A2
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
COVID-19 takes another life in Grant County
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — The 19th
Grant County resident has died
after contracting COVID-19.
The latest fatality is a
91-year-old male who died at
home on Feb. 28.
In a Monday, March 14,
press release from the Grant
County Health Department, the
department encouraged people
to be respectful as a family in
the community grieves.
The department announced
that fi ve more people had
been identifi ed as positive for
COVID-19 in Grant County.
The county has recorded more
than 1,600 cases of the disease
since the start of the pandemic.
On Friday, March 11, the
Oregon Health Authority
reported 15 new deaths in Ore-
gon, raising the statewide death
toll to 6,869. In addition, the
agency reported 411 new con-
fi rmed and presumptive cases.
The Health Department
recommends that those who
have questions visit coronavi-
rus.oregon.gov or call the state
hotline at 866-917-8881.
Also, the department asks
those who test positive for the
coronavirus to let close con-
tacts know to watch for symp-
toms of COVID-19.
The Centers for Dis-
ease Control recommends
the COVID-19 vaccine for
everyone 5 and older and
boosters for everyone 12 and
older.
Vaccination, the Health
Department notes, is still the
most eff ective way for peo-
ple to protect themselves
from the virus and reduce the
impact of COVID-19 in their
communities.
GRANT UNION STUDENTS OF
THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY
Seventh grade
Rillie Mitchell
Parents: Mandi
& Jayson McQuown
Eighth grade
Isaiah Adams
Parents: Dustin
& Shawna Oates
Blue Mountain Eagle, File
10th grade
Sivanna Hodge
Parents: Erin Hodge
& Loren Hodge
Grant funds fuel
reduction work
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
11th grade
Andrew Hunt
Parents: Robert Hunt
& Shana Hunt
12th grade
Maverick Miller
Parents: Jason
& Robyn Miller
Pastor Jack Retherford
July 15, 1935 ~ March 11, 2022
Pastor James Arthur “Jack” Retherford returned to his heav-
enly home on March 11, 2022. His de-
votion to his family and his firm belief in
God supported him in his struggles and
ultimately gave him peace.
“Jack” as he was known to friends
and family, was born to Jim and Gladys
Retherford on July 15, 1935 in Burns
Oregon. Jack graduated Grant Union
High School in 1954, where he partic-
ipated in football, basketball and track.
Throughout his life he was an avid
sports fan and coached many players
up until his 70’s.
Jack was blessed with a loving family. He married his best
friend and love of his life, Betty Jane Freeman, on March 17, 1956
in John Day Oregon. Jack helped raise his three boys in a ranch-
ing rodeo lifestyle. He was his children’s biggest supporter in their
athletic achievements and continued to support all his grandchil-
dren as a permanent figure at every event.
Following the death of his father, Jack found a life of faith
and a commitment to God. He became an ordained minister of
the Assembly of God Church. He officiated countless funerals,
marriages and baptisms and was the pastor of many churches
throughout Oregon and Idaho.
He is dearly missed by his loved ones who celebrate the fact
that he is at peace with his creator and in the arms of family.
Jack is survived by his wife, Betty of 65 years; his brother
Victor Retheford; his sons Rod and Chris Retherford and hon-
orary family Dennis Adkins; his grandchildren Brooke Johnson,
Jare’ Huycke, Jacee James, Qiera Tucker, Duvar Retherford, and
Cameron Retherford. His great grandchildren; Avery, Brynn, Peri,
Jack, Jaylen, Brooklyn, Dani, and multiple nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by parents; Jim and Gladys Retherford,
His sister Margie Hoe, and his oldest son Rick Retherford.
A celebration of life and potluck will be held on Tuesday March
15, 2022 at 1pm at the Assembly of God Church in John Day.
Reverend Lee Teague will officiate. Jack will be laid to rest next to
his father and mother in the Canyon City Cemetery on March 16,
2022. A private family service will be held at 11am followed by a
1 pm graveside service for family and friends that would like to
pay their respects.
