Pettit, Wright, Hutchison win titles. Grant Union girls place second. Complete coverage Page B1
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Kathy Aney
Monument’s
Sophie Pettit lets
out a victorious
yell after winning
the 1A girls
100-meter dash
Friday at the
OSAA Track
and Field State
Championships
at Hayward Field
in Eugene.
The
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
W EDNESDAY , M AY 24, 2017
• N O . 21
• 20 P AGES
• $1.00
C ONGRATULATIONS ,
CL ASS OF
2017
G RANT U NION
H IGH S CHOOL AND
H OME - SCHOOLERS
GRADUATES !
P AG E S A8-A9
Forest plan revision will be followed
by travel management planning
Beverlin encourages public to submit concerns about road closures
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Malheur National
Forest will wait until its for-
est plan revision is complete
before moving on to the re-
quired travel management
plan.
Malheur National Forest
Supervisor Steve Beverlin
gave an update on the Mal-
heur forest’s travel plan to
the Grant County Court and
members of the public May
10.
While the Forest Service
hopes to complete its forest
plan revision by the end of
June, the travel management
plan for the Malheur is ex-
pected to begin in the spring
of 2018, after the forest plan
is complete. Beverlin said,
in the version of the forest
plan currently being revised,
Quilters display colors,
patterns and memories
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Visitors from near and far
admired the workmanship
shown in 101 quilts on display
in John Day at the 17th annual
Grant County Quilt Show.
The exhibition is presented
by the Grant County Piecemak-
ers Quilting Guild with a lot of
volunteer help, said guild presi-
dent Karen Hinton.
She noted several volunteers
who are not guild members also
assisted with the show, includ-
ing Ferguson Surveying staff,
which set up the display frames.
Guild member Dotty Par-
sons said she heard people say-
ing it’s a top-notch quilt show.
“The variety was awe-
some,” she added. “I’ve heard
some nice feedback.”
“It is really nice to see how
the quilters come together,”
Hinton said.
And it’s all for a good cause.
Along with the quilt dis-
plays, artwork was also exhib-
ited, and vendors had booths
with fabric and other sewing
items, jewelry and more for
sale.
The guild uses proceeds
from the show to further
their work in the community,
including giving quilts for
babies born at Blue Moun-
tain Hospital and for victims
See QUILTERS, Page A10
the Forest Service removed
portions about “designated
routes,” opting to address
those issues more appropri-
ately in the travel manage-
ment plan.
Beverlin said a federal rule
fi nalized in 2005 required all
national forests to undertake
travel management planning,
but the Malheur is one of few
that has not yet done so.
A travel plan centers
around three parts, he said.
The fi rst part — the only one
completed on the Malheur —
is an analysis of what is need-
ed to administer and maintain
the road system. The second
part of the plan identifi es what
trails, roads and areas can be
used by motorized vehicles.
The third part of the plan
identifi es what routes can be
used for over-the-snow travel.
Beverlin said the public
would be able to submit feed-
back on the travel plan during
comment periods.
The feedback process of-
ten includes public meetings
where people can voice con-
cerns and gather information
about the project.
For each plan and project,
a scoping period takes place
where the Forest Service can
identify important issues and
incorporate feedback into a
See FOREST, Page A10
The Eagle/Rylan Boggs
Malheur National Forest
Supervisor Steve Beverlin
presents information about
the Malheur’s upcoming
travel management plan
during a Wednesday, May 10,
Grant County Court meeting.
HIGH DESERT OYSTERS
Local residents began the feed to raise money for the golf course
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
Hundreds fl ocked to Sen-
eca to enjoy fresh oysters
last weekend.
The annual Seneca Oys-
ter Feed is a local tradition,
though most are not quite
sure when it began. Orga-
nizers Andrea Combs and
Mindy Walker said it was
either 26 or 27. Pete Walk-
er, who’s helped with the
fundraiser every year, said
it might be less.
“Everybody argues over
that,” Pete Walker said. “I
think it’s 23 or 24. There’s a
few old timers around here
who could tell you exactly,
but I don’t know.”
According to the Eagle
archives, the fi rst oysters
were hauled into town in
1992.
Pete Walker transported
this year’s oysters from the
Oregon coast.
“You can’t get fresh
oysters over here, and our
guys drive over on Thurs-
day, pick them up and bring
them back on Friday so
Eagle photos/Rylan Boggs
Brady Long prepares oysters at the Seneca Oyster
Feed Saturday, May 20.
See more
photos on
Page A10
they’re fresh. They’re right
off the oyster beds,” Mindy
Walker said.
At this year’s festival
there were 75 gallons of
shucked oysters and 275
dozen oysters still in the
shell, according to Mindy
Walker.
Andrea Combs and Mindy
Walker helped organize
this year’s event.
Local residents began
the feed to raise money
for the golf course. Mindy
Walker said they usually
Wendy Ballou batters
oysters at the Seneca
Oyster Feed Saturday,
May 20.
raise $2,000-5,000 for the
golf course and city park.
During the fundraiser, soft-
ball and golf tournaments
were held with participants
from all over the area.
Along with all-you-can-
eat oysters, attendees had
land-based options, and
1188 Brewing provided a
beer garden.
There was also a raffl e si-
lent auction and 50-50 draw-
ing that handed out over
$1,000 in prizes.