NEWS
BlueMountainEagle.com
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Unusual traffic problem confounds city council
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
Concerns about speed-
ing traffic on Boyce Place
turned out to be a perplexing
problem for neighbors and
the John Day City Council
alike May 14.
Speaking for neighbors
on the block-long street
near the Grant County Fair-
grounds, Neale Ledgerwood
explained that speeding on
the narrow street with multi-
ple parked vehicles created a
dangerous condition.
But neither the neighbors
or the councilors could fig-
ure out why anyone would
choose to use the street since
it ended in one block. Public
works director Monte Legg
said he was familiar with
the problem and earlier had
considered making the street
one-way northbound.
The council agreed to
erect temporary A-frame
signs at each end of the
street to warn drivers. If that
doesn’t improve matters,
other steps could be taken.
In other city council
news:
• The council reacted
negatively to a new city
logo created by the market-
ing consultant Bell + Funk,
which was funded by federal
and state grants.
Several councilors said
they had no idea what the
logo represented until it was
explained to them. Mayor
Ron Lundbom noted that if
they wanted to put moun-
tains in the logo, then they
should put mountains in.
Councilor Shannon Adair
said the color green was
not included because that
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
John Day resident Neale
Ledgerwood addresses the
John Day City Council on
May 14.
might be indicative of west-
ern Oregon. Councilor Paul
Smith disagreed, noting that
green is the color of the John
Day Valley.
City Manager Nick Green
said he liked the font used
for the words, while Coun-
cilor Gregg Haberly sug-
gested the designers were
overpaid.
Kim Randleas, a local
artist attending the meeting,
asked about allowing local
artists to come up with a
logo design.
• Haberly said he’s heard
concerns from people about
how the city’s downtown
might look after Len’s Drug
is remodeled using a Main
Street revitalization grant.
Paul Smith said he’s heard
the same concerns.
Green noted the city
council did not adopt a
downtown master plan in
2007 that could govern a
downtown look. The city
could make suggestions for
A5
the Len’s Drug remodel,
but he also noted that Greg
and Marla Armstrong were
investing in downtown,
something many others were
not.
Randleas said she has
been working on a “vision”
for downtown since about
2000 when she was consid-
ering creating some murals
for downtown buildings.
• The city could begin
construction of riverside
trails this year, Green said.
The city held meetings with
residents near Canton Street
and Davis Creek on March
6, and the city is ready to
proceed with property line
adjustments for four prop-
erties on Northwest Boulder
Lane for the Davis Creek
trail.
In a related matter, the
council approved a $28,000
contract with Field’s Tree
Service for thinning, debris
removal and chipping from
the end of Canton Street to
the river and along Davis
Creek from the sewer treat-
ment plant to Valley View
Drive. Two to four view-
ing areas will be created
along the south side of the
river. The work will last 4-6
weeks.
• A new online survey
funded by a state Trans-
portation and Growth Man-
agement grant will allow
residents an opportunity
to comment on the city’s
plans for extending Sev-
enth Street west, new river-
front trails, river access and
restoration and the future of
the Gleason Pool. The sur-
vey was slated to go live
May 17 at surveymonkey.
com/r/6DJ3QNR.
May 13: Received a
harassment report from the
high school in John Day.
May 13: Advised of an
assault on Ingle Street in Mt.
Vernon.
May 14: Advised of iden-
tity theft on South Humbolt
Street in Canyon City.
May 14: Received a theft
report from Dayville.
May 17: Received a theft
report from Prairie City.
May 18: Received a
report of an assault at a
motel in Mt. Vernon.
May 18: Advised of
criminal mischief on North
McHaley Avenue in Prairie
City.
May 19: Received a call
about a suicidal person on
Indian Creek Road.
May 19: Responded with
Monument ambulance for a
suicide.
• John Day ambulance
May 13: Responded to
Northeast Elm Street in
John Day for a 43-year-old
woman who hit her head.
May 13: Dispatched to
Highway 26 in Mt. Vernon
for a 63-year-old woman
with difficulty breathing.
