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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 2018)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Canyon City couple ‘pays it forward’ with Camp Fire relief effort A3 Hope 4 Paws has Tree of Hope in Prairie City By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The recent Camp Fire in northern California brought memories surging back for Dean and Courtney Fox, who survived the Canyon Creek Complex Fire south of Can- yon City three years ago. Now the couple has orga- nized a relief effort, gather- ing new items and gift cards, which they will hand-deliver to those affected by the recent fire. They will also hold a large- scale indoor yard sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Grant County Fair- grounds pavilion in John Day. The proceeds will be used to buy more gift cards and other items for the displaced Para- dise residents. Dean said when he and Courtney saw the devastation of the Camp Fire on the news they empathized with the peo- ple affected by it. “We thought, we need to do something to help,” Dean said. The fire, which ignited Nov. 8 and is considered the worst in California’s histo- ry, affected the entire town of Paradise and other small communities in Butte Coun- ty, killing 85 people and de- stroying 14,500 homes and businesses and displacing up to 50,000 residents. “They helped us when it happened here,” Dean said. “You wouldn’t believe the number of people from dif- ferent states who helped us,” Courtney added. “We know how they feel.” Dean said they are think- ing of the thousands of peo- ple now living in tents and children who will have no Christmas presents. The Foxes escaped the 2015 fire with little more than the clothes on their backs and their vehicles. No lives were lost in the Canyon Creek Complex, but 43 homes were destroyed. The couple said they felt numb and in shock after their Wednesday, December 5, 2018 Nonprofit assists Grant County cats and dogs By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Dean and Courtney Fox of Canyon City have organized a service project to provide relief to victims of the Camp Fire in northern California. The couple, who survived the 2015 Canyon Creek Complex fire, will take new donations and gift cards directly to those needing help. home burned, and they’re sure that is how the Paradise residents are feeling. Dean said they’d now like to “pay it forward.” They started telling friends they were gathering items to ship to the survivors of the fire. Donations began pouring in — more than ex- pected. The Foxes learned that the needs of those affected by the fire were changing. Instead of paying a freight company to take used items to California, the couple decided instead to hand deliver gift cards and new items and will pay their own fuel cost. Since they started the relief effort, the Foxes have been in touch with history teach- er Dave Vixie of Paradise Adventist Academy, which burned, and his wife, Karen. The Vixies were able to escape with their car and truck and trailer, which was tightly loaded with their eight large mules. Dean said Dave and Kar- en told them they were the second to the last vehicles on a road out of town, and if they had waited 3 more minutes, they would have been on fire. The hair on the mules’ backs was singed, Dean said. The Vixies are friends of Jim and Mary Jensen, who lost their Pine Creek home to a fire in January this year. When the Vixies came through town during Thanks- giving week, hauling two mules to a safe place, the Jen- sens asked Dean if he could spare a bale of hay for the traveling animals. The visitors also stayed the night with the Foxes. All six ate breakfast together. Courtney said it was a heal- ing experience to visit with them. “They said, ‘It’s good for us to see that you’ve rebuilt,’” Dean said. “It feels good to give them hope, because they see that we’ve started over.” “It’s just weird how things work out,” Courtney said. “Who would have thought we’d be able to help?” Anyone wanting to donate to the relief effort, can drop off cash or gift cards at Pio- neer Feed & Farm Supply, the Foxes’ business, locat- ed at 831 W. Highway 26 in John Day, or call them at 541- 575-0023. The couple said they’d like to receive lightly used items for the indoor yard sale at their store by Dec. 5. Then they and volunteers will spend time sorting the dona- tions. They will accept items up until the time of the sale. Volunteers who were in- volved with helping at the Canyon Creek Complex re- lief