NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
City gets permit for sewer plant
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — The city of
John Day has obtained a dis-
charge permit from the Ore-
gon Department of Envi-
ronmental Quality for a new
wastewater treatment plant.
The current plant, built in
1949, received its last major
upgrade in 1978 and is in a
state of disrepair.
John Day’s current sewer
plant is located on the north
side of the John Day River
near the west end of Seventh
Street and serves about 2,400
residential, business and insti-
tutional customers within the
urban growth boundaries of
John Day and Canyon City.
The facility has been oper-
ating with an expired dis-
charge permit for 15 years.
John Day City Manager Nick
Green says obtaining the new
permit now makes operat-
ing the new facility possi-
ble. With plans to build a
new replacement plant having
been in the works for over a
decade, one of the last remain-
ing holdups to the project is no
longer an issue.
The city is now getting
ready to solicit bids for the
“package plant,” a prefabri-
cated sewage treatment plant
that would be the heart of the
new facility. Green says the
funds are already on hand to
improve the new site, which
is located in the northwest
corner of the Innovation
Gateway district, roughly a
mile west of the current plant.
The city also has fund-
ing to purchase the package
plant, according to Green.
The plant will be assembled
off -site.
The budget estimate for the
project is $17.5 million. The
city has $6.5 million in grant
funding for the project as well
as preliminary approval for
another $11 million in funds
from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. The USDA funds
will be made up of a mix of
grants and loans, with the
ratios to be determined.
With the new sewage
plant, the city plans on build-
ing a reclamation system that
would allow approximately
80 million gallons of treated
wastewater a year to be reused
rather than discharged into the
ground to eventually fi nd its
way into the John Day River.
The wastewater will be
treated to Class A standards,
which is the highest level
of treatment. While still not
approved for drinking, it can
be used for almost any other
purpose. “It’s bottled water
quality,” Green said.
A planned “purple pipe”
distribution system would
carry the treated water from
the plant to end-users. Green
says uses for the reclaimed
water could include fi ll-up sta-
tions for fi re tenders, irriga-
tion for agriculture, parks and
water features, log deck cool-
ing for Malheur Lumber and
even data center cooling, pro-
vided the city is able to attract
that type of business to the
Innovation Gateway.
Leftover treated wastewa-
ter would be discharged into
underground basins, where it
would eventually fi lter into
the aquifer. The city would no
longer need the percolation
ponds to the north of the river
that hold treated wastewa-
ter from the current treatment
plant under these conditions.
Once the purple pipe sys-
tem is operational, the city
estimates it could gener-
ate around $60,000 a year in
reclaimed water sales, which
could be used to buy down
sewer rates. The current sewer
rates are comparable to Port-
land’s at $60 a month.
Green says construction is
projected to begin on the new
site this fall.
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
A3
John Day man faces
sex crime charges
CANYON CITY — A
John Day resident is facing
multiple child sex crime
charges in Grant County
Circuit Court.
Travis James Freniere
was arraigned on Fri-
day, April 22, on a grand
jury indictment charging
him with three counts of
first-degree sexual abuse
and two counts of first-de-
gree sodomy.
According to the indict-
ment, the crimes occurred
between May 30, 2016,
and May 29, 2019, in
Grant County. The alleged
victim in the case was a
girl under the age of 14.
Freniere has not yet
entered a plea in the case,
and his attorneys could not
be reached for comment.
All of the crimes Fre-
niere is accused of com-
mitting are Measure 11
offenses. The sodomy
charges carry a manda-
tory minimum sentence
of eight years and four
months in prison, while
the mandatory minimum
for the sex abuse charges
is six years and three
months.
Freniere is being rep-
resented by Kathleen Erin
Dunn and William Thom-
son of Strawberry Moun-
tain Law, according to
court records. Freniere was
being held in the Grant
County Jail, with bail set at
$50,000.
Grant County District
Attorney Jim Carpenter
is listed as the prosecu-
tor in the case, and Circuit
Court Judge Rob Raschio
is presiding.
A plea hearing is sched-
uled for May 13 in Grant
County Circuit Court.
Easterday bankruptcy
settlement fi led
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
Justin Davis/Blue Mountain Eagle
Cars and vendors occupy the parking lot on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at the Rocky Mountain Dispensary west of John Day.
Dispensary celebrates 4/20
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — The
Rocky Mountain Dispensary
held a 4/20 celebration on
Wednesday, April 20, com-
plete with local vendors and
product discounts to celebrate
the occasion.
The date April 20 (4/20)
has come to be connected
with cannabis culture, grow-
ing out of an earlier associa-
tion with smoking marijuana
at 4:20 p.m.
Owner
Cindy
Kidd
says events like this year’s
would’ve taken place in the
past but the COVID-19 pan-
demic canceled those plans.
The event this year was the
last at the marijuana dispen-
sary’s current location west
of the John Day city lim-
its before a move into town
sometime in May.
Vendor booths at the event
included many you’d see at
the local street fair, includ-
ing homemade knives by vet-
erans Freddie Columbus and
Clell Schaefer, leatherwork
by Johnny Lane and vari-
ous natural oils and body-
works stands. All vendors at
the event were from Grant
County.
Kidd says all of the ven-
dors are customers of the dis-
pensary and they all wanted
to be a part of the event with
it being the last 4/20 celebra-
tion at the current location.
