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-
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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&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
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off-site for medical care at
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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.
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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
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the doors at the Hermiston
School District Wellness
Center — a much higher vis-
itation rate than the clinic’s
operators expected.
Opened after winter
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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-
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a need.”
The Hermiston School
District began discussing the
option of a wellness clinic in
2013. District staff reached
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out what was needed — and
not needed — for students
and staff. The district set-
tled on a clinic on district
property that functioned as
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side provider. The clinic
would provide preventative
and some emergency care
but would not handle mental
health or reproductive ser-
vices.
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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,
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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.
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metic touches for the center.
The hardest part for FHA
was anticipating what needs
would arise.
“We honestly had no idea
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would do,” Earl said. “Our
hope was to get an average
of four patients a day so we
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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-
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them out of school for a half
or full day.
Parents can schedule ap-
pointments at the center just
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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-
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old. The needs have ranged
as well, from colds to con-
cussions.
“We’re really all about
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ing with the parent or guard-
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the patient to get them seen
and well,” Fitzmorris said.
“We’ve seen a couple of
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after their laceration and they
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removal. We’ve seen every-
thing from the common cold
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on their vaccinations. What-
ever comes through the door
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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-
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WKURXJKWKHGRRUFDQ¿OORXW
SDSHUZRUN DQG ELOO WKHLU LQ-
VXUDQFHMXVWOLNHWKH\ZRXOG
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Good Shepherd Medical
Center.
Family Health Associates
includes four doctors and
three nurse practitioners. The
providers each rotate through
the Wellness Center so the
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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
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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