News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
A3
THE PERFECT TREE
People in Grant County get into the
holiday spirit and share photos of their
Christmas tree-cutting adventures.
Contributed photos
Dustin Berry with the perfect miniature tree, while
Christmas tree hunting up Laycock Creek.
Summer Berry, 4, wields the chainsaw during her
family’s Christmas tree hunting venture up Laycock
Creek.
Kaleigh Bellinger and her son, RH, get a tree from
“Christmas tree gulch.”
MANGER
Club serves up cookies for 25 years
Continued from Page A1
Monument’s
first ‘Cookie
Caper’ helped
military
personnel
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Blue Mountain Eagle
Contributed photo
Contributed photo
Ten of Jim and Beth Spell’s 11 grandchildren gather
in their grandparents’ Nativity. From left: Summer
Spell, Alcina Cloyd, Logan Cloyd, Claire Spell (white
T-shirt), Abigail Cloyd, Lily Spell, Gavin Cloyd,
Mattthew Cloyd, Natasha Cloyd, and squatting in
front, Kara Spell. Not pictured, Beckett Spell.
The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler
The large figures in the Spells’ Nativity are made
from blown plastic. The vintage set is more than 50
years old.
MONUMENT — It’s
been a delicious and heart-
warming tradition for 25
years.
Members of the Monu-
ment Service Club gathered
Dec. 15 for the group’s an-
nual “Cookie Caper” — an
effort to help provide deli-
cious treats for folks in the
community who are home-
bound, alone or otherwise in
need.
Local residents bake
cookies for the cause and
bring them to the Monu-
ment Senior Center in ad-
vance of the “Cookie Ca-
per” day. Club members
then arrange, wrap and label
them by the bright and merry
plateful, ready for delivery.
Club member Sylvia
Cockrell said the idea started
when she joined other wives
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ican bases, who baked cook-
ies for unaccompanied mili-
tary people living in barracks
during Christmastime.
“The cookies were a spe-
cial treat,” Cockrell said.
Festive packages of Christmas cookies are
ready to distribute to homebound people in the
Monument community at the 25th annual Cookie
Caper on Dec. 15, thanks to the baking talents of
the Monument Service Club.
02942
That continued for 10 years,
with the sturdy display with-
standing winter’s wrath each
season — that is, until the Christ-
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fury and ruined the set.
In time for the following
Christmas, Beth’s father bought
large Mary, Joseph and Jesus
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in use today. Over the years,
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are made of blown plastic, were
added — the three wise men,
shepherds, an angel and assorted
animals to complete the scene.
Beth and Jim, who married
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Thomas Episcopal Church in
Canyon City. They have three
children and 11 grandchildren.
They have lived in John Day
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couple acquired the Nativity
set when her parents moved to
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This isn’t the only Nativity
the couple owns. Beth collects
them and has, to date, about
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home throughout the year.
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when the Spells set up their
large Nativity each year, but
usually not until after Thanks-
giving unless some of their
children and grandchildren are
visiting, Beth said. It’s often a
tradition to take family photos
in the Nativity scene.
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set up the display. They always
keep it up until after the Feast of
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summer, and Beth has been
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placement. The only other prob-
lem is keeping everything an-
chored down at times, she said.
One near mishap occurred
this season while the couple
were in Pendleton for a church
meeting on a recent Saturday.
Neighbors reported a herd of
about 15 deer ran through the
yard, pulling out electrical cords
and creating a few sparks. Beth
said thanks to all the moisture
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or serious damage resulted.
Beth said many people seem
to look forward to seeing the
Nativity each year.
“People who grew up here
remember seeing it as kids,
set up in my parents’ yard on
Bridge Street,” Beth said.
Mark Hensley
A MAN
WAKES
UP in the
morning
after sleeping on...
an advertised bed, in advertised
pajamas.
He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR,
have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an
ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his
ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an
ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person
hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his
non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE.
Then it’s too late.
AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK?
DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE
Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it!
Mobile Repair
Would like to
take this
time to thank
our customers
and wish them
all a very
Merry
Christmas
and a happy
and prosperous
New Year
03185
Blue Mountain Eagle
MyEagleNews.com
Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710
Merry
Christmas &
a Happy
New Year!
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From all of us at
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