GRANT UNION MOWS OVER UNION – PAGE B1 The Blue Mountain EAGLE Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 W EDNESDAY , A PRIL 27, 2016 • N O . 17 • 22 P AGES • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com ‘SQUAW’ NAMES REPLACED Federal board aSSroYes new naPes for loFations in Grant County Blue Mountain Eagle o . R Ro M. F John Day R Road 51 6 7 245 Unity WALLOWA- WHITMAN NAT’L FOR. Co. Hwy. 4 8 MONUMENT ROCK WILDERNESS 16 MALHEUR NATIONAL FOREST 6 r e 36 47 10 d 1 r Ri v heu Seneca oa . R F.D N. MALHEUR M al N .F.D. Roa d 26 9 . H wy. . Ro a N.F.D 63 y. Hw Table Rock 7,815 ft. y. 6 2 Hw Co Strawberry Mtn. 9,038 ft. STRAWBERRY MTN. WILDERNESS o ad 13 C o. 11 395 14 d Co MALHEUR NATIONAL FOREST . H wy. 6 8 3. Donaldson Rock BAKER 8 N.F D. R o a d 15 N.F. . Co 67 wy. 10. Shootingstar Meadow (Squaw Meadow) 7 5 Prairie City John Day 65 . R H C o. Greenhorn i v er N.F.D. Roa MALHEUR NATIONAL FOREST o a 58 d CROOK Sumpter MALHEUR NATIONAL FOREST 11. SHARP CREEK GRANT Mount Vernon 10. SHOOTINGSTAR MEADOW 3 Co. R oad 20 d WALLOWA- WHITMAN NATIONAL FOREST Granite 395 Dayville BLACK CANYON WILDERNESS N.F.D. Ro a 18 12 .D N.F 9. Mona Creek (Squaw Creek) C reek JOHN DAY FOSSIL BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT 26 r ve Ri 19 Co. R oad OREGON 4 10 ay 8. Frosty Meadow (Little Squaw Meadow) Long Creek 402 WHEELER 13 ad UMATILLA NATIONAL FOREST . Joh n D Kimberly Area in detail NORTH FORK JOHN DAY WILDERNESS Monument Spray UNION iver Dale 1 d 2 /oFation Piles long À ows east then north into âNiySiya CreeN Piles north of HaPilton 2rigin 8Patilla or- igin reSortedly Peans ³sSirit´ n Day R N.F. D. Road 52 Ritter d oo 7. Wiwaanaytt Meadows (Squaw Meadows) Jo h N. F. Top oad N.F. D . R 2. Little Škáypiya Creek 395 207 5. Myrtle Spring (Little Squaw Spring) 6. Wiwaanaytt Creek (Squaw Creek) 3 S. F. John D er a y Riv /oFation Piles long heads Piles north of HaPilton À ows south- east to the -ohn 'ay RiYer 2rigin 8Patilla or- igin reSortedly Peans ³sSirit´ 1 2 Co ad 1. Škáypiya Creek 4. Kúckuc Creek (Squaw Creek) UMATILLA NATIONAL FOREST . F.D N. T WALLOWA- WHITMAN NAT’L FOR. UMATILLA MORROW C o t to n w hirteen natural Ieatures in *rant County haYe been re-naPed reSlaFing ³squaw´ titles Ior new PoniNers SroSosed by the *rant Coun- ty Court and the Confederated Tribes of the 8Patilla Indian ReserYation The 86 Board on *eograShiF 1aPes aSSroYed the new naPes ASril The list inFludes eight FreeNs one sSring three Peadows and one roFN Renamed areas Here are the new naPes along with their lo- 1. Skáypiya Creek Fations naPe origins and (Squaw Creek) Yariant naPes aFFord- ing to the 86 *eologi- 2. Little Skáypiya Creek Fal 6urYey’s *eograShiF (Little Squaw Creek) 1aPes InforPation 6ys- 3. Donaldson Rock teP (Squaw Rock) Silvies 395 11. Sharp Creek (Squaw Creek) /oFation 8Patilla 1ational Forest Piles 12. Wewa Creek southwest of Granite and (Squaw Creek) Piles northwest of Bates 13. Goose Creek 2rigin George : (Squaw Creek) 'onaldson - a lifetiPe Grant County res- Source: U.S. Geologic Survey ident and aYid outdoors- Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group Pan 'onaldson logged with horses and loaded logs Yia narrow-gauge railroad 'uring the 'eSression he worNed with the CiYilian ConserYation CorSs and later worNed for the Forest 6erYiFe with Pining and HARNEY 10 miles No. 11: Formerly Squaw Creek, now named Sharp Creek, crosses under County Road 60, as it flows from the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness northward toward Prairie City. The creek is one of 13 natural features in Grant County with “squaw” titles that have received new names, approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler No. 10: A mass of shooting star wildflowers (dodecatheon meadia) can be seen each summer at this Grant County site, formerly known as Squaw Meadow. The site is now called Shootingstar Meadow. See NAMES, Page A12 Contributed photo County FoPPissioner Fandidates speaN at foruP Incumbent Chris Labhart faces challenge from Prairie City Mayor Jim Hamsher By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle