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
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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