NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
A3
John Day gears up for Main Street facelift
By BENNETT HALL
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — City offi -
cials are working with down-
town business owners on ideas
for making Main Street a more
inviting place to be.
Of course, projects like
this take money, and the city
is working on a two-pronged
approach to fi nancing.
Up to $200,000 in com-
petitive grant funding is avail-
able this year from Oregon’s
Main Street revitalization pro-
gram, and owners of businesses
and properties within the Main
Street revitalization area are
being encouraged to collabo-
rate on an application for that
money.
In addition, the city has a
$1 million grant to make infra-
structure improvements in sup-
port of the planned expan-
sion of the Kam Wah Chung
State Historic Site on Canton
Street, and some of that money
could be used for Main Street
improvements.
Ideas for Main Street
improvements were kicked
around in a meeting on Jan. 12
at the John Day Fire Hall.
Among the suggestions
were new signs, exterior light-
ing, façade improvements,
awnings, better street lighting,
and murals.
The Oregon Main Street
grant program shut down tem-
porarily during the pandemic
but has now been restarted.
Communities
participating
in the Oregon Main Street
Network, such as John Day,
can apply for grants of up to
$200,000 for revitalization
projects.
The last grant John Day got
went toward the remodeling
and expansion of Len’s Drug at
the intersection of Main Street
and Canyon Boulevard in 2019.
Prior to that, the city obtained a
grant to help with renovation of
the Weaver Building at 131 W.
Main St.
The consensus at the Jan.
12 meeting was that, this time
around, the grant application
should go toward improve-
ments at multiple businesses
Richard Hanners/Blue Mountain Eagle, File
Len’s Drug received a $200,000 state grant in 2019 to help the
business expand west into the area on Main Street that was then
occupied by the Corner Cup.
and the Main Street corridor as
a whole.
“One
business
gets
$200,000 or whatever, that
just doesn’t seem fair to me,”
said Janet Hill, owner of the
Floor Store and Java Jungle.
“I really would like to see it
kind of be distributed through
downtown.”
Sherrie Rininger, owner of
Etc., agreed.
“The past two grants have
gone to individual projects,”
she said, “and I really think
this one needs to be spread
around.”
City Councilor Heather
Rookstool said she’d like to see
better streetlights to improve
downtown safety since the city
shut down its police department.
“Lighting needs to be a pri-
ority,” she said.
Downtown business own-
ers with ideas about the Main
Street revitalization grant were
encouraged to contact 1188
Brewing Co. owner Shannon
Adair, who also serves on the
City Council and is taking the
lead on the grant application.
“The availability of these
funds is really exciting,” she
said. “Because we got Main
Street funds before, I think we
have a really good chance.”
The application deadline is
in March.
City Manager Nick Green
said that, whether the Main
Street grant application is suc-
cessful or not, the city plans
to use some of the $1 million
in state funding it received to
make infrastructure improve-
ments in support of the Kam
Wah Chung expansion to
enhance downtown.
Prior to the COVID-19 pan-
demic, the Kam Wah Chung
State Historic Site attracted
around 10,000 visitors a year to
John Day. But now the Oregon
Parks and Recreation Depart-
ment is planning a major
expansion on the former Glea-
son Park property, including a
multimillion-dollar interpre-
tive center, and visitor num-
Monument School goes to distance learning
bers are expected to double or
even triple when that happens.
“That’s what we’re plan-
ning for, but the reality is it’s
anybody’s guess,” Green said
in an interview.
City offi cials want to take
economic advantage of the
infl ux of tourists by making it
easy for foot traffi c to move
back and forth between Kam
Wah Chung and the downtown
business district a few blocks
away. And once they get to
downtown, the city wants to
make the Main Street corridor
as inviting as possible so visi-
tors will spread their tourism
money around.
A big chunk of the $1 mil-
lion in state money for infra-
structure will go toward side-
walk improvements on Canton
and Main streets between Kam
Wah Chung and downtown,
Green said, but some of what’s
left over can go toward enhanc-
ing downtown businesses.
“There’s defi nitely a nexus
between visitors coming to
that site and visitors coming to
downtown,” Green said.
W HAT’S
HAPPENING
By BENNETT HALL
Blue Mountain Eagle
MONUMENT — Monument
School District will transition from
in-person instruction to distance learn-
ing for the week of Jan. 24, Superin-
tendent Laura Thomas announced in a
news release on Friday, Jan. 21.
The decision was made in response
to “the rising count of positive COVID
cases connected to the Monument
School District and associated quar-
antines,” Thomas said in the news
release.
“In the coming week, the district
will continue to work closely with
the Grant County Health Department
to determine when it is appropriate to
return students to in-person instruc-
tion,” she added.
Thomas said the district would
keep parents updated through emails,
social media and the district’s website.
Late last year, the Oregon Health
Authority reported a COVID-19 out-
Angel Carpenter/Blue Mountain Eagle, File
Monument School has decided to switch to distance learning for the week of Jan.
24, 2022, after a surge in COVID-19 cases associated with the school.
break associated with Monument
School that totaled six cases among
students, staff and/or volunteers, but
that outbreak was declared resolved
early this month.
In the most recent OHA report,
issued Thursday, Jan. 20, no active out-
break is listed for Monument School,
and there are no positive COVID test
results connected with the school
under the “recent cases” listing.
However, the Jan. 20 OHA report
does include an active outbreak with
two cases connected with Prairie City
School.
