NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
A3
BMW riders roll into John Day Murals planned
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — The Chief
Joseph Rally returned to the
Grant County Fairgrounds
this year following a two-year
absence due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
Camping tents and a pleth-
ora of BMW motorcycles of all
types and ages once again fi lled
the grassy area beside Trow-
bridge Pavilion over the course
of the three-day event. The rally
started Thursday, June 16, and
concluded the night of Satur-
day, June 18, with riders leav-
ing town the following day.
The event was sponsored by
BMW Riders of Oregon and
drew riders from all over the
Western United States and parts
of Canada. Guided rides, riding
instruction, speakers, seminars
and nightly motorcycle movies
were some of the activities the
rallygoers participated in over
the course of the event.
BMW Riders of Oregon
Justin Davis/Blue Mountain Eagle
A BMW R50/5 motorcycle with sidecar sits at the Grant Coun-
ty Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 18, 2022. John Day was the
headquarters for the BMW Riders of Oregon’s annual Chief Jo-
seph Rally.
rally chair Alice LeBarron said
the group is passionate about
BMW bikes, but owning one
isn’t necessary to join their club.
“Our club and this rally are
really open to having other
brands of bikes,” she said. “It’s
people who are of the same
mindset, basically.”
LeBarron said she thinks
a lot of people have moved to
BMW motorcycles over the
years due to the number of dif-
ferent models the company
makes that cater to diff erent rid-
ing styles and preferences.
LeBarron said she’s been
coming to the rally in John Day
since 2012 and that she even
came over the two years that
the rally was canceled due to
COVID: “The two years that
we didn’t have our rally ... I
came here with a few friends
and we camped out and had an
unrally.”
While LeBarron said there
isn’t much interaction between
the rally and the community,
she added that anybody who
is curious about riding or any-
thing concerning BMW Riders
of Oregon is always welcome
to attend the rally and have their
questions answered.
LeBarron said there were
277 people registered to attend
the rally but that the overall
number of attendees was a “bit
lower than normal” due to the
national BMW rally in Spring-
fi eld, Missouri, being held over
the same weekend as Chief
Joseph.
She added that Grant
County is always a place she
looks forward to visiting every
year and that she enjoys work-
ing with Mindy Winegar and
her staff at the fairgrounds.
“We’ll keep coming here,”
LeBarron said. “There is such
great riding here, and the loca-
tion just works for us.”
Iron Triangle lands biomass grant
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
SENECA — The U.S. For-
est Service has awarded Iron
Triangle upwards of $500,000
to process non-saw biomass
more effi ciently at its post and
pole facility in Seneca.
King Williams of King-
inc, a subcontractor with Iron
Triangle, said the grant would
help create a cleaner, more
effi cient debarking system and
help the post and pole facility
process its non-saw biomass.
Williams said the two-
year grant would also help
create a more economically
effi cient separation of waste
products from debarking and
pole processing into salable
and non-salable products and
promote the conversion of
non-salable residue to biochar
and electrical power.
Williams said Iron Trian-
gle monitors for grant oppor-
tunities and stays in contact
with the regional U.S. Forest
Service personnel who handle
grants. He said Iron Triangle
came up with a 65% match for
the project’s costs.
He said Iron Triangle has
hired “numerous” employees
and currently off ers more than
20 family-wage jobs at the
Seneca Post and Pole facility.
There are two goals for
this project, Williams said.
The fi rst is to use as much of
the non-saw biomass removed
from the forest as possible
for posts, poles, fi rewood,
and wood-generated energy
to minimize the need to chip
and sell low-value chips to the
pulp market. The second is to
use a more economically and
environmentally friendly pro-
cess to manufacture the non-
saw biomass, producing a
cleaner and more segregated
product.
He said it would create
more marketable material and
process and convert resid-
ual wood waste into electrical
energy and biochar.
for John Day
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — Down-
town John Day is headed for a
makeover.
The Grant County Art Asso-
ciation and various unaffi liated
artists are looking to paint a
number of murals on the sides
of downtown businesses in a
project they’re calling “Paint
the town.” That proposal is
in addition the city’s ongoing
eff orts to revitalize and update
the look of downtown John
Day.
The Grant County Art Asso-
ciation is a nonprofi t entity that
has existed since 1968. Associ-
ation President Elouise Boren
said the association “has been
strong in the community, but
we’ve been silent.”
Boren presented a proposal
for murals to the John Day
City Council during its June 14
meeting. The proposal calls for
between seven and 10 murals
to be painted on the sides of
various businesses along Main
Street.
