News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
A3
Meditation and wellness center opens in John Day
Center features
an outdoor
labyrinthine path
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
A circular-patterned, stone-lined
labyrinth path may have raised curi-
osity for some folks driving by the
east side of John Day.
At the top of the driveway leading
to the labyrinth and a new building is
a sign: “Canyon Mountain Center.”
Jim and Sandy Bay of Mt. Vernon
recently opened the center, which
is a place for meditation, yoga and
wellness, at 767 E. Main St. in John
Day.
Sandy said she’s found heal-
ing through meditation and other
methods since 1987, which she said
has allowed her to heal herself and
re-create her future.
“I’m letting go of the past and
living in the moment,” she said. “It’s
been quite a journey.”
Jim has been practicing medita-
tion since 1970.
“When you start taking care of
yourself physically, it carries over to
other areas,” he said.
The couple bought the property,
which used to be home to the Rock
Garden Nursery, two years ago. On
Jan. 20, 40 visitors dropped in for
their open house.
The couple started a meditation
group with friends in 2010 at a loca-
tion on Hillcrest Road in John Day,
but the Bays felt it was time for a
more dedicated spot.
“We built this facility because
there was no central location large
enough to support a focus on com-
plementary health practices,” Jim
said.
He described the center as a space
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Jim and Sandy Bay stand near the John Day River on the north side
of their new meditation center at 767 E. Main St. in John Day.
for people to focus on their health
and wellness, stress reduction tech-
niques and personal growth.
The center, an olive green build-
ing, has a multipurpose room for
meditation nights, yoga classes and
lectures. A few geode crystals and
cast-stone art decorate the minimal-
ist 28-by-32-foot room. An adjacent
room is for group meetings, discus-
sions and consultations.
West of the facility is the laby-
rinth path. Sandy said it’s modeled
after one built in the 13th century at
Chartres Cathedral in France.
“There are labyrinths all over the
world and in different religions,” Jim
said.
“They’re popular at hospitals to
let go of stress,” Sandy added.
Sandy and three other women
built the labyrinth, which is 36 feet
wide with black sand, fine enough to
walk on barefoot in warmer months.
The circular pathway, with seven
revolutions, leads to the center then
back out again.
Sandy said, “The first phase (en-
tering the path) is to release issues or
problems.”
She said in the middle of the lab-
yrinth, “you receive guidance from
whatever force you call on. When
you go back out, it’s integration of
the guidance you received.”
The process, she said, helps re-
lease old patterns.
“It’s a way to calm yourself and
focus,” she said.
“— and rebalance,” Jim added.
Another feature outside is a rock
garden, gazebo and fire pit, as well
as a brick staircase leading down to
the John Day River. A vacation rent-
al with three bedrooms, two living
rooms, a kitchen and two bathrooms
sits above the rock garden.
Rod Hendriksen of Prairie City
remodeled the house and built the
meditation center.
“We had the design, and he creat-
ed it for us,” Jim said.
The Bays said the property, while
not a public park, is a gift they want
to share with the community.
“It’s payback for our good lives
here and for this valley. ... It’s not
about us,” Jim said, adding it can
help people “catch their breath, slow
down and recenter.”
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
A labyrinthine path outside the Canyon Mountain Center offers an
area to focus and regroup.
“We wanted people to have fun
and come join us,” Sandy said. “It’s
for people to come find themselves.”
Free meditation sessions are on
Monday nights at 5:30 p.m., with a
short time to talk and share experi-
ences at 6 p.m. Novice meditation
instruction starts at 5 p.m.
Yoga classes taught by Anne
Schneider will begin in mid-February.
“There is now a space dedicated
to help promote those healthy life-
style choices,” Jim said. “We wel-
come those of like mind who want to
contribute to and participate in this
goal.”
For more information, visit Can-
yonMountainCenter.net or call Jim
at 415-748-8697 or Sandy at 415-
515-6316.
Long Creek student shares history of Kilbride Cemetery
Senior spruces
up cemetery on
family ranch
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Faith Burnette may be
new to Long Creek School —
transferring from Imbler High
School — but she was born
just up the road on her family’s
ranch near Ritter.
