Community
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
A7
Contributed photo
Contributed photo
Gathering at the National FFA Convention & Expo are, from left, Grant Union Career
Coordinator Kristi Moore, FFA adviser Adam Ineck, FFA members Cinch Anderson,
Emilie Updegrave, Ellie Justice, Parker Manitsas, Kori Jo Girvin, Hailey Carter (2017
Grant Union graduate) and chaperones Jennifer Carter and Cori Anderson.
Prairie City FFA Chapter members and one Dayville Chapter member enjoyed their
experience together at the National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Front row, from left: Denali Twehues (Dayville), Shaelynn Bice, Abby Winegar, Hannah
Wall, Haley Pfefferkorn and Maddy Way; back row, Declan Zweygardt, Lane Williams,
Lucas McKinley, Abbey Pfefferkorn, Jonathan Lawrence, Levi Burke, Brett Copenhaver
and Carson McKay. Chaperones, not pictured, were Mindy Winegar, Ryan Williams and
Matt Twehues.
Local students among ‘sea of blue jackets’ at National FFA Convention
19 Grant County
students travel
to Indiana
convention
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Nineteen FFA members
from three Grant County high
schools joined 69,000 other
members wearing the trade-
mark blue jackets at the Oct.
24-27 National FFA Conven-
tion & Expo in Indianapo-
lis, Indiana, increasing their
knowledge of the program.
The national officers chose
“Just One” as this year’s
theme to highlight how each
FFA member can make a dif-
ference in the world, begin-
ning with just one positive
choice or action.
Prairie City FFA chapter
vice president Haley Pfeffer-
korn said 13 of their mem-
bers attended, along with
one member from Dayville
School’s chapter.
“It really opened up their
eyes to how FFA can help
them with life skills, leader-
ship skills and responsibility,”
she said.
Cinch Anderson, Grant
Union’s FFA chapter vice
president, said it was amazing
to see so many FFA members
gathered in one spot.
“There is just a sea of blue
jackets everywhere,” he said,
speaking from the convention
on Oct. 26.
“It’s such a humbling
experience to see everyone
— it’s overwhelming,” said
Grant Union FFA treasurer
Parker Manitsas, who is also
Strawberry Mountain District
treasurer.
Team building and lead-
ership workshops, personal
and professional workshops,
including career exploration,
were among scheduled ac-
tivities, along with a Garth
Brooks and Ned LeDoux con-
cert.
President Donald Trump
delivered a keynote address
on the final day.
Pfefferkorn said only
7,000 FFA members could at-
FFA National Convention theme
Just One. One moment, one
encounter, one opportunity is
all it takes to radically change
the course of our lives. This
year, our team has chosen
“Just One” as our theme be-
cause we recognize the impor-
tance of each individual “Just
One” step toward growth as
we work toward our vision
of growing leaders, building
communities, and strengthen-
ing agriculture. Changing the
world sounds like a daunting
task at times, yet we believe
FFA members can change the
world every day by Just One
tend Trump’s address because
of high security, and although
they tried, no one from Grant
County received tickets. She
said her group viewed the
speech via livestream from
the FFA Facebook page.
Anderson said although
his group was unable to see
Trump, he was still impressed.
“I think that’s really cool
that we have a president that
cares about agriculture,” An-
simple action. Just One em-
bodies the idea that our FFA
experiences were powerful
because we took Just One
chance and stepped out of our
comfort zones. We hope to
encourage members to take
Just One risk. Just One step.
Just One moment of courage.
We are capable of shaping
the future of agriculture, our
homes, communities and the
United States of America,
when we believe in the power
of Just One!
– 2017-18 National FFA
Officer Team
derson said. “It’s a youth or-
ganization, so it’s cool that he
is going to be addressing the
youth on what he’s trying to
do to help out agriculture.”
Grant Union FFA advis-
er Adam Ineck said he was
pleased with the high-cali-
ber presenters and govern-
ment officials “acknowl-
edging that these are the
leaders of the future within
agriculture and beyond.”
Attending the national
event is a “fantastic opportu-
nity,” he said. “It’s the ‘Super
Bowl’ of our year, for sure.”
Five Grant Union FFA
members attended, along with
the school’s Career Coordi-
nator Kristi Moore and 2017
Grant Union graduate Hailey
Carter and her mother, Jen-
nifer Carter. Hailey and her
twin sister, Jessica Carter,
both received American FFA
degrees.
