News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
A5
Old city hall building makes way for pocket park
Transition
to current
city hall took
multiple tries
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
A piece of John Day histo-
ry disappeared Monday, as a
crew from the Grant County
Road Department demolished
the old city hall building on
South Canyon Boulevard next
to the Oregon Trail Electric
Cooperative substation.
OTEC needs better access
to the substation should a
large piece of equipment fail
and require replacement. Pre-
liminary plans call for turn-
ing the narrow site between
the highway and a steep em-
bankment into a pocket park,
according to Charlie Tracy,
OTEC director of engineering
and operations. OTEC is also
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
County crews begin demolishing John Day’s old city hall building, which was built in
about 1950.
exploring options for an elec-
tric vehicle charging station at
the site.
Demolition began at the
south end of the former city
hall building, which once
housed the city jail. The shov-
el of a large excavator banged
into the reinforced concrete
roof of the jail with a loud
bang again and again in an at-
tempt to break it into smaller
pieces.
Tax records in the Grant
County Courthouse indicate
the old city hall building was
built in about 1950. As city
government grew, the lack
of space in the old city hall
building became an issue.
While the police and fire
departments were housed on
the north side of the electrical
substation on Dayton Street,
the old city hall was home
to the administration and the
public works department,
with no room large enough to
hold city council meetings.
The city initially proposed
constructing a new city hall
at a site on West Main Street,
but an $800,000 bond election
was soundly defeated in No-
vember 1985 by 377-121.
The next plan was to ac-
quire the Grant County Fed-
eral Credit Union building on
East Main Street and remodel
it to accommodate city ad-
ministration, police and pub-
lic works, along with a public
city council meeting room.
A $250,000 levy, how-
ever, failed in the June 1986
election by a 276-163 vote,
and a $175,000 levy fell
six votes shy of winning in
March 1987. Finally, voters
approved a smaller $160,000
five-year levy in November
1987 by 359-283.
“It’s probably one of the
worst-needed things in John
Day,” Ralph Hunter, the may-
or at that time, said. “I’m re-
ally pleased the people finally
approved it.”
By coincidence, that same
week residents in Mt. Vernon
got a first look at their brand
new city hall, fashioned from
a mobile home at a cost of
$28,750.
City government moved
into the current John Day
City Hall on the weekend of
Feb. 3-4, 1990. In an op-ed
piece in the Eagle, city staff
explained why the transition
took so long after the 1987
levy passed.
The credit union had been
given until April 1989 to
complete its new building and
move into it, city staff said,
but the “minor remodeling”
expected at the former credit
union building turned out to
be much more extensive. Fac-
ing numerous changes to meet
code, the city finally hired an
architect to assist in the proj-
ect.
Hillcrest Drive in John Day.
Nov. 25: Responded to
West Main Street in John Day
for a noninjury crash.
• Oregon State Police
Nov. 24: Advised of a slide-
off crash on Highway 395 near
Bear Valley.
Nov. 24: Received a report
of cattle on Highway 395 near
Ritter.
• Grant County Sheriff’s
Office
Nov. 20: Advised of a dis-
pute on Violet Street in Mt.
Vernon.
Nov. 20: Received a report
of a grass fire on South Canyon
Boulevard in John Day.
Nov. 21: Advised of crim-
inal mischief at the former
school in Mt. Vernon.
Nov. 21: Received a report
of domestic dispute on West
Sixth Street in Prairie City.
Nov. 23: Advised of live-
stock on County Road 63.
Nov. 23: Received a report
of a domestic on Park Street in
Canyon City.
Nov. 24: Advised of suspi-
cious circumstances near Aus-
tin Junction.
Nov. 24: Received a report
of menacing at an apartment
complex in Prairie City.
• John Day ambulance
Nov. 18: Responded to
Nugget Lane in Canyon City
for a 911 call.
Nov. 19: Dispatched to a
motel on Main Street in John
Day for a 911 call.
Nov. 19: Responded to
Screech Alley in John Day for
a 22-year-old woman having
seizures.
Nov. 20: Dispatched to a
convenience store in Mt. Ver-
non for a 911 call.
Nov. 21: Responded to
Northeast Dayton Street in
John Day for an 85-year-old
woman.
Nov. 21: Transported a pa-
tient to the airport in John Day.
Nov. 21: Responded with
John Day police, sheriff’s of-
fice and state police to a crash
with injuries at Bridge and
Third streets in John Day.
