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Blue Mountain Eagle
TRUMP
Continued from Page A1
The new budget would
eliminate the Water and
Wastewater loan and grant
program, which would save
$498 million, according to
the blueprint.
“Rural communities can
be served by private sector
financing or other Federal
investments in rural water
infrastructure, such as the
Environmental Protection
Agency’s State Revolv-
ing Funds,” the blueprint
states.
The budget also calls for
a $2.6 billion reduction in
EPA funding.
A roughly $3 billion de-
velopment block grant pro-
gram used to revitalize rural
communities would be elim-
inated. These funds are used
to improve housing, water
mains and sewers, streets
and sidewalks and provide
public services like senior
and youth programs. Ore-
gon received $31,670,366
in federal block grant fund-
ing in 2016, according to
the Democratic Party.
John Day is currently
not eligible for block grants
but, after a pending a local
income survey, would likely
become eligible, according
to John Day City Manager
Nick Green. If the program
were to be cut, as much as $2
million in potential funding
for a new wastewater treat-
ment plant could be lost.
Other communities in Grant
County have benefited from
the program in the past. In
2016, Seneca was awarded
$2.5 million and Mt. Vernon
was awarded $1.8 million,
both for wastewater treat-
ment plants.
Merkley is also con-
cerned about potential cuts
to Payment in Lieu of Taxes
payments.
“The Trump budget guts
Payment in Lieu of Tax-
es — funding for coun-
ties that have large tracts
of federal lands that don’t
generate property taxes —
by $100 million this year
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
alone, stripping from Ore-
gon counties critical fund-
ing for public safety, social
services transportation and
housing,” he said. “... Don-
ald Trump ran as a cham-
pion of rural America, but
now, he is punching rural
Americans in the gut,”
Grant County uses PILT
funds for everything from
building maintenance to
purchasing new equipment
for the road department,
according to Grant County
Judge Scott Myers. After
Congress failed to renew
Secure Rural Schools fund-
ing, the county relies on
PILT funds even more.
A5
City
prepares
for
eclipse
campers
Old city hall may
be torn down
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
FUNDS
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help pay for good schools,
safe roads and reliable
law enforcement,” Wyden
said. “While I am glad the
25-percent payments came
through, these reduced funds
highlight the importance of
restoring the robust support
that SRS has long provid-
ed. I will keep working on
a long-term solution to give
rural counties in Oregon and
across the country certainty
to plan their budgets and
provide crucial resources to
their citizens.”
Grant County Judge
Scott Myers said the reduc-
tion in funds was a blow to
the county, but he didn’t
expect cutting any posi-
tions as long as Payment In
Lieu of Taxes funding from
BUFFER
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“With Senate Bill 1017’s
proposal of an annual tax
credit tied to certification,
ODF would expect a sub-
stantial increase in pro-
gram administration costs
and personnel costs as we
move from a five-year cer-
tification to an annual cer-
tification,” Grafe stated in
his written testimony.
Members of the Senate
Environment and Natu-
ral Resources Commit-
the federal government
continued.
“If our SRS and our PILT
fund were to go away, we
would be facing cuts,” My-
ers said. “It’s not likely that
we will have any cuts at all
this coming fiscal year.”
Approximately 75 per-
cent of SRS monies go into
roads while 25 percent goes
into schools. In the coming
year, the road department is
expected to receive roughly
$175,000, while the schools
will get roughly $50,000,
Myers said.
Last year, the county
gave $600,000 to schools, a
feat they will not be able to
perform this year, according
to Myers.
Grant School District No.
3 is hoping to avoid cutting
programs and faculty, but it’s
still too early in the budget-
ing process to be sure, Super-
intendent Curt Shelley said.
In 2015-16, the district re-
ceived a little over $300,000.
This year, they received
about $260,000, according to
Shelley.
He said they’ve known
this has been coming and
have been able to plan for it.
The district has roughly 10
percent of its budget set aside
for times like this, Shelley
said, but this cushion will
likely deflate.
“We will do everything
we can to offer the same
opportunities and programs
we currently have,” Shelley
said.
The reductions mean the
county can no longer put
money in the road reserve
for future road projects,
and regular donations to
the school districts from the
county will cease.
The road department is
dealing with the loss of SRS
funds by prioritizing mainte-
nance and carefully selecting
only necessary projects for
which to apply for funding.
