A2
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Painted Sky shrinks summer art classes Suspect tased and
arrested in altercation
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY —
Painted Sky Center for the
Arts’ summer youth pro-
gram is seeing a reduction in
enrollment in preparation for
the start of school this fall.
The program is retuning
to Painted Sky’s art center
in Canyon City after holding
summer classes at Humbolt
Elementary.
The move will cut enroll-
ment in Painted Sky’s sum-
mer youth program from just
over 100 to just under 40. A
grant obtained by the art cen-
ter in June allowed for free
summer art classes to be pro-
vided to area youth. The large
number of students enrolled
made a move from the art cen-
ter in Canyon City to Hum-
bolt Elementary necessary.
Painted Sky board Presi-
dent Alicia Griffi n said enroll-
ment was high, but fewer kids
on average attended daily
classes than were enrolled.
“Our registration was at
107,” she said. “It was phe-
nomenal. The actual, regu-
lar day-to-day (number) —
because certain kids would
come specifi c days and not
others — was 50 kids a day
between them coming and
going.”
Space limitations at the
building in Canyon City
meant enrollment in the sum-
mer art program had to be
reduced.
“We raised our numbers to
37 in the hopes that we won’t
get more than 30 a day,” Grif-
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
Justin Davis/Blue Mountain Eagle, File
Students from Painted Sky’s summer arts classes attend music lessons at Humbolt Elementary
on Friday, June 24, 2022.
fi n said. “We really tried to
focus on those that were using
and utilizing the art center as
their primary care source for
their children.”
Griffi n said Painted Sky
will continue to off er an arts
program for area youth fol-
lowing the start of school,
but that program will be tui-
tion-based like the program
was to start the summer.
“We will do Monday
through Thursday after
school and all day Friday,”
Griffi n added. A part-time
option for classes on Fridays
only will also be off ered.
Enrollment in the after-
school art program will be
capped at 30.
“Our rooms are smaller
and a little bit more divided,
so it’s harder to accommodate
larger groups of kids,” Griffi n
said. She added that the cen-
ter will open enrollment for
an additional 10 kids on Fri-
days during the school year.
Griffi n commended the
staff and volunteers who
worked with kids over the
summer and helped the
classes run smoothly.
“We have quite a few vol-
unteer tween girls that aren’t
quite old enough to actually
work, so between 12 and 14
that have been wonderful
helpers and have been really
great with the little kids and
great mentors and helpers,”
she said.
The center also has paid
teen and adult employees
who have helped with the stu-
dents in the program over the
summer.
“They have worked very
hard, and the children adore
them. They have been amaz-
ing,” Griffi n added.
Griffi n also mentioned
Ryan McKnab’s eff orts over
the summer and shined a light
on his eff orts to teach stu-
dents the game of chess.
“He has really connected
with a few kids who have
really struggled sitting in the
seat and doing the crafts and
staying focused for a long
time,” Griffi n said. “Ryan has
taught quite a few of those
kids how to play chess and
channel their energy in a posi-
tive way. A lot of parents have
seen that and are incredibly
grateful for his eff orts there.”
The hope is for Painted
Sky to do a similar type of a
summer arts program for kids
next year and into the future.
“Last year we did a pretty
closed situation, a grant-
funded free day camp, but
(classes) were fewer and far
between,” Griffi n said. “This
year just kind of felt like a
growth from last year, and I
hope next year will be even
bigger and better.”
Part of the long-term plan
for Painted Sky is to purchase
a building that would allow it
to accommodate more of the
community’s needs.
JOHN DAY — The Grant
County Sheriff’s Office
arrested a Prairie City man
in the Chester’s Market
parking lot in John Day on
Thursday, Aug. 4, after a
witness mistakenly reported
he had brandished a gun at
during a heated argument.
Grant County Sher-
iff Todd McKinley, who
responded to the call with
Undersheriff Zach Mobley,
said David Allan Strange
had pulled out a can of bear
mace during the argument.
The situation took a
potentially dangerous turn
Angel Carpenter/Blue Mountain eagle, File
Mt. Vernon quilters Mary Lou Drury, left, and Karen Hinton show
a Quilt of Valor made by Hinton in this fi le photo from 2018.
