has gotten some
things right and some things
wrong in preparing for the un-
precedented. In some ways,
the conventional wisdom at
OHSU is now 180-degrees
different than in April. Back
then, anti-malarial drugs like
chloroquine were given to
eA partnership becomes more intense and committed. Be aware of
how your deepest relationships are impacting you. A business contact offers
an unusual opportunity that you should consider carefully. In-laws want to
become closer. Tonight: People from your past call or email.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
eKeep the cold at bay with hot chocolate or steaming herb teas. Your
health might need some minor attention. It’s an ideal time to make needed
changes and to examine how hereditary influences might impact your
health. Tonight: You’re more important to your partner than you realize.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
ePassions are strong. You feel the need to right a wrong or confront a
problem. Cultivate a creative outlet to focus your energy in a productive way.
A child is a source of pride and delight. Tonight: Share your activities with one
you care for.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
eLet pleasure eclipse business and worry today. Use fragrant oils to
create an atmosphere of beauty and joy. Accept invitations and plan an on-
line party. It is a marvelous day to encourage a new love. Tonight: You will be
especially in tune with family.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
eToday has an energizing quality and favors exercise, bringing a
competitive attitude. Short journeys around the neighborhood are inspi-
rational as well as educational. Life is less serious and there is time to laugh.
Tonight: See humor in the whimsical caprice of a partner.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
eBe flexible about learning a new job skill. It relates to work you
already do, such as editing a project you have already finished. Your income
might be less steady, but this can provide a new opportunity. Tonight: You
discover new sources of delight.
Continued from A1
e e
Reporter: 541-383-0325, g
andrews@bendbulletin.com
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
eToday enhances your confidence and brings an opportunity for
creative expression. It’s a great time to enjoy dance. Others share confidences
about the recent holidays. It is wise to remain discreet. Tonight: Use humor
and patience with others and postpone romantic entanglements.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
eToday begins with the need to dream and plan privately; others
might not understand. Your intuition guides you successfully. You have the
energy to complete more work, resulting in reward and praise. Tonight: A
friend can become a closer partner. Even a romantic interest.
Happy New Year
from
New Year, New You
NEW CLIENT SPECIAL
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
eYou become a very effective, influential person today. Frustrations
ebb. It’s the start of a perfect time to study ultramodern technologies. Trust
your intuition regarding new acquaintances. Your circle of friends widens.
Tonight: Discard a situation you have outgrown.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
eImportant work and concerns come to your attention. Others
depend on you today. Your visibility comes to the fore. Put your best foot
forward and strive to make the best possible impression. Tonight: You’ll have
an opportunity to demonstrate your highest potential.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
eToday generates refreshing new goals. Helpful, supportive
people offer encouragement. You are inspired by new concepts and pos-
sibilities. It’s easy to gather information. An adventurous mood prevails.
Communication with a neighbor or sibling is awkward. Tonight: Time heals
misunderstandings.
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