Nov. 23: Dispatched to
Highway 26 near John Day for
a 65-year-old woman.
Nov. 23: Responded with
Monument ambulance to
North Street in Monument for
a 911 call.
Nov. 23: Dispatched with
Prairie City ambulance to East
Sixth Street in Prairie City for
a man with unknown medical
conditions.
Nov. 23: Responded to
North Johnson Avenue in Prai-
rie City for a 24-year-old wom-
an with cramping.
Nov. 24: Dispatched with
sheriff’s office to North John-
son Avenue in Prairie City for a
woman in pre-term labor.
Nov. 24: Responded with
Long Creek ambulance, state
police, sheriff’s office and Or-
egon Department of Transpor-
tation to a rollover accident on
Highway 395.
Nov. 24: Dispatched to
Aslin Avenue in Mt. Vernon for
a 911 call.
Nov. 25: Responded to
Green Acres Lane in Mt. Ver-
non for a 911 call.
• Oregon Trail Electric
Cooperative
Nov. 23: Advised of a
downed power line on Harper
Creek Road in Mt. Vernon.
• Forest Service
Nov. 25: Received a report
of livestock on Forest Road
1710.
C OPS AND C OURTS
Arrests and citations in the
Blue Mountain Eagle are taken
from the logs of law enforce-
ment agencies. Every effort is
made to report the court dispo-
sition of arrest cases.
Grant County
Circuit Court
Two cases filed against
Ronald J. Nishioka, 54, Ya-
kama, Washington, were dis-
missed and an arrest warrant
was recalled Nov. 25 in the best
interests of justice following
the district attorney’s motion.
He was charged with driving
under the influence of intoxi-
cants allegedly committed July
6, 2008, and second-degree
failure to appear allegedly com-
mitted in August or September
2008.
Two cases filed against
Keith P. Sroczynski, 57, Post
Falls, Idaho, were dismissed
and an arrest warrant was re-
called Nov. 25 in the best in-
terests of justice following the
district attorney’s motion. He
was charged with driving under
the influence of intoxicants and
felony possession of marijuana
both allegedly committed Nov.
30, 2013.
Two cases filed against
Tommy W. Jackson Jr., 34,
Banning, California, were dis-
missed and an arrest warrant
was recalled Nov. 25 in the best
interests of justice following
the district attorney’s motion.
He was charged with furnishing
alcohol to a minor and having
an open container with alcohol
in a vehicle allegedly commit-
ted on April 15, 2008, and fail-
ing to appear on a citation for
furnishing alcohol to a minor
allegedly committed on May
15, 2008.
Two cases filed against Ted
E. Howell, 43, John Day, were
dismissed and an arrest warrant
was recalled Nov. 25 in the best
interests of justice following the
district attorney’s motion. He
was charged with fourth-degree
assault constituting domestic
violence and harassment, both
misdemeanors allegedly com-
mitted on May 15, 2013, and
fourth-degree assault constitut-
ing domestic violence allegedly
committed on July 3, 2013.
One case filed against Der-
rick R. Unbewust, 33, Spokane,
Washington, was dismissed
and an arrest warrant was re-
called Nov. 25 in the best in-
terests of justice following the
district attorney’s motion. He
was charged with second-de-
gree forgery and second-degree
theft allegedly committed on
Nov. 22, 2013.
Grant County
Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Office reported the following
for the week of Nov. 21:
Concealed handgun licens-
es: 6
Average inmates: 18
Bookings: 11
Releases: 8
Arrests: 1
Citations: 1
Fingerprints: 3
Civil papers: 11
Warrants processed: 0
Asst./welfare check: 0
Search and rescue: 0
Nov. 19: Karina Robinson,
18, Mt. Vernon, was cited for
driving uninsured.
Justice Court
• Violation of basic rule:
Alan P. Williams, 47, Redmond,
April 19, 71/55 zone, fined
$140; Zachary E. J. Despain,
Anchorage, Alaska, April 29,
78/55 zone, fined $275; Robert
H. Weis, 66, Heppner, Nov. 11,
74/55 zone, fined $165; Chad
R. Shultz, 49, Medford, Nov.
2, 82/55 zone, fined $225; Scott
A. Smith, 43, Redmond, Oct.
28, 73/55 zone, fined $165.
• Exceeding speed limit:
Cameron C. Fast, 34, Unity,
Sept. 21, 82/65 zone, fined
$275; Steven W. Arment, 59,
Lostine, Oct. 23, 55/35 zone,
fined $140; Brian S. Hubbard,
45, John Day, Nov. 10, 63/50
zone, fined $140; David J.