Quilt giveaway for
veterans set for Aug. 20
Forest offi cials raise fi re danger
Blue Mountain Eagle
HINES — With exces-
sive heat accelerating the
drying of fi ne fuels, the
Malheur National Forest is
raising the fi re danger level
to extreme and imposing
additional restrictions on
the Emigrant Creek Ranger
District in the forest’s
southern zone, the agency
announced.
Eff ective Friday, Aug. 5,
the Emigrant Creek Ranger
District will be under Phase
C public use restrictions due
to extreme fi re danger. The
industrial fi re precaution
level will increase to IFPL
3, or partial shutdown.
The Blue Mountain and
Prairie City ranger districts,
in the forest’s northern zone,
will not have any changes for
now, remaining in high fi re
Donna Krigbaum (Sibley)
August 31, 1938 ~ January 20, 2022
On January 20th, 2022,
Donna passed at a hospice
center in Kirkland WA. Donna
had been living in the Seattle
area since 2018 when she
moved to Seattle to be clos-
er to her surviving family in
Woodinville, WA. Donna died
from complications of Covid
19.
Donna Krigbaum was born
Donna Sibley on August 31,
1938, in Baker and spent her
youth in Austin, Bates, and
Prairie City where her father
was a logger, a rockhound and
he and his wife Mabel were
great fans of the outdoors. In high school, Donna was a majorette
and a bit of a tomboy. Donna was married to her high school
sweetheart Gerald (Jerry) Krigbaum from 1956 until his death in
1993.
After high school, Donna got her beautician’s license and she
worked to support the family while Jerry got his degree from
Portland State College. She often volunteered at hospitals as a
beautician until the mid-1970s. In the 1980s, Donna began a
career in the insurance industry where she worked for Farmers
Insurance in Oregon and Washington.
Donna was always an Oregonian at heart. She also lived in
Moorestown, NJ in the late 1960s and early ’70s. She also lived in
Redmond WA in the 1980s. Donna was a giving person and had
thousands of hours as a volunteer for hospitals, the American
Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, and various other charities.
For the past several years Donna lived in assisted living facili-
ties in Beaverton Oregon and Kirkland WA. Her last years were in
a group family home in Redmond, WA.
Donna was preceded in death by her husband Jerry and son
David, and is survived by her son Jim, daughter-in-law Jennifer,
granddaughters and their husbands Amanda & Chaz Bantle, Me-
lissa and Casey Merscher, and great-grandson Caden Bantle of
Washington and granddaughters Rhonda and Amy Krigbaum of
Oregon.
Memorial will be held Saturday, August 13 at 11:00 AM at
Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church in John Day, Oregon, with a re-
ception to follow at Prairie Hotel in Prairie.
Paid for by the family of Donna Krigbaum.
danger, Phase B public use
restrictions and industrial fi re
precaution level 2.
With Phase C public
use restrictions in eff ect, all
campfi res, charcoal fi res and
stove fi res will be prohib-
ited in the Emigrant Creek
Ranger District.
Other Phase C restrictions
include:
• No smoking except in an
enclosed vehicle or building.
• No chain saw use.
• No generator use except
with approved spark arres-
tors in a cleared area 10 feet
in diameter.
• No operation of inter-
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By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
nal combustion engines
except with approved spark
arrestors.
• No vehicles off National
Forest System roads unless
parked in a cleared area
within 10 feet of the roadway.
Under Level 3 industrial
fi re precaution rules, cable
yarding is not allowed except
for gravity-operated systems
operating between 8 a.m.
and 1 p.m. with all block and
moving lines suspended 10
feet above the ground. Power
saws may only be used at
loading sites and on tractor/
skidder operations between
8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
MT. VERNON — The
Grant County Piecemakers
Quilt Guild will host a Quilt
of Valor quilt giveaway on
Saturday, Aug. 20.
The giveaway will be held
at Clyde Holliday State Park
on Highway 26 just east of
Mt. Vernon. Hamburgers
and chips will be served at
11 a.m., with the ceremony to
give away the quilts starting at
1 p.m.
Veterans can eat for free.
The cost for non-veterans is
$8 each.
All quilts are handmade by
the ladies in the Grant County
Piecemaker Quilt Guild.
The quilts are a way to say
think you to all the veterans
who reside in Grant County.
All proceeds raised will help
the quilt guild make more
quilts in the future to give
away to veterans or families
in need.
