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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2019)
A6 NEWS Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, October 16, 2019 John Day considers downtown parking options By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle Discussions on parking in downtown John Day con- tinued during the John Day City Council meeting on Oct. 8. The council talked about how to better indicate where parking is currently avail- able, if there is a need for more parking spaces and how to improve the ameni- ties of the parking spots. “Probably right now where we stand, we have capacity,” said Councilor Shannon Adair about park- ing. “It’s really about let- ting people know where the parking is. We are look- ing at some growth, and the tourism that is coming in is bringing a lot more people. I think it’s beneficial to look at additional parking, and I think we need to consider how much more parking do we need.” Adair attended the 2019 Oregon Main Street Confer- ence in Tillamook and came The Eagle/Rudy Diaz From left, John Day City Councilors David Holland, Paul Smith, Shannon Adair, City Manager Nick Green and John Day Mayor Ron Lundbom discuss downtown parking options in John Day. back with ideas for the coun- cil to consider. She learned to ask whether the city needed more parking spots to accommodate for two months out of the year. She then brought up the impor- tance of walking through downtown. “You want people to walk around town and to be able to have a walking experi- ence and to be able to see the downtown places,” Adair said. “It’s not the goal to have parking imme- diately for your store. It’s about working together as a downtown association to create an experience and environment for people to enjoy.” City Manager Nick Green talked about poten- tial lots available for park- ing. The Chevrolet park- ing lot was mentioned first as potential property to buy at $60,000 for the acquisi- tion cost. A parking lot there could allow an area for pub- lic restrooms, which John Day does not have. On the east side of John Day, next to city hall, there is a huge city-owned lot that is poorly configured and can provide signage and a possi- ble resting spot, according to Green. The lot behind Dreamers Lodge was the last piece of property discussed. While not as visible for drivers when compared to the other options, the lot can provide parking for business owners and employees. This would free up spaces behind the businesses on main street. Green said, if they were GOLF Magazine ranks Silvies No. 3 family resort in North America Blue Mountain Eagle GOLF Magazine has named The Retreat, Links & Spa at Silvies Valley Ranch the No. 3 Family Resort in North America in the pub- lication’s Top 100 Resorts issue for 2019-2020. The rankings are the first, most comprehensive review of elite destinations in North America and are the most expansive edito- rial project that the pub- lication has undertaken, according to a Silvies press release. The list, published in the October issue, was comprised by GOLF Mag- azine’s team of editors along with course raters and readers who evaluated and considered hundreds of resorts. “The guest experience and overall philosophy at Silvies is grounded in fun, educational opportunities Contributed photo/David Zaitz Chipping onto a green at The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch. that create lasting memo- ries for families and chil- dren of all ages,” said Scott Campbell, owner of Sil- vies Valley Ranch. “This honor recognizes our mis- sion to create a true West- ern adventure that can be shared among family and friends, and we are so proud to be included in such a prestigious ranking in the golf industry.” The resort features the reversible routing of the 18-hole Hankins and Crad- dock courses, the sev- en-hole McVeigh’s Gaunt- let challenge course and the nine-hole Chief Egan course, where guests are invited to play with Sil- vies’ goat caddies, each equipped with a first-of-its- kind goat caddie backpack. The goat caddie program was awarded the Best New Golf Experience in 2018 by GOLF Magazine. This award adds to the long list of accolades in golf and travel publications in 2019 for Silvies Valley Ranch, including 2019 Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play (No. 32, Hankins) (No. 40, Craddock), 2019 Best Courses You Can Play By State (No. 5, Hankins) (No. 6, Craddock) by Golfweek, Best New Courses: 2018 (No. 3, Craddock) (No. 4, Hankins) by Golf Digest and Top Golf Resorts in the U.S. by Robb Report. The resort features luxu- rious accommodations and ranch-to-table dining with top-of-the-line amenities for those looking for adven- tures on and off the golf course. For more information, visit silvies.us. Communtiy Presentation Integrated Timber Harvest, Vegetation and Road Management for Elk and other Wildlife to acquire the two lots, then there will be an intent to develop the areas. The council discussed the possibility of forming a local improvement district, using city funds