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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 2018)
A18 News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, March 28, 2018 PLANT 911 SCHOOL Continued from Page A1 Continued from Page A1 Continued from Page A1 by hog fuel from the Mal- heur mill or other sources. The dried chips will be roasted in a 70- to 80-foot- long rotary kiln heated by the reaction inside, Kru- menauer said. The torrefied material will then be cooled and compressed into bri- quettes for shipment. Torre- fied biomass contains high energy with low weight, is stable and resists moisture. Krumenauer said plans now call for trucking the briquettes to Prineville, loading them on rail cars and then shipping them to a coastal port for export, or to a domestic user. He said initial talks have been held with the Port of Longview in Washington. One market for the bri- quettes is Japan, which is interested in substituting torrefied biomass for coal at electrical-generating plants, but additional negotiations with customers will take place over the following months, Krumenauer said. The U.S. Forest Service, which would be a main source of biomass for the John Day plant, has been very supportive of the proj- ect, he said. “We are excited for the opportunity to partner with and support the torrefaction plant,” Malheur National Forest Supervisor Steve Beverlin said. “It will pro- vide additional infrastruc- ture for processing bio- mass, like the new post and pole mill at Seneca.” Krumenauer said the plant will start small and ramp up production over the next three years. Pos- sible future changes in- clude loading wood chips in trucks returning from Prineville and using juniper trees as a source material. The Endowment consid- ers the plant to be an equity investment, but unlike the private sector, the Endow- ment is “more patient and flexible” about its invest- ments, Krumenauer said. The Endowment is willing to take more risk in order to help forest communities, he said. Communications Center. The size of the 911 User Board increased from 18 when it was cre- ated in 1989 to 28 today. Facing increasing and unsustainable costs, the John Day City Council voted unanimously in November to discontinue providing 911 dispatch service by June 30, 2019. The vote followed a failed ballot initiative that would have estab- lished a levy of $38 per $100,000 assessed value to support 911 dispatch service in Grant County. According to Green’s report to the board, the cost to run the 911 center was $425,244 in fiscal year 2017. The costs vary from year to year as does revenue from the state 911 tax on telephone bills, which was $274,501 in fiscal year 2017. John Day received $420,000 from the legis- lature to maintain 911 dispatch through the cur- rent biennium while a solution was found and implemented. A 911 Task Force reviewed three options — contracting with Frontier, forming a joint dispatch center with Grant and Harney counties or creating a new countywide entity in Grant County. The Harney County option was not developed in detail, Green told the board. Harney County was interested in the idea but would not set up a joint center in Grant County, he said. per capita basis to be unfair and did not recom- mended it. The Task Force instead looked at the Umatilla 911 Center’s cost-sharing system and developed a hybrid model, charging per call as well as by jurisdiction based on assessed tax val- ue not population determined that instead of being expelled, the student would be educated in an “al- ternative setting” for the rest of the semester. Rohner-Ingram told the Eagle that she believes the current issue is that school policy is not being followed correctly. “I expect the practices within the district to follow the policy, and most impor- tantly the law,” she told the Eagle. “I believe the board should diligently review whether this is happening within each school in their district. It is my opinion that on at least one occasion, if not more, Grant Union High School is not following the law regarding student disci- pline.” 911 user comments Student impacts PALMER Continued from Page A1 disclosed, but The Oregonian was awarded $28,337 in attor- ney fees. Palmer and DeFord also in- curred $41,355.62 in fees while represented by a private law firm, Hostetter Law Group, ac- cording to the new complaint, which claims the county must cover all of the fees. Palmer and DeFord’s attor- ney, Benjamin Boyd of Hostet- The Frontier option Frontier Regional 911 serves Gilliam, Jef- ferson, Sherman and Wheeler counties and the Burns Paiute Tribe. It is the only multi-county public safety answering point in Oregon. Wheel- er County Sheriff Chris Humphreys, who is chairman of Frontier’s board of directors, spoke to the 911 User Board. Frontier offered to provide 911 dispatch ser- vice to Grant County under a six-year contract