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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 2016)
W EDNESDAY , D ECEMBER 28, 2016 • N O . 52 • 18 P AGES • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com ON TO STATE OCCUPATION ENDS Land management issues persist Three area teams head to playoffs See Page B1 for complete coverage By George Plaven EO Media Group A Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 The Blue Mountain The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler The sun rises over the Silvies Valley just south of Seneca near the border of Grant and Harney counties. The standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns ended after 41 days. EAGLE W EDNESDAY , F EBRUARY 17, 2016 • N O . 7 • 20 P AGES Picketers stand in the back of the room during a meeting in John Day Jan. 26 where refuge occupiers were expected to speak before being arrested en route. Grant County is considering a resolution condemning the occupation to deter militia from relocating. County residents speak out against armed militia County Court considering resolution condemning illegal occupation and he did not want that to be Grant County. “It’s the logical procession, to some, in that our courthouse is 67 miles from there,” he said. “I think concern and awareness should be heightened.” Myers said minor revisions are being made to the draft resolution, but he and the other two County Court members said they would vote to adopt the ¿ nali]ed version, likely at the next meeting Wednesday. Many residents attended the Feb. 10 meeting to discuss the initial draft. The vast majority of those who spoke out praised the By Sean Hart E ven after the remaining refuge occu- piers surrendered Thursday morning, *rant &ounty of¿ cials plan to contin- ue working on a resolution condemn- ing the occupation. County Judge Scott Myers said he was pleased the 41-day occupation of the Malheur 1ational :ildlife 5efuge had ¿ nally ended. He said, however, he was concerned militants might be considering a new location to target, THE EASTER ELK “ • $1.00 File photo Blue Mountain Eagle fter 41 days, 25 indictments and one man killed, the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge near Burns has come to an end. The four remaining holdouts surrendered peacefully Thursday. The underlying issues of rangeland man- agement, however, won’t be going away any- time soon. John O’Keeffe, president of the Oregon Cat- tlemen’s Association, said things are far from perfect between ranchers across the West, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. Environmental regulations are mak- ing it harder to get rangeland improvement projects done quickly. Wildfires are getting bigger and hotter, We have scorching hun- dreds of thousands a lot of of acres. Noxious issues to sort weeds continue to spread, choking out with the out native vegeta- agencies, but tion for gra]ing. Yet O’Keeffe we absolutely was quick to con- intend to do it demn the militants who came mostly through legal from out of state channels.” to the Malheur National Wildlife John O’Keeffe, Refuge, where president of the Oregon they protested the Cattlemen’s Association sentences of Har- ney County ranch- ers Dwight and Steven Hammond and called for federal land to be returned to private citi]ens. “What happened in Burns is outsiders coming in and occupying a refuge illegally,” O’Keeffe said. “We have a lot of issues to sort out with the agencies, but we absolutely intend to do it through legal channels.” O’Keeffe runs cattle on about 75,000 acres of public land near the tiny community of Adel in iso- lated south-central Oregon — an average si]e fam- ily ranch, he says. His operation includes gra]ing permits with both the BLM and Fremont-Winema National Forest. Ranchers understand the need to support multi- ple uses on public land, such as recreation and wild- life habitat, O’Keeffe said. But he worries further restrictions might become too much to take. “There’s no guarantees,” O’Keeffe said. “Should these government regulations become too burden- some, ranchers could go away. That would create a whole new set of problems.” commissioners for considering the resolution, and many said the language should be even stronger. Janine Goodwin, Prairie City, said the word “illegal” should be added when de- scribing the occupation. She said the county should emphasi]e that militia groups would not be welcome here. “There has in fact been considerable chat- ter openly on the Internet — and, of course, who knows how much behind the scenes — about Grant County as a possible next target,” she said. See SPEAK, Page A18 The Blue Mountain EAGLE By Cheryl Hoe er Blue Mountain Eagle to the citi]ens of Grant County greatly appreciated,” McKinley said. McManus has been on the Corrections staff since Septem- ber 2014, a job previously held by Jim Gravely. He worked at the Harney County Jail for seven years, and prior to that, the Grant County Jail for ¿ ve years. Other corrections staff mem- bers include Cindy Tirico, juve- nile counselor; Roni Hickerson, administrative secretary and case aid; and Charissa Palmer, community service supervisor. McKinley, a 1990 graduate of Mt. Vernon High School, be- gan his law enforcement career in 2000 as a reserve deputy with the Grant County Sheriff’s Of- ¿ ce, and was hired as a full-time deputy in 2001. He had been the undersheriff since 2008. McKinley said he pursued the job at Community Correc- tions because he wanted to get hands-on knowledge of how this side of the criminal justice system works. So far, he’s learned that it’s a busy position, one that values the support of the community. “We are all working together to have a safer, better function- ing society,” McKinley said. “Positive input into individu- al lives is a must, as continual negative input is counterproduc- tive.” McManus, who graduated