A6
COMMUNITY
Blue Mountain Eagle
Thursday, Jan. 10
The deadline for What’s Happening items is 5 p.m. Friday.
Call the Eagle, 541-575-0710, or email editor@bmeagle.
com. For meetings this week, see our list in the classifi eds.
Quickbooks for Ag seminar
• 4-8 p.m., Extension Offi ce classroom
Space is limited to 20 people. RSVP by Jan. 4. The price
is $10 per person. For more information, call 541-575-1911
or stop by the offi ce at 116 NW Bridge St. in John Day.
Wednesday, Dec. 19
Food bank distribution day
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Grant County Food Bank
The Grant County Food Bank will hold its monthly food
distribution day on the third Wednesday instead of the fourth
because of the holidays. The food bank is located at 530 E.
Main St., Suite 9, in John Day. For more information, call
541-575-0299.
Grant Union winter music program
• 6:30 p.m., Grant Union Junior-Senior High School
The Grant Union combined choir and junior and senior
high school bands will present their winter music program
in the school’s old gym. Admission is free.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Friday, Jan. 11
Tuesday, Dec. 25
Christmas dinner
• 12:30 p.m., John Day Senior Center
Sheriff Glenn Palmer and his wife, RoseAnn, will host
a free community meal, including turkey, ham, mashed
potatoes, gravy, dressing, rolls, vegetables, drinks and
dessert.
Cancer benefi t dinner
• 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., John Day Golf Club
The dinner will support gastrointestinal stromal tumor
cancer research. There will be two dinner times at 4:30 p.m.
and 6 p.m. Dinner includes chicken or beef enchiladas, Mex-
ican rice, refried beans, chips and salsa with fl an for dessert.
The cost is $15 for singles, $25 for couples and $7 for kids
7 and under. For more information, call Linda McClellan at
541-620-2352 or call 541-575-0170.
Grant County’s CASA hit by perfect storm
County court hears
plea for funding
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
CASA of Grant County
is recovering from a per-
fect storm that included
skyrocketing needs and
100 percent staff turnover.
Since Hanna Hinman
became executive director,
15 court-appointed special
advocate volunteers have
been trained to meet needs
in Grant and Harney coun-
ties that have doubled in
just two years.
According to her pre-
sentation to the Grant
County Court on Dec. 12,
the number of children in
foster care in Grant County
increased from 20 in fiscal
year 2016 to 40 this year.
In Harney County, the
number increased from 29
to 76, she said.
A number of fac-
Grant County Roadmaster
Alan Hickerson informs
the Grant County Court
on Dec. 12 about an
opportunity to lease a
new road grader at an
unusually low price.
Hannah Hinman, executive
director of CASA of Grant
County, updates the Grant
County Court on Dec. 12
about an increasing need
for services and a request
for funding.
Andrea Officer, the Grant
County Victim Assistance
director, informs the
Grant County Court on
Dec. 12 about funding
for
an
intervention
specialist.
tors explain the dramatic
increase, Hinman said.
The state Department of
Human Services’ move to
a new policy called differ-
ential response separated
many children from par-
ents and siblings.
On top of that was
the opioid epidemic that
trended nationwide and a
sudden influx of people
with domestic troubles in
Harney County, she said.
Making matters worse is
a current shortage of fos-
ter parents.
Hinman has been suc-
cessful in training up a
new batch of CASA vol-
unteers to represent the
children’s needs, but some
court cases are old and
complicated and beyond
the abilities of the new
advocates.
She is also facing a
potential budget shortfall.
Public Notice
Request for Proposals
San
ta
No Claus
rth P
ole
Community Connection of Northeast
Oregon, Inc. is accepting proposals
for an agency-wide single audit con-
ducted in accordance with Code of
Federal Regulations Title 2 Part 200
for the period ending June 30, 2019.
Licensed CPAs may request a copy
of the RFP from Diana
at 541-963-3186 x1004.
Prairie City Post Office
Customer Appreciation
Dec. 21st
9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
For more information
please call 541-820-4476
3 336
3 3635
3 3 36 36
3 3 36 36
Deadline for submission is January 15, 2019.