May 13: Dispatched to
Highway 395 south of Can-
yon City for a man who was
having a stroke.
May 16: Dispatched to
Northeast Elm Street in John
Day for an unresponsive
60-year-old man. John Day
police then responded for an
unattended death.
May 17: Responded
with Seneca ambulance to
C Avenue for an 87-year-
old woman who was not
responsive.
May 18: Dispatched to
a senior home in John Day
for an 87-year-old man with
back pain.
May 18: Responded to
First Avenue in John Day for
a 63-year-old woman with a
medical alarm.
• Seneca fire
May 15: Paged to an
excavator fire at the air strip
in Seneca.
• Mt. Vernon fire
May 18: Responded with
John Day fire to Laycock
Creek Road for a report of a
barn or shop fire.
• Dayville fire
May 18: Responded to a
home on West Franklin Ave-
nue in Dayville for a possi-
ble electrical short.
COPS AND COURTS
Arrests and citations in
the Blue Mountain Eagle are
taken from the logs of law
enforcement agencies. Every
effort is made to report the
court disposition of arrest
cases.
Grant County Circuit
Court
Shawn M. Long, 27,
Grants Pass, was acquitted
by a jury May 14 of driving
under the influence of intox-
icants, cannabis, allegedly
committed Feb. 3, 2018.
Mark D. Reasoner, 52,
Madras, pleaded guilty
May 2 to driving under the
influence of intoxicants
and refusing to take a test
for intoxicants committed
on March 3. He was sen-
tenced to 24 months pro-
bation, 80 hours commu-
nity service and $3,005 in
fines and fees. His driver’s
license was suspended for
one year, and he was ordered
to install an ignition inter-
lock device on any vehicle
he drives. A charge of failure
to drive within the lane was
dismissed.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office reported the fol-
lowing for the week of May
15: concealed handgun
licenses, 7; average inmates,
13; bookings, 5; releases, 8;
arrests, 2; citations, 3; fin-
gerprints, 7; civil papers, 15;
warrants processed, 1; asst./
welfare check, 0; search and
rescue, 0.
May 10: Carlton Dehart,
74, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,
was cited for violation of the
basic rule, 70/55 zone.
May 10: Julianne Han-
son, 39, Canyon City, was
cited for having a dog as a
nuisance.
May 13: Taylor Castle,
25, John Day, was cited for
violation of the basic rule,
95/65 zone.
Justice Court
• Violation of basic rule:
Jeffery R. Chapman, 59,
Nampa, Idaho, April 16,
79/55 zone, fined $265;
Lucas D. Decker, 19, Pend-
leton, April 26, 73/55 zone,
fined $165; Michael R.
Woodward, 56, Greenacres,
Washington, April 8, 75/55
zone, fined $165; Heather R.
Collins, 38, Pilot Rock, April
3, 74/55 zone, fined $140;
Roger W. Bloomer, 22, Mist,
April 26, 75/55 zone, fined
$165; Donald W. Evans, 71,
Riley, April 11, 75/55 zone,
fined $165; Colton J. Mad-
den, 22, Eugene, April 15,
75/55 zone, fined $140.
• Exceeding speed limit:
Terrence K. Crabb, 67, Can-
yon City, April 10, 75/65
zone, fined $140; Bonnie
R. McBride, 49, Vancouver,
Washington, April 5, 42/25
zone, fined $165; Lindsay
D. Gollott, 32, Baker City,
April 10, 85/65 zone, fined
$265; Jasmine N. Haddad,
24, Portland, March 29,
63/45 zone, fined $140;
Alexander Hung, 26, Port-
land, March 29, 63/45 zone,
fined $140.
• Violation speed limit:
Jake W.W. Zurbrugg, 28,
Klamath Falls, March 27,
fined $165.
• Driving uninsured: Troy
D. Wells, 46, Mt. Vernon,
March 28, fined $265.
• Driving while sus-
pended: Troy D. Wells, 46,
Mt. Vernon, March 28, fined
$440.
• Switched license plates:
Troy D. Wells, 46, Mt. Ver-
non, March 28, fined $115.
• Failure to stop and
remain stopped: Christine D.