Steckler, 54, Redmond, Sept.
11, 84/55 zone, fined $265.
• Driving uninsured: Jacob
S. Ellson, 27, Prairie City, Jan.
12, fined $265; Cameron C.
Fast, 34, Unity, Sept. 21, fined
$275.
• Driving while suspended:
Casey D. Branham, 40, Jack-
sonville, April 17, fined $390;
Cameron C. Fast, 34, Unity,
Sept. 21, fined $450.
• No operator’s license: Bri-
an S. Hubbard, 45, John Day,
Nov. 10, fined $265.
• Careless driving causing
an accident: Norma Y. May, 54,
Prineville, Oct. 26, fined $375.
• Open container of alcohol:
Ryan L. Kreps, 37, Boardman,
Oct. 19, fined $265.
Oregon State
Police
Nov. 18: Investigated a non-
injury crash on Highway 26
east of Dayville where an SUV
struck a deer.
Nov. 19: Mitchel D. Long,
48, was arrested at the OSP of-
fice in John Day and charged
with failing to file as a sex of-
fender.
Nov. 19: Investigated a non-
injury crash on Highway 395
near Ukiah where a northbound
vehicle failed to negotiate a
curve, lost traction on ice, over
corrected, left the roadway, hit
a tree and rolled down a steep
embankment to the river bank.
Nov. 19: Following a traffic
stop on Highway 26 near Moon
Creek, Hunter D. Martin, 19,
Prairie City, was arrested and
charged with driving under the
influence of intoxicants and un-
lawful possession of a firearm.
The passenger, Colt J. Martin,
20, Prairie City, was arrested
and charged with resisting ar-
rest and unlawful possession of
a firearm.
Nov. 24: Investigated a non-
injury crash on Highway 395
near Meadowbrook Pass. A
northbound SUV slowed for a
slower vehicle, lost traction on
ice, rolled off the roadway and
came to rest at the creek bot-
tom.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
153 calls during the week of
Nov. 18-26, including:
• John Day Police
Department
Nov. 18: Received a report
of a suspicious person at a mo-
bile home park on West Main
Street in John Day.
Nov. 18: Responded to
West Main Street in John Day
for a burglary report.
Nov. 18: Received a call
about a dispute at a mobile
home park on West Main Street
in John Day.
Nov. 19: Responded to a
restaurant on South Canyon
Boulevard in John Day for a
theft report.
Nov. 20: Dispatched to a
bank on Main Street in John
Day for a fraud report.
Nov. 21: Tracy Clark, John
Day, was cited for having a dog
as a public nuisance.
Nov. 21: Responded to a
mobile home park on West
Main Street in John Day for a
harassment report.
Nov. 21: Dispatched to
North Canyon Boulevard in
John Day for criminal mischief
of vehicles.
Nov. 21: Received a re-
port of a juvenile problem on
Southeast Hillcrest Drive in
John Day.
Nov. 22: Responded to East
Main Street in John Day for a
report that two dogs had killed
chickens.
Nov. 23: Investigated a
credit card fraud at a mobile
home park on West Main Street
in John Day.
Nov. 24: Responded to a
mobile home park on West
Main Street in John Day. Da-
kota Stout, 21, John Day, was
arrested on a Grant County
warrant. Tylor J. Gifford, 24,
John Day, was arrested on a
community corrections detain-
er.
Nov. 24: Advised of live-
stock on County Road 16.
Nov. 25: Received a report
of harassment on Southeast
SATURDAY
DECEMBER 1ST
9AM - 3PM
AUXILIARY BAZAAR
Saturday, December 1st, 9AM - 3PM
Grant County Fairgrounds Pavilion
Book your Christmas
party here and get
a free dessert!
Mostly Handcrafted Items
Soup & Pie Available
Pictures with Santa -
Bring Your Camera!
Michele 541-792-0958
Pick up a gift
certificate for that
special someone.
BLUE MOUNTAIN
HOSPITAL AUXILIARY
KEERINS HALL
HOLIDAY BAZAAR
Grant County
Fairgrounds
in Keerins Hall
Large variety of
items
Holiday Hours
90883
Tues. - Sat. 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM
89407
Snaffle Bit
830 S Canyon Blvd. John Day
541-575-2426
Call Fair Office for more information: 541-575-1900
grantcountyfairgrounds.com
89395