NEWS
BlueMountainEagle.com
The deadline for What’s Happening items is 5 p.m. Friday. Call
the Eagle, 541-575-0710, or email editor@bmeagle.com. For
meetings this week, see our list in the classifi eds.
Wednesday, March 20
Luncheon and church service
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic
Church, John Day
The Ministerial Association churches will observe Lent with
a special luncheon and service held at various local churches.
Everyone is invited. These special services are held on Wednes-
days ending on Wednesday, April 10. A soup and bread lunch will
be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 pm. The service follows from
12:15-12:45 p.m.
Spring equinox labyrinth walk
5:30 p.m., Canyon Mountain Center, 757 E. Main St., John Day
In celebration of the spring equinox, as well as the full super-
moon that occurs on the same day, a walk will be held. For more
information, contact Sandy Bay at 415-515-6316.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
Friday, March 22
Cancer benefi t dinner
• 4:30 p.m., John Day Golf Course
There will be a benefi t dinner to support GIST (gastrointes-
tinal stromal tumor) cancer research. There will be two dinner
times, 4:30 and 6 p.m. Dinner is breakfast: biscuits and gravy, pan-
cakes, bacon, sausage and eggs. The cost is $10 per person, $5 for
children under 7. For more information, call Linda McClellan at
541-620-2352.
Monday-Tuesday, March 25-26
Community blood drive
ety of history, science and arts events throughout the week at dif-
ferent locations. “Passports” are available at the Grant County
Chamber of Commerce in John Day for $5, or $12 per family.
Children 5 and under can participate for free. The Canyon City
Community Hall will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March
28 with many sponsored activities, and passports are required
for entry (ages 6-12). For more information, leave a message
at the Grant County Historical Museum, 541-575-0362, after
March 15.
Tuesday, March 26
Mad Hatter meeting
• 11:30 a.m., The Silver Spur, Mt. Vernon
Due to inclement weather, the group was unable to meet
in February. The group will hold a luncheon and meeting.
R.S.V.P. by calling Norma at 541-620-4086 or Gwynne at
916-212-2978.
Wednesday, March 27
Food bank distribution day
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Grant County Food Bank
The food bank is back on its normal distribution schedule
for the fourth Wednesday of the month. For more information,
call 541-575-0299.
Thursday, March 21
Chamber of commerce luncheon
• 12 p.m., The Outpost Pizza, Pub & Grill, John Day
After a 10:30 a.m. board meeting at the chamber offi ce, a
no-host luncheon will feature speaker Peggy Murphy, who will
share information about the Passport to Fun event and other hap-
penings at the Grant County Historical Museum. For more infor-
mation, call the chamber at 541-575-0547.
A3
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Sandy Bay stands in the middle of a labyrinth as Jim Bay
enters at their property in John Day.
• 1-6 p.m. March 25, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, John Day
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26, The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, John Day
To schedule an appointment for the American Red Cross blood
drive, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org and enter
sponsor code “JOHNDAYCOMMUNITY.”
Monday-Friday, March 25-29
Kids Passport to Fun
• Grant County
The second annual museum event for children features a vari-
Saturday, March 30
Inland Northwest Musicians Chorale concert
• 4 p.m., Canyon City Community Hall
The Juniper Arts Council will host the 40-singer cho-
rale, performing “Peaceable Kingdom” by Randall Thomp-
son and “Gloria” by Antonio Vivaldi. The concert is free.
A dessert reception will follow. For more information, call
541-932-4892.
Saturday, April 6
Lake Creek Youth Camp gala
• 4 p.m., Grant County Fairgrounds
The gala features a tri-tip dinner, auction and live music.
The live auction begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are
$20 per person, available at 861 W. Main St., John Day, or by
calling 541-206-2421.
Parmalee to headline 2019 county fair
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
Parmalee, a country-west-
ern band whose 2013 hit
“Feels
Like
Carolina”
reached No. 5 on Billboard’s
U.S. Indie chart and No. 10
on Billboard’s U.S. Country
chart, will be the headliner act
at this year’s Grant County
Fair, Fair Manager Mindy
Winegar told the county court
March 13.
The band includes Matt
Thomas on lead vocals and
guitar, his brother Scott
Thomas on drums, their
cousin Barry Knox on bass
and Josh McSwain on guitar.
Parmalee’s extended-play
release “Daylight” debuted
in 2002, and their 2012 hit
“Musta Had A Good Time”
was recorded in the back of
an RV. Parmalee was featured
as Billboard’s “Bubbling
Under” artist in June 2012.
The court approved the
$25,000 contract for Par-
malee. Judge Scott Myers
was absent. Winegar told the
court last year’s headline act,
Lone Star, cost $30,000. She
said she is still working on
other entertainment acts for
the fair and noted that a rop-
ing event scheduled for July
should attract lots of visitors.
The court also approved
Winegar’s request to move
forward with removing trees
on the north side of the fair-
grounds where roots are
harming the pavilion fl oor;
spending $6,383 for 10 cus-
tom picnic tables for use in
the RV park; and increas-
ing the fairground manager’s
credit card limit.
