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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (June 14, 2017)
A18 News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, June 14, 2017 ’62 DAYS Continued from Page A1 The Eagle/Rylan Boggs Grant County School District No. 3 Superintendent Curt Shelley addresses the audience during a Wednesday, June 7, school board meeting. HUMBOLT Continued from Page A1 students. She expressed concern the blend wouldn’t work at Humbolt and de- scribed it as a “social ex- periment.” Mark Croghan de- scribed the board as os- triches with their heads in sand and said Smith can’t handle the staff she has now, let alone a third- and fourth-grade blended class. Board member Gor- don Larson denounced Croghan’s remarks as “un- professional” and assured those present the adminis- tration has children’s best interests in mind. “Folks, there is nothing maniacal about this. There is no conspiracy,” Larson said. “We’ve got people that are dedicated to the welfare of our students, and they’ve done excep- tional jobs.” Smith has faith the school can make this work. “Our whole intent is to ensure academic success for all students,” Smith said. School board member Zach Williams also has a child affected by the deci- sion and expressed support for the administrators at Humbolt. “As a parent, I have con- cerns,” he said. “But as a school board member, I am very confident the adminis- tration is making the right decision for our kids.” He said the board was open to constructive crit- icism and pledged the dis- trict would learn from this and work to improve com- munication. The district has dis- cussed blended classes for the last decade and decided to enact it due to contin- ued declining enrollment, Grant County School Dis- trict No. 3 Superintendent Curt Shelley said. “I endorse this,” he said. “It is my idea. I support it.” Shelley said the blend will not increase classroom size, no programs would be lost and more instructional time would be offered in science and social studies. “This is not something that has been taken light- ly,” he said. “We have discussed this throughout the school year. We need to finish our school year strong and offer students the ability to complete the school year before we jump into the next school year publicly.” The festivities, organized by the Whiskey Gulch Gang, cel- ebrate Canyon City’s past, in- cluding the discovery of gold in 1862. Spirits weren’t dampened when rain started to pour Satur- day afternoon. People gathered for a hanging re-enactment outside the old Sels Brewery with Joe Radinovich playing the villain who met the awful fate. Sels, which was built during the gold rush era, was open for drinks and live music both Fri- day and Saturday. Friends made a mad dash in the rain as six teams competed in the bed racing event. The re- lay race had two team members pushing another on a bed on wheels, up and down Washing- ton Street. Food booths included man- goes on a stick, tamales and elephant ears and more. Other vendors sold various wares, and an art show featured the work of local talent. A fast draw shootist competi- tion on Friday and Saturday add- ed to the old-time flare of events. Hugh Farrell, treasurer of the Whiskey Gulch Gang, said the ’62 Days event went well. “We had a pretty good turnout, and people seemed to have a good time,” he said. “Everything went smoothly, other than the rain.” Farrell said the Gang’s next event is the July 22 Demolition Derby in John Day, and plans are underway to host an event for the Aug. 21 solar eclipse. RAINBOW Continued from Page A1 will work with local law en- forcement and the communi- ty, according to Stearly. Stearly said the Forest Service requires groups larg- er than 75 people to acquire a special use permit. He esti- mated the gathering could be between 10,000 and 25,000 people. The Montana Standard newspaper reported the total GRUB & GROG COME AND ENJOY MUSIC, YARD GAMES, FOOD AND BEER! Friday, June 23, 2017 DONATIONS ONLY (proceeds go towards JD/CC Parks & Rec) Belshaw Fields 7th Street Complex, John Day Gate opens at 4:30 • 1188 • Suds Pub • Little Canyon Food Cart • Veraci Pizza • And More.. Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter Groups of friends compete in the bed races at the ’62 Days celebration on Canyon City’s Washington Street. See more photos from the event at myeaglenews.com. Boy Scouts of America Troop 800 are color guard for Saturday’s ’62 Days parade. From left: Levi Carpenter, Scout leader Greg Floyd (back), Jesse Randleas, Max Bailey and Will Carpenter. Boyd Britton, left, announcer of Saturday’s ’62 Days parade in Canyon City stands with parade organizer Leslie Traylor at the start of the event. cost for the U.S. Forest Ser- vice relating to a Rainbow Family gathering near Jack- son, Montana, in 2013 was $573,361. Roughly $400,000 of this was spent on law en- forcement. The Eagle archives state, during the 1997 gathering on the Ochoco National Forest in Crook County, garbage disposal, increased traffic and low levels of fecal co- liform and giardia present in streams used as water sources were concerns. Also included were reports of overdoses, drug and alcohol charges and a recovered sto- len vehicle. Local artist and Prairie City resident David Sea- cord, who has attended these gatherings in the past, said there could be both benefits and drawbacks to having the gathering in the area. “Any community that has a gathering in the area is go- ing to be benefited economi- cally,” Seacord said. He said the influx of people would boost the lo- cal economy. However, like many events, he said the gathering could attract unde- sirables. As a whole, he said, the event was peaceful and respectful, but sometimes opportunists will take advan- tage of a free, public event that welcomes everyone. The gathering is made possible entirely through volunteers who build the in- frastructure to support tens of thousands of people from scratch and then entirely re- move it, according to Sea- cord. “They are committed to leaving land in impeccable condition, and they have a history of that being ac- knowledged,” he said. He said people unsure about the gathering should see what it is like for them- selves before passing judg- ment. STABBING Road 3980 located the sus- pect, who came onto the road from the brush when officers approached. Noah James Anthony Destefano of Stockholm, Sweden, most recently of San Diego, was taken into custo- dy and transported to Blue Mountain Hospital, where he was treated for a knife wound to the upper right calf. He was lodged in the Grant County Jail. The incident remains un- der investigation. Todd said in a social media post she was stabbed while intervening in an altercation between two people who were not Rainbow Family members, who were under the influence of LSD and alcohol. Continued from Page A1 Palmer, Smith, Vandehey, Undersheriff Zack Mobley and John Day Police Depart- ment Sgt. Damon Rand re- sponded to the scene of the stabbing. Officers traveling Forest
