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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 2015)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 11, 2015 PATH Continued from Page A1 Contributed photo Hugh Laurance, second from left, receives an Army promotion during a ceremony at Munich, Germany, his daughters, Patricia and Judy standing at his side. NC. She spent seven years in the service, and she currently is a cook at Blue Mountain Hospital. Melanson’s sons have also chosen a military path. Jason, 23, joined the Air Force three years ago and cur- rently works in a hospital in Dover, Del., and is an E-4. Ryan, 20, is an E-3 mortar man in the Marines, trained for combat. “He got back from Kuwait in October after six months,” she said. “I’m very pleased with their choices,” she said, add- ing they each had their rea- sons behind joining the ser- vice, interested in serving their country, traveling and gaining a college education. Staff at the School- based Health Center located at Grant Union include family nurse practitioner Karen Triplett, left, coordinator and registered nurse Jessica Winegar, support staff Cindy Baker, and mental health counselor SaraJane Moore. HEALTH Continued from Page A1 Mental health counselor SaraJane Moore, also a new staff member, is available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Winegar said mental health counseling is a wel- come and much needed addi- tion to the health center, with Moore available to help with mental health crises on a rou- tine basis. The health center offers sports physicals, vaccina- tions and well-child visits. Patient care also includes: primary care, strep test, rap- id À u test, throat cultures, as well as help for headaches, freezing off moles, checking for infection in wounds, and checking iron level, hearing vision, height and weight. Winegar stated they do not distribute condoms or other forms of birth control at the school. School vaccinations are given mainly on Tuesday af- ternoons. “Twelve-year-old students will need to be up-to-date on Tdap shots by January, and they’ll be excluded from school if they don’t have them by February,” Winegar said. She noted they will visit outlying schools on Nov. 16 When asked what advice she has for others considering the military option, she said, “Do the research.” She said it’s important to ¿ nd the jobs available and know what direction to take. “Don’t go in open contract, because they will put you where they want to,” she said, adding, “If you have some college, you could be a can- didate for of¿ cer candidate school.” Melanson said her dad was “the catalyst” for 12 members of her family in three gener- ations serving in the military. She said her family didn’t see her dad a lot until they moved to Germany when she was 13 years old. “We moved overseas to be with him,” she said. She added, “As a military family, we were given the opportunity to do so many things, travel through Europe, including Italy, France and Germany, and learn the lan- guage.” Through it all her mom kept the family going, she said, getting the house packed up and everyone where they needed to be, sometimes on short notice. “I’d like to recognize my mom, too,” she said. “She was such a trooper all those years.” The Eagle/Kim Kell in Long Creek, Monument and Dayville to offer À u shots and school required vaccines. Winegar has taken over where Lindsay Maghan left off as coordinator last school year. “Karen Triplett and Lind- say Maghan worked very hard to get this going, along with other Grant County Health Department and Com- munity Counseling Solutions staff,” Winegar said. “They did a wonderful job, and I’m happy to be a part of the Grant County Health Department.” The medical sponsor for the health center at Grant Union is the county health de- partment. Winegar said appoint- ments may be made by calling the health department at 541- 575-0429, and walk-ins are also welcome. Debbie Ausmus 245 South Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845 OPEN WED. & THUR. 9 am - 5 pm Remembering 541-575-1113 24 hrs/7 days wk those who debbie.ausmus@ countryfinancial.com Please call 541-523-2522 or visit www.eltrym.com for movies and showtimes. $9 Adult, $7 Senior (60+), Youth gave their lives for our freedom… Veterans Day Nov. 11, 2015 A PROUD SALUTE to those who have courageously risked their lives fighting for our freedoms. Grant County VETERAN SERVICES OFFICE MEMORIAL CHAPEL 2830 10th St., Baker City, OR 541-524-0122 EVERY OTHER TUESDAY 241 S. Canyon John Day (541) 575-0529 Grant County Courthouse 541-575-1631 02948 Melanson’s family moved frequently, sometimes one to three times a year, and while her three sisters were outgo- ing and made friends easily, she said she was on the quiet side as a teenager. “I came out of high school very undecided as to what I wanted to do,” she said. “When I decided to join the Marines, my dad was shocked.” 6he said at ¿ rst he wasn’t sure she could do it. “I came out of my shell and enjoyed most of my tours in the service and loved meet- ing all the people that I did,” she said. The Marines, where she ranked sergeant E-5, brought adventure, including rap- pelling off buildings, driving a tank, shooting an M-60 on top of the tank, and shooting a .45 caliber pistol. Her job was mainly admin- istrative, and she spent time in Yakima, Wash., training 200 reservists in a tank battalion for wartime, who were later mobilized. Boot camp was in Paris Island, SC, and she was also stationed at Camp LeJeune, A3