A18
Outdoors/Sports
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Stepping out: Walking group makes sociable strides
Strawberry
Striders stroll,
rain or shine
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — “Neither
snow nor rain nor heat nor
gloom of night stays these cou-
riers from the swift completion
of their appointed rounds” is a
phrase well-known for postal
carriers, and it could also apply
to a local walking group, the
Strawberry Striders.
7he walkers, usually ¿Ye or
more, can be seen in the neigh-
borhood keeping a brisk pace,
almost 365 days a year.
Doug Smith joined in 1978,
when the Striders were a jog-
ging club.
He said Mike Higgins and
Tony Johns started the group in
1975.
“It was just a group of peo-
ple in town who were interested
in running, and they sponsored
some races in town,” Smith said.
“At that time, there was a run-
ning boom going on the in U.S.”
As the years haYe passed, the
Striders haYe switched oYer to
walking, moYing at their indi-
Yidual pace.
They meet each morning at
7 a.m. near Families First Parent
Resource Center at the 400th
block of South Canyon Bou-
leYard, going from that point
up Main Street and turning on
the Third Street Extension near
John Day City Hall. They take
the Bob Miles Trail and Pros-
pector Trail along the John Day
RiYer to Bridge Street, then loop
around the Jimmy Allen Memo-
rial Trail at SeYenth Street Com-
plex, traYeling back on Bridge to
Main Street.
They also take an eYening
walk at 5:20 p.m. on Tuesday
and Thursdays, meeting at the
two-story home across from
Best Western, walking straight
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The Strawberry Striders walk every day, no matter the weather. The snow-covered ground doesn’t slow
them down. From left: Barbara Zak with Bella, Doug Smith, Mike Lenz, Andy Reyes and Mike Cosgrove
with Katie.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Tracks in the snow left by the Strawberry Striders.
down Bridge Street to the path
at SeYenth Street Complex and
on back.
If the weather is good, the
group will go out for an after-
noon bike ride on Sundays.
Not much slows them down.
Former John Day postmas-
ter, Andy Reyes, was walk-
ing with the group on a recent
chilly morning with snow on the
ground.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The Strawberry Striders walking their route in John
Day includes, from left, Doug Smith, Mike Cosgrove
with his dog Katie, Barbara Zak with dog Bella,
Mike Lenz (in back) and Andy Reyes.
“We wear spikes or traction
on our feet, and we bundle up
and make sure we don’t fall,” he
said. “We know where to walk.”
One morning, when the wind
was whipping and snow blow-
ing, just three people showed up
for an abbreYiated walk, Smith
said.
“If there’s bad weather, we
kind of shame each other into
walking,” he said with a smile,
adding some in the group don’t
braYe the elements.
Smith said he enjoys walk-
ing for ¿tness, and the camara-
derie.
“Usually, after a walk we’ll
hang around and socialize,” he
said.
He said the group is di-
Yerse, Yarying in age and back-
ground.
“You get different ideas and
discuss it on the walks,” he said.
He said the Strawberry Strid-
ers haYe become a tight-knit
group, and anyone is welcome
to join.
“OYer the years, we’Ye had a
lot of people who’Ye come and
gone, including medical resi-
dents and Forest SerYice work-
ers,” he said. “We still keep in
touch — we get Christmas cards
and email.”
Some bring a furry friend
on the walks, including Barba-
ra Zak who said her dog Bella
looks forward to it.
“She’s so excited — she
knows we’re going for a walk,
and she has so much fun,” Zak
said.
Zak, who’s been part of the
group for ¿Ye years, said she en-
joys the exercise.
“I enjoy walking because
I’m getting older ... Just because
you’re getting older doesn’t
mean you haYe to stop exercis-
ing,” she said, adding she enjoys
socializing.
“There, generally, is nothing
that stops these Striders from
walking — they kind of haYe
the postman’s creed,” she said.
“Doug’s door is always open
for new people interested in
being ¿t,” she said. “They’re
just the nicest group of people
I’Ye eYer met. If eYer you need
anything, they’re right there to
help.”
Where the
buffalo roam
JD man takes
trophy buffalo in
three shots
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
HANKSVILLE, Utah —
Rod Carpenter of John Day
claimed a trophy-sized buf-
falo — and a freezer full of
meat — NoY. 14 on a once-in-
a-lifetime hunt.
Carpenter and a group of
eight friends and family mem-
bers traYeled to the Henry
Mountains of southeast Utah
for the expedition.
