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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 2019)
A16 NEWS Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, August 14, 2019 Fair Continued from Page A1 “We were fortunate to have really good board members and blessed with a bunch of good teachers,” he said. He oversaw the expan- sion of the school buildings as the student population was bursting at the seams. At one time during the mid- ’60s, enrollment for the then freshman through senior high school grew to about 455 with 100 seniors in the graduating class. Joyce’s 34-year career included teaching grades 4 through 7, and Dean worked for 28 years. One of Dean’s favorite parts of his job as superin- tendent was traveling to Izee and Seneca schools. “I tried to visit every week to make sure they felt part of the system,” he said, adding that both he and Joyce enjoyed the Seneca School Christmas programs. Today, the couple can still be seen attending Grant Union sporting events, cheering for the home teams. Over the years, Dean has offered up his skills volun- The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant County Fair staff members have been busy making preparations for the 110th fair. From left, office assistant Tanni Wenger, maintenance and fair support Dusty Williams and fairgrounds manager Mindy Winegar. teering for 4-H, the John Day Elks Lodge and the Grant County Shooting Sports club as well as various local boards and committees. Joyce’s service has included the Grant County Health Fair, American Red Cross, John Day Senior Cen- ter site council and Grant County Food Bank. Both Dean and Joyce have also volunteered for the American Legion Post and Auxiliary. Joyce said she enjoyed working with school children. “I always felt I was help- ing kids prepare for the future — that doesn’t stop,” she said. “I just like helping people, and I feel fortunate that I can do it.” She added, “All you need is for someone to come up and say, ‘Thank you for giv- ing of your time,’ and that just makes it all worthwhile.” The Nodines plan to ride in the Grant County Fair Parade in an old-fashioned horse-drawn cart driven by Rusty Clark with their fam- ily members following, rid- ing on a float. The parade starts at 11 a.m. Saturday. Fairgrounds manager Mindy Winegar has been busy with staff members, including maintenance and fair support Dusty Williams and office assistant Tanni Wenger, making prepara- tions for the big event. “Dusty’s been work- ing his tail off, getting the grounds ready,” Winegar said. “We’re rarin’ to go.” There is a lot to be excited about, from the livestock to the open class entries, as well as fair food and vendors. The fun starts with free day at the fair on Wednesday. This year’s big headliner is American country music band Parmalee, and lead singer Matt Thomas said they’re planning on bring- ing a high-energy and fun concert to the stage Friday evening with hits, includ- ing “Carolina” and “Be Alright” and many more. Britnee Kellogg of Portland, an American Idol contestant from seasons 11 and 12, will open for Parmalee at 7 p.m., and gates to the arena open at 6 p.m. For tickets visit eventbrite.com. Other entertainment at the fair, free with admission, include the Blue Moun- tain Old Time Fiddlers, trick roper Karen Quest and magician and comedy hyp- notist Nick Toombs. Other big draws are the youth live- stock auction and freestyle bullfighting with Hamsher Fighting Bulls on Satur- day evening, free with fair admission. Following the bullfights, country music singer Jessie Leigh will perform at the main stage, located on the fairgrounds field near the rides. The cost of admission to the fair Thursday-Saturday is $5 a day or $13 for the week per person. Admis- sion for seniors 65 and over and children 6-12 is $2 a day. Children 5 and under get in free. Parking passes are $3 a day or $10 for the week. Funtime Carnival informed Winegar the week of the fair that they would not be able to bring their attractions. Winegar said alternative activities are being planned. Cash refunds will be given at the fair office to people who have already purchased carnival passes. Fair passes can be pur- chased at Len’s Drug, Radio Shack, Boyer’s Store, Bar WB, Jonna’s Hair Care, Grant County Fairgrounds office and Grant County Chamber of Commerce. Golf Continued from Page A1 as “the best new golf expe- rience of the year.” The 1,177-yard McVeigh’s Gauntlet course includes par-3 and short par-4 holes and fea- tures goats as caddies. The leashed goat-caddies can tote a handful of clubs in leather golf bags up and down the course’s steep, rugged terrain. Golf Digest, with a circulation of 1.6 mil- lion, recognized the Hankins and Craddock courses as two of the top- four best new courses of 2018. Colby Marshall, the resort’s general man- ager, noted that was the first time any property had Contributed photos/David Zaitz A goat caddie follows a golfer at The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch. two new courses ranked in the top five in a single year. The Blue Mountain Healthcare Foundation would like to thank all the sponsors of 13th Annual Fundraiser Golf Scramble on July 27th. With the help of the generous players and this incredible community we were able to raise over $10,000! The Hankins and Craddock are reversible 18-hole courses designed TEAM SPONSORS Bank of Eastern Oregon Central Oregon Radiology Chester’s Thriftway Derek Daly Health Tech S3 NFP Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management Solutions CPA’s Southworth Brothers Ranch St. Charles Health System Strux Engineering Turn Key Medical Roof Creek Guttering Woodruff Sawyer & Co Levi & Kathryn Manitsas Burke Ranch Contributed photo/Silvies Valley Ranch The Chief Egan mountain meadow 9-hole golf course at The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch. by Dan Hixson. Nine greens are shared by the two courses, with a total of 27 greens, 17 fair- ways and 36 holes. Guests can also play the Chief Egan course, a mountain meadow 9-hole par-3 course. The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch, located in Grant County just south of Seneca, is a 34-room resort offer- ing luxurious accommo- dations, fine dining, a spa and a conference center. Golf Magazine recently recognized the Lodge at Silvies Valley Ranch as one of the 13 most spectacular golf course restaurants. