Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 2019)
NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, August 28, 2019 A9 The Eagle/Richard Hanners Ten volunteer members of the Prairie City Fire Department gathered at the fire hall Aug. 8 for their weekly meeting. From left are Chris Camarena Sr., Randy Hennen, Devin Packard, Carlos Bortell, Jonathan Lawrence, Chris Camarena Jr., Brandon Gillihan, Kirk Stebbens and Andy Hutzell. Kneeling in front is Chief Marvin Rynearson. Prairie City firefighters protect wide territory By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Marvin Rynearson started hanging out with the Prairie City Fire Department in 1968 when he was just 15 years old. He officially joined when he turned 16. Now the chief, he’ll mark his 51st year with the department in December. “We’ve always maintained a mentoring group,” he told the Eagle, noting that even now a few high school-aged kids are on the roster. The rural area protected by the department is wide ranging, cov- ering about 131 acres across the valley, extending from just past timberline at the north to just past timberline at the south. West to east, the rural protec- tion area runs from Pine Creek east to about 1 mile past the Conestoga wagon on Highway 26. The department is unique in the state for providing both wild- land and structure protection in its service area. All the firefighting equipment belongs to the rural side of the department — with the exception of the 1928 Model A Ford that runs down Front Street during each Fourth of July parade. The antique fire engine belongs to the city, Rynearson said. “We used it during a downtown fire about 30 years ago,” he said. The department has two Type 1 structure engines built in 1995 and two wildland engines — a Type 6 on loan from the federal govern- ment and a Type 4 6-by-6 mili- tary-style engine. It also has two tenders and a vehicle for the chief. Extrication equipment is kept in one of the Type 1 engines, he said. An all-volunteer depart- ment with about 20 on the roster, Rynearson said response varies depending on the season. Many of the local firefighters work on wildland crews in the summer. “That’s just the way it is,” he said. Rynearson said he could use about 10-15 more volunteers. Only 10 of the current roster are active, showing up at meetings and not just the big fires, and he’d prefer to see 20 active volunteers. The number of active volunteers REPORTER The Blue Mountain Eagle, a family-owned weekly newspaper in a stunningly beautiful Oregon community, seeks an energetic, dedicated reporter. The Eagle is located in John Day, where seeing deer in front yards is normal and traffic is unheard of, just three hours from Bend and Pendleton. Surrounded by scenic forests and dissected by mountain streams, the location offers year-round recreational opportunities, including fishing, hunting, backpacking, camping, snowmobiling and horseback riding. Despite the picturesque environment, the community is at the center of an evolving natural resource restoration economy, which gains statewide and even national attention. has declined some since the 1970s and 1980s. He recalled two fires that were downtown and difficult. A fire that destroyed a movie theater dating back to the silent era left a vacant lot on the south side of Front Street. “We did a good job of prevent- ing damage to the adjacent build- ings on that one,” he recalled. Another fire burned down the Jackson Apartments building where the post office stands now. “Those were trying fires,” he recalled. The November 2017 fire at the Strawberry Village Apartment complex tragically took the lives of two young children who were trapped upstairs. “We responded in seven min- utes at 3 a.m. in the morning,” Rynearson said. “You can’t beat that.” When the firefighters arrived, however, the staircase was gone and they had to find another access route. By then, it was too late, he said. Being a volunteer firefighter is rewarding if sometimes difficult or tragic. It provides a pathway to a career in firefighting with much of the same certification available from expensive schools. Anyone 18 or older who wants to learn more should come to one of their meetings in the fire hall at 142 S. Kilbourne St. every Thursday at 6 p.m., Rynearson said. COMING SOON IN YOUR BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLE! Get your 2019 Round-Up magazine FREE ($5 value) when you purchase the Sept. 4 edition of the Blue Mountain Eagle newspaper. Despite the small-town charm, the residents are engaged and politically active in local and national debates, and hard-hitting stories are never hard to find. Ongoing topics include state and federal policies, forest health, logging, public lands grazing, water supply, wildlife habitat improvements and wildfire resilience, in addition to coverage of small-town life and local government. The position offers a wealth of breaking news and enterprise opportunities. Serving the community for more than 150 years, the Eagle is the oldest weekly newspaper in Oregon and is part of EO Media Group, an award- winning and innovative news organization with an active family of owners. This position offers excellent advancement opportunities in a company that prefers to hire from within. EO Media Group owns 14 newspapers and journals that provide accurate, fair and timely reporting about the people and issues impacting the communities we serve in the Pacific Northwest, reflecting the responsibility and spirit of a free press. We seek a journalist who is passionate about local news and excited about the opportunity to publish in print, online and through social media. Candidates must be able to develop story ideas, take photographs, develop sources, prepare website and social media updates and work in a cooperative team environment. Journalistic integrity is a must. Journalism education or experience is required for this full-time position offering insurances, a 401(k)/401(k) Roth retirement plan and paid time off (PTO). Send resume, letter of interest and up to five clips to EO Media Group, P.O. Box 2048, Salem, OR 97308-2048; by fax to (503) 371-2935 or by email to hr@eomediagroup.com. To subscribe, call 541 575-0710 or log onto https://www.bluemountaineagle.com/subscribe-now/ 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, Oregon 135210