from high school in Halsey, ¿ n- ished from the corrections acad- emy in 2003 and the probation academy in October 2015. Community Corrections is responsible for supervising felons, misdemeanants, regis- tered sex offenders and juve- nile offenders and supervised bench community service. See TEAM, Page A18 Managing retirement Peggy Gray plans to travel, visit family, take walks, sleep in JOHN DAY — The next item on the agenda for Peggy Gray is ... Retirement. Gray, who has been the John Day city manager since 2001, will retire July 1. She said her time with the City has been “great ... and a real educa- tion.” “My job has been to Peggy make the Gray council look good,” she said, adding she hopes she ac- complished a few good things along the way. Gray said the thing she will miss most is the people. “I love working with the employees, especially when we get projects done,” Gray said. One of the most memo- rable accomplishments for the city during her time is a recent one — the long over- due construction of a new fire station in John Day. “It was a community effort,” Gray said, adding it was the overwhelming support from everyone in- volved that made it finally happen. “It’s great to see it finally go up,” she said. See ISSUES, Page A18 Contributed photo Prairie City resident Brian Johns suffered serious injuries after a welding accident on Thursday. He was flown to a Portland hospital. Those wishing to help with medical expenses can contribute at the Brian Johns Medical Fund account at GoFundMe.com. Chief, dispatch manager complain sheriff’s support of militia endangered the public By Sean Hart John Day’s police chief and dis- patch manager’s complaints that the Grant County sheriff’s support for the militia occupying the Malheur refuge endangered the public have been sent to the justice department for further in- vestigation. Chief Richard Gray and Dispatch Manager Valerie Luttrell were among at least eight who fi led formal com- plaints against Sheriff Glenn Palmer with the state Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, which licenses Oregon police offi cers. The department sent the complaints to the Oregon Department of Justice recom- Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer. mending an investigation. Palmer said in an email Friday ceived a packet from DPSST,” he said investigation “for numerous felonious morning he is being represented by an in the email. “Other than that, I am not crimes.” She said Palmer’s support attorney, but he declined to discuss the discussing anything further.” placed other law enforcement offi cials complaints. Luttrell said in her complaint Palm- and the public at risk, because he was “As of this morning, I have not been er was openly supportive of the militia not trusted. contacted by the DOJ but I have re- and met with members who are under As the FBI and Oregon State Po- lice planned to arrest the leaders of the refuge occupation on Highway 395 en route to a meeting in John Day Jan. 26, she said, they opted not to inform city and county law enforcement offi cials in Grant County out of concern Sher- iff Glenn Palmer might be a “security leak.” Even though militia supporters and Palmer were awaiting the meeting in John Day, she said Chief Richard Gray was unable to obtain information about the law enforcement action unfolding on Highway 395. “Sheriff Palmer’s blatant disregard for the potential consequences of push- ing his personal agenda over the wel- fare and safety of the general public that he is sworn to protect is at the very least an ethical transgression,” she said in the complaint. “... This became a serious safety issue for our (Dispatch) Center and local Law enforcement during the events on January 26th.” Resolving the refuge resolution Discussion about condemning occupation continues today By Sean Hart discussion to the Feb. 24 meeting when a larger room could be pro- cured. Discussion is scheduled to resume at 11:30 a.m. today, Feb. 24, upstairs in the Circuit Court room at the Grant County Court- house. At the fi rst meeting, Feb. 10, the majority of people who spoke out were in favor of the resolution. The crowd seemed more evenly split Feb. 17 before the commis- sioners decided to table the issue until the next meeting. Several people, some of whom spoke at the fi rst meeting, offered their support for the resolution. Mark Cerny said the resolution was well written and necessary to address concerns people have that militia members might come to Grant County. See REFUGE, Page A10 Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 C By Sean Hart One of Grant County’s newest deputies is awaiting trial on felony charges. On March 1, Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer deputized Roy Peterson, who was set to begin trial March 28 in Grant County Circuit Court on theft charges stemming from the acquisi- tion of equipment for a ¿ re district. However, state prosecutors requested a continuance for a family emergency, and the trial is now scheduled to begin Aug. 22. The state’s attorney, Senior As- sistant Attorney General Daniel P. Wendel, mentioned that Peterson had been deputized at a pretrial conference March 24. Wendel said he wanted an order prohibiting Peterson from arriv- ing to court with a ¿ rearm or in uni- form. Peterson’s attorney, D. Zachary Hostetter of Enterprise, said if such a motion were ¿ led, he would want a hearing on the matter, because Peter- son was part of the county search and rescue team. See SHERIFF, Page A10 Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Sean Hart Young Canyon City woman offers hope to orphan children Blue Mountain Eagle Fatal crash near Pilot Rock seriously injures two from PC Blue Mountain Eagle www.MyEagleNews.com • $1.00 EAGLE Court date moved to August for former fire chief who pleaded not guilty “ A proposed resolution condemn- ing the occupation