The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current, February 27, 2019, Image 3

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The Blue Mountain eagle., February 27, 2019, Page A3, Image 3

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Newspaper Page TextNEWS BlueMountainEagle.com Wednesday, February 27, 2019 A3 Main Street revitalization includes events By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Several downtown John Day businesses have expressed interest in Main Street Revitalization grants from the state worth up to $200,000 apiece, City Man- ager Nick Green told the city council Feb. 12. Green said he met with downtown merchants sev- eral times since December to discuss the program. The grants support downtown improvement projects for communities that belong to the Oregon Main Street Net- work, which means the city will be the designated appli- cant. The applications were scheduled to be reviewed by the council on Feb. 26. The money can be used for acquiring, rehabilitating and constructing buildings and facilitating community revitalization that will lead to private investment, job creation or retention, estab- lishing or expanding via- ble businesses or creating a stronger tax base, Green said. town, as other communities do, Adair said. City projects Special events The council also dis- cussed event planning pro- posals presented by Coun- cilor Shannon Adair. A street fair intended to increase foot trafﬁ c down- town and bring visitors to John Day could mean clos- ing Main Street from the stoplight to Dayton Street during the weekend of March 22-23. Approval by the Ore- gon Department of Trans- portation would be needed The Eagle/Richard Hanners The John Day City Council considered plans to close part of Main Street for a March street fair during their Feb. 12 meeting. to close Main Street. A newly formed art council has expressed interest in the idea, and the John Day-Can- yon City Parks and Rec- reation Department might participate, Adair said. The council gave its consensus to move ahead on the proposal. Adair also said she has been talking to RC Huerta, the program director at the parks and recreation department, about holding a 3-on-3 basketball tourna- ment in summer. The event could be held at the Seventh Street Complex or down- In other city council news, the council approved a $75,924 payment to Alpine Abatement Assoc. of Bend for asbestos and lead abate- ment at the Weaver Building on Main Street. The payment will be covered by a Department of Environmental Qual- ity brownﬁ eld reclama- tion grant and a Main Street Revitalization grant. The city purchased the building in 2017 using a $100,000 Main Street Revitalization Grant. Following DEQ and fed- eral Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines, Alpine Abate- ment removed the skim coat and plaster from framing, ﬂ oor coverings and a water heater cover that contained asbestos. They will return in the spring to remove exte- rior paint that contains lead. Green said now is the time for the council to dis- cuss the disposition of the Weaver Building before electrical or other work pro- ceeds. The city could sell the building by bid or set a price based on criteria. The city could also enter into a partnership with a new owner that would terminate once all the rehabilitation conditions had been met. The council also approved a $49,987 pay- ment to L&L Excavating of Mt. Vernon for excavation, backﬁ ll and concrete curb work for the Canton Street improvement project. Getting the word out on Firewise communities estry representative, Jerome said. After she writes up a report, the community develops a timeline and project list and the docu- ments are sent to Salem and the National Fire Protection Association for approval. By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Residents and land- owners in the Dog Creek and Marysville area con- cerned about wildﬁ re risks might want to contact Grant County Firewise Coordina- tor Irene Jerome. The area east of Canyon City and John Day is a per- fect candidate for a Firewise community, Grant County Judge Scott Myers told the county court Feb. 13. Rules governing use of federal Title III Secure Rural Schools funding to protect homes and property from wildﬁ res has been tightened up since 2008. The funding is only available to autho- rized Firewise communities, Jerome said. Firewise process Grant County is home to the ﬁ rst Firewise community in Eastern Oregon, estab- lished in the Pine Creek area about two years before the Canyon Creek Complex ﬁ re bore down on the area, threatening people, live- stock and property. The residents, led by Pine Creek Firewise board chairman Howard Gieger, a former arson investiga- tor, worked together prun- ing branches, mowing tall grass and weeds, thinning trees, improving access routes, building an emer- gency bridge for ATVs and locating water sources ahead of the 2015 ﬁ re. “After the ﬁ re passed major vehicle accident could block access. A live drill is planned in the Middle Fork area in April, Jerome noted. Organizing Firewise communities can leverage the inﬂ uence of residents when dealing with govern- ment agencies, Jerome said. A fuel reduction project on public land adjacent to the Laycock Creek area, for example, was scheduled to take place about eight years from now, but the newly formed Firewise community there has prompted the For- est Service to move the proj- ect up. “It’s been documented that the Firewise program saves lives,” Jerome said. “But it also helps build communities.” Firewise projects The Eagle/Richard Hanners Irene Jerome, the Grant County Firewise coordinator, updated the county court on the program at their Feb. 13 meeting. through and the smoke sub- sided, all of the Firewise participants’ homes sur- vived,” Bill Dean, the pub- lic information ofﬁ cer for the Canyon Creek Complex ﬁ re, wrote at the time. Since then, Firewise communities have been established in the Ritter, Middle Fork