and grant funds as possible funding options. Adair said they need to get the merchants involved and share with them the parking plans. No decisions were made, and the city council decided to wait for a notional devel- opment plan that will look into the costs of each of these sites and how this could be funded, which is expected to be on the agenda for the next city council meeting. In other city news: • The city hired Daisy Goebel, a recent graduate from the University of Ore- gon, as the associate city planner. Some of her tasks include assisting with code enforcement, reviewing site design, property line adjust- ments and helping with some long-range planning such as the five-year natural hazard mitigation plan. • The council approved a new logo for the city of John Day, which is part of a branding project for the city and can be modified if needed. • During a work ses- sion with the city council and planning commission, a draft of proposed changes in the City of John Day Devel- opment Code focused on temporary housing using recreational vehicles. Proposed changes include prohibiting RV use for residential purposes out- side of an approved RV park. There would be some exceptions, such as dwelling in an RV while construct- ing a house or while caring for a relative or other special circumstances. There would be a max- imum time limit of 18 months for dwelling in an RV during the construction of a house. RV owners car- ing for sick family members would have to renew their permits yearly. Putney the new forestry and natural resources Extension agent Blue Mountain Eagle Jacob Putney is the new Oregon State University For- estry and Natural Resources Extension agent in Baker and Grant counties. Putney, who is based in Baker City, succeeds Bob Parker, who retired in December, according to a press release. As the Extension forester for Baker and Grant coun- ties, Putney’s focus areas include forest health, silvi- culture, private forest land management, reforestation, invasive species, wildfire, biomass and bioenergy, water resources, forest productiv- ity, forest restoration, collab- orative conservation and out- door recreation. He will also coordinate Master Woodland Manager volunteers in the two counties. Putney, a member of the Society of American Forest- ers, is responsible for plan- ning, developing, deliver- ing and evaluating a variety of educational programs. He will hold classes, workshops, short courses, seminars, field tours and webinars. He will serve as a resource for wood- land owners, homeowners who live on the edges of for- ests and professional natu- ral resource managers such as foresters and forest workers. Putney, an OSU alumnus, will collaborate with conser- vation groups and watershed councils, policymakers, forest products firms, tribes, youth and eco- nomic devel- opment offi- cials. He will con- duct applied research in Jacob Putney c o o p e r a - tion with his OSU colleagues and state and federal agencies. As a youth in his home- town of Canby, Putney spent a lot of time in the woods. He has fond memories of fishing with his grandfather and cut- ting firewood with his father. He became interested in Extension while working as an undergraduate for Steve Fitz- gerald, professor and Exten- sion specialist and director of College of Forestry Research Forests. “I have a passion for learning and contributing to the field of forestry,” Putney said. “I have a strong desire to help those who are genu- inely interested in learning, and working with research- ers, professionals, and wood- land owners to develop approaches/solutions to key issues.” He holds two degrees from OSU, a bachelor’s in forest management and a recently completed master’s in sus- tainable forest management. At OSU, he served as the lead author on several research reports involving Douglas-fir. He also published two arti- cles in Western Forester, a publication of the Society of American Foresters. Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Friday 8am - 5pm Mendy Sharpe FNP 139101 Apppointments available Presentation Topics include: • Th e use of silviculture and fi re to manage vegetation for elk and other wildlife • Integrating vegetation and road management to meet multiple objectives that include retaining elk on public lands and minimizing elk impacts to private lands • Successful examples and methods of public involvement • Presenters: Michael Wisdom, PNW Research Station & Darren Clark, ODFW October 17, 2019 • 6:30-8 p.m. Grant County Regional Airport Music Lessons: Piano lessons by Jamie Wyllie-Lupien available for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, for 3-month sessions per time slot. Slots are limited so register soon. Basic Drawing Class: Ongoing, Wednesdays through November 6, at 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Arts After School: Ongoing, Mon-Thus 3:30 - 5:45 PM, and Fri 8:00 AM - 5:45 PM. Follows school calendar. Youth Arts Program: Ongoing, Monday 6:00 PM rehearsals through December. 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