A16
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Eagle file photos
The main building at Dayville School.
Schools
Continued from Page A1
days and Tuesday and Thurs-
day being B days,” Uptmor
said. “One day they will take
four classes and the next day
they will take four different
classes, and that would alter-
nate back and forth throughout
the week.”
The purpose behind this
schedule is to reduce the
amount of transitions that stu-
dents have for classes.
“Because the amount of
active cases in Grant County is
0, we would start our day reg-
ular start time and end regular
end time,” Uptmor said before
Prairie City School.
a second case was announced
Monday.
Uptmor said they have
received comments from par-
ents asking if it would be pos-
sible for their kids to be edu-
cated from home, and he said
yes. Administrators are look-
ing at options. Uptmor said he
submitted a plan to the Grant
County Health Department,
which suggested changes, and
he will post an updated plan
to the school website when
completed.
For Prairie City, Superin-
tendent Casey Hallgarth said
they also plan to have in-per-
son teaching, but will have an
alternative option for students
who do not want to attend
school in person.
Monument School.
“When we reopen, we are
going to be an on-site school,
but our goal is to bring back as
many normalcy and routines
as we can and do it in the saf-
est manner,” Hallgarth said.
“We’re hiring extra staff to
clean, and our goal is to work
with the community.”
A more finalized plan will
be ready on Aug. 4, as soon
as it is approved by the school
board. Details will then be
posted on pcsd4.com.
Hallgarth anticipates having
seven periods a day for high
school and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for
elementary school.
In Monument, Superinten-
dent Laura Thomas said they
are lucky enough to have large
classrooms that provide them
Grant Union High School.
with the ability to plan for all
students to return for in-per-
son instruction in the fall while
making plans for compre-
hensive distance learning if
there are any families who are
unable to return for in-person
instruction.
“While the school year will
not look the same as the past,
desks will be spaced 6 feet
apart, less physical contact,
and lots and lots of handwash-
ing, to name a few; the hustle
and bustle of the students will
fill our buildings once again
and students will have the abil-
ity to be in the same room as
their teacher to receive instruc-
tion, and that is a great thing,”
Thomas said.
They are also in the process
of finalizing their plan, and
there have been many hours
of reading guidance, attend-
ing webinars and meeting with
staff to plan for the upcoming
school year.
Thomas added that plans
have to be submitted for
approval to the Grant County
Health Department, shared with
the school board and submitted
to Oregon Department of Edu-
cation no later than Aug. 15, but
they plan to have it finalized in
the next couple of weeks.
Dayville Superintendent
Kathryn Hedrick said they
plan to open on-site but need
to be ready to spring into dis-
tance learning in case of a rise
in cases.
While Dayville will have
more details closer to the start
of the new school year, Hed-
rick would like parents to com-
municate their concerns and
ideas for the next school year.
She added that she began
telephone conversations with
parents last week and is work-
ing through the list. Families
can call her if they have not
been contacted by her.
Each administrator stated,
if a parent has a concern, com-
ment or question, they should
call the school administrators
and let them know.
“We are working to make
sure each kid will be safe,”
Uptmor said.
The Eagle has reached out
to Long Creek School District
but has not heard back.
Contributed photo/Grant
County Assessor’s Office
Tim Jewell’s property near
Kimberly after a fire devas-
tated his home July 1.
Fire
Continued from Page A1
and the help he received
after the incident.
“Dennis and Linda
(Abraham) took me up to
their house, insisted that
I stay in their nice camp
trailer and Linda fed me
good food,” Jewell said.
“The whole thing has been
overwhelming.”
While Jewell was
saved and from the fire,
all of his possessions were
lost except the shoes and
clothes on his back.
“The history that I had...
my God, I had diaries of
the Oregon Trail that were
in my family, photos from
way back and I had an
uncle that was with Napo-
leon written up and and
now they’re all gone,” Jew-
ell said. “I can’t replace it.
Your life is gone when that
happens.”
Despite what was lost
in the fire, Jewell has been
taken aback by the abun-
dance of support provided
by the community mem-
bers around him.
He said, while Osbourne
and Abraham saved his
life, it’s hard for him not
to thank and acknowledge
everybody who helped out
and continues to help.
Jewell also said he was
glad for the quick response
from neighbors, ODF and
Monument Fire.
Ed Falls, a neighbor,
said thanks to the quick
action, the neighboring
ranches were saved, pre-
venting a devastating
wildfire.
Eagle file photo
Britnee Kellogg was the opening act for the Grant County Fair concert last year.
Funding
Continued from Page A1
However,
lawmakers
stalled and did not take any
legislative action on the pro-
posal by walking out to kill
a proposed climate change
bill.
Sen. Lynn
Findley,
R-Vale, said
Friday that he
has not seen
the final draft
of the Ways
and Means
Sen. Lynn
Subcommit-
Findley
tee budget,
but he did
hear about the proposed cut.
“I’ve heard the million
dollar number for the county
fairs more than once,” he
said. “I’ve not seen it in writ-
ing yet.”
He said $50 million was
allocated to venues, includ-
ing county fairgrounds, ear-
lier this week in an emergency
board meeting to offset losses
and operational costs.
Findley said fairs cannot
www.MyEagleNews.com
Eagle file photo
Reitta Wyllie, who was the 2015 Grant County Fair and Rodeo Queen, rides in last year’s parade down Main Street in John Day.
replace a budget shortfalls,
but if they spent money for a
COVID-19-related cost, they
can apply for reimbursement
of that cost.
Findley said the state has
to balance the budget amid
the economic downturn
during the pandemic, and that
there are tough times ahead.
“We’ve got to find $3 bil-
lion,” he said.
He said he hopes the state
makes budget decisions “stra-
tegically and carefully” with-
out raising taxes.
“We have to maintain the
economic development com-
ponent, and we have to keep
businesses operational and
viable,” Findley said.
He said it would be “dev-
astating” for the state should
county fairs not be able to
return in 2021.
“It’s an incredible com-
munity event,” he said.
“Whether you’re in Eugene
and Linn County, or in Grant
County, it brings family fam-
ilies together. It’s a gathering
point in rural counties.”
Fair
lic, kick off Aug. 9 with lamb
weigh-in and showman-
ship. Lamb market and goat
weigh-in will be Aug. 10,
small animal, beef weigh-in
and showmanship will be Aug.
11, swine weigh-in and show-
manship will be Aug. 12 and
swine market will be Aug. 13,
Booth said.
Keerins Hall will be limited
to one-way foot traffic, and
contact information for contact
tracing will be taken. Addi-
tional hand-washing stations
will be brought in, and social
distance monitors will ensure
the audience is maintaining
appropriate distance and wear-
ing face masks indoors, Booth
said.
Continued from Page A1
appointment only as well.
The modified livestock
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6pm
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6pm
Friday
8am
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