A16
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Hotel
Continued from Page A1
Contributed photo
AirLink emergency responders assist hunter Mark Larsen who was rescued after spending 10 days lost in the Fields Peak
area southeast of Mt. Vernon.
Prepare
knit group that helps each other out.
“There is a sense of gratification
when you find someone,” he said.
Crews recently found a woman
who has diabetes who became lost
with her 9-year-old daughter.
“She was completely disoriented,”
Dobler said. “Paramedics checked her
out and the SAR took her to her fam-
ily, and that is just very rewarding.”
Continued from Page A1
budget, which includes the cost of
vehicle maintenance.
“I think there is a public miscon-
ception that SAR has a lot of money,”
he said.
He said they do receive some
money through fundraisers and dona-
tions from rescued individuals, but
acquiring rescue-rated equipment is
costly.
Dobler said the importance of
making a plan can’t be emphasized
enough.
“Our volunteers are missing sleep,
family time and work time to manage
these searches that end up not being
a search, just miscommunication with
the family,” he said.
He said that during a recent late-
night search for a man, who was in no
need of rescue, a SAR team member
totaled his vehicle when he collided
with a deer. Those damages were not
covered by their organization.
One man didn’t want to drive an
hour to reach cellphone service, so
his family didn’t receive the message
that he’d planned to stay out longer,
he said. That resulted in an unneeded
search.
Safety tips:
Contributed photo
Grant County Search and Rescue team
members look at maps on a mission to
find a missing man last June at Cot-
tonwood Campground in Wheeler
County, providing mutual aid. From
left: Nathan Gordanier, Kim Kell,
Gretchen Dobler and Jaiden Kerr.
“A waste of resources,” Dobler
said.
Though Dobler said the hours and
requirements can be a challenge, the
search and rescue crews are a tight-
• Tell someone where you are going
and when to expect you back.
• Have a plan and stick to it.
• Check the forecast before leav-
ing. Carry warmer clothes in case
temperatures drop.
• Carry a flashlight and batteries.
Don’t rely on your cellphone for light
— you might need all the juice it has
left if you get lost.
• Bring flares and fire starters,
including two quality lighters. Don’t
wait too long before building a fire, if
needed.
• Bring a whistle, in case you lose
your voice.
• Don’t hike alone.
• Carry a satellite phone or charged
cellphone.
• Carry a shovel and chains. Strips
of carpets can also be helpful if a vehi-
cle becomes stuck.
After Thanksgiving
ay
One D
Only!
it includes a temporary
property tax abatement.
The gateway was cre-
ated to spur economic
development.
Priday said hotel con-
struction will take nine
to 12 months. He said the
family is in negotiation
with two building contrac-
tors to take on the project.
The Pridays currently
own five other hotels
in Oregon: Best West-
ern Prineville Inn, Inn At
Cross Keys Station, Best
Western Newberry Station,
Best Western Rory & Ryan
Inns and Rory & Ryan
Inns.
“We want to bring a
product to John Day that
everybody would be proud
of and hopefully be a jump
start for the new vision that
Nick has for the city,” said
Priday.
In other city council
and planning commission
news:
• Results from the fea-
sibility study regarding a
pool in Grant County will
come back in Feb. 2020.
The study will answer
questions such as how the
pool will be paid for and
what kind of plan will be
put before voters in May or
November 2020.
The next big focus for
phase two of the innova-
tion gateway project are
the reclaimed water facility
project, a bridge at Oregon
Pine, the Charolais Heights
Street Improvements, the
completion of the Inte-
grated Park System Trail
Network, the Aquatic Cen-
ter Feasibility Study, the
Kam Wah Chung Visitors
Center and the Inn at Whis-
key Flat
• The city council and
the planning commis-
sion approved an ordi-
nance amending the John
Day Comprehensive Plan
and Development Code to
adopt policies and codes
for the Innovation Gateway
Plan.
Plans such as redesign-
Falls
Continued from Page A1
visible hazard. If you have steps to enter or
exit your home, consider installing a ramp.
If needed, look for people or devices
which can help prevent falls.
“Use a reacher or grabber device for get-
ting things that have fallen on the floor,”
Klusmier and Debenport said. “Consider a
caregiver to assist with showering, chores,
dressing, etc., if you’re having particular dif-
ficulty with balance or have a fear of falling.
Consider having grab bars installed at entry
Monday
Madness
Sale
ing and relocating John
Day’s wastewater treat-
ment plant, re-using water
from a proposed state-of-
the-art wastewater treat-
ment plant, which will be
new, for a new water gar-
den and hydroponic green-
houses and constructing
roads and trails provid-
ing access and circulation
within the area will now
move forward with the
amendment.
• The city council and
the planning commis-
sion approved an ordi-
nance amending the John
Day Development Code
to comply with the Fed-
eral Flood Plain Manage-
ment Regulations relating
to city participation in the
National Flood Insurance
Program.
This amendment will
help promote public health,
safety and minimize pub-
lic and private losses due
to flooding in flood hazard
areas. This amendment will
also adopt the best avail-
able geographic data which
defines locations that are at
a high risk of flooding.
• The city council and
the planning commission
approved an ordinance to
adopt minor development
code amendments that will
broaden the conditions for
temporary
recreational
vehicles used as dwell-
ings in all zones and allow
housing units that existed
prior to Nov. 24, 2005 to
convert back to residen-
tial if it was occupied as
business.
There is now a max-
imum time limit of 18
months for dwelling in an
RV during the construction
of a house. RV owners car-
ing for sick family mem-
bers would have to renew
their permits yearly.
• The planning commis-
sion approved Tom and
Patty Salvino, the owners
of a property on East Main
Street, for a conditional
use permit that will allow
them to temporarily reside
in an RV on their property,
which is zoned residen-
tial general, for up to one
year.
areas, at side of toilet, and in the shower.”
During the winter, ice can be difficult to
avoid but there are ways to minimize the risk.
Prepare ahead of time by using salt to deal
with areas that tend to freeze and become
slippery. Avoid walking in the dark since ice
will be difficult to spot.
While the county or hospital does not
provide any programs to avoid falling, it is
recommended that seniors regularly visit
their Primary Care Physician and share any
changes they are experiencing with strength,
balance and vision after falling. People can
also consider physical therapy at Blue Moun-
tain Hospital.
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