A10 The BulleTin • Sunday, March 21, 2021
Medford Police
warn of wave of
Prius part thefts
BY NICK MORGAN
Mail Tribune (Medford)
Submitted photo
Melody Horner’s children Rylan Cox, 5, left, and Ayva Zukoski, 7, read a book included in the PAWsitive Choices curriculum.
Learning
Continued from A1
And after the COVID-19
pandemic forced students to
learn from home, Kealey created
an at-home version of the cur-
riculum to help parents thrust
into being temporary teachers.
Kealey, now an instructor in
OSU-Cascades’ elementary ed-
ucation teaching program, be-
gan using PAWsitive Choices
in January to teach college stu-
dents how to manage their fu-
ture classrooms. She believes
this could lower the turnover
rate for local teachers, as these
newbies will enter schools
knowing how to successfully
and empathetically regulate
student behavior.
“These (college) students
realizing they have a tool they
Oil trains
Continued from A1
The issue is not a new one
in Central Oregon. Conversa-
tion about oil trains and safety
came to the forefront in 2016
after a major derailment spilled
roughly 42,000 gallons of crude
oil in the community of Mosier
in the Columbia River Gorge.
Roughly one train carrying
fossil fuels comes through De-
schutes County each week, said
Courtney Wallace, a spokes-
person for BNSF Railway.
The goal of the city’s envi-
ronmental committee is to re-
search what the city can and
can’t do, and make recommen-
dations on what kind of regu-
lations the city should advocate
for on a federal level, Kebler
said.
This could take the form of a
local resolution, she said.
“We’re always going to be
dealing with the fact that we
have a railroad going through
the middle of the city,” Kebler
said. “Beyond moving the rail-
road out of town, we need to
look for how to regulate or
advocate for regulation (of)
safety, especially for our core.”
An email from the environ-
mental organization 350 De-
schutes is what prompted Ke-
bler and Goodman-Campbell
to raise the issue now, both
councilors said.
Diane Hodiak, of 350 De-
schutes, said several cities, in-
cluding Eugene and Portland,
have passed resolutions oppos-
ing fossil fuel by rail. There is
very little a local community
can do to regulate oil trains, so
resolutions and advocacy is the
best way to raise awareness.
“We finally have councilors
that recognize that we’re not
trying to stop (fossil fuels)...
we know that people are de-
pendent on that,” Hodiak said.
“That’s not what we intend to
stop, but we would like to see
this industry be more respon-
sible.”
Hodiak said the main con-
cern is how an explosion
would impact the city. Accord-
ing to research done by Stand.
Earth, an environmental advo-
cacy organization, people and
natural resources within a half
mile of an explosion are the
most at risk. Fire risk is greatest
within a mile of the blast.
can use when they have their
first classroom is reassuring for
them,” Kealey said.
Rachel Schuetz, the head of
OSU-Cascades’ elementary ed-
ucation program, said the pro-
gram worked for her family.
She was one of the first to test
out Kealey’s at-home version
of PAWsitive Choices in the
spring of 2020, with her 4-year-
old son.
The program’s non-punitive
approach to discipline — kids
are expected to write apology
letters, explain their feelings
and find a solution when con-
flict arises — is a breath of
fresh air, Schuetz said.
“There’s not a culture of
blame or humiliation, it’s a cul-
ture of growth and respect,”
she said. “I wish when I was a
classroom teacher, I had a sys-
tem like PAWsitive Choices.”
Schuetz isn’t the only parent
who’s used PAWsitive Choices
in the past year. In the spring of
2020, Kealey adapted her cur-
riculum for at-home learning,
after multiple local teachers
told her families were strug-
gling with behavioral issues.
Since last year, about 250
local families have either pur-
chased the at-home PAWsitive
Choices curriculum, or re-
ceived a free copy through the
parenting-focused non-profit
Family Resource Center of
Central Oregon, Kealey said.
Kealey said she’s heard pos-
itive feedback from many par-
ents about her program. One
mother had 7- and 3-year-old
kids who kept disrupting her
work-from-home Zoom meet-
ings. PAWsitive Choices’ em-
About 12 schools are within
those ranges, according to 350
Deschutes, along with several
parks and homes.
