News
Blue Mountain Eagle
FIRE
Continued from Page A1
personnel, offering his expec-
tations for their interactions
with landowners.
He called the relationship
with landowners “a true part-
nership.”
“Landowners know their
lands better than anybody
else,” he said. “They provide
invaluable information on
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breaks, water resources, and
they often have equipment
that can be used in the sup-
pression effort.”
He also stressed that land-
owners have the right to work
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land, and “under no circum-
stances” will they be asked
by ODF to leave their prop-
erty.
“You have every right to
be there on your land when
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law enforcement can ask you
to leave, and we’re not law
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But Ponte also noted the
need for coordination on
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F IRE PRECAUTIONS
The Oregon Department of Forestry’s declaration of
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land owners and people working in state and private forests.
Among them:
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nition, or any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge at its base is
prohibited.
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site.
• Outdoor burning is prohibited without a permit issued
E\2')RUDORFDO¿UHGHSDUWPHQW+RZHYHUPRVWORFDO
¿UHGHSDUWPHQWVKDYHDOUHDG\VXVSHQGHGRUZLOOVRRQVXV-
pend issuing such permits.
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during the season and vary from one jurisdiction to an-
other.
National forests, Bureau of Land Management or oth-
er federal lands fall under different restrictions and rec-
reationists visiting or operators working on those public
ODQGVDUHDGYLVHGWRFKHFNZLWKWKRVHIHGHUDORI¿FHVIRU
information on current restrictions.
For more information, visit www.oregon.gov/ODF/ or
call the John Day Unit, 541-575-1139.
for landowners – even if tak-
ing their own action – to “tie
in with us.”
Ponte detailed some re-
sources available as the sea-
son begins. The district, he
said, will have about 80 sea-
sonal employees coming on
by the end of this week.
The district also has access
to state resources, including
air power based in John Day
and now in Fossil.
In John Day, the Type II
helicopter and helitack heli-
copter and crew, added last
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
year, will be joined by a SEAT
– a single engine air tanker –
this season.
The SEAT, which is used
as a small retardant bomber,
will complement a Forest
Service SEAT, and the two
craft can be used effectively
in tandem to attack fires.
Also new to the district
this year, a Type II helicop-
ter for bucket work will be
based in Fossil.
Ponte’s briefing came as
the region faces persistent
drought, likely through the
summer. The forecast is for
hotter than usual tempera-
tures, and that follows six
months of unusually dry,
warm weather across the
West.
Currently the entire state
of Washington is under a
drought emergency declara-
tion. In Oregon, the gover-
nor has declared a drought
emergency in 15 counties in-
cluding Grant, Harney, Bak-
er, Wheeler and Malheur.
Recent rains provid-
ed something of a “second
greenup” in the region, Pon-
te noted, but the heavy fire
fuels remain drier than nor-
mal.
Spellers B-A-T-T-L-E in Bee
HUNT
Continued from Page A1
In some cases, other
steps may include sealing
concrete cracks or holes in
basements, adding a vapor
barrier in crawl spaces, and
limiting any time spent in
areas where there is an un-
usual odor.
The EPA is working with
OHA, the state Department
of Environmental Quality
and the City of John Day in
the investigation.
Mike Boykin, on-scene
coordinator for the EPA,
said the agency is grateful
for the ongoing assistance
of the city departments,
including fire, police and
public works.
In addition to taking
air samples and boring
groundwater holes, EPA
workers have been taking
soil samples in some areas
and testing water from city
manholes. They also took
samples from some irriga-
tion wells this week.
According to Boykin,
that’s “helping to build a
A9
picture” of the contamina-
tion.
“We do have a better
idea of the way the contam-
ination is moving, and we
continue to build that pic-
ture,” said Kay Morrison,
EPA community involve-
ment coordinator.
She said Boykin report-
ed positive results in one
house that had a high level
of vapors that couldn’t be
controlled by ventilation
alone. Workers taped off
the basement windows,
put a vent in one window,
and used an industrial-size
fan to pump fresh air
in.
She said that created
“positive pressure” that
prevented the vapors from
coming up from the base-
ment floor.
That approach is an op-
tion for places with very
high levels, Morrison noted,
but it builds optimism that
temporary solutions can be
found.
She said the agency will
continue to work on locating
the source, with a goal of
eliminating the contamina-
tion.