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served ranch- style every day at long wooden tables shared by guests, staff and man- agement. The beef and chevon comes from grass- fed cows and free-range goats raised on the ranch, and the meat is USDA-cer- tified organic. Chef Damon Jones, recognized as a pre- miere ranch-to-table chef, was selected last year as the Chef of the Year by the Oregon Beef Council. Founded in 1883, the ranch’s 140,000 acres of deeded and leased land in Silvies Valley is home to mountain meadows, pon- derosa pine forests and the Silvies River drainage. Ranch hands manage 2,600 goats and 4,500 head of cattle. Court First, offenders must be in default for payment on their fines for at least a month without contacting the court before the court will mail one or two failure-to-com- ply letters to the offender, Stinnett said. If there’s still no response, the court will send a notice of license suspension to the Department of Motor Vehi- cles. The DMV will then give the offender 60 days to respond to the court. If they don’t respond after all that, then their license is suspended. But it can be reinstated, Stinnett pointed out. If the offender deals with the col- lection agency or Revenue Department and provides a satisfactory explana- tion to the court, Stinnett could return driving privi- leges to the offender at her discretion. “They must take respon- sibility, contact the court and make payments,” she said. the level of law enforcement activity and whether citizens want to file civil suits, such as landlord-tenant disputes or small claims cases. Oregon justice courts are required to file biannual reports to the legislature. The number of cases filed in Grant County Justice Court increased from 1,035 in the 2017 fiscal year to 1,345 in FY2018. The court held 486 hear- ings in addition to 24 traf- fic court dates in FY2018. It processed 300 potential jurors and maintained 125 for the year. That level of activity has been fairly con- sistent since then, Stinnett said. The court imposed $215,747 in fines in FY2018 but collected only $141,514. Civil cases amounted to 163 cases and $6,449 in civil revenue. A total of 284 cases were sent to collection agen- cies in the first eight months of 2018. Most people pay “pre- sumptive fines,” which is the amount set by statute that a defendant can pay to resolve a violation offense without having to appear in court. But offenders can contact the court later and provide a reason that might lower the fine, Stinnett said. About $3,000 in traffic fines was refunded in FY2018. The court awarded about $8,000 in restitution to 35 victims in FY2018. In a wild game case on private land, the victim received $3,000 in restitution, which was donated to local charities, Stinnett said. Continued from Page A1 must be $16 in full. Failure to pay HOLE SPONSORS 1188 Brewing Co. Ansel & Judy Krutsinger Bank of Eastern Oregon Best Western John Day Blue Mountain Hospital Auxiliary Dan & Chris Cronin Duke Warner Realty Gary & Virginia Miller Health Tech S3 Intermountain Law John Day True Value KJDY Keith Thomas, MD, FACS, Board Certifi ed General Surgeon Len’s Drug Les Schwab Tire Center Malheur Lumber Mary Ellen Brooks NFP Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management Old West Federal Credit Union Oregon Trail Electric Co-Op Subway The Law Offi ce of Robert Raschio Triangle Oil Turn Key Medical 135489 Some people, however, make little or no attempt to pay their fine or appear in court, Stinnett said. The bur- den is on the defendant to prove they are indigent and unable to pay a fine. A pro- cess exists that they can fol- low to make their case, she said. Lack of action by the defendant can lead to suspension of driving privileges. “Violations for driving while suspended or unin- sured are a chronic prob- lem,” Stinnett said. “The question is: How did these people get to this point?” Grant County Justice Court provides payment agreements based on what the offender can afford. But Stinnett maintains a “hard and fast rule” about fines and payments. “They must make their monthly payments on time or call the court to explain why they can’t,” she said. Those who don’t comply could find their debt placed in the hands of a private col- lection agency or the Ore- gon Department of Reve- nue. In addition to having their driver’s license sus- pended, show cause or arrest warrants could be issued. But this doesn’t happen overnight, Stinnett notes. Court volume Justice court is a local court of limited jurisdiction presided over by an elected justice of the peace. The court oversees traffic vio- lations, violation and mis- demeanor crimes, small claims up to $10,000, land- lord-tenant disputes and evictions and other civil matters. Caseload volume at the Grant County Justice Court goes up and down over time for a variety of reasons, Stin- nett said. Factors include whether the district attor- ney chooses to file a case,
