Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2021)
Opinion A4 Saturday, November 13, 2021 OUR VIEW Helping people who need it ore people are using area food banks, a signal that many are being left behind in a supposedly robust economy, which means regional assistance organizations will need more help this holiday season. Statistics tell part of the story and that piece of the current tale of woe for those on the edge fi nancially isn’t an uplifting one. In Boardman, a food pantry that services resi- dents in Morrow County showed an almost 150% increase in the number of people it served since 2020. The Salvation Army also reported a 50% increase in the number of people it served. The nonprofi t Community Connection of Northeast Oregon Inc. serves food banks in Grant, Baker, Union and Wallowa counties and its numbers have also climbed slightly this year compared to last. The big picture, then, shows that rather than dropping off , the need at area food banks and pantries is still strong and could get a lot stronger as the holidays hover on the horizon. Food banks and pantries across the region are not-for-profi t organizations. That means they are wholly dependent on product from the state and donations. That’s where the rest of us come in. While the needs of those on the fi nancial edge always seem to garner attention during the hol- iday season, the need is year-round. We can’t forget, when Jan. 2 rolls around, those in need are still out there, still need help. So fi rst, those of us who can should donate to the local food bank as soon and as often as they can. Those donations don’t have to be only money or food. Many area banks also need per- sonal care items such as paper towels and toilet paper or laundry detergent. Why help? Besides the fact it is the humane thing to do, donating to a local food bank means you get to make a real diff erence now. Your donation, your assistance, will help a family or children survive. It’s that simple. Your help can be the diff erence between a family struggling to fi nd food to being able to have dinner. While it may be hard to imagine for many of us, that is the case for many in our region. So, let’s get together and help our local food banks and pantries. It will be a chance to deliver real change and to make a diff erence that will res- onate in the future. M EDITORIALS Unsigned editorials are the opinion of The Observer editorial board. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of The Observer. LETTERS • The Observer welcomes letters to the editor. We edit letters for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We will not publish con- sumer complaints against busi- nesses, personal attacks against private individuals or comments that can incite violence. We also discourage thank-you letters. • Letters should be no longer than 350 words and must be signed and carry the author’s name, address and phone number (for verifi - cation only). We will not publish anonymous letters. • Letter writers are limited to one letter every two weeks. • Longer community comment columns, such as Other Views, must be no more than 700 words. Writers must provide a recent headshot and a one-sentence biography. Like letters to the editor, columns must refrain from complaints against businesses or personal attacks against private individuals. Submissions must carry the author’s name, address and phone number. • Submission does not guarantee publication, which is at the discre- tion of the editor. SEND LETTERS TO: letters@lagrandeobserver.com or via mail to Editor, 911 Jeff erson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850 ‘Saving’ the Owyhee country JOEL HASSE OTHER VIEWS he Owyhee is under attack. Not by the people who use it, but by the government, who “knows best.” We are being told that we need to close it off to protect it. I have spent the last 20 years camping, rafting, hiking and trav- eling much of the Owyhee country. It is a very beautiful part of our state. It is also extremely remote. Upstream from the Owyhee Dam, the river stretches approxi- mately 220 miles with the largest town it passes being Rome, pop- ulation somewhere under 10. The remainder of the river winds through country so rough it is accessible mostly via foot or raft. There are a few roads that inter- sect the river but most of them have been closed. Government has decided that this remote area needs protection. I am not sure from what (mostly the government). Currently, there is a bill being sponsored by Wyden and Merkley that will “protect” the area. I fear it is another “divide and conquer” attempt by offi cials who T have little or no knowledge of life outside of the city. If this legislation is enacted, we will see the provisions of the bill changed, one group at a time, until the Owyhee is locked up so tight, no one will be able to access it. We are talking about an area that has temperature extremes of 120 in the summer to well below minus-20 in the winter, making it an area you can visit about four months out of the year, spring and fall. Let’s talk about some of the gov- ernment’s other “successes” on nearby areas. I visited Stockade Mountain, an area west and a little north of the Owyhee. I had along on this trip a fellow hunter, and we were scouting for antelope. He had been very successful in this area 20 years or so earlier and touted it as a much coveted spot to hunt. We did a trip about three weeks before the start of the season. Government had decided to eliminate grazing on much of this land. In doing so, there was no one left who really cared for the condition of the land. It has turned to an unusable wasteland. The cheatgrass is so bad you can’t leave your vehicle. We saw zero wildlife in the area. Take the Salmon River in Idaho. It was decided a few years ago that it had to be “protected.” It is now so CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES REPRESENTATIVES GOVERNOR Kate Brown 160 State Capitol 900 Court St. Salem, OR 97301-4047 503-378-4582 Bobby Levy, District 58 900 Court St. NE, H-376 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1458 Rep.BobbyLevy@state.or.us SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Subscription rates: Monthly Autopay ...............................$10.75 13 weeks.................................................$37.00 26 weeks.................................................$71.00 52 weeks ..............................................$135.00 SENATOR Greg Smith, District 57 900 Court St. NE, H-482 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1457 Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us Bill Hansell, District 29 900 Court St. NE, S-415 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1729 Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us STAFF SUBSCRIBEAND SAVE NEWSSTAND PRICE: $1.50 You can save up to 55% off the single-copy price with home delivery. Call 800-781-3214 to subscribe. covered with invasive species that thousands of acres are inaccessible due to star thistle. The knapweed is rampant. More and more wild- life are leaving the area due to lack of feed. Look at the promises made when the Eagle Cap Wilderness was enacted. We were told that the trails would be kept open and maintained, and the parking would be free to access it. Neither of these are true today. We were told that we would have free parking at snow parks if we had a licensed snowmobile. That lasted about fi ve years. We were told that we would be saving our rivers if we allowed an invasive species permit fee be enacted, and it would only be $7 per raft. It is now $19, with no real reason for the increase. Be aware, the government is great at promising and then taking away, splitting out groups aff ected so that the opposition is divided and unable to beat them. ——— Joel Hasse was born and raised in La Grande. He is an avid river rafter, hunter and offi ciates high school football. He loves the out- doors and spends as much time as he can exploring the desert in the Jordan Valley area. Anindependent newspaper foundedin1896 www.lagrandeobserver.com Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, Oregon 97801 Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (except postal holidays) by EO Media Group, 911 Jefferson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850 (USPS 299-260) The Observer retains ownership and copyright protection of all staff-prepared news copy, advertising copy, photos and news or ad illustrations. They may not be reproduced without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © 2021 Phone: 541-963-3161 Regional publisher. ...................... Karrine Brogoitti Home delivery advisor ............... Amanda Fredrick Interim editor ....................................Andrew Cutler Advertising representative ..................... Kelli Craft News clerk ........................................Lisa Lester Kelly Advertising representative .................... Amy Horn Reporter....................................................Dick Mason National accounts coordinator ...... Devi Mathson Reporter............................................Davis Carbaugh Graphic design .................................. Dorothy Kautz Multimedia journalist.........................Alex Wittwer Page design .......................................... Martha Allen Toll free (Oregon): 1-800-781-3214 Email: news@lagrandeobserver.com POSTMASTER Send address changes to: The Observer, 911 Jefferson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850 A division of
