NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
A3
Grant super search moves ahead
behalf of the
district.”
To select
a new super-
intendent,
the
board
must adver-
Uptmor
tise to fi ll the
open position,
establish hiring procedures and
allow public input, according to
the Attorney General’s Public
Records and Meetings Manual.
The board appears to have
met those standards.
During a meeting last
Wednesday, Feb. 2, the board
discussed the names of the
candidates in executive ses-
sion, but it made decisions
around the interview process
in open session.
Board members have
agreed to keep the names of
the top-tier candidates they
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY — Grant
School Board members will
interview four superintendent
candidates on Thursday, Feb.
10, in a closed-door session
with an eye to trimming the
fi eld to two fi nalists.
The board is pursuing a con-
fi dential search process to fi nd a
successor to Bret Uptmor, who
will be retiring at the end of the
school year in June.
Oregon law permits execu-
tive sessions — where the pub-
lic is barred, and reporters are
instructed not to report on the
proceedings — in certain spe-
cifi c situations. In its meet-
ing announcement, the school
board cited ORS 192.660 (2)(a):
“to consider the employment
of an employee who works on
Contributed Photo
From left, Grant Union High School students Jupiter Stevens,
Karly Van Loo and Benjamin Finley take a breather during the Fu-
ture Business Leaders of America regional conference on Thurs-
day, Feb. 4, 2022, at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande.
GU students advance
in business competition
LA GRANDE — Five
Grant Union students
advanced to the state Future
Business Leaders of Amer-
ica conference after taking
top honors at the regional
competition in La Grande
on Thursday, Feb. 3.
The students will com-
pete at the FBLA State Busi-
ness Leadership Conference
April 8-9 at Oregon Con-
vention Center in Portland,
according to Stacy Durych,
Grant Union’s computer
technology education and
business teacher.
About 200 students from
12 schools competed at the
event, which was held at
Eastern Oregon University.
Two students took home
the fi rst-place awards: Luke
Jackson for business man-
agement and Heidi Jack-
son in business procedures.
Madelyn Bailey fi nished
second for impromptu
speaking, and Morgan
Walker and Alicie Archibald
took third place for hospital-
ity, event management and
marketing.
Although only those
who fi nished in the top third
qualifi ed for the state con-
ference, Max Bailey and
Katelyn Rigby earned an
honorable mention in net-
work design.
The competitive events
at FBLA range from busi-
ness-related presentations
to objective tests, public
speaking and problem-solv-
ing in a business manage-
ment or technology sce-
nario. Events are scored by
a panel of judges.
FBLA is an organiza-
tion for students in career
and technical education that
gives them the opportunity to
take part in leadership activ-
ities, competitive events and
learning programs.
The group has upwards
of 190,000 members in
5,200 chapters across the
country and abroad.
Durych, in her fi rst year
at the high school, said
Grant Union has had an
FBLA chapter for many
years.
Thursday’s event in La
Grande had been the fi rst
in two years because of the
pandemic.
Seventeen
students
attended the event, although
not all of them competed.
Some, Durych said, were
there for the experience.
Not only did those stu-
dents get to walk around the
university campus and get a
taste of college life, but they
also learned about schol-
arships and fi nancial aid
that could help them get a
post-secondary degree.
One of those stu-
dents, Durych said, was
her non-biological “heart
daughter,” Jupiter Stephens,
who lives with Durych and
her family. Stephens had
not considered attending
college before Thursday
but became inspired after
walking around the EOU
campus.
“Her eyes just opened
up,” Durych said, “and she
said, ‘I want to go to college
here.’”
Stephens’
realization
that a university degree is
attainable illustrates how the
FBLA conference can reach
students.
“You’re doing things you
don’t normally do every
day,” Durych said.
Students who participate
in FBLA fi nd their horizons
being broadened as they
interact with others, learn
new skills and gain new life
experiences, Durych said.
“Then,” she said, “they
begin to ask themselves:
What is possible down the
road?’”
School Administrators, which
the board hired to recruit can-
didates for the supervisor
position, will take the com-
mittee through an orientation
to maintain the confi dentiality
of the candidates.
The committee’s role in the
process is to listen and ask ques-
tions of the two fi nalists.
The information from the
committee will go to the board
and is supposed to help frame
the board’s subsequent inter-
views with the fi nalists on
Feb. 23
Board members are sched-
uled to meet in executive ses-
sion on March 1 to discuss the
results of those interviews and
then vote on their selection in
an open session on March 9.
The new superintendent
is scheduled to start work on
July 1.
Pool appeal goes down for third time
By BENNETT HALL
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY – For the third time, the
John Day City Council has upheld the
conditional use permit for the proposed
aquatic center at the Seventh Street
Sports Complex.
The council voted 4-0 on Feb. 1 to
uphold the permit, rejecting an appeal by
John Morris. The council is down to six
members since the resignation of Paul
Smith. Mayor Ron Lundbom and Coun-
cilor Shannon Adair have recused them-
selves from voting on the appeal because
they had spoken in favor of the project at
the Nov. 9 meeting of the John Day Plan-
ning Commission, when the commission
approved the permit.
In his appeal, Morris argued that the
Planning Commission was biased in its
decision to grant the permit because it did
not give him the same opportunity to pro-
vide testimony as supporters of the project.
He also argued that his right to appeal the
decision to the City Council was impaired
because Lundbom and Adair spoke in
favor of the project before the Planning
Commission. He raised a number of other
objections to the project as well, which he
expanded on in 15 pages of written tes-
timony submitted to the council at his
appeal hearing on Jan 5.
The council voted to uphold the permit
at that hearing, then reversed itself on Jan.
11 and voted to reopen the record for addi-
tional written testimony, with Morris being
given the opportunity to provide a written
rebuttal prior to the council’s next meeting
on Jan. 25.
