A2
FAMILY
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
County taps CCS to distribute
COVID-19 vaccine incentives
Details on amounts
and drawings still
being fi nalized
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County handed over
its $67,000 vaccine incentive
money to Community Coun-
seling Solutions to distrib-
ute to those who have yet to
roll up their sleeves to get the
COVID-19 vaccine and those
who are already immunized.
County Judge Scott Myers
said CCS would roll out the
incentive program. He said
during a session of County
Court June 23 that CCS
would likely issue the dollars
in the form of Grant County
Greenbacks, a gift certifi -
cate program through the
Grant County Chamber of
Commerce.
Eagle fi le photo
Rebekah Rand, emergency medical services director with the
Blue Mountain Hospital District prepares a vaccine shot at a
January vaccine clinic at the Grant County Fairgrounds.
Kimberly Lindsay, CEO
of Community Counseling
Solutions, said she is still
working with the county on
how the program will roll
out regarding the amount
awarded to lottery winners,
how much those already
vaccinated would receive
and how many drawings
OBITUARIES
Julius ‘Judd’ Boyd Olp
there would be.
Lindsay said on June 23
that, while she did not know
the specifi c number of draw-
ings CCS would do, she said
there would be “several”
drawings. During county
court, Myers said that peo-
ple could choose to have
their incentive money go to
a local charity. He said CCS
would be in charge of the
specifi cs in who those char-
ities would be and how the
money would get to those
organizations.
Myers said the $67,000 is
the fi rst half of the money that
came “indirectly” from the
state. He said the other half
would go out within the next
six months.
He said it was easier for
the county to have CCS dis-
tribute the money, and they
would be responsible for the
process.
Donna Faye Cox
OTEC to conduct power
pole inspections and testing
throughout summer
Blue Mountain Eagle
Contributed photo
Volunteer Susan Conner prepares willows for planting along
West Summit Creek south of Prairie City.
Volunteers plant thousands
of willow and repair fences
in the Malheur watershed
Blue Mountain Eagle
The native bull trout
and redband trout in the
Malheur River drain-
age, located south of Prai-
rie City in the Malheur
National Forest, can look
forward to cooler river
temperatures, thanks to
volunteers
coordinated
by Oregon Natural Des-
ert Association who helped
the Malheur National For-
est’s Prairie City Ranger
District on creek resto-
ration projects in May.
“ONDA volunteers and
Forest Service staff collec-
tively planted over 3,700
hardwood willow cuttings
and over 650 spruce and
larch seedlings, giving the
riparian restoration a huge
jump start,” said Allen Tay-
lor, U.S. Forest Service
Fish Biologist, in a press
release.
This successful planting
eff ort took place along West
Summit Creek, part of the
Malheur River watershed
that supports populations
of native bull trout and red-
band trout. It was the fi nal
step in the larger West Sum-
mit Creek Restoration Proj-
ect led by Taylor.
“As an advocate for
desert waterways, ONDA
works on forest creeks that
form the headwaters and
tributary sources of the
desert rivers,” said ONDA
Stewardship
Coordina-
tor Beth Macinko. “With
each project, ONDA puts
boots on the ground and
ensures that the high des-
ert is a healthy, thriving
landscape.”
Volunteers also repaired
2 miles of fences along
Summit Creek that had
been damaged by downed
trees over the winter. The
streamside fences were
built to protect sections
of the creek where resto-
ration projects are in pro-
cess from grazing by live-
stock. The repaired fence
will protect more than 100
acres of critical riparian
habitat and allow native
plants to become estab-
lished and spread.
“Completing both these
projects was an impres-
sive feat for just 11 volun-
teers over the course of one
month, but that’s the kind
of hard work we are used to
from our determined vol-
unteers,” said Macinko.
Robust plant life along
streams improves fi sh hab-
itat by creating the shade
that cools water tempera-
tures, provides valuable
nutrients for vigorous food
webs and provides for-
age for recovering beaver
populations.
“All of this work, along
with other associated land-
scape restoration actions,
will make the area more
resilient to future fi re and
drought, which will likely
become more frequent due
to climate change,” said
Taylor.