and Laycock areas. Firewise is a commu- nity-driven program, Jerome explained shortly after Pine Creek was recognized. “Our population is so sparse and so scattered it is difﬁ cult to form a group that can fulﬁ ll the few small steps necessary to get the Firewise recognition,” she said. The process begins with a risk assessment conducted by a local ﬁ re chief and an Oregon Department of For- Gieger told the court how he removed “tons of brush” around his home in Pine Creek before the Can- yon Creek Complex ﬁ re. He said his neighbors thought it was excessive, but as the ﬁ re blew in from the east and south, it “fell to the ground” and didn’t destroy the home he built in 1978. Since the ﬁ re, Pine Creek residents have upgraded bridges and helped neighbors and seniors remove “thousands of tons of slash.” The speed of the wind- blown ﬁ re caught many Pine Creek residents by surprise, Gieger said, resulting in confusion about evacuation routes. The Firewise group is now using GPS units to identify bridges, water sources, turnouts and other important features to mark on a printed map to be pro- vided to residents and ﬁ re- ﬁ ghting agencies, he said. Gieger noted that Pine Creek residents back the GPS proj- ect 100 percent. The Firewise group in Ritter has held a ﬁ re emer- gency simulation that focused on how to evacu- ate residents on a 20-mile long road with poor cell- phone coverage where a ENTER TO WIN AT THE 20 TH ANNUAL PA FREE RK ING PRESENTED BY: HEAD & HORNS COMPETITION Mission Statement: ATTN VETERANS: CENTRAL OREGON VET CENTER IS VISITING YOUR LOCATION! To welcome home and honor those Who served, those still serving, and their families bv reach ing out to them, engaging their communities, and providing them with qualitv readjustment counseling and timelV retenal. READJUSTMENT COUNSEllNG WHEN/WHERE John Dav-Elks lodge Civilians ... thev inst don't get it! Come down and lefs talk ... Veteran to Veteran. Februarv 21th March 21th . April 24th BENEFITS Find out about what is available that vou mav have earned. WHO ARE WE? CENTRAl OREGON VET CENTER 1645 NE FORBES RD, SUITE 105 BEND, OR 91102 541-149-2112 WWW.VETCENTER.VA.GOV For more information contact Grant County Veterans 541 620-8057 G r a n t S o i l & Wa t e r C o n s e r va t i o n D i s t r i c t ’ s 2 0 1 9 A n n u a l M e e t i ng T h u r s d ay, M a r ch 7 t h , 6 - 7 : 3 0 p. m . G r a n t C o u n t y A i r p o r t M e e t i ng R o o m i n J o h n D ay A q u i fe r S t o r age a n d R e c ove r y P r e s e n t a t i o n Aq GRAB THAT TROPHY from your wall, garage or attic and bring it to the Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show at the First Interstate Bank Center and Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. Official Record Book scorers will measure it and prizes will be awarded. YOU COULD WIN GREAT PRIZES including a brand new Fort Knox Maverick Vault, Model 6637. Valuable prizes are awarded and provided by Federal Premium Ammunition, Bushnell, Fort Knox, Danner, Honda, Gerber and Ruger! PRESENTED BY FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 3, 2019 First Interstate Bank Center and Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center • Redmond TROPHY CATEGORIES: Black Bear • Mule Deer (Typical & Non-Typical) • Blacktail Deer (Typical & Non-Typical) • Whitetail Deer (Typical & Non-Typical) • Mt. Goat • Rocky Mt. Elk (Typical & Non-Typical) • Roosevelt Elk (Typical & Non-Typical) • Pronghorn • Cougar • Bighorn Sheep • Moose SHOW HOURS ADMISSION * Thurs - Fri ..........12 noon – 8 p.m. Sat. ....................10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sun. ...................10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Adults................................... $12 2-day pass .......................... $18 Juniors (6-16) ........................ $5 Children 5 & under ............. FREE Military** .........................2 for 1 Half Day (after 4 p.m) ................ $6 Half Day Juniors (after 4 p.m) .. $2.50 FREE PARKING * Credit cards welcome. $1 fee will be charged per transaction. **Proof of military or veteran ID. Good all days. Water is abundant within the stream systems of Grant County, but is seasonally consolidated to times when out-of-stream water demands are at their lowest. The result of receiving seventy percent of annual precipitation in the winter, these streams normally reach their peak flow in early spring fed by melting snow. Water discharge then declines rapidly to its lowest levels in late summer as precipitation diminishes and air temperatures rise. In contrast, agricultural irrigation increases to its highest level, creating a seasonal water deficiency that is suppressive to agricultural production, limits area development opportunities, and represents an ongoing concern to ecological conditions. Managed groundwater recharge is a practicable option to retain surface water at times of surplus to enhance stream flows and supplement irrigation withdrawals during shortage periods. These types of systems further avoid the significant costs and environment impacts of above ground storage projects, making their authorization and implementation much more feasible. Hydrogeologist Phil Brown will be presenting information and professional experiences in the design and implementation of groundwater recharge and recovery projects, along with his accomplishments to successfully address water supply imbalances throughout the Pacific Northwest. WEEKDAY DISCOUNT COUPONS available at participating Bi-Mart stores. Discounts may not be combined. For more information about Head & Horns, call 541-530-2749. For complete contest rules and prize packages, show info, coupons, directions, and daily seminar schedules, visit: thesportshows.com Please join Grant Soil and Water Conservation District for this informative event as part of its 2019 Annual Meeting. Complimentary refreshments will be served. Contact Jason Kehrberg at 541-575-0135 ext. 110 or mailto:jkehrberg@ortelco.net