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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2022)
A2 NEWS Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 2, 2022 Award honors Oregon Pine work John Day woman By JUSTIN DAVIS Blue Mountain Eagle BEND — The city of John Day is making moves and gaining state- wide recognition. The city received the “Under Construction” Award at the Ore- gon Brownfi elds and Infrastructure Con- ference for its work toward the redevel- opment of the old Oregon Pine site. The former Oregon Pine property is at the heart of the city’s plans for the Inno- vation Gateway, which call for a mix of retail, commercial and light industrial uses as well as public greenspace and amenities. The conference, organized by the Northwest Environ- mental Business Coun- cil, was held Oct. 23-25 at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes in Bend. Mayor Ron Lundbom attended the conference Lundbom and accepted the award on behalf of the city. “The attendees and presenters at the conference were really impressed by the sheer volume of projects the city has going on related to the brownfi elds redevelopment of the former Oregon Pine site. The award is recognizing the amount of eff ort that goes into creating a suite of projects that all touch this theme of brownfi elds redevelopment and reha- bilitation,” interim John Day City Man- ager Corum Ketchum said. The award shines a light on the fact that other cities are talking about John Day, with many looking to emulate the things the city has done, Ketchum said. “We’re setting a role model for rural revitalization and redevelopment by doing things like creatively reusing for- mer brownfi eld sites and restoring them with community amenities and business space and working with our local and regional partners to address issues we’re all facing and doing things like hous- ing redevelopment through our urban renewal agency,” he added. SHARP RIDGE — A lost hunter caught out after dark in a remote corner of Grant County was located quickly, thanks in part to night vision equipment recently purchased by the Grant County Sheriff ’s Offi ce. Frank Lundstrom, 74, of Prineville was hunting in the Desolation unit of the Uma- tilla National Forest on the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 27, when he became lost after tracking a bull elk, according to infor- mation provided by the sheriff ’s offi ce. Using a cellphone, Lundstrom contacted the Grant County Emergency Communica- tion Center and was able to provide a rough idea of where he was. After he talked with Sgt. Danny Konming, offi cers were able to narrow down his location to an area on Sharp Ridge, about 16 miles east of Mead- owbrook Summit on Highway 395 North. Sheriff Todd McKinley, using night vision goggles recently purchased with grant funds, was able to locate Lundstrom about 12:15 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 28. DAYVILLE — The town of Dayville celebrated the sea- son in style as around 150 peo- ple attended the annual Com- munity Fall Festival on Oct. 14 in the newly renovated Dayville Community Hall, according to information provided by City Recorder Ruthie Moore. The hall was decorated for the occasion with artwork by students at Dayville School. Attendees shared a potluck meal featuring soups, stew and chili along with plenty of salads and desserts. The city provided cornbread, rolls and apple cider. The festivities included a cakewalk with more than 20 cakes and other desserts as well as the Pumpkin Anything Con- test, which received 10 entries ranging from painted pumpkins to pumpkin artwork. Jeff Lar- son took the adult prize for his pumpkin made of horseshoes, while the children’s award went to Shilo Fretwell’s K-2 class for their pumpkin pictures. The winners of the town’s annual scarecrow contest were also announced, with the lau- rels going to Lyndee Billar and family of the Fish House Inn and the Dayville High School senior class. Arlene Joyce (Carson) McGetrick January 9, 1932 ~ October 28, 2022 Arlene Joyce McGetrick (nee Carson), 90, of Canyon City, Oregon passed away on October 28, 2022, in Boise, Idaho with her son and daughter-in-law at her side. Arlene was born January 9, 1932, in John Day, Oregon. She attended first through eighth grade at Rebel Hill School in Canyon City and graduated from Grant Union High School in 1949. Following graduation, she married Harley Mc- Getrick and together they had two sons, Jerry and Dan. She was proud of her family and was affectionately known as “Grandma Lene” to three grandsons, two step-grandsons, and seven great-grandchildren. Arlene was a dedicated worker who started working at age 12 and did not retire until age 73. From an early age she ran errands for several businesses in town. Upon graduation she secured a full-time position as a telephone operator for the Pacific North- west Bell Telephone Company. She enjoyed her work at the phone company until 1965 when the phone system transitioned from operator assist to dial. She then worked with the local sheriff’s office and county assessor until 1968 when she became the tem- porary Canyon City Postmaster. This position paved the way to her official appointment in 1971. She served as the Canyon City Postmaster until her retirement in 1992. Arlene was a proud