Pallbearers:
Rod Retherford
Cameron Retherford
Chris Retherford
Bill Elliott
John Morris
Skip Inscore
“I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take
you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.” John 14:3
S285837-1
Paid for by the family of Jack Retherford.
PRAIRIE CITY — The
Grant County Soil and Water
Conservation District is busy
treating highly fl ammable fi ne
fuels and annual grasses and
conducting an assessment of
forest and range conditions
on thousands of acres as part
of the Upper John Day Resil-
iency Project after securing a
$1.6 million state grant last
month.
The project, mainly in
Prairie City, is funded by the
Landscape Resiliency Pro-
gram, a grant program estab-
lished under Senate Bill 762.
According to the bill’s text,
the grant program’s purpose is
to reduce wildfi re risk on pub-
lic and private forestland by
restoring landscape resiliency
and reducing hazardous fuels.
In February, the Oregon
Department of Forestry issued
$20 million in grants autho-
rized by Senate Bill 762.
The SWCD’s project was
one of nine to receive the
funding to treat over 156,000
acres across Oregon land-
scapes at the highest risk for
catastrophic wildfi re.
Kyle Sullivan, soil and
water district manager, said
the SWCD’s project uses her-
bicides to reduce the presence
of fi ne fuels and highly fl am-
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mable grasses, such as medu-
sahead and sheet grass, among
others.
The annual grasses, he
said, can catch fi re and burn
fast.
“They’re highly fl amma-
ble, and if the fi re gets in they
move very fast with the wind,”
Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the treatments
knock back the annual grasses
for roughly three years.
Altogether, Sullivan said,
the district is funded to do the
treatment work on upwards
of 23,000 acres of land in the
John Day Basin. The grant
funding, he said, must be
spent by June 30, 2023.
The funding fi ts well
with several other projects
the SWDC has been work-
ing on with the U.S. Natu-
ral Resources Conservation
Service, which has included
pre-commercial
thinning
on private property and the
removal of highly fl ammable
conifer trees.
Sullivan said the fi ne fuels
treatment coupled with the
other projects has also been
benefi cial for wildlife in the
area.
Reducing the annual win-
ter grasses is very benefi cial
for wildlife species. The Ore-
gon Department of Fish and
Wildlife has been seeing the
success of the treatments, Sul-
livan said.
Senate Bill 762 was a com-
prehensive package passed
through the Oregon Legisla-
ture with bipartisan support
last year. The legislation pro-
vides more than $200 million
to help Oregon modernize and
improve wildfi re preparedness
through creating fi re-adapted
communities, developing a
safe and eff ective response,
and increasing the resiliency
of Oregon’s landscapes.
JOHN DAY — Ryan Gerry, Grant Union Junior-Senior
High School’s principal, is resigning.
In a Friday, March 11, email, Gerry said he would be
at the helm through the end of the school year and that his
contract expires on June 30.
The Grant School Board has Gerry’s letter
of resignation listed as a consent agenda item
for its next meeting on Wednesday, March 16.
Consent agenda items are not typically dis-
cussed in board meetings.
Gerry did not immediately respond to
emailed questions about his plans beyond
Gerry
the end of the school year or whether
he had accepted a position with another
school district.
In a text message, board Chair Haley Walker directed
questions regarding Gerry’s resignation to Bret Uptmor,
the school district’s superintendent, and Gerry.
Uptmor did not immediately respond to a list of emailed
questions the Eagle sent on Friday, March 11.
Gerry, who took the helm at Grant Union in 2015, had
previously been the superintendent and principal of Prai-
rie City School District.
Gerry’s teaching and administrative career began in
Prairie City. He had been the superintendent for three years
and had taught within the district for 13 years, including
seven years at the elementary level and six at the junior
high level.
NO WAY HOME
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JOHN DAY — The state lifted its mask mandate for
most indoor settings starting Saturday, March 12, but the
Grant County Health Department has issued a reminder
that face coverings are still required in some circum-
stances even though COVID-19 transmission rates in the
county are low.
