NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
A3
The Eagle/ Rudy Diaz
Kathy Cancilla, the accredidation coordinator for the Grant
County Public Health Department, shared the assessment
report with the County Court Oct. 23.
Grant County Public Health
identifies key problems
Assessment looks
to spark progress
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant County Public
Health Department created
an assessment to inform the
county of various concerns
in the community.
This assessment will also
assist in obtaining national
accreditation from the Pub-
lic Health Accreditation
Board and in developing a
community health improve-
ment plan.
“The improvement plan
is much like a strategic plan
by identifying the three
main priority areas‚ social
determinants, unified lead-
ership and vision and infra-
structure — and identify-
ing goals and activities for
those goals,” said Kathy
Cancilla, the accreditation
coordinator.
Cancilla spoke about
how being a frontier county
comes with unique chal-
lenges that others may not
consider.
“At one point Monument
lost their ambulance ser-
vice,” Cancilla said. “Now
just think about that for a
minute. Someone falls and
has a broken hip you call
an ambulance. What if there
isn’t an ambulance?”
The assessment reported
that 30% of the Grant
County population is older
than 65 and that Oregon in
general will see an increas-
ing population of older
adults.
“As I travel around,
every community has their
own perception about what’s
going on and we don’t neces-
sarily have the data to back
that up,” Cancilla said. “Pub-
lic health needs to be col-
laborating more with law
enforcement and other agen-
cies that work with people
to gather data and support
or change the community
perception.”
Statistics regarding teens
in the assessment were
important, since many of the
comments from the commu-
nity didn’t include teenagers.
The assessment high-
lighted that 23.9% of Grant
County 11th graders have
seriously considered attempt-
ing suicide, while 8.9% had
attempted suicide, according
to an Oregon Student Well-
ness Survey.
Feeling safe was another
problem. One-in-five high
school juniors in Grant
County felt that they had
no one to protect them.
The study also showed that
46.5% of eleventh graders
lived with someone who is
or was a problem drinker or
smoker.
“The community peo-
ple either say ... our teenag-
ers are great and there are
no problems and other peo-
ple say we aren’t doing any-
thing to help teenagers,”
Cancilla said. She hopes that
the statistics will speak for
themselves.
The next topic focused
on statistics for physical
health in the county. About
9.6% of the population in
Grant County is diagnosed
with diabetes. This is higher
than the overall Oregon rate,
which is 8.28%.
The top five health con-
cerns in the community,
according to the results of
an online survey, were: Drug
and alcohol abuse, mental
health/depression/suicide,
diabetes, tobacco use and
obesity.
The steering commit-
tee did find a pattern in the
survey.
“Drug and alcohol abuse
issues directly relate to
domestic violence, child
abuse and mental health
including depression and
suicide,” according to the
assessment. “Obesity issues
directly relate to diabetes,
heart disease and indirectly
to drug and alcohol abuse.”
For a copy of this assess-
ment, click on this link, (go
to http://communitycoun-
selingsolutions.org/centers/
grant-county-health-depart-
ment/ and click on the assess-
ment or) google “commu-
nity counseling solutions”
and click on “Grant County
Health Department” and
then scroll down to find the
assessment or pick up a copy
at the Grant County Library.
To make any comments
on the information in the
Public Health Assessment,
contact Kathy Cancilla at
541-575-0429 ext. 4517 or
email her at Kathy.cancilla@
ccsemail.org.
Comments
will be accepted through
Dec. 31.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Head Start preschoolers get creative with a painting project on Monday, Nov. 4, at the school in John Day.
Head Start preschool moves to new building
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Children in the John Day Head Start
preschool program are now gathering in
a new building.
The new location is just a few blocks
from their old school — moving from
the Families First Parent Resource Cen-
ter on South Canyon Boulevard to the
Madden Business and Education Center
at 116 N. Bridge St. in John Day.
Umatilla-Morrow County Head Start
serves the local program. Executive
Director Maureen McGrath said the new
location fits the bill.
“We had been looking for a class-
room space that would be larger and
designed in such a way that it would
be conducive to all the children being
visible, maximize children’s learning
and adult-child interaction,” McGrath
said.
She added that having one large
room is ideal for the class. The property
also has easy access for the bus to drop
off and pick up students as well as ade-
quate parking space.
Grant County Child Care Resource
& Referral also moved into the Madden
building. McGrath said it brings them
together as a team for a one-stop shop
for people in the community to receive
the resources and support they need.
McGrath said they are excited about
the new space and thankful for Families
First Executive Director Teresa Aasness.
