Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2021)
NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, January 13, 2021 A3 Wyden: Attack on Capitol an assault on democracy Senator vows to fight for improved broadband By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle Protestors storming the nation’s Capitol was an assault on democracy, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said. The Democrat from Oregon shared his thoughts at a virtual town hall Monday. “My quick comment is that my standard is violence is always unacceptable,” Wyden EOMG file photo Sen. Ron Wyden speaks during a virtual town hall at the East Oregonian in Pendle- ton on Oct. 14. told residents of Gilliam, Grant, Sherman and Wheeler coun- ties. “That means it’s unaccept- able in Washington, D.C., it’s unacceptable in my hometown of Portland, it’s unacceptable in Salem and it’s unacceptable wherever you are on the politi- cal spectrum.” Wyden said, no matter the view on an issue, there are opportunities to have peaceful discussions, even when people disagree with each other. “The Oregon way is to have peaceful discussions, and the First Amendment is about peaceful protest,” Wyden said. In light of the events in D.C. and violent protests in Oregon, John Day resident Beth Spell asked Wyden if elected offi- cials who stray from their oath to office, which she said pledges their allegiance to the law, should be censored or removed from office for noncompliance to their oath. Wyden said no elected offi- cial is above the law, and a number of elected officials who thought they were have faced consequences. He added it is vital for cit- izens to believe they are safe in public buildings where they go to seek redress for their concerns. Grant County resident Didgette McCracken, the Open Campus coordinator at Oregon State University Extension, said broadband has become more and more important, especially in rural areas. “We’re in a time where inter- net access isn’t an amenity any- more,” McCracken said. “It’s a basic need.” Wyden said he wants peo- ple to know he will make sure broadband and internet connec- tion are a part of every infra- structure debate. He said the lat- est package includes provisions for Oregonians such as fund- ing for broadband in rural areas, $3.2 billion for free or low-cost broadband services for people of modest incomes. This would help provide $50 a month to low-income families to help pay for internet services, which Wyden wrote into the package. “That’s the new money com- ing on affordability...” Wyden said. “And then we go to the debate coming up on infra- structure, and I’m not going to let an infrastructure package go forward without including broadband.” John Day set for construction projects in 2021 Green: Projects coming to fruition By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle A lot of construction is planned for John Day in 2021. Projects in John Day made progress during the pandem- ic-dominated year of 2020, such as the completion of the first cul-de-sac in John Day and City Hall improve- ments, but the planning will help many projects come to fruition. “This is the year of con- struction for John Day,” John Day City Manager Nick Green said. “We have the Dollar General, the Meredith House, Len’s Drug, the OTEC elec- tric vehicle parking lot all currently in construction... This is the year where all of the fundraising and planning we’ve been doing will begin construction.” “As you’ve seen, Len’s is actively at work, and we already processed their first reimbursement request and expect another one fairly quickly,” Green said. Tyler Sheedy and his wife, Krista Qual, are in the pro- cess of refinancing the Weaver building on Main Street and paid $55,000 in additional pay- ments on the loan for the build- ing. Green said they’re plan- ning to have the loan paid in a couple of months. “That’s going to add to the city’s liquidity and create more opportunities for downtown and Main Street reinvestment next fiscal year,” Green said. John Day City Hall and Police Department: The City Hall and police department building improvements are complete. The agenda states that the front entry was remod- eled, all flooring was replaced except the back office and walls were repainted. The new HVAC unit for the police department was ordered and installed. General Fund Projects Main street revitaliza- tion: Len’s Drug received its first reimbursement check for $69,315 from the Main Street Revitalization grant they received in 2019, Green said at a a Dec. 8 city council meet- ing. The reimbursement given was for progress made on the drug store’s renovation and expansion project. There are still $130,041 in grant funds remaining of the $200,000 grant award Len’s received. The Dec. 8 agenda states that the project is about 20% com- plete as of November. Water Fund Brownfield redevelop- ment project: The planning commission approved the site design package for the brown- field redevelopment project on Nov. 18. This is the land the city purchased purchased last year from Iron Triangle located between the U.S. For- est Service office building and Valley View Assisted Living. This