“We enjoyed the sense
of accomplishment in a
short period of time of
repairing a badly dam-
aged fence,” said Bill Hull
of Bend, one of the project
volunteers.
The planting and fence
repair projects were funded
in part by the National For-
est Foundation, an organi-
zation chartered by Con-
gress to engage the public
in maintaining the health of
national forest lands.
Oregon Trail Elec-
tric Cooperative is gear-
ing up to begin its annual
pole-testing
program
throughout the coopera-
tive’s service territory in
Baker, Grant, Harney and
Union counties.
Osmose Utility Ser-
vices, a contracted service
with OTEC, will begin
inspecting and testing util-
ity poles for strength and
potential rot, determining
and treating ailing poles.
Testing — which is man-
dated by the Public Utility
Commission — will begin
the week of June 21 in
Grant and Harney counties,
then will move to Baker
and Union counties over
the next few months.
“Testing requires dig-
ging around our power
poles and this means that
in some instances Osmose
employees will be working
in OTEC member-owners’
yards and maybe even driv-
ing 4-wheelers across open
fields testing each power
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pole,” said Jay Tanzey,
Baker District superinten-
dent. “OTEC and Osmose
will both be doing their
very best to make contact
with each property owner,
but if a rancher is out in the
fi elds or a family isn’t home
for one reason or another,
we are just wanting to give
a heads up that they will be
working in the area.”
OTEC’s power pole-test-
ing program calls for each
pole to be inspected and
treated on a 10-year cycle.
Approximately 10% of
the system is inspected each
year to identify any poles
that need to be replaced and
to extend the lives of those
poles that remain in service.
OTEC maintains more than
44,000 poles, so around
4,400 poles will be tested
this summer.
“This inspection helps to
safely maintain reliability
and keeps costs down for
our members,” Tanzey said.
If
members
have
any questions or con-
cerns, contact OTEC at
541-523-3616.
Dec. 27, 1945 – June 24, 2021
Donna Faye Cox, age 75, loving wife, mother, grand-
mother and great grandmother, passed away June 24, 2021, at
the Blue Mountain Care Center in Prairie City. A celebration
of life will be held on Saturday, July 17, 2021, at the Monu-
ment Senior Center at 11 a.m. with a potluck to follow. Mitch
Mund will be offi ciating.
Donna was born Dec. 27, 1945, in Heppner, Oregon, to Dar-
rel and Oleta Farrens. She joined a sister, Dorinda, and brother,
Glen. Donna met the love of her life, Robert C. Cox, while
going to school in Monument, Oregon. They were married on
Sept. 5, 1965, and raised two children, Missy and Troy.
Donna was a stay-at-home mom while the kids were grow-
ing up. Donna was always involved in her kids’ activities,
whatever they decided to do. She had a large garden she
would tend to and was a big fan of her kids’ sports and 4-H
projects and helping who she could.
After raising her children, she followed in her mother’s
footsteps and became the clerk at the Monument Post Offi ce.
Donna will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Darrel and
Oleta Farrens; and loving grandson, Tyler Boyer.
Survivors include her husband, Robert (Bob) Cox; son,
Troy Cox; daughter, Missy (Wes) Boyer; sister, Dorinda K.
Harding; brother, Glenn Farrens; six grandchildren, Kurt
Boyer, Megan Howland, Jarrett and Amber Boyer, Tell Cox
and Reece Cox; and two great granddaughters, Aubree and
Addison.
To leave an online condolence for the family, visit driskill-
memorialchapel.com.
Gerald ‘Bobby’ Rehder
Gerald “Bobby” Rehder, 69, of Ritter, Oregon, died Friday,
July 2, 2021, at the Blue Mountain Care Center in Prairie City,
Oregon. A private family memorial will be held. Arrangements
are under the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home
and Cremation Services. Online condolences can be shared at
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
LOCAL BRIEFS
Elks behind Florida ($34.1
million), New Jersey ($16.6
million), California ($16.5
million) and Texas ($11.8
million). Total charitable
giving from the Elks in the
United States for the last
year was valued at more than
$208.8 million.
