June might be my favorite month in Grant County. The days are getting sunnier, the snow is melting off the mountain trails, Logan Valley is ablaze with wildflowers — and ’62 Days is back.

The 102nd edition of ’62 Days, the Whiskey Gulch Gang’s annual celebration of the discovery of gold in Canyon City in 1862, was held on June 16 and 17. It’s always a party, but this year’s bash was even better than last year’s. Part of that was due to the weather, with none of the rain that dampened the festivities in 2022, but it was more than that. The parade had more participants, there were more vendors on the streets, and the mock shootout in front of Sels’ Brewery was so well-received (and over so quickly) that the Whiskey Gulchers were prevailed upon to stage an encore performance. 

In case you missed our ’62 Days coverage, you can read Justin Davis’ story and view Neil Nisperos’ photos here. Neil also put together an entertaining short video that captures many highlights from the event.

Also in last week’s paper were stories on the DMV data breach that put Oregonians’ personal information at risk, the latest delay to stall the John Day water treatment plant, local musician Phillip James and all-state honors for Grant Union/Prairie City baseball players.

Coming up in this week’s edition, look for stories on the future of sports co-ops between Prairie City and Grant Union high schools, a proposed law enforcement levy, Ron Wyden’s town hall, the Chief Joseph motorcycle rally and expanding high-speed internet access, as well as the latest installment in the Bobbie Kolada saga from our sister paper in Medford.

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— Bennett Hall, Editor