B10
Outdoors
Blue Mountain Eagle
Student athlete drug testing
on table at Grant Union
Fifth-
graders
Amelia
Hall and
Destiny
Pelayo
handle a
bullfrog
during their
school
field trip.
Issue to be voted
on at June 8
board meeting
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Contributed
photo
OUTDOORS
Continued from Page B1
and cycles, and this is easy
for the kids to see, since it’s
a living thing.”
The students — who
wanted to — handled a
bullfrog and ish, during the
Dayville trip.
They also saw how ish in
the John Day River are tagged
and checked out a ish screen.
On May 12, the stu-
dents watched and helped
as ODFW staff members
stocked Trafton Pond at
Seventh Street Complex.
Boethin said they also
study the ecosystem just
outside their classroom.
“We feed the birds, as
well as the local chipmunks,
golden mantles,and deer,”
she said. “The kids always
love anything they can get
their hands on.”
CANYON CITY — Drug
testing for student athletes
has been a topic of discus-
sion at Grant Union Ju-
nior-Senior High School.
The school does not cur-
rently use drug testing, but
it may be implemented next
school year.
The topic will be dis-
cussed and voted on at the
7 p.m. Wednesday, June 8,
Grant School District No. 3
school board meeting at the
district office at 401 N. Can-
yon City Blvd.
According to minutes of
the April 20 school board
STATUE
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Debbie Ausmus
245 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
OPEN WED. & THUR.
9 am - 5 pm
541-575-1113
24 hrs/7 days wk
debbie.ausmus@
countryfinancial.com
the
HOT
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
corner’s
SH T
EEK
OF THE W
The complex also fea-
tures playground equipment,
basketball and tennis courts,
a skate park and a mile-long
walking path, as well as Traf-
ton Pond for ishing.
Justice has been carving
statues of bears, elk and even
a cowboy over the past six
years.
He said he approached
parks and rec director Art
Thunell a couple years ago
about the adding a baseball
RUSH
Continued from Page B1
Those who preregister pay a
reduced entry fee and will receive
GARRETT
HITZ
meeting, held at Seneca
School, Grant Union prin-
cipal Ryan Gerry said the
intent of drug testing would
be to help students and pro-
vide them an opportunity to
say no to drugs, rather than
trying to catch kids using
drugs.
He stated the testing
would be random, and per-
formed either weekly or
bi-weekly.
The types of drugs to be
tested would be defined by
policy.
Board member Gordon
Larson said he would like
to know what happens to the
data once it’s collected, and
how it would be protected,
so it doesn’t have conse-
quences for the students be-
yond its intent.
Gerry said the same pro-
tocol as the current penalty
process would be followed.
Board member Chris Cro-
nin said she was interested to
see how drug testing of stu-
dent athletes is working at
Prairie City School.
A meeting on the issue
was held at the school for
parents the evening of Mon-
day, May 16, with seven
people in attendance.
Parents were notified of
the meeting through an au-
tomated phone message, the
reader board at the school
and the school’s online cal-
endar.
“This is a great subject
to debate, and both sides
have a good argument as to
why drug testing should or
shouldn’t be facilitated,”
Shelley said.
He said a discussion and
vote on whether it should be
implemented for fall 2016
will take place at the June 8
meeting.
player statue to the park en-
trance.
“I just wanted to do some-
thing that would be around,”
Justice said. “They have a
nice complex down there.”
He said Thunell and others
built up the park, starting with
a baseball ield when Thunell
was a baseball coach for Grant
Union High School, before he
became parks and rec director.
Justice said Thunell was
his PE and weight room
teacher when he attended high
school.
“Art’s a good guy,” he
said.
Justice said he spends
time carving on weekends
for a couple months in win-
ter.
“It was no big deal for me
to make something,” he said.
“I really enjoyed doing it —
just wanted to contribute to
the park, and do something
that would be around.”
Mitch Wilson did the met-
al work, and Justice came up
with a Vince Lombardi quote
to add to the column below
the statue.
It reads: “The measure of
who we are is what we do
with what we have.”
a heavyweight cotton T-shirt.
Registration forms are
available at the Grant County
Chamber of Commerce, 301
W. Main St., John Day. Pre-
registration costs $15. Reg-
istration from 6-6:45 a.m. on
race day costs $18, and will be
available in front of Sels.
For more information,
call the Chamber at 541-575-
0547.
- Coach Joe Weymouth
Robbins Farm Equipment
100 E. Main • Stoplight in John Day • 541-792-0425
RODEO
Continued from Page B1
Membership in the
Cinnabar Mountain Play-
days is required — $30
each or $45 for a family
— and must be paid in full
to participate.
There is also a $2 entry
fee for each event, or $10
for the day.
Proof of age is required
(birth certiicate, driver’s
license or immunization
record) and must be pre-
sented to the director no
later than the second Play-
day attended by the mem-
bership holder.
Contestants must com-
pete in at least four Play-
days to be eligible for the
year-end awards.
For more information,
contact one of the Play-
days directors: Didgette
McCracken
541-575-
3520, Janet Plocharsky
541-792-0077 or Emma
Winkelman
541-620-
1199.
Myeaglenews.com
School: Prairie City
Grade: 12
Parents: Joe and Nancy Hitz
Sport: Track and Field
Events: Pole Vault, 110-meter hurdles,
300 hurdles
What I like best about my sport: “I like that you can become
good at whatever event that you want to if you put your mind
to it.”
Coach’s Comment: “Garrett accomplished personal records in
all his events this year. He also showed great work ethic with
long hours of practice, and he also showed great leadership this
year while helping with junior high practices. He will make a
great addition to any track team as a participant or coach”
Proud sponsor of Grant County athletes
Eagle file photo
Denali Twehues of
Dayville competes
at a 2015 Cinnabar
Mountain Playdays
rodeo, moving
through the pole
bending course.
3850 10th St.
Baker City
10218 Wallowa Lake Hwy.
La Grande
1160 S Egan
Burns
86812 Christmas Valley Hwy.
Christmas Valley
541-523-6377
541-963-6577
541-573-6377
541-523-6377
03975
03121