A16
News
Blue Mountain Eagle
WATER
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The city is also applying
for a $1 million emergency
grant from the U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture Rural De-
velopment, but it could be 18
months before it’s awarded,
Hamsher told the Eagle. State
funding would become avail-
able practically right away.
If the city is awarded the
federal grant, that money
could be used not only to pay
off the state loan but also to
pay for the water tenders haul-
ing water to Prairie City from
John Day since Aug. 12.
The level in the city’s mil-
lion-gallon water reservoir had
dropped to 1.5 feet over the
Aug. 4-5 weekend, forcing the
city to declare a water emer-
gency Aug. 6, Hamsher said.
With residents cutting back on
sprinkling lawns and gardens
and as many as eight tenders
hauling water on one-hour
turnaround trips, the level in
the reservoir has reached a saf-
er level despite losing several
tenders to firefighting, he said.
Hamsher said he remains
concerned about residents
who continue to violate wa-
ter restrictions. The city
sent “stiff letters” to several
over-users, he said, and some
responded by trying to justify
their water needs.
The city drilled several
wells up at Faiman Springs in
2005, Hamsher said. One well
put out 700 gallons per min-
ute when tested — more than
enough to handle the city’s
needs in peak summer time,
he said.
The city owns water rights
to the springs and the wells,
but it would need to arrange
a lease agreement with John
Coombs, the landowner, and
arrange for an easement about
2 miles long for an access
road, water pipe and electrical
power.
But first the Faiman
Springs well needs a long-term
flow test and sampling for wa-
ter quality. Hamsher said he
has secured permission from
a landowner to access the well
site. Now with state backing,
the city can move forward to-
ward developing the site.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Photos by The Eagle/Richard Hanners
Above: Prairie City’s $2 million sand filter system along Dixie Creek Road went into
operation in 2008. At left: The plaque at the Prairie City water treatment plant on Dixie
Creek Road lists the officials involved in the 2008 project.
TEST
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The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Sixth-grade students walk up the ramp to their classroom on Monday with their teacher Georgia Boethin.
SCHOOL
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Lorie Croghan, who has
20 years teaching experience,
is a new third- and fourth-
grade teacher. She previously
worked at Humbolt Elementa-
ry School.
Prairie City School is con-
tinuing to implement a Ca-
reer and Technical Education
grant, building a barn that will
house animals and feed. A
greenhouse will also be built
for agriculture classes and the
FFA program, led by Lindy
Cruise.
“This staff is truly a great
team, and the students are
very fortunate that we have
such passionate teachers that
want to make the greatest dif-
ferences and opportunities for
them,” Hallgarth said.
Dayville School District
16J Superintendent/Principal
Kathryn Hedrick said they
have three new teachers for
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Darbie Dennison is the
new principal at Humbolt
Elementary School.
grades 6-12, including Em-
maleigh Larson for mathe-
matics, Sydney Thompson
for English language arts and
Josh Williams for science, ag-
riculture and CTE.
Long Creek School Dis-
trict’s new superintendent/
principal, Karl Coghill, previ-
ously taught at the school for
three years. The school is also
welcoming Jake Reynolds, a
former Grant Union gradu-
ate, who will teach the classes
previously taught by Coghill,
social studies for grades 7-8,
electives for grades 7-12 and
PE for grades 9-12.
Monument School Dis-
trict’s new superintendent/
principal is Donald Peters-
en, who was formerly di-
rector of Klamath Falls’ Ea-
gleRidge Charter School. An
EagleRidge colleague of Pe-
tersen’s, Michael Metts, will
teach junior high and high
school math and science at
Monument School.
Superintendent Bret Upt-
mor has filled the position at
Grant School District 3 for-
merly held by Curt Shelley.
Within the district are
Grant Union Junior-Senior
High, Humbolt Elementary
and Seneca schools.
New music teacher Le-
van James, a former Grant
Union graduate, will instruct
students at Grant Union and
Humbolt; Jessica Lane, also a
former Grant Union graduate,
will teach English for grades
10-12, including honors
courses; and Ryan McKnab
will teach physical science
and seventh-grade math and
science.
Kristi Moore is now the
dean of students and career
coordinator, and Sonna Smith
is the athletic director for
Grant Union.