for $300,000 per year, which would come to $30,000 after the average $270,000 from 911 phone tax was accounted for. Grant County would connect through the Frontier TeleNet system with a fiber optic backup for redundancy. Frontier offered to cover half the initial $126,500 connection cost and was willing to finance the rest on six-year terms with no in- terest. Humphreys said Frontier currently has 11 dis- patchers and would need three more if it served Grant County. Priority would be given to hire John Day dispatchers, he said. Humphreys said Frontier’s dispatchers are familiar with pager problems and radio dead spots and sometimes need to go through name lists and phone trees just like they do in John Day. He added that Frontier’s dispatchers learn local geography and names quickly, and he’s never seen service degradation due to regional dispatch. Sharing the costs Whether 911 dispatch stays local or is out- sourced, a cost-sharing system will be needed, Green said. An independent agency or a new county department will need to oversee it — John Day will no longer be financially responsible, he said. The 911 Task Force found sharing costs on a ter Law Group, declined to comment for this story. Coun- ty Judge Scott Myers said he would not discuss pending lit- igation. The suit claims the county has a duty to defend Palmer and DeFord because The Ore- gonian’s lawsuit was based on “alleged acts or omissions” in the performance of their duties. Palmer and DeFord requested that the county provide legal counsel for their defense, but the county did not respond in a timely manner, so they retained The Eagle/Richard Hanners Wheeler County Sheriff Chris Humphreys speaks on behalf of Frontier Regional 911 to Grant County’s 911 User Board at the Oregon Department of Forestry building in John Day March 20. Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer brought up the idea of creating a special district under state law, similar to what’s used for hospital, fire and cemetery districts. He noted that it could take several years to set up a special dis- trict that could establish a board of directors elected by voters countywide and could estab- lish a tax to fund the 911 system if approved by voters. Green noted that the 911 Task Force had not looked into raising taxes to fund 911 service. In explaining their positions on local or outsourced dispatch service, many of the rep- resentatives cited the need for dispatchers with local knowledge, and several supported the idea of creating a special district to oversee dispatch. Several wanted to somehow buy time until a special district could be set up or until the legislature increased the 911 tax on telephone bills when the law sunsets on Dec. 31, 2021. Grant County Judge Scott Myers, however, noted that it might not be wise to count on the state changing the 911 tax for the better — or making enough of an increase to help the fi- nancial situation. Economic conditions will get worse, Palm- er warned the board. The sheriff’s office is run- ning on a shoestring budget, he noted. Voters turned down the 911 ballot measure last fall and might not support creating a district, he added. With that said, he favored outsourcing 911 dispatch to Frontier. Seneca fire representative Josh Walker said he couldn’t approve of the Frontier option if Grant County would not have a voting position on the Frontier board. Green said a smooth transition process will take place, with no abrupt change. But John Day 911 dispatchers are concerned, and a severance package has been suggested as a way to keep dispatchers on the job through June 2019. private counsel, according to the suit. Except in cases of mal- feasance in office or willful or wanton neglect of duty, Ore- gon law requires public bodies, such as the county court, to de- fend its officers for acts occur- ring in the performance of their duties. The Grant County Court declined to pay for the attor- ney fees in a unanimous deci- sion in December 2016 after investigation determined the action was not covered by the Oregon Tort Claims Act. Keith Thomas, MD, FACS Board-Certified by the American Board of Surgery Myers previously told the Eagle Palmer’s actions regard- ing the records were personal, not in his official duties as sher- iff. He said District Attorney Jim Carpenter ordered Palmer and DeFord to produce the re- cords when they were request- ed by The Oregonian, but the records were not released until the lawsuit was filed. Myers said the county’s insurance company has also indicated it will not cover the sheriff in this matter. • General Surgery • Upper Endoscopy • Laparoscopy • Colonoscopy • Hernia, Gallbladder & Breast Surgery • Laparoscopic Hysterectomy when students miss school because of suspension and expulsion, they are not only missing those class days, but are more at risk of being sus- pended again, falling behind in school, dropping