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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 2017)
Business & News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, January 4, 2017 A3 Birders brave cold weather for John Day Christmas Bird Count 26 bald eagles spotted during bird count By Tom Winters For the Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Mikeala Donohue styles Taylor Edgar’s hair at her salon called Just Teasin’ at 142 E. Main St. in John Day. Just Teasin’ hair salon offers cuts, color, convenience Main Street shop provides services for the family By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The hair salon Just Tea- sin’, owned by Mikeala Donohue, is conveniently lo- cated at Java Jungle & Tropi- cal Tan at 142 E. Main Street in John Day. Donohue said clients can order coffee or lunch while they have their hair styled and walk-ins are welcome. Her colorful and cozy shop is located inside the cof- fee and tanning business, tak- ing a space where there once was an extra tanning room. Donohue said she likes earning a living doing what she loves. “I enjoyed doing hair when I was younger, so I wanted to pursue it,” she said. “I love to make people feel good about themselves and give them a new look.” Donohue worked as she spoke, giving her friend Tay- lor Edgar a stylish curled look. She said she grew up in Mt. Vernon and graduat- ed from Grant Union High School in 2014. She studied cosmetology Mikeala Donohue at Walla Walla Community College in Washington, then transferred to Eastern Oregon College of Industries and Arts in John Day, graduating last April. Her list of services include haircuts for men, women and children, as well as all-over hair color, partial highlights, full highlights, shampoo and style, deep conditioning, updo hairstyles and facial waxing. She said haircuts and color are her specialties. “I love visiting with my clients and catching up on their life between appoint- ments,” she said. Donohue’s hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, with walk- ins welcome. Saturdays are by appointment only. To make an appointment or for more information, call 541-792-9039. The 36th Annual John Day Christmas Bird Count, held Saturday, Dec. 17, set the record for the coldest temperatures, dipping to -2 degrees for a low and 13 de- grees for a high. Eight well-insulated birders braved the chilly day: Mike Bohannon, Su- san Church, Karen Jacobs, Clarence and Marilyn O’Leary, Tim Shelmerdine, Jim Soupir and Tom Win- ters, with Anne Frost and Cecil Gagnon keeping track of their yard birds. The weather cooperated with a few light snow show- ers and plenty of sunshine. The number of birds seen was 86 percent of average, mostly due to low number of participants. There were two new bird species seen this year: Two red-breasted sapsuck- ers were spotted (counted once before during “count week,” but never on the count day) and a hybrid woodpecker, an intergrade flicker. Red-shafted flick- ers are common west of the Rockies, and yellow-shaft- ed are common east of the Rockies. They occasion- ally hybridize and create a flicker that shows features of both species. A couple of these birds have been seen in the John Day area for the past several months. All told, 58 species were found with 3,489 individu- als counted. Other highlights of this year’s count were 125 wood ducks in Canyon Creek — the last highest count was 55 mountain quail in 2014 — only the fifth time count- ed and not seen for 11 years; Williamson’s sapsucker, only the seventh count for this species; 33 western scrub jays, second high- est was 16 in 2013; horned lark, only the third time and not seen since 1994; lots of Bohemian waxwings – they often don’t migrate this far south; and gray-crowned rosy-finch, only the third time. Other notable data in- Contributed photo/Jim Soupir Jim Soupir spotted this red-breasted sap sucker during the Dec. 17 John Day Christmas Bird Count. Contributed photo/Jim Soupir This red-breasted sapsucker was photographed by Jim Soupir during bird count week in December in the John Day Valley. Contributed photo/Tom Winters A mountain quail spotted by Tom Winters during the Dec. 18 Antone Christmas Bird Count. Contributed photo/Tom Winters Susan Church participates in the Dec. 17 John Day Christmas Bird Count, looking for birds at Holmstrom Ranch. clude higher than average counts of California quail and bald eagles, and low- er than average for Cana- da geese, great blue heron, Steller’s jay, Townsend’s solitaire, American robin, and house finch. There were no turkeys seen this year within the count area. Birds seen were Cana- da goose (28), wood duck (20), American wigeon (14), mallard (130), green- winged teal (5), ring- necked duck (2), hooded merganser (3), common merganser (3), chukar (4), mountain quail (5), Califor- nia quail (730), great blue heron (3), bald eagle (26), northern harrier (2), sharp- shinned hawk (2), Coo- per’s hawk (6), red-tailed hawk (36), rough-legged hawk (6), American kestrel (6), Eurasian collared dove (178), mourning dove (23), barn owl (1), great horned owl (2), belted kingfisher (5), Williamson’s sapsucker (1), red-breasted