BAZAARS AND MORE THIS WEEKEND
See Page A8
for What’s
Happening
The
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
W EDNESDAY , D ECEMBER 2, 2015
Funding
paves way
for road
projects
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY – The
Grant County Road Depart-
ment has received $3.2 mil-
lion for three road improve-
ment projects through the
Federal Lands Access Pro-
gram.
Work will start next sum-
mer with a $1.3 million proj-
ect to chip seal the 40-mile
County Road 20, also known
as Middle Fork Road.
Two other projects are set
for 2017. They include a $1.4
million reconstruction over-
lay of a three-mile section of
County Road 73, also known
as Silvies Hopper Lane, and
a $540,360 chip seal surface
preservation project on Coun-
ty Road 18, also known as
Keeney Forks Road.
The projects include roads
within the Malheur National
Forest that are supported with
a joint endorsement by the
U.S. Forest Service and Grant
County of¿ cials.
Roadmaster Alan Hicker-
son said the county received
the funding because of the co-
operative effort.
“It wouldn’t have gone
through otherwise,” he said.
“That money would have
gone somewhere else if we
hadn’t worked together.”
Road department of¿ ce
manager Kathy Gilliam said
the funds will help extend
their operating budget.
“It’s a win-win,” she said.
The road department and
Forest Service received noti¿ -
cation of their successful pro-
posal for the 2017 projects in
mid-October.
“We’re excited to pursue
the opportunity,” said Holly
Bentz, a Forest Service assis-
tant engineer.
She said the funds are only
available for roads that pro-
vide access to public lands.
“The roads are critical to
some of our future planning
activities,” she said. “All
three projects will support
vegetation management proj-
ects scheduled for the next
¿ ve years.”
This includes commercial
logging and thinning with
biomass production.
“It’s been really good
working with the county road
department,” she said. “We
enjoy the partnership.”
Hickerson said Silvies
Hopper Lane, which is an
See ROAD, Page A7
N O . 48
20 P AGES
$1.00
www.MyEagleNews.com
Six new CASAs serve county children
10 CASAs help 94
percent of county kids
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY – Six new Court
Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
volunteers are available to serve abused
and neglected children in Grant County.
Rhiannon Bauman, Rich Boren,
Amy Charette, Kristin Nodine, Valeen
Madden, and Brain Delaney were
sworn in Nov. 12 by Grant County
Judge William D. Cramer Jr.
The new volunteers underwent 30
hours of CASA training prior to the
swearing-in ceremony.
They join four other CASAs, which
means 94 percent of the children cur-
rently in foster care in Grant County
will now have a CASA representing
them.
Previously, only 33 percent of chil-
dren in the county were served by an
advocate, said Grant County CASA
Contributed photo
executive director Tracey Blood, who
Judge William D. Cramer Jr., center, with the new CASA
began her job last April.
CASAs are appointed to watch over volunteers on their swearing-in day, Amy Charette, left,
Valeen Madden, Richard Boren, Rhiannon Bauman, Kristin
See CASA, Page A5 Nodine and Brian Delaney.
O N THE T OWN
LONG CREEK
Small in size, but big
in charm, history
%\&KHU\O+RHÀHU
Blue Mountain Eagle
L
ONG CREEK – Small and tranquil, yet rich in
community spirit and steeped in local history
– the town of Long Creek is a gem nestled in
northern Grant County, in a high range valley
of the Blue Mountains.
Long Creek, with a population of about 200, seems to
have the best of all worlds. It’s small
enough to have that “get away from
it all” feeling, yet offering enough
amenities among the businesses in
town – gas, motel, RV park, grocer-
ies and dry goods – to provide most
comforts travelers and residents
might need. The area is rich in rec-
reational opportunities to suit the
The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler
Social Security Pond, hardiest of outdoors enthusiasts,
about 4 miles west of yet the town is situated right on a
Long Creek on State main thoroughfare – Highway 395.
Mayor Don Porter said the town
Route 402, offers a
nearby respite for fishing, has prospered and increased its
picnicking or reading. business sector over the past 10
years.
“When I became the mayor in the mid-2000s, there
was no restaurants and no gas – you couldn’t even buy a
soda pop in town,” Porter said.
See TOWN, Page A12
Contributed photo/Eric Sines
Long Creek Mayor Don Porter, in the yellow vest, leads Long
Creek community members and firefighters in a sunrise Fourth
of July remembrance at the town’s fire camp.
The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler
Long Creek City Park is a convenient gathering place
for family functions or community events such as the
Founders Day Fourth of July celebration.
Grange No. 659: Serving Mt. Vernon for 90 years
Pancake feed, holiday bazaar, candidate night among MV Grange events
%\&KHU\O+RHÀHU
Blue Mountain Eagle
MT. VERNON – Maybe the secret
to a successful event is to keep people
well-fed.
After all, the Mt. Vernon Grange’s
two main annual fundraisers – the
holiday bazaar in November and the
pancake feed in January – both fea-
ture fresh hot meals.
Heaping bowlfuls of “Hunters
Stew,” hot rolls, and a selection of
homemade desserts have long been
a mainstay of the bazaar. Grange
members Mary Ellen Brooks, Wilma
Bauer, Sally Greb and Jean Sagert
prepare the stew the day before from
member Marge 3or¿ ly’s own recipe.
Brooks prepares the fresh rolls which
are baked at the bazaar, and all the la-
dies contribute to the pies and other
goodies sold at the event.
The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler
Jean Sagert, right, serves up dessert for Mt. Vernon Grange
Bazaar shoppers.
Bauer’s own sourdough pancake
recipe is the centerpiece at the Janu-
ary event.
Mt. Vernon Grange No. 659, es-
tablished in 1925, is one of the lon-
gest-running in Grant County.
According to Grange secretary
Jean Sagert, the Grange is involved
in a variety of local groups and com-
munity events throughout the year –
all of which is largely made possible
with proceeds from the two fundrais-
ers.
The Mt. Vernon Grange supports
such causes as the Words for Thirds
dictionary program for local students,
the annual 4-H achievement dinner,
the Grant County Food Bank, Blue
Mountain Care Center, the communi-
ty Christmas dinner in John Day and
the Grant County Fairgrounds. The
Grange also hosts a candidate night
during election years.
The bazaar, always held the sec-
ond Saturday in November, launches
the holiday season in Grant County,
and has been a longtime tradition in
Mt. Vernon.
Some of the regular vendors have
been selling their goods there from
the start.
See GRANGE, Page A3