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Brookings PD thanks K9 benefactor Judy Shafer supplies generous funding to acquire police canines. More on this, page A9

SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946 www.currypilot.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023

Brookings, Oregon

It’s back to business as usual in Brookings Morosky and Mayor Hedenskog voted to rehire the city manager. With permission from the mayor, Councilor Hodges read the letter which exceeded the ﬁve-minute limit for McKinney or any other public speaker. In paraphrasing the letter, some employees expressed their mistrust and illegal conduct exhibited on the July arrest and subsequent no contest plea to the theft charge. Howard was quiet and without comment after Hodges read the entire letter aloud. In other business, councilors discussed a draft proposal regarding a franchise fee to the Coos-Curry Electric Co/Op. Councilor Andy Martin suggested his colleagues support a 4% franchise fee plus a 1% street lighting fee for a period of 10 years. Schreiber suggest a 5% franchise fee and 1 % addition for street lights. By consensus, the council asked Howard to draft an ordinance to be discussed at the upcoming meeting. The city unanimously voted to send a letter of support for the Curry Health Network ‘s

BY ROGER GITLIN For The Pilot

It’s been two weeks since Brookings City Manager Janelle returned to work following a six month suspension (with pay). The February 13 City Council meeting in Brookings was back to normal. City Manager Howard was back on the job. But the matter for many is not done. Public speaker and former Councilor John McKinney addressed the council and expressed his deep concern over the re-hiring of Howard and the message it sends to the community. McKinney cited 15 other shoplifting allegations against the city manager, reportedly acknowledged on video from the Fred Meyer store. Councilor Isaac Hodges asked permission from Mayor Ron Hedenskog to read a letter from several unnamed city employees unhappy with the Howard re-hire. Hodges voted 'no' on rehiring Howard. Councilor president Ed Schreiber, Andy Martin, Michelle

Chemotherapy Treatment Project. The letter signed by the mayor supports the $2.5 million request sought by CHN. Calling the Curry Health Network “… a trusted partner for our region’s Healthcare.” Mayor Hedenskog stated chemotherapy services is a

critical need. During the discussion, Curry County Commissioner Brad Alcorn addressed the council on the dire fentanyl crisis in the county and across the nation. The death index for fentanyl is profound and growing, according to the commissioner.

Photo by Roger Gitlin

City Manager Janell Howard takes part in the Brookings City Council meeting, here first meeting since being restored as city manager.

Photo by Roger Gitlin

Former City Councilor John McKinney talks to the Brookings City Council, saying he was deeply concerned the council chose to rehire City Manager Janell Howard.

Councilors also appointed Dan Brattain to the City Parks and Recreation Committee and re-appointed Mike Worthey to Parks and Rec. and re-appointed Clayton Malmberg to the Planning Commission. The Council reconvenes Monday, February 27.

Photo by Roger Gitlin

Curry County Commissioner Brad Alcorn talks to the Brookings City Council about the fentanyl crisis that is growing in Curry County.

What’s Azalea Middle School teacher brings So, Wrong With concerns to Brookings school board Healthcare, BY ROGER GITLIN For The Pilot

Photos by Roger Gitlin

Azalea Middle School Teacher Marshal Jones addresses the Brookings-Harbor school board while raising concerns over actions at Azalea Middle School.

A Brookings-Harbor language arts teacher addressed his employer at last Wednesday's school board meeting at the Kalmiopsis Library with an emphatic, “We can do better.” Jones is the 7th grade language arts teacher at Azalea Middle School and delivered his sobering comments to the board while expressing his disappointment with Azalea School administration. The principal of Azalea is Vickie Nigh. Jones is a recently retired Smith River Middle School drama and band teacher who came out of retirement to continue his teaching career and was hired this past August to teach language arts at Azalea. Over these past several months, Jones observed, in his words, “top-down no shared decision making, reactionary management, alarmingly high certiﬁcated resignations and a shoot from the hip mentality without any thought of the time or place. WE CAN DO BETTER,” Jones declared. He contacted the board through the appropriate protocol but failed to hear

back from the superintendent in a timely manner, prompting him to address trustees through the public comments portal. According to Jones, five certificated staff and two substitute teachers resigned from the beginning of the school year through mid-February. Jones shared his experience in a 30year career a with the Del Norte Unified School District, he recalled only two Certificated resignations during his long service to the DNUSD. Jones cited a recent incident where he prepared waffles for his first period class at his own expense, a practice he has done at least three times this semester. According to Jones, administration entered his classroom two weeks ago and directed him to cease this practice immediately. The order to stop was directed in front of students causing disruption and embarrassment to Jones who promptly disposed of eight pounds of waffle batter. Many in the audience of about 35 donned azure blue t-shirts emblazoned with a Justice for Jones moniker. Two other public speakers, who Please see AZALEA Page A3