“It’s really a customer
appreciation day. We wanted
to make sure everybody
leaves here with something,”
Kidd said.
“It’s a big thank you
because the people here
voted us in, and without them
we wouldn’t be here. On this
day we try to be as generous
as we can. We donate a lot to
this community and we try
really hard to give back.”
Kidd also says she’d like
to see the event get bigger
with more vendors in the
coming years. “If the peo-
ple want to support, let them
support.”
The move to the new
facility is on track, according
to Kidd. “We’re waiting on
(Oregon Liquor and Canna-
bis Commission) inspections
and we have to fi nish our
security system,” she said.
“The COVID stuff has been
relaxed, so now they’re will-
ing to come out and check us
out.”
Kidd says the city of John
Day has been very accom-
modating and the dispensary
is planning on completing
the move to the new facility
sometime in May.
YAKIMA, Washington —
A tentative settlement has been
reached to allocate money from
the fraud-driven bankruptcy
sale of Cody Easterday’s farms
in Eastern Washington.
The agreement between the
Easterday family and credi-
tor committees was fi led late
Thursday, April 14, in U.S.
Bankruptcy Court. During a
brief conference Friday, April
15, Judge Whitman Holt in
Yakima set a hearing on the set-
tlement for Tuesday, April 19.
“I think it’s terrifi c news that
there appears to be peace in the
valley,” Holt said.
Easterday fi led for bank-
ruptcy more than a year ago
shortly before pleading guilty to
defrauding Tyson Fresh Meats
out of $233 million. He sup-
plied cattle to Tyson, but billed
the company for more cattle
than he delivered.
Easterday is set to be sen-
tenced June 13 in U.S. District
Court for wire fraud. He faces
up to 20 years in prison, accord-
ing to federal prosecutors.
The bankruptcy settlement
provides a framework for dis-
tributing proceeds from the liq-
uidation of Easterday Farms
and Easterday Ranches. Both
companies were owned and
directed by Cody Easterday and
his wife and mother.
The agreement “paves the
Showing Movies Since 1940!
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way for a 100%
recovery
to
general unse-
cured creditors
of Farms and a
material recov-
ery to general
Easterday
unsecured credi-
tors of Ranches,”
according to the fi ling.
The Easterdays’ holdings
included 22,500 acres of farm-
land in the Columbia Basin.
Farmland Reserve Inc. bought
the land, stretching over several
farms in Benton County, for
$209 million in July.
Under the settlement, East-
erday family members won’t
net any money from the sale,
but will keep other property,
including an onion storage
shed in Pasco and land in Idaho
appraised at $9.2 million.
The agreement would shield
Cody Easterday’s wife and
mother from being held respon-
sible for allegedly failing to
detect or stop the fraud.
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FANTASTIC BEASTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 28
County
commissioner
candidate debate
3-5 p.m., John Day Fire
Hall, 316 S Canyon Blvd.
The Grant County Repub-
lican Central Committee will
host a debate among the three
candidates for a seat on the
Grant County Court: Scott
Knepper, Mark Webb and John
Rowell. The committee will
also recruit people to fi ll 10
open precinct committee per-
son positions. The public is
welcome to attend.
FRIDAY, APRIL 29
’62 Days planning meeting
• 7 p.m., Sel’s Brewery, 113
Washington St., Canyon City
Regular weekly meeting of
the Whiskey Gulch Gang to
plan this year’s ’62 Days fes-
tivities. Anyone who wants
to help is welcome. For more
information, call Colby Farrel
at 541-620-0874.
W HAT’S
HAPPENING
THURSDAY, MAY 5
Prairie City School Kin-
dergarten Roundup
• 3 p.m., Mrs. Sharp’s room,
Prairie City School, 740 Over-
holt St.
Parents can sign their child
up for kindergarten. Children
must turn 5 before Sept. 1 to be
eligible. Bring a copy of your
child’s birth certifi cate and
immunization record.
FRIDAY, MAY 6
’62 Days planning meeting
• 7 p.m., Sel’s Brewery, 113
Washington St., Canyon City
Regular weekly meeting of
the Whiskey Gulch Gang to
plan this year’s ’62 Days fes-
tivities. Anyone who wants
to help is welcome. For more
information, call Colby Farrel
at 541-620-0874.
SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE
Friday
Sat & Sun
Mon-Wed
SATURDAY, MAY 7
DR. STRANGE
Jaclyn Clarry Transplant
Fundraiser
• 5-8 p.m., John Day Elks
Lodge, 140 NE Dayton St.
A benefi t dinner of pulled
pork or chicken with beans
and coleslaw, plus a silent
auction, live dessert auction
and raffl e. Proceeds go toward
medical expenses for Jaclyn
Clarry of John Day, a mother
of four awaiting a donor for
a kidney transplant. To help
with the event or donate
auction items, call Bonnie
Cearns at 541-571-3284 or
Patty Ross at 541-620-4841.
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.
MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
Better Blooms & Gardens
65153 Hwy 26, John Day
541-820-3329
(PG-13)
Opens Thurs May 5th at 7:00
**SHOWTIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. VISIT
OUR WEBSITE OR CALL AHEAD TO VERIFY**
S275526-1
www.eltrym.com
(541) 523-2522
• Effective
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This Mother’s Day, give Mom
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