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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2015)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 FROM PAGE A1 Student uses personal connection with books as inspiration in essay contest favorites being “Before I Fall,” “The Fault in Our HERMISTON HERALD Stars” and “If I Stay.” Daisy Paredes, an Ar- Parades said her favorite mand Larive Middle part about reading, howev- School eighth-grader, loves er, is not the stories them- reading more than many of selves, but the characters her peers at school. and how she can relate to She said, on average, she them. reads anywhere from 15 to “I can really connect 30 books every two to three with them, which allows weeks weeks, and maybe me to really connect with more during the summer myself,” he said. time. Parades said through At least a couple of times mentally experiencing what a month, Paredes said she characters go through, she and her mother go to the prepares for situations in Hermiston Public Library her own life. where she checks out about So last month, when 30 books to take home. She Paredes’ language arts said she can’t get enough teacher, Cory Applegate, of young adult novels that offered her students a KDYH D URPDQWLF ÀDLU KHU chance to participate in an BY MAEGAN MURRAY essay contest asking them to highlight why reading matters in today’s society, she already had a topic in mind. That night, she went straight home and wrote an essay that, instead of focus- ing on why literacy matters in today’s work place as most of her peers did, fo- cused on how she has con- nected with herself through reading. She turned in the essay the next day. Paredes said she and her teacher worked through her essay for the next two weeks, and she made some adjustments and edits to make it stronger. Then, more than a week ago, VKH OHDUQHG VKH ZRQ ¿UVW place in the Altrusa Liter- ary Committee’s contest. As a reward for winning the contest, she received a $100 gift card to Barnes & Noble. ALMS eighth-grad- er Hannah Johnson placed second in the essay contest and received a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card. The two joined 13 of their peers in a writing workshop with young adult author Mau- reen McQuerry, who visit- ed the school last week. By this week, Paredes said she had already spent her $100 gift card, buy- ing about 10 of her favor- ite books she otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford. “Books are expensive,” she said. “I am so glad I won so I could purchase some of my favorites.” Paredes said she also found extra inspiration by participating in McQuer- ry’s workshop. Paredes said she likes to write in her spare time and has tried to write a story or two on her own, but she always gets frustrated and abandons her work. She said by working with Mc- Querry, she was inspired WR ¿QLVK D \RXQJDGXOW UR- mance story that she start- ed when she attended the workshop. “I’m inspired right now,” she said. “Hopefully that sticks around for a while.” Parades said her favorite tip she received from Mc- Querry’s workshop came when the students were ZULWLQJ WKHLU ¿UVW SDJH RI their new stories. She said McQuerry told them they had to identify something RQWKDW¿UVWSDJHWKDWZRXOG cause readers to sympathize with the characters, while also catching their atten- tion. “That was really help- ful,” she said. “She was pretty cool. She had a lot of tips that made me realize a lot of things.” Paredes said if she is able to enter another writ- ing contest next year in high school, she will. “I loved doing this,” she said. HEALTH: continued from page A1 FUNDING: ly walk a few steps without needing to stop and take a few breaths. “It felt like I had been hit by a truck,” he said. About six weeks later, after his chest healed from the sur- gery, Berrey was booked into what is known as phase two of cardiac rehabilitation therapy through Good Shepherd Med- ical Center’s cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program. Doc- tors had told him his heart would never pump more than 30 to 35 percent and that he needed a pacemaker to moni- tor his irregular heart beat, but Berrey said he wanted to try WKHWKHUDS\¿UVW “My doctor didn’t blame me for not wanting (the pace- maker), but they heavily sug- gested it,” he said. “I wouldn’t be talked out of starting the WKHUDS\¿UVW´ Following a lengthy inter- view with GSMC rehabilitation program specialists, Berrey was SXW RQ D VSHFL¿F H[HUFLVH SODQ that he would complete daily at the facility where they would be able to monitor his heart rhythms and blood pressure closely. He also enrolled in the program’s weekly classes on topics such as heart health, heart healthy reci- pes, how the heart operates and exercise and stress management. $W¿UVW%HUUH\VDLGWKHZRUN RXWUHJLPHQZDVLQFUHGLEO\GLI¿- cult for him. He said he complet- ed only a few-minute increments on machines such as a treadmill and a stationary bike, but, be- cause of his condition, he felt like he was running a marathon. “I thought they were trying to kill me,” he said laughing. “Then, you realize it is actually helping. You start to feel better.” Berrey said, thanks to the strict