NEWS
BlueMountainEagle.com
Continued from Page A6
percent of the vote. Incum-
bent Scott Myers defeated
Jim Hamsher 1,653-1,584
in the race for county judge.
Sam Palmer and Gordon
Larson were the top two
candidates out of six can-
didates for county commis-
sioner and would compete
again in the fall election.
Turnout was 65.8 percent.
June
A team of dragon danc-
ers from Portland performed
at a dinner celebrating the
140th anniversary of the
Kam Wah Chung historic
site in John Day. Former
First Lady Mary Oberst and
other notables also attended.
After two advisory com-
mittees reviewed the plan,
John Day City Council
approved a housing incen-
tive program to encourage
new home construction and
remodeling. The fi rst pay-
ments were expected to take
place in late 2019.
Experts at the Northwest
Coordinating Center in Port-
land forecast elevated fi re
dangers in Eastern Oregon,
following a continuing trend
of hot, dry summers. Smoke
from fi res in Central Oregon
began to fi ll the John Day
Valley.
The John Day City Coun-
cil chose a design for the
city’s new wastewater treat-
ment plant that would use
hydroponics to reclaim
water. Engineering consul-
tant Anderson & Perry pre-
sented three options for
the facility, but constricted
geography ruled out land
application and cost ruled
out mechanical treatment.
July
Commissioner
Boyd
Britton stepped down as
Grant County commissioner
after 15 years. The court
appointed attorney Rob
Raschio to fi ll the position
for the remainder of Brit-
ton’s term. Britton closed
down his welding shop and
moved to Arizona.
Rough-in work for a new
bike park on a hillside over-
looking the Seventh Street
sports complex was com-
pleted, with single-track
trails of varying diffi culty
and fl ow features all part of
the design.
Local law enforcement
announced Terry Smith, 67,
and Sharon Smith, 65, were
missing following a fi re at
their remote cabin on Nan’s
Rock Road south of Mt. Ver-
non. Sheriff Glenn Palmer
considered their disappear-
ance suspicious, saying the
Smiths were a social couple
but had left no messages. In
addition, the couple’s pickup
truck was missing. Palmer
said no evidence of human
remains had been found. The
Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion and state police assisted
the local sheriff’s offi ce in
the investigation.
The city of John Day
announced plans to sell park
land around the Kam Wah
Chung State Heritage Site,
including the Gleason Pool,
to the state so an interpretive
center could be constructed.
City Manager Nick Green
recommended the city hire
consultants to help with
planning for a new aquat-
ics facility to replace Glea-
son Pool.
The John Day City Coun-
cil approved a notice of
intent to purchase three
greenhouse bays from Euro-
mex for $337,500 capable
of producing 30 tons of gar-
den vegetables per year. The
sale of the produce would be
used to pay off the loan for
the greenhouse.
August
Lonestar was the head-
liner at the Grant County
Fair. The theme of the fair
was “Boots, Chaps and
Cowboy Hats.”
Prairie City offi cials
declared a water emergency
as the city’s Dixie Creek
water source dried up. Ten-
ders began delivering water
from John Day, and Mayor
Jim Hamsher drove around
the city looking for viola-
tors of the water restrictions.
Debt on past water projects
made it diffi cult for the city
to fi nd fi nancing for a new
source of water at Fainman
Springs. The state later
agreed to provide the city
with $1.5 million in loans
and grants to develop the
springs.
A plea agreement was
reached for the Oct. 16,
2017, shooting incident at
Dixie Campground. Kevin J.
Rapp pleaded guilty to fi rst
degree attempted assault and
possession of methamphet-
amine. The victim had been
shot twice in the head. Rapp
later was sentenced to 85
months in prison and $300
in restitution.
September
Former Grant County
Judge Mark Webb fi led chal-
lenges to a 2013 county mea-
sure demanding the United
Nations not act within the
county, a 2013 county mea-
sure petitioning Congress to
transfer title of public lands
inside Grant County to the
county and a 2013 ordinance
stating that all roads, trails,
stock driveways and byways
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
Commissioner-appointee Rob Raschio speaks with
Commissioner-elect Sam Palmer at Raschio’s last Grant
County Court meeting Dec. 19. Palmer defeated Gordon
Larson in the November election and will take offi ce in
January 2019.
crossing public lands in
Grant County be kept open
to the public.
The Grant County Court
approved a settlement agree-
ment with Sheriff Glenn
Palmer and Civil Deputy
Sally DeFord to pay $14,000
of the legal expenses they
incurred while defending
themselves against a public
records lawsuit brought by
The Oregonian.
Grant
County
Dis-
trict Attorney Jim Carpen-
ter learned that a $167,000
per year federal Violence
Against Women Act grant
would not be renewed. The
grant had been used to pay
for a deputy district attor-
ney, an intervention spe-
cialist and a director at the
Heart of Grant County. The
information coincided with
Deputy District Attorney
Mara Houck’s departure
announcement.
October
The Blue Mountains
Forest Plan Revision drew
341 objections. Concerns
included timber harvest,
grazing restrictions, access
changes and combining
plans for the Malheur, Wal-
lowa-Whitman and Umatilla
national forests in one docu-
ment. Objectors included the
Grant County Court, Eastern
Oregon Counties Associa-
tion, Sheriff Glenn Palmer,
Blue Mountains Forest Part-
ners and the Grant County
Stockgrowers.
Sheriff Glenn Palmer
announced that the remains
of Terry Smith had been
identifi ed at the burned
cabin on Nan’s Rock
Road and the missing cou-
ple’s truck had been found
in Boise, Idaho. Ear-
lier in September, Palmer
reported that evidence col-
lected at the site of the
missing couple appeared
to be of human origin, and
he declared the case to be a
homicide.