Designs for the murals will
focus on people and events
relevant to the history of
Grant County, including log-
ging, ranching, gold prospect-
ing, Native Americans, cattle
drives, rodeo and the exploits
of Long Un and Doc Hay.
Boren approached the City
Council seeking fi nancial sup-
port so her team of artists can
begin work on the murals as
soon as possible. The council
unanimously approved $750 in
funds that will cover paint and
other materials the artists need
to begin the work.
Grant County Art Associ-
ation Secretary and Treasurer
Kathy Kite said the group has
already been in contact with a
number of local business own-
ers about painting murals on
their buildings and the response
has been overwhelmingly
positive.
“Of course, we need build-
ing owner permission before we
started in, and we would have
our compositions put together
for review before we started
in,” she said. “We thought it
could be a fun enhancement for
the town.”
Kite said the idea to paint
murals on businesses came
up during talks between var-
ious artists and that everyone
“perked up” when the idea was
presented.
“It sounds like the City
Council is trying to get tour-
ism to be an attraction to bring
people into the area, and we
thought that would fi t right in;
also to keep our town looking
Old West, which seems to be
more important all the time,”
she said. “As time goes on,
those things fade away.”
The artists would complete
work on one mural before start-
ing another project, according
to Kite. “We aren’t going to just
start drawing all over town and
painting here and there.”
Any businesses along Main
Street that are interested in hav-
ing a mural painted on their
buildings can contact Boren
at 541-388-4698 or Kite at
541-520-3143.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
Canyon City Street Fair
• 3-7 p.m., downtown Can-
yon City
Free event, sponsored by
Oregon RAIN, with music,
food, games, art and ven-
dor booths staff ed by local
artisans.
“Uncovering the History
of Chinese Mining in East-
ern Oregon”
• 7 p.m., Canyon City
Community Hall, 129 S.
Washington St.
Free presentation by Donn
Hann, William F. Willingham
and Katee Withee on the his-
tory of Chinese mining com-
panies in Eastern Oregon.
Sponsored by the Oregon His-
torical Society.
or email thaddsplace@blue-
mountainhospital.org.
Grant County Farmers
Market
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., South
Washington Street, Canyon
City
Locally-grown
produce
and other items for sale in an
open-air setting every Satur-
day from mid-June through
mid-October.
TUESDAY &
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28
& 29
”In a Landscape: Classi-
HAPPENING
FRIDAY, JULY 1
cal Music in the Wild”
• 6:30 p.m., Cant Ranch,
32651 Highway 19, Kimberly
Classical pianist Hunter
Noack will perform two
concerts on the grounds of
the Cant Ranch at the John
Day Fossil Beds. Tickets
start at $35 but are available
free to Grant and Wheeler
County residents with reg-
TOM CHRISTENSEN
CHRISTENSEN
TOM
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
Summer Kickoff 5K
• 8 a.m., Grant County
Fairgrounds, 411 NW Bridge
St., John Day
The John Day/Canyon
City Parks and Recreation
District and Grant County
CHIC sponsor this 5K walk/
run event, which starts and
ends at the fairgrounds. Reg-
istration is free for those 18
or under and $5 for adults. To
register online, go to https://
tinyurl.com/yhey33pc.
Thadd’s Place Golf
Tournament
• 8 a.m., John Day Golf
Club, 27631 Golf Club Road
Sign-in begins at 7 a.m.,
with tee-off at 8. A dinner
and silent auction follow the
tournament at 5 p.m. Individ-
ual registration is $125, team
registration is $500. Dinner
is by donation and is open
to anyone. Proceeds benefi t
Thadd’s Place, the grief coun-
seling center in John Day. To
register, call 541-620-2572
W HAT’S
CONSTRUCTION
(541) 410-0557 • (541) 575-0192
CCB# 106077
REMODELS • NEW CONSTRUCTION • POLE BUILDINGS
CONCRETE EXCAVATION • SHEET ROCK • SIDING
ROOFING • FENCES • DECKS • TELESCOPING FORKLIFT SERVICES
Blue Mountain Eagle
Office Closure
Our office will be CLOSED
Monday, July 4th in observance of
Independence Day.
Early Deadline for the July 6th issue:
Thursday, June 30 th before 3:00 p.m.
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Tickets
avail-
able online at https://tinyurl.
com/52pn66w5. More infor-
mation at https://www.ina-
landscape.org/.
Dayville
Community
Hall reopening
• 3:30-9 p.m., Highway
26, Dayville
This celebration marks
the grand reopening of the
old community hall, which
has undergone a major reno-
vation. The festivities begin
with a ribbon cutting at
3:30 p.m., followed by build-
ing tours, a program at 4:30,
a potluck at 5:30 and music
by the James Gang starting
6:30.
