NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
A3
Search and Rescue requests additional funding
County plans to let
voters decide on pool
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County Search and Res-
cue coordinator Dave Dobler
requested the court allocate an
additional $5,000 to the organiza-
tion for a total of $10,000 to reim-
burse volunteers for ongoing train-
ing, materials and travel costs at
the Grant County Court meeting
Feb. 12.
Dobler said the missions SAR
has conducted require specialized
training and equipment that his
volunteers pay for out of pocket.
Dobler, who was flanked by
SAR president Cindy Lemcke, sec-
retary Kim Kell and software and
communications specialist Steve
Fletcher, said each of them have
spent upwards of $10,000 out of
their own pockets for training,
travel, lodging and resources this
year.
Lemcke, who owns two search
and rescue dogs, pays expensive
trainers, all of whom are located out
of the area. Kell also has a SAR dog
in training and pays out of pocket
for training and travel.
Dobler said Fletcher paid out of
his pocket to update SAR’s com-
munication infrastructure to extend
the range of communication for
the team’s missions. Additionally,
Fletcher paid to refurbish an old
ambulance bus that works as a com-
mand post for the team on missions.
Dobler walked the county
through the team’s progress and 40
missions over the past 16 months
since he took the helm.
He said after each mission comes
a debriefing, and for the tough mis-
sions that result in a fatality, trauma
counselors are available to them
as SAR teams are at a higher risk
of being diagnosed with post-trau-
matic stress.
Dobler said he has raised stan-
dards on both existing and incom-
ing volunteers. The organization
now requires a minimum of 60 vol-
unteer hours a year in order to be
an active member.
Incoming
volunteers
are
required to go through 40-hour
SAR Training Academy, which
begins next month, and pass a writ-
ten exam in order to join the team.
“I need to know what somebody
can do before they go out on a res-
cue,” Dobler said.
He said potential volunteers
must go through a background
check as well.
Commissioner Sam Palmer said
he takes the requests of SAR seri-
ously and the work they do is indis-
pensable to the community.
“This is the difference between
life or death,” Palmer said. “Time
matters, training matters.”
Palmer said the training on
maps, correspondence and the
related technology are much
needed in rural areas like Grant
County.
Commissioner Jim Hamsher
said Dobler should reach out to
incoming county Title III coordi-
nator Beth Simonson.
Dobler said he has been looking
for other funding sources, includ-
ing Title III. He said he met with
Simonson earlier in then week.
Dobler said a grant through Title
III could bring roughly $20,000.
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Mindy Winegar, Grant County
Fairgrounds manager, updated
the court on the timeline of the
construction project at Trow-
bridge Pavilion on Feb. 12.
Trowbridge
Pavilion
construction
project
pushed out
until after fair
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Dave Dobler, the county’s Search and Rescue coordinator, walks the court through the team’s 40 missions during
his tenure. Dobler requested additional funding to reimburse his volunteers.
lion in repairs and said the commu-
nity should focus on school needs
rather than a pool. She also pointed
out that enrollment is down at the
schools and that the population
overall in Grant County is pro-
jected to decrease over the next
couple of decades.
Myers said the county needs
to make it attractive for people to
come to the area.
“In my opinion things like a
new pool, potentially a new park
and better school buildings will
make the community attractive for
people to come here,” Myers said.
Brooks said people from other
areas will not be able to afford to
travel from the surrounding areas
to use the pool but at the same time
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell will be on the hook to pay for it.
Bob Pereira addresses the county court regarding his concerns surround-
“The county line does not end at
ing the new aquatics taxing district that may be put before voters in No- John Day,” Brooks said.
vember.
Francis Preston asked how the
county even got involved.
The court approved SAR’s have not had a voice in the process.
County Commissioner Sam
request to use the Road Depart-
“No hearings have taken place Palmer explained that the county is
ment’s yard lot during Cycle Ore- in outlying communities that I am the body that would put the mea-
gon in September. SAR will sell aware of,” Pereira said.
sure on the ballot.
parking lot spaces as a fundraiser
“The only way to get public
Myers said the county plans to
that could bring nearly $1,000, send the proposal to the voters.
opinion is to put this out on the bal-
said Lemcke.
Pereira said the city should take lot to the voters,” Myers said.
In other county court news:
the measure to John Day voters and
Court addresses concerns
• The court approved to pay
the county should not be involved.
regarding new taxing district
“You think you speak for the death investigator Richard Tirico a
A county citizen addressed the majority, (but) I don’t necessarily wage of $30 per hour on a case-by-
court with wide-ranging concerns think you do,” Myers said. “You case basis.
about the new aquatic taxing dis- look at the need for a pool and
• The court appointed Beth
trict that may be put before voters what the people say about the need Simonson as the county’s new
in November.
and want for a pool, and only a bal- Title III coordinator.
Bob Perieira told the court the lot will bear that out.”
• The court discussed updat-
Hamsher said other communi- ing the county’s cyber security
measure for the proposed aquatics
district is not in line with the needs ties need to have all of the infor- and will reach out to the county’s
of other communities outside of mation in front of them before they insurance provider for guidance.
make a decision.
• The court approved moving
John Day.
Mary Ellen Brooks, a citizen of forward with replacing its 25-year-
Pereira said the proposed tax-
ing district is another “eye-candy” Mt. Vernon, said the biggest tax- old alarm system. The cost will be
project that is fiscally irresponsible payers in the district are from areas $4,000, and the company that will
and aimed to line the pockets of the outside of John Day.
install it is Alpine Alarm Systems.
“I am not opposed to the swim- The system will include alarms for
John Day City Council.
“If you have opinions about ming pool,” Brooks said. “The both smoke and fire.
John Day’s city council, than you thing that bothers me is that we
• The memorandum of under-
should take them directly to the have neglected to take care of standing between the county and
council, not county court,” Judge the things that we have, from the Old West Bank for the possible
swimming pool to the court house, purchase of the Strawberry Beef
Scott Myers said.
Pereira said the proposed taxing the schools. We don’t take care of building is being amended by
Jim Carpenter, the county’s dis-
district and aquatics center would those things as we go.”
Brooks also pointed out the trict attorney, at the request of Old
not benefit citizens outside of city
limits and that other communities school district’s need for $20 mil- West.
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Grant County Fair-
grounds Manager Mindy
Winegar told the Grant
County Court Feb. 12 that
the construction project on
the Trowbridge Pavilion will
not be completed until Sep-
tember or October.
She said the delay in
completing the project will
impact one event, but that
event was unconfirmed and
she would rather not share
the name or give any other
additional details.
Winegar said the proj-
ect was necessary because
roots on the north side of
the pavilion had lifted the
concrete floor, causing it to
crack and creating a safety
hazard.
The 10-week project was
set to begin and end between
March 9 and May 11.
“We were hoping to get
it done before fair, but it just
was not in the cards,” Wine-
gar said.
Winegar also said the
Malheur
County
Fair
booked a carnival company
and that she might be able to
get the company to come to
Grant County.
She said she also plans to
bring in two concert acts that
could bring name recogni-
tion to the fair. She said one
of the acts was confirmed
while the other is undecided.
Winegar said the ticket
prices, which in previous
years have been between
$70 and $35, have been
changed to $45.
Winegar asked the court
for approval to purchase bar-
riers to the stage for the con-
cert. The total cost is $4,900
for the barriers that she had
in mind. The court approved
the request.
Winegar said she will
come back to court to make
a request for extra security
for the concerts. The cost,
she said, would be roughly
$2,500.
She said the events she
has lined up are comparable
to those in Bend.
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