Survey shows opposition to Portland TV signals

A survey of subscribers of the Blue Mountain Television Cable Co. indicates that a slight majority oppose plans of adding three Portland television channels to the present arrangement.

With 70 percent of the returns in, 55 percent opposed plans of adding Portland channels to the cable system at an additional cost. The remaining 45 percent favored adding at least one Portland channel.

Jack McKenna, owner and manager of the cable system, said he is going ahead to investigate other possibilities of securing Portland signals for the John Day area.

McKenna noted that a large number of people have misinterpreted the reason for rates increasing by suggesting that the Boise stations be dropped and add the Portland channels for the same price.

This is impossible, said McKenna. To bring in the Portland channels the distribution cost will remain the same, but there will be an additional cost of purchasing the signals. This extra cost is the cause for the rate increase of $1.50 to $1.75 a month.

Camp notes plans for development

Plans for new campgrounds facilities to accommodate 200 people were revealed at the annual Lake Creek Youth Association meeting at Burns Thursday.

To become eligible for a $25,000 loan from the Farm and Home Administration the organization will have to change its name and by-laws. The group will become known as the Lake Creek Recreation Association, Inc.

By-laws are now in the process of being rewritten to enable the group to become incorporated. This will allow the association to acquire funds for improvements of the campground facilities.

Number one on the list of new projects is the construction of a building to serve as a dining hall and for recreational purposes. The hall will hold 200 persons.

Included in the plans are new restroom facilities and sleeping shelters. Between 10 and 12 sleeping quarters, each accommodating 20 people, are being planned for the youth camp.

The camp, a former Forest Service station, is situated on 20 acres near Izee.

The Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H groups and church groups from both Harney and Grant counties have access to the camp. The Oregon Range Youth of the Northwest section of the American Range Society also use the campgrounds.

Elections of new officers was also held at the meeting. Dan Crump of Burns was elected president and will replace Bill Kuhl, who has presided for two years. Janice Officer of Seneca was named vice-president.

Phil Ryan, minister of the First Christian Church in John Day, was reelected for a third term as secretary-treasurer.

An eight-member board made up of representatives of the various youth and church groups from the two counties will be chosen at a later meeting. The present board is made up of 12 members, but to incorporate and to be eligible for the FHA loan the board must consist of only eight members.

Progress noted on channel projects

Many critical areas on the John Day River have been repaired or will be shortly, reports Bill Farrell, county agent.

A project adjacent to the Mt. Vernon bridge to prevent water from overflowing on to the north side of the highway has been completed. A stretch from John Day to Hall Hill will be completed by the weekend. The area between the bridge west of Mt. Vernon and Mt. Vernon is completed.

Several of the 25 Caterpillar tractors will be operating in new locations by the weekend. In Dayville and Monument, four Caterpillars will be engaged in channel work. Also four dump trucks and a loader are operating in the Monument area.

Rock for riprap is available at the Gene Ricco property east of Prairie City, Dog Creek, state highway pit up Beech Creek, state highway pit 8 miles east of Dayville, Mascall pit two miles south of the Mascall Ranch up Cottonwood Creek, Bleakman pit at Monument and at a county pit two miles east of Monument.

Farrell also urges ranchers to sign up for engineers’ aid in repairing heads of irrigation ditches. Also cooperation with the game commission will be needed for fish screen repairs on the ditches.

Water users delay date of formation

Directors of the Grant County Water Users met Wednesday, Feb. 24, to discuss the formation of a water district. It was decided that more information about the House Bill 1050 was needed before definite steps could be taken.

Different water district formations that were explained to the group had to be described by meets and bounds which is an expensive process. The board decided to wait until a later date to form a water district.

This will permit the board to acquire more information. Meetings with various professional and interested parties will be held during the next few weeks.

The board believed they could work effectively as a water users group and as individuals in regards to the feasibility study of the John Day water basin.

Two appointed to budget committee

Mayor Gail Dieker filled two vacancies on the budget committee with the appointment of Herbert Ashcraft and Charles Leuck at the Canyon City council meeting Wednesday.

An application for the 875 emergency funds has been filed to acquire aid to replace the Nugget Street bridge in Canyon City. Estimated cost to replace the bridge that was washed out during the Christmas flood is $5,000.

Plans set for new motel, restaurant

A Chinese restaurant an a 15-unit motel are scheduled to open for business in John Day later this year.

Bob Wah, John Day herbologist, has announced that the former Golden Nugget restaurant on the three flags highway will be converted into a Chinese restaurant named Lily’s Garden. The building is being remodeled now and Wah hopes to open for business sometime in April.

Chinese foods and teas will be featured. Fortune cookies will also be available.

Ivan and Ruth Wick from Washington plan to open the Dramers Lodge on North Canon Boulevard across from the post office by the latter part of July. The motel will have wall-to-wall carpeting, television, air conditioning and other modern conveniences.

There will be two sizes of units available. The standard unit will be 12 by 22 feet and the family unit will be 16 by 22 feet. The front of the building will be constructed with stone.

The Wicks have been engaged in motel and trailer court business for several years. The semi-retired building contractor had a motel in Ashland and four trailer courts in various towns in Oregon. The Wicks plan to remain in John Day.

Wick got the idea of naming the motel the Dreamers Lodge from an Indian story. According to the tale, a young member of the Nez Perce Tribe left for California and Arizona after being beaten in a fight with other members of the tribe.

After wandering for five years the Indian had a dream. The dream told him to go back to his people and to keep them from following the white man’s way. After returning to the tribe, he was made a prophet by Chief Joseph. Eventually he became the leader of a dreamers cult.

Snow surveys show high water level

Water content in the mountain snowpacks has declined slightly during February, but the water readings are still high as compared to the 1964 and 1948-62 measurements, says Len Dugan, work unit conservationist for Grant County.

Snow has hardened and has become compact, reports Dugan. Snowfall for the past month has been below normal, which eases the potential run-off.

If weather conditions are favorable, ranchers can expect a better than average irrigation year for the summer, says Dugan.

Crane Prairie readings revealed 36 inches of snow with a water content of 12.5 inches. The water content for Crane Prairie last year was nine inches and the 1948-62 average is almost nine and a half inches.

At Izee Summit the snow depth was 28 inches with a water content of 9.1 inches. The 1964 water content reading was 7.1 inches and the average is an event eight inches.

Snow was 23 inches deep at Starr Ridge and has a water content of 7.9 inches. The 1964 measurement was 5.2 inches and the average is 5.6 inches.

At Lake Creek, snow was 37 inches deep with a water content of 12.8 inches. Last year the water reading was 9.7 and the 1948-62 average is 10.5.

Blue Mountain Spring water content was 21.8 inches and the snow depth was recorded at 57 inches. The average water content at Blue Mountain Springs for February is 15.8 inches. Last year the reading was 12.9 inches.

Aerial markers flown by Larry Williams and Phil Boyer estimated the water content at Indian Creek Butte and East Fork Canyon Creek at 28 and 14 inches respectively. The 1964 readings were 19.2 and 11.5 inches. The average measurements for both points has not been determined. Snow depth at Indian Creek Butte was estimated at 84 inches.

At Beech Creek, the snow depth was 13 inches with a water content of 4.9 which is below last year’s reading and the 1948-62 average of 5.6 inches. This was the only location that showed below average water content.

Another snow survey taken on Feb. 25, by Lauren Jordan of the Burns Ranger District in cooperation with the SCS, showed similar results.