fourth-generation resident of Grant Coun- ty. She loved her work as Postmaster serving the local community and developing friendships that would last throughout her years. After retirement from the post office, she continued to serve the John Day community as Grant County Chamber of Commerce Ex- ecutive Director until 2005. In 2007 she was honored as Grand Marshall of the ’62 Days Parade. Arlene is preceded in death by her son Jerry McGetrick, par- ents Emma and Roscoe Carson, brother Bernie Carson and wife BZ, and ex-husband Harley McGetrick. She is survived by her son Dan McGetrick and wife Kel- ly, grandsons Ian (Kalie), Sean (Elizabeth), Brady (Ariel) and great-grandchildren Norah, Harvey, Rory and Miles. She is also survived by her stepdaughter Kathy Ward (Gary), sons Jeff (Re- nee), Jay (Dany) and their children. Her surviving nieces Mindy Bryan and Susan Smalley held a special place in her heart. In addition to her family, she made many dear and wonderful friends (you know who you are) whom she cherished. The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to those who loved and cared for Arlene throughout the years. A graveside service will be held at the Canyon City Cemetery November 5, 2022, at 1:00 pm to celebrate her life. A reception will follow at the Canyon City Community Hall in Canyon City. To leave online condolences to her family, please visit www.driskill- memorialchapel.com. Paid for by the family of Arlene McGetrick. Lundstrom, whose feet had gotten wet after hiking through 3-plus inches of newly fallen snow, had built a fi re to warm him- self. He was uninjured and in good spir- its and was transported to a waiting family member. The Grant County Sheriff ’s Offi ce reminds hunters and others that the weather has changed rapidly over the last week, bringing winter weather. Anyone travel- ing in the woods should be prepared to spend the night in cold, wet conditions if need be. 24/7 F ORECAST A UTOMATED : 541-575-1122 R OAD CONDITIONS : 511; TRIPCHECK . COM NOAA W EATHER R ADIO FOR J OHN D AY 162.500 MHz SALEM — With the arrival of cool fall temperatures and wide- spread precipitation, the Oregon Department of Forestry has declared fi re season to be over on all districts eff ective Friday, Oct. 29. The declaration means all wildfi re restrictions are lifted on ODF-protected lands, including bans on backyard burning and the use of certain power equipment. However, the department noted in a news release, some agencies still require a permit for debris burn- ing, so it’s best to check with your local fi re department before ignit- ing a burn pile. So far this year there have been 844 fi res on lands protected by ODF for a total of 34,105 acres burned, with 96% of those fi res lim- ited to 10 acres or less. On all lands statewide, there have been 1,975 fi res that burned 436,772 acres. There was a signifi cant decrease in human-caused fi res on ODF-protected lands this year, with 1,918 acres burned compared to the 10-year annual average of 68,479 acres, the department reported. Prairie woman wins gardening award PRAIRIE CITY — Sharon Thissle is the winner of the Green Thumb Garden Club of Prairie City’s 2022 Gardening Award. Thissle received a $25 cash prize for having “an attractive, eye-catching and well-groomed front yard,” according to an announcement by the club. Thissle OTEC opens scholarship applications Contributed Photo Created by Lyndee Billard and family, this scarecrow was one of the winners in Dayville’s annual scarecrow contest. For more photos from the Dayville Community Fall Festival, see the on- line version of this story at MyEagleNews.com. The guest of honor at the event was Nick Ducote of Ducote Consulting in La Grande, who wrote roughly $2 million worth of grants to help fund the century-old commu- nity hall’s renovation. The hall’s new tile wall, adorned with more than 150 tiles, was revealed for the fi rst time. The tiles were sold during the town’s Fourth of July cele- bration as a fundraiser for the hall. Proceeds from a silent auc- tion held during the fall festi- val will go toward maintenance costs for the building. Attendees also got a chance to check out the hall’s time cap- sule. Plans call for the capsule to be sealed for 25 years and opened in 2047. Among other things, the capsule will con- tain letters to each of the school classes of 2047 and photos depicting life in 2022. Demis “Renee” Bjonberg Thiede November 5, 1954 ~ October 6, 2022 Renee Thiede, age 67 of Prairie City, Oregon passed away peace- fully on October 6, 2022 in her home with her loved ones by her side. Renee Thiede was the wife of Dick Thiede and daughter of Wil- liam “Bill” Bjonberg and Florance E. Jones Bjonberg. She was born in Heppner, Oregon. Renee grew up in Bates, Ore- gon until the mill shut down and her family moved to Prairie City, Oregon. After high school Renee moved away. After she retired in Prineville she moved back to Prairie City, Oregon with her hus- band. Renee loved hunting, fishing, gardening and anything out- doors. She was always up for an adventure. Renee accomplished a lot in her life but she was most proud of her three daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Renee was preceeded in death by her father William “Bill” Bjonberg her mother Florance E. Jones and her brother Har- land “Buzz” Bjonberg. Renee is survived by her husband Dick Thiede of Prairie City, Oregon, daughter Kettery “Katie” Swader and husband Nick of Stanwood, Washington, daughter Abba of Prairie City, Oregon and daughter Estelle Esparza and husband Nick of Prineville, Oregon, and brother Fred Bjonberg and wife Sue of Yelm, Washington. She also leaves seven grandsons, one granddaughter and four great-grandchildren, and many friends and relatives. There will be a graveside service for Renee on November 5, 2022 at 11:00 am for family members only. Celebration of life will be held at the Legion Hall Post 106 in Prairie City, Oregon following the service. All of Renee’s family and friends are invited. Paid for by the family of Renee Thiede. Last Week’s Temps John Day ...........................................................HI/LO Wednesday ..................................................... 43/26 Thursday .......................................................... 51/30 Friday ............................................................... 54/32 Saturday .......................................................... 53/36 Sunday ............................................................. 51/34 Monday............................................................ 60/40 Tuesday ........................................................... 43/29 FRUITLAND, Idaho — A Grant County woman has died in a single-vehicle crash, according to information from the Idaho State Police. Regina Roberts, 64, of John Day succumbed to inju- ries sustained in the crash, which happened at 2:48 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26. Her iden- tity was released by the Pay- ette County Coroner’s Offi ce following notifi cation of next of kin. According to the Idaho State Police, Roberts was driving west on Interstate 84 about a mile from the Ore- gon state line when her 1995 Ford Explorer went off the left shoulder of the freeway and rolled into the median. The crash remains under investigation. ODF declares end of fi re season Dayville celebrates autumn’s arrival Blue Mountain Eagle Blue Mountain Eagle LOCAL BRIEFING Night goggles help locate missing hunter Blue Mountain Eagle dies in crash BAKER CITY — The OTEC Member Foundation is accept- ing applications for academic, trade school and lineman scholar- ships, as well as to attend its annual Washington, D.C., youth tour. The foundation, the charitable arm of the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative, funds a number of academic scholarships. The OTEC-EOU Rural Scholarship Program will award schol- arships to four incoming freshmen at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. The scholarships cover four years of tuition and fees at EOU. In addition, $5,000 academic scholarships are available for graduating high school or homeschooled seniors, returning stu- dents and adults looking to attend college. For those looking for a career in the trades, the foundation awards $5,000 lineman school scholarships and $2,500 trade school scholarships. The deadline to apply for academic scholarships is Feb. 28, while lineman school and trade school scholarship applications will be accepted until funds are exhausted. Application materials are available online at otec.coop/scholarships. The foundation is also accepting applications from high school and homeschooled juniors for the 2023 Rural Electric Coopera- tive Youth Tour. Those selected will receive a one-week, all-ex- penses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 17-23. Participants will visit historical sites, meet congressional leaders and build leader- ship skills while they learn about electric co-ops. The deadline to apply is Jan. 31. Applications can be found online at otec.coop/dc-youth-tour. Holiday vendor class begins SALEM — The Oregon Regional Innovation and Accelera- tor Network is off ering a free series of online classes for entre- preneurs planning to hawk their wares at seasonal bazaars. Oregon RAIN’s Holiday Market Vendor Bootcamp is a series of four Tuesday and Thursday Zoom classes to be held from noon to 12:45 p.m. on Nov. 7, 9, 14 and 16. The brown bag sessions will cover tips and tricks for making the sale, becoming an approved vendor at local markets and designing your perfect setup, concluding with a show and tell pitch day. The deadline to sign up is Friday, Nov. 4. Registration is available online at https://tinyurl.com/4z57kjsk. Blue Mountain Eagle DEATH NOTICES Arlene Joyce McGetrick Arlene Joyce McGetrick, age 90, of Canyon City passed away Oct. 28, 2022, in Boise, Idaho, with her loving family by her side. A graveside service will be held at the Canyon City Cemetery Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. A reception will follow at the Canyon City Community Hall in Canyon City. To leave online condo- lences for the family, please visit www.driskillmemorialchapel. com. Gary William Lieuallen Gary William Lieuallen, 87, of John Day passed away Oct. 25, 2022, at Valley View Assisted Living. To leave an online condolence for his family please visit, www.driskillmemorial- chapel.com. W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF N OV . 2-8 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy AM snow showers Rain/snow Rain/snow A few snow showers Rain/snow 39 38 46 41 39 39 40 25 29 38 27 26 27 31