Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2015)
A8 News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, December 2, 2015 VFW essay winners give voice to democracy First-place winner competes at district level By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY – The Grant County Veterans of For- eign Wars Post 3597 sponsored the Voice of De- mocracy es- say and audio contest for lo- Gregg cal students. Starr This year’s theme was “My Vision for America.” County VFW Com- mander and Chief Gregg Starr announced the win- ners, all Grant Union se- niors, last week: Taylor McCluskey, first place, $200; Mackenzie Wood- The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Winners of the Veterans of Foreign War’s Voice of Democracy essay contest are Grant Union students Taylor McCluskey, left, first place, $200; Mackenzie Woodcock, second, $150; and Joshua Taynton, third, $100. VFW Commander and Chief Gregg Starr presented the students with their awards at the school Nov. 24. cock, second place, $150; and Josh Taynton, third place, $100. Judging the essays were Ken Delano, Buzz Gilm- ore, Jim Jerome and Starr. A TTENTION G RANT C OUNTY Starr said he was pleased with the effort the students put into the contest, and the essays showed a love and respect for the country. “They were well thought out,” he said. “They took Forest Service offers free trees V ETERANS : Did you know there may be VA benefits available for you as a result of your spouses’ military service? See your Grant County Veteran Services Officer today for more information, located at Grant County Court House. Call 541-575-1631 for an appointment Open: Mon, Wed, & Fri 10am-4pm by appointment. Please return our dog. the time to do the job, write and read it, and record it.” McCluskey’s essay and audio recording were for- warded to the district con- test in Athena. The state contest is judged in New- port. The state winner re- ceives a minimum schol- arship of $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. The na- tional winner receives a $30,000 scholarship. The program is open to students in grades 9-12. The VFW post has had a presence in Grant County for over 50 years. The group holds month- ly meetings on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the volunteer fire training hall in John Day on South Canyon Boule- vard. Starr said members of the VFW are veterans of foreign wars who were part of a combat zone. Blue Mountain Eagle Fourth-graders are eligible for a free holiday tree permit through the U.S. Forest Ser- vice’s “Every Kid in a Park” initiative. Malheur National Forest of- ¿ ces in John Day, Prairie City and Hines will be open extend- ed hours, until 5:30 p.m. Thurs- day, Dec. 3, and open from 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Dec. 5, to accommodate fourth-graders who live outside the area and can’t get in during regular oper- ating hours. Students can visit www.everykidinapark.gov and follow the instructions to ob- tain and print a paper voucher, which can then be presented at any national forest of¿ ce to re- ceive the permit. Students must be present with the voucher to receive their pass as well as the free Christmas tree permit. Local Malheur National Forest of¿ ces are at 431 Patter- son Bridge Road in John Day and 327 SW Front St. in Prairie City. Reward WHAT’S HAPPENING The deadline for What’s Happening items is 5 p.m. Fri- day. Call Cheryl at the Eagle, 541-575-0710. THURSDAY-FRIDAY, DEC. 3-4 Holiday Dance Showcase 7 p.m., Grant Union High School old gym Dancers in the high school team and Body, Fitness and Dance, ages 4 through high school, will perform in the an- nual holiday event. Admission is $5 and a canned food item. FRIDAY, DEC. 4 Carrie Young Memorial 5:30 p.m., John Day Elks Lodge The annual by-donation spa- ghetti dinner, which includes si- lent and live auctions, supports the elderly in Grant County. Pro- ceeds go toward the purchase of gifts and every day living items for patients in local assisted liv- ing facilities, plus 150 home- bound elderly and handicapped people. To donate or for more information, contact Lucie Im- moos at 