planning and positive en- couragement he received from the rehabilitation program spe- cialists, he improved his heart pump health to 40 to 45 percent, which doctors had originally told him would be impossible. Although he still has a heart murmur, he and doctors hope, with continued success in the GSMC program, it will go away, and he won’t need a pacemaker. “It really is a miracle. I do think it is God that did this,” he said. “I’m a pastor, and my fam- ily and I prayed about it, but I also don’t think it wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for (re- habilitation program staff).” Berrey said the staff in the program care for each patient who comes in to see them as if “What people are forgetting is we are also adding 28,000 additional … students in the state because of full-day kindergarten, which actually equates to us getting about 95 per- cent of (the $7.235 billion),” he said. “This is, I think, the biggest challenge we get because the legislators go, ‘What are you talking about? We are giving you $600 mil- lion more,’ but until they understand this, it is the biggest challenge. That is why the gov- ernor’s initial proposal of $6.9 billion was so far south and, I’ll be honest, laughable. It would have been catastrophic for schools in Oregon.” Smith said, under the proposed $7.235 billion budget, districts across the state will actually lose about $47 per student. Because the Hermiston School District has more inexperienced teachers, the state will pay it less. The school district will re- ceive $111 less per student if the education budget was approved as currently presented, Smith said. Because the district’s enrollment is ex- pected to grow, however, HSD will be more fortunate than other districts in the state. Smith and Superintendent Fred Maiocco recommended the board pass budget param- eters that include a projected growth in the district of 50 students, which they said was “modest.” Smith said if the board were to accept a ³ÀDW ´ RU VWDJQDQW JURZWK SUHGLFWLRQ IRU LWV budget planning parameters, the district would face $400,000 in reductions. “You are going to want to strongly look at that 50 (student enrollment) growth because things get ugly really quick if you don’t take the option to consider that number and growth,” he said. Smith also recommended the board main- tain at least an 8 percent ending-fund balance because, under the current budget proposal, RI¿FLDOVGRQRWDQWLFLSDWHWKHUHVRXUFHVFRP- ing in from the state to allow the district to increase that number to pre-recession levels. Smith also recommended the board allow the district to possibly access the Public Em- ployees Retirement System reserve fund if state revenue falls below what is currently projected to avoid mid-year staff and pro- gram reductions. “With this $7.235 billion, there is no new programs, no additional new and exciting educational opportunities,” he said. “The current assumptions does not allow for any additional modular procurement for growth … We know that will be needed in future years.” Smith said if legislators approve an edu- cation budget for more than what is currently being proposed, the board will have the op- portunity to set those funds aside in a reserve account and possibly use them in the event of another recession. Smith said, however, that many people who were initially optimistic about the state negotiating for a budget in the amount of at least $7.5 billion, which would allow districts to maintain the status quo, are not feeling so positive now. The board approved the recommended budget perameters, with board member Don Ranking voting opposed. WATER: continued from page A1 will become a reality with- in the next six months. He said the unity behind the project to increase available water in the area has helped it gain support. “Every one of the critical groundwater areas, every one of the municipalities, every one of the irrigation districts, horse pastures, big operations, medium-size operations, we’ve tried to impact everybody, and it’s been a lot of work,” he said. “We’ve got it teed up to do that. Frankly, people said that will be its failure, and just the opposite, that has been its success. People have said that the basin uni- fying behind this effort is what’s got it the momentum that it has today, and that’s continued from page A1 MAEGAN MURRAY PHOTO Paula Hagel, an exercise physiologist at Good Shepherd Medical Center, checks Hermiston resident Gene Berrey’s blood pressure after a workout in the hospital’s cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program Thursday afternoon. they are their own family, which is one of the major reasons he believes he and so many others have been successful. If it wasn’t for the efforts of Tony Garberg, director of car- diopulmonary services and re- spiratory therapist, and his staff, however, the program wouldn’t have even existed. In 2008, Gar- berg said, because of physician rule changes through Medicare and Medicaid, the hospital had to discontinue its previous program. He was contacted by the hospital that year about researching a new program, which included a pul- monary element, and agreed. Garberg spent the next