Halloween
events schedule
Page A6
W EDNESDAY , O CTOBER 28, 2015
N O . 43
18 P AGES
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State moving forward with dam removal
County makes
case to repair
dam instead
By Kyle Spurr
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY — State
of¿ cials said Oct. 21 the Can-
yon Meadows Dam needs
HOW
to be removed this year to
protect residents from an in-
creased risk of À ooding as
a result of the 110,000-acre
Canyon Creek Comple[ ¿ re.
The state has considered
the dam a fragile structure
since leaking was discovered
shortly after it was built more
than 50 years ago. Multiple
state studies over the years
have concluded the dam needs
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We value your opinion and want to hear
what you think on this issue. Write a letter to the editor.
to be removed.
“The dam has a lot of value
to the people of Grant Coun-
ty. The state is aware of that,”
Brett Brownscombe, the Gov-
ernor’s natural resource pol-
icy advisor, said. “The state
believes there is an elevated
risk to public safety post-¿ re
and a risk to property and hu-
man life below the dam.”
Commissioner
Britton
asked Ken Olson, who lives
below Canyon Meadows
Dam, if he was worried about
it failing.
“Not particularly,” Olson
replied. “I’m not worried
about the dam.”
The state’s plan is to re-
move the dam, owned by the
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife (ODFW) on For-
est Service land, before this
ZOMBIES (UP)
ARE MADE
Emma Hughes
puts the
finishing
touches on
Caroline
Colson’s face.
winter. Removal would take
¿ ve days and cost 200,000 at
the most.
The plan did not sit well
with the Grant County Court
and a crowd of about 100 res-
idents who packed Grantville
Theater for the hearing.
Residents have a hard time
believing the dam could blow
See DAM, Page A3
County
counsel:
Sheriff is
overstepping
his authority
By Kyle Spurr
Blue Mountain Eagle
Participants attempt to
elude circus characters
in annual zombie run
By &heryl +oeÀ er
Blue Mountain Eagle
J
OHN DAY – The
circus came to town
Saturday night.
Or at least, cir-
cus performers. With a dark
side – who seemed to have
maybe escaped their circus
train just so they could wreak
havoc and terror on runners in
John Day.
In the “Zombie Circus” fun
run held Oct. 24, runners made
their way through an untimed
5K event while running, leap-
ing and jumping to make their
way through several obstacles
and numerous zombies deter-
mined to thwart their efforts
and grab their À ags.
The route began at Seventh
Street Complex and wound its
way through several locations
throughout the Grant County
Fairgrounds.
The circus-style zombies
See RUN, Page A8
Eagle
photos/Cheryl Hoefler
Marionettes, from left,
Rhea Mead, Leah
Comer, Madison Spen
cer and Andrea
Comer, are ready for
marionette master
Sheila Comer to bring
them to life. Other
marionettes included
Taylor Osgood,
Emily Vargas and Paige
Lupien.
Family guard dog saves newborn kitten
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
MT. VERNON – Two fe-
male dogs owned by Tiffany
Hull and Drew Johnson of Mt.
Vernon, Chaos and Atilla, are
usually guarding their home
and chasing other animals
away, but six weeks ago they
showed their softer side when
Chaos found a newborn kitten.
Chaos, an 8-year-old kelpie
mix, found the kitten by the
family’s backyard fence, its
eyes still closed.
“She had this thing in her
mouth,” Hull said, adding the
dog brought it to them while
they were outside. “Drew told
her to drop it, and he put it
back.”
Hull said they were amazed
their dog didn’t harm the kit-
ten, and said their dog has been
a good hunter over the years.
Chaos brought a different
kitten to the family that night,
which was later given away,
and the original kitten, now
Grant County’s legal
counsel released an opinion
Wednesday claiming Sheriff
Glenn Palmer is overstepping
his authority by creating his
own Public Lands Natural
Resources Plan.
Palmer deputized 11 coun-
ty residents last month to
write and adopt the plan to
invoke coordination with the
U.S. Forest Service and the
management of public lands.
Authority to create such
a plan belongs to the county
court, not the sheriff, accord-
ing to county counsel Ron
Yockim.
“Bottom line is he is over-
stepping his authority and
reaching into legislative land
use matters that are the county
court’s role,” Yockim wrote.
“He may have authority to
develop plans and policies
that are within his statutory
authority as sheriff (e.g. law
enforcement policies) but any
coordination of these plans
and policies is under a dif-
ferent coordination authority
than the one he cited.”
The legal opinion was pub-
licly released during a county
court work session OCT. 21.
The work session was sched-
uled to discuss concerns about
the working relationship be-
tween the sheriff and the For-
est Service.
Palmer did not attend the
work session. He declined to
comment on why he did not
attend, but did say he believes
the county court should not be
getting involved with another
elected of¿ cial’s business.
“It’s none of the county
court’s business to interject
themselves into another elect-
ed of¿ cial’s affairs like this,”
Palmer said.
See SHERIFF, Page A8
FALL BACK
Contributed photo
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Atilla, a 7-year-old half-lab half-pitbull mix,
watches over a newborn kitten found on her
owners’ property five weeks ago.
named Jack, was discovered
in another part of the yard the
next morning. The mother cat
wasn’t found.
“Her mother instincts
kicked in,” Hull said of Cha-
os. “She protected him for
about a week from Atilla.”
Atilla is a 7-year-old
half-labrador half-pitbull mix,
and when she was able to get
near the kitten, acted just as
motherly as Chaos.
“Atilla would lay down
by the kitten all day,” Hull
said. Both dogs lick the kit-
ten to clean him, and they
watch over him.
Chaos sits with Jack,
an abandoned kitten
she saved.
The family nursed Jack
to health with a bottle and
kitten formula, and now,
at six weeks, the kitten is
thriving.
“Chaos is a rescue dog her-
self,” Hull said. “She was go-
ing to be shot by her previous
owner, and Drew took her in
– she just has a big heart.”
Daylight Saving Time
ends on Sunday at 2 a.m.
when clocks are turned
backward one hour to 1 a.m.
Sunrise and sunset will be
earlier, which means more
light in the morning.