She helped host them in the old building
since 2011.
There are 20 students ages 3-5 in the
local head start program taught by Shilo
Ostberg. Jennifer Hughes is the educa-
tion manager. Kitman Gill is the teacher
assistant, Pam Sass is the bus driver and
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
From left: Pam Sass, bus driver and floater; Shilo Ostberg, preschool teacher;
Kitman Gill, teacher assistant; and Windi Deiter, cook and floater.
floater and Windi Deiter is the cook and
a floater.
Ostberg said she’s happy with the
new facilities. The only drawback is a
smaller outdoor play area.
“It’s working out to be a wonderful
classroom,” she said. “The children are
happy to be here.”
While the class is currently full,
McGrath said parents can apply and be
placed on a waiting list by dropping in
at the school or visiting their website at
umchs.org.
McGrath said Head Start’s “long-
term goal is to make sure the children are
ready for kindergarten and ready for life,
and to do that, we wrap all these services
around them knowing that these invest-
ments early in life will make big differ-
ence as they grow and develop.”
For more information contact the
John Day Head Start at 541-571-1429
or the UMCHS Hermiston office at
541-564-6878.
Budget 8 Motel
711 W. Main St. John Day • 541 575-2155 • 541-575-2156
• Wi-Fi
• In-Room Coffee
• Guest Laundry
541-575-1113
• Microwave
24 hrs/7 days wk
• Pets Welcome
debbie.ausmus@
countryfinancial.com
• Refrigerator
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Monday - Thursday
7am- 6pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Preventive, Restorative & Endodontics
Apppointments
available
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208 NW Canton
John Day
541-575-2725
mbddental@live.com
michaelbdesjardinmd.com
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125481
PO Box 185
Canyon City, OR 97820
S152748-1
S151415-1
Mendy Sharpe FNP
New Patients
Welcome!
Payments may be made at the Tax Collector’s Office
at the Grant County Courthouse in Canyon City, or
the payment may be mailed and postmarked no later
than November 15th, 2019. Please remember that
delinquent taxes accrue interest at the rate of 16% per
year. If you have any questions, please call the
tax office at 575-0107 or 575-0189.
Debbie Ausmus
245 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
OPEN WED. & THUR.
9 am - 5 pm
Lo
We w
e
Rat kly
es!
Michael B. DesJardin
Dentistry, PC
The first installment of the 2019-20
property tax is due Friday, November
15th, 2019 by 5:00 p.m.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
John Day Head Start preschool teacher
Shilo Ostberg plays with children at
the school in John Day. The local head
start is a part of the Umatilla-Morrow
County Head Start program with
headquarters in Hermiston.
541-523-6377
A MAN
WAKES
UP in the
morning
after sleeping on...
an advertised bed, in advertised
pajamas.
He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR,
have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an
ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his
ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an
ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person
hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his
non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE.
Then it’s too late.
AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK?
DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE
Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it!
Blue Mountain Eagle
MyEagleNews.com
S153194-1
Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710
541-963-6577
541-573-6377
541-576-2160
Music Lessons Open House: Thursday, November 14, 5:30 - 6:30 PM. Meet and greet instructors, ask all your
questions, and get registered. All music instructors welcome to come check out the space!
Beginning Traditional Rug Hooking: Saturday, November 16, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Learn the basics of
traditional rug hooking. Out-of-town instructor; please sign up early to ensure we can host this class!
Music Lessons: Piano, flute, music theory, and chamber choir available; various days, times, and pricing. See
paintedskycenter.com/music-lessons for more info or to register.
Decoupage with Dave: Thursdays, through December 5, 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Turn old boxes, furniture, trunks, etc.
into durable, useful, and beautiful works of art.
Knit a Hat with Magic Loop: Saturdays, through November 30, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM. Learn to knit while
creating something beautiful and warm.
Watercolor Paper Stretching and Gouache: Friday & Saturday, November 22 & 23, 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Learn
the mechanics of stretching watercolor paper and how to work with Gouache watercolor paints.
Christmas Chalk FUN!: Friday, November 15 & Monday, November 25, 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Two Christmas-themed
chalk couture workshops to brighten up your home for the holidays.
Arts After School & Friday Art Club: Ongoing; see more at Paintedskycenter.com/Kids-Art. Wait lists enabled;
Sponsored by:
with enough interest we will look at starting additional classes.
Youth Arts Program: Ongoing, Monday 6:00 PM rehearsals through
December.
For more info or to register visit paintedskycenter.com or email
paintedskycenter@gmail.com.
S153326-1