“This is the highest degree
that can be bestowed upon a
member, and they aren’t eli-
gible until the second conven-
tion after their graduation,”
Ineck said. “That’s six years
of record books, and lots of
requirements.”
Grant Union chapter presi-
dent Kori Jo Girvin said being
at the convention opened their
eyes to how many other stu-
dents participate in FFA.
“Most people get the
wrong interpretation of
FFA,” she said. “Coming
to the convention gives me
hope that we can actually get
a larger chapter.”
Some might think FFA
is about “students with their
cows, plows and sows,” Ineck
said. “FFA is so much more.”
He said the program, deep-
ly rooted in agriculture, has
a mission to “make a posi-
tive difference in the lives of
students by developing their
potential for premiere lead-
ership, personal growth and
career success through agri-
culture education.”
Cruise said there are FFA
chapters in cities such as Chi-
cago and New York. Students
can discover “it still can be
for me even though I’m not
interested in agriculture,” she
said.
Prairie City junior Mad-
dy Way, who joined FFA this
year, said her favorite work-
shop had Army veterinarians
who talked about how they
care for service dogs and
horses.
She said attending the na-
tional event gave her a greater
appreciation of the program.
“It really made me love it,”
she said. “It made me want to
do more in FFA.”
True Value Hardware and The Outpost Pizza, Pub &
Grill would like to thank our brave heroes with a
FREE MEAL at The Outpost on Veteran’s Day
Nov. 11, 2018
Les Schwab Tire
Center
JD Rents and Power
Equipment Inc
727 W Main St.
John Day
541-575-1156
Mobile Glass
27825 Wilderness Rd.
John Day
541-575-1055
CCB#175517
Michael B. DeJardin
Dentistry, PC
208 NW Canton St.
John Day
541-575-2725
John Day Polaris
821 W Hwy. 26
John Day
541-575-0828
jdpolaris.com
Bank of Eastern
Oregon
John Day
541-575-1862
Prairie City
541-820-3321
Grant County
Building Supply
124 N Clark St.
Canyon City
541-575-3550
Wright Chevrolet
New and Used
Cars and Trucks
Fossil, Oregon
1-800-336-0057
Nydam’s Ace
Hardware
Gibco Ag &
Industrial
652 W Main St.
John Day
541-575-0549
312 N Canyon City Blvd.
Canyon City
541-575-2050
Malheur Lumber Co.
John Day Auto Parts
NAPA
742 W Main St.
John Day
541-575-1850
Timber’s Bistro
742 W Main St.
John Day
541-575-0151
Subway of John Day
121 S Canyon Blvd.
John Day
541-575-0782
Gardner Enterprises
195 NE 2nd Ave
John Day
541-575-1410
R&S Auto
603 W Main St.
John Day
541-575-1141
Solutions, CPAs
101 NE 1st Avenue
John Day
541-575-2717
These Businesses
SALUTE
Those Who Served
O
n Veterans Day, we salute the
American veterans and active-duty
military
whose
courage
and
dedication have protected our freedom and
our way of life for generations. We recognize
their service and their sacrifice, their
selflessness and bravery, their hard work and
their faith. Please join us in celebrating the
men and women of our military, past and
present, this Veterans Day. Proudly fly your
flag, thank a veteran and show your support
for those who continue to serve today.
Thank You, Veterans!
60339 Highway 26
John Day
541-575-2054
Jonna Joe’s Family
Hair Care
112 N Canyon Blvd.
John Day
541-575-5585
Radio Shack DP
Home Entertainment
551 W Main St.
541-575-1346
1188 Brewing Co.
141 E Main St.
John Day
541-575-1188
Duke Warner
Realty
“Your professional Real Estate
choice in Grant County”
Lori: 541-575-2617
Sally: 541-932-4493
Babette: 541-987-2363
Blue Mountain
Eagle
195 N Canyon Blvd.
John Day
541-575-0710
139 E Main St.
John Day
541-575-1637
Grant County
Automotive
Len’s Drug
200 E Main St.
John Day
541-575-0211
120 E Main St.
John Day
541-575-0629
MD Enterprizes
116 N Clark
Canyon City
541-575-2010
Columbia Power
311 Wilson St.
Monument, OR
541-934-2311
Tidewater
Contractors
John Day
541-932-4888
Land Title of Grant
County
145 NE Dayton St.
John Day
541-575-1529
87791