of the Mal- heur National Wildlife Refuge has drawn large crowds at the last two Grant County Court meetings. At the Feb. 17 meeting, with people lined up in the hallway un- able to enter the room, the com- missioners decided to postpone the • 20 P AGES Blue Mountain From Cambodia, with love Two people from Prairie City are recovering after being seriously in- jured in a fatal crash Friday near Pilot Rock. Alexxyss L. Therwhanger, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene of a head-on wreck at about 4 p.m. on Highway 395 south of Pilot Rock, ac- cording to Oregon State Police. The Kennewick woman was driv- ing a 1998 Buick Century sedan when it failed to negotiate a left hand curve in the roadway. The Buick, which was traveling northbound, crossed over into the southbound lane and collided with a 1994 Lincoln Continental. Francis (Frank) Charles Wimber- ley, 60, of Prairie City, the driver of the Lincoln Continental, was trans- ported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Richland, Washington, by air ambulance with serious injuries. A passenger in Wimberley’s vehicle, Donnetta Marie Kulis, 54, of Prairie City, was transported by ambulance to St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton, also with serious injuries. Wimberly’s daughter, Crystal, said in a Facebook post both are fine. She said it would be a long road to recov- ery, but they are fighters. By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle ANYON CITY — Emily Mosley spent time holding hands of orphaned children in the slums of Cambodia, sharing songs, games and a gospel message. The 2015 home school graduate from Canyon City said the two-month mission to the third-world country was an eye-opening experience. While encouraging the poverty-stricken and mis- treated children she met, Mosley said she also discov- ered who she is. She began her service attending Youth With A Mission (YWAM), a discipleship training school in Lakeside, Montana. The school is a worldwide program, which the YWAM website says includes “Christians from many cultures, age groups, and Christian traditions, dedi- cated to serving Jesus throughout the world.” The ¿ ve-month program included three months of training in Montana and two months, Dec. 7 to Feb. 7, overseas. She joined the team of 11 traveling to Cambodia. “Our main purpose was children’s ministry, work- ing with a lot of kids, teaching music, games, skits and dancing,” Mosley said. She spent the ¿ rst three weeks in the capital city Phnom Pehn, working with at-risk children in a building where they were welcome every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Two nights a week, they held a program attended by 200-300 children. “Some kids were orphans running around in the street. Some were mistreated by their families,” Mosley said. Palmer deputizes man awaiting trial on felony theft charges Sheriff Palmer’s blatant disregard for the potential consequences of pushing his personal agenda over the welfare and safety of the general public that he is sworn to protect is at the very least an ethical transgression.” — Dispatch Manager Valerie Luttrell Cody Wilson stands in the doorway for the crowded Grant County Court session Feb. 17 and discusses a proposed resolution condemning the occupation of the Malheur refuge. John Day Police; Prairie City Volunteer Fire Department, including Fire Chief Mar- vin Rynearson; and John Day Ambulance responded. Damon Rand of JDPD said, among other injuries, the blast caused significant damage to Johns’ lower jawbone area. McClung said Johns was flown to a Port- land hospital. Donations may be contributed to the Johns Family Medical Fund at GoFundMe. com which was set up by McClung. “Anyone that knows Brian, knows he is an outstanding member of the commu- nity,” McClung wrote on the donation website. “He is the kind of guy that would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need.” • N O . 13 www.MyEagleNews.com See GRAY, Page A10 Prairie City man injured in welding-related blast PRAIRIE CITY — Brian Johns of Prairie City was injured after a 55-gallon drum he was welding exploded at about 5 p.m. Thurs- day outside his Bridge Street home. Prairie City resident Chase McClung, who was staying next door, said several neighbors came to assist. One neighbor, who didn’t want to be named, pulled Johns out of the fire, and Dean Hicks used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. • $1.00 Blue Mountain Eagle Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler Blue Mountain Eagle • 20 P AGES Police licensing agency recommends the DOJ investigate Sheriff Palmer By Cheryl Hoefl er The Grant County Community Corrections staff, from left, Cindy Tirico, juvenile counselor; Roni Hickerson, administrative secretary/case aid; Charissa Palmer, community service supervisor; Todd McKinley, director; and Mike McManus, adult probation officer. By Angel Carpenter • N O . 8 The Building relationships The BLM manages gra]ing permits and leases on roughly 14 million acres in Oregon and Washing- ton. That breaks down to a total of 951,000 permits for the region. Of those, about 20 belong to Jacob Ferguson. Ferguson is a rangeland management specialist for BLM Vale District in southeast Oregon. His area encompasses 850,000 acres south of Jordan Valley and east of the Owyhee River. From May through October, he travels usually once per week to visit his permittees and monitor conditions on the ground. Donation account set up for Brian Johns The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler W EDNESDAY , M ARCH 30, 2016 W EDNESDAY , F EBRUARY 24, 2016 New faces join Grant County corrections team CANYON CITY — Two new faces have recently joined the Grant County Community Corrections staff. Todd McKinley, former Grant County undersheriff, is the new director at the depart- ment, and Mike McManus is the adult probation of¿ cer. McKinley began his new job on Dec. 28. The position was vacated by Dean Hooden- pyl, who retired on Dec. 1. “He (Hoodenpyl) will be missed and his time committed An elk joined the fun at Dayville’s Bunny Hop 5K Saturday. He completed the course on South Fork Road, keeping pace with the other participants, all the way into Dayville City Park but stopped just short of crossing the finish line. See the full story and more photos on Page B1. Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 Palmer’s of¿ cial deputy appointment of Peterson mentions “Search & Rescue” and “Radio Tech/ Communications,” though the document also says Peterson Sheriff is appointed “to do Glenn and perform any act Palmer which (Palmer) might perform as Sheriff.” At a hearing March 18, Wendel brought up a potential conÀ ict of inter- est in that Hostetter’s ¿ rm represents Palmer, who was also listed as a po- tential witness in the case. Wendel said he did not plan to call Palmer to the stand as a witness, as the Oregon De- partment of Justice is investigating a complaint ¿ led against the sheriff. Hostetter said he did not intend to call Palmer as a witness and that there was no possibility of a mistrial due to a conÀ ict. At the same hearing, Wendel said the state’s case against Peterson was down to four counts, instead of the original 10 in the grand jury indict- ment Feb. 18, 2015. At a hearing Aug. 6, 2015, Peterson pleaded not guilty to all of the orig- inal charges: two counts of first-de- gree aggravated theft and one count each of first-degree theft, unautho- rized use of a vehicle and possession Contributed photos A young Cambodian girl, nicknamed “Pearl,” enjoyed holding Emily Mosley’s hand. Mosley, who served a mission in Cambodia from Dec. 7 to Feb. 7, called her “saatna,” meaning beautiful girl. They visited with the children, made crafts with them and also served lunch to 40 children which the organization sponsored to attend public school. See MOSLEY, Page A10 Emily Mosley, back center, with her Youth With A Mission team which served orphan children in several areas of Cambodia from Dec. 7, 2015, to Feb. 7, 2016. See PALMER, Page A10 County unemployment decrease best in state February rate best since 1990 By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle The labor market in Grant County has improved significantly since last year. The unemployment rate improved more than any other county in the state, from 10.2 percent in Feb- ruary 2015 to 8 percent in February 2016, according to information released Monday from the Oregon Employment Department. Grant County Economic Development Coordinator Sally Bartlett said when she came to the county about eight years ago, the unem- ployment rate was close to 20 percent. She said the new numbers are encourag- ing. “I think it’s a good sign that we can rely on for now,” she said. “It gives us hope for the future.” Grant County’s season- ally adjusted unemploy- ment rate for February was the best for the month since 1990, according to the em- ployment department. The county gained an estimated 30 jobs over the year. Private sector gains and losses balanced out for no net change. The public sector added about 30 jobs from local and state govern- ment. Although Grant County is still among the highest unemployment rates in the state — and much higher than the statewide rate of 4.8 percent and the national rate of 4.9 percent — Bart- lett said rural economies differ from larger areas. “These little rural com- munities like we’re in don’t pop back as quickly as ur- ban areas do with a lot more opportunities,” she said. “That’s why Oregon’s un- employment rate is down, and that’s why we can’t compare ourselves to urban areas or more populated places, because it’s just dif- ferent out here.” Other Eastern Oregon counties also improved. Harney County’s unem- ployment rate fell from 8.3 percent to 6.6 percent, and Malheur County’s rate fell from 6.9 percent to 5.6 per- cent. Bartlett encouraged any- one with business ideas to stop by the Economic De- velopment office for help with business plans and fi- nancing or technical assis- tance. The office is at 530 E. Main St., Suite 4, John Day. EXPLORE GRANT COUNTY VISITOR GUIDE INSIDE 2016 YEAR IN REVIEW Blue Mountain The EAGLE Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 From the Malheur refuge standoff to local and national elections, from community events to dog problems, here are some of the headlines from the past year. Dayville students create mural for the park By Cheryl Hoe er Blue Mountain Eagle D heryl Hoefler The Eagle/C n ga, Faith Brow Kendall Hettin the mural. lle students n of From left, Dayvi n work on the sectio Brow and Destiny W EDNESDAY , A PRIL 6, 2016 AYVILLE — Visitors to Dayville will soon see what students at the school have been up to. With assistance of visiting artist-in-residence Carol Poppenga, students in all grades have been creating a “Wel- come to Dayville” mural — a 30x10-foot Dayville-style depic- tion of the four seasons — to be mounted at Dayville City Park. The mural will replace one with handprints that has graced a wall at the tennis courts since 2001. • N O . 14 See MURAL, Page A9 • 20 P AGES www.MyEagleNews.com • $1.00 The Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 Blue Mountain EAGLE RESTORING THE FOREST Blue Mountain Race for President Trump leads late Tuesday night Blue Mountain Eagle As of publication time Donald Trump had secured 254 electoral votes compared to Hilary Clinton’s 215, according to Fox News. CNN reported that Clinton had 209 while Trump had 238. Clinton won Califor- nia, Washington and Or- egon, according to CNN, while Trump took Flori- da, Texas and North Car- olina, according to Fox. More Election results Palmer wins bid for re-election Early election results show Gov. Kate Brown leading her GOP challenger Dr. Bud Pierce. Ac- cording to early election returns. Page A10 Blue Mountain Eagle Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer won a close race for re-election Tuesday evening. Final unoffi cial results released by Grant County Clerk Brenda Per- cy showed Palmer earned 2,208 votes, while challenger Todd McKin- ley earned 2,065. Palmer was fi rst elected to offi ce in 2000. