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Welcoming Cycle Oregon
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 Elgin High School students, left to right, Jade Silver, Chantele Malone and Kimberlie Graffunder paint the community’s “E’’ earlier this month. The students are all members of the EHS Future Business Leaders of America chapter. - Photo/PEGGY ANTHONY Elgin High School’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter is helping make sure of it. Members of the chapter braved 100-degree heat earlier this month to help give Elgin a gleam that should impress Cycle Oregon riders. Elgin will be the starting and ending point of the 21st annual ride, which runs Sept. 6-13. Bicyclists will have an easier time seeing Elgin’s hillside “E’’ thanks to the efforts of the FBLA. On Aug. 17, seven FBLA students hiked to the E, which is situated on a northeast hillside, and spent three hours in scorching weather painting it and removing weeds. “It was 100 degrees but nobody complained,’’ said FBLA chapter adviser Peggy Anthony, who assisted the students with the refurbishing of the E. Anthony and the students drove up the hillside on a road above the E and then walked about a half mile down to it. Several students carried five-gallon paint buckets. They later made the trek up the hill to reach their vehicles after completing their work. “It was a long half mile. We were already hot and tired,’’ Anthony said. Cleaning and refurbishing the E is an annual FBLA project. Anthony wanted to make sure that the work was done this year prior to Cycle Oregon. The FBLA took a second step toward helping prepare for Cycle Oregon by refurbishing the pocket park at Elgin’s northeast entrance. The students pulled weeds, laid gravel, trimmed trees that were obscuring a sign and more. “They gave it a well-finished look,’’ Anthony said. “This is a great way to help our town welcome Cycle Oregon.’’ Austin Burgess, president of the Elgin FBLA chapter, was delighted with how willing everyone was to help. “We take a lot of pride in the work we do for our community,’’ said Burgess, an EHS senior. Supplies for the work done by the FBLA were provided by the Elgin Chamber of Commerce, Jones Excavating of Lostine, Noell Excavating of Elgin and Norton Welding of Lostine. Cycle Oregon participants will ride past Elgin’s refurbished park when they return to Elgin Sept. 13. The bicyclists will have ridden between 315 and 450 miles during this time, depending on the route options they take.
Following is a summary of this year’s Cycle Oregon ride, named the “Wild Wheeled West.’’ • Sept. 8 — Union to Baker City • Sept. 9 — Baker City to Halfway • Sept. 10 — layover day in Halfway • Sept. 11 — Halfway to Wallowa Lake • Sept. 12 — layover day in Joseph • Sept. 13 — Joseph to Elgin |
