FEBRUARY 13, 2014 | OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE
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THE TOWN CRIER
Is heroin making inroads into our rural county?
While the fatal heroin overdose of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman both cut short a brilliant career and has dominated much of the national news lately, we are faced with the potential for many of our own tragedies right here in rural America. One just has to read the weekly court and police stats to see that heroin, which once brought to mind the decrepit back alleys of our big cities, is making inroads into Okanogan County. While it was an oddity to hear of an arrest for heroin just a few short years ago in the county it seems like we see it happening on a regular basis nowadays. People are even being charged with selling it in the parking lots of high schools now. Of course rather than the problem having sprung from people using so-called traditional street drugs and moving up to a bigger high, the gateway drugs are now prescription painkillers. These aren’t the people who moved from “wake and bake” on to the next big thing and on up the line, these are the folks who were prescribed soOut of called “legitimate” painkillers like OxyContin, My Mind became addicted and can no longer get their fix. Doctors will tell you there are certainly legitiGary A. DeVon mate medical reasons for prescribing opiates in an effort to control chronic pain, but it seems like their use has spun out of control. Many of us have friends or family members who have gotten addicted or had trouble weaning themselves off these prescribed painkillers after they no longer needed them. The reported street price for things like Oxy, or as it’s sometimes called “Hillbilly Heroin,” was something like $40 a tablet. As the problem intensifies and the supplies dry up it can only push that price higher. Addicts were bound to look for something cheaper – especially if it is another opiate. This is a pattern being repeated across America and it becomes more scary when we think of those young people who didn’t become addicted because they were prescribed these painkillers, but because they got them out of family, friends or neighbors medicine cabinets. Pharming, as it’s called, is an all too common practice among some of our young people. ABC News reports that rural kids say they do this because they’re bored. Well for “boredom” or some other reason, they grab whatever they can find and often that’s these same highly addictive painkillers. Once they’re hooked if they don’t find the help they need they, like those that were prescribed these painkillers, may turn to whatever they can get on the streets. This isn’t somebody’s 1930’s “Reefer Madness” fantasy; it is already happening in our towns. Heroin, something most of us thought was the choice of only the hardest of hardcore junkies, has become the drug people are turning to. There are unscrupulous people only too willing to supply to this growing number of people who have gotten hooked on painkillers. Heroin prices have gone down and the purity has gone up, according to ABC. This will make it even more attractive to people who have become addicted to things like OxyContin. Celebrity addictions like that of Rush Limbaugh and deaths like that of Hoffman get most of the press, but addiction, whether it is booze or drugs, can ruin the lives of everyday people. We need to find some way to address this increasing addiction problem and get people the help they need before it grows further out of control and those back alleys we thought of as only being a big city problem, are our own.
GAZETTE-TRIBUNE SERVING WASHINGTON’S OKANOGAN VALLEY SINCE 1905 OROVILLE OFFICE 1420 Main St., PO Box 250 Oroville, WA 98844 Phone: (509) 476-3602 Toll free: (866) 773-7818 Fax: (509) 476-3054 www.gazette-tribune.com OFFICE HOURS Oroville Mon.-Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CONTACT INFORMATION Managing Editor Gary A. DeVon gdevon@gazette-tribune.com Reporter/Production Brent Baker bbaker@gazette-tribune.com (509) 476-3602 Advertising Sales/Ad Design Charlene Helm chelm@gazette-tribune.com (509) 476-3602 | (509) 322-5712 Classifieds Shawn Elliott classifieds@soundpublishing.com 1-800-388-2527 Circulation 1-888-838-3000 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Classified ads can be placed during normal office hours by calling 1-800-388-2527 Weekly Rates: $6.75 for the first 15 words 25 cents for additional words Borders, bold words, headlines, logos and photos subject to additional charges The Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune (USPS 412 120) is published weekly by Sound Publishing / Oroville 1420 Main St. PO Box 250 Oroville, WA 98844 Phone: (509) 476-3602 Fax: (509) 476-3054 Periodical postage paid at Oroville, WA, and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune, PO BOX 250, Oroville, WA 98844
SUBSCRIPTIONS In County (yearly) $30.50 In State (yearly) $32.50 Out of State (yearly) $40.50 Senior (yearly) $28.50 (65+ take $2 off per year of subscription.) The Gazette-Tribune does not refund subscription payments except to the extent that it might meet its obligation to publish each week, in which case the cost of the issue missed would be refunded as an extension. Subscriptions may be transferred to another individual or organization. DEADLINES Calendar listings: Noon Monday News Submissions: Noon Monday Display Advertising: Noon Monday Legals: Noon Monday Classified Ads: Noon Tuesday LETTERS POLICY The Gazette-Tribune welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be accompanied by the author’s name, a home address and a daytime phone number (for verification only). Letters may be edited for length, clarity, accuracy and fairness. No letter will be published without the author’s name. Thank you letters will only be printed from non-profit organizations and events. We will not publish lists of businesses, or lists of individual names. CORRECTIONS The Gazette-Tribune regrets any errors. If you see an error, please call 476-3602. We will publish a correction on page 2 in the next issue. NEWS TIPS Have an idea for a story? Call us at 476-3602 SERVICES Back issues are available for up to one year after publication for a small fee. Photo reprints are available for most photos taken by the staff. Ask about photos we may not have had room to print. PRINTED Printed in Penticton, B.C., Canada on recycled newsprint with soy ink. Please Recycle
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF OROVILLE & TONASKET
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Beach needs cleaning
Dear Editor, This letter is to the attention of Mayor Chuck Speith and the City of Oroville, We are the Brownies from Girl Scout troop 3851. Our names are Hailey Helm and Mary Lu Tafolla. We are writing to you because we are concerned about the glass and the trash in the sand, along the beach, at the city park. We have done some research, and we would appreciate it if the city would rent or purchase a sand sifter or beach cleaner. These can be easily attached to a tractor. We have several reasons for asking you to make this consideration. Our number one concern is safety. In the future someone may cut their foot on glass. Also, a nice clean beach will keep campers coming as well as show pride in our community. Lastly, cigarette butts and trash on the beach endanger our local wildlife. We hope that you will seriously consider taking action on this issue. Your Citizens, Hailey Helm Mary Lu Tafolla
Helped with success Dear Editor, The Bonaparte Snowmobile/ATV Club would like to say a big thank you to everyone for supporting the Snow Drags at Bonaparte Lake. Even though it was very cold (12 below), the race was great, especially with the new Drag Racing Lights.