included the right of way between Patterson Bridge Road and Valley View Drive to cre- ate the new Government Entry Road and complete the Seventh Street Extension. There are 12 lots on the 14-acres bought from Iron Tri- angle that are planned to be sold once they receive certifi- cation. The wetland delinea- tion is pending approval by the Department of State Lands. Strux Engineering con- ducted a structural evaluation of the shop on the Iron Trian- gle property purchased by the city. The shop was deemed structurally sound and could be occupied in its current state. The Jan. 12 agenda has a lease agreement listed for the shop under the consent item. The city council on Dec. 8 discussed the possibility of leasing the shop temporarily while long-term plans are in the discussions. IT Funds Humbolt broadband proj- ect: Oregon Telephone Cor- poration performed the fiber installation for broadband to Humbolt Elementary on Dec. 1. Green said on Jan. 7 that the line construction is complete. Once OTC tests and certifies the line construction, they will be operational. EDA CARES Grant: The city submitted their final appli- cation for the EDA CARES Grant after revisions based on feedback from the EDA. The city requested $2 million. Green said on Jan. 7 they have not received a letter of fur- ther consideration yet but are expecting one any day. “If this one is funded, it will get fiber to the homes in John Day and fund Grant County Coworks to get into a OUTPATIENT EAR AND FOOT CLINIC 422 West Main John Day OR, 97845 Street Funds Fourth Street repairs: Green said, after confer- ring with the city’s engineers, they felt like asking the Fed- eral Emergency Management Agency to fund the soldier pile wall design since it would be better in the long term. It would be a structurally more stable solution, and it won’t be subject to erosion like the mechanically stabilized embankment design, according to Green. This would also keep the road to the airport open throughout the duration of the construction process. In November, an engineer- ing firm recommended two designs to address the Fourth Avenue repair project. The sol- dier pile wall design, which is estimated to cost $1.3 million, or the mechanically stabilized embankment design, which is estimated to cost $872,123. FEMA is covering 75% of the cost and will weigh in on the options. John Day would have to cover the 25% match of the construction cost. The council hopes Grant County will be able to cover some of the cost of the match since it is the main road used to access the Grant County Regional Airport and the indus- trial park. Integrated park system: The parking improvements at the Seventh Street Complex park are complete with the exception of the fence installa- tion around the parking perim- eter. The planning commission approved the site design plan for the Hill Family Park and bridge on Nov. 18. John Day will proceed with right-of-way acquisition and the bridge order in 2021, and construction on the next phase will resume in spring with the project sched- uled for completion by early to-mid summer. Charolais Heights inter- section improvements: The final design of the Charolais Heights intersection improve- ments and utility relocations are proceeding. This project will begin construction in early spring and will be completed by the fall, according to the agenda. A schedule for the proj- ect will be provided by Sisul Engineering early this year. Sewer Fund Wastewater System Improvements: Flagline engi- neering and Kennedy Jenks conducted a field visit for the new wastewater treatment plant on Oct. 29. They met with John Day staff, a local civic engineer and a surveyor to discuss the proj- ect. On Nov. 10, the survey team conducted the aerial Lidar (light detection and ranging) survey of the project site. The staff is developing the data on flow rates for the future hotel, industrial and residential areas. The future projects will be included in the flow projec- tion for sizing the new treat- ment plant along with Portland State University’s updated cer- tified population estimate for 2020, which showed an addi- tion of 15 new residents in the past year. John Day DMV office is open by appointment and ready to serve you. Regular and High Risk Foot Care done by specially trained RN or CNA. Ears are examined and cleaned by Registered Nurses. Visit www.oregondmv.com to make your appointment today or call 541-575-1503. S225317-1 Open Mon. - Thurs. 8AM - 4PM new space...” Green said. “It also upgrades the 911 center’s emergency communications equipment.” Call to make an appointment today! 541-575-1648 On December 31, 2020, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Nickolas Holliday retired from the United States Marine Corps after over 20 years of service. Holliday, son of Ken and Pat Holliday, was a 2000 Grant Union High School graduate and served in the infantry and intelligence fields in the Marine Corps. During his service, he completed six combat deployments and received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. He is retiring to New Orleans, Louisiana with his wife, Katherine, a middle school teacher. S225562-1 S221814-1
