A6
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Thadd’s Place continues to grow
Construction complete on
reception area, meeting area
for grief center in John Day
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Thadd’s Place has seen new additions
and continued support as the grief organi-
zation continues to grow.
Sylvia Ross, Paul Smith and Joe Bell-
inger explained to the John Day City
Council March 9 the progress of Thadd’s
Place, its importance and upcoming fund-
raisers and events.
Thadd’s Place is a grief center situated
between Chester’s Thriftway and Body,
Fitness and Dance in John Day, with the
mission to help individuals experienc-
ing the loss of a loved one through emo-
tional support, access to relevant education
resources and space for healing in a sup-
portive community.
The organization had their fi rst fund-
raiser in June 2020 that was impacted by
COVID-19, but they still raised $35,000
through the golf tournament and drive-
through dinner in the parking lot at Thadd’s
Place. They served over 400 dinners in
about 45 minutes, according to Ross.
After the fundraisers, they went out
for bid on the construction inside the cen-
ter and, so far, have completed a recep-
tion area and meeting room. Ross said they
also just fi nished a 10-week peer compan-
ion training with 18 volunteers that will
be working with individuals in grief in the
community.
“We have more volunteers signed up
and ready to go through the training,” Ross
said. “In February, we started seeing grief
clients at Thadd’s Place, so we are offi -
cially open.”
Bellinger said people of any age or type
of grief can come to Thadd’s Place for
help. He said Thadd’s Place is also plan-
ning a golf and gala this year on June 26.
The team is also working on construct-
ing additional group rooms to reach a vari-
ety of diff erent people such as a play ther-
apy room for children or additional group
rooms to sit down and talk, according to
Bellinger.
“It is a huge space, and we have ideas
like child therapy rooms, and it continues
to grow,” Bellinger said.
Ross said there is no fee for the ser-
vices provided at Thadd’s Place, and
Contributed photo
Dayville School Superintendent Kathryn Hedrick led suc-
cessful eff orts to renovate and update the campus during
her tenure.
New superintendent
coming to Dayville
Haberly from
Pleasant Hill to
replace retiring
Hedrick July 1
Eagle fi le photo
Alana Shaff er, left, and Jordan Ross atop a banner with the Thadd’s Place design at the
ninth hole of the John Day Golf Course during a fundraiser tournament. The Thadd’s
Place design was chosen by Thaddeus Cowan Thompson’s son Nathaniel.
Eagle fi le photo
Golfers pose at a tournament fundraiser in 2020 for Thadd’s Place, a grief center in John
Day.
the team has worked hard to run the
program off of grants, donations and
fundraisers.
Thadd’s Place was named after Thad-
deus Cowan Thompson who passed away
in February 2019 at the age of 39 after a
battle with cancer.
Before Cowan Thompson passed away,
he had his loved ones promise to get grief
counseling, and his wish was that they take
care of each other and get the proper help,
according to Ross. She added that going to
counseling helped make a diff erence for
his loved ones after Cowan Thompson’s
passing.
For people interested in donating to
Thadd’s Place, money can be sent to P.O.
Box 422, John Day, OR 97845, and other
resources can be found on the Facebook
page “Thadd’s Place.”
New county resident escapes fi res near Talent
Day appreciates the
friendly welcome
he received
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
A new county resident
originally from Talent had a
close call before he arrived.
In September, Spencer
Day made the move to Grant
County to begin a new job
at the Restoration Fuels tor-
refaction plant, but he nar-
rowly escaped the Labor Day
fi res in Oregon.
“I was moving here for
that position, and I ended
up getting detoured by two
hours because of all the
fi res,” Day said. “I was liv-
Contributed photo
New Grant County resident
Spencer Day with his grand-
daughter Arianna who was
born last month.
ing in my trailer house, and I
was really lucky because the
fi re went around the trailer
park (in Talent), instead of
going through it. You could
say I was lucky or blessed.”
He said he was unsure
if he still had a home at the
trailer park until a day after
the fi re ravaged the vicinity.
Day’s abode survived,
and he made the move to
Prairie City’s Depot RV
Park. Shortly after, he
bought a home in Canyon
City where he currently
resides.
