COMMUNITY
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
A3
City hosts regional
economic symposium
Contributed photo/Teresa Aasness
Children received a free helmet and fitting from Debi
Hueckman at the Grant County Safe Communities
Coalition’s booth.
Families First hosts another
successful Family Fun Day
12th annual event
draws a crowd
to John Day
city park
for older ones.
“It’s always fun to see
kids and show them how
to wear their helmet and
explain why it’s so import-
ant,” Hueckman said.
“Knees and elbows heal,
but brains don’t always.
Protecting your brain is
why we wear helmets.”
Among
the
other
booths were the Chester’s
Thriftway ring toss, the
Grant County Childcare
Resource & Referral ball
and basket toss and Straw-
berry Wilderness Commu-
nity Clinic was passing out
sunscreen sample packets.
Patti Wright at the Fron-
tier Early Learning Hub
booth was giving par-
ent surveys to determine
what the parent educa-
tion needs are in the area,
and those filling out a sur-
vey received a free book.
The Grant-Harney county
organization received an
Oregon parent education
grant, Aasness said.
Visitors could fill up on
an inexpensive lunch, and
when the day was over,
240 hamburgers were sold,
as well as 152 hot dogs and
200 snow cones, each sell-
ing for just $1.
Families also enjoyed a
free swim at Gleason Pool
during the event.
Aasness said Families
First does all the planning
for the big event, including
finding sponsorships and
organizing volunteers.
“I think it’s amazing,”
she said.
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Children
came
in
droves to Saturday’s 12th
annual Family Fun Day
at the John Day city park,
along with parents and
other family members and
friends.
Young and old enjoyed
the day set aside to cel-
ebrate families, visiting
16 booths, including the
ever-popular
inflatables
with 171 kids registered
for them.
The Ninja Warrior Race
inflatable obstacle course
made a return for a sec-
ond year, and the inflatable
bouncy house and slides
were also a hit.
Families First Parent
Resource Center Executive
Director Teresa Aasness
said she enjoyed watching
kids and adults take on the
Ninja Warrior Race.
She said it was the
younger children who
seemed to have a better
handle on it.
“It’s popular with kids
of all ages,” she said.
Debi Hueckman of
Grant County Safe Com-
munities Coalition was
manning a booth this year,
handing out brand new
helmets in a free exchange
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
About 45 government
officials and professionals
attended the Regional Eco-
nomic Diversification Sum-
mit hosted by the city of
John Day on June 10-11.
The purpose of the REDS
event was to show federal
funding agencies and per-
mitting agencies the strate-
gic investments the city has
been making in housing,
broadband, riverfront rec-
reation areas and economic
development, City Manager
Nick Green said.
“The event introduced
elements of our compre-
hensive economic develop-
ment strategy, which builds
on the city’s 2017 Strategy
for Growth by identifying
opportunities for economic
expansion and population
growth,” Green told the
Eagle.
Representatives
from
the Economic Develop-
ment Administration, USDA
Rural Development, Federal
Emergency Administration,
Federal Highway Adminis-
tration, Forest Service and
Federal Reserve Bank of
San Francisco were invited
to the summit.
State agencies invited to
attend included the depart-
ments of Land Conservation
and Development, Environ-
mental Quality, Fish and
Wildlife, Transportation and
Parks and Recreation.
Representatives from the
offices of Sens. Ron Wyden
and Jeff Merkley and Rep.
Greg Walden, the state
offices of Business Oregon
and Regional Solutions, and
the Oregon Trail Electri-
cal Cooperative were also
invited.
“Gov. Kate Brown called
in and gave the concluding
remarks, thanking the par-
ticipants and re-emphasizing
Contributed photo
John Day agricultural project leader Matt Manitsas, checkered shirt, leads a tour of John
Day’s new commercial greenhouses during the Regional Economic Diversification Summit
in John Day on June 11.
