A2
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
NEWS
LOCAL BRIEFING
Merkley plans virtual town hall
GRANT COUNTY 4 U.
66HQ-H൵0HUNOH\ZLOOKROG
a virtual town hall meeting
for Grant County residents at
3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20.
Following the usual format
for an in-person town hall, the
VHQDWRU ZLOO VSHDN DQG WKHQ
WDNHTXHVWLRQVDQGFRPPHQWV
from constituents.
To join the meeting by
computer or mobile device,
send an email to TownHall@
PHUNOH\VHQDWHJRY
ZLWK
Grant County in the subject
line.
To join by phone, call 669-
254-5252, then enter meeting
ID 160 850 4332, participant
ID # and passcode 28152932.
Malheur archaeologists publish work
-2+1 '$< ² 7KH ZRUN
of two Malheur National For-
est archaeologists is show-
cased in the winter 2021
edition of the Oregon Histor-
ical Quarterly, a special issue
on the Chinese diaspora in
Oregon.
Don Hann9s article, <Chi-
nese Mining Kongsi in East-
ern Oregon: A Case of Cul-
tural Amnesia,= discusses the
joint ventures formed by Chi-
nese miners and the import-
ant role they played in Grant
County9s mining boom.
,Q ³6WDFNHG 5RFN )HD
tures: Archaeological Evi-
dence of Chinese Miners on
the Malheur National For-
est,= Katee Withee shines a
light on the daily lives of Chi-
nese miners in Grant County
as revealed by excavations of
WKHLUFDPSVRIWHQPDUNHGE\
carefully constructed stone
hearths.
More information about
the special edition of the
TXDUWHUO\ LV DYDLODEOH
online at https://tinyurl.
com/5672adsa.
ODOT seeks input on funding decisions
There are three was for the
SXEOLFWRSURYLGHIHHGEDFNRQ
the proposal:
" An online open house,
which can be accessed at
KWWSVWLQ\XUOFRPG\IVPN
" Written comments, which
can be submitted through the
commission9s public com-
ment page at https://tinyurl.
com/bdfv8uz7.
" Commenting at a meet-
ing of the commission
on Thursday, Feb. 17, or
March 10; instructions on
how to sign up can be found
online at https://tinyurl.
FRPIGYDN
SALEM 4 The Oregon
Department of Transportation
LVVHHNLQJLGHDVIURPWKHSXE
lic on the best way to spend
PLOOLRQLQÀH[LEOHIXQG
ing coming to the state under
the federal Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act.
The agency has submit-
ted a proposal to the Oregon
Transportation Commission
that lays out nine program
areas to invest in, including
accessibility, public transpor-
tation and highway enhance-
ments. The proposal is avail-
able online at https://tinyurl.
FRP\FNKNYEY
Student makes college dean9s list
FREDERICK,
Mary-
land 4 Destiny Fairless of
John Day was named to the
Hood College dean9s list for
the fall semester, the college
announced. The list recog-
nizes the academic achieve-
ments of students who earn at
OREGON CAPITAL
INSIDER
least a 3.5 grade point aver-
age while completing a min-
imum six semester hours of
FRXUVHZRUN )DLUOHVV JUDGX
ated in January with a bach-
elor9s degree in history.
Blue Mountain Eagle
We’re investing in Salem
coverage when other
news organizations are
cutting back.
Get the inside scoop on state government and politics!
Balbina Escudero
January 20, 2022
Balbina Escudero, 93, of
John Day passed away on Jan-
uary 20, 2022 at St. Anthony
Hospital in Pendleton, Oregon.
Balbina was born and raised
in a small farming community
in Northern Spain to Mariano
and Josefa. In October of 1948,
she married John Escudero,
who lived in the same small
town. In 1958 they moved,
with their two sons, from
Spain to Bates, OR. They lived
in Bates until 1975, when the
sawmill and Bates itself closed.
They then moved to John Day,
where Balbina lived the rest of her life. In John Day she worked at
Dreamers Lodge for many years.
She enjoyed traveling and exploring new places and cultures.
While traveling she met some wonderful people and made dear
friends that were very special to her. Throughout her life she loved
to make things grow. She always had beautiful flowers around
her house, and always had a garden, including last summer. But
for Balbina the most important things in her life were family and
friends. She was strong willed and fiercely independent, caring
and loving, and she enjoyed life.
Balbina was preceded in death by her husband John Escude-
ro, her parents Mariano and Josefa, and her siblings Samuel and
Prepe. She is survived by her sons John and Joe Escudero, five
grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial attended by family was held on
Thursday, January 27th, 2022 at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in
John Day, followed by interment at St. Andrews Catholic Ceme-
tery in Canyon City.
There will be a Celebration of Life service in late spring to be
announced.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s
Hospital through Driskill Memorial Chapel at 241 S. Canyon Blvd.,
John Day, Oregon 97845. Paid for by the family of Balbina Escu-
S281707-1
dero
Steven Mitchell/Blue Mountain Eagle
Patty Ross, left, presents Nichole Rule with a check donated by a Grant County resident on Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. Ross helped organize
a fundraising dinner at the Mt. Vernon Community Center for Rule, who is o ghting cancer.
8There is hope in humanity9
Friends, family rally
to help Mt. Vernon
woman with cancer
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
MT. VERNON 4 More
than 100 people showed up
to the Mt. Vernon Commu-
nity Center Friday, Feb. 11,
IRUDEHQH¿WGLQQHUDQGDXF
tion for a woman recently
diagnosed with cancer.
Doctors in December
diagnosed Mt. Vernon resi-
24/7 F ORECAST
A UTOMATED : 541-575-1122
R OAD CONDITIONS : 511; TRIPCHECK . COM
NOAA W EATHER R ADIO FOR J OHN D AY
162.500 MHz
donate to the auction.