The department anticipated
the loss of funds and plans to
fund future projects through
the Federal Lands Access
Program. The department
will not lay off any of its 17
employees, though if they
are unable to find additional
funding sources, county road
conditions may suffer in the
future.
In 2014-15, the road de-
partment received roughly
$3 million, and in 2015-16,
they received roughly $2.5
million.
This year they will re-
ceive $150,000. In the past,
these funds have been used
for road improvement proj-
ects like chip and fog sealing
on the county’s almost 500
tee added the appetite for
tax credits is “going to be
tough,” considering the
state’s budget shortfall.
Sen.
Bill
Hansell
(R-Athena) was not as
familiar with Ferrioli’s
proposal, but said their
districts share the Blue
Mountains and some of
the same forests. At first
glance, Hansell said he
would support the bill
moving forward.
“I trust (Ferrioli’s) judg-
ment,” Hansell said. “We’re
both trying to find solutions
to the same problem.”
miles of paved and gravel
roads.
“Without the SRS funds,
we will be in maintenance
mode,” Grant County Road-
master Alan Hickerson
said.
Wyden co-authored the
original SRS legislation in
2000. The program began as
a way to help counties offset
the loss of timber harvest.
While the SRS funds
helped, Myers said they
didn’t replace the tens of
millions of dollars that Grant
County once received in the
form of timber receipts.
“No question we need
to get back into the woods
and get something done
more than stewardship,”
Myers said. “Steward-
ship is great for the forest,
great for the Forest Ser-
vice, not good for cities and
schools.”
Thinkstockphotos
C OPS AND C OURTS
Grant County Circuit
Court
David Shane Thompson
was convicted of harassment
and sentenced to 12 months
probation and five days in jail,
and fined $200.
Oregon State Police
• Cited a 17-year-old fe-
male for careless driving after
she rolled her car into Rock
Creek near the junction of
Highway 26 and SR 19. The
driver was transported to Blue
Mountain Hospital as a pre-
caution, and the vehicle was
removed from the creek.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office reported the fol-
lowing for the week of March
23-29:
• Concealed handgun li-
censes: 6
• Average inmates: 12
• Bookings: 12
• Releases: 11
• Citations: 3
• Fingerprints: 4
• Civil papers: 36
• Warrants processed: 2
• Asst./welfare check: 3
Issued three minor in pos-
session charges and one fur-
nishing alcohol to a minor
charge.
Justice Court
The Grant County Justice
Court reported the following
fines and judgments:
• Failure to carry traction
tires/chains: Alberto Ferrer
Romero, 29, Miami, Florida,
March 6, fined $160.
• Impeding Traffic: Alber-
to Ferrer Romero, 29, Miami,
Florida, March 6, fined $110.
• Exceeding the speed lim-
it: Susan Badger Jones, 66, La
Grande, 51/30 zone, March
10, fined $220.
• Driving while license
suspended or revoked: Rod-
ney Raymond Cowger, Kim-
berly, sentenced to seven days
in jail, 18 months probation
and 30 hours community ser-
vice, and fined $850.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
GOING IN STYLE PG-13
Desperate to pay the bills, three lifelong
pals decide to knock off the very bank
that absconded with their money.
FRI & SAT (12:45) (4:00) 7:00 9:20
SUNDAY (12:45) (4:00) 7:00 9:45
MON-THURS (12:45) (4:00) 7:00 9:45
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE PG
A mysterious map leads Smurfette and
her friends to the discovery of the
biggest secret in Smurf history.
FRI & SAT (12:45) (4:20) 7:20 9:30
SUNDAY (12:45) (4:20) 7:20 9:45
MON-THURS (12:45) (4:00) 7:20 9:45
THE BOSS BABY PG
A suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying baby
pairs up with his brother to stop the
dastardly plot of the CEO of Puppy Co.
FRI & SAT (12:45) (4:10) 7:10 9:25
SUNDAY (12:45) (4:10) 7:10 9:45
MON-THURS (12:45) (4:00) 7:10 9:45
$9 Adult, $7 Senior (60+), Youth
133 calls during the week of
March 27 through April 2.
