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
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‘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
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Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
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503-986-1457
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Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-415
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
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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.
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