Do you have a commu-
nity event you’d like to pub-
licize? Email information to
editor@bmeagle.com. The
deadline is noon Friday for
publication the following
Wednesday.
Hill Family Park Dedication – John Day, Oregon
JUNE 8, 2022
Thank you to the City of John Day and for all of those involved that made this vision for the Hill
Family Park come to life.
The Hill story in Grant County started with a family moving West for more favorable weather.
David Christopher (DC) Sr. and Hattie May Hill were both born and raised in the Mississippi Delta. They grew to a
family of ten with eight children. There were two girls: Eunice (Frank) Stout and Elizabeth (RJ) Davis and six boys:
David Christopher Jr (Virginia Metts), Robert (Lucille Gober), William (Dessie Butler), Mack (Dorothy Morehead),
Paul (Janice McKrola), and Lamar (Ernestine Silvers). DC Sr. was a farmer and owned several grocery/retail
stores. The damp weather and losses from the depression eventually brought them to Eastern Oregon by way of
San Diego, California in 1941. They traded their Orange and Lemon farm in San Diego for what became the Hills
Auto Court at the end of Brent Street in John Day.
Only the youngest son, Lamar was still living at home. Lamar attended Grant Union High School from 1941-1943.
Just before his senior year, July 1943, he enlisted in the Navy to serve in WWII along with most of his brothers.
He was a seaman serving on Liberty Ships in the Pacific as an electrician. After the war he returned to John Day
and worked in different aspects of construction.
DC Sr and Hattie May retired in 1951 and spent their remaining years collecting, cutting, and polishing rocks as
well as entertaining travelers in their rock shop behind the Hills Auto Court on Brent Street.
Of the eight Hill siblings three made their home in the area.
In the early 1950’s Elizabeth Hill Davis, the second oldest sibling, moved to John Day from Mississippi and began
teaching school. In her 40 years of teaching in Grant County she is known for her Oregon History Program and
as the beloved fourth grade teacher. Lamar, Robert and RJ (Elizabeth’s husband) built the Davis’ home along the
John Day River east of town where they raised their three children: Jimmy, Judy and Patty. All graduating from
Grant Union High School between 1964 and 1972.
Also, in the early 1950’s Robert, the fourth oldest sibling, moved to John Day from Mississippi and helped Lamar
build the Western Motel, now known as the Budget Motel. Robert and his wife Lucille eventually bought it in 1967
and ran it until 1978. This is where they raised their son Bobby who graduated from Grant Union High School in
1970. Robert was an avid golfer and spent many years as a member of the John Day Golf Club.
Lamar met Ernestine Silvers, a beautiful young woman born and raised outside of Mt. Vernon whose family
immigrated from the Azores Islands at a 62 Day’s dance. They dated off and on for several years and were finally
married in 1955 making their home in John Day. They raised three children on property up the Canyon on Sheep
Creek. Colleen, Mike, and Celeste all graduated from Grant Union in 1974 and 1980.
In 1961 Jim and Viola Lyons sold the old John Day Airstrip on Highway 26 to Lamar and DC Sr. The property ran
on both sides of the John Day River for a total of approximately 40 acres extending west from the Bowling Alley
to Canton Street and north to Davis Creek up on Charolais Heights and encompassing the portion donated for
the Hill Family Park today. Lamar built Mobile City, now called the Riverside Trailer Park, which he owned and
operated for over 45 years.
Lamar and Ernestine owned and operated several businesses in town including the Western Motel, Bowling Alley,
Traveler’s Motel, Hills Auto Court, the car wash next to the library and various rental properties. They were both
known for their strong work ethic and love for Grant County.
DC Sr and Hattie May were members of the First Baptist Church in John Day for over 25 years and the siblings
continued in their footsteps for another 45 years. Elizabeth played the piano most Sundays up until her death at
98, Ernestine sang in the choir and Lamar helped with church operations until they moved to The Dalles in 2013.
Colleen and Celeste still own property up the Canyon where they built a new home after the fire which is visited
often bringing family and friends to experience all Grant County has to offer.
The other Hill family siblings have always considered John Day as their home too, returning often for family
reunions bringing anywhere from 30 – 75 extended family members.
The desire for our family to donate property for a
park is to continue a legacy of community
connection that has been passed onto us,
the next generation. This legacy also
includes accepting the challenge for
education, possessing good moral
virtues, embracing a positive
attitude, respecting truth and
honesty, working hard together and
most of all love for one another. We
are happy to share this legacy with
you today.
Story Submitted by Colleen
Hill Hogan and Celeste Hill-Thomas