A6
COMMUNITY
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Mighty Youth Track Meet gives youngsters a day to shine
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Eighteen boys and girls
in grades 3-6 were in the
spotlight April 6, competing
in the Mighty Youth Track
Meet in John Day.
Grant
Union
stu-
dent Kaylee Wright orga-
nized the event, held at the
school’s athletic field, for
her senior project.
Children from the John
Day area and neighbor-
ing towns were invited to
compete.
Several
volunteers
assisted Wright with taking
down times for the sprint
races and marks for the long
jump and softball throw.
Others helped walk the ath-
letes through the events,
including Grant Union
senior Trinity Hutchison for
the long jump.
“I love little kids, and
I just want to get them
involved in track,” Wright
said. “I want them to enjoy
all the sports they have the
opportunity to do.”
She added, “Track pro-
vides a great opportunity
for lifelong enjoyment.”
There are organized
teams for several other
sports for this age group,
such as softball, base-
ball, basketball and swim-
ming, but not for track
and field. One exception
is the Oregon East Track
Club headed up by Jenny
Jacobs at Prairie City
School.
For more information
about Oregon East Track
Club, visit tracktownyouth-
league.com and click on
“Resources,” then “Track
clubs” and then “USATF
Oregon — Clubs.”
This team will hold a
qualifier meet at 11 a.m.
Saturday, April 27, at Prai-
rie City School’s athletic
field for youth to advance
to the TrackTown Youth
League Championship in
Eugene.
Taylor Parsons, 11, of John Day competes in the softball
throw at the April 6 Mighty Youth Track Meet.
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Nine-year-old Silvie Holliday competes in long jump at the
Mighty Youth Track Meet April 6.
Americanism essayists tackle veteran homelessness
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Americanism Essay Chair-
man Sherry Feiger said the
entries in this year’s writing con-
test were thoughtful as students
in grades 3-12 answered the
question: “How can we address
and prevent veteran homeless-
ness in our communities?”
The local contest is spon-
sored by the American Legion
Auxiliary Ellis Tracy Unit 77.
Feiger said this year’s theme
was different from any over the
past couple years.
“(It’s) a social issue that
affects us all and so many com-
munities,” she said.
There were 113 entries in all,
and Feiger said she was grate-
ful that teachers took the time
to include the essay contest as
part of their class instruction.
Students winning first, sec-
ond or third place in their divi-
sions were invited to read their
essays for friends and family
at a potluck dinner in March
at Alec Gay Hall in John
Day.
She said she was impressed
by the empathy the students
had for the veterans’ situation
and the wide range of ideas on
how to assist them.
“Some were eager to help
with food and money,” she
said. “Others wanted to find a
way to give them life skills and
means to heal any illness they
had.”
“Veterans served our coun-
try so now we should serve and
help them, just as they did for
us,” wrote Humbolt Elementary
fourth-grader Keira Stiner.
Humbolt sixth-grader Mad-
elyn Bailey said, “Sometimes
everyone needs encourage-
ment. ... We could promote this
Kaylee Wright,
right, oversees
the Mighty Youth
Track Meet, which
she organized
for her senior
project with help
from her father,
Kelsy Wright, who
is measuring a
softball throw.
PRAIRIE CITY
HONOR ROLL
— THIRD QUARTER
Seniors
4.0 GPA: Deja Amsden and Josiah
Hoeffner.
Honor roll (3.5-3.99 GPA): Levi Burke
and Haley Pfefferkorn.
Honorable mention (3.0-3.49 GPA):
Jonathan Lawrence, Lane Williams, Brett
Copenhaver, Raven Maloy, Paige Moore
and Kyla Winton.
Juniors
4.0 GPA: JoLynne Ashley, Shaelynn
Bice, Cole Deiter and Johna Long.
Honor roll: Aleah Johns, Jessica Reames,
Madalyn Way, Shaine Madden, Carson
McKay, Rilee Emmel and Abby Winegar.
Honorable mention: Opie McDaniel, Lucas
McKinley, Kaden Madden and Emily Ennis.
Sophomores
Angel Carpenter/Blue Mountain Eagle
Winners of the Americanism essay contest gathered at the American Legion Auxiliary’s Ellis Tracy Unit
#77 for a potluck dinner with family and friends. This year’s winners are: front, left to right, Samuel
Smith, Keira Stiner, Eliza Bailey and Mason Benge; middle row, Money Anderson, Sarah Smith, Amelia
Hall, Madelyn Bailey and Jueun Park; back row, Max Bailey, Mason Morris, Maverick Miller, Emily
Springer, Taylor Allen and Mya Kilby. Alici Archibald, not pictured, was also among the winners.
by having successful veterans
mentor those that struggle” to
“show them ways to overcome
obstacles.”
Mya Kilby in the grade
11-12 division said, “War will
always be one of those things
that nobody really wants to do,
but some brave people do it to
keep us safe and they should be
able to rely on us to help them
when they get back.”
The first-place winning
essays have advanced to state
for judging.
2019 essay contest winners
Division I (grades 3-4)
First, Keira Stiner, Humbolt,
teacher Joan Walczyk
Second, Samuel Smith, Sen-
eca, Andrea Ashley
Third, Eliza Bailey, Hum-
bolt, Joan Walczyk
Division II (grades 5-6)
First, Madelyn Bailey, Hum-
bolt, Georgia Boethin
Second, Monel Anderson,
Seneca, Andrea Ashley
Second, Sarah Smith, Sen-
eca, Andrea Ashley
Third, Mason Benge, Hum-
bolt, Georgia Boethin
Division III (grades 7-8)
First, Max Bailey, Grant
Union, Angela Smith
Second, Amelia Hall, Grant
Union, Angela Smith
Third, Alici Archibald, Grant
Union, Angela Smith
Division IV (grades 9-10)
First, Mason Morris, Grant
Union, Angela Smith
Second, Soren Caudill, Grant
Union, Jessica Lane
Third, Maverick Miller,
Grant Union, Angela Smith
Division V (grades 11-12)
First, Mya Kilby, Grant
Union, Jessica Lane
Second, Taylor Allen, Grant
Union, Jessica Lane
Third, Emily Springer, Grant
Union, Jessica Lane
Special recognition
Jueun Park, GU Jr/Sr High,
Angela Smith
4.0 GPA: Aries Bice, Brandon Horrell,
Caitlin Willet and Declan Zweygardt.
Honor roll: Katie Hire, Mikiah Kimble,
Jayden Winegar and Samantha Workman.
Honorable mention: Abbey Pfefferkorn.
Freshman
4.0 GPA: Riley Reames and Isaac
Koopman.
Honor roll: Marcus Judd.
Honorable mention: Seth Moore, John
Titus and Hannah Wall.
Eighth-graders
4.0 GPA: Kaitlynne Ashley and Janie
Koopman.
Honor roll: Laken McKay, Leif Rausch
and Cole Teel.
Honorable mention: BettyAnn Wilson,
Paige Shaw and Caitlin Titus.
Seventh-graders
4.0 GPA: Cayden Howard.
Honor roll: Cliff Bice and Jaycee
Winegar.
Honorable Mention: Brianna Kimble,
Porsche Kite, Brooke Teel, Wes Voigt, McK-
enzie Lawrence, Cody Reagan and Tristen
Gibson.