YEAR IN REVIEW
Blue Mountain Eagle
A6
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Community HEALTH BEAT
Eagle file photo
Grant County emergency dispatch manager Valerie Maynard
accepts an award on behalf of dispatchers who worked for
the John Day 911 Emergency Communications Agency for 30
years of service from John Day City Councilor Steve Schuette
at the council’s Jan. 8 meeting.
Quality Healthcare Close to Home
170 Ford Road, John Day • 541-575-1311 • www.bluemountainhospital.org
Get Moving in 2020!
By Dr. Dave Hall, Strawberry Wilderness Community Clinic
As a new year commences, have you thought of your New Year’s resolutions? Statistically, 32%
of you will make goals for the New Year. And if you’re one of those people who do, one of the
resolutions you’re most likely to make is to exercise more. Most people make this a goal because
they want to get in shape and lose weight, which are great reasons to be active. But there are many
more reasons than that to be physically active.
Physical inactivity has been called the “Sitting Disease”. The average American spends 13 hours
per day sitting and 8 hours in bed, which equals 21 hours per day of inactivity. It’s no wonder,
then, that almost 40% of all Americans are obese. Scientific research shows that spending most of
your time sitting is associated with:
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Overweight and obesity
Decreased muscle mass
High blood pressure and cholesterol
Heart disease
Diabetes
Cancer
Arthritis
Dementia
Depression and anxiety
Increased pain, including fibromyalgia and chronic back pain
Experts recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.
That’s only 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week. Why not make specific New Year’s resolutions
to help you achieve this goal in 2020? Here are some examples:
START OR JOIN AN EXERCISE GROUP
• Exercising with others makes it harder to skip a workout and you are statistically more likely
to exercise longer and harder.
• One study found that 95 percent of those who started a weight-loss program with friends
completed the program, compared to only 76 percent of those who tried to do it alone. The
friend group was also 42 percent more likely to maintain their weight loss.
WALK DURING YOUR LUNCH BREAK
• A 2015 study found that workers who walked for 30 minutes at lunchtime had increased
enthusiasm, felt more relaxed, and were less nervous. They also improved their physical
fitness and other measures of health.
JOIN A GYM
• Those who have a gym membership are 14 times more likely to achieve the 150 minutes of
recommended exercise per week.
• They tend to have lower resting heart rates, their hearts and lungs are stronger, and not
surprisingly, they have a slimmer waistline than those who don’t go to the gym.
JOIN THE TAI CHI GROUP IN GRANT COUNTY.
• Tai chi has been scientifically proven to reduce the risk of falls and reduce pain in older adults
and those with fibromyalgia.
VOLUNTEER
• Volunteering may not count toward your 150 minutes of exercise per week, but it has proven
benefits for you, as well as for those you serve.
• A scientific study found that people who volunteer have lower rates of depression, increased
sense of well-being, and a 22-percent lower risk of dying compared to those who do not
volunteer.
• Find or suggest volunteer opportunities on www.justserve.org.
• Being physically active not only helps you lose weight, but it also reduces your risk of disease,
prolongs your life, and improves your mood.
So, for a better 2020, let’s get moving!
January Bend Dermatology - Dr. Wisco 1/7
Visiting Bend Ortho - Dr. Jacobson 1/16
Specialists Bend Neuro - Dr. Tien 1/17
Year
Continued from Page A3
A final Innovation Gate-
way plan was presented to
a joint meeting between
the city council, planning
commission and two advi-
sory committees but not yet
adopted.
Grant County Sheriff’s
Office Deputy Tyler Smith
was arrested on multiple
charges including adult rape,
child neglect and fourth-de-
gree assault.
Commissioners
Sam
Palmer and Jim Hamsher
traveled to Washington,
D.C., on Sept. 9 to lobby for
Payment in Lieu of Taxes
and Secure Rural Schools
funding.
Valerie Maynard was
named the state Dispatch
Manager of the Year by the
Association of Public-Safety
Communications.
A feasibility study for the
pool was announced to deter-
mine many factors, such as
who would pay for the pool,
how big the district will be
and what will be put before
voters in 2020.
The U.S. Department of
Transportation awarded a
$950,000 discretionary grant
to reconstruct the north apron
at the Grant County Regional
Airport.
