Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $1.50
Friday • March 26, 2021
A TRIP TO WILLOW CREEK CANYON
EXPLORE, B1
SPORTS PULLOUT, B3-6
COVID-19 | Mosaic Medical, La Pine health center
Additional vaccines are available for patients
By SUZaNNE rOiG
The Bulletin
A federal program is enabling Mo-
saic Medical to offer COVID-19 vac-
cines to any patients 45 and older, and
those who have been disproportion-
ately affected by the virus, sooner than
the state’s schedule.
The same program will become a
“Our mission is to serve all those who need health care in the community
with special outreach to vulnerable populations.”
— Elaine Knobbs-Seasholtz, Mosaic Medical director of Strategy and development
steady pipeline of vaccines for the La
Pine Community Health Center to be
given to its elderly population still in
need of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The pilot program has been selected
for nearly a dozen federally qualified
health centers in Oregon and allows
for vaccines to be given to patients out-
side of the Oregon Health Authority’s
schedule. As a federally qualified health
center serving vulnerable populations,
Mosaic Medical will allow for nearly
three-fourths of its 27,000 patients
to qualify for a vaccine, said Elaine
Knobbs-Seasholtz, Mosaic Medical di-
AMITY CREEK MAGNET
rector of Strategy and Development.
“There are only two in the region
in this federal program to give us di-
rect dispersal in the next two weeks,”
Knobbs-Seasholtz said. “Our mission
is to serve all those who need health
care in the community with special
outreach to vulnerable populations.”
See Vaccines / A6
OREGON LEGISLATURE
Overhaul finds balance
between classic, modern
Budget writers
come up
with 2021-23
framework
By PETEr WONG
Oregon Capital Bureau
The co-leaders of the Oregon Legislature’s
budget committee have laid out their frame-
work for balancing the next two-year state
budget with more than $2 billion in federal
aid from President Joe Biden’s pandemic re-
covery plan.
The framework, which they announced
Wednesday, will enable lawmakers to main-
tain state aid to public schools, state-sup-
ported health care and other services with-
out many of the cuts proposed in Gov. Kate
Brown’s original $25.6 billion budget back
on Dec. 1.
The state school fund will be at $9.1 bil-
lion, excluding the money from the corpo-
rate activity tax that districts get for targeted
programs and separate federal aid to enable
districts to reopen schools.
The Oregon Health Plan, which enrolls
1.25 million low-income people, will be
maintained without cuts. The federal gov-
ernment has raised its share of the joint fed-
eral-state program through Dec. 31 of this
year.
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
a classroom is fully updated after a remodel of amity Creek Magnet at Thompson School in Bend.
By JaCKSON HOGaN
The Bulletin
After 72 years, one of Central
Oregon’s oldest schoolhouses re-
ceived a $3.8 million overhaul over
the past year. Nearly all of Amity
Creek Magnet at Thompson School
— everything but the kitchen, bath-
rooms and a closet — was updated.
But staff — who’ve returned to
“The architects really preserved the feel of this building.
It just has that warmth that this school has always had.”
— andy Slavin, amity Creek principal
the remodeled building when it
opened March 15 — appreciate that
Bend-La Pine Schools preserved
the K-5 school’s retro charm.
“I loved Amity before there were
renovations — it was like an old
house you can never really afford,”
said first-grade teacher Amanda
Bowers. “Now, it’s an old house that’s
been renovated while maintaining
the charm and historical features.”
But just as important to teachers
were the new amenities: energy-ef-
ficient lighting and fans, student
lockers rather than coat hangers,
and fancy new projectors in every
classroom.
‘A game-changer’
The budget framework also proposes
$780 million from Oregon’s $2.6 billion
share of federal aid for programs and ser-
vices envisioned under Biden’s plan, which
became law on March 12.
The overall $1.9 trillion plan passed both
houses of Congress without any Republican
support.
“The federal aid in the American Rescue
Plan is a game-changer,” Rep. Dan Rayfield,
a Democrat from Corvallis and one of the
chief budget writers, said in a statement.
“This support is critical to our recovery and
will help the state continue vital programs
and services for Oregonians who have been
disproportionately impacted by the crises of
the past year.”
See amity Creek / A6
See Budget / A4
Starbucks is proposed at Madras gateway property
By KyLE SPUrr
The Bulletin
The gateway to Madras
could soon become a Star-
TODAY’S
WEATHER
bucks coffee shop.
Ertle Development Partners,
an Arizona-based development
company, submitted a pro-
Sunshine
High 59, Low 31
Page B5
INDEX
posal to build a 2,000-square-
foot Starbucks with a patio and
drive-thru on the vacant “South
Y” gateway, where vehicles trav-
Business
Classifieds
Comics
A7-8
B6
B7-8
Dear Abby
A8
Editorial
A5
Explore B1-2, 9-10
eling north on U.S. Highway 97
enter a split into a one-way street
through downtown Madras.
Jake Ertle, who runs the
company with his father, Rusty,
said the plan needs to be nego-
tiated with Jefferson County,
Horoscope
Local/State
Obituaries
A8
A2, 4, 6
A8
Puzzles
Sports
B8
B3-5
which bought the property
from the Oregon Department
of Transportation for $205,629
with the intent to sell the space
for immediate development.
The development company’s
proposal is to buy the property
The Bulletin
An Independent Newspaper
We use
recycled
newsprint
Vol. 119, No. 73, 18 pages, 2 sections
for $210,000 and complete the
coffee shop within 16 months.
A second phase would include
building a 3,375-square-foot
retail building for a brewery or
restaurant.
See Madras / A6
DAILY
Arizona-based development firm would finish project in 16 months
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