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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2019)
PAGE LABEL MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, July 3, 2019 A13 WEDNESDAY July 3, 2019 Grant Union grad Madi McKrola to play for Timberwolves By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Grant Union gradu- ate Madi McKrola, who was the salutatorian for the Class of 2019, will attend Blue Mountain Commu- nity College in Pendleton this fall. She has received a scholarship to play softball for the Timberwolves, and she’ll also play basketball for the school. McKrola, who plans to pursue a psychology degree, also received a $1,000 scholarship from Community Counseling Solutions and a $5,000 scholarship from Oregon Trail Electric Consumers Cooperative. A short stop for the Grant U n i o n Prospec- tor softball team, she was named the 2019 League Madi and State McKrola Player of the Year. She was also named Second Team All-League for the Prospector girls bas- ketball team this year in the Blue Mountain Conference. “I’d like to thank my coaches and teammates for always believing in me, loving me, for having my back and for shaping me into the person and player I am today,” McKrola said. She is the daughter of Darrel and Kim McKrola of Mt. Vernon. Contributed photo With cheap ammunition and no recoil, the .22 provides hours of plinking fun. SHOOTING THE BREEZE The mighty .22 ack when I first started school at the University of Idaho, I was delighted to learn that the college had an indoor .22 range. It was used mainly for ROTC training but was avail- able to students every Tuesday night. One day I invited a friend to go shooting. He was part of an avid hunting family so I was absolutely floored when he said he couldn’t because he didn’t own a .22! Growing up in John Day, everybody owned at least one, most several, .22s. It was almost too much for my little brain to comprehend. There are so many rea- sons to have a .22 that I just can’t see why any- body that shoots shouldn’t have at least one. First of all, they are just plain fun. Nonexistent recoil, minimal noise and cheap ammo provide for hours of plinking fun. It is truly a sad childhood that doesn’t include some memories of bouncing tin cans around with a .22 rifle. Because they are so nonthreatening, they are the best way to intro- duce newbies to the shoot- ing sports. Most .22s are fairly light and come in so many configurations that it is easy to find one to conform to any body type from the little Cricket for your 5 year old to the ubiquitous Ruger 10/22. Every serious shooter should have a .22. Hand- gunners can get every- thing from a 1911 clone to a single action revolver chambered in .22 long rifle. Several manufactur- ers provide them in AR platforms, and just about everybody makes a .22 variant of their bolt-action rifles including the popu- lar Ruger Precision Rifle. Having a .22 version B of your serious shooter allows for inexpen- sive prac- tice. You Rod can work Carpenter on firearm manipu- lation, positional shoot- ing and trigger control for pennies compared to the price of centerfire ammo. Working with a .22 is also a good way to cure any flinching that devel- ops from a steady diet of full-power loads. One well-known African hunter uses a .375 H&H for all of his hunting. He isn’t shy about admitting that the recoil isn’t pleas- ant. Every year before the hunting season begins, he spends some quality time with his .22, works up to a 7x57 and only just before the season begins does he begin shooting his .375. From the looks of his tro- phy room, it appears to work for him. The ammunition for the .22 long rifle is as diverse as the firearms that shoot it. Remington, Aquila and several others make subsonic (read “quiet”) rounds for inoffensive shooting. Often they are very accurate. Remington Thunderbolts and similar provide cheap plinking. If you like to shoot teeny, tiny groups, then Eley is for you. Are you a speed demon? CCI COPPER-22 is advertised at 1800 feet per second. Whatever your shoot- ing needs, there is a .22 out there for you. Get out and buy one (or another one) today. Your spouse will understand. We welcome your thoughts at shootingthe- breezebme@gmail.com. Rod Carpenter is a husband, father and hunting fool. Balance, fitness, flexibility Tai chi classes grow from group focused on serving older adults By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Tai chi, an ancient Chinese tradition, is a graceful form of exercise that is growing in popularity in Grant County. Krish Hamilton has been teaching the “Tai Chi Moving for Better Balance” program at the John Day and Prairie City senior centers for the past year. The classes are available for free at John Day Senior Center on Mondays following the 12-1 p.m. lunch services and on Thursdays before lunch and at Prairie City Senior Center after the 12-1 p.m luncheon on Wednesdays. Tai chi is a low-impact exercise, making it a good fit for all ages and abilities. Hamilton said the move- ments can be adapted for peo- ple sitting in a chair or wheel- chair, standing while grabbing a chair or just standing. Tai chi is a noncompetitive martial art providing gentle physical exercise. It has been shown to improve balance, control, fitness and flexibility and to reduce the risk of falls in older people. Hamilton said the body can “freeze up” with age and less activity, but the good news is that adding movement, such as tai chi, can reverse that. She recently led a group of about 12 in a demonstra- tion at the June 15 Grant County Family Health Fair in John Day with people of all ages getting into the flowing motions. The idea for the tai chi classes, which have been ongoing for the past two years, grew out of a local community partnership called Older Adult and Vul- nerable Population Collab- orative, a group that meets monthly to share resources to assist Grant County residents. Family nurse practitioner Nora Healey of Strawberry Wilderness Community Clinic established OVPC with help from co-coordina- tor Dani Jones, who is a cer- tified medical assistant and community health worker The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Krish Hamilton, left, leads a group in tai chi at the Grant County Family Health Fair at the fairgrounds pavilion June 14 in John Day. with the local clinic, and Rod Harwood from Pend- leton, an older adult Nora Healey, b e h a v i o r a l family nurse specialist. practiioner Healey established OVPC with the idea of creat- ing better lines of communi- cation with older adults. She also wanted to explore ways to improve the health and well-being of other area residents. Healey said their mission statement is: “We’re peo- ple passionate about meeting the unique needs of