A2
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
City names interim manager
in a unani-
mous vote.
Ketchum
w o u l d
resume
his role as
community
Ketchum
develop-
ment direc-
tor if the city decides to fi nd
another candidate for the city
manager position following
the trial period. During that
six-month period, Ketchum
will work both as the city
manager and as community
development director until
the city fi lls Ketchum’s old
post via contract.
“I’ll be wearing a couple
diff erent hats for a while,”
Ketchum said.
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — The search
for a successor to John Day
City Manager Nick Green is
over, at least for now.
Community
Devel-
opment Director Corum
Ketchum was appointed
interim city manager during
the May 10 City Council ses-
sion. The appointment is for
a six-month trial period, after
which the city can either hire
Ketchum into the position
permanently or fall back on
its earlier plan to have Wash-
ington-based CMP Con-
sultants search for quali-
fi ed candidates. The council
approved the appointment
The move was a poten-
tial cost-saving measure as
well as a necessity. Appoint-
ing Ketchum saves the city
$25,000 that would’ve gone
to CMP Consultants for their
eff orts in searching for qual-
ifi ed candidates to fi ll the
vacancy. The city also needs
a city manager in place to
shepherd projects that are just
starting to get off the ground.
The hire wasn’t with-
out concerns, however.
Ketchum is just out of col-
lege, and the community
development director job
was his first post following
the completion of his studies.
Ketchum doesn’t have expe-
rience being a manager, and
he’s only been in his current
role since early March.
Those concerns are all
things Green says can be mit-
igated through mentorship
and the support of veteran
city agency staff . Green, who
will be stepping down by the
end of next month, has agreed
to mentor Ketchum and help
him settle into the role of city
manager.
Being a city manager was
always a goal for Ketchum.
“I just didn’t think it
would happen this fast,” he
said.
Ketchum also admits that
he has some learning to do
but adds that Green is doing
a good job of mentoring him
as he takes on the responsi-
bility of city manager.
Contributed Photo
Blue Mountain Hospital
CEO Derek Daly will step
down as CEO in August
to take the helm at an
unnamed larger hospi-
tal in the Midwest.
JOHN DAY — Blue Moun-
tain Hospital District’s chief
executive offi cer is stepping
down after nearly six years on
the job.
According to a Tuesday,
May 10, press release from the
hospital, Derek Daly’s last day
as CEO will be Aug. 3.
In the press release, Daly
said he and his young family
will be moving out of the area
to be closer to family in the
Midwest, where he will take a
job heading up a larger hospi-
tal as CEO.
Daly said taking the helm of
the unnamed hospital comes at
a time and location that is a bet-
ter fi t for him and his family.
“Major life changes,” he
said, “including the recent
addition of a child to our fam-
ily, have motivated us to relo-
cate closer to both of our fam-
ilies and the support system
they provide.”
Daly added that his moti-
vation for moving on is not
entirely career-driven.
“If this opportunity were
solely for professional reasons,
I would not be making this
transition,” he said. “It is the
combination of professional
opportunity and personal/fam-
ily need converging at the same
time that make this the right
thing for my family.”
In the press release, the hos-
pital board noted that it will be
looking for an interim CEO to
“support a productive handoff ”
when Daly departs in the sum-
mer. Simultaneously, according
to the press release, the board
will begin looking for a perma-
nent CEO.
Monument couple to lead ’62 Days Parade
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY — Rusty and
Peggy Clark, a Monument couple with
deep family ties to Grant County, have
been selected grand marshals of this
year’s ’62 Days Parade by the Whis-
key Gulch Gang, the group that orga-
nizes the annual celebration of Canyon
City’s boomtown beginnings.
“They’ve been good people in
the community for a long time,” said
Colby Farrell, president of the Whis-
key Gulch Gang. “We try to pick peo-
ple … who represent the spirit of
1862.”
The Clarks plan to ride horses in the
parade, which is scheduled to begin at
11 a.m. on June 11 in Canyon City,
Farrell said.
Rusty (George) Clark was born at
the Canyon City home of his parents,
Harold and Wanda Clark, in 1941,
OREGON CAPITAL
INSIDER
Contributed Photo
Rusty and Peggy Clark of Monument
have been selected to serve as grand
marshals for the 2022 ‘62 Days Parade.
according to information provided by
the family. His paternal great-grand-
parents, Martin and Anna Lucas,
came to Grant County in 1867, shortly
after the Civil War, and Martin helped
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I would like to thank everyone for their
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A sincere thank you from
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LA GRANDE — A half-dozen Grant County students have
been recognized for academic achievement by Eastern Oregon
University.
Named to the dean’s list for winter term were Samantha Cho-
ate, Ellie Justice, Fallon Weaver and Kalli Wilson of John Day
and Caitlin Willet and Declan Zweygardt of Prairie City.
The EOU dean’s list honors students who maintain a grade
point average of 3.5 or above while taking at least 12 credit
hours of coursework.
BEO names new board offi cers
HEPPNER — BEO Bancorp and its subsidiary, the Bank of
Eastern Oregon, elected new offi cers at their annual sharehold-
ers meeting.
Brad Anderson of Arlington and Hood River was named
chairman of the bank’s board of directors, and Bob Armstrong
of John Day was named vice chairman.
Anderson is a partner in Triangle Ranches, a wheat and cattle
operation in Gilliam and Morrow Counties. Armstrong is a cer-
tifi ed public accountant with Solutions CPAs.
Both have served on the board since 2004.
build Camp Harney. He also built the
Episcopal church that still stands in
Canyon City, the family said.