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening. Palmer faced scrutiny from some for meeting in John Day with some of the people who occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Ref- uge in Burns earlier this year. Although some pleaded guilty to conspir- ing to impede federal employees, the leaders of the occupation, Am- mon and Ryan Bundy, and fi ve others were recently found not guilty of the crime by a jury. Palmer is still the subject of an ongoing state Department of Justice investigation into complaints fi led after he met with the occupiers. Palmer lives in John Day with his wife, RoseAnn, and the couple host an annual Christmas dinner for the community. W EDNESDAY , N OVEMBER 9, 2016 • N O . 45 By George Plaven EO Media Group By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle E fforts by diverse stakeholders to reach consensus on contentious forest management issues has paid off — again. Instead of the $2.5 million in annual funding it has received for several years, the collaborative coalition working to implement restoration projects on the Malheur National Forest recently learned it will be awarded $4 million this year, the maximum allowed in the Collabora- tive Forest Landscape Restoration program. As long as Congress continues to fund the CFLR program, the collaborative could continue to receive the full $4 million each year for the remainder of its 10-year project, which be- gan in 2012. The funding, intended to encourage ecological and economic sustainability and reduce the risk of catastroph- LFZLOG¿UHVZLOOSURYLGHXSWRKDOIWKHIXQGLQJIRUDYDULHW\ of restoration projects. Malheur National Forest Supervisor Steve Beverlin said See FOREST, Page A10 The Eagle/Sean Hart Trent Seager, a Ph.D. candidate at Oregon State University and a Blue Mountains Forest Partners science adviser, speaks at the Forest Partners meeting March 17 in John Day. The U.S. Forest Service is crafting two new alternatives for its revised Blue Mountains Forest Plan, based on a year’s worth of feed- back from the public. Details are sketchy, but supervisors on the Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman and Malheur national forests say these alternatives will em- phasize restoration in order to keep the woods healthy and lower the risk of potentially devas- WDWLQJZLOG¿UHV Each alternative will be fully analyzed in WKHDJHQF\¶V¿QDO(QYLURQPHQWDO,PSDFW6WDWH ment, due out later this fall. A draft EIS for the Forest Plan was released in 2014, which was so thoroughly criticized that the feds spent all of 2015 re-engaging with local communities on how to improve the documents. Tom Montoya, Wallowa-Whitman forest supervisor, said a recurring theme in those See PLAN, Page A10 Four Imnaha Pack wolves killed By Eric Mortenson Capital Bureau Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shot and killed four Imnaha 3DFN ZROYHV LQYROYHG LQ ¿YH FRQ ¿UPHG OLYHVWRFN DWWDFNV LQ WKH SDVW month. The “lethal take” order, adamantly opposed by a key conservation group, involves a Wallowa County pack with a long history of attacks on cattle and VKHHSDQGDQHTXDOO\VLJQL¿FDQWLQÀX ence on the growth of other wolf packs in the state. ODFW wolf coordinator Russ Morgan said the four wolves includ- ed an aging alpha male, OR-4, and an alpha female, OR-39, that has limped with a back leg injury for the past cou- ple years. The male is nearly 10 years old, which Morgan said is “very old for a wolf in the wild.” Courtesy photo/ODFW This May 2011 photo of Imnaha pack alpha male OR-4 was taken moments after wildlife agency personnel refitted him with a new GPS collar. Morgan said it’s possible the male’s age and the female’s disability caused the wolves to turn on livestock instead of deer and elk. Two younger wolves, possibly yearlings, were believed to be traveling with them. The four ap- peared to have split off from the rest of the Imnaha Pack, which numbered at least eight at the end of 2015. According to a press release from ODFW, the animals were killed on pri- vate property. In March alone, the group led by OR-4 has struck multiple times on private pastures in the Upper Swamp Creek area of Wallowa County. A calf was killed March 9; a sheep on March 25; two calves were attacked on March 26, with one dead and the other eutha- nized due to bite injuries; another calf was found dead March 28; and a sheep was found injured March 30, accord- ing to ODFW depredation reports. Morgan said Imnaha Pack mem- bers commonly visit the area of the attacks but it’s unusual for them to remain there, as the four have this time. That suggests there’s been some change in the pack dynamics, he said. Morgan said the agency is follow- ing guidelines of the state’s wolf man- agement plan, which is up for review this year. He called the decision unfortunate, but said it is a necessary response to the pack’s chronic livestock attacks. “The (wolf) plan is about conserva- tion, but it’s also about management,” Morgan said. ODFW had not killed any wolves since May 2011, when two Imnaha Pack members were dispatched for livestock attacks. The agency sought to kill two more pack members in Sep- tember 2011, but conservation groups won a stay of the order from the Ore- gon Court of Appeals. See WOLVES, Page A9 PAG E B1 • Voters rejecting Measure 97 in early results EO Media Group/Kathy Aney Kori Pentzer, of Grant Union, wins the triple jump Friday at the State Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene. Pentzer also won the long jump Thursday. Voters appear to be rejecting Measure 97, the controversial corporate sales tax measure, according to early vote totals. Page A10 • Pot in Long Creek Long Creek residents overwhelming voted to prohibit commercial marijuana operations within city limits, with about 75 percent in favor. Final unofficial results Tuesday eve- ning showed 79 votes for prohibition and 25 against. Sheriff Glenn Palmer • 20 P AGES • $1.00 Eagle file photo Alternatives proposed for Forest Plan EAGLE • Gov. Brown leads Pierce in early results www.MyEagleNews.com TRACK CHAMPIONS W EDNESDAY , M AY 25, 2016 The Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 Blue Mountain EAGLE Dick Ray served in the Navy from August 1943 to March of 1946. The Eagle/Angel Carpenter, from the collection of Dick Ray • N O . 