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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2015)
News %OXH0RXQWDLQ(DJOH Contributed photo McDonald’s employees Ashley Armendarez and Ashley Pompa ham it up in costume on Halloween for their final day of work at the restaurant. McDonald’s soon to be demolished Several former employees find local jobs :HGQHVGD\1RYHPEHU Marines meet to REVHUYH&RUSV WKELUWKGD\ Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY – Sixteen lo- FDO 0DULQHV DQG WKHLU ZLYHV met at the Outpost Restau- UDQWLQ-RKQ'D\RQ1RY WRREVHUYHWKHWKELUWKGD\ of the Marine Corps. 7KRVHDWWHQGLQJVHUYHGLQ World War II, Korea, Viet- QDP DQG ,UDT IURP WR the present. The Marines included 'DYH 6D[WRQ %XG 6DOVEXU\ 'DYH7UD\ORU'HQQLV6PLWK Gary Langenfeld, Jim Clark, A9 Contributed photo Sixteen Marines and their wives met at the Outpost Restaurant in John Day on Nov. 10 to observe the 240th Marine Corps birthday. Back row, from left: Gary Daake, Walt Kight, Harry Stangel, Marc “Doc” O’Dell, Bob Stewart, Tom Baum and Dale Duby. Middle row, from left: Dave Traylor, Dennis Smith, Gary Langenfeld, Jim Clark, Gary Whitmore, Bill Sexton and Ken Evans. Seated, from left: Dave and Eileen Saxton, Bud Salsbury, Francis Fannin and Claudia Evans. Gary Whitmore, Bill Sexton, .HQ(YDQV*DU\'DDNH:DOW Kight, Harry Stangel, Marc “Doc” O’Dell, Bob Stewart, Tom Baum and Dale Duby. After introductions were made, a general reminis- FHQFHRIZDUVVHUYHGLQDQG GXW\VWDWLRQVYLVLWHGZDVWKH order of the gathering. According to Traylor, not all Grant County Marines were able to attend, but they DQG DOO 0DULQHV ZKR VHUYHG were fondly remembered by those present. Gift certificates available! Call to make an appointment first. ATE TIFIC ms R E C GIFT er B loo s tt e B G arde C n ity & John { & rairie 0-3329 2 een P _ Betw ay • 541-8 ____ D ____ ____ _ ____ ____ ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ t For: ____ A Gif ____ ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ :____ ____ From __ ____ ____ unt:_ ____ Amo ____ Value ____ _ _ : ture p.m. a n 30 ig 5: S - . a.m. OBER U OCT THR APRIL OPEN S : 9:00 losed Hours - Fri. •C Sun. at Better Blooms & Gardens Between John Day & Prairie City • 541-820-3329 By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY – The Oct. 31 closure of McDonald’s restaurant in John Day sad- dened many in the commu- nity, including the owner, 18 employees and the patrons. Jorge Ribeiro of Burns, who owned the restaurant, said he doesn’t know when it will be torn down. “They asked us to be out within two weeks of clos- ing,” he said, adding they MXVW ¿QLVKHG GLVPDQWOLQJ HY- erything, inside and out. He expects the building to be demolished sometime this month. Ribeiro said corporate of- ¿FLDOV PDGH WKH GHFLVLRQ WR close the restaurant, although he tried to talk them out of it, based on the “low economics of the situation,” and because they are reaching the end of a 20-year lease on the property owned by the D.R. Johnson family. “The biggest thing – I’m going to miss all the regular FXVWRPHUV ,¶YH KDG RYHU WKH SDVW\HDUVWKDW,¶YHRZQHG the restaurant, and all my great employees,” Ribeiro said. ³, ZDV YHU\ KDSS\ WR VHH WKDW VHYHUDO IRXQG MREV HOVH- where,” he added. Ashley Pompa was a crew trainer and worked at Mc- 'RQDOG¶VIRURYHUQLQH\HDUV “There were a bunch of SHRSOHZKRZHUHWRWDOO\GHY- astated that we were clos- ing,” she said. This includes a group of regulars they nicknamed the “morning breakfast club,” she said. “They would show up at 6 a.m., and they all wanted coffee right at 6.” She said the adjustment to the layoff and closure was GLI¿FXOW ³,W¶VYHU\VDG´VKHVDLG³, KDYHWZROLWWOHRQHVDQG,ZDV UHDOO\ ZRUULHG DERXW ¿QGLQJ a job and how to support my kids – it’s been rough.” She said she’s kept busy VWD\LQJLQYROYHGDWFKXUFK With help from Work- Source Oregon she found a job at Chester’s Thriftway. 6HYHUDO 0F'RQDOG¶V HP- SOR\HHV OLYHQHG XS WKHLU ODVW day of work, dressing up for Halloween. Pompa had ghost makeup, another was “Jason” (from WKH KRUURU PRYLHV DQG DQ- other made light of their sit- uation, wearing a cardboard “Will work for food” sign around his neck. The restaurant closed ear- ly that night to allow workers to take kids trick-or-treating. “It’s going to be missed,” Pompa said of her former workplace. Still, she said she has a SRVLWLYH RXWORRN ZLWK KHU new job. ³, IHHO FRQ¿GHQW´ VKH Hunting for the PERFECT GIFT? The Eagle/Angel Carpenter The Golden Arches from the John Day McDonald’s now lean against the trash bin area in the restaurant parking lot. H u n t VDLG ³,¶YH ZRUNHG IRU 0F- Donald’s for nine years, and I’m experienced with cus- WRPHUVHUYLFH´ N o F u r t h e r FACEBOOKERS: Become an Eagle fan today! Go to: facebook.com/ MyEagleNews ANDY’S 2830 10th St., Baker City, OR 541-524-0122 EVERY OTHER TUESDAY Plumbing & Sports 245 N. Canyon City Blvd. 541-575-2144 ANNUAL GRANT COUNTY FOOD BANK DRIVE SPONSORED BY THE BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLE Donate and have a chance to WIN $100! The more you donate, the more chances you have to win. We’re asking everyone to pitch in and help our local food banks by donating this month. This will help those in our community who are in need. Your donations can be in the form of unexpired, nonperishable food items or cash donations that will be used to purchase such items for the food bank. Your name will be entered in a $100 prize drawing one time for every 10 items donated and/or $10 donation increment. Please bring donations to the Blue Mountain Eagle office by Wednesday, December 16th at 5pm. The drawing will be held December 17th and the WINNER will be notified that day. All participants will be highlighted in the December 23rd issue of the Eagle. Thank you for supporting our community! If you have any questions, please call Lindsay at 541-575-0710. Blue Mountain EAGLE 03022