FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Local