Contributed photo
Forty-five government officials and professionals attended
the Regional Economic Diversification Summit in John Day
on June 11.
the state’s ongoing support
for the work we’re doing,”
Green said.
Consultants for the city
included the Walker Macy
landscape architecture firm,
which provided an over-
view of the city’s area plan
concept. EcoNorthwest pre-
sented the economic context
for our economic develop-
ment strategy and the focus
areas, Green said.
City staff took partici-
pants on a tour of the Inno-
vation Gateway project at
the former Oregon Pine mill
site, the city’s commercial
greenhouses and the pro-
posed integrated park sys-
tem of riverfront trails,
beaches and parks. During a
stop at the Kam Wah Chung
State Heritage Site, state
park manager Dennis Brad-
ley provided a brief history
of the site, Green said.
“Participants then had
the opportunity to work in
teams to identify funding
opportunities and discuss
ways the city could pursue
various aspects of our strat-
egy,” Green said.
Rhys Roth, from the
Center for Sustainable
Infrastructure in Olym-
pia, Washington, facili-
tated a discussion of financ-
ing opportunities for the
city’s proposed wastewater
treatment plant and hydro-
ponic greenhouses, the John
Day River riparian corri-
dor and outdoor recreation,
as well as streets, business
development and academic
opportunities.
The city hopes to use the
greenhouses to incubate a
local food production indus-
try by establishing a partner-
ship with regional growers,
food outlets and distribu-
tors and creating a “focused
learning center,” according
to the city’s presentation.
The city also hopes to
“amplify the brand of John
Day to attract more visitors
and residents,” seek partner-
ships to enhance and sup-
port existing businesses and
attract new entrepreneurs to
John Day, according to the
city’s presentation.
“It was an incredible
event, to see so many dif-
ferent agencies and indi-
viduals coming together to
find ways to help us suc-
ceed,” Green said. “To have
a group of this caliber work-
ing together for one city is
truly remarkable. It felt great
to see their support, and I
think it will generate some
good opportunities for the
city in the future.”
Youth Arts Program now led by Juniper Arts Council
this year. Opportunities
for the fall term will be
announced as soon as they
are available.”
Goodwin
described
the position at Slater as
a “dream job,” and said
the staff there have been
welcoming.
“The hard part is leav-
ing YAP,” she said. “Some
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant County Youth
Arts Program, which started
in 2014, will undergo a
change this year.
The program, founded
by Rebecca Bogardus and
Janine Goodwin, has pro-
vided opportunities for
youth ages 4-18 to learn
fine art, drama and music
through a summer pro-
gram called “Summer at the
YAP.”
Youths and adults also
practiced in music groups
and presented winter and
spring concerts to showcase
their talents, and a pilot pro-
gram offering music lessons
for Dayville School stu-
dents started in the spring
of 2018.
Bogardus moved out of
state last year, and Goodwin
announced at the group’s
May 10 “Music of the
Western Hemisphere” con-
cert that she has accepted a
position as music teacher at
Slater Elementary School in
Burns and will step down as
YAP director.
The Youth Arts Program
has received support from
the local Juniper Arts Coun-
cil since 2015 and will now
be led by the council.
“Currently, the Juni-
per Arts Council is work-
ing to keep the YAP a vital
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Youth guitarists play a selection at the May 10 concert. The
group of eight guitarists were led by Levana James.
part of arts education and
performance opportunities
in Grant County,” coun-
cil president Kris Beal
said. “The JAC has can-
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of the students have been
with us since the beginning
in 2014.”
She said she’ll miss
all the youth and adults
involved
with
the
program.
“It’s been an honor to
be part of their growth
as musicians and a joy to
watch them learn,” she said,
adding several teachers and
advisers have been espe-
cially helpful.
“I’m especially proud of
our string orchestra, the first
I know of in Grant County,”
she said.
Goodwin said in what-
ever way YAP continues or
transforms, “it will continue
to get better.”