center, which was also located at the pavilion back in 2015, will assist. “They understand it, and that’s why they want to help,” Courtney said. The nonprofit group, Hope 4 Paws: Grant County, is hop- ing to make the season bright for cats and dogs through a Tree of Hope that has been set up at Huffman’s Select Mar- ket in Prairie City. To help the dog and cat rescue program, people can choose a tag from the Christ- mas tree and return the item to the collection basket. The tree will be up through Dec. 28. The requests range from cat food for kitten fostering to cash donations for the spay and neuter voucher program, which offers discounts on the procedure for Grant County residents’ pets. Hope 4 Paws, which is staffed and run by volunteers, doesn’t have a local shelter, but with helpers they rescue, rehabilitate and place aban- doned dogs and offer spay and neuter vouchers regardless of financial need. They also trap, neuter and return (TNR) feral cats and offer public educa- tion regarding proper dog and cat care. This year, Hope 4 Paws volunteers trapped 277 cats with the TNR program in Grant County, which included 80 kittens, said Elaine Mezzo who heads up the cat com- mittee, working with Susan Church and Mary Brown. The program covered nearly every city in Grant County this year. “We had a really big trap neuter return in Riverside Park in John Day with 100 cats,” she said. “The numbers are staggering.” Fourteen cats were also recently trapped in the TNR program on Bridge Street in John Day. When feral cats or kit- Contributed photo Visiting at the Hope for Paws fundraiser booth are, from left, Cashel Toy, Quinn Cowie, ‘Miss Sheilah the Cat’ and Avery Toy. Contributed photo tens are spayed or neutered through Hope 4 Paws, one ear is clipped slightly so they know which animals have had the procedure. A total of 124 kittens were cared for through a fos- ter care program. “We work with Bright- Side Animal Center in Red- mond and the Humane So- ciety of Central Oregon in Bend,” Mezzo said. “They place a lot of our kittens, and some are local adoptions.” Last summer, kittens were found abandoned in the mountains and along a hot roadway. “We get a lot of stray or abandoned kittens,” Mez- zo said. “We would rather people call us for help or ad- vice — a lot of times people don’t know what to do.” She said the spay and neuter voucher program, which is handled through the John Day River Veterinary Clinic, has been temporarily suspended until they receive more donations. Another Hope 4 Paws fundraiser, sponsored by Pioneer Feed, is coming up this month. During the “Santa Paws” event, pet owners can have their furry friend photographed with San- ta Claus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Grant County Fairgrounds. “Our budget has been stretched this year,” Mez- zo said. “Any donations that people can give stay right here in the county.” For more information, call Hope 4 Paws at 541-575- 0500 or, specifically for cats, 541-620-3336. The nonprof- it’s Facebook page is Hope 4 Paws: Grant County. Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Friday 8am - 5pm A TTENTION G RANT C OUNTY V ETERANS : Mendy Sharpe FNP Are you using or interested in learning about Choice Card Medical Care? Apppointments available Katee Hoffman 92688 See your Grant County Veteran Services Officer today for more information. Monday through Friday 10 am – 4 pm. Call 541-620-8057 for an appointment 530 E. Main, Ste. 5, John Day, OR. 90630 71661 22 T he Cha m b er w ill b e o p d u r in g th e T im e b e r T ru n L ig h t P a ck e r’s ra d e . S t o p in sm o r e a n d g e t c , m a k e a o zy b y t fire a s y he sp e c ta c o u w a tch th is u la r G ra nt T ra d itio C o u n ty n. for Holiday Gifts iheck out these local spots for great shopping during the holidays and year round! • A Flower Shop and More • Better Blooms & Gardens • Dayville Mercantile & Bike Shop • Gardner Enterprises • DG Driscoll’s Books • John Day Auto Parts • JD Rents and Power Equipment • Austin House Country Store • Tanni Wenger Photography • Meghan Leigh Photography • Apricot Apiaries, Kimberly • Environmental Measurement • John Day True Value Hardware • John Day Video Shoppe • Len’s Drug • Log Cabin Espresso • Mosier’s Home Furnishings • Nydam’s Ace Hardware • Oxbow Trade Company • Roan Outwest • House to Home • Etc... • Chester’s Variety • Radio Shack • John Day Polaris Watch for additional members each week! Grant iounty ihamber of iommerce 301 W Main St., John Day, OR 97845 541.575.0547 www.gcoregonlive.com 91120 91113
