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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2016)
LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016 Drotzmann running for re-election since changed the mayor’s seat to a four-year term Hermiston Mayor Da- starting in 2017. vid Drotzmann says he If during the May 16 will run for re-election. primary election two or Drotzmann, an optom- IHZHUFDQGLGDWHV¿OHIRUD etrist and owner of Life- position, the election will time Vision Source, has be considered the gener- been mayor since al election. If more January 2013. He than two people run said on Thursday for a position, then that he planned to the top two candi- ¿OH SDSHUZRUN DW dates with the most City Hall later in the votes will advance day to run for a third to run against each term. other in the Novem- Candidates have David ber general election. Drotz- until 5 p.m. on mann Filing forms and Tuesday, March 8, manuals to run for WR ¿OH IRU PD\RU RU RI¿FH DUH DYDLODEOH municipal judge. Munici- at City Hall, 180 NE Sec- pal Judge Thomas Creas- ond St., or online at sos. LQJ KDV DOUHDG\ ¿OHG IRU oregon.gov/elections/Pag- re-election. No one has es/manuals-tutorials.aspx. ¿OHGWRUXQDJDLQVWKLPRU )RUPV PXVW EH ¿OHG ZLWK Drotzmann. the city recorder. Drotzmann is current- Candidates for mayor ly serving a two-year or municipal judge must term, but an update to be a resident of the city the city charter approved and have lived there for at by Hermiston voters has least one year. By JADE McDOWELL Staff Writer Potts named LQWHULP¿UHFKLHI vise the district’s build- ings, equipment and Steve Potts is now the volunteers. Umatilla’s interim chief of the Uma- roster includes 20 active tilla Rural Fire Protection YROXQWHHU ¿UH¿JKWHUV DQG District. WKUHHUHVHUYH¿UH¿JKWHUV Fred Sheely, chair- Potts became a volun- man of the Umatilla Fire WHHU¿UH¿JKWHUZLWK8PD- %RDUGFRQ¿UPHG0RQGD\ tilla in 1988. He accept- the board had named Potts ed a full-time position as to the position during its EMS coordinator in 2012 February meeting. and shifted to recruitment Potts has handled most DQG UHWHQWLRQ RI¿FHU DI- administrative duties for ter the district contracted the district since Septem- with Hermiston Fire and ber, when Chief Michael Emergency Services for Roxbury went on medical ambulance services. The leave. Potts and Roxbury Umatilla district main- are the only two paid em- WDLQVTXLFNUHVSRQVHPHG- ployees of the Umatilla LFDOVHUYLFHVDVZHOODV¿UH Rural Fire Protection Dis- functions. trict. The Umatilla Rural The two paid em- Fire Protection District SOR\HHV ² ¿UH FKLHI Board next meets Wednes- and recruitment/reten- day. Roxbury remains on WLRQ RI¿FHU ² VXSHU- medical leave. By JENNIFER COLTON Staff Writer Two Rivers inmate dies after being found unresponsive in his cell An Oregon Department had in DOC custody for of Corrections inmate died nearly 23 years, since Saturday at a Portland-ar- March 23, 1993, and was ea hospital. serving a life sentence on The inmate had been RQH FRXQW RI ¿UVWGHJUHH incarcerated at Two Riv- murder out of Deschutes ers Correctional Insti- County. tution in Umatilla. The According to The GHDWK KDV EHHQ FODVVL¿HG (Bend) Bulletin, Abbot by the Department was convicted of of Corrections as an NLOOLQJ &DURODQQ unanticipated death Payne, who disap- and the Oregon peared in 1985 at State Police Crim- the age of 35. Her inal Investigation body was never Division is conduct- found. Payne was ing an investigation. Abbot’s girlfriend at Joel According to Abbot the time of her dis- the Department of appearance. Abbot Corrections, staff was arrested in May at Two Rivers found in- 1992 after a prolonged mate Joel Abbot, 60, un- investigation by the De- responsive in his cell on schutes County Sheriff’s 6DWXUGD\ +H ZDV WDNHQ 2I¿FH off-site for medical care at 1H[W RI NLQ KDV EHHQ approximately 10:30 a.m. QRWL¿HG'2&VDLGQRRWK- The name of the Port- er details were available at land-area hospital where this time. $EERW ZDV WDNHQ ZDV QRW Two Rivers Correc- released. The DOC said tions institution houses Abbot was pronounced about 1,800 inmates in dead at 5:05 p.m. Abbot Umatilla. New Wellness Center at Hermiston High has already seen hundreds of patients Center serves all district students and staf, seeing as many as 15 patients a day By JENNIFER COLTON Staff Writer On Thursday, the 225th SDWLHQW ZDONHG WKURXJK the doors at the Hermiston School District Wellness Center — a much higher vis- itation rate than the clinic’s operators expected. Opened after winter EUHDN WKH FOLQLF VHUYHV DOO students of the Hermiston School District, as well as district staff and their fami- lies. “I’m elated by where we are with this partnership,” Jon Mishra, district director of special programs, said Fri- day. “It’s just incredible what has been done here. It’s pro- fessional, aesthetically pleas- LQJDQG,WKLQNLW¶VPHHWLQJ a need.” The Hermiston School District began discussing the option of a wellness clinic in 2013. District staff reached RXWWRWKHFRPPXQLW\WR¿QG out what was needed — and not needed — for students and staff. The district set- tled on a clinic on district property that functioned as D VDWHOOLWH RI¿FH RI DQ RXW- side provider. The clinic would provide preventative and some emergency care but would not handle mental health or reproductive ser- vices. ³:H NQRZ ZHOO NLGV GR ZHOOLQVFKRRO,I\RX¶UHVLFN or you’re hurting, it eats at you and you don’t do well,” Mishra said. “We want to have a place for our students to go. Our purpose is to pro- vide the care so our students and staff get their needs ad- dressed and can return to school, to reduce time away from school for students and staff and to reduce absences.” Once the plan was set, WKH GLVWULFW VWDUWHG WDONLQJ ZLWK'U'HUHN(DUORI)DP- ily Health Associates. The Hermiston medical practice won the bid for the Wellness Center and prepared for the expansion, and in late 2015, district crews and contractors transformed the former print shop with its open ware- house, long counter and rows of shelves into a professional medical clinic. 7KLV ZHHN VWXGHQW DUW- ZRUNSURYLGHGWKH¿QDOFRV- metic touches for the center. The hardest part for FHA was anticipating what needs would arise. “We honestly had no idea ZKDWDVFKRROFOLQLFOLNHWKLV would do,” Earl said. “Our hope was to get an average of four patients a day so we GLGQ¶W WDNH D KXJH ¿QDQFLDO ORVV:HEHDWWKDWLQWKH¿UVW ZHHN´ The Wellness Center has been open almost two months and has never had a day without a patient visit. STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Dr. Derek Earl is the medical director for Family Health Associates and is one of seven doctors that will spend time working at the wellness center at Hermiston High School. STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Student artwork hangs on the walls of the waiting room at the new wellness center at Hermiston High School. Providers have seen as many as 15 patients in one day. Tiffany Fitzmorris, center supervisor, said the Wellness Center is an added resource for parents and school staff. School nurses can refer stu- dents to the center, and par- HQWV FDQ NHHS VWXGHQWV RQ FDPSXV LQVWHDG RI WDNLQJ them out of school for a half or full day. Parents can schedule ap- pointments at the center just OLNH WKH\ ZRXOG DW DQ\ GRF- WRU¶V RI¿FH EXW EHFDXVH WKH Wellness Center only serves the district, it has shorter wait times and tailored ap- pointments. Patients at the Wellness Center have ranged from adults nearing retire- PHQW WR LQIDQWV MXVW ZHHNV old. The needs have ranged as well, from colds to con- cussions. “We’re really all about WU\LQJWRJHWWKDWNLGVHHQDQG JHW WKHP ZHOO :H¶UH ZRUN- ing with the parent or guard- LDQ ZH¶UH ZRUNLQJ ZLWK WKH VFKRRO ZH¶UH ZRUNLQJ ZLWK the patient to get them seen and well,” Fitzmorris said. “We’ve seen a couple of NLGV DQG VWLWFKHG WKHP XS after their laceration and they FRPHEDFNLQIRUWKHLUVXWXUH removal. We’ve seen every- thing from the common cold WR WKH ZHOOFKLOG FKHFN