Editor’s note: This article covers the county commis- sioner position on the May primary ballot. The remain- ing positions will be covered in next week’s Eagle. Candidates Yying for So- sitions in the May SriPary e[Slained their SlatforPs at a foruP sSonsored by the Mt 9ernon Grange 6aturday Positions uS for eleFtion in May inFlude Founty FoPPis- sioner 1o treasurer asses- sor surYeyor and si[ PubliF Forest CoPPission seats Assessor Fandidate 'a- Yid Thunell is running unoS- Sosed as is surYeyor Fandi- date MiNe 6Sringer Both Fandidates for FoP- Pissioner 1o inFuPbent Chris Labhart and Prairie City Mayor -iP HaPsher sSoNe at the foruP along with all four treasurer Fandidates 'oug Carpenter, Julie Ellison, Tan- di MerNord and Mary :eaYer Most of the forest FoPPis- sion Fandidates spoNe as well County commissioner No. 2 Labhart said he graduated froP Grant 8nion in , where he returned for a - year teaFhing Fareer after his -year reunion He said Mob retention, Yet- erans, seniors and health Fare are his priorities 6eniors FoPprise Pore than perFent of the Foun- ty’s population, he said, add- ing he has Yisited eYery senior Fenter He said there are Pore than Yeterans in the Foun- ty, and he has been worNing to inFrease the hours of the Yet- erans serYiFe of¿ Fer position “Grant County is a great plaFe to Fall hoPe,´ Labhart said, adding people should +elS aYailable Ior YiFtiPs oI se[ual assault By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle 6e[ual assaults haSSen eYen in rural areas but SeoSle Fan helS the YiFtiPs and reduFe the SreYalenFe *rant County 'eSuty 'istriFt At- torney Matt ISson said these Fases do oFFur here ³*rant County is not iPPune IroP this sort oI behaYior and FriPe´ he said ISson and about others SartiFi- Sated in a Fandlelight Yigil ASril in -ohn 'ay to raise awareness during 6e[ual Assault Awareness Month and 1ational Child Abuse PreYention Month Andrea 2I¿ Fer direFtor oI the distriFt attorney’s oI¿ Fe’s YiFtiP as- sistanFe SrograP said awareness is iPSortant See HELP, Page A12 worN together to iPproYe it HaPsher said his faPi- ly PoYed to the area in the s and he has liYed here his whole life He said, if eleFted, he would hold town halls, listen to the people and aFt aFFord- ing to the PaMority’s wishes HaPsher said he wants to see the Founty surYiYe and thriYe He said he would try to rePoYe hurdles faFed by sPall businesses to spur the By Robby Bullock For the Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Angel Carpenter See FORUM, Page A2 Prairie City receives grant, loan for sewer upgrade Residents won’t see an increase in utility bill Deputy District Attorney Matt Ipson and victim assistance program director Andrea Officer are available at the Grant County Courthouse in Canyon City to offer assistance, answer questions and provide resources. eFonoPy, proYide Mobs for younger people and FoPbat the shrinNing population “The status quo isn’t worN- ing,´ he said He said the AssoFiation of Oregon Counties does not represent the rural Founties of Eastern Oregon and that he would try to start an assoFi- ation that inForporated rural Founties in Idaho, 8tah, 1e- Yada and Oregon In the ne[t round, Labhart PRAIRIE CITY — Prairie City is about to get a sew- er uSgraGe anG oI¿ Fials say residents won’t see a rate in- Frease The Fity will reFeiYe a Pillion loan and a grant to iPSroYe its wastewater systeP IroP the 86 'eSartPent oI Agri- Fulture Rural 'eYeloSPent 6tate 'ireFtor 9iFNi :alNer said while Yisiting Thursday ³Rural FoPPunities aFross the Fountry are IaFed with the Fhallenges oI Paintaining and uSgrading their inIrastruF- ture´ she said ³This SroMeFt will ensure adequate utilities Ior Prairie City SroteFt the enYironPent and helS suSSort the town’s sustained eFonoP- iF Yitality´ Rural 'eYeloSPent CoP- Punity PrograP 6SeFialist /a'onn MFElligott said the Fity would be able to re¿ - nanFe its Furrent sewer sys- teP debt with the 'eSartPent oI EnYironPental 4uality at a low interest rate and a longer terP years to PiniPi]e the Fost to residents See GRANT, Page A12