COMPILED BY CLAYTON EMRY FORMER GAZETTE-TRIBUNE PUBLISHER
The Molson Leader
92 Years Ago: February 1 – 8, 1922: Yesterday morning, at about four o’clock, fire broke out in the Palace Hotel at Oroville and is reported to have destroyed the buildings from the Palace north to the corner of the block, which were formerly known as the Peerless Hotel. It is reported that the firemen were handicapped by frozen water pipes. Preliminary steps are being taken for the organization of another state bank in Molson and a large number of local people are to be stockholders of the new institution. President N. E. Whitworth of the Commercial Bank of Okanogan is interested in the undertaking. The charter has not yet been secured and the organization work is incomplete. The loan limit was reduced from a minimum of $1,000 to $500 by a vote of the stockholders of the Okanogan County Live Stock Loan Association, at a special meeting held at Okanogan on Tuesday of last week. This will permit a large number to receive loans who were not eligible under the former ruling. Ending the “milk war” which has ruled in Spokane for several months, during which milk retailed at 10 cents per quart, producers and dealers have come together and the retail price of milk was advanced to 13 cents per quart. The American Theater will be opened Saturday evening of this week after have been closed since the electric light plant was destroyed by fire more than a year ago. The opening was delayed by the difficulty of finding parts for the machine necessary to receive the electric current from the Delco light plant that has been installed in the Molson Leader building. Announcement of a change of the name of the Potter Mercantile Co., to the Molson Mercantile Company is made this week. C. S. Slawsom, of Northport, will continue as president and H. L. Borland, manager of the store, who has been here since September.
The Oroville Gazette
50 Years Ago: February 6–13, 1964: Wednesday, Feb. 15, before the Tonasket and Oroville basketball game, the faculties of the two schools will have a chance to draw first blood. The Oroville Bombers will be led by their rifle-
None of this would have been possible without our generous sponsor’s: Kinross Cold Corp., Xtreme Powersports, Ty Olson Construction, The Kueler Bar & Grill, Kruse Electric, Beyers Market, Hughes Department Store, Bonaparte Lake Resort, K<>K Guest Ranch, OK Chevrolet, Tim’s Tire Pros, Sunrise Chevrolet, Washington Tractor, Omak Marine, Wauconda Cafe’, Ogborn Plumbing, Morgan & Son, Gene’s Market, Midway Building Supply, Superior Auto Parts, Frontier Foods, Red Apple Inn, Okanogan Tractor, Tonasket Subway, Okanogan Estate and Vineyards, Double S Meats, Republic Brewing Co., Rockwall Cellars, CJ Cycle, 24-7 Property Maintanence/Omak Paving and Coors Light. Hope to see everyone next year, Saturday, Feb. 7! Sincerely, Michael Sterling - President Bonaparte Snowmobile/ATV Club
Skilled care essential
Dear Editor, For the next 18 years, approximately 8,000 baby boomers will turn 65 every day. By 2030, one in five Washingtonians will be considered elderly – and many will need long-term care. Reliance on government support for long-term care needs will continue to grow as baby boomers age. The future looks startling to those of us who comprise the “silver tsunami,” and is downright alarming for thousands of Washingtonians who rely on the state’s
Medicaid system to pay for long-term care services in nursing homes and assisted living centers. Assisted living Medicaid rates haven’t been updated in nearly a decade – and were cut by six percent from 2010 to 2012. Nursing home rates were last updated in 2007. Rates fell short by over $100 million in 2012 – and over half the state’s nursing homes lost money. Failure to update rates creates problems at the bedside, where care quality is truly defined. Seventy percent of the cost of longterm care is wage and labor-related, thus financial losses equal lost jobs and that translates to lost quality. This is simply not sustainable. Washington Health Care Association has represented skilled and assisted living providers in Washington for over forty years. Our 400+ members tell us that the issue of appropriate funding does not change because of shifting demographics. Washington’s system of facility-based long-term care is threatened as never before. Now, as in the future, when a loved one’s care needs can’t be met at home, it’s critical that trained and certified staff are available to provide quality care in a cost-effective, safe and highly-regulated care setting. Please call the Legislative Hotline in Olympia today, 1-800-562-6000, and let your legislators know that seniors matter. Tell them skilled and assisted living care must be a priority in the supplemental budget. Robin Dale, CEO Washington Health Care Association