“These trains make our
communities vulnerable, and
many times it’s low income
people of color who are most
vulnerable because they live in
neighborhoods closest to the
tracks,” she said.
Wallace, the spokesperson
for BNSF, said in an email
safety is a top priority and that
“99.99%” of all BNSF’s hazard-
ous materials shipments are
delivered “without an acciden-
tal release.”
“BNSF has invested in new
technologies and infrastruc-
ture to further reduce risks and
enhance safety. For example,
BNSF has a very robust track
inspection program, which
meets all federal standards and
utilizes highly skilled track in-
spectors and advanced tech-
nology,” Wallace said in an
email. “BNSF has made signif-
icant investments in inspection
and detection technology to
enhance the regular manual
inspection process and help
identify defects or problem ar-
eas that cannot be detected by
the human eye.”
Another concern 350 De-
schutes has around oil train de-
railments is the ability for the
local community to respond.
Wallace said BNSF has re-
sponse plans for different
emergency scenarios, which
include specialized equipment
and staff across the state to re-
spond if something does hap-
pen, with the closest in Cen-
tral Oregon being staged in
Prineville.
Bill Boos, the Bend Fire op-
erations chief, said the region is
in a better position to respond
than in years past, thanks to
access to trucks that deploy
foam to put out oil fires that
are staged north and south of
Bend.
The city also has access to
the Hazmat team in Salem
which, against what one may
think, responds in about the
same amount of time, if not
faster, than the team formerly
staged in Redmond, Boos said.
The biggest thing that would
help improve response to an
oil explosion or derailment
would be knowing from the
phasis on teaching kids to solve
their own conflicts helped this
mother greatly, Kealey said.
“She wasn’t having to break
away and apologize to her col-
leagues for solving her chil-
drens’ issues. They were able to
solve it themselves,” she said.
“And the kids took pride in
that.”
Kealey said she’s excited that
her program is growing, not
just in classrooms, but in fami-
lies’ homes as well.
“Now, there’s a bridge be-
tween schools and families, be-
ing able to have that common
language,” she said. “When
schools and families are on the
same page, helping each other,
that’s when we see children
thrive.”
e e
Reporter: 541-617-7854,
jhogan@bendbulletin.com
train companies when hazard-
ous materials are scheduled to
come through Bend, Boos said.
“We’ve asked for that, but
there’s no way,” Boos said.
“They are not going to do it.”
This is due to concerns over
terrorism, Boos said.
There have been improve-
ments since the last time the
council chose to advocate on
this issue, said Mayor Sally
Russell, who was a councilor
at the time. Tankers were up-
graded and older, more vul-
nerable rail cars were phased
out after the Mosier incident,
she said.
Russell said the conversation
is bigger than just oil trains.
The city needs to advocate for a
more efficient way to upgrade
and make railroad crossings
safer, like overcrossings, which
makes things safer for people
and the trains.
“Regardless of whatever
load the railroads carry, I think
there are some safety issues
and dysfunctionality issues
that deserve to be addressed,”
Russell said.
e e
Reporter: 541-633-2160,
bvisser@bendbulletin.com
Following a wave of catalytic
converter thefts, including one
caught on video in west Med-
ford, police are recommending
that local Toyota Prius owners
take precautions.
In a video posted Wednes-
day on the Medford Police de-
partment’s Facebook page, un-
identified thieves can be seen
pulling up next to a parked
2000s model Prius and jacking
up the victim’s vehicle.
In the span of one min-
ute and 43 seconds, the
thieves make off with a part
that could turn into “a quick
$200,” according to Medford
police Lt. Mike Budreau.
Another apparent theft at-
tempt involving a Prius was
reported March 8, according
to Budreau.
In that case, the owner
brought their Prius in for ser-
vicing after getting a light on
the dash. The mechanic dis-
covered that the wire to the
vehicle’s O2 sensor had been
cut, but unlike about 10 other
vehicles in Medford over the
past year, that car kept its cat-
alytic converter.
It’s not clear why thieves
didn’t go through with the
most recent theft.