541-620-2098. SATURDAY, DEC. 5 Two holiday bazaars 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Grant Coun- ty Fairgrounds, John Day The Blue Mountain Hospi- tal Auxiliary bazaar will be in Trowbridge Pavilion, and the fairgrounds bazaar will be in Keerins Hall. Together, they feature dozens of vendors offer- ing an array of crafts and other goods. There will be several gift drawings in Keerins Hall, and soup and pie will be available in the Pavilion. Santa Claus will be there too, so bring your camera. Call the fair of¿ ce, 541-575- 1900. THURSDAY, DEC. 10 Light up a Life If you have any information, please contact the Grant County Sheriff’s Department 541-575-1131 Call the John Day Golf Course Clubhouse at 541-575-0170 and ask for Jessy or Ronda NO ONE KNOWS YOUR EQUIPMENT BETTER. Your AGCO Parts Dealer has the parts you need when you need them. Hardware, chain, batteries, tillage, belts, cutting parts. We have the quality parts you need to keep your AGCO equipment running smoothly during the demanding harvest season. Highly trained service personnel at AGCO Parts make it all come together, so you can rest easy. Visit your AGCO Parts Dealer and get the parts and services you need to “Keep you in the Field” this season. Find out more at agcoparts.com. 6 p.m., Valley View Assist- ed Living, John Day All are welcome to the can- dlelight remembrance which honors loved ones who have died. The service, organized by Blue Mountain Hospice, includes readings, music and refreshments. For more infor- mation, email sdowdy@blue- mountainhospital.org. 02991 3 ªထ3ªထ3¡£33¡£ဘ36ª3 363633¡3ª£3¨¡3 33¨¡3¡¡36¡£¤£3Ŷ333ª3¡ဘ3 37¡3ª¡£3¦3£¬3ª¡¦3¡£33 373¦3¡£333££33 33££န343ª¤33£3¡3 3¦¡3ၻထၸၸၸ3£3¡¡ထ3ª3ª¡33¤3¡£3 3¤3£¤33¦¡3¡¦£¤£န33¨33 3¨¡¤3¡3¨¡¤¤3¤3¦3¡££ထ3 3¤¡¤3¤3¦¤¡3ª£¤¡ထ 3 ¨3¤¨3¡¤ဠ£3¦£33¤¡¦န3 33¨33¤3¡£ထ3¤¤¡£ထ3 33£ထ3¤¬¤£33¡3ª¨£န3 3 3¦333££န Contributed photo Hospice director Sylvia Dowdy offers an introduction at the 2014 Light up a Life remembrance. This year’s event will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, at Valley View Assisted Living in John Day. FRIDAY, DEC. 11 Forest plan meeting 6-9 p.m., Grant County Re- gional Airport, John Day The public meeting is part of a series scheduled by the For- est Service to discuss the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revi- sion. The topic will be “Pace and Scale of Restoration,” presented by Malheur National Forest. A facilitator will be present to en- sure those attending have time to speak, listen and propose solutions. Community choirs debut performance 7 p.m., United Methodist Church, John Day The Juniper Arts Council presents Youth Arts Program students in an evening of holi- day music and more. Admission is by donation and proceeds bene¿ t the Youth Arts Program. FRIDAY-SATURDAY, DEC. 11-12 Christmas Mt. Vernon 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Mt. Vernon Severals businesses in Mt. Vernon have teamed up to pres- ent an annual holiday shopping feast of handcrafted items and gifts, door prizes and refresh- ments. Participating merchants include: Shiny Thimble Quilt Studio at the northeast corner of highways 26 and 395; Lou’s Heartfelt Quilting, 430 Moun- tain Blvd., Maudean Brown’s home, 711 Mountain Blvd.; Pa- tricia Ross, and friends, arts and crafts studio, 311 Ingle St.; and Racers Restaurant – formerly the Silver Spur – offering hot chocolate and coffee for half price. Watch for the red and green balloons. Call 541-932- 4503 or 541-932-4707 for more information. SATURDAY, DEC. 12 AARP Smart Driver course 9 a.m.-4 p.m., John Day Se- nior Center Topics include defensive driving techniques, safety strat- egies, and new traf¿ c laws and rules of the road. Those attend- ing should bring a lunch. The cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for all others. Sign up at the senior center or call Ron Dowse, 541-575-4268 or 541- 792-0587. Timber Truckers Light Parade 6 p.m., downtown John Day This year’s theme is “An Old-Fashioned Christmas.” Winners will be announced at the Elks Lodge following the parade. The entry fee is $10; preregistration is encouraged. Call 541-620-4032 or 541-575- 1862. .WLG7LL7LL #LLFCLCL 02973