Burnette seized the oppor-
tunity to spruce up a small
cemetery and spend time with
family in Grant County for her
senior project, learning some
history along the way.
When she began looking
for a project, her uncle, who
is a Ritter Cemetery caretaker,
suggested fixing up the Kil-
bride Cemetery.
Kilbride is located on Bur-
nette’s great-grandmother’s
ranch, about a mile east of
Highway 395, the cemetery
approximately
three miles far-
ther.
“I thought it
was a great way
to preserve his-
tory and keep
Faith
the history of
Burnette
the cemetery
going,” said
18-year-old Burnette.
Known as Willow Creek
Cemetery by Burnette and
her family, the 3/4-acre plot
includes the marked graves of
15 people and four unmarked
graves.
It’s also the final resting
place of a well-known Long
Creek racehorse named Pin
Ears, who died in 1902 and
was owned by Sherm Keeney.
Most of the people buried
on the grounds died in the
late 1800s or early 1900s. Her
great-grandfather Fred Bur-
nette, who died in 2012, is also
buried there.
Faith Burnette said she
noticed the fencing around
Contributed photo
Faith Burnette’s brother, Jayce, in white, grandfather, Ron
Burnette, kneeling, and cousin, Clay Somnis, build one
of the four corner braces at the Kilbride Cemetery, also
known as Willow Creek Cemetery.
the cemetery’s perimeter,
which was likely untouched
for 70 years, was run down
and wasn’t withstanding the
wildlife and cows roaming the
ranch.
Last fall, she and 14 family
stayed pretty much along the
old lines, but we had to adjust
it just a little bit.”
A couple gravestones that
had fallen over were upright-
ed.
Faith Burnette said she
learned the Kilbride Cemetery,
established in the 1870s, was
named by Margaret Hamilton
(1861-1934), who was post-
mistress of the nearby Kilbride
Post Office along the Middle
Fork John Day River. “Kil-
bride” originates from Ham-
ilton’s birthplace in Kilbride,
Scotland.
Those buried at the Kil-
bride Cemetery include:
Fred Burnette, William Ca-
sey, Adah Childress, William
Howard, Felix Johnson Jr.,
Alvin Kinder, James Kinder,
Martha Kinder, Francis Liv-
ingston, Henry Miller, Irene
Reich, Sammie Reynolds and
Jennie Reynolds.
Jacqueline Burnette said
she was pleased with her
great-granddaughter’s work.
“She did a great job,” Jac-
queline Burnette said.
Faith Burnette said she was
born near the cemetery, and
plans to be buried there as well
one day.
“I was glad that I was able
to help,” she said. “This was
a way to help my community
and spend time with family.”
Kilbride is a county ceme-
tery, on private land. To visit
the cemetery or for more in-
formation, call cemetery board
chairwoman Jacqueline Bur-
nette at 541-421-3840.
members gathered for a work
day, building a taller fence and
topping it with barbed wire to
deter deer.
“My family and I tore out
the old fence. Then we put
in the new one,” she said. “It
Attention Grant County Veterans:
Monday - Thursday
7am- 6pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Did you know Grant County Veterans
Services Officer is available to assist
YOU in applying for all VA benefits
you may be entitled to?
Mendy Sharpe FNP
Apppointments
available
See your Grant County Veteran Services
Officer today for more information,
located at Grant County Court House.
Katee
Hoffman
10am-4pm Monday-Friday
541-620-8057
35442
Be our ne
Valendi
Valentine’s Day Dinner
8 oz. tenderloin
with crab legs, sides,
wine & dessert for two
$80
per couple
Reserve Today! | 541-575-2426
Baker City
2830 10th St. • 541-524-0122
The Snaffle Bit
Every other Monday at
Blue Mountain Hospital
The doctor sp eaks Spanish - El doctor habla Espanol
˜
35460
170 Ford Rd. • 541-575-1311
830 S. Canyon Blvd | John Day