Masks are still required for workers in the health care
industry and anyone visiting health care facilities, the
department said in a news release. Face coverings must
still be worn in hospitals, primary care clinics, dentist and
counseling offi ces, long-term care and residential facili-
ties, foster care homes, group homes and similar facilities.
The department said it doesn’t currently have a time-
line for when the mask mandate will end for the health
care industry but will let the public know when it receives
some clarifi cation.
Meanwhile, the department said, COVID-19 contact
tracing and case investigations are ending for the gen-
eral public, including K-12 schools. The department will
still conduct case investigations and contact tracing for
health care clinics, long-term care facilities and residen-
tial facilities.
The Blue Mountain Hospital District will conduct its
own case investigations for Blue Mountain Hospital and
Strawberry Wilderness Community Clinic.
Members of the public can call the Grant County Health
Department with any questions pertaining to the lifting of
the mandate and current contact tracing and case investi-
gation polices at (541)-575-0429.
Eastside lawmakers hold joint town hall
SALEM — Three Eastern Oregon legislators will jointly
host a virtual town hall meeting to discuss the recently con-
cluded 2022 legislative session.
Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane,
and Rep. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, will talk about some
of the bills that passed or failed as well as key takeaways
from the short session. They will also answer questions and
take comments from constituents.
The virtual town hall will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
on Thursday, March 17, and will be carried over Facebook
Live and Zoom.
To participate in the Zoom meeting, register online at
https://tinyurl.com/4wvree8b.
Questions can be submitted in advance at registration,
using the Q&A feature during the event or asked live during
the virtual town hall.
KWC friends group seeks logo designs
JOHN DAY — The Friends of Kam Wah Chung are
accepting design proposals for a new logo.
The group currently has no logo and is seeking a design
that is both identifi able and will help the organization
carry out its mission.
Proposals due by 4 p.m. March 31, and the project is
scheduled for completion on June 1.
Applicants should include proof of qualifi cations,
examples of past work and two to three logo designs. Logo
designs should be accompanied by written explanations
of the designs and their interpretation of the Friends of
Kam Wah Chung’s vision for the project, as well as a bud-
get breakdown. For additional requirements, go to https://
tinyurl.com/ycykzhth.
Proposals can be mailed to Friends of Kam Wah Chung,
P.O. Box 663, John Day, OR 97845. Entries can also be
submitted electronically to friendskwc@gmail.com.
—Blue Mountain Eagle
3:30, 7:15
SPIDERMAN
( PG-13)
3:15 7:00
OPENS MARCH 25TH:
THE LOST CITY
**SHOWTIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. VISIT
OUR WEBSITE OR CALL AHEAD TO VERIFY**
S283713-1
www.eltrym.com (541) 523-2522
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Wednesday ..................................................... 30/10
Thursday .......................................................... 41/21
Friday ............................................................... 53/29
Saturday .......................................................... 59/38
Sunday ............................................................. 50/32
Monday............................................................ 56/42
Tuesday ........................................................... 49/31
Grant Union principal to step down
Masks still required in some situations
The Strawberry Mountain range near Prairie City.
Ninth grade
Madelyn Bailey
Parents: Zachary
& Heather Bailey
LOCAL BRIEFING
DEATH NOTICES
CORRECTION
Dean Nodine
Grant School District enroll-
ment: In the March 9 edition, the
Eagle incorrectly reported total
K-12 enrollment numbers for
2020-21 at Grant School District.
The total number of K-12 stu-
dents enrolled in the district for
the 2020-21 school year was 500.
The Eagle regrets the error.
Dean Nodine, 89, passed away Nov. 26. A grave-
side service is planned for March 26 at 11 a.m. at the
Canyon City Cemetery. A reception following the
service will be held at the John Day Elks Lodge No.
1824, in John Day. To offer an online condolence to
Dean’s family, please visit www.driskillmemorial-
chapel.com.
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF M ARCH 16-22
Wednesday
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cloudy
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cloudy
Rain
Mostly
cloudy
AM snow
showers
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cloudy
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29
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