A8
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Puckett
moving
to Central
Oregon
Contributed photo
Grant County Court Ad-
ministrative Assistant Kim
Puckett put in her last day
with the county after more
than two years of service.
Puckett, who is relocating
to Central Oregon, said
she appreciated all of the
support from the commis-
sioners and her coworkers
during her tenure.
Houser
earns
Doctor of
Physical
Therapy
Assistant librarian takes director position
Ostberg plans to continue
expanding services for community
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
As Grant County Library Director Vicki Bond
retired last week after 30 years at the helm, the county
tapped Bond’s longtime assistant to take her place.
New librarian Chris Ostberg said she “got lucky”
when she brought the kids she was babysitting to
the library’s story time hour 15 years ago and got to
know everybody at the library and applied for the
assistant position when it opened up with the county.
Both Ostberg and Bond said they have seen many
changes at the library over the years, and the services
it offers are essential to the county in so many differ-
ent respects.
Ostberg said the computers are open later hours
than other places in the community, such as the
employment office or anywhere else. In addition, she
pointed out that the library is open until 7 p.m. on
both Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Bond said the story time hour teaches the com-
munity’s children to get ready for kindergarten and
is a big help for working parents who might not have
the time to prepare them for school. She also said the
library helps with adult literacy in the community.
Bond said, by far, the most significant change to
the library that she has seen is digitization.
She said every book is barcoded and on the inter-
net. Before, she said, if someone wanted to order a
book, she would have to fill out a handwritten triple
carbon copy and mail it to the state library and the state
would send it back through the mail. Now, she said, it
can all be done online.
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Incoming Grant County Library Director Chris Ostberg, left, and retiring director Vicki Bond.
Ostberg said the library has done a good job
and has been upgrading to make a more com-
prehensive array of services available for the
community.
Bond credited the Grant County Court and the
community as a whole with building up services
for the community.
“Vicki has brought us closer, and more things
are available in this library now,” Ostberg said.
“”Hopefully, I will be able to increase that and
bring even more things into the library.”
The library is open from 1-5 p.m. Mondays,
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, 1-5 p.m. Wednesdays
and 1-7 p.m. Thursdays.
Thadd’s Place awarded OHSU Knight Cancer grant
Grief center serving
those affected by
cancer
Blue Mountain Eagle
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Rayce Richard Houser
of Canyon City gradu-
ated with distinction from
Pacific University in Ore-
gon in May 2021 with a
Doctor of Physical Therapy
from the College of Health
Professions.
The most valuable and respected source of
local news, advertising and information
for our communities.
eomediagroup.com
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Eagle file photo
Michelle Gibson, a licensed clinical social worker with Thadd’s
Thadd’s Place, Grant
County’s grief support cen-
ter, received $24,400 from
the Knight Cancer Institute’s
Community Partnership Pro-
gram to expand its services
to include cancer patients and
their families.
Tirza Shaffer, Thadd’s
Place president, told the Eagle
that cancer has always been
at the forefront for Thadd’s
Place.
“Thadd passed away from
cancer, and cancer affects
such a large population in
Grant County,” she said.
“Most people you know have
been touched in one way or
another by cancer so it has
been a goal of ours to be able
to provide support for anyone
faced with a diagnosis or loss
from cancer.”
Shaffer said Thadd’s
Place’s grant writer, Pastor
Michael Harvey, worked to
find a grant that would “fit the
bill” for Thadd’s Place and
serve the county.
She said the Knight
Cancer
Institute
had
been a “dream to work
with.”
Shaffer said the new pro-
gram will offer cancer patients
and their families 10-week
grief support group classes
focusing on Dr. Alan D. Wol-
felt’s “Understanding Your
Grief.” She said in these
groups participants will learn
healthy ways to walk through
their grief.
She said there will also be
one-on-one assistance avail-
able from trained Thadd’s
Place companions. Shaf-
fer said Thadd’s Place has 18
companions trained from Dr.
Wolfelts “Companioning the
Bereaved.”
Additionally, she said,
there will be ongoing peer
support groups focused on
cancer-related deaths for
adults and children.
She said staff are currently
working on the program-
ming for the support groups
and hope to have their first
group operational by the end
of August.
Lastly, she said the funding
would allow Thadd’s Place to
hire a part-time administra-
tive assistant and build new
counseling rooms and pur-
chase curriculum books for all
participants.
MT. VERNON
PRESBYTERIAN
Community Church
SUNDAY SERVICE..............9 am
SUNDAY SERVICE ...........9 am
Redeemer
Lutheran Church
Come Worship with us at
541-932-4800
EVERYONE WELCOME
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
Sunday Bible Study .....................................8:45am
For information: 541-575-2348
FIRST CHRISTIAN
CHURCH
Grace Chapel (EMC )
154 E. Williams St.
Prairie City, Oregon
541 820-4437
2 Corinthians 5:17
Every Sunday in the L.C.
Community Center
Pastor Robert Perkins
Contact Pastor Ed Studtmann at
541-421-3888 • Begins at 4:00pm
Sunday School (all ages)
9:30-10:30
Sunday Worship
10:45-12:00
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
(Corner of Second & Allen)
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!
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
Weekdays: Sonshine Christian School
Pastor Randy Johnson
521 E. Main • John Day • 541-575-1895
www.johndaynazarene.com
St. Thomas
Episcopal
Church
Join us on Facebook
live Sunday 10am
Like us on Facebook!
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
59357 Hwy 26 Mt. Vernon
Full Gospel- Come Grow With Us
Celebration of Worship
541-575-1202 Church
311 NE Dayton St, John Day
Pastor Al Altnow
Midweek Service
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
Sundays 5:30pm
Youth: 0-6th Grade
Thursdays 6:30pm
Youth: 0-6th Grade
Jr./Sr. High
Youth Connection
Wednesdays at 6:30pm
Overcomer’s Outreach
Mondays at 6pm at
LWCC
A Christ-Centered, 12-Step
Recovery Support Group
Pastor Sharon Miller
541-932-4910
www.livingwordcc.com
S252143-1