FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion
— Editorial —
Mudslinging
and much ado
about ...
coffee
A couple weeks ago another publication
ran a poison pen piece about Baker Coun-
ty Commissioner candidate Kody Justus.
The editorial insinuated that Justus had
perhaps delivered something unseemly
to the occupiers at the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge—and apparently based on
these pulled-out-of-thin-air assumptions,
labeled him a “right wing extremist.” The
editorial then went on to state of those
deliveries that “Baker County voters have
the right to know.”
Well, yes. They do.
They also have the right to responsible
journalism.
We actually took the step to speak with
Justus at the time of his trip to Burns. We
communicated directly with him prior to
writing this week’s editorial as well.
The politically twisted accusations
currently being spread throughout the
community stem back to the support rally
in Burns—the support rally for the Ham-
mond family to which hundreds peace-
fully traveled and marched. Somewhere
in the middle of that rally, plans were
announced by Ammon Bundy to occupy
the refuge. These plans had nothing to do
with 99% of the rally attendees present,
and caught most, including Justus and
everyone else who attended from Baker
County, completely off guard.
Not long after, however, Justus and his
family planned a trip to Harney County.
Like many of us had heard at the time,
there had been a run on supplies at local
stores due to the sudden population boom
in that small town, and coffee of all things
was in short supply.
Justus had decided two things: First,
he was curious to meet the players at the
Refuge himself and hear their side(s)
of the story rather than rely purely on
media, which as we’ve just seen, can be
grossly skewed. Second, he and his family
decided to stock up on coffee and deliver
it to the ranchers who had traveled to
Burns near and in the Refuge, and to law
enforcement.
Being Christian, he thought his trip
might double as a lighthearted “humani-
tarian effort,” an attempt to sooth frayed
nerves, which we’re guessing couldn’t
have been made better by caffeine with-
drawal.
He ended up delivering coffee to whom-
ever he saw at the Refuge, got cornered
by some major media and one yahoo with
a camera, tried to respond graciously,
ate a meal, and went on his way with his
family. Bear in mind, those with whom he
supped had in no way been charged with
a crime at that time, some haven’t to this
day, some never will be, and a few of the
others whether we agree with them are
not, truly are innocent until proven guilty.
From there, Justus knew that law en-
forcement from Baker County (and later
Baker City) had been called to support
other law enforcement in Burns, and he
attempted—with more coffee to give
away—to locate those folks as well. He
never could find them and ran out of time.
So ... if there are any other “right wing
extremists” out there reading this, we
prefer Breakfast Blend here at The Baker
County Press. Just sayin’.
—The Baker County Press Editorial Board
— Letters to the Editor —
Voting for Kody Justus
Justus has my vote
To the Editor:
We had the opportunity to meet Kody
and his family about two years ago. He is
one of the most honest and loyal people
we know. The love of our country and our
county that he shows is refreshing.
Kody stands for our Constitution, which
is the backbone of America.
He grew up on a ranch, left for the
military, and came back to Baker County
where he is involved with the County and
the local Republican Party.
If you want someone who will be boots
on the ground the day after the election,
this is who you should vote for.
Ramona Creighton
Baker City
To the Editor:
We have elections coming up in May,
several very important ones. The County
Commissioner race has three candidates
who are vying for the position.
One outstanding candidate in the Com-
mission race is Kody Justus, a Keating
Valley rancher.
I’ve known Kody for years, not only is
he a honorable man, but Kody is a con-
stitutionalist, believes and lives it. He is
against the Federal overreach on our pub-
lic lands, stands square behind grazing,
agriculture, water rights, timber harvest,
mining and access to our public lands.
Best of all, when he tells you something
you can “take it to the bank and it don’t
bounce.”
Kody is all the things that have made
our county what it is today. Kody will
defend our county and help build our
economy back to what it used to be before
the Federal Government shut down and
took away our economic resources. Stand
with me and vote Kody Justus for Com-
missioner.
Chuck Chase
Baker City
From a proud sister
To the Editor:
I am writing today about the best big
brother a girl could have. He is intelligent
and witty. He is honest and trustworthy.
He has always been very transparent. You
know what he is thinking and how he
feels. I haven’t known him to be mean-
hearted or unkind. He is the type of man
that if you want to know something about
him, just approach him and ask.
I watched him with pride as we were
setting up for the Republican Banquet and
he greeted Jeff Nelson with a huge grin
and handshake. They are both running
for the position of Baker County Com-
missioner. They seemed to both believe
that there was no need to be anything but
welcoming and kind to one another. I
watched them support and respect one
another as they both gave their speeches
that night as well. They were the only two
running for that position who honored us
guests with their presence.
The big brother I am writing to proudly
tell you about is Kody Justus. I want you
all to know that this kind- hearted man is
not a politician. He is a rancher, a father,
a husband, a Baker County resident, and a
friend of many. He always greets friends
with a huge hug and handshake. That’s
just the kind of guy he is.
I wanted to not only tell him that I am
proud of him, but I wanted to share truth
with all you Baker County residents. I
want you to know that if you were to vote
for and elect Kody as your next County
Commissioner, you would be getting a
good, honest, and trustworthy man. One
who wants to stand up for you and for
your rights. He loves this nation and he
loves this county.
Kadie Cosby
Baker City
— Special Column —
So I was
thinking ...