November
Sam Palmer defeated
Gordon Larson in the race
for Grant County commis-
sioner with 54.3 percent of
the vote to Larson’s 45.2
percent. Jim Hamsher won
a write-in campaign to retain
his position as mayor of Prai-
rie City. Incumbents Paul
Smith and Gregg Haberly
along with appointee Shan-
non Adair were elected to
the John Day City Coun-
cil. Three new city council-
ors were elected in Prairie
City: Scott Offi cer, Chase
McClung and Tisha Pack-
ard. The winners in the Mt.
Vernon City Council elec-
tion were Bryan Montague
and Mitchel Wilson. The
winners in the Long Creek
City Council election were
Denise Porter and Alvin
Hunt.
A 48-year-old man in Mt.
Vernon was arrested and
charged with the rape and
kidnapping of a 15-year-old
girl from Idaho. Andy Vogt
was later extradited to Idaho
where he faced charges
with life sentences. The
Ada County Sheriff’s Offi ce
alleged Vogt forced the girl
to leave Eagle, Idaho, with
him.
A house fi re on Sky-
view Drive was visible from
much of downtown John
Day. The garage and a bed-
room of the Mosiers’ home
was completely destroyed,
but Dale and Shelly Mosier
escaped unharmed along
with their dog.
Grant County could see a
large infl ux of tourism next
year, Don Merritt, cura-
tor at the Kam Wah Chung
State Heritage Site in John
Day, told the Grant County
Chamber of Commerce.
Film crews from China and
Singapore shot video at the
site during the summer for
documentaries to be shown
on the Chinese and U.S.
networks of the Discovery
Channel. While the state
had plans to purchase adja-
cent land from the city of
John Day for an improved
heritage site, a new inter-
pretative center to handle all
those new tourists might not
be completed for four to six
years, Merritt said.
The city of John Day’s
announcement that Glea-
son Pool would remain open
only two more seasons raised
public concerns. Options for
replacing the pool ranged
from $4.3 million for an out-
door pool to $15 million for
an indoor aquatics facility.
The city hoped to hand over
pool design, construction,
fi nancing and operation to a
countywide agency.
December
Sheriff Glenn Palmer
announced that the His-
tory Channel had expressed
interest in a 20-year-old
cold case in Grant County
A7
and offered to pay for addi-
tional analysis to identify the
remains. The body of a man
was found in Vance Creek in
1998, and the case was con-
sidered a homicide.
The Grant County Digital
Network Coalition learned
it had not been selected to
receive a $3 million federal
Community Connect grant
needed to construct a fi ber
cable system from the John
Day Fire Hall to Seneca. The
coalition continued to look
for grants needed to improve
internet access in the county.
The body of a miss-
ing hiker was recovered
from Fields Peak after sev-
eral days of single-digit
temperatures and strong
winds. Lucas F. Cavalle,
38, Mt. Vernon, planned to
hike from near the summit
9 miles down to his home.
A large search and rescue
effort was mounted, both on
land and in the air.
Financial
hurdles
impacted plans for three
John Day city projects.
Reluctance by Oregon
State University to sup-
port construction of two
more bays at the city’s
greenhouse project made a
fourth and fi fth bay unsus-
tainable. Extremely high
operation and maintenance
costs appeared to rule out
an indoor aquatics facil-
ity. And the state’s decision
to fund only one $100,000
street project instead of two
delayed the extension of
Valley View Drive to Pat-
terson Bridge Road for
now.
A TTENTION G RANT C OUNTY
V ETERANS :
Are you using or interested in learning
about Choice Card Medical Care?
Katee
See your Grant County Veteran Services Hoffman
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.
71661
1809 First Street • Baker City • (541)523-5439
BARGAIN MATINEE IN ( ) Adults $7
ALL FILMS $6 ON TIGHTWAD TUESDAY
MOVIE SCHEDULE DEC 21- DEC 27
CALL
FOR
TIMES
95984
541-523-2522
or go to
www.eltrym.com
$9 Adult, $7 Senior (60+), Youth
There’s No Place Like Home
96889
Review
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
For The Holidays
Restoration Fuels, LLC Open House
On Thursday, January 10, 2019 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm,
representatives from Restoration Fuels and Oregon Torrefaction invites
the community to an informal open house.
The opportunity will be held at the Canyon City Community Hall at
104 S. Humbolt St, Canyon City, OR 97820. The meeting will have
information stations on Restoration Fuels installation of a 12 ton/hour
torrefaction facility at the Malheur Lumber Company mill in John Day.
331 W. Main, John Day
541-575-2710
1-800-575-2710
Fax 541-575-2610
Please join us for some light refreshments and an informative evening
to answer any questions you may have about this first, U.S. large-scale,
commercial effort to help restore forests and create economic oportunity
in the region.
www.RMLS.com
eastoregonrealestate.com
We’d like to deliver our sincere best wishes to your door
this holiday. May the season bring much happiness,
health and good fortune to you and your loved ones.
If you’re looking for a home for the holidays and
beyond, please keep us in mind. We’ve been
helping area residents find the perfect place to
call home for over 10 years.
Every other Monday in John Day at
Blue Mountain Hospital
170 Ford Rd. • 541-575-1311
Torrefied Wood Pellets
Amy Denman
503-577-7029
96063
Wendy Cates
541-620-4239
Al Denman
503-709-0425
Wishing you the Peace and Joy of
the Christmas Season. Best
wishes for 2019 from your friends
at Eastern Oregon Realty.
Jerry, Michal, Lindsey, Traci,
Deann and Jo.
541-523-6377
541-963-6577
541-573-6377
541-576-2160
95986
Fred Winegar
541-820-3589