Hinman projects $134,600
in revenue this year, with
60 percent from state and
federal sources, 24 per-
cent from community and
foundation grants, 12 per-
cent from fundraising
events and 4 percent from
individual donations.
She expects the state
CASA organization will
go to the legislature next
year to lobby for increased
funding. In the meantime,
she asked the county court
to provide $6,700, or 5
percent of the local CASA
budget. She said she will
ask Harney County for the
same.
Commissioner
Rob
Raschio spoke highly of
the CASA volunteers and
commended Hinman for
her work. The court agreed
to prepare a budget resolu-
tion on her request for their
next meeting on Dec. 19.
In other court news:
• Grant County Vic-
tim Assistance Director
Andrea Offi cer had good
news for the court. Fund-
ing for a victim interven-
tion specialist was lost
when the county was not
awarded a federal Violence
Against Women Act grant.
A total of $42,120
in funding for the posi-
tion was accessed instead
from the federal Victims
of Crime Act through the
state using a $5,000 match
provided by the county
court.
The position will be
filled by Kimberly Neault,
who has served as a victim
advocate for two years.
She has a bachelor’s in
sociology and commu-
nity health and more than
75 hours of specialized
training.
• The court agreed to
approve a lease agree-
ment with Western States
Equipment for a Caterpil-
lar road grader that Road-
master Alan Hickerson
called a “midnight moon-
light special” and “smok-
ing deal.”
If the county meets the
requirements of the lease
agreement for five years,
Western States will buy
back the nearly $200,000
grader at $4,000 less than
what the county paid for
it. The court expressed
interest in acquiring a sec-
ond grader if one becomes
available.
• The court turned down
a memorandum of under-
standing with the Social
Security Administration
in which the county would
inform the federal agency
about
people
receiv-
ing Social Security pay-
ments while incarcerated
in exchange for a small
payment.
Calling it a “bounty on
the mentally ill,” Raschio
noted that people who
were in jail awaiting trial
would lose benefits before
they were found guilty.
Lost benefits would trans-
late into lost housing and
lost payments to land-
lords, which could affect
the local economy, he said.
• The court approved
providing $10,000 to John
Day for 911 dispatch ser-
vice. Raschio noted that
because of funding the
city was able to get from
the legislature to pay for
local 911 for two years,
the county saved $110,000.
this holiday season as you celebrate the
miracle of His birth with us
CHRISTIAN
FELLOWSHIP
Prairie
Baptist Church
UNITED
METHODIST
238 N. McHaley
Prairie City
Christmas Eve
Traditional
Candlelight
Service......8:00pm
541-820-3696
Christmas Eve
Candlelight
Service.
Monday, December
24th at 7:00 pm
126 NW Canton
John Day
Sunday, Dec. 23
Breakfast.....9:00 am
Service......10:00 am
Christmas Eve
Service
at 6:00 pm
Old-Fashioned
Christmas
SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST CHURCH
110 Valley View Dr. • John Day
Bible Classes (all ages)
Saturday at 9:30 am
Worship
Saturday at 11:00 am
The Church
of the Nazarene
521 E. Main • John Day
December 24 th th
12/23 Sunday
521
E. Main
John
Day
service
@ • 10
a.m.
Morning Worship
begins at 10:45am
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Services at 6pm
Christmas Eve -
Traditional candle
light service with
lessons and carols
12/24 at 7 p.m.
541-575-2348
KJV
ST. ELIZABETH
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Christmas Eve Mass
5:00 pm with
Children’s Live
Nativity.
Christmas Day Masses
9:00 am
12:30 pm
VICTORY BAPTIST CHURCH
108 S. Washington St. • Canyon City
...the Father sent the
Son to be the Savior of
the world. I John 4:14
SUNDAY, DEC. 23 RD
Sunday School............................9:45 am
Sunday Preaching & Junior....11:00 am
Sunday Evening.........................3:30 pm
St. Thomas
Episcopal
Church
139 Washington St.
Canyon City
Christmas Eve
Traditional
Candlelight
Service
Carols and Holy
Eucharist 7:00 pm
541-620-1436
90618
CORNERSTONE