Martin and Anna Lucas raised four
daughters and one son. Rusty’s grand-
mother, Annetta Lucas Clark, was said
to be the fi rst white child born in Grant
County, in June of 1878. Annetta was
a schoolteacher in Canyon City for
many years and after retirement she
served as the school janitor. Annetta
was named the ’62 Days Pioneer
Queen in 1957.
Peggy Lowry Clark moved to Grant
County at age 14 from Crook County.
Her parents, Charles and Sally Lowry,
owned and operated a ranch on Moon
Creek west of Mt. Vernon, where she
and Rusty became neighbors. Their
families became quick friends. After
they finished high school, Peggy and
Rusty were married on March 10,
1961.
SALEM — The Oregon Public Utility Commission has
adopted permanent rules governing public safety power shut-
off s, the agency announced.
Temporary rules were enacted after wildfi res burned nearly 1
million acres across the state in 2020.
The permanent rules spell out steps that investor-owned
electric utilities — including Portland General Electric, Pacifi c
Power and Idaho Power — are required to take when they decide
to shut off power lines during extreme weather conditions, when
the lines pose a risk of starting a wildfi re.
Among other things, the rules require utilities to notify public
safety partners, state agencies, local jurisdictions and the pub-
lic of the need for a power shutoff and provide updates every 24
hours until service is restored.
De-energizing power lines is considered a “strategy of last
resort” because of the impact from the loss of electrical power
on such critical activities as the use of home medical devices, the
ability to call 911 and the ability to pump water, the PUC noted
in a press release.
Tribal student aid program begins
SALEM — The Higher Education Coordinating Commis-
sion is accepting applications for the Oregon Tribal Student
Grant, a new fi nancial aid program intended to pay most or all
college-related expenses for eligible students attending public
colleges in the state.
Assistance is available to enrolled members of Oregon’s nine
federally recognized Indian tribes, including the Burns Paiute
Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation,
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the Klamath Tribes.
Students can apply online at https://tinyurl.com/2k4arwkp.
The deadline is Aug. 1.
— Blue Mountain Eagle
DEATH NOTICES
Balbina Escudero
Balbina Escudero, 93, of John Day passed away on Jan. 20 at
St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton. A Mass of Christian Burial
was held on Jan. 27 at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in John
Day, followed by interment at St. Andrews Catholic Cemetery
in Canyon City. Because of COVID, at the time of her passing,
the service was limited to family. At this time, we are off ering
a lunch in remembrance of Balbina. It will be held at the John
Day Senior Center on Friday, May 20, at noon. Join us and share
your memories.
Grape and Grain draws a crowd
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — The Grape
and Grain wine and beer festi-
val returned to Grant County
after an almost decade-long
absence.
The event took place in
the Trowbridge Pavilion at
the Grant County Fairgrounds
on Friday, May 13, and was
put on by the Grant County
Chamber of Commerce. Area
wineries and breweries were
on hand, along with cheese,
chocolate and meat vendors
to allow patrons to sample and
purchase their products.
Brewers and wineries in
attendance were Echo Ridge
Cellars out of Echo, Faith
Hope & Charity Vineyards out
of Terrebonne, Los Rocosos
Vineyards of Milton-Freewa-
ter and 1188 Brewing of John
Day. Other vendors included
the Etc. Boutique out of John
Day, Strange Magic Bakery of
Prairie City and Juan’s Fresh
Salsa of Prairie City, among
others.
Amanda Moss of Strange
Magic said the bakery is a
joint project between herself
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Wednesday ..................................................... 55/37
Thursday .......................................................... 50/32
Friday ............................................................... 52/41
Saturday .......................................................... 65/44
Sunday ............................................................. 66/47
Monday............................................................ 64/38
Tuesday ........................................................... 68/45
Local students earn high marks
PUC adopts power shutoff rules
Hospital CEO to step down
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
LOCAL BRIEFING
Patrons visit booths and socialize during the Grape and Grain
festival in Trowbridge Pavilion at the Grant County Fairgrounds
on Friday, May 13, 2022.
and her mother and has been
in operation for about nine
months. “My mom and I bake
out of our kitchen right now
until we can get our own spot.
We’re going to be at the farm-
ers market that starts in June.”
Juan Rubio of Juan’s Fresh
Salsa said he has been making
salsa for about a year and cur-
rently has his wares for sale
in supermarkets and stores
throughout the county.
Rubio says he doesn’t have
mild, medium and hot des-
ignations for his salsa. “I’m
not that guy,” he said. Instead,
Rubio’s salsa heat is broken
down into wimpy, normal and
caution.
Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director Tammy
Bremner said the cham-
ber was looking for an event
that would get the commu-
nity going again after the
COVID-related business shut-
downs of the last two years.
“We normally do an instal-
lation dinner in the fall where
we install our new offi cers that
are coming in July 1,” she said.
“We decided instead of doing
that, let’s do a party. Kind of
like a reopening of the county.
We knew something like this
had been done before so we
thought we could re-create it.”
Bremner said the festival
was fi rst planned to happen in
October, but that’s when win-
eries are harvesting their grape
crops. The festival was moved
to late spring to accommodate
the wine vendors.
Bremner says the event
was right at the goal of 150
attendees. “We had 150 token
packages done and they were
all gone. We did let vendors
have some but I think we were
right there.”
The success of the festi-
val has already led to requests
for an even bigger event next
year. All of the vendors that
came this year are wanting to
return next year but Bremner
says expansion is really a mat-
ter of space in accommodat-
ing more vendors and larger
crowds.
“I was thinking: How are
we going to do that? It would
be nice, but we really have to
think about how we’re going
to make everything fi t.”
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF M AY 18-24
Wednesday
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Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
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cloudy
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cloudy
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cloudy
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cloudy
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37
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