21 • 24 P AGES • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com amilies ll a nurturing need Foster parents open hearts, homes to kids By Cheryl Hoe er Blue Mountain Eagle A view of the Strawberry Mountains from Keeney Fork Road on the Malheur National Forest in Grant County. An additional $1.5 million — for a total of $4 million this year — has been awarded by the federal government for Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration projects on the Malheur forest. Collaborative awarded $4M in federal funding to treat thousands of acres 26 MEDALS, 7 TITLES, 2 STATE RECORDS AND 1 TEAM VICTORY Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 The PAINTING THE TOWN It’s no secret that parent- ing is one tough job. Most parents would agree that while the intrinsic re- wards run high, so do the day in and day out challenges. Foster parents respond to the calling at an even high- er level, willingly and even eagerly opening their hearts and homes to children in need on a temporary basis. May is National Foster Care Month, launched in 1988 to give recognition and increase awareness . Children enter into the foster care system primarily because they cannot remain safely in their own homes. The reasons vary, but usu- ally it is as a result of their parents’ actions and not the child’s behavior. So just why do some people sign up to foster a child — a job that requires patience, perseverance and unpredictability? What mo- tivates them to keep going? And what is day-to-day life like, juggling the changing moods and needs of their foster child while still man- aging a household and caring for other family members? Kimberly McManus, who, with her husband, ANSWERING Mike, has fostered over 40 children the past 11 years, said, “It’s all about the kids and how we can help them.” “We’re strong advocates for them,” she said. “They don’t have a voice.” She said they used to mentor children in the He- ros and Her-os program at Families First Parent Re- source Center years ago. “We have so much to of- fer and felt like we needed to do more,” McManus said. The couple adopted one foster child, a girl who is now 9, and are in the process of adopting another one, a 4-year-old boy. Among the rewards of fostering, she said, are seeing the positive changes later with children who are doing well either back in their family’s home or in an adopted home. “I would encourage any- one who has even a little bit to offer, to consider becom- ing a foster parent or a certi- ¿HGUHVSLWHSHUVRQ´0F0D nus said. “You’ll love it.” &HUWL¿HG UHVSLWH SHRSOH are the ones who offer valu- able relief for foster parents for all or part of a day. Mc- Manus said they don’t have to go through training; only a background check is re- quired. “Even a single mom could do it,” she said. Bill and Cammi Co- penhaver of John Day also adopted one of their fos- ter children, Andrew, who was 13 when he arrived at their home and is now 18 and graduating from Grant Union Junior-Senior High School. “It feels like he’s been here forever,” Cammi said. The Copenhavers have fostered over a dozen chil- dren during the past 10 years. Copenhaver said they became foster parents after hearing negative stories in the news involving foster homes. “We would always say, ‘Send them our way!’” she said. “One day, we just said, ‘Why don’t we do it?’” She said it’s a job that has its ups and downs, and they don’t always agree with the way things turn out. But Copenhaver said she loves seeing the growth in the kids. See NEED, Page A12 THE CALL Eagle photos/Cheryl Hoefler Julianne Hansen, left, dishes out hot corn, while Kimberly McManus serves up oysters. The Seneca Oyster Feed menu also includes garlic bread, a variety of salads and beverages. See more photos on Page A12 Oysters don’t mind the rain Seafood lovers line up at annual feast Blue Mountain Eagle SENECA — What’s a little rain and cold to an oyster — or an oyster lover, for that matter? Gloomy, damp weather was no deterrent to people lining up for the 25th annual Seneca Oyster Feed at Seneca City Park last Saturday. Those attending this year were well-prepared for the elements. About 275 oyster dinners were served, while still more feasted on burgers, hot dogs and fries. ,QWKHUDIÀH5HQHH6FRWWRI*UHVKDPZRQWKH5XJHU$PHU LFDQULÀHDQG$QG\5DGLQRYLFK6UZRQWKHFDVKSUL]H The Chad Howard Construction team from Prineville won the softball tournament. Winners in the golf scramble were the team of Brad Arm- strong, Colt Carpenter, Trevor Simmons and Nathan Long. Each Nothing — not long lines nor cold, gloomy weather — deters Seneca Oyster Feed lovers from their seafood feast. won a single membership at Bear Valley Meadows Golf Course. Proceeds from the event go toward maintenance and im- provements at the golf course. Palmer’s legal woes Sheriff responds to record tampering allegation, is sued to release records By Sean Hart er supported Blue Mountain Eagle the occupiers of the Mal- The same day Sheriff heur Nation- Glenn Palmer’s attorneys re- al Wildlife sponded to an allegation he Refuge and deleted a public record, a law- endangered Sheriff