To learn more about the
Elks, visit oregonelks.org.
Blue Mountain Eagle
Summer lunch
program
underway
The free USDA Summer
Lunch program is underway.
John Day-Canyon City
Parks and Recreation District
will serve free lunches for chil-
dren Mondays through Fri-
days in John Day, Canyon
City and Prairie City, accord-
ing to a Facebook post from the
organization.
Lunches will be served
at
Humbolt
Elementary
School in Canyon City from
11:15-11:45 a.m.
John Day City Park (Glea-
son Pool) will be served from
noon to 12:30 p.m.
Prairie City Park will be
served from 12:45-1:15 p.m.
Oregon Elks
lodges rank fi fth
in nation
Oregon Elks lodges ranked
fi fth in the nation for charita-
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Tuesday ......................................................... 105/70
Wednesday ................................................... 102/68
Thursday .......................................................... 98/66
Friday ............................................................... 99/61
Saturday .......................................................... 99/60
Sunday ................................................................95/5
Monday............................................................ 99/55
Oct. 14, 1935 – Ma 23, 2021
Deceased’s Obituary Julius “Judd” Boyd Olp was born
Oct. 14, 1935, in Prairie City, Oregon. The son of Julius
Ludwig Olp and Hilda Anna Davis Olp passed from life
on earth to life in heaven on May 23,
2021. He graduated from Prairie City
High School and married Nancy Lee
Larson on June 13, 1954.
His entrepreneurial spirit was real-
ized through retail and property devel-
opment after years of employment
in Washington, Alaska and Oregon.
Julius started and sold several busi-
nesses and properties prior to retire-
ment at the age of 71.
Passions included his love for out-
door adventures of hunting, fi shing and international travel.
His commitment to family has created a legacy of love.
Judd is survived by wife, Nancy; daughters Debra (Steve)
Alsup, Everett, Washington, and Julie (Thorne) Ferguson,
Anchorage, Alaska; granddaughters Danielle (Steve) Carlson
and Sheree (Neil) Everson; fi ve great-grandchildren; and sis-
ters Wanda Madsen and Arlene (Stuart) Bailey. He was pre-
ceded in death by his parents, brother Donald Olp and twin
sister JoAnne Moore.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug.
21, 2021, at Prairie City Depot Park.
Judd’s hope was found in Christ and God’s promise of
eternity where he is waiting for the rest of his family.
Eagle fi le photo
Children enjoy lunch at the John Day City Park near Gleason Pool
in 2019.
ble giving last year, accord-
ing to reports compiled by the
Grand Lodge of the Benevo-
lent and Protective Order of
Elks.
Despite facing unprece-
dented challenges during the
last year from the impacts
of the COVID-19 pandemic
to the devastating wildfi res
that ravaged the state, Ore-
gon members of the Benev-
olent and Protective Order of
Elks gave back more than $9.3
million to their local com-
munities. This was achieved
through over 231,000 vol-
unteer hours, more than
617,000 miles driven in sup-
port of charitable activi-
ties and over $4.5 million
in direct donations of funds
and items.
Lodges throughout the
state supported projects
over the last year by pro-
viding relief to communi-
ties impacted by the fi res,
donating to support front line
workers in the fi ght against
COVID-19, assisting home-
less veterans, aiding children
with disabilities, distributing
food boxes to those in need,
providing scholarships and
much more.
Oregon Elks charitable
contributions ranked fi fth
in the nation in the Benevo-
lent and Protective Order of
Long, Weaver
named to OSU
honor roll
Names of students who
have made the scholastic honor
roll for spring 2021 have been
announced by Oregon State
University.
A total of 7,255 earned a
B-plus (3.5) GPA or better to
make the listing. To be on the
honor roll, students must carry
at least 12 graded hours of
course work.
Johna M. Long, a fresh-
man from John Day study-
ing nutrition, and Wyatt T.
Weaver, a senior from John
Day studying mechanical engi-
neering, were both named to
the list.
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF J ULY 7 - 13
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