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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 31, 2019)
The Blue Mountain EAGLE Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 INSIDE THIS EDITION Wednesday, July 31, 2019 151st Year • No. 31 • 16 Pages • $1.00 MyEagleNews.com Coordination hearing draws discussion Proposed ordinance identifies eight objectives By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle A county ordinance that would formally invoke coordination with state and federal agencies for nat- ural resource planning drew equal numbers of supporters and oppo- nents during the July 24 Grant County Court meeting. Grant County Judge Scott Myers said he personally felt the county was working closer with the U.S. Forest Service than six months or 20 years ago. He wasn’t sure if the ordinance was needed or defensible in court. New language The draft ordinance cites state and federal laws and calls for preserving the customs, culture and economic stability of Grant County’s citizens. It also calls for protect- ing the environ- ment and prop- erty rights. “State and federal agen- cies develop- ing plans, pro- grams and projects which may affect pri- vate citizens Grant County who contrib- Judge Scott ute to the eco- Myers listens to nomic stability discussion during of Grant County the July 24 court shall assure that meeting. serious consid- eration is given to protecting the environment without depriving county citizens of their economic sta- bility and private property rights and way of life,” the ordinance states. The ordinance identifies eight objectives, including: • Significant consequences of pro- posed state or federal actions should be disclosed to decision makers and the public. • Means to mitigate adverse impacts to the environment should be identified. • Intergovernmental coordination and cooperation should be ensured. • Conflict between county and state or federal personnel should be minimized. To achieve these objectives, the county court will establish regulations and policies by which the county can DEMOLITION DERBY • Patterson takes first • Law named Most Aggressive Driver By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle A relatively dry rodeo arena made for fast driving at Sat- urday’s demolition derby, but a good dousing by an Iron Tri angle water truck at halftime didn’t slow down the action. A large crowd turned out for the Whis- key Gulch Gang’s annual derby at the Grant County Fairgrounds. Ten cars entered the two heats, but only eight made it to the main event. Steve Patterson of Prairie City took first place in the main event and a $2,000 prize. Chad Law of Mt. Vernon took sec- ond and $1,000. Patterson’s son Mike of Pendleton took third place and $500. Law also was named Most Aggres- sive Driver and took home a Craftsman air compressor donated by Nydam’s Ace Hardware. Joey Reyes of Idaho, who took sec- ond in the first heat but was unable to get his car ready for the main event, was the Hard Luck winner, with a trophy and free entry to next year’s derby. Wayne Saul of Mt. Vernon was last year’s winner, but he entered a different car this year that won the Beauty Con- test. He made it to the main event but was knocked out of the running. Keith Dougharity of Mt. Vernon drove Saul’s Eagle photos/Richard Hanners Trophy winners for the 2019 Whiskey Gulch Gang Demolition Derby include, from left, Joey Reyes, Homedale, Idaho, Hard Luck Award and second in heat one; Mike Patterson, Pendleton, third in main event; Chad Law, Mt. Vernon, second in main event and Most Aggressive Driver award; Steve Patterson, Prairie City, first in main event and first in heat one; Chase Jeys, Prineville, first in heat two; and Mark Jeys, Prineville, second in heat two. LEFT: Keith Dougharity, Mt. Vernon, works on a ball joint repair during halftime. TOP PHOTO: Car No. 88, driven by Mike Patterson, Prairie City, rams car No. 52, driven by Joey Reyes, Homedale, Idaho. See Derby, Page A16 See Hearing, Page A16 Inland Street bridge to be fixed By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Good news for residents of Can- yon City, students and staff in Grant School District 3 and county resi- dents: The Inland Street bridge over Canyon Creek will be repaired and lifted 2 feet higher to protect it from future flooding. The solution emerged during the Grant County Court’s July 24 meet- ing when an unusually low engi- neering bid prompted the court to agree to split the out-of-pocket con- struction expenses with Canyon City. The upgraded bridge could be ready for traffic by Oct. 1, Mayor Steve Fischer told the court. Past flooding The 27-foot long two-lane bridge, located just upstream from the Grant Union track and football field, was closed when Canyon Creek topped the bridge during April flooding. Crews maintained watch over the bridge during the flood, pulling debris and eventually removing the pedestrian walkway attached to it. The upstream Nugget Street bridge was reopened after an engi- neer was able to inspect it during low water, but a weight limit restric- tion prevents school buses from using it. The closing of Inland Street bridge has placed a hardship on the school district, restricting bus routes for getting children to Humbolt Ele- mentary School. The problem has lingered for years with no easy solution. Canyon City, with seven bridges, lacks the finances to repair the Inland Street bridge on its own. Fischer recalled a large grant to fix the bridge that required a $140,000 match the city did not have. Fischer noted that during the 2011 flood, there was talk about the county taking ownership of Inland Street and the bridge, including a public comment by former Commis- sioner Boyd Britton. “He’s not here now,” Grant County Judge Scott Myers told Fischer during the court meeting, adding that he had concerns about the county taking over liability and maintenance for the bridge. When asked about a recent fed- eral disaster declaration and the possibility that Federal Emergency Management Administration fund- ing could cover the cost of the bridge repair, Fischer said his experience The Eagle/Richard Hanners Canyon City resident Garth Leighton speaks to the Grant County Court about a proposal to upgrade the Inland Street Bridge on July 24. with federal assistance has been long delays and little production. See Bridge, Page A16