sapsuck- er (2), downy woodpecker (5), hairy woodpecker (5), northern flicker (28), log- gerhead shrike (1), Steller’s jay (1), western scrub jay (33), black-billed mag- pie (104), American crow (8), common raven (142), black-capped chickadee (13), mountain chickadee (12), red-breasted nuthatch (1), pygmy nuthatch (4), canyon wren (1), American dipper (3), golden-crowned kinglet (5), ruby-crowned kinglet (7), Townsend’s solitaire (35), hermit thrush (1), American robin (191), varied thrush (3), European starling (307), Bohemian waxwing (267), cedar wax- wing (113), spotted towhee (3), song sparrow (22), white-crowned sparrow (24), golden-crowned spar- row (3), dark-eyed junco – Oregon (626), slate-col- ored junco (7), red-winged blackbird (7), Brewer’s blackbird (1), gray-crowned rosy-finch (1), purple finch (2), house finch (19), red crossbill (8), lesser gold- finch (37), American gold- finch (52), and house spar- row (140). Species not seen on the count day but during the count week include Northern goshawk, Merlin, and evening grosbeak. B IZ B UZZ Electric cooperative returns $2.6 million in credits to members Oregon Trail Electric Co- operative will return $2.6 million worth of credits back to its members in December. The cooperative operates at cost with any excess rev- enue being returned to mem- bers when financial condi- tions allow, according to an OTEC press release. The return, stemming from a decision made in an October board meeting, re- turns the remaining balance of credits from 1994. “This is the largest amount of credits we have ever retired in one year,” Chief Financial Officer An- thony Bailey said in the re- lease, adding it was double what they gave back last year. To date, the cooperative has retired approximate- ly $31.5 million dollars in credit. Members with more than $15 in eligible credits will be receiving a check, while those with less will be credited on their December bill. “Being a member owned non-profit cooperative, this is always a good time of year and a great oppor- tunity for the cooperative to give our member-own- er’s credit in the form of a check for continuing to help build,sustain and grow their electric cooperative,” General Manager Les Pen- ning said in the release. Former OTEC General Manager Werner Buehler also received the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, at its 74th annual meeting in Salem recently. BEO Bancorp announces 75 cent per share dividend BEO Bancorp has an- nounced a $0.75 per share dividend for 2016. President and CEO Jeff Bailey said in a press release it will be paid to sharehold- ers of record as of Dec. 5, payable by Dec. 15. “The dividend of $0.75 per share is 7.14 percent higher than last year’s divi- dend of $0.70 per share and shows a continued upward trend in dividend pay out to our shareholders,” Bai- ley said. “It is indicative of Bank of Eastern Oregon’s strong capital position.” According to Board Chairman George Koffler, the company has paid a divi- dend 30 of the past 31 years. Bailey said the board of directors and employees work hard to improve the overall strength of the bank, add value to our sharehold- ers and provide the brand of banking customers appreci- ate and expect. “The support of our shareholders, communities and employees have made it possible for us to succeed,” he said. “We are pleased to be in a position to provide this dividend to our share- holders.” Timbers Bistro plans to open in January New John Day restaurant will offer salad bar, coffee A new eating place is coming soon to John Day. Timbers Bistro will offer a breakfast and lunch menu with drive-thru espresso. Inside the restaurant, din- ers can enjoy a salad bar and much more. Timbers Bistro is located at 742 W. Main St., the for- mer McDonald’s restaurant location. Canyon City resi- dent Tammy Clark said the restaurant honors the community’s timber industry. “We’re getting back to our Grant County roots,” she said. “I’m excited to see my customers again.” An opening date has not yet been scheduled, but Clark expects they’ll have their doors open in January. Send you business news — new businesses, awards, certifications, changes in hours, ownership, offerings or location — to editor@ bmeagle.com. Thank You Grant County! With my retirement from the office of Grant County Treasurer, I want to take this opportunity to say how much I’ve appreciated all your support and confidence over the last 36 years as your County Treasurer. Throughout my years in office, I always tried to keep our county’s finances balanced and secure. There were certainly challenges, but the work was also very personally fulfilling, and always along the way, I had your trust and assurances. As I set my sails for the next adventures of my life, I go knowing the new Treasurer will do her best and that the integrity of the office’s operations for the public will continue. Thank you Grant County, and wishing you a Great New Year 2017! Kathy Smith 05064 R obbins Farm Equipment 3850 10th St. Baker City 10218 Wallowa Lake Hwy. La Grande 1160 S Egan Burns 86812 Christmas Valley Hwy. Christmas Valley 541-523-6377 541-963-6577 541-573-6377 541-523-6377