Winegar said she has been
working with Oregon Trail
Electrical Cooperative on
new parking lot lights and
looking at more fencing to
keep vehicles off the lawns. A
group operating through the
Grant County Family Heri-
tage Foundation is planning
improvements to the small
animal barn through dona-
tions and volunteer labor, she
said.
The fairgrounds could
benefi t from having more RV
spaces, Winegar said. Com-
missioner Jim Hamsher said
he’d like to see more security
cameras and signs put up to
deter transients.
Winegar also said she met
with John Day city offi cials
to talk about the city’s plans
for new riverfront trails and
the county’s responsibility for
maintaining Prospector Trail,
which runs between the John
Day River and the fairgrounds.
Commissioner Sam Palmer
said, with all the improve-
ments planned for the city, he
didn’t want the fairgrounds
to be the only eyesore in
the neighborhood. Winegar
agreed, saying she wanted
the fairgrounds to continue
attracting visitors to the area.
In other county court news:
• Grant County Undersher-
iff Zach Mobley presented
a request to increase pay for
the sheriff offi ce’s civil dep-
uty, who handles clerical
duties that include unfunded
mandates such as tracking
statistics.
The civil deputy also han-
dles fi ngerprinting and back-
ground checks for concealed
handgun licensing, which has
been a source of revenue for
the offi ce, he said.
The civil deputy’s pay was
established based on cleri-
cal duties, but the civil dep-
uty occasionally fi lls in at the
jail. Mobley said the pay scale
should be increased before
a union grievance is fi led for
that kind of work.
Mobley also requested cre-
ating a new part-time 30-hour
clerical position to relieve
workload and fi ll in for the
civil deputy’s vacation and
sick time. The court approved
moving both requests to the
budget committee.
• The court approved
sending a letter to the state
House Committee on Natu-
ral Resources in support of
House Bill 2370. The bill
would allow county voters to
approve a measure permitting
the use of dogs for hunting,
to add a fourth person to
the road department’s Long
Creek area will move on to
the budget committee. A grant
contract with the Oregon
Department of Transportation
for new road signs on Middle
Fork Road was approved. The
county will be reimbursed for
most of the cost.
• Grant County Surveyor
Mike Springer said he plans
to talk with city offi cials
about how their city plan-
ning commissions could han-
dle vacating subdivision lot
lines when requested. This
could save property owners
having to complete an expen-
sive replat process through
the county court.
THE JUNIPER ARTS COUNCIL
IS SEEKING APPLICATIONS FOR THE
JOHN AND LINDA SHELK COMMUNITY GRANTS
The Juniper Arts Council is seeking grant applications
from Grant County organizations for community
projects that benefit Grant County communities. The
JAC has $3,000 to distribute from the Shelk Foundation
for community projects. The maximum grant award is
$1,000. An example of a recent Shelk recipient: Blue
Mountain Community College and Oregon State
University received a grant to purchase welding safety
gear sets to be used for welding classes held at Grant
Union with college credit from BMCC.
Grant SWCD Weed Control Dept.
Working for You in 2019
Applications are available from Karin Barntish at 131
West Main Street in John Day. Further information is
available from Kris Beal at 541-932-4892.
Thanks to the Grant County Court and Northeast Oregon Forests Resource
Advisory Committee, Grant Weed Control is able to offer a 25% Cost
share program for Noxious Weed Control on Private Grazing Lands,
through a Title II funded Grant Project. This program will provide a
maximum $5,000 of noxious weed control services with a $1,250 maximum
landowner contribution to qualifying participants. To be eligible for
participation, the treatment property must not be actively irrigated and must
be primarily managed for livestock grazing, minimum of 20 acres in size,
located within Grant County, and must contain priority noxious weed
species. Applications for this limited weed control assistance opportunity
will be ranked and funded according to a priority noxious weed list..
Contact the Grant Soil and Water Conservation District Office at (541)
575-1554 or visit 721 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845 for
applications and additional information.
The application deadline for this program is April 12th, 2019. 107997
Applications are due April 5, 2019 by 5 PM.
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
Don’t forget to apply for a
Silvies Valley Ranch Education Scholarship.
Open to Grant & Harney County students.
Postmark deadline is
Applications are available from your
school’s guidance counselor or online at
www.silvies.us
108972
1883
CANCER AWARENESS
105832
ATTENTION
EST.
pursuing or taking cougars
within the county.
“Grant County deer pop-
ulations have dramatically
declined an estimated 70 per-
cent over the last 20 years,
while the cougar popula-
tion has exploded,” the let-
ter states. “We have seen
recent cougar activities in
our communities, including
confi rmed kills of domes-
tic pets in Prairie City. While
we understand there must be
balance for a healthy ecosys-
tem, the decrease of our local
deer populations shows that
the current ecosystem is not a
healthy one.”
• Grant County Roadmas-
ter Alan Hickerson’s request
March is
COLORECTAL CANCER
Awareness Month
Dr. Keith Thomas, board-certified general surgeon
at Blue Mountain Hospital, is an experienced
provider of screening and diagnostic colonoscopies.
Located in the Blue Mountain Hospital
170 Ford Road, John Day
541-575-1311
Office Hours by Appointment
IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
• An age of 50 or older
• A family history of colon cancer
• Recent changes in your bowel habits
then talk to your primary care doctor to see if a
colonoscopy referral is right for you.