NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
A7
John Day plans proactive
approach to economic recovery
Unemployment claims have
spiked during pandemic
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Eagle file photo
The Seneca School was built by the Edward Hines Lumber Co. in the 1930s to educate the children of its workers.
Humbolt, Seneca elementary schools
employ different distance learning tactics
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
The second week of dis-
tance learning continues for many
schools in Grant County, with each
school implementing the program
the best way possible for their area.
While Seneca School and Hum-
bolt Elementary are two schools
within the same school district and
about a 30-minute drive from each
other, the schools have taken differ-
ent approaches to distance learning.
Connectivity has been the big-
gest difference with Seneca. Dana
McLean, the Seneca head teacher,
said much of the work has had to
be done through packets, rather
than online.
“We are doing the same as
(Humbolt Elementary), and most
of our stuff is done through pack-
ets,” McLean said. “We don’t have
the internet capacity to do anything
online right now since it is very
slow up here.”
Packets are being delivered to
students each week, and parents are
doing a great job adjusting to the
changes, according to McLean.
At
Hum-
bolt Elementary,
a current prior-
ity is to provide
devices to stu-
dents with inter-
net access, said
Eagle file photo Humbolt Princi-
Darbie Denni- pal Darbie Den-
son, Humbolt nison. Dennison
Elementary
said a challenge
School prin- they noticed is
cipal
that they didn’t
have many por-
table devices that were compatible
with the programs needed for dis-
tance learning.
“We’re still doing a blended
approach of online as well as send-
ing packets to pretty much every
student,” Dennison said. “I have to
say the staff at Humbolt have just
been phenomenal in this whole pro-
cess. Our instructional assistants
have come in and are putting pack-
ets together and getting them deliv-
ered, and our teachers have spent
many additional hours contacting
parents and getting kids online and
setting up Google Classroom.”
A common challenge between
Humbolt and Seneca has been with
parents feeling overwhelmed with
the changes.
“Parents have been very willing
to do (the extra work), and I have
heard a few parents that are pretty
overwhelmed with all the work,
but they are willing to step it up
and have a schedule for their kid,”
McLean said.
Staff at Seneca have made con-
ference calls with parents to follow
up and see how things are going.
Dennison said another chal-
lenge for parents is coming up with
a system that focuses on each child,
not just those in high school.
“A little concern for us at the
elementary is that parents that
have kids in high school are
really focused on getting those
kids to do what needs to be done
— I think because they’re con-
cerned about credits — and put-
ting us elementary kids a little
behind,” Dennison said. “I think
maybe it’s just a matter of meet-
ing them where they are, and as
we move along they’ll come up
with a good system at home, and
it’ll work out.”
Being proactive is an important goal
for John Day as the city council dis-
cussed the sobering statistics and data
regarding economic recovery amid
the coronavirus pandemic.
The city of John Day looked at how
COVID-19 affected the economy and
unemployment in the city and county.
City Manager Nick Green shared
data from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency regarding busi-
ness closures during a disaster, which
was dismal, according to John Day
Mayor Ron Lundbom.
“The number that stood out to me
were 40% of businesses do not reopen
after a disaster, 25% fail within one
year and over 90% fail within two
years. That was a sobering statistic,”
Lundbom said. “Let’s see if we can-
not let that happen.”
Green said these statistics are for
a typical disaster but added that the
current situation may not be typical
based on when restrictions are lifted
and businesses can reopen.
Unemployment insurance claims
in Grant County increased approxi-
mately 50% each week since March
14, according to data Green received
from Chris Rich, the state regional
economist. Thirty-two percent of the
claims processed were from accom-
modation and food services.
The amount of claims gradually
increased in March with 14 claims
made for the week ending on March
14, 40 claims for the week ending on
March 21 and 52 claims for the week
ending on March 28.
“If we come back to thinking about
the severity of the shock, this one, as
an effect on employment, has been far
worse than the Great Depression in
the depth of the shock, and the ques-
tion becomes how quickly do you
recover?” Green said.
Statewide during the week of April
5 to April 11, the Oregon Employ-
ment Department received 53,800 ini-
tial claims for unemployment ben-
efits. That’s in addition to a revised
total of 243,000 initial claims filed
during the prior three weeks.
The department said in their press
release that, with the first CARES
Act payments on April 10, Oregon is
among the early states getting an extra
$600 per week to those out of work
due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Along with the current pandemic,
John Day has faced multiple disasters
the city is still recovering from.
“This recovery is coming on the
heels of the 2019 spring flooding,
and we’re still recovering from that...
which has come on the heels of the
2015 wildfires... and that’s coming on
the heels of 2011 flooding and on and
on and on,” Green said. “We need to
be prepared for these waves, and we
need to pay attention to the data that
are meaningful.”
The city has been working with
EcoNorthwest and the Economic
Development Administration to get
a framework on economic recovery,
resiliency and how to emerge stronger
for future disasters.
In recovering from the disaster,
Green said it was important for public
officials to not give into fear and con-
tinue to work forward.
