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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2017)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, August 2, 2017 A3 MoonLIT Music Festival planned for eclipse weekend some originals from the art- ists. Church will play guitar and sing new and classic country and a few rock anthems. “I sang for heavy met- al bands in the ’80s — all original material,” he said, adding, “A couple years ago, I sang for Cycle Oregon (in John Day) for a crowd of about 5,000 with the band The Area.” Rachelle had encourag- ing words for the musicians when they recently met. “When I’m mentally pre- paring for a show, I focus on taking care of the audience,” she said. “I want them to feel something.” She added, “It’s like they say, ‘It’s not what you said or did, but how you made them feel.’ That’s what I aim to achieve.” Rachelle and Bremner hope to see the festival be- come an annual event. “There is a big opportuni- ty here,” Rachelle said. Tickets are available through the event website, MoonLitMusicFestival.com, which also has information about the musicians. For more information, call the chamber at 541-575- 0547. Event planners hope for sell-out show of 4,000 By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle While the Grant County Chamber of Commerce has been planning for crowds of tourists during the total solar eclipse in August, they’ve also planned what they hope will be an epic concert: the Saturday, Aug. 19, MoonLIT Music Festival held from 2 p.m. to midnight at the Grant County Fairgrounds. Several local and regional artists — bands, solo artists, duos and a DJ — will present multiple genres of music, in- cluding country, alternative, rock, pop, folk and more. Chamber office manag- er Tammy Bremner says she thinks it could be a sell-out event, with 4,000 spots for seating and standing, at the fairgrounds arena in John Day. Solo artist Jamie Rachelle (known locally as Jamie Cer- nazanu) is coordinating the show and will be one of the main performers. Rachelle will debut an The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Musicians meet at the Grant County Chamber of Commerce in John Day about the upcoming MoonLIT concert to be held Saturday, Aug. 19, the weekend of the total solar eclipse. From left, Les Church, concert organizer and singer Jamie Rachelle, Austin McKrola, Samantha Floyd and Marcus Perkins are scheduled to provide entertainment that night along with headliner artists. In back, chamber office manager Tammy Bremner helps facilitate the meeting. original song based on Bonnie Tyler’s ’80s hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and present a mixture of rhythm and blues and a soulful pop music. “I’m looking forward to performing alongside some really great bands and local talent,” Rachelle said. “There will be something for every- one.” School superintendent leaves Monument for Cove Earl Pettit starts new position By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Former Monument School District Superin- tendent Earl Pettit started a new position as interim superintendent of Cove School District Aug. 1. Pettit, who held his posi- tion in Monument for seven years, resigned June 22. When asked why he left the school district, Pettit said he was looking for a fresh start. He said, over time, the direction the school board wanted to go and what he envisioned didn’t coincide. “From the middle of win- ter on, it came to my recog- nition that we were probably not going to go farther,” he said. “It was time to change leadership.” Pettit wore many hats at the school district and in the community. Besides being superin- tendent, during his tenure at Monument School District, Pettit was principal, athletic director, transportation di- rector, trainer and track and cross country coach. He also started a speech and debate club, homework club and a junior-senior high rock band. He said the school was successful when he arrived and is still successful. “I think my contributions here were extending oppor- tunities to kids that prior to 2010 they wouldn’t have even imagined having,” he said. School board member Vonda Stub- blefield said the fact Pettit was with the school dis- trict for seven years speaks well for the Earl Pettit former super- intendent. “Sometimes you just go different directions,” she said. “Cove is a bit bigger school and bigger area.” She said Pettit started the Flying Tigers club at the school, which gave students the chance to travel to Chi- na, Cambodia, Thailand and India. “He’d traveled a lot in his life, so he was comfortable with it,” Stubblefield said. “It was nice that he afforded the kids in our school that oppor- tunity.” Besides his involvement with the school, Pettit was the Monument fire chief for two years, engineer for four years prior and was commander of the Monument American Le- gion Post since 2011. Pettit was busy pack- ing last week as his family prepares to move to Cove, including his wife Nittaya, daughter Sophie, a junior, and sons Bill, a freshman, and Charlie, a kindergartner. “This is moving from home to establish anoth- er one,” he said. “All of the friends and the close-knit community will be missed.” The search is on for a new Monument superintendent. Stubblefield said they are still accepting