WR PDNHVXUHWKH\¶UHFDXJKWXS on their vaccinations. What- ever comes through the door LVXVXDOO\VHHQRUWDNHQFDUH of.” The facility is not open to the general public, and students are only seen with Tim & Annette Terraberry’s Dinner & Auction Sunday, March 13th 4:00pm Hermiston High School Commons Tim is battling Cancer, so please help support this wonderful couple. We are so fortunate to have Manager Cindy Littlefield Processing Supervisor, Susan Bauers a valued member of our team! for over 27 years! A Division of: 541-567-2260 159 W. Hermiston Ave., Hermiston NMLS #471758-1850 505 E. Main St. Suite A, Hermiston, OR 97838 541-564-5900 hermistonhomeloans.com HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 Doors open 4pm • Tri Tip dinner buffet 5pm Silent Auction • Tickets $35 Tickets may be purchased at the Hermiston Chamber, American West Properties and Oasis Vineyard Church. A table for 8 can be purchased for $280. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please call or text Nancy Walchli at 541-571-1723. written consent from par- HQWV1HZSDWLHQWVZKRZDON WKURXJKWKHGRRUFDQ¿OORXW SDSHUZRUN DQG ELOO WKHLU LQ- VXUDQFHMXVWOLNHWKH\ZRXOG DW WKH )+$ PDLQ RI¿FH DW Good Shepherd Medical Center. Family Health Associates includes four doctors and three nurse practitioners. The providers each rotate through the Wellness Center so the RI¿FH LV VWDIIHG HDFK GD\ LW is open. Earl is no stranger to the Hermiston School Dis- trict: His own three children are students, and he has done sports physicals for more than a decade. “A large number of the students and staff were al- ready our patients at Family Health Associates, so it is an extension of that,” he said. “It’s also given us an oppor- tunity to serve people we don’t normally see a doctor. “The biggest surprise for us is that we’ve had con- sistent patients. Our goals IRU WKLV ZDV QHYHU WR PDNH money — it was to provide a service.” He said the clinic is now considering expanding hours to meet the need. The Wellness Center is open from 8 a.m. to noon on Mondays and from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The center is open on district inservice days but closed on district holidays, VXFKDVVSULQJEUHDN BABYSITTING BASICS For babysitters ages 10-15. Learn childcare techiques, children's developmental stages and what to expect, basic first aid and infant and child CPR. $30, includes lunch & all class materials. 9:00am - 3:00pm March 12 or April 2 Must pre-register and pre-pay, call 541-667-3509 SELF DEFENSE Learn self-defense techniques, including: Awareness, home security, verbal de-escalation, evading and escaping maneuvers. This is a contact class. Age 12 and up. Free, but must pre-register. Call 541-667-3509. March 31 • 6:00 - 8:00pm GSMC Conference Center 2 LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER'S MID-STAGE: This FREE program is designed to provide caregivers with the knowledge, tools and strategies needed to cope with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or dementia. March 10 • 2:00 - 6:00pm GSMC Conference Room 2 POWERFUL TOOLS FOR THE CAREGIVER: A FREE program for family caregivers. Build a toolkit for taking better care of yourself while caring for a loved one. Learn how to reduce stress and relax, communicate effectively, reduce guilt and anger, make tough decisions, set goals and problem solve. Must attend the first class. Registration is required as space is limited. Sign up by 3/18. Tuesdays • 4:00 - 7:30pm March 22 through April 26 Call 541-667-3509 TRYING TO QUIT TOBACCO? Contact our tobacco cessation specialist to schedule your free consultation. Call 541-667-3509 for more info or to schedule an appointment. HEALTHY FRIDAYS FREE health screenings & health coaching: Blood pressure checks, weigh-ins, body mass index, cholesterol and glucose. First Friday of each month 9:30 - 11:30am Third Friday of each month 2:00 - 4:00pm GSMC Conference Center 7 (by Education Dept) Information or to register call (541) 667-3509 or email