In addition, the report notes there
have been a number of COVID-19
cases involving students, staff or vol-
unteers at two other Grant County
schools. Within the last 28 days, OHA
data show, there have been six cases
each at Humbolt Elementary School
in Canyon City and Grant Union High
School in John Day.
Neither of those case clusters is
currently considered an active out-
break, which OHA defi nes as two
or more cases of COVID-19 in stu-
dents, staff or volunteers that have a
shared, defi ned exposure in a school
setting.
Outbreaks are considered resolved
when there have been no new cases in
at least 28 days.
County logs 18th COVID death, shatters daily case count record
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — COVID-
19 has claimed another
life in Grant County, pub-
lic health offi cials announced
on Wednesday, Jan. 19, the
same day the virus shattered
the county’s single-day record
with a staggering 41 new
cases.
Meanwhile, four people
are currently being hospital-
ized for COVID-19 at Blue
Mountain Hospital, a Wednes-
day press release from the
Grant County Health Depart-
ment noted.
According to the depart-
ment’s press release, the Grant
County resident who died
with COVID-related symp-
toms was an 83-year-old male,
Blue Mountain Eagle, File
Grant County Health Department staff ers sort COVID-19 rapid
tests during a testing clinic in 2020.
and he passed away on Jan. 7
at St. Charles Medical Center
in Bend.
The department asked the
community to be respectful as
the man’s family grieves.
Kimberly Lindsay, the
county’s public health admin-
istrator, said in a Wednesday
phone interview that while she
could not say with 100% cer-
tainty that the Grant County
man died from contracting the
omicron variant, it stands to
reason that he did, given that it
is the most common variant at
play in Oregon.
Lindsay said the number
of positive cases reported on
Wednesday was “staggering.”
The case count nearly dou-
bled the previous daily record,
which was 24.
“I just had to pause and
say, ‘OK,’” Lindsay said.
Lindsay said she wants
people to have a healthy sense
of balance, but the commu-
nity needs to be incredibly
thoughtful about the risk of
contracting the highly trans-
missible omicron variant.
According to Lindsay, the
state has forecasted the peak
of the omicron wave to be
around Jan. 28, and, so far,
state health offi cials have been
spot on in those projections.
However, she said, Eastern
Oregon’s peak is projected to
come a little bit later.
Lindsay said while health
TOM CHRISTENSEN
CHRISTENSEN
TOM
CONSTRUCTION
offi cials have seen an increase
in pediatric hospitalizations,
kids seem to bounce back
from COVID-19 infections
across the board.
Still, the older population,
the immunocompromised and
those who are not fully vac-
cinated are at risk of serious
illness.
Lindsay encouraged people
to take advantage of an off er
to receive four free COVID-
19 tests from the federal gov-
ernment. People can sign up
to receive the tests online at
covidtests.gov.
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
THURSDAY, JAN. 27
Grant County Republican
Central Committee
• 3-5 p.m., John Day Fire
Hall, 316 S. Canyon Blvd.
The purpose of the meeting
is to elect a secretary, meet U.S.
Senate candidate Ibra Taher at
3:30 p.m. and discuss candidate
fi ling form SEL 105, due at the
county courthouse by March 8.
The public is welcome.
WEDNESDAY &
THURSDAY,
FEB. 16 & 17
CyberMill open house
• 4 to 8 p.m., CyberMill, 300
Barnes Ave. (Highway 395),
Seneca
Located in the heart of Sen-
eca, the CyberMill is a free-to-
use internet cafe with broadband
access. With three computer ter-
minals, big-screen video mon-
itors, a conference room and
other amenities, the facility is
available for remote workers,
entrepreneurs or anyone who
needs a high-speed internet con-
nection. Visitors can tour the
CyberMill, learn what it has
to off er and enjoy free refresh-
ments. For more information,
go to gccybermill.com.
Do you have a community
event in Grant County you’d
like to publicize? Email infor-
mation to editor@bmeagle.
com. The deadline is noon Fri-
day for publication the follow-
ing Wednesday.
Monday - Thursday
7am-
6pm
Monday
- Thursday
7am-
6pm
Friday
8am
- 5pm
Friday Sharpe
8am - 5pm
Mendy
FNP
Mendy
Sharpe FNP
Apppointments
available
(541) 410-0557 • (541) 575-0192
S275588-1
139101
CCB# 106077
REMODELS • NEW CONSTRUCTION • POLE BUILDINGS
CONCRETE EXCAVATION • SHEET ROCK • SIDING
ROOFING • FENCES • DECKS • TELESCOPING FORKLIFT SERVICES
S275613-1
Wednesday, February 2,
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(cardio, weight machines,
free weights), fitness classes,
silver & fit member.
“Cow with Flowers” Paint Party
Open 24 hours a day.
Thursday, February 10,
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
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"Great time to
think about your
health and getting fit"
text/call Karen
541-620-1581
(541-620-5720)
or email kdbroemeling@hotmail.com
677 W. Main John Day
Covid-19 Guidelines followed.
Leather Horse Brush
Friday, February 18,
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Email us: paintedskycenter@gmail.com
Call us: 541-575-1335. Follow us on Facebook
Visit us: www.paintedskycenter.com
118 S Washington Street, Canyon City, OR 97820
S275540-1
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!
Blue Mountain Eagle
MyEagleNews.com
S278514-1
Intro to Cricut and Valentine’s Painting
A MAN
WAKES
UP in the
morning
after sleeping on...
an advertised bed, in advertised
pajamas.
Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710