applications, and interviews will soon be held. School is scheduled to be- gin Tuesday, Aug. 22. dle. Wind Fields plays old- time country Americana folk. VCI Audio of Boise, Ida- ho, will also provide dynam- ic, beat-mixing music. Six local musicians will take the main stage, includ- ing Les Church of Prairie City, performing with Gary Battle of Oakridge and Prai- rie City; Marcus Perkins of Headliner bands in- clude the Phoenix-based, four-member band Jane N The Jungle with alternative rock; Hit Factory, a six-mem- ber cover band from Port- land; and five-member band the Wind Fields of Northern California, which includes local alumnus Brianna Mur- phy-Johnston on violin/fid- New book highlights Grant County Historical photo book available to purchase locally By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Filled with photos from yesteryear, a newly published book “Grant County,” from the Images of America series, highlights the towns and peo- ple of Grant County. The author, George R. Miller of Gresham, held book-signing events Mon- day and Tuesday at the Grant County Historical Museum in Canyon City and the DeWitt Museum in Prairie City. With 126 pages, the book includes information and photos about topics such as mining, Chinese immigrants, industries, schools, churches, festivities, disasters and sher- iffs. Most photos are from the late 1800s and early 1900s, with a few more recent photos interspersed. Miller, a retired meteorol- ogist, wrote two other Images of America books for Arcadia Publishing, one about Gresh- am and another about the Portland Rose Festival. He said, with weather fore- casting, he had jurisdiction over Grant County and trav- eled frequently to Eastern Or- egon. He also knew a couple people with roots in the area. The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant County Historical Museum curator Jayne Primrose rings up Dave Driscoll’s purchase of the new Grant County book of history during a book signing Monday. The author George R. Miller of Gresham was on hand to tell visitors about his new book “Grant County.” Most of the photographs in the book were contributed by the Grant County Historical Museum with help from cura- tor Jayne Primrose. She said Miller did a great job writing the book. “I’m excited to have one because people come in and ask if there is a Grant Coun- ty book, and now I can say ‘yes,’” she said. Other pictures came from the Blue Mountain Eagle and Ranch and Rodeo Museum in John Day, the DeWitt Muse- um & Sumpter Valley Rail- way Depot and the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center near Kimberly. “The fact that there was hardly anyone there (in Grant County) before 1862, and of course when gold was discov- ered hordes of people came in and changed the area — that was something that I didn’t know about at all,” Miller A new book titled “Grant County,” from the Images of America series, by George R. Miller of Gresham, is now available to purchase at local museums and businesses. said, adding he learned how Grant County and the towns that make up the area were named. Miller dedicated the book to the people of Grant County, “who for over 150 years have worked hard ... seeking to im- prove the area they love.” The book is available July 31 for $21.99 at the local mu- seums and some businesses, and online at arcadiapublish- ing.com. 2017 August 5th NIGHT RODEO entries start at 4pm, rodeo at 5pm Grant County Fairgrounds • Entries open at 8 am • Rodeo Starts 9AM BARREL RACING POLE BENDING GOAT TYING DUMMY ROPING KEYHOLE RACE FLAG RACE FIGURE 8 RACE BREAKAWAY Membership: $30 individual/$45 Family ~ Entry Fees: $2/Event or $10/day Membership in the Cinnabar Mountain Playdays is required. Playdays are open to all children up to the age of 18 as of January first of the current year. MEMBERSHIP DUES MUST BE PAID IN FULL IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE. NO EXCEPTIONS. Daily entry fees must be paid at time of entry. Proof of age is required to compete and must be presented to a Director no later than the second playday attended by the membership holder. Forms of identification that will be accepted to prove date of birth are bith certificate, driver’s license or immunization record. • Veteran Owned Contestants must compete in at least four (4) Playdays to be eligible for year-end awards. • Competitive Pricing JOHN DAY VIDEO & ELECTRONICS SONY Bluetooth Headphones now on SALE! • Serving Central & Eastern Oregon Check out our selection Located in the West Main Plaza 541-620-1405 Burklevi@yahoo.com 05966 John Day, joined by Nathan Delano of Pendleton; Saman- tha Floyd of Canyon City; Austin McKrola of Mt. Ver- non; sisters Aliciana and Ma- leah Archibald of John Day; and Peter and Rachel Lyttle- wood of Long Creek. Their music will range from pop to country, as well as other styles, including 05639 05879 www.cimplaydays.wix.com/youthrodeo PO Box 892 John Day, OR 97845 GRANT COUNTY ENTREPRENEURS! Share your ideas about what makes a good business or ask questions about starting a business in Grant County. Have an idea. Don’t know what to do with it. THIS IS THE PLACE: Tuesday, August 8th at Timbers Bistro 742 W. Main at 10:00 am. FOR MORE INFORMATION EMAIL: David@envme.com 541-523-6377 05856 541-963-6577 541-573-6377 541-523-6377 05370