Community
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
A3
SHARING ‘LOVE ON A LEASH’
Evacuee shares
therapy dogs at
fire camp
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — Feeling
helpless against the raging
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that has threatened her Dean
Creek cabin adjacent to Up-
per Pine Creek, Yvonne Pe-
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trauma by helping others with
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Zachary and Henry.
She stayed several days at
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ing her dogs at the Grant Coun-
ty Fairgrounds while waiting
for news about her cabin’s fate.
She has seen the soothing
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“Here at 5:30 a.m., big bur-
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had a stern expression — and
as soon as they see the dogs,
they get a big smile,” she said.
Part of having therapy dogs
is also sitting down to talk with
people.
“One Native American
woman told me all about her
life and took three stuffed-ani-
mal dogs for her children,” she
said.
The basket of toys was do-
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Enjoying a visit with the therapy dogs at the fire camp petting station are
(clockwise) camp crew members Lorinda Chicharello (front, left) of Ramah,
NM, and Harris Skeet of Pinehill, NM, equipment transport driver Kay Steele, of
Ritter, and Blue Mountain Hospital paramedic Kara Kohfield, of John Day.
nated by New Hope for Eastern
Oregon Animals.
“Some say, ‘Thank you, this
is the best part of our day,’” Pe-
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She noticed the dogs were
especially needed last Fri-
day, the day before the winds
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threatened Prairie City.
She has, perhaps, needed the
calm her therapy dogs bring, as
much as anyone.
While her cabin is a get-
away spot, and not a primary
residence, it holds special sig-
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She built the remote home
at age 18 with help from some
local residents — the property,
80 acres at the time, was pur-
chased with inheritance money
from her father.
“So many people helped
build that cabin,” she said.
“They’re my family because I
didn’t have one.”
C OMMUNITY VOICES
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cancer patients at Mid-Colum-
bia Medical Center.
They “reduce their anxiety
and stress while the patients are
in the hospital,” she said.
Henry has also helped chil-
dren with learning disabilities
with the Read to Rover program.
“Those same healing and
communicative principles apply
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said.
The empathy has gone both
ways.
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near her cabin last week, she
said she started to get teary-
eyed.
Fire information officer
“I went back to the camp,
Sarah Gracey with the DQGDELJ¿UH¿JKWHUIURP%HQG
Kentucky Division of asked how I was doing,” she
Forestry holds therapy said.
dog Zachary. Gracey
He gave her a hug.
said she’s missed her
“It was really neat because
own dachshund back at every morning he would come
home in Frankfort, Ky.
and check on me,” she added.
So far, her cabin has sur-
An artist and author, Pe- vived the Canyon Creek Com-
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her Grant County cabin from ¿UHZDVVWLOOEXUQLQJIHHW
her home in The Dalles to edit a away.
Allowing others to enjoy
project on Aug. 14, the day the
&DQ\RQ &UHHN ¿UH ¿UVW EOHZ holding her dogs turned out
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out of control.
In the last two weeks, she VDLG 3HSLQ:DNH¿HOG ZKR
VSHQWQLQHGD\VDWWKH¿UHFDPS had to return to The Dalles
sleeping in the bed of her pick- last weekend.
“The only thing I could do
up.
In The Dalles, she volunteers was share the therapy dogs,”
with her dogs through the non- she said.
Your Rural Fa mily Health Clinic
Church bell tolls once again
People from
throughout Grant
County fill the
Fox Community
Church Aug. 23 for a
restoration fundraiser
that included a
potluck lunch and
entertainment from
a variety of area
musicians.
For the Blue Mountain Eagle
Congregation
members
donate money
and material to
restore building
The bell tones echoed
across the valley and up the
hillsides from the old Fox
Church steeple, for the first
time in a long time — and
people heard the call.
In spite of the disastrous
event of unrestrainable wild-
fires and smoke, there was
standing-room only inside
the church for a restoration
fundraiser Aug. 23.
A small group of descen-
dants from the early settlers,
who built the church in
1889, have tried to maintain
this inheritance, but lack of
resources — financial, mate-
rial and manpower — were
a great deterrent until “hope
rained eternal” with a lun-
cheon and old-time gospel
music service.
The Grant County Pick-
ers, led by Ron Phillips,
played until dusk. A brief
message and history of the
church was presented by
Jackie and Katie Johns.
Those attending were gen-
erous with donations and
pledges of help and material.
Al Cummings has already
begun repairs on the front
steps and ramp.
The church was built by
community cooperation on
land donated by Frank Mc-
Girr. It seems only appro-
priate that the community
restore it and resume service
HEALTH
Department
528 E. Main, St. E,
John Day
Monday - Friday
8am - 5pm
Karen Triplett, FNP
Services Provided:
By Reiba Carter Smith
and Gaye Pruit
Grant County
• Primary Care
• Acute Care
• Women’s Health
Exams
• Men and
Children Exams
• Immunizations
• Family Planning
• Contraception
• Pregnancy Testing &
Referrals
• HIV Testing &
Referrals
• Cacoon
• WIC
• High Risk Infants
• Maternity Case
Management
Grant County Health Department does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin,
disability, or age in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activitie s, or in employment.
Appointments
available
Call and schedule your
appointment today!
TOLL FREE
888-443-9104
or 541-575-0429
Contributed photo
to the people.
The residents of the Fox
Valley area are so grateful
and appreciative of every-
one who attended the fund-
raiser and would welcome
anyone interested in the
restoration and salvation of
this heritage.
For more information or
to make a donation, contact
Pat McGirr, 541-421-3379.
Reiba Carter Smith and
Gaye Pruit are members of
the Long Creek Historical
Society.
Ira and I would like to say THANK YOU to
all who have given their time and efforts in
this difficult time, the firefighters, law
enforcement, the volunteers, the friends,
and the distance support we have received
from sister churches and loved ones.
We are so thankful to be alive, and we are
looking to the future with hope and
anticipation. Grant County is a great place
to live. God bless you all.
NO ONE KNOWS YOUR EQUIPMENT BETTER.
Your AGCO Parts Dealer has the parts you need when you need them.
Hardware, chain, batteries, tillage, belts, cutting parts. We have the quality
parts you need to keep your AGCO equipment running smoothly during
the demanding harvest season.
Highly trained service personnel at AGCO Parts make it all come together,
so you can rest easy. Visit your AGCO Parts Dealer and get the parts and
services you need to “Keep you in the Field” this season. Find out more at
agcoparts.com.
LANDOWNERS
With Burned Timber Call
IRON TRIANGLE, LLC
• Finding best price for your timber
• Fast removal to retain value
• Assistance in cleanup
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02607
Contact Russ or Phil at:
Iron Triangle, LLC
(541) 575-2102