Day is a Vietnam veteran
who was a nuclear reactor
operator in the Navy, work-
ing on a variety of equipment
during his time of service.
He said it was a little unnerv-
ing when he fi rst moved here
because he didn’t know any-
body in the county. However,
he said the friendship he has
at church helped build con-
nections with others in the
community.
“Adjusting to Grant
County wasn’t hard at all
because I grew up in a small
town down in Orleans, Cal-
ifornia,” Day said. “Going
from Talent to here, you
don’t have the shopping, but
that’s fi ne because I don’t
need a lot, and the people
here have been friendly.”
Since he moved to Grant
County, he has enjoyed
the friendship people off er.
Day looks forward to nicer
weather in Grant County
so he can have the chance
to hike, bike and take
photographs.
“I’m friendly and outgo-
ing, and I like to joke a little
bit,” Day said.
Another benefi t: His
granddaughter Arianna who
lives in Caldwell, Idaho.
“I am now a lot closer to
my granddaughter, and it is
easier to see her more often,”
Day said.
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
A new superintendent
from Pleasant Hill is com-
ing to Dayville.
The Dayville School
Board announced March 10
that Brandon Haberly will
be the new superintendent
and principal for the school
district starting on July 1.
Dayville School Board
Chair Casey Fretwell said
several members of the
community had the chance
to meet with Haberly, and
everybody is excited for
him to start his job.
“He communicated to
the board a great work
ethic, high moral standards,
great knowledge about var-
ious programs and a com-
mitment to kids’ educa-
tion,” Fretwell said.
The school board did
an extensive search for a
new superintendent, and
Haberly stood out from the
candidates because they felt
that he would fi t well with
the district and community,
and his enthusiasm for the
job and the city was great,
according to Fretwell.
“I would like to thank
the Dayville School Board
for the opportunity to join
their team and serve our
students, staff and commu-
nity,” Haberly said in a press
release. “My family and I
are extremely excited. I will
arrive July 1 ready to listen,
learn and get connected as
quickly as possible.”
Fretwell said the cur-
rent superintendent, Kath-
erine Hedrick, decided to
retire and did well in her
job as she worked with the
community and helped fi nd
funding opportunities to
renovate buildings.
The retirement was not
a huge surprise to the board
because Heidrick notifi ed
them when she took the job
that she had about six years,
according to Fretwell.
“The school has recently
gone through a bond proj-
ect, and it feels like a new
Contributed photo
Dayville
Superintendent
Kathryn Hedrick said repairs
to the school’s roof and aw-
nings are almost fi nished.
school, new
superin-
tendent,”
Fretwell
said, “and
I have high
hopes for
Kathryn
the possi-
Hedrick
bilities to
come.”
Hedrick said she is end-
ing her six-year tenure hav-
ing successfully led a bond
project and obtaining state
grants to renovate and
upgrade the campus. She
added that she also helped
stabilized enrollment and
saw the growth of early
learning education, daycare
and the preschool.
“The school has imple-
mented new curriculum in
all disciplines and teach-
ers enjoy almost unlim-
ited professional devel-
opment options,” Hedrick
said. “(I’m) grateful to the
Dayville community for
such a great six-year run...
The community’s sup-
port of its schools and stu-
dents is inspirational and
commendable.”
Haberly is currently the
assistant middle school
principal in Pleasant Hill
and has held a variety of
jobs, such as a principal in
the Yupiit, Alaska, School
District and physical educa-
tion specialist and athletic
director in North Doug-
las and South Lane school
districts.
Date Night Get Together
Charity Auction for Lake
Creek Youth Camp
April 10, 2021
Doors open at 5:00 p.m. | Dinner starts at 6:00 p.m.
At the Grant County Fairgrounds Pavilion
Tickets: $20 in advance - $25 at the door
*2020 Tickets purchased will be accepted*
SEATING IS LIMITED
Silent Auction • Games • Live Auction
Pistol Drawing • Dinner • Music
Donations/Contact Information
P.O. Box 542, John Day, OR 97845 • 541-575-2831
www.lakecreekcamp.org
S234984-1
S226597-1