W EDNESDAY , J UNE 21, 2017
The
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Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
RAINBOW GATHERING
BREAKS GROUND
10,000 to 30,000 expected
to attend event on
Malheur National Forest
Rainbow gathering
The annual Rainbow Family gathering, which could attract
10,000-30,000 people, is taking place in Flagtail Meadow on the
Malheur National Forest off of Forest Road 24 west of Seneca.
Mt. Vernon
y River
John Da
Area in
detail
John Day
26
By Sean Hart and Rylan Boggs
Canyon City
S T R AW
BERR
Blue Mountain Eagle
395
UN
TA
I
he Rainbow Family has started preparing its gathering site
on the Malheur National Forest, where 10,000-30,000 peo-
ple are expected to gather in the coming weeks.
In Flagtail Meadow off of Forest Road 24 south of John
Day, vans and buses are starting to arrive for the Rainbow
Gathering, held annually on public lands. The event, which began as a
prayer for world peace in 1972, attracts “a cross section of America,”
attendee Gary Stubbs said —from doctors and lawyers to hippies.
Stubbs said the non-denominational, non-discriminatory gathering
was a healing place, which offers an open invitation to any who wish
to participate with the group that is loosely organized without a hier-
archical structure or leader.
A mile hike from the parking area at the main campsite, wood-fi red
kitchens are being set up to feed the roughly 500 attendees already at
the site. Thousands more are expected to trickle in with the largest
infl ux expected to begin the week of June 26.
NS
49
Fores t Road 2
e-P
Ize
ina
aul
R
MALHEUR
NATIONAL
FOREST
t
es
For
1
d
t Roa 24
res
Fo
T
Y
MO
MALHEUR
NATIONAL
FOREST
R oad
15
395
63
Approximate
site of Rainbow
Family gathering
Source: U.S. Forest Service
The Eagle/Rylan Boggs
Rainbow Gathering attendee
Nathan Akre works on a
“rocket stove” at the Rainbow
Gathering’s camp on the
Malheur National Forest Friday,
June 16.
F or e
st
Ro ad 16
N
Seneca
2 miles
Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group
“
The county is
7,500 people,
and we’re
expecting an
influx of 20,000.
The amount
of burden on
resources
will be high.”
Ryan Nehl,
Forest Service administrator
See RAINBOW, Page A18
Senator discusses Russia, health care
Merkley: Foreign election interference unprecedented
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Sean Hart
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
Russian interference in the elec-
tion and health care were two major
topics U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Or-
egon discussed during a town hall
meeting in John Day Sunday.
Merkley told the audience of
about 45 Russia attempted to un-
dermine “the foundation of de-
mocracy” by interfering in the
2016 presidential election, as re-
ported by U.S. intelligence agen-
cies. Merkley said, in an unprec-
edented cyberattack, Russia used
internet trolls, people posing as
Americans, and a botnet, comput-
ers that had been hacked, to cre-
ate viral interest around certain
stories online. He said fake news
stories — fabricated articles with
the sole intention of misleading
people — were distributed, and
the country also attempted to hack
election software.
Jim Bay of Mt. Vernon asked
about an effort by Senate Republi-
cans to complete a health care bill
behind closed doors. Merkley said
open deliberations were important
and the common understanding of
the need for legislating had been
lost. He said the plan would likely
cut the Medicaid expansion under
the Affordable Care Act, which
provided health care to 400,000
Oregonians. Merkley said an at-
tempt to unveil and vote on the bill
the same day without discussion or
See MERKLEY, Page A18
Investigation continues in possible THC-food tampering case
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
Offi cers are waiting on lab results
to determine whether takeout food from
a local business was contaminated with
THC, the psychoactive chemical in mar-
ijuana.
John Day Police Offi cer Mike Durr
said he had frozen a sample of the food
item to send to the Oregon State Police
Crime Lab, but he was not able to send
the item until Monday to ensure it did
not thaw over the weekend when no one
was available to receive the mail.
Until he receives the lab results back,
he said he would not know for certain
whether the food item contained THC.
He said no other incidents have been
reported.
“While I think it’s probably an isolat-
ed incident, I want people to be aware,”
he said. “If it looks like your food has
been tampered with, don’t eat it.”
Durr said he has been working with
the business, which has removed any
items that may have been involved. He
said he would not disclose the name of
the business because he was not certain
its food was contaminated. He said he
believed food from the business was
safe to consume.
“I’d go back to the establishment and
I’d order the same thing that those peo-
ple ate, and I would feel safe doing it,”
he said.
Durr began investigating the inci-
dent after a 911 caller requested an am-
bulance for possible food poisoning at
about 12:45 a.m. June 15. At least two
patients were transported to Blue Moun-
tain Hospital, where it was determined
a THC substance was unknowingly in-
gested, Durr said.
The patients reported being dizzy
and “not feeling right,” he said. Others
who did not eat the food that was pos-
sibly contaminated did not get sick, he
GRANT COUNTY SOFTBALL GIRLS
SURVIVE THE HEAT PAGE A10
said, which is why it was indicated as a
possible source.
The patients were not affi liated with
the Rainbow Family gathering, Durr
said, and nothing indicates the incident
was related to the gathering.
Durr said people should not panic
but should inspect food before consum-
ing it.
“If you see the label on your food has
been tampered with, take it back to the
store,” he said.
Anyone with information about the
possible food tampering should call
John Day Police Department, 541-575-
0030.