Steven Pomerleau helps refurbish bikes for locals in need leau with the idea, Pomerleau took it on and decided to work on the bikes at the Sidney Croft Lodge, where he would have plenty of room to work. Now, over a year later, Pomerleau has even more bikes to work on. "This year, I've got more bikes. I've fixed up 15 that went to Olivia and were distributed throughout the community," Pomerleau said. "I held five back, and they went over to Medford, and in May, there's going to be a Shrine circus over there. And what we're going to do is, at the intermission for each performance, we're going to give a bicycle away to a lucky young child." Little Joe got the bicycles from Walmart in 2021, and Pomerleau was happy to help with the project. This year they got even more bikes than last. Before this experience, Pomerleau only had a little experience with fixing bikes, but his work has helped him become more handy. To repair the bikes, Pomer-

BY WILL LOHRE Country Media

Around Christmas time in 2021, Steven Pomerleau was approached by Joe Gastonguay, or "Little Joe" as he's known, with an idea to repair and refurbish bicycles to donate to local nonproﬁts. Pomerleau is a longtime member of Sidney Croft Lodge 206 and the Chetco Shrine Club in Brookings and wanted to give back to the community. "In just before Christmas in 2021, I repaired eight bicycles and gave them to Oliva Davis at Community Action. She told me one went to a little girl, her mother was single, and that was the only gift that the young lady was going to get for Christmas, which, that's a heck of a gift," Pomerleau said. "Another one of those bicycles, Olivia had a young man who had recently got a job at Fred Meyer, and instead of walking she got him the bike for transportation." When Little Joe came to Pomer-

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leau works with bike companies to get him the missing or broken pieces. "I've learned a lot more. Working with some of the companies, they were really good; you work with them, tell them what you're going to do, they would send the parts, they would comp us the parts," Pomerleau said. "The majority of it, we're doing this as a public service. I invest my time, as well as Olivia, getting them to the children that are

in need of a bike." Pomerleau has been a member of the Sidney Croft Masonic Lodge for 39 years and the Chetco Shrine Club for over 22 years. Pomerleau said that both organizations are heavily involved in the community. "Different lodges do different things, and the opportunity just came knocking at my door, and I couldn't pass it up. Any time you can give back and help the community, that's good," Pomerleau said.

Freshly Fixed up Bikes at the Sidney Croft Lodge in Brookings

Part 1

BY DR. CHARLES HURBIS Guest Article

Because of the complexity of the subject matter, this column will be broken up and published as a small series, placed in print over a number of sequential editions in The World. They say, the one thing you can count on in life is change. Often change is for the better, but unfortunately this is not always the case. Over the last few decades many aspects of medicine have changed, a lot. These changes have greatly affected you the patient, your doctors and the other health professionals who are trying their best to provide quality care for you. How do you, as a patient, best navigate this new landscape? The old system was so easy. You’d make an appointment with your doctor, physically visit the ofﬁce, and talk to him or her in person. There was never a computer screen in the room. Your doctor would actually see you, take the time to listen to you, physically examine you, formulate a diagnosis, tell you what he or she thought was wrong and treat your condition appropriately. At that point you’d pay the doctor a reasonable fee for the services and you were out the door. Interaction over. Probably 95% of all physician encounters could still be managed this simply. Enter insurance companies, managed care, HMO’s, PPO’s, patient quotas, extensive third-party surveillance of your doctor’s management, the need to preauthorization seemingly everything from x-rays

Contributed photo Please see HEALTHCARE Page A8

Phone Number: 541-813-1717 • Address: 519 Chetco Ave, Ste 7, Brookings, 97415 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

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