COMMUNITY MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, December 2, 2020 A3 Thanksgiving to go Annual Elks Lodge meal serves over 400 pounds of turkey By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle With COVID-19 infec- tion rates rising rapidly in Oregon and Grant County, the John Day Elks Lodge was closed to the public for its annual Thanksgiving meal. However, that did not stop over 30 volunteers from serving upwards of 300 Thanksgiving dinners. Elks Lodge member Chuck Howe said the vol- unteers served over 400 pounds of turkey, 60 pounds of ham and all of the fix- ings, including mashed pota- toes, gravy, green bean cas- serole, sweet potatoes, rolls, stuffing, cranberries and pies. The annual event, free and open to the public, was by takeout or delivery only. Recipients placed orders ahead of time by calling in. Lynda Christensen said the volunteers came in the day before and as early as 6 a.m. on Thursday. The Eagle/Steven Mitchell Lynda Christensen, right, serves up Thanksgiving dinners Thursday at the John Day Elks Lodge. The Eagle/Steven Mitchell LEFT: Volunteers pack up Thanksgiving dinners Thursday at the John Day Elks Lodge. RIGHT: A stack of pies sits ready to be delivered or picked up for over 300 peo- ple Thursday. Black Friday foot traffic down because of the pandemic numbers to this year’s. “I can’t compare apples to oranges,” she said. “If I would With an ongoing pandemic have been without the remodel and recession, Black Friday I could have compared apples looked much different this year. to apples.” At Java Jungle, owner According to preliminary Janet Hill said she kept busy data from Sensormatic Solu- throughout the day and that tions, a retail analytics firm, Black Friday seemed more foot traffic at retail stores tum- bled by 52.1% active than in as people 2019. avoided malls “I am not and stores, sure where choosing to everybody shop online came from,” instead. she said. “But “Due to I was happy COVID-19 and they were social distanc- coming in the The Eagle/Steven Mitchell ing require- door.” Hill said Johnna Milner, right, rings ments, shop- she attributed up a customer Friday at Len’s pers were more purposeful in the uptick in Drug in John Day. their in-per- business to son Black Fri- the nice weather and people out “tootling day shopping, causing sig- nificantly less crowds than around.” Len’s Drug owner Marla we’ve seen in the past,” said Armstrong said she has been Brian Field, senior director of so busy with so many other global retail consulting, in a things, including a store Nov. 28 press release. “This remodel, that she couldn’t was compounded by retailers compare this year to last year. not offering as many in-store She also said she has not had doorbusters and the increasing time to compare last year’s adoption of e-commerce.” By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle MyEagleNews.com Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Friday 8am - 5pm Friday 8am - Mendy Sharpe 5pm FNP Mendy Sharpe FNP Apppointments available S216369-1 S218716-1 SINCLAIR • W. Hwy. 26, John Day • 541-575-2585 Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710 541-523-6377 541-963-6577 541-573-6377 541-576-2160 Serving Eastern Oregon since 1959! Pharmacy • Hallmark Cards • Gifts • Liquor Store Heppner Condon Boardman (541) 676-9158 (541) 256-1200 (541) 481-9474 www.MurraysDrug.com S218724-1 Blue Mountain Eagle GREAT STOCKING STUFFERS! S218723-1 He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR, have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE. Then it’s too late. AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK? DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it! The Eagle Steven Mitchell S218714-1 139101 A MAN WAKES UP in the morning after sleeping on... an advertised bed, in advertised pajamas. Tanni Wenger, left, and her daughter Lauren put together a display Friday at Java Jungle in John Day.