The area is one of only a
few places in the U.S. where
buffalo roam freely.
After two days on the
hunt, Carpenter found the
bull, taking it in three shots at
330 yards with his .338 Win-
chester magnum.
The Boone and Crocket
trophy club rated Carpenter’s
buffalo in the top 10 for Utah,
scoring 124.
Carpenter is a nurse anes-
thetist at Blue Mountain Hos-
pital in John Day and enjoys
target shooting at the local
range and hunting in his spare
time.
The 1,200-pound bull
yielded 400 pounds of pro-
cessed meat.
“It tastes Yery good — a
little like elk,” he said.
He added Joe Hitz of Prai-
rie City will make a shoulder
mount for him.
“It was the best time of
my life,” he said. “It was my
fourth time applying for the
tag.”
corn e r’s
the
6+ 7
+27
EEK
OF THE W
' ,//21
M ALEY
School: Grant Union
Grade: 10
Parents: Rocky and Deanna Maley
Sport: Wrestling
What I like best about my sport: “It takes discipline, and
it’s a challenging sport that I don’t think a lot of people
could play or finish out. You get to spend time with
friends from your own team and other teams, and you
wrestle more teams than those in your district.”
Coach’s Comment: “Dillon works incredibly hard and is
a great example for his teammates.”
Contributed photo
Rod Carpenter, left, is joined by friends and family members during his once-in-a-lifetime bufflao hunt
on Nov. 14 in the Henry Mountains of southeast Utah. From left: Carpenter and his son Josh (front), Neil
Clayton (Delta, Utah); Abe Johnson (Delta, Utah), Darrel Holliday (John Day), Mark Woodbury (Prairie City),
Eric Livingston (Provo, Utah), Doug Hansen (Midvale, Idaho) and brother-in-law Gary Hatton (Gresham).
PROS
Continued from Page A11
The Prospectors went from a
16-point lead to a 25-point lead
in quick order in the third, end-
ing the quarter 57-30.
Wyatt WeaYer scored off
an assist from Trace Gill.
Then WeaYer picked up a
defensiYe rebound, and Gill
scored, and scored again.
A few plays later, Wade
Reimers made a shot off an as-
sist from Brady Burch. Then
Reimers oYertook Enterprise
halfway down the court. Gill
sank two at the free-throw
line, and Burch scored. Cauy
WeaYer and Clayton Vaughan
(with a three) also got in on
the scoring.
Reimers led the Prospec-
tors with 17 points, followed
by Burch and Nathan Gehley
with nine each. SeYen other
teammates contributed to the
scoring.
Reimers and Vaughan each
scored two behind the three-
point line, and Wyatt WeaYer
had one.
“Our team played well,”
said Prospector Ricky We-
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ickum. “We passed the ball
good and played great de-
fense — we played selfless
team ball.”
At the Dec. 28-30 Central
Linn Holiday Tournament in
Halsey, the Prospectors had
one loss and two wins.
Facing Toledo, Grant
Union was up by 12, only to
see its lead slip away when
the Boomers cashed in with
threes.
“We made a couple mis-
takes at the end, and they got an
offensiYe rebound and made a
desperation shot,” Speth said.
“We hope, in league, to haYe
a couple go our way in those
close games.”
Grant Union was in the
driYer’s seat against Monroe,
taking a decisiYe 88-24 win.
Facing the 4A Marsh¿eld
junior Yarsity, which includes
some tall talent — including
two players oYer 6-foot-5 —
the Prospectors claimed an
80-45 Yictory.
Tuesday, Grant Union
hosted the Burns Hilanders,
past press time, and they were
scheduled to traYel to Union
Friday for a 7:30 p.m. game
and will host Elgin at 5:30
p.m. Saturday.
The stats
GU boys vs. Enterprise
Points/rebounds/assists/steals
Wade Reimers: 17/7/0/2
Brady Burch: 9/2/1/6
Nathan Gehley: 9/4/1/1
Zack Deiter: 8/1/1/3
Trace Gill: 8/7/3/1
Wyatt Weaver: 7/5/3/0
Cauy Weaver: 6/9/0/3
Ricky Weickum: 6/3/4/2
Clayton Vaughan: 6/2/0/1
Duane Stokes: 1/4/4/0
Brogan McKrola: 0/0/0/0
Ty McDaniel: 0/0/0/1
Team totals: 77/47/17/20
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