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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 22, 2020)
A14 NEWS Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, April 22, 2020 People Mover awarded $137K in funding for rural transportation through the CARES Act By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle EOC distributes personal protective equipment but he was not sure who else would be there and that he did not ask. The Grant County Health The Eagle emailed ques- Department, in an April 20 tions to Palmer April 16, and press release, said that a Palmer replied April 18: “I total of 50 COVID-19 tests have been extremely busy have been administered in working on other things the county, with one pend- going on in the county. I will ing results, 45 negatives and do my best to get you updated three “untestable specimens.” as soon as I can.” He had not responded The untestable speci- mens, accord- as of Tuesday morning. ing to the press County Judge release, were Scott Myers packed properly emailed a copy of on dry ice; how- the EOC’s inven- ever, by the time tory of personal the courier deliv- protective equip- ered the samples ment on Friday. to the lab, the dry There are 300 ice evaporated. regular-sized N95 Health Depart- ment Adminis- masks across the trator Kimberly Eagle file photo county, with no Lindsay said one County Commis- backup supply at patient retested sioner Sam Palmer the EOC. Twenty while the other during Grant Coun- went to Prairie City with an addi- ty Court Jan. 22. two declined. tional 40 allocated Statewide, to Prairie City’s fire the Oregon Health Authority said the death toll chief. Fire departments in as of 8 a.m Monday is 75 Canyon City, Seneca, Granite and Monument each received with 1,956 positive cases. Sam Palmer, EOC pub- 20 masks while Dayville and lic information officer, said Long Creek each received a in an April 9 email that the supply of 30. Blue Mountain EOC has been very busy, and Hospital and Valley View did it is hard to get answers from not receive any. On April 15, others to provide in-depth the county sent Juniper Ridge explanations, but that he Acute Care Facility 15 masks would do his best to provide and five to Michael Desjar- din’s dental office in John information. He said the call volume Day. There are 300 multilay- for the EOC changes and that he does not have the specific ered procedure masks in number of how many calls the county with 150 at Blue Mountain Hospital and the the center has received. Palmer said the number of other half at the EOC. The hospital received 350 white volunteers has fluctuated. “The EOC has a fluctuat- procedure masks April 9. ing volunteer force; we are Sixty face shields came gearing up to help at the food into the EOC March 26. Prai- bank with volunteers, then it rie City’s fire chief received will drop back down unless five. The county delivered something else happens,” he 10 masks each to fire depart- ments in Canyon City, Day- said. In a follow-up email, ville, John Day, Long Creek, when asked how many vol- Monument and Mt. Vernon. unteers the EOC would have On standby, the EOC at the Food Bank, Palmer has 678 white regular N95 replied that Tom Sutton is in masks and 140 with respira- charge of the food bank and tors. They have 20 blue, large he did not know. He said he N95 masks, and 650 proce- planned on volunteering, dure masks. By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle The Grant County Peo- ple Mover public transit ser- vice will receive $137,000 in funding through the Oregon Department of Transportation to support rural transportation allocated through the Corona- virus, Aid, Relief, and Eco- nomic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress approved last month. People Mover Executive Director Angie Jones said ODOT moved quickly to put grants in place. “This will help us cover losses that we have incurred and are going to incur in the future,” said Jones. Jones said ridership num- bers have dramatically decreased due to the stay-at- home orders. She said the ser- vice has been delivering gro- ceries and food boxes on the Grant County Food Bank’s monthly distribution day, which has kept her staff busy and averted layoffs. Jones said in February, before the shutdown, there were 3,839 total passengers. But in March, as the social distancing orders took effect, they dropped to 2,862. Jones said she anticipates lower rid- ership numbers in April, the first month without students. Jones said People Mover was steadily increasing rid- ership before the shutdown and adding more services and additional routes. “For us, our grant funding has a lot to do with our rider- ship numbers,” Jones said. She said there is a base amount of funding the trans- portation district receives, which depends on the amount the federal government allo- cates to the state, but addi- tional grant money, based on ridership, is in jeopardy. “We are the county public transportation service,” Jones said. “It concerns me because we don’t want to have to cut services.” Jones said the People The Eagle/Steven Mitchell People Mover bus driver Frank Bingham, right, assists Robin Dahl into the bus at Valley View Assist- ed Living Friday. The People Mover recently received funding through the CARES Act. The Eagle/Steven Mitchell People Mover driver Frank Bingham jokes with a Valley View resident Friday while waiting to take another resident to an ap- pointment at Blue Mountain Hospital. Mover is an essential service to the community and not just for seniors and the disabled. “It is an essential lifeline to a lot of folks,” she said. Jones said the service pro- vided an opportunity, before social distancing, for kids from Prairie City and Mt. Ver- non to come to John Day to attend Boy Scouts and events at the art center. Jones said, before the schools closed, the service was picking up 44 kids a day between Prairie City and Mt. Vernon so kids could attend school in John Day. Longtime People Mover rider Bob Stewart, an 81-year- old former Marine who lives alone, said the People Mover has been “a blessing.” Stewart said a few years ago when he had a medical emergency, he called the Peo- ple Mover to get him to the emergency room instead of 911. Stewart said the isola- tion with the shelter-in-place orders have been frustrating. “I’m sick of being stuck in the house,” he said. However, he said he has adapted and likes to read, and overall the social distancing has been tolerable. Robin Dahl, a resident at Valley View Assisted Living who took the People Mover to an appointment at the hospital Friday, said the service is reli- able. But the People Mover, except for Friday, has not been going to Valley View to avoid the vulnerable popula- tion, according to driver Frank Bingham. Bingham said, prior to the shutdown, the People Mover would take groups of seniors on outings to various desti- nations in and around John Day. Patty Blasier, a longtime rider, said the service takes her everywhere, including appointments with a medical specialist in Bend. “Without the People Mover, I’d be stuck,” Blasier said. “Plus, I met a lot of my friends on the bus.” TOM CHRISTENSEN CHRISTENSEN TOM CONSTRUCTION (541) 410-0557 • (541) 575-0192 CCB# 106077 REMODELS • NEW CONSTRUCTION • POLE BUILDINGS CONCRETE EXCAVATION • SHEET ROCK • SIDING ROOFING • FENCES • DECKS • TELESCOPING FORKLIFT SERVICES JUNIPER ARTS COUNCIL 2020 SCHOLARSHIP S181008-1 Debbie Ausmus 245 South Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845 OPEN WED. & THUR. 9 am - 5 pm 541-575-1113 Every other Monday in John Day at 24 hrs/7 days wk Blue Mountain Hospital debbie.ausmus@ countryfinancial.com The Juniper Arts Council is offering one $500 scholarship to a Grant County student pursuing a major or minor in the arts, which includes visual arts, performing arts, and/ or literary arts. Applicant must be a resident of Grant County at the time the applicant finishes high school, must be a 2020 graduate or have competed high school in the last 3 years, and have a GPA of not less than 2.5. Applications are available at county high schools, the office of Karin Barntish at 131 W. Main in John Day, or by calling 541-932-4892. APPLICATIONS ARE DUE: MAY 18, 2020 by 5 PM. 170 Ford Rd. • 541-575-1311 S138221-1 S181016-1 S181015-1 S166491-1 Let your GRADUATES’ accomplishments SHINE S184108-1 With college commencements being cancelled and uncertainty with high school graduations, HONOR YOUR SENIORS in this special way on a Yard Sign. These 18” x 24” signs can be made in your graduates’ school colors. Order by May 8th! 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