lb.; ground beef, lb. $.39; boneless ham, $.59 ITEMS per lb. FROM THE The Gazette-Tribune PAST 25 Years Ago arm round ball coach, cock-and-fire Donnie Hughes. Hughes supporting armament will come from the dribbling fanatic Leonardo “Dribble” Petty; Eddie “Go for Six” Tingstad; the“Jumping Hyena” from Kettle Falls “Bounding” Billy Grunst; the “Sawed Off Howitzer” from Montana, Mickey “Set & Pump” Gray and others we dare not describe. Oroville High School is proud to have two representatives to the Washington Music Educators Association All-State Convention to be held in Yakima, Feb. 20-22. Kathleen Kernan will be in the All-State Band and John Zosel will be in the All-state Chorus. The bank will number about 200 and the chorus around 400. The Oroville Hornets will tangle with the unbeaten Tonasket Tigers here Friday night. Part of the Hornet team that will see action are: Wayne Scott, Mike Bourn, Ken Scacco, Raymond Wilson, Pat Siegrist and Charles Cox. Robert Drummond presented a letter to the Oroville Chamber of Commerce from the Omak Chamber, inviting Oroville to send its road committee to a meeting for the consideration of a river grade highway which would bypass Chelan. The Oroville Board of Education ruled Tuesday, Feb. 11, those pupils attending the Oroville Schools, who live within the city limits, will not be transported to and from school in school busses. The ruling became necessary when the bus supervisor, William Higginbotham reported the busses were overloaded in violation of Washington State Motor Vehicle laws. One bus, with a capacity of 73 students, has been hauling as many as 104 riders. Weather Wise by Marge Frasier, Official Observer: Feb. 5, 44 degrees maximum and 25 minimum; it show 7” of snow but a note with the figures stated that was the amount on the ground at the time of recording; Feb. 6, 40 max. and 17 min.; Feb. 7, 33 max. and 9 min.; Feb. 8, 30 max. and 10 min.; Feb. 9, 30 max. and 10 min.; Feb. 10, 41 max. and 20 min.; Feb, 11, 42 max. and 36 min with no precipitation for the period and the same amount of snow on the ground. Groceries of the times: Tall tins, evaporated milk, $.10; Florida grapefruit, 10 for $1.00; 10 oz. shrimp, breaded, $.59; 12 oz. orange juice, $.49; pot roast, $.39 per
February 2-9, 1989: Nelson Monitz, of Oroville, decided to cast a helium balloon to the wind in celebration of his wife’s birthday last Nov. 17, 1988. Nelson first tied a message to the red rubber sphere with his name and address with the question “Hi, could you tell me how far this went?” The last I saw of it was heading south, down he valley towards Okanogan. “I guess it made a turn some place because I got a message from a farmer in Warner, Alberta, Canada, who had found it on his fence on Nov. 18, one day later.” It had traveled some 900 miles. The annual Tonasket Kiwanis Ground Hog Dinner has come and gone again. Over one and one-third ton of sausage was prepared for the annual fund raising event. Three hundred and seventy five enjoyed the Ground Hog dinner in the Tonasket High School Cafeteria. The body of Buddy Hires Sr. was retrieved from the icy waters of Lake Osoyoos last Monday morning. Hires died tragically when his car plunged through the ice on Sunday afternoon, according to eye witnesses, trapping him inside. Divers attempted to recover his body on Sunday but trouble with their regulators due to the icy waters prevented them for the recovery. Local business people were pleasantly surprised to learn that the Oroville High School student population not only does most of its shopping locally, but also has approximately $218,244 in yearly spending power, according to a newly released survey. The survey was a combined project of Wenatchee Valley College-North and Okanogan and Oroville high school’s Future Business Leaders of America. The Oroville students said that they did 61 percent of their shopping locally compared to only 26 percent for the Okanogan students. North Valley Hospital Board met in special session last Friday, to discuss what to do with over a quarter a million dollars in outstanding hospital bills owed by various government agencies. Mae McCone, new head of the business office for NVH reported to the board that $168,689 Department of Social Health Services, $68,323 Medicaid and $23,059 Labor & Industry bills are still listed on the hospital’s computer billing system. Some of these bills date back as far as five years, said McCone. (Writers comment 2014,“sound familiar?”)