B REAKING N EWS A LERTS
myeaglenews.com/breakingnews
Family pharmacies serving Eastern Oregon over 50 years.
Heppner and Condon, Oregon
Contributed photos
Above: Division I winners, from left: Katrine
Bogardus, second place, fourth grade, Dayville;
Max Bailey, first place, fourth grade, Humbolt; Riley
Roberston, third place, fifth grade, Humbolt.
Right: Primary Division winners, from left, Macy
Carter, first place, third grade, Seneca; Isaac Janssen,
third place, third grade, Humbolt; Nicholaus Devine,
second place, second grade, Monument.
Let our family of pharmacists serve you!
We are happy to transfer and mail prescriptions and would
welcome the opportunity to visit with you about our services!
02158
541-676-9158
We Gladly Accept Visa or MasterCard
Division II winners: Thomas Kreamier, third place,
sixth grade, Long Creek; Cody Combs, second
place, eighth grade, Grant Union; McKeely Miller,
first place, eighth grade, Grant Union.
Debbie Ausmus
245 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
OPEN WED. & THUR.
9 am - 5 pm
JOHN DAY – Top Grant
County spellers converged
May 12 at the John Day Elks
Lodge to test their knowledge.
Winners in the four di-
visions took home prizes,
including a Kindle e-reader
IRU ¿UVW SODFH DQ HOHFWURQLF
dictionary for second place,
and a drawstring backpack for
third.
It was the Grant County
Education Service District’s
annual spelling bee, testing
grades 1 through 12.
Participating in the event
were 45 students from all
county schools: Prairie City,
Dayville, Long Creek, Mon-
ument, Seneca, Humbolt El-
ementary and Grant Union
Junior-Senior High.
The winners from each di-
vision have the opportunity to
compete in the Sept. 5 Oregon
Spellers Statewide Spelling
Championship at the Oregon
State Fair in Salem.
This year’s readers were
Tom Winters, Stacie Holm-
strom, Paul Smith and Ashley
Masterson-Armicardy.
Spell checkers were Tom
Winters, Stacie Holmstrom,
Ashley
Masterson-Armi-
2015
24 hrs/7 days wk
debbie.ausmus@
countryfinancial.com
GC students compete at Elks Lodge
Blue Mountain Eagle
C la ss of
541-575-1113
Division III winners: Marta Faulkner, first place, senior,
Grant Union; Kelsey Long, second place, senior, Grant
Union; Amaya Zweygardt, third place, junior, Prairie
City; Robby Bullock, third place, junior, Prairie City.
By Angel Carpenter
C on gr at ul at io ns
cardy, Chris Cronin, Donna
Becker, Andrea Combs, Vick-
ie Ryder and Savannah Pattee.
“We would like to thank all
of our volunteers that make
the County Spelling Contest
possible and the John Day
Elks Club for the use of their
building,” said Holmstrom,
the spelling bee coordinator.
Silvies Valley Ranch is proud to
announce the 2015 Scholarship winners!
We were pleased to have received
numerous applications from both Grant
and Harney County students this year.
Congratulations to the 2015 graduating
winners - we are so excited for you as you
embark on your educational journey. We
are also very pleased to have awarded
multi-year awards to six students: Peter
Neuschwander, Jackson Thein and Jacob
White for a second year, Daryl Ann
Waltenburg and Shannon Croghan for a
third year, and Austin Piper was awarded
a scholarship for the fourth year in a row!
Congratulations from everyone at
Silvies Valley Ranch to all the 2015
graduates on your great
accomplishment!
2015 Scholarship Winners
Austin Piper*
Hunter Davis
Jackson Thein*
Jacob White*
Jeff Davies
Peter Neuschwander*
Daryl Ann Waltenburg*
Jeremy Hand
Sage Flower
Gerald Carter
Jennifer McCloskey
Rayce Houser
Shannon Croghan*
Tyler Manitsas
‘12 Burns
‘15 Burns
‘13 Burns
‘14 Burns
‘15 Burns
‘14 Crane
‘13 Dayville
‘15 Dayville
‘15 Dayville
‘15 Grant Union
‘15 Grant Union
‘14 Grant Union
‘11 Grant Union
‘15 Grant Union
*Multi-Year Recipient
EST.
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1883
SILVIES VALLEY RANCH
Proud supporter of Grant & Harney County Graduates!
From the entire Silvies Valley Ranch team
www.Silvies.us
Seneca, Oregon
1-800-SILVIES