Ross said $11,000 came
in from the dinner and auc-
tion and that others made
monetary donations.
According to Ross, even
SHRSOH ZKR GLG QRW NQRZ
1LFN\ DQG 5XVW\ VKRZHG
XS IRU WKH HYHQW WR PDNH
donations.
Not only did the event
raise money to help the
Rules, but it brought their
extended family together.
1LFN\¶V VLEOLQJV ZKRP
she had not seen in years,
came out for the event, along
ZLWK KHU NLGV ZKR WUDYHOHG
from Las Vegas, Idaho and
the other side of the state.
<I9m just so over-
ZKHOPHG´ 1LFN\ VDLG
<For everybody to come
together for me, it9s just been
awesome.=
Ross said the auction, din-
QHUDQGIXQGUDLVLQJH൵RUWOHIW
her and the handful of vol-
unteers who organized the
event with a <really warm
IHHOLQJ MXVW WR NQRZ WKDW
you9re helping somebody
that9s going through a really
rough time.=
<There is hope in human-
ity,= Ross said.
Bringing back 8old-time religion9
ple will stand up in front of
the congregation and sing by
themselves.
He said the special gives a
person an opportunity to shine,
and sometimes the singer will
amaze others with their talent.
<It9s a very unorganized
and nondenominational,= he
said. <We have some Adven-
tists. We have all the denom-
inations, represented at one
time or another.=
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
ECHO 4 Not every
churchgoer appreciates the
tide of change, according to
one Hermiston resident.
Doug Fehrenbacher said
WKHUHDUHPDQ\EHOLHYHUVOLNH
himself, who prefer hymns.
They have been sidelined, in
his estimation. He is trying to
EULQJWKHPEDFNWRSRSXODULW\
with musical services at Echo
Community Church on the
¿UVW6XQGD\RIHYHU\PRQWKDW
5:30 p.m.
³,WKLQNDORWRIROGHUSHR
ple, people who have been
Christians for a long time, feel
left out,= he said. <The last
thing an 80-year-old woman
wants is to learn a new song.
7KH\OLNHWKHRQHVWKH\NQRZ´
He said people are allowed
to sing the hymns they choose
at his services from pro-
vided hymnals. Attendees
are accompanied by Louise
Sundvall, a fellow Hermiston
resident.
<She is just absolutely out-
standing,= Fehrenbacher said.
³1RW RQO\ GRHV VKH NQRZ DOO
Last Week9s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Wednesday ..................................................... 55/32
Thursday .......................................................... 59/32
Friday ............................................................... 58/29
Saturday .......................................................... 56/29
Sunday ............................................................. 56/32
Monday............................................................ 44/29
Tuesday ........................................................... 43/27
dent Nichole Rule (who goes
E\1LFN\ZLWKEODGGHUFDQ
cer. Since then, accompanied
by her husband, Rusty Rule,
and her cousin, she has been
PDNLQJORQJWULSVRXWVLGHWKH
county for chemotherapy,
and surgery is in her future.
Cancer treatment isn9t
FKHDS DQG WKH ELOOV TXLFNO\
began piling up. But friends
rallied around to help, and
WKH UHVXOW ZDV ODVW ZHHN¶V
spaghetti dinner and auction.
Patty Ross and a handful
RI RWKHU YROXQWHHUV NLFNHG
into gear and reached out
to businesses for items to
The importance
of hymns
He called his services
important because music is
Doug Fehrenbacher n ips through a hymnal Wednesday, Feb. 9, vital to the Christian faith.
<I feel in so many church
2022, in the living room of his Hermiston home.
services they use the music
the songs, but she can run that
Sundvall plays piano, but as a means of bringing people
NH\ERDUGVREHDXWLIXOO\´
it is Fehrenbacher who is the IURP WKHLU SUREOHPV DQG R൵
Sundvall said she has been worship leader. He sings and the streets to where they can
IRFXVRQWKHVSRNHQZRUG´KH
playing piano for around 80 directs the service.
years, though she has not
He said he used to hold his said.
In his services, however,
played hymns exclusively. She services at a church in Herm-
started with classical music, iston; however, his services Fehrenbacher puts total atten-
tion on the music, he said. His
then played for churches.
became a problem.
<I add my style to it,= she
<As our numbers grew and services do not even have a
said of church music. She JUHZ LW VHHPV OLNH ZH ZHUH sermon. After the hymns and
described her style as <South- interfering with the other min- the special, there is only a fel-
lowship get-together, which is
ern gospel= with <life and istries,= he said.
pep.=
He expressed his feel- at the end of the service.
He said people have a good
ing the services were unap-
SUHFLDWHG VR KH WRRN WKHP time with this and travel from
elsewhere. The Echo church Richland, Washington, and
invited him, he said, and has Walla Walla to attend.
These hymns have served
³EHQW RYHU EDFNZDUGV´ KHOS
him, as well as his congrega-
ing put this together.
<They9ve been just won- tion, Fehrenbacher said. He
derful,= he said. <I can9t say added that hymns such as <It
is Well with My Soul= have
enough about them.=
In one of his Echo Com- KHOSHGKLPGXULQJGDUNWLPHV
munity services, attendees He said he will continue sing-
sing six songs. Then, they ing hymns and giving others
S279213-1
have what Fehrenbacher calls opportunities to sing them for
<a special.= One or two peo- as long as he can.
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF F EB . 16-22
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
AM clouds
PM sun
Partly
cloudy
Mostly
cloudy
Partly
cloudy
Snow
showers
Mostly
cloudy
Mostly
cloudyy
32
28
27
26
45
24
52
28
55
28
53
38
38
40