INDIAN CREEK FIRE NEAR JUNTURA GROWS TO 9,000 ACRES | PAGE A5
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
152nd Year • No. 34 • 14 Pages • $1.50
MyEagleNews.com
Cohorts, masks and social distancing at school
Grant County schools are back on
track for opening their doors but
are prepared if COVID-19 cases rise
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County students coming
back to school buildings this fall will
experience an unorthodox year due to
COVID-19, but school administrators
and staff are committed to providing a
safe space for education while adher-
ing to state guidelines.
The Oregon Department of Educa-
tion announced on Aug. 11 new met-
ric guidelines for schools in smaller
populated areas, which will tenta-
tively allow schools in Grant County
to open their doors.
“THERE’S GOING TO BE SOME DIFFERENCES, BUT THE GOOD
THING IS THE KIDS GET TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL AND SEE
THEIR FRIENDS ... AND GET A PROPER EDUCATION.”
Grant
School
Casey
District 3 Superin-
tendent Bret Uptmor
Hallgarth
said they are open-
ing onsite at Hum-
bolt
Elementary,
Seneca Elementary
and Grant Union
Junior-Senior High
School. Some of
Bret
the biggest changes
Uptmor
students will notice
immediately
on
campus are the requirements for
masks, the distance required between
students, the emphasis on proper
Grant County
Court drafts
letter in support
of rolling back
logging rule
Comment period open
on proposal to eliminate
Eastside Screens
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County Court voted to send a
letter to the U.S. Forest Service in sup-
port of rolling back its prohibition against
cutting down trees larger than 21 inches
in diameter as the agency opens up a
30-day comment period on a proposal to
remove the provision known as the East-
side Screens.
The 25-year-old provision prevents
the logging of trees that exceed 21 inches
in diameter at breast height in six national
forests in Eastern Oregon and Washing-
ton, including the Malheur National For-
est. It was adopted, at the time, as a tem-
porary set of rules to protect streams,
rivers and other wildlife habitat.
The 21-inch rule is now being recon-
sidered as overcrowding trees pose risks
to wildlife habitat, according to a press
release from the Forest Service.
Shane Jefferies, forest supervisor with
the Ochoco National Forest, said in a
press release that priorities have shifted
in the 25 years since the 21-inch rule was
put in place.
“Adjusting the 21-inch rule limitation
to reflect the learning over the 25 years
would help streamline restoration of for-
ests in Eastern Oregon and make it eas-
ier to create landscapes that withstand
and recover more quickly from wildfire,
drought and other disturbances,” he said.
The proposed revision would make
the rule into a guideline instead of the
mandate that land managers and loggers
must follow.
See Rule, Page A14
—Casey Hallgarth, Prairie City School superintendent
hygiene and the need for cohorts, or
assigned groups.
Uptmor said students are required
to wear masks, which will be avail-
able at each school building for stu-
dents who do not have their own.
“From the standpoint of the dis-
trict, we will have masks available for
those that aren’t able to come with a
mask. We will have those on site at
each school,” Uptmor said.
When kids enter school buildings,
they will need to use hand sanitizer
provided by the school or wash their
hands.
“I think that’s a scary thing for
some parents, which is using too
much hand sanitizer,” Uptmor said.
“We don’t have to use hand sanitizer.
We can use soap and water.”
Students arriving and depart-
ing from school will also be done in
cohorts of up to 50.
“At the high school, they’re plan-
ning on arriving with certain groups
of students arriving at one door spread
out and being able to monitor the stu-
dents arriving and giving them direc-
tion to the right place so we maintain
our cohorts,” Uptmor said. “At Hum-
bolt they were looking at doing some-
thing similar, different entrances for
different groups.”
While the cohort plan is currently
being reworked, the goal is to have
students enter and exit buildings in a
staggered way, which will help cre-
ate and maintain the 6 feet distance
between students.
“You can’t just release 200 kids
and expect them to be 6 feet apart,”
Uptmor said. “We’ve got a lot of prac-
ticing to do with our students to meet
See School, Page A14
The parade
must go on
Grant County residents rally through
John Day for Grant County Fair parade
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
H
orses, candy being tossed, a person standing high on stilts, children cooling down
spectators with water and more entertained the audience during this year’s Grant
County Fair parade.
Participants of the parade gathered at Grant Union High school where they were
organized into different categories for the parade on Aug. 15. Grant County Sheriff
Glenn Palmer led the parade as the United States flag flew on the right side of his vehicle and his
lights flashed.
Grant County Fair grand marshal John
Aasness soon followed in his float that
tossed candy to the audience. Throughout
the parade, participants provided many items
to spectators such as plastic Frisbees, pam-
phlets and a chance to get soaked with water.
Grant County Fair
and Rodeo Queen
NEXT WEEK
Kelsei Kiser and Prin-
cess
Katelyn Barker
See full fair re-
waved and smiled at
sults and more
the spectators.
coverage in
Many organiza-
next week’s
tions
in the county,
The Eagle/Rudy Diaz
edition.
campaigns for elected Representatives from many organizations in Grant
positions, representa- County gathered together to celebrate the annual
tives from other rodeos and a wide variety Grant County Fair parade.
of off road vehicles had the chance to enjoy
a parade that other counties in the state had to cancel on due to COVID-19.
Majestic Grove, 16, the Hells Canyon Junior Rodeo Queen, was excited at the chance to par-
ticipate in a parade with her horse Tough. She was also excited because this was her first parade
on horseback, and this was also a first-time experience for Tough as well.
See Parade, Page A14
Livestock auction brings in
$25,000 more than last year
volunteers, and local officials, vowed to
hold something for the community and
especially 4-H and FFA youth, said the
The Grant County Fairgrounds sat eerily fair is one of the few social events that
silent during the fair this year, as the
do not divide the residents along
amusement park rides, food ven-
political or any other socio-
economic lines.
dors, demolition derby and
That
sentiment,
headline concert act long asso-
ciated with the traditional
ahead of the team
expo were conspicuously
branding competi-
tion, was captured
absent amid the COVID-19
by the event’s
pandemic.
emcee: “Today,
The few activities the fair
for the next cou-
board and staff were able to sal-
ple of hours, we are
vage — the youth livestock
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell going to forget about
auction, team branding and
dog trials — did what the lon- Tim and Laura Brown of everything else going
gest-running fair has always Treavan Boer Goats bid on on in the world.”
done: It brought the commu- an animal Saturday.
Fair board member
nity together.
Courtney Montague, in her
“The fair has always brought everyone second year, said as a kid growing up in Union
together,” Grant County Fair Manager Mindy County, she looked forward to the county fair
Winegar said.
See Fair, Page A14
Winegar, who, along with the fair board,
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Rudy Diaz
A Grant County Fair parade
participant walks on stilts.