four years developing a comprehen- sive program with Paula Hagel, the hospital’s wellness coordi- nator at the time who is now the program’s exercise physiologist. Garberg said the goal was to come up with a program that best suited patients in eastern Oregon. The effort proved to be a tremendous success, he said. Since starting back up in 2011-12, the program has large- ly remained at capacity. He said the only way a patient can enter the phase two of their program is if someone graduates from the 36-week session. He said the pro- gram can take up to 24 patients at a time and currently has patients on a waiting list to enroll. Garberg said he thinks he has one of the best jobs at the hospi- tal and enjoys helping people get back in shape after a major heart complication. He said he and his staff help people improve not only their heart, but their quality of living, as well. a really important lesson for us moving forward.” Northeast Oregon Water Association Director J.R. Cook said the largest piece of funding available for the infrastructure, including lines necessary to move the water freed up with ad- ditional water rights, will be considered by the Or- egon Legislature in two separate bills, which to- tal more than $50 million for state projects. Cook also applied for another $900,000 from a separate economic development fund, and that money is also currently included in the governor’s proposed budget. With the infrastructure and the additional water, Port General Manager Kim Puzey said the proj- ect will significantly im- pact the local economy. MAEGAN MURRAY PHOTO Staff in the Good Shepherd Medical Center’s cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program use a variety of equipment, including heart rate monitors, to track their patients as they exercise. The equipment allows staff to keep a close eye on patients’ progress and overall health. “This is where I love to spend my time,” he said. “I work up- stairs, too, and I get to see a lot of the short-term recovery, but this has been a blast. You see the ones that continue on to phase two, and you see the difference it makes in their life.” Hagel said the program still has people enrolled who have SDUWLFLSDWHG VLQFH LWV ¿UVW \HDU She said one man, who is now in phase three of the program, which is more of a health-main- tenance exercise plan and exer- cise club, has been coming for the last three to three and a half years. Berrey is also currently completing phase three. Berrey said he completed phase two of his program, which is covered under his insurance, and now comes daily for phase three, which, for $50 a month, costs less than a gym. He said each day he exercises on four to ¿YHSLHFHVRIHTXLSPHQWWRFRQ- tinue improving his heart health, and he’s never felt better. “What we have is a $40 million asset that the commissioners have a fiduciary responsibili- ty toward, and they have been able, through more than 30 months of nego- tiation and deliberation, to make this available to the public at large and to this region,” he said. “That, being coupled with what I believe to be the $54.6 million appropri- ation in the governor’s budget, makes available extraordinary potential for this region in terms of agricultural production, value-added agricultur- al jobs, trade and trans- portation and all of the associated employment around this industry. We think that it will be hun- dreds of millions, if not in the billions, of dollars of economic impact in the “I would have never believe that I could feel this well, and I didn’t even know that I was un- healthy before,” he said. Berrey said he has made friends with other people in the program. He said the bond with those friends is stronger than with others because they can all relate to enduring some of the same uphill battles. “We all have something in common,” he said. Garberg said he is just happy the hospital has such a program. He said staff hope to eventually expand it to offer more opportu- nities to improve more people’s health and quality of life. He said the hospital could use a couple more pieces of equip- ment, and, eventually, he would like to expand current operations to two rooms so phase two pa- tients can be separate from those in phase three. “We’re kind of running out of URRPLQKHUH´KHVDLG³:H¿OO up pretty fast.” decades to come.” Puzey said the port will make available about 100 cubic feet per second of water from the Columbia River to water users in the area, but the amount of ZDWHU PD\ ÀXFWXDWH GXH WRZDWHUÀRZDQG¿VKFRQ- cerns. He said water users will pay $5,000 per cfs an- nually. Although planning for this specific agreement began in 2012, Puzey said some people have worked for years to acquire more water for the region. “(This agreement oc- curred) because of the work of some of the wa- ter users in this area over a generation to bring us to where we are today,” he said. “One of those individuals is the late Chester Prior. I’m really sorry that Chet couldn’t be here today to see this. He worked tirelessly for a generation to get us to this point, and as Craig (Reed- er) mentioned, we’re still not there. This is a huge piece, but there is still a lot to put together.”