Along with the various traffic
warnings, trespassing, injured
animals, noise complaints and
juvenile complaints, these
calls included:
• John Day Police
Department
March 28: Received a re-
port of suspicious subjects in
Prairie City. Received a report
of possible child abuse.
March 29: Responded to a
report of a man walking down
the middle of Main Street.
April 2: Responded to a re-
port of a possible drunk driver
near the Grubsteak.
• Grant County Sheriff’s
Office
March 27: Responded
to a dispute in Mt. Vernon.
Took a report of an email
fraud in Dayville.
March 28: Advised of a re-
port of a trespass in Granite.
A caller reported she hit and
knocked down a stop sign in
Prairie City. Cited three mi-
nors for minor in possession
of alcohol in Canyon City
Park.
March 29: Responded to
an unattended death in Mt.
Vernon.
March 30: Received a re-
port of a lost dog; the caller
found the dog while still on
the line. Responded to a report
of harassment in Dayville.
March 31: Responded to
a dispute in Mt. Vernon and
warned both parties for disor-
derly conduct.
April 1: Received a report
of juveniles riding ATVs on
city streets.
• John Day ambulance
March 30: Responded
to a vehicle that had rolled
into the creek at the junc-
tion of Highway 26 and SR
19. Dispatched with the
Seneca ambulance for a
patient who was feverish,
trembling and unable to
communicate.
• Oregon State Police
April 1: Advised of a ve-
hicle that crashed into the Sil-
vies River.
• Grant County Parole
and Probation
March 31: Arrested a
26-year-old Grant County
resident for a probation vio-
lation.
• John Day Public Works
March 27: Advised that
someone had hit a fire hydrant
in John Day.
Help is available for victims of sexual
assault in Grant County. If you or
someone you know has been a victim
of sexual assault, please call:
05471
Arrests and citations in
the Blue Mountain Eagle are
taken from the logs of law
enforcement agencies. Every
effort is made to report the
court disposition of arrest
cases.
The city of John Day is
rolling forward with prepa-
rations for the solar eclipse in
August.
So far 93 reservations,
52 tents and 41 RV spots
have been made by visitors,
according to City Manager
Nick Green.
This equates to roughly
$16,000 in revenue for the
city, according to Green, who
attributed at least a portion of
the success to an online mar-
keting campaign promoting
the city as a destination.
The city is planning on
creating 100 RV spaces and
100 tent spaces in the indus-
trial park by the airport.
Tent sites will have water
and facilities available for
$150 a week, and RV sites
will have water and sewer
for a weekly rate of $450 or a
daily rate of $100 with a min-
imum two-night stay. The city
is working toward developing
the industrial park to supply
campers with running water
and minimize fire danger.
One potential concern is
having enough restroom fa-
cilities for campers. During
a March 28 city council
meeting, Councilman Gregg
Haberly said rates for porta-
ble toilets could be as high as
$60 a unit. He attributed the
cost to high demand in the
summer, especially if there
was a wildfire at the time.
Public safety is also a con-
cern during the event. Police
Chief Richard Gray said he
would not be granting any
time-off requests during the
week of the eclipse, would
be looking for additional re-
sources from other depart-
ments and was considering
switching officers to 12-hour
shifts during the week.
Despite all of the work
of preparing for the event,
Green was confident it would
be beneficial for the city.
“We’re going to be very
tired and very stressed out,
but we’re not going to lose
money,” he said.
During the meeting, they
also talked about tearing
down the old city hall to al-
low Oregon Trail Electric
Co-op access to a substation.
The city would save mon-
ey on utilities and insurance
costs by removing the build-
ing, and the property could be
converted into a parking lot
for the downtown area.
The council also met in
executive session to discuss a
potential property transaction.
Heart of Grant County
541-620-1342
‘62 Days Meetings
The Whiskey Gulch gang will have
weekly meetings starting on Friday,
April 8, 2017. Meetings will be held at
7:00 pm at Sel’s Brewery. Any vendor or
persons interested in being involved are
welcome to attend. ‘62 Days this year
will be June 9th and 10th.
Any questions, contact
Hugh Farrell 541-575-0329.
05465
Grant County Victim
Assistance Program
541-575-4026
Remember: sex without consent = sexual assault
This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-WR-AX-0008 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Wo m en, U.S. Department of
Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/pro gram/exhibition are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.
Designed by the Blue Mountain Eagle