Tickets for a chance to win
a quilt or a basket of goods
worth over $400 can also be
purchased at the event.
DEATH NOTICES
Carolyn Louise Asher
Philip Edmond Medico
August 25, 1950 ~ February 21, 2022
Philip Edmond Medico was born August 25, 1950 at a US
Army Hospital in Shirley, Massachu-
setts to Philip Simon Medico and
Barbara Whitney. Phil spent his child-
hood years in Massachusetts and
Germany as an Army brat. He was one
of six children. He even lived across
the street from Alice on "The Brady
Bunch".
At 17 Phil joined the Air Force.
During his time at March AB he mar-
ried and had two children, Zachary
and Christina. He later went on to
have two more children in his second
marriage, Joseph and Ryan.
In deciding to leave the fast-paced
California life Phil made his way to Or-
egon where he settled and laid roots
in Sumpter. In 1998 Phil gained an
additional child, Whitney when he married Jenny. If ever a heart
was made for a blended family it was his. He was filled with love
for his family.
On February 21 Phil passed away at home with his family by
his side. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers
and one sister, as well as his first wife. Phil is survived by his loving
wife Jenny, his three sons Zach (Debbie) Joseph (Jennifer), Ryan
(Rachel); his two daughters Tina (Miles), Whitney. grand-
daughters Tiffany and Emma; great-granddaughter Kayla.
Phil lived very full life and will be very much missed by those
who knew him but we find comfort in knowing he’s never really
too far away.
There will be a memorial with military honors on August 19 at 11
AM at the Sumpter Valley Dredge in Sumpter Oregon. There will
be a potluck gathering of family and friends to share stories and
have a beer in remembrance of him on August 20 at 2 p.m. at
39022 Rhody Rd., Sumpter, OR.
Paid for by the family of Phillip Medico.
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Wednesday ..................................................... 92/62
Thursday .......................................................... 90/54
Friday ............................................................... 85/54
Saturday .......................................................... 92/58
Sunday ............................................................. 95/61
Monday............................................................ 98/67
Tuesday ........................................................... 92/64
when a witness mistakenly
reported one of the peo-
ple involved in the argu-
ment was brandishing what
looked like a firearm.
McKinley said that
Strange had been arrested
earlier this month for pos-
session of sawed-off shot-
gun and was not allowed to
possess firearms.
McKinley said he and
Mobley acted quickly, tas-
ing and arresting Strange
moments after arriving on
the scene.
Strange, 26, was booked
into the Grant County Jail
on charges of second-degree
disorderly conduct and resist-
ing arrest.
Carolyn Louise Asher, 88, of John Day passed away Aug.
1 with her loving daughter by her side. Memorial contribu-
tions in her name can be made to St. Thomas Episcopal Church
through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John
Day, OR 97845.
Martha Meredith
Martha Meredith, 96, of Prairie City passed away July 31 at
Valley View Assisted Living in John Day. There are no services
planned at this time. To leave an online condolence, please visit
www.driskillmemorialchapel.com.
Kenneth Kulis
Kenneth Kulis, 81, of John Day died July 25 at St. Charles
Medical Center in Bend. A graveside service and celebration
of Ken’s life will be held at a later date (time and date to be
announced). Arrangements are under the direction of Tami’s Pine
Valley Funeral Home and Cremation Service. Online condolences
can be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Katherine M. “Katie” Johns
Katherine M. “Katie” Johns, 84, of Fox passed away on Aug.
6 at Valley View Assisted Living in John Day. A funeral service
will be held Saturday, Aug. 13, at 10 a.m. at the Fox Church in Fox
Valley. Vault interment will follow in the Fox Cemetery. Pastor Al
Altnow will offi ciate. Following the services, friends are invited
to join the family for a potluck reception at the Mt. Vernon Com-
munity Center beginning at 1 p.m. Memorial contributions may
be made to the American Alzheimer’s Association or the Mayo
Clinic for Parkinson’s research through Driskill Memorial Chapel
at 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845. To light a candle
in Katie’s memory or to off er online condolences to her family,
please visit www.driskillmemorialchapel.com.
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF A UG . 10-16
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Sunny
Sunny
Partly
cloudy
Sunny
Sunny
Mostly
sunny
Mostly
sunny
93
93
93
92
90
92
94
56
57
57
54
53
58
61