out and being drawn into the juvenile justice system,” Blood said. To improve outcomes for chil- dren in Grant County, “Grant Union administrators and staff will need to abandon the dra- conian measures taken against students for typical adolescent behavior,” she said. Numerous parents and stu- dents spoke of similar experi- ences and frustrations, Blood said, and some said they were unwilling to confront school administrators “out of fear of retaliation by the school.” Both Blood and Weigum de- scribed to the Eagle instances of personal retaliation they claim resulted from their ef- forts to address this issue. Troubling numbers Offering the student on- line courses and a few hours Weigum provided the of tutoring per week was not a satisfactory solution board with a litany of statistics for Tracey Blood and Lisa to back up Blood. According Weigum, who also addressed to a 2016 student wellness survey, 46 percent of 11th the school board. Blood, a 1999 Grant graders at Grant Union report- Union graduate, is the ex- ed they could talk openly to ecutive director of teachers, compared to Prevent Child Abuse 61 percent statewide, Oregon, a nonprof- and 64 percent of the it organization. students reported feel- ing like teachers treat- Weigum, a 2003 ed them with respect, Grant Union grad- uate, is a substance compared to 76 per- cent statewide. abuse prevention co- Tracey ordinator with Com- About 78 percent Blood munity Counseling of the students report- ed hearing other stu- Solutions. They dents being bullied, spoke to the board as compared to 66 per- concerned citizens. cent statewide, and 85 “There is a need percent reported hear- for intervention, not ing another student discipline,” Weigum spread mean rumors told the Eagle. Lisa or leave other students In a three-page Weigum out of activities, com- letter to the school pared to 64 percent board, Blood said Grant Union’s practice of statewide. About 21 percent disciplinary response not reported bullying another stu- only fails to comply with dent physically or verbally, state law, it “has been proven compared to 12 percent state- to be detrimental to the de- wide. velopment of children.” About 21 percent of the Over five months of students were found to be in working with school admin- psychological distress, com- istrators and staff to imple- pared to 14 percent statewide, ment a “trauma-informed” and 28 percent reported seri- approach, Blood said she ously considering attempting saw an “inability or unwill- suicide, compared to 18 per- ingness” by Grant Union cent statewide. administrators to “ensure In his response to the pre- the needs of each student is sentation, School Board Vice met.” As a result, at least 12 Chairman Zach Williams students have left and en- noted that the numbers were rolled in online programs or “very troubling” and he didn’t at Prairie City High School, want to see students leaving school. she said. Williams said he grew up “At least seven of those have withdrawn in the last in Grant County and attend- two months alone,” she ed Grant Union High School. said. “Numerous others The culture in area schools have voiced their desire to has changed, he said, and withdraw from this school demographic changes, with or intend to move to anoth- families moving in and out er school at the beginning of the county, might explain of the next school year, citing why. Williams also noted that lack of academic and social supports and services as their the school board acts in a judi- reason for changing schools.” cial role when it reviews sus- Blood said that instead of pension and expulsion cases, helping children learn from and with the strict rules that their mistakes and striving to the board operates under, the provide students with protec- board cannot look at the de- tive factors that would help tails of a case until it comes them develop healthy habits, before them. On the other Grant Union’s exclusionary hand, Williams noted that the approach to discipline “de- district could review suspen- prives students of the essential sion and expulsion policies. support services they need.” The board reached con- Instead of providing sensus to direct Superinten- guidance or instruction, the dent Curt Shelley to review school’s punitive reaction the district’s policies and breeds distrust toward adults present a report on recent and nurtures an adversarial, disciplinary actions at their confrontational attitude, she next meeting. The board will meet next in Seneca on said. “It’s been proven that April 18. Blue Mountain Surgery Strawberry Wilderness COMMUNITY CLINIC 43713 A TTENTION G RANT C OUNTY Shawna Clark, DNP • David Hall, MD • Zach Bailey, MD • Nora Healey, FNP • Emily Lieuallen, DO • Raffaella Betza, MD • Janessa Sickler, DO V ETERANS : Are you using or interested in learning about Choice Card Medical Care? 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