VXLW ZDV ¿OHG DVNLQJ D MXGJH the public, Glenn to force him to release other Gray accused Palmer records. Palmer of On Friday, May 20, Palm- “tampering er’s attorneys, Benjamin Boyd with public records” by de- and D. Zachary Hostetter, re- leting an electronic record of leased a statement responding an incident in 2012 involving to a portion of a complaint Gray. ¿OHG ZLWK WKH 2UHJRQ SROLFH Palmer’s attorneys said in licensing agency by John Day the statement the sheriff fol- Police Chief Richard Gray. lowed state law: “Although In addition to stating Palm- See PALMER, Page A12 Grant County ESD hit by ransomware attack County, school online services affected By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle A ransomware attack on Grant County Education Service District shut down county and school email and internet operations last week. Superintendent Robert Waltenburg said services have been restored, and the ESD is making changes to try to prevent further prob- lems in the future. “While we have recov- ered for the most part, we are in the middle of tight- ening security as well as becoming more restrictive RQ RXU ¿OWHULQJ´ KH VDLG LQ an email. “We have learned that while our network is above industry-standards ZLWK ¿OWHULQJ DQWLYUXV DQG antimalware, we cannot pre- pare for every possible out- come and still have a some- what usable network.” Waltenburg said the ran- somware was a .LOL! vari- ant, and information tech- nology departments around the world have seen large See ESD, Page A12 Journey through Grant County and beyond INSIDE The Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 Blue Mountain Ray leaves logging to repair World War II submarines By Angel Carpenter EAGLE W EDNESDAY , J ULY 27, 2016 • N O . 30 The Eagle/Sean Hart Lake Creek at Murray Campground, which is about three miles north of Forest Road 16 on Forest Road 924. • 26 P AGES • $1.00 Astronomers say local area is a prime viewing spot Blue Mountain Eagle R The submarine on which Dick Ray taught new Navy recruits. Here the submarine is at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittey, Maine, near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The Eagle/Angel Carpenter, from the collection of Dick Ray Van Voorhis cooks with C4, delivers baby during Tet Offensive By Rylan Boggs Blue Mountain Eagle F or a sparsely populated area, Grant County is home to a high rate of veterans. Of the roughly 7,200 res- idents, more than 10 percent have served their country — 809, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. One of those veterans, Ret. Army Staff Sgt. Bob Van Voorhis, said rural Grant County residents have always answered the call to serve. “This county and Eastern Oregon in general has con- tributed an awful lot to the freedoms and everything else in this country,” Van Voorhis Ret. Army Staff Sgt. Bob Van Voorhis said. “This county has always been one of the fi rst to step up when there’s been a call. It says something about the way we’re raised and the way we do things.” Van Voorhis was born and raised in Grant County and enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in January of 1967. During his service, Van Voorhis received two bronze stars, a purple heart and an air medal. Van Voorhis typically carried C4 while in Vietnam, something he said greatly increased his quality of life. A hot meal was never far away when he could light a thumb-sized piece of C4 to heat his breakfast or coffee. “I lived pretty good,” Van Voorhis said. He explained C4 will only explode if there is an internal explosion, which is why a cap is used to detonated it. He said it was import- ant to let it burn out and not stomp it out because it would burn a hole in the bot- tom of your boot — some- thing they’d tell a new guy if they liked him. See TET, Page A7 epairing submarines in Hawaii during World War II was quite an “about- face” from Dick Ray’s logging back- ground. The John Day resident served in the U.S. Navy from August 1943 to March 1946, achieving the rank of motor machinist third class. Growing up during the Great Depression, Ray’s family moved from place to place, follow- ing logging jobs and living in logging camps. Ray was attending Coquille High School when WWII broke out. He took a pickup load of seniors to Portland to the air base to regis- ter for the Air Force. “I was the only one who didn’t pass — because I was colorblind,” he said. He went back to working in the woods with his dad, but one day called the recruit- ing offi ce to ask why he hadn’t received any Dick Ray draft papers. “They said my dad requested a six-month deferment to work,” he said. “I wasn’t having any of that. The next day, I received my draft notice.” Ray joined the Navy with boot camp at Farragut Naval Training Station in Bayview, Idaho, and die- sel mechanic school at Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa. “I volunteered for submarine service and was sent to school in New London, Connecticut,” he said. He later traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, ship- ping out from Treasure Island Naval Training Sta- tion in San Francisco Bay, California. There were 5,000 soldiers and 100 sailors as well as Coast Guardsmen on board, he said. “Most were heaving before they got out of San Francisco Bay,” he said. “I kept my lunch.” He said some of them were sent to Majuro Air- fi eld, others to Midway and the rest to Honolulu, which was his stop. There, he worked on a subma- rine base for a year. His high school classmate went on three successful war patrols in the Navy. See RAY, Page A7 H OT E L S A L R E A DY B O O K E D F O R By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle M anager Jenny Shaw’s phone has been ringing off the hook at the His- toric Hotel Prairie in Prairie City. It’s a little over a year away, but an Aug. 21, 2017, solar eclipse is creating Tuite a buzz, and