“Within the paper by EcoNorth-
west, they talked about short-term
and long-term strategies, and if you
go through that, we are already doing
a lot of these things,” Green said.
“We’ve had Oregon RAIN stood up
to help support local small businesses.
We’re doing some things for small
business assistance, we’ve done a lot
of economic development planning,
we’re doing things to create adapted
workforce housing and we’re heav-
ily invested in infrastructure. I think
we’re positioned to take advantage of
low interest rates and federal stimulus
when it’s made available to cities.”
P rairie
B aptist C hurch
238 N. McHaley St., Prairie City
541-820-3696
www.prairie-baptist-church.com
Pastor David Hoeffner
Pastor Keith
Sunday School (all ages) .......9:00 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship .10:30 a.m.
Awana (Oct.-Apr.) ................3:00 p.m.
Youth Group .........................5:30 p.m.
John Day Valley
Mennonite
Church
Meeting every Sunday
at Mt. Vernon Grange Hall
Sunday School ...............................9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship ............10:50 a.m.
Pastor Leland Smucker
Everyone Welcome • 541-932-2861
JOHN DAY
UNITED
METHODIST
CHURCH
Sunday Worship • 9AM
(541) 575-1326
johndayUMC@gmail.com
126 NW Canton, John Day
Food Pantry Friday 3-4PM
Like us on Facebook!
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Catholic Church
Corner of S Canyon Blvd and SW 2 nd
Mon. - Fri. Mass - 12:05 pm
Saturday Mass - 5:00 pm
Sunday Mass - 9:00 am
Holy Days Mass: Noon & 6 pm
Confession: Saturday 4:00-4:45 pm
Anytime by appointment
541-974-8638
St. Anne
Redeemer
Lutheran Church
Come Worship with us at
24/7 Inspirational Christian
Broadcasting
Tune into KSPL 98.1 FM
For more information,
call 541 620-0340
CHURCH OF THE
NAZARENE
Sunday School .......................... 9:30 am
Sunday Worship Service......... 10:45 am
Sunday Evening Service ...........6:00 pm
Children & Teen Activities
SMALL GROUPS CALL FOR MORE INFO
627 SE Hillcrest, John Day
1 st Sunday Worship/Communion ..................10am
3 rd Sunday Worship/Communion/Potluck ...4:30pm
2 nd , 4 th & 5 th Sunday Worship .........................10am
Wednesday Evening Bible Study .....................6pm
For information: 541-575-2348
FIRST CHRISTIAN
CHURCH
Sunday School ..................... 9:45 am
Sunday Worship ...................... 11 am
Fox Community Church ............. 3 pm
Sunday Evening Bible Talk ......... 6 pm
Saturday Men’s Study ............... 6 pm
Weekdays: Sonshine Christian School
Full Gospel- Come Grow With Us
Pastor Randy Johnson
521 E. Main • John Day • 541-575-1895
www.johndaynazarene.com
541-575-1202 Church
311 NE Dayton St, John Day
Pastor Al Altnow
MT. VERNON
PRESBYTERIAN
Monument -
2nd & 4th Sundays at 12:30 pm
SUNDAY SERVICE..............9 am
541-932-4800
EVERYONE WELCOME
Cornerstone
Christian
Fellowship
139 N.E. D AYTON S TREET , J OHN D AY
541-575-2180
Sunday Worship Service 10 am
Sunday Youth Group 3 pm
Thursday Celebrate Recovery 6 pm
Pastor Levi Manitsas
cornerstonejohnday@gmail.com
ccfjd.org
Join us on Facebook
live Sunday 10am
Like us on Facebook!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Every Sunday in the L.C.
Community Center
(Corner of Second & Allen)
Contact Paster Ed Studtmann at
541-421-3888 • Begins at 4:00pm
FIRST
BAPTIST
CHURCH
Sunday School ...................... 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship .. 10:50 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship .. 10:50 a.m.
No Mid-week Services
Pastor Jesse Grosnell
300 W. Main, John Day
541-575-1355
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9 am - 12 Noon
Community Church
SUNDAY SERVICE ...........9 am
St. Thomas
Episocopal
Church
Hwy 26 Mt. Vernon
Seventh-Day
Adventist
Church
SATURDAY SERVICES
Celebration of Worship
JOHN DAY
110 Valley View Dr.
541-575-1216
Head Elder ..........................541-575-2914
Bible Classes (all ages) .................9:30 am
Worship ...........................................11 am
LONG CREEK
E. Main Street
541-421-3033
Head Elder .................................421-3468
Bible Classes (all ages) ......................2 pm
Worship .............................................3 pm
Jr./Sr. High
Youth Connection
Sundays 5:30pm
Youth: 0-6th Grade
Midweek Service
Thursdays 6:30pm
Youth: 0-6th Grade
Contact the office for
current schedule
Overcomer’s Outreach
Fridays 6:30pm
House on the Lawn
A Christ-Centered, 12-Step
Recovery Support Group
Pastor Sharon Miller
541-932-4910
www.livingwordcc.com
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