OCTOBER
John Day received the
excellence award from
League of Oregon Cities
for the Innovation Gateway
Project and Riverfront Rec-
reation Area. The city was
also one of 10 in nation to be
chosen for the EPA revital-
ization assistance.
Sen. Ron Wyden talked
with Grant County commu-
nity members at Prairie City
School for his town hall on
Oct. 7. He answered ques-
tions regarding the national
debt, climate change and the
2020 election. After the town
hall, Wyden visited the torre-
faction plant for an update on
the project.
Allison Field, the Grant
County Economic Devel-
opment director, presented
Oregon RAIN to the Grant
County Court and to the John
Day City Council. This is a
venture catalyst program that
will help connect entrepre-
neurs to resources.
The city of John Day dis-
tributed its first round of
housing incentive rebates.
John Day Fire Chief Ron
Smith retired for a second
time after serving in John
Day for 15 years. He was
succeeded by Don Gabbard,
who was the assistant chief
to Smith.
NOVEMBER
Oregon state Sen. Cliff
Bentz, R-Ontario, announced
he will run for the seat in
Congress being vacated by
retiring Republican Rep.
Greg Walden. With the Sen-
ate District 30 seat open,
Rep. Lynn Findley, R-Vale,
announced on Oct. 31 that
he will run for the seat being
vacated by Bentz in the Ore-
gon Senate.
The Grant County Court
voted to have a contrac-
tor replace the courthouse’s
aging roof after years of
repairs.
Plans for a 60-room, $6
million hotel were announced
on Nov. 12 during a John
Day City Council meeting.
Santa Claus and Mrs.
Claus arrived on an old-fash-
ioned horse and buggy at the
Prairie City Teen Center with
a long line of children wait-
ing on Nov. 23 for Christmas
on the Prairie.
The city of John Day’s
hydroponic
greenhouse
delivered its first products to
local stores and restaurants.
DECEMBER
Grant County People
Mover Executive Director
Angie Jones was awarded
Outstanding Transportation
Manager of the Year in Salem
at an Oct. 30 Oregon Public
Transportation Conference.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s
ReConnect
Program awarded a $6 mil-
lion grant to Oregon Tele-
phone Corporation to con-
struct 89 miles of fiber optic
line, connecting the cit-
ies of Long Creek, Monu-
ment, Seneca and Spray to
the company’s high-speed
broadband network that
already connects other cities
in the county. OTC and the
Grant County Digital Net-
work Coalition created a
public-private partnership to
improve broadband access
in the county.
Mark Owens, a Harney
County commissioner who is
running to be the state repre-
sentative in Oregon’s House
District 60, met with com-
munity members and leaders
Dec. 5 at The Outpost Pizza,
Pub & Grill in John Day.
The John Day City Coun-
cil shared on Dec. 10 that
the city has applied for and
received 23 grants adding up
to $12.5 million since 2017.
There are also 10 potential
grant opportunities pending
with award decisions coming
in the next fiscal year.
The John Day City Coun-
cil on Dec. 10 updated the
public on the progress of
23 various projects that
are in different stages of
development.
Sgt. Danny Komning
won the Enforcement Com-
mand Council Supervisor
of the Year Award, and Dep-
uty Dave Dobler received
the Search and Rescue
Deputy Sheriff of the Year
Award from the Oregon
State Sheriff’s Association
at its annual conference
Dec. 1-4.
Bend Cardio - Dr. McLellan 1/22
Blue Mountain
Care Center
Resident of the Month
Charlene Dean
Charlene was born on May 27, 1944 in Astoria, Oregon to Ross and Lona
Dean. She is an only child and was raised in Tillamook, Oregon. Charlene,
at age 6, spent 2 years in Eugene, Oregon due to health issues. She then
started school at age 8, in Tillamook. Charlene played basketball in high
school and her team went to state all 4 years. She loves to read and collected
postcards when she was younger. She loves to go fishing. She really enjoys
going for car rides and having lunch with her friend, Julie.Charlene worked
in a shelter workshop in Tillamook for 7 years; she then took care of her
mom. She has travelled to Reno, Nevada. Charlene’s favorite color is red and
she loves to sit outside during the summer and read. She also loves people.
Charlene came to the Blue Mountain Care Center on October 26, 2018.
S162716-1
Eagle file photo
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, answers questions from
Grant County community members during a town hall Oct. 7
at Prairie City School.