Life before
and after kids
By Jimmy Ingram
Special to The Baker County Press
I am the proud father of two wonderful
kids— a four-year-old boy and a two-
year-old girl. Most people would agree,
being a parent is rewarding, challenging,
and fun (well, most of the time). Seeing
your kids grow, learn and experience new
things is what life is all about. It also puts
time in perspective like almost nothing
else. Though I’ve only been a parent for a
few years it’s given me plenty of time to
reflect on what life is like before and after
kids. And man, is it different.
Eating out: Before I was a parent, go-
ing out for dinner at the end of the week
with my wife was something I very much
looked forward to. We could go at any
hour of the evening and head home when
we pleased. A perfect chance to see some
friends and enjoy a nice relaxing meal.
Eating out with little kids feels like the
journey of Lewis and Clark to the Pacific
Ocean; you don’t know what you’re going
to find over the next mountain range, but
it has the potential to be scary.
Logistically, parents have approxi-
mately a 60-minute window to load up the
kids and two of their favorite toys, head to
restaurant, order, eat their meal and make
their escape.
Any extension of this hour-long win-
dow is considered borrowed time and has
potential to throw the rest of the evening
into a tailspin.
Waiters and waitresses will do their best
to provide coloring books, crayons, and
extra napkins but they undoubtedly live in
fear of the carnage that awaits them on the
floor after you’re gone. While I do miss
the relaxation of eating out as a couple,
the challenge of doing so with small
children has its own rewards. Family time
is nice, but you better be on top of your
game. And be sure to tip well because the
server will have earned it.
Laundry: Before kids I could do a load
of laundry every three or four days and
even some of those loads were of modest
size.
Doing laundry was, dare I say, a “ca-
sual” experience. Laundry when you have
kids is a far different responsibility.
Clothing stains are no longer the excep-
tion but the rule. You find yourself won-
dering crazy things like “is stain remover
sold in 55 gallon barrels?” and, “I wonder
if LG designed this washing machine to
hold 75 pounds of clothing per load?”
Folding laundry after kids becomes
optional because no sane human being
would dedicate three hours per day to
folding this much laundry.
But there is good news—once or twice
per year you will see an empty laundry
Submitted Photo
Jimmy Ingram is a local farmer and
father of two who enjoys people
watching within our wonderful
community and beyond.
basket and get a feeling of tremendous
satisfaction that all the laundry is done.
Enjoy it, because it won’t last long.
Impressionable eyes and ears: I’m a
farmer by trade and any human being that
works around equipment will attest to the
fact that working on/operating equipment
and cussing go together like peanut butter
and jelly.
I’m convinced the Pope himself would
cuss his way right out of the priesthood
if he had to work on a hay baler long
enough. So in the past when I wanted to
let my favorite four-letter word fly out of
frustration, I did so guilt free.
Now that I have kids that has changed.
Knowing that my son or daughter could
hear me, and dealing with the guilt that
would go along with them repeating
something unsavory I had said would be
embarrassing.
Adults don’t always keep their emotions
in check but chances are your peers under-
stand. Your kids don’t. I’m sure someday
down the road my son will accidentally
smash his finger with a hammer or raise
his head up and hit it on a plow shear.
And when the day comes and he lets a bad
word fly as a result I’ll reprimand him.
But then I’ll have to turn away and
snicker a little.
It’s tough to be at your best all the time
but when you have kids around you just
have to try harder to set a good example.
They see and hear everything you do, and
that can be scary.
Money: Remember all the extra dispos-
able income you had before you had kids?
Me neither.
I do however, remember being able
to make selfish purchases with a clear
conscience. New shoes? Sure. A moun-
tain bike? Why not. I work hard after
all. Having kids puts a new perspective
on finances. Impulse purchases of the
past suddenly turn into well thought out
financial planning. Does this mean you’re
becoming (gasp) a responsible adult?
There’s no doubt that having and rais-
ing kids is expensive. But I think of it this
way: having kids has allowed me to talk
myself out of buying a lot of junk that I
probably would have spent my money on
10 years ago. Stuff I really don’t need.
Yes a boat would be nice, but good health
insurance is more important.
Besides, A boat has moving parts ... that
need fixed ... which means potential cuss-
ing. Maybe we’ll all go out for a relaxing
dinner instead of the boat idea.
Voting for Nichols
To the Editor:
I am a volunteer with Best Friends, and
I am writing in support of Bruce Nichols.
Our organization actively works to find
adoptive homes for animals that have been
abandoned or must be given up by previ-
ous owners. We are a last resort prior to
euthanasia. Our operating monies come
from “adoption fees” on placed animals,
memberships in Best Friends and funding
from Baker City and Baker County.
Although the $2,000 from Baker County
is not a large sum in terms of the entire
County budget, to us it is hugely signifi-
cant in our work. It pays for the boarding
fee at the Baker Animal Clinic, where
animals are safely, and securely, kept for
up to a maximum of five (5) days until a
new home can be found for them.
Bruce understands that there is a need
for the County to continue to support the
important work of Best Friends in placing
abandoned animals in loving homes.
I have known Bruce Nichols most of
his life, and consider him the best candi-
date for County Commissioner. Bruce
is personable, likable, and very honest.
Additionally, he cares a lot about the well
being of his community.
His strong financial background will be
an asset in keeping the County well man-
aged and in a good financial position.
Carmen Ott
Baker City
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