“Maybe it was interrupted,”
Budreau said.
Although catalytic convert-
ers are a common emissions
control device on all modern
Relief
Continued from A1
Even before the Legisla-
ture approved $800 million in
additional spending in a De-
cember special session,
analysts expected state reve-
nues would be approximately
$800 million short of what
would be needed to maintain
the current level of services.
Staff at the Legislative Fiscal
Office expect the cost of pro-
viding a status quo level of
services to rise from $24 bil-
lion in the current two-year
budget, to $25.6 million in
2021-23.
As improving revenue fore-
casts erase some of the state’s
anticipated shortfall, that
could leave more of the fed-
eral aid up-for-grabs as law-
vehicles, the units on hybrid
vehicles such as the Prius
contain higher amounts of
precious metals such as plati-
num and palladium, accord-
ing to a 2019 Forbes report.
Budreau believes ease of
access to the part is another
factor as to why local thieves
are targeting Prius models.
“They’ve figured out a way
to get those off fast,” Budreau
said.
Catalytic converter thefts
routinely leave Prius owners
with repair bills in the thou-
sands of dollars.
A catalytic converter theft
involving a Prius parked at
Providence Medford Medical
Center the evening of Jan. 18
cost the owner $2,500 to re-
pair, according to a police re-
port provided by Budreau.
Other catalytic converter
thefts reported over the past
year that involved Priuses
included a Nov. 7 theft that
cost the owner $2,000 to re-
pair, and an Oct. 22 theft at a
Quality Inn.
Between August and the
first week of October, six
Prius catalytic converter
thefts were reported in park-
ing lots.
Budreau believes the
thieves are “actively look-
ing for Toyota Prius vehicles
that are exposed,” and rec-
ommends that Prius owners
avoid parking on streets and
open parking lots.
makers draft the next budget.
Interim Legislative Fiscal Of-
ficer Laurie Byerly said states
are still waiting for guidance
from the Department of
Treasury so it is unclear the
degree of flexibility the state
will have to spend the funds.
Oregon governments also
received $1.8 billion for a va-
riety of specific uses, includ-
ing to distribute for rental as-
sistance and $499 million for
schools, through Congress’
December relief bill and
$2.45 billion from the CARES
Act earlier in 2020.
Unlike the cash payments
that can land in people’s bank
accounts fairly quickly, fed-
eral aid that flows to govern-
ments can take months to
make its way to specific pro-
grams or recipients.
OBITUARY
Robert Henry Schock
July 24, 1928 - February 26, 2021.
“Bob” was born and raised in Los Angeles and after
graduation from Pomona College and service in
the Air Force moved to Newport Beach, California
to join his brother in establishing Schock Brothers,
building sailboats. Surfing, sand volleyball, and
especially sailing and winning races were his
passions. Later he began his career as a stock
broker. He rose to become a partner in Goodbody
& Company, managing offices in Corona Del Mar,
Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. In 1970, wishing
to be an independent market analyst, Bob left his
Southern California life behind and moved with his
wife, Janice, and their four children to Bend to enjoy
the slopes and lakes and the special community that
was Bend. Somewhat of a pioneer in working from
home, he found time to build a small, authentic log
cabin. It sat beside a large pond for swimming and
skating he and his boys dug with the Case tractor
he loved. He fenced and put in pasture to try his
hand at small scale cattle ranching. The “ranch life”
enabled the family to have a family dog and cat and
chickens, and a horse in the barn he built. There
are no end of hilarious stories stemming from this
adventure in farm life. Bob eagerly followed his
children’s and grandchildren’s sports events. He
was always ready to answer a call for support of
school and sports programs. He was on the SMART
Leadership Council, Salvation Army Board, the St.
Charles Foundation, and a strong supporter of the
COCC Scholarship Program. He is survived by his
wife of sixty six years, Janice, their sons Michael
(Angela), Bradley (Karin), and Spencer (Heather)
and daughter Molly and a large covey of beautiful
grandchildren.
Remembrances may be sent to Partners in Care,
2075 N.E. Wyatt Court, Bend, OR 97701 or to the
community charity of your choice.