At that meeting, having received no
additional testimony, the council voted
to uphold the permit. Afterwards, how-
ever, it was determined that Morris had
submitted additional information a few
hours before that meeting, but due to a
miscommunication it was not presented
to the council.
At a special meeting on Feb. 1, the coun-
cil reviewed the 17 pages of written mate-
rial submitted by Morris on Jan. 25. Mor-
ris raised objections to City Manager Nick
Green’s statement of fi ndings regarding the
earlier appeal hearing, repeated an earlier
assertion that there was inadequate public
notice for a neighborhood meeting about
the pool project in August, complained that
he was not given adequate time to submit
rebuttal testimony and claimed that Green
made a false statement to legislators to
obtain grant funding for the pool.
Councilor Dave Holland addressed
Morris’ concerns one by one. In each
instance, he said, his conclusion was
either that the concerns were unfounded
or that they were not relevant to the ques-
tion of whether the conditional use permit
was improperly granted.
After discussion, the council voted
unanimously to uphold the permit and
reject the appeal, with Lundbom and
Adair recusing themselves from voting.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16
Grant County Republican Central
Committee
• 3 to 5 p.m., the Outpost Pizza Pub and
Grill, 201 W. Main St., John Day
Grant County Commissioner Sam
Palmer, who is seeking the GOP nomina-
tion to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by
Ron Wyden, will talk about his campaign
and answer questions from voters. The pub-
lic is welcome.
W H AT’S
HAPPENING
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY,
FEB. 16 & 17
neurs or anyone who needs a high-speed
internet connection. Visitors can tour the
CyberMill, learn what it has to off er and
enjoy free refreshments. For more informa-
tion, go to gccybermill.com.
CyberMill open house
• 4 to 8 p.m., CyberMill, 300 Barnes
Ave. (Highway 395), Seneca
Located in the heart of Seneca, the
CyberMill is a free-to-use internet cafe with
broadband access. With three computer ter-
minals, big-screen video monitors, a confer-
ence room and other amenities, the facility
is available for remote workers, entrepre-
Bingo night
• 5 p.m., John Day Elks Lodge, 140 NE
Dayton St.
Fundraiser for the Grant Union High
School Class of 2026 eight-grade class
trip to the coast. Bingo $5 a card. Pizza
and snacks available for purchase. Raf-
SATURDAY, FEB. 26
fl e draw for a gun safe, smoker and
other prizes. For more information, call
541-390-5790.
SATURDAY, APRIL 2
Lake Creek Youth Camp Gala
• 5 p.m., Trowbridge Pavilion, Grant
County Fairgrounds, 411 NW Bridge St.,
John Day
This third annual benefi t for the non-
profi t youth and family camp in Logan
Valley features a tri-tip dinner, games, live
music, drinks by Spitfi re Cocktails and live,
silent and dessert auctions. Tickets are $25
at the door or $20 in advance, available at
several locations in John Day and Canyon
City. For more information, call Aimee
Rude at 541-206-2421.
Do you have a community event in
Grant County you’d like to publicize?
Email information to editor@bmeagle.
com. The deadline is noon Friday for pub-
lication the following Wednesday.
The second installment of the
2021-22 property tax is due Tuesday,
February 15th, 2022 by 5:00 p. m.
Monday - Thursday
7am-
6pm
Monday
- Thursday
7am-
6pm
Friday
8am
- 5pm
Friday Sharpe
8am - 5pm
Mendy
FNP
Payments may be made at the Tax Collector’s
Office at the Grant County Courthouse in
Canyon City, or the payment may be mailed and
postmarked no later than February 15th, 2022.
Please remember that delinquent taxes accrue
interest at the rate of 16% per year.
If you have any questions, please call
the tax office at 541-575-0107.
S279215-1
139101
Mendy
Sharpe FNP
Apppointments
available
S279596-1
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
interview confi dential.
On Tuesday, Feb. 15, a
group of 23 people, selected by
lottery to a confi dential com-
munity stakeholder committee,
will meet with the two fi nalists.
According to a document
shared by the board’s admin-
istrator, the committee is rep-
resentative of each school in
the district and includes par-
ents, teachers, students, classi-
fi ed employees and one com-
munity member.
The community member
is a resident in the school dis-
trict, but is not currently a par-
ent or guardian of a student in
the district.
Additionally, there will also
be two labor representatives,
from the classifi ed and teachers
unions. Both were selected by
their respective unions.
The Coalition of Oregon
PO Box 10
Canyon City, OR 97820
Benefit Dinner -
Spaghetti/Salad/Bread
Silent Auction & Dessert Auction
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 TH
Flowers
&
Gifts
to spoil your sweetheart
Early Bird
Specials
Mt. Vernon Community Center (on Ingall Street)
5:00pm to 7:30 pm
Silent Auction 5-7/Dinner 5:30-6:30/
Dessert Auction 7
imer, t
W
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d
Cin ed Floris
e!
Certifi
ailabl
ry av
Delive
Heritage Hill Farm
Floral and Gifts
Located at 28658 Indian Creek Rd
between Prairie City and John Day
NICHOLE (RUSTY) RULE
Nichole has ben diagnosed with bladder cancer
and is receiving chemo treatments in Bend and
eventually will have surgery to remove the bladder.
a
Valentine
Buy your
r
ssert all fo
e
d
t
e
e
w
s
CAUSE
a GREAT
S278732-1
Mon-Fri 10am-6pm / Sat by Appt.
Call/Text: 541-620-1558
www.heritagehillfarmflowers.com
Quilt
& Rifl
Raffle e
Contact
Patty Ross
541-620-4841
if you want to
help or donate!
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S280197-1