city and county of¿ - cials, business owners and others are making preparations. Shaw said they received their ¿ rst res- ervation for the event in 2011 and were booked for that weekend in 2014. When she received the ¿ rst reserva- tion in 2011, Shaw said she thought the person was crazy. “I wish I had a dollar for every per- son I turned away,” she said. “I’d have at least $1,500, and that’s not exagger- ating.” She has 25 people on a waiting list at the hotel on Front Street. Last Wednesday, she received another request for a room reservation during the eclipse. “He thought he was ahead of the game,” she said. A couple of John Day hotels that don’t hold reservations more than a year out are expected to book up next month. So why is an astronomical event more than a year away generating so much attention? Shaw said one astronomer who plans to stay at the hotel said the Grant County area is a prime spot for eclipse viewing due to the elevation, clear skies and the remoteness, with fewer city lights. Tammy Bremner, Grant County Chamber of Commerce manager, said the heavenly event is expected to be the most widely viewed total eclipse. The full eclipse will start, locally, at 10:22 a.m., lasting for two minutes, six seconds — the partial phase begins at 9:08 a.m. See ECLIPSE, Page A16 SOLAR ECLIPSE 2017 John Day planning for the influx of visitors www.MyEagleNews.com Lost boy found 7-fear-old spends night alone in the forest By Sean Hart cers on scene determined Blue Mountain Eagle several vehicles had been seen in the area and at- Seven-year-old Dylan tempted to locate them in Beede spent Saturday night case Dylan had been ab- alone in the Malheur Na- ducted. Searchers from the tional Forest after becom- sheriff’s office, the Oregon ing separated State Police and from family and volunteers from friends camped the public be- at the Elk gan to search for Creek Camp- Dylan but could ground near the not find him Saturday. Grant-Baker Addition- county line. al resources After a from Baker, search and Deschutes and rescue effort, Crook counties Dylan was were called for found Sun- the second day day morning of the search, unharmed ex- but as they were cept for minor on scrapes and Contributed photo arriving scene, Dylan bruises to the Dylan Beede was was located relief of his welcomed by family, who friends and family about 1.5 miles northwest from live in Bend. after spending where he was “God is so the night alone, last seen. good!” Dylan’s lost in the forest “At about mother, Juana near Elk Creek 7:30 a.m. on Beede, said. Campground. July 24th, “Jeremy and Dylan was lo- I were so, so God is cated by Ore- blessed by the so good! gon State Po- amazing com- lice Trooper munity. We felt Jeremf and Pat McKosker your prayers and brought I were so, and love, and back to the Elk we can’t even so blessed Creek Camp- put into words ground where what it meant bf the Dylan was re- to us. All of amazing united with his the officers, family,” Palm- volunteers, ev- communitf.” er said in the eryone, thank Dylan’s mother, release. “Dylan you again for Juana Beede underwent a everything.” medical exam The Grant on scene by County Sher- iff’s Office responded to paramedics from the Blue the report of the missing Mountain Hospital and boy at 3 p.m. after a fami- (was) released to his fam- ly member drove to Seneca ily.” As a parting gift, Dylan to call 911, according to a press release from Grant was given a hat embla- County Sheriff Glenn zoned with the Grant County Sheriff emblem. Palmer. As search and rescue His mother said he loves personnel were respond- the hat and wears it all the ing, law enforcement offi- time. “ The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Manager Jenny Shaw said the Historic Hotel Prairie is booked for the weekend of Aug. 21, 2017, for a solar eclipse and said some have told her Grant County is a prime viewing area for the event. Owyhee legislation Sen. Wfden’s bill would prevent mining but not a monument By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Sean Hart U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, speaks at a town hall meeting in Canyon City July 20. When asked whether the U.S. Senate would support a proposal passed in the House of Represen- tatives to prevent funding to cre- ate a national monument in Mal- heur County, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, instead touted a bill he introduced that would not pre- vent a monument. Speaking July 20 in Grant County at his 778th town hall meeting since taking office, the senator said his bill, co-spon- sored by fellow Oregon Dem- ocratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, re- sponded to concerns raised by residents in more than 50 meetings with Wyden’s staff. Wyden said residents were opposed to a proposed 2.5 mil- lion-acre national monument that would cover 40 percent of Mal- heur County. He said they were also concerned about foreign mining in the area and wanted to strengthen the ranching econ- omy and preserve the ranching way of life. “I have pointed out to the (President Barack Obama) ad- ministration very clearly that there is very strong opposition in Eastern Oregon to a monu- ment on the Owyhee,” he said. “And so I’ve actually intro- duced a piece of legislation that I think responds to what I’ve heard in Eastern Oregon.” Wyden introduced the South- eastern Oregon Mineral With- drawal and Economic Preserva- tion and Development Act June 10, and it was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nu- trition and Forestry. “The bulk of the bill is about strengthening the ranching econ- omy and the ranching way of life,” he said. “This, of course, No. 2, is not a monument; this would be a piece of legislation, so it would have to be consid- ered by the Senate, it would have to be considered by the House. Third, because there’s been big See OWYHEE, Page A16