Duvall, 50, Prairie City, Feb.
7, fined $225.
• Exceed the maximum
weight: Todd I. Cooper,
57, Dayville, April 3, fined
$300.
• Exceed the permitted
weight limit: Jerry Smith,
60, Baker City, April 16,
fined $150.
• Operate with a non-
standard light: Dylan G.
Brandsma, 25, John Day,
April 6, fined $165.
• No operator’s license:
Miguel L. Lundy, 38,
Sweethome, March 24, fined
$265.
• Failure to carry a valid
registration: Miguel L.
Lundy, 38, Sweethome,
March 24, fined $115.
Oregon State Police
May 5: Observed a vehi-
cle traveling on Canyon
Creek Lane in Canyon City
with a leashed dog dragged
behind. The dog was trans-
ported to a veterinarian and
would likely survive with
treatment.
May 8: Observed a man
on a release agreement from
driving under the influence
of intoxicants enter a bar
on Main Street in John Day.
The odor of an alcoholic
beverage was detected on
the man’s breath. Anthony J.
Capaldo, 61, John Day, was
arrested and charged with
contempt of court.
May 10: Investigated a
possible elk poaching case
on Forest Road 2610 in the
Ochoco National Forest. It
was a yearling Angus cow
that that had been hit by a
vehicle.
May 10: Investigated
a vehicle that left High-
way 395 near Dale and
rolled several times down
a steep ravine before land-
ing upright in a creek. Both
occupants, 74 and 73, from
Washington, were trans-
ported by air to a hospital in
Boise, Idaho.
May 11: Following a traf-
fic stop at South Canyon
Boulevard and Southwest
Second Avenue in John Day,
the driver was unable to
complete field sobriety tests
and was taken to the Grant
County Jail, where a blood
sample was taken. The driv-
er’s blood alcohol content
was 0 percent, but he told
the trooper he had snorted
a line of methamphetamine
earlier. Daryl V. Burton, 62,
was cited for driving under
the influence of intoxicants,
controlled substances.
May 12: Following a traf-
fic stop on Highway 395 near
Meadowbrook Pass, Neal J.
Martin, 54, was arrested on
multiple felony arrest war-
rants from Lake County.
May 13: Investigated
a crash on Highway 26
near Mt. Vernon. A vehicle
struck a horse that was run-
ning down the highway. The
driver was not injured, and
the horse was transported to
the veterinarian by its owner.
May 17: Investigated a
state reader board on High-
way 395 and Adam Road in
Canyon City that was struck
by a passing commercial
vehicle.
May 17: Investigated a
crash on Highway 26 west
of Dayville. A 16-year-old
female driver from Bend
over-corrected, left the
highway and rolled several
times. She was not seriously
injured and was cited for
careless driving.
Dispatch
John
Day
dispatch
worked 123 calls during
the week of May 13-19,
including:
• John Day Police
Department
May 13: Responded to a
theft report from the hospital
in John Day.
May 17: Responded to
Northeast Elm Street in John
Day for a report of credit
card fraud.
May 17: Kassandra J.
Binks, 23, The Dalles, was
arrested on East Main Street
in John Day based on a
Wasco County warrant.
• Oregon State Police
May 13: Advised by 911
call of two horses on High-
way 26 in west of John Day.
• Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office
May 13: Advised of a
theft on Highway 402 in the
Monument area.
Grant SWCD Weed Control Dept.
Working for You in 2019
Thanks to the Grant County Court and Northeast Oregon Forests Resource
Advisory Committee, Grant Weed Control is able to offer a 50% 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 $2,500 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 weed species listed on the
Grant County Noxious Weed List. Applications for this limited weed control
assistance opportunity will be funded on a first come first serve basis.
Applications due by June 5th.
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.
117734
Hero - a person admired for
courage, achievements and noble
qualities
This Memorial Day, we salute the
heroes of our Armed Forces past
and present for their courage and
dedication to our country.
Keith J. Thomas, MD, FACS
Board-Certifi ed General Surgeon
Blue Mountain Hospital • 541-575-1311
117816