Humbolt Elementary has a
new principal, Darbie Denni-
son, and new teachers include
Teagan Wick, first grade; Kel-
li LaFramboise, second grade;
Sharon Fritsch, sixth grade;
and Shanna Northway, special
education.
Andrea Ashley, who is
in her third year at Seneca
School, is the new head teach-
er. Leann Coalwell is a new
educational assistant and con-
tinues as a bus driver.
“Our big push this year is
an emphasis on building good
character, as well as academ-
ics,” said Seneca office spe-
cialist Laura Stinnett.
http://public.alertsense.com,
by using a cellphone app or
by filling out a paper form
available at the emergency
management office, 530 E.
Main St., John Day.
Subscribers can choose
among various types of
emergency notices they
want, from flood to fire to
extreme weather. They can
later modify their choices
or unsubscribe altogether.
The alert system recognizes
when people receive mes-
sages and will connect to
answering machines and
devices for the blind or deaf,
Williams said.
Additional emergency
information can be found
on Facebook at the Grant
County Oregon Emergency
Management page. When
the new Grant County web-
site goes online in January,
its user-friendly format will
enable Williams to upload
much of the emergency in-
formation he’s been gather-
ing since he took the job.
Williams became the
Grant County emergency
management coordinator in
November 2015 following
the Canyon Creek Complex
fire. Before that, the county
judge, who is the director of
the emergency management
office, handled many of the
office’s tasks, Williams said.
About 90 percent of the
alerts Williams composes
are for wildfires and floods,
but he also sends out alerts
for ice jams, wind storms
and last year for the solar
eclipse event.
After speaking to inci-
dent commanders for ongo-
ing emergencies, Williams
will choose a trigger point
for sending out alerts to the
public. The sheriff and the
county judge also have the
authority to direct him to
issue a notification through
AlertSense.
In areas with numerous
canyons and mountains,
like northwest Grant Coun-
ty, cellphone coverage is
spotty and residents rely on
landlines for telephone com-
munication and satellite for
internet access. Cellphone
towers are set up to provide
coverage in valley bottoms
because that’s where most
people live, Williams said.
Alert
effectiveness
Williams recommends
residents sign up for the free
AlertSense notices. He tests
the emergency communica-
tion system once a month by
sending an alert to certain
first responders and uses the
software to see how many
people received a notice to
determine its effectiveness.
About 1,500 people
successfully received alert
notifications during a flash
flood event this past spring,
Williams said. He estimat-
ed more than 500 people in
northwest Grant County re-
ceived the Level 1 alert for
the Gilman Fire.
But the system was not
foolproof. Kay Steele, who
lives close enough to be able
to see flames from the Gil-
man Fire, said her landline
phone rang about 10 p.m.
the night the alert was put
out, but there was no mes-
sage, no voice at all. She
said a neighbor had the same
problem.
Steele said she learned
about the alert about an hour
later when someone saw the
alert posted on Sheriff Glenn
Palmer’s personal Facebook
page, which was reposted on
a community group’s web-
site that Steele frequents.
Steele lives in rugged,
isolated country. There is
little cellphone coverage or
commercial radio reception,
and she relies on satellite for
internet access.
On the first day of the
fire, visibility was down to
a quarter-mile because of
thick smoke settling in from
distant fires. Steele and her
closest neighbors didn’t
know how close the Gilman
Fire was to their homes, she
said.
Steel said she signed up
for AlertSense the next day
with the hope of receiv-
ing email notifications, but
sometimes her emails arrive
one day after they’re sent,
she noted.
Blue Mountain Eagle
EARLY DEADLINE
We’re Celebrating!
for the Sept. 5 edition
Our
office will
be closed on
Monday,
Sept. 3
Display advertising,
classified &
legal deadline
5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30
jeffry l meyerholz
Thursday, August 30
We are celebrating our 5th Anniversary as
well as our 2nd location in Burns with music in both locations!
Music in John Day: Elwood • Music in Burns: Danika & The Jeb.
We will have giveaways throughout the day in John Day
and during the evening event in Burns.
John Day will kickoff Labor Day weekend, which will be our last
Summer Sunday Brunch. We will be open all day on Sunday,
regular menu at 3:00.
195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day
541-575-0710 | MyEagleNews.com
1188
B rewing Company
141 E. Main,
John Day
541-575-1188
32996
See our Facebook pages for ticket information & more.