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Last Wednesday, on one of the most frigid days of this winter so far, a big yellow school bus rolled up to the Valley View Assisted Living Center in John Day and disgorged a passel of kindergartners from Humbolt Elementary School. Fresh-faced and adorable, the kids were there to show off their Christmas hats to the residents.

The Humbolt hat parade is a holiday tradition that goes back a number of years and, by all accounts, is enjoyed by young and old alike. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has been especially deadly for older people, Valley View remains closed to visitors except for family members. But that didn’t stop the hat parade.

Led by their teachers, the kids marched around to a small patio at the back of the building, where they took turns modeling their holiday haberdashery for appreciative residents and staff, who took in the fashion show from the facility’s dining room. (You’ll find a photo essay on the kindergartners’ visit on Page A8 of this newspaper, and you can see additional pictures on our website.)

It was just one more example, if any were needed, of how the holidays seem to bring out the best in Grant County residents.

On Dec. 11, John Day’s Main Street came alive with the 28th annual Timber Truckers Light Parade, a holiday tradition created to honor the contributions of the timber industry to Grant County’s economy and way of life. Log trucks, pickups and at least one ATV festooned in multicolored Christmas lights lent a festive glow to downtown John Day. Well over 100 residents braved the cold to take in the sight, clapping and cheering as the convoy of 30 parade entries rumbled past.

One week earlier, several hundred people filled the Elks Lodge for the 29th annual Carrie Young Memorial Dinner and Auction. The event broke its own record, set a year earlier, by raising just a scoche under $50,000 to provide groceries, heating oil and Christmas gifts to around 300 vulnerable seniors in Grant County. The week before that, the lodge was the scene of a community Thanksgiving meal as the Elks dished up more than 100 free turkey dinners.

Happy holidays, Grant County style!

Send us your events

As you may have noticed, we’ve revived our community events calendar, known as “What’s Happening.” We stopped running it for a while after the pandemic put the kibosh on most in-person gatherings. But now, with many of the state restrictions lifted, group events are starting to come back, and we here at the Eagle want to help spread the word. If you have a community event you’d like to publicize in “What’s Happening,” please email the details to editor@bmeagle.com. Be sure to get them to us no later than 5 p.m. on Friday for the following Wednesday’s paper, and if you get us the information soon enough, we may be able to run the announcement more than once. And be sure to include a phone number we can call in case we have questions.