under- served individuals in our communities.” This can include older adults, people with disabili- ties, people with mental ill- ness, children and homeless people, she said. Healey said her idea for OVPC began two years ago when she recognized the growing need to support caregivers who are helping those with dementia. Workshops for caregiv- ers, including family mem- bers, were set up in June of 2017 at Valley View Assisted Living Facility John Day and Blue Mountain Care Center in Prairie City with about 40 attending. Now the group covers a myriad of topics. Jones said their June meeting included a presenta- tion about power of attorney and guardianship. She said agencies gather at the meetings and brain- storm ideas to help the older population and others in need. For example, a People Mover representative came up with the idea to provide free transportation for seniors to tai chi classes. If someone has an idea for a project, Healey said, they are encouraged to share it at the meeting where the group can discuss resources and ways to get things off the ground. She gave an example of having older adults read to children, with interaction between the two generations. There have been any- where from five to 15 attend- ing the meetings. “We’re shooting for 40,” Healey said. Harwood, who works for Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc., and the Older Adult Behavioral Health Ini- tiative, said his travels include eight counties. “Part of my job is to build better collaboration,” he said. “There are 10,000 people hitting (age) 65 everyday in this country,” he said. “In Ore- gon, we recognize that that population is growing.” He said, although peo- ple and agencies interact and coordinate with each other and think they know what other community stakehold- ers can or will do, it helps to sit down and share resources. People can “team together” and identify gaps and address needs. Harwood said he can also provide education, workforce training and set up or help with training meetings. He helped Healey set up the dementia support workshop. Tai chi is just one of the successes from the group. Over the past two years, the program has received grant funding, including $3,000 from the Blue Moun- tain Healthcare Foundation and $8,000 from the Ore- gon Office of Rural Health. Last fall, the group received a $10,000 grant from the Ore- gon Community Foundation. OVPC also held fundrais- ers and received in-kind dona- tions, such as the senior cen- ters providing free space for the tai chi classes. Healey said she’d like to see more involvement in OVPC. “We’re a senior commu- nity, whether people realize it or not,” she said, but added they also want to address the “big mental health crisis in the area,” as well as others in need. She said collaborating is key. “The more manpower you have, the better, and we need the help,” she said. “It’s nice to have other people involved.” OVPC meets 10-11 a.m. on the third Monday of each month at the Department of Human Services conference room at 725 W. Main Street in John Day. For more information about OVPC, email ovpc@ bluemountainhospital.org. The current tai chi classes will continue through the end of July then start back up Sept. 18 through Dec. 12 in Prai- rie City, and Sept. 17 through Dec. 13 in John Day. For more information, call the Prairie City Senior Cen- ter at 541-820-4100 or the John Day Senior Center at 541-575-1825. Coach Howard back at the John Day Swim Team helm Team competes at Prineville Invitational Swim Meet, Lakeview Meet JOHN DAY SWIM TEAM SCHEDULE July 12-14: Hi-Desert Swim Meet in Burns July 19-21: John Day Swim Meet July 26-28: District Swim Meet By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Sabrina Howard of Prai- rie City has returned as head coach of the John Day Swim Team. “It’s my heart, and where my passion is,” John Day she said. Swim Team Howard head coach was head Sabrina coach of the Howard team in 2016 and 2017, and was assistant coach in 2015. This year, she is also the Gleason Pool manager, overseeing lifeguards, swim lessons, recreational swim- ming and all the activities at the pool. Howard comes from a family of swimmers. Grow- ing up in California, her dad and grandpa were both Olympic trial swimmers. It’s not just an important life skill, she said. “It’s a pretty amazing sport,” she said. “When you’re in the water, you’re at one with your team — it’s a family.” Contributed photo Members of the John Day Swim Team show off their medals Monday, June 24, which were earned at the June 21-23 Prineville Meet. From left: Jack Strong, Syris Workman, Cayden Howard, Chet Workman and Colbie Howard. She added, “For being an individual sport, the camara- derie that comes with swim- ming is like none other. To see the growth over time is an amazing thing to watch.” The John Day team com- peted at their first event June 21-23 at the Prineville Invitational Swim Meet. Besides their Cas- cade East District teams, Prineville, Burns and Lakeview, the team battled against year-round swim teams, including Redmond, Bend and Klamath Falls. Medaling at the Prineville Meet were Jack Strong, Syris Work- man, Cayden Howard, Chet Workman and Colbie Howard. First in the district stand- ings for the boys are Strong (13-14 division) for the 100-meter freestyle and 50 freestyle, Andrew Hunt (13- 14) for the 100 butterfly and Danner May (8 and under) for the 25 butterfly. On the girls side, first in the district standings are Sierra May (11-12) for the 100 freestyle and the 50 breaststroke and Morgan Walker (11-12) for the 50 butterfly. The team competed at the Lakeview Swim Meet on June 28-30, and results will be released when they are available. There are 41 swimmers on the team, and 21 com- peted in Prineville — all age 14 and under. Howard said she hopes to have her older swimmers competing at other events if their summer work sched- ules will allow for it. The coach said that in the week after the competi- tion they look at any “DQ” slips (disqualifications) they received so the swim- mers know where they went wrong and how to improve. “We take a negative and turn it into a positive by making it a lesson and teaching tool to better them- selves and their swim,” she said. She said the benefits of joining the swim team include “conditioning, socialization and better- ing their life skill of aquatic awareness.” Gleason Pool will be especially busy Friday-Sun- day, July 19-21, for their home meet and Friday-Sun- day, July 26-28, for the Dis- trict Championships. The event is expected to be a boost to the local econ- omy with travelers staying in the area for the events. “I would encourage the community to come out and support them,” she said. “The cap is 250 swimmers — that is a lot of families.”
