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.
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