NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
A3
Christmas on the Prairie moved to Dec. 5
A kickoff to the
Christmas Season
delayed but
happening
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Santa had to postpone his
visit to Prairie City, but it
looks like he’ll now be com-
ing to town for Christmas on
the Prairie on Dec. 5.
The holiday event was
originally scheduled for Nov.
21, but the two-week state-
wide COVID-19 freeze from
Nov. 18 to Dec. 2 delayed the
event, according to Wanda
Winegar, a longtime merchant
and one of several organizers
of the event.
The restrictions from the
state mandate limited many
activities, such as the shop-
ping at bazaars and stores, so
the event was moved to the
first Saturday after the two-
week period. Many activities
originally listed in the event
are still tentatively scheduled
to happen, but the carriage
rides are up in the air due to
the carriage company possibly
having another job in Idaho at
the same time.
Organizers had already
decided to cut other events as
well such as the 5K run and
the kids crafts. However, Win-
egar said there will be other
events and sales at bazaars and
shops that the community can
enjoy.
“I think things will be a lit-
tle quieter, but hopefully peo-
ple can enjoy the shopping,
activities and friendship,”
Winegar said.
Winegar said Christmas
on the Prairie is an import-
ant event with a bazaar at the
American Legion Hall as a
fundraiser for the group and a
bazaar at the community cen-
ter for home vendors.
It’s also a big day finan-
Eagle file photo
Santa shows 6-year-old Blake Jacobs that her name is on his list of good children. The jolly ol’ elf visited with a long line of children at the Teen Center during Christmas
on the Prairie in Prairie City last year.
cially for local stores in Prairie
City, thanks to the movement
provided by the event, while
giving an opportunity for the
community to socialize.
“You get to see people that
you haven’t seen in a while,
and I think the public as a
whole enjoys it because they
can go to lunch with their
friends and shop,” Winegar
said.
One activity the public can
look forward to is a Christmas
lyric scavenger hunt provided
by the stores in Prairie City.
Winegar said each par-
ticipating store in Prai-
rie City will have a lyric to
a Christmas song, and par-
ticipants will fill out a form
of where they found the
lyrics.
Merchants also provided
items and gift certificates to be
awarded as prizes.
St. Nick himself is tenta-
tively scheduled to greet the
public at the Teen Center at
11 a.m. and then at the tree
lighting ceremony at 4:30 p.m.
“We hope people come and
enjoy the day and enjoy their
friendship with other people
and the sales going on,” Win-
egar said.
Contributed photo
Thomas Dekany
Strutting along in
downtown Prairie
City are two Per-
cheron thorough-
bred draft horses,
driven by Jerry
Wilcox of Wilcox
Horse & Buggy
of Vale, with his
passengers.
Skills for a lifetime
Monument CTE teacher Michele Engle
instructs on construction, greenhouses, welding
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Arts and letters are import-
ant, but for career technical
education teacher Michele
Engle, the goal is skills to be
used outside of the classroom.
Engle’s CTE class in
Monument offers many top-
ics from ag welding and con-
struction to greenhouse care
and management for students
in middle school.
Engle said
students at
the
green-
house raise
many
dif-
ferent types
of vegetable
plants
and Michele Engle
flowers with
more varieties available this
year for sale.
For welding, she said stu-
dents can learn about various
welding processes such as
gas metal arc welding (MIG
welding), shielded metal arc
welding (stick welding) and
gas tungsten arc welding
(TIG welding).
Students learn basic con-
struction skills from the Pax-
ton/Patterson
construction
program. They learn how to
use various tools and apply
these skills to plumbing,
applying drywall, framing
and more. Lessons on blue-
print reading and taking mea-
surements are also taught.
Skills learned are then
applied to projects conducted
through the school year.
There are 14 students
enrolled in the CTE program
with some students taking
both welding and construc-
tion classes.
Engle said her goal is to
help those students develop
skills that make them more
self-sufficient in their per-
sonal life.
“We live in a society where
many people are not able to
perform simple maintenance
on their own homes,” Engle
said. “This program gives
them those skills, as well as
allowing them the opportu-
nity to develop interests in the
different career fields.”
Some of the projects her
class completed were build-
ing Adirondack chairs, tod-
dler flip chairs and different
types of benches, signs and
stools.
One project that the high-
er-level students are build-
ing is a chicken house, which
Engle said looked like a min-
iature barn. Engle said her stu-
dents found the blueprints to
construct the chicken house.
“As with any blueprint,
the students have had to make
modifications,” Engle said. “I
have been very impressed with
their discussions about the
changes and the decisions that
they have had to make con-
cerning them.”
Her welding and construc-
tion classes have built items
to donate to the community of
Monument. Her welding class
built a barbecue with a stand
that was donated to the local
motel, and her students also
constructed a sidewalk through
Contributed photo
Contributed photo
Monument senior David How-
ell welds in the career techni-
cal education teacher Michele
Engle’s class.
Monument senior Mark Thom-
as momentarily takes off his
mask to smile with a family
sign he made in class.
Monument sophomore Gauge
Jenks works during career
technical education class.
the local park in Monument.
For three years, the stu-
dents’ work has also been
donated as auction items
donated for auctions for
Women in Timber, local first
responders and the Monu-
ment Senior Center.
“I instill in my students
the importance of giving
back and helping with pro-
grams that need individuals
to help make them success-
ful,” Engle said.
Engle said a highlight of
being the CTE instructor is
watching her students learn,
create and build personal
projects that they can use.
“I love the comments from
parents and community mem-
bers about how impressed
they are with the knowledge
that my students have gained
while participating in the pro-
gram,” Engle said. “I have
been so proud to see how
successful my students have
become in many different
types of vocational fields.”
Contributed photo
Happy Thanksgiving!
We will be closed
November 26th.
Have a safe and
wonderful holiday!
THE JUNIPER ARTS COUNCIL / GRANT
COUNTY CULTURAL COALITION IS SEEKING
GRANT PROPOSALS FOR OREGON
CULTURAL TRUST GRANT AWARDS
The coalition has $7,000 from the Oregon Cultural
Trust to distribute in Grant County to organizations
for projects relating to culture and / or heritage.
Applications are available from Karin Barntish,
131 W. Main Street, John Day, Oregon, or call
Kris Beal at (541)932-4892 for more information
or an application.
Grant applications will be accepted until
January 8, 2021 5 P.M.
Huffman’s
541-820-3588
S216733-1
We’re your kind of store!
MARKETS
Fresh Produce - Cold Beverages - Complete Meat Department
S215124-1
Prairie City