JOHN DAY — A new flower garden at the Pit Stop in downtown John Day honors Grant County’s seniors and the volunteers who work to make their lives better.

Three wooden planters stocked with snapdragons, asters and rose of Sharon now adorn the city-owned property at  Southwest Canton and Main streets, which serves as a community gathering space and rest stop for travelers.

Behind the flowerbeds, on the wall of the Pit Stop restroom building, a bronze plaque salutes the county’s seniors, “whose knowledge, experience and wisdom enrich our civic life,” as well as the volunteers and donors “whose love and generosity help sustain Grant County’s senior programs.”

The project was put together by the Grant County Senior Citizens Advisory Council, a five-member board that oversees senior programs in the county, with council members Bonni Booth and Rick LaMountain taking the lead.

The John Day City Council voted unanimously in late 2022 to devote a portion of the Pit Stop property to the project.

About a dozen people, including city and county officials, attended a dedication ceremony for the flowerbeds on Monday, Oct. 14. Folding chairs were set up at the Pit Stop for the occasion, and a table held punch and cookies.

“This has been a long time in the making, and it’s been made possible by a number of different people,” Booth told the audience. 

Booth approached LaMountain with the idea about two years ago. As the idea gained steam, local businesses, individuals and government agencies came forward with donations of time, materials and expertise.

One of the last steps involved giving the lumber for the flowerbeds a decorative charred appearance and installing the finished planters on site.

“(Rick and I) spent an afternoon with a propane burner,” Booth told the crowd. “After we got that complete, city workers assembled (the planters) for us and put them here.”

Additional support for the project came from Aaron Lieuallen, Casey Myers, Better Blooms, Iron Triangle, and A Flower Shop and More, Booth said.