<I>The Eagle/Tim Adams</I>

JOHN DAY – Using $1,000 in federal funds provided by the Homeland Security Administration, the City of John Day is installing a barrier in front of the city hall building as a preventative measure in case of attack.

“It’s called a Jersey Barrier that will keep people from running into the police department with vehicles,” John Day City Manager Peggy Carey said. “We are also going to put a lawn in front of the barrier so it’ll look nice and hopefully a rock with ‘City of John Day’ on it. We will also have a sprinkler system installed as well.”

The Jersey Barrier and related landscaping will also be an enhancement to vehicle safety.

“People park in front of the building right next to the curb and this makes it difficult to see,” Carey said. “With the lawn in, they’ll have to park further away and that will eliminate the problem. It will also be safer for vehicles pulling out of the lot as they will be able to see oncoming traffic much better. We are doing all the work ‘in house,’ so we should be able to get everything done with the $1,000 we are receiving.”