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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 28, 2018)
GRANT UNION BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL PREVIEWS The Blue Mountain – PAGE A10 EAGLE Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 W edNesday , N ovember 28, 2018 • N o . 48 • 18 P ages • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com Two seasons left for Gleason Pool New pool options include outdoor facility By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Eagle photos/Richard Hanners Jerry Franklin, left, listens as Friends of Kam Wah Chung Vice President Francis Kocis recognized Franklin at the Nov. 15 Grant County Chamber of Commerce meeting. Kam Wah Chung promotions could increase area tourism Franklin recognized for his support Pool closing Swimmers will have use of the Gleason Pool in John Day for only two more sum- mers, City Manager Nick Green told city councilors at their Nov. 13 meeting. Counsilman-Hunsaker, the consulting firm hired to develop options for a new facility, did not speak at the meeting, but they may present options at a special Dec. 4 meeting at the Grant County Regional Air- port or at the council’s Dec. 11 meeting at the fire hall. By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle J erry Franklin was recognized Nov. 15 by Friends of Kam Wah Chung for his continued self-driven con- tribution to the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site, and specifically for coor- dinating the design and construction of the dragon and tiger sign at Highway 26 and Canton Street. The former Grant County Chamber of Commerce president said he was honored and humbled for the recogni- tion, but he credited the numerous stu- dents, craftsmen and businesses who donated time and materials to the proj- ect. Friends of Kam Wah Chung Vice President Francis Kocis presented Franklin with a certificate of apprecia- tion and said his name will be attached to a plaque honoring Carolyn Min- heimer and a dozen people who have worked to protect the historical site. Film crews It was another busy year at Kam Wah Chung, but the future looks even busier, museum curator Don Merritt told chamber members at their monthly meeting. The historical site saw 8,851 Many small rural communities across the United States deal with their aging pub- lic pools in a similar way — while the sea- sonal facilities present mounting operations and maintenance costs, and sometimes on- going debt, residents and officials often are resigned to the notion that children need to learn how to swim and a place to go in sum- mertime. The solution for many of these com- munities is to fix leaks and replace boil- ers, pumps or other equipment and keep the pool running. But that option does not exist for the residents of Grant County — the Gleason Pool and adjacent city-owned property is likely to be sold to the state as part of a major improvement project for the nearby Kam Wah Chung State Heri- tage Site. See POOL, Page A18 From left, Eric Brand, a consultant on Chinese herbal medicine, and Beth Howlett, director of communications at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, discuss their roles during production of a Discovery Channel Asia film about the Kam Wah Chung Co. in John Day. visitors this year, slightly down from 9,314 visitors in 2017, which was bol- stered by the eclipse event. Camera and sound technicians from Yiping Media Group of Shenzhen, Chi- na, came to Kam Wah Chung on Aug. 1 to work on a documentary about the spread of Chinese herbal medicine around the world. See TOURISM, Page A18 Eagle file photo State Park Ranger Lauren Ettlin holds Ing ‘Doc’ Hay’s shirt outside the Kam Wah Chung Co. building in John Day. Tucker Carpenter of John Day and Zeke Mullin of Henderson, Nevada, enjoy the slides at Gleason Pool in John Day this summer. Gleason Pool will close after the 2020 season, and stakeholders are looking at options for a replacement. Broadband coalition seeks to build public support Board moves ahead with first fiber-run proposal By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Richard Hanners Grant County Digital Network Coalition board chairman Josh Walker listens to discussion at the Nov. 20 meeting. One of the biggest tasks facing the Grant County Dig- ital Network Coalition, in ad- dition to securing financing and solving technical infra- structure problems, is gaining the support of people in Grant County. The coalition board dis- cussed steps to achieving that support at its Nov. 20 meet- ing — including hiring a Eu- gene-based firm to develop a logo and marketing strategy and preparing for a Dec. 18 town hall meeting. Building support Too often, news about broadband is too technical for the public, and the board needs help with messaging and creating talking points, board member Brandon Smith said. Chairman Josh Walker said much of the initial neg- ativity about the coalition stemmed from a false rumor that the network would use Grant County road funds to pay for new infrastructure. Walker said what he hears now from people are ques- tions about how soon broad- band will become available in their neighborhoods. But the coalition still needs more sup- port, and he suggested finding people in the community who could provide testimonials in support of improving internet access. Board member Dan Beck- er recalled early opposition to the digital network coalition and noted that many people don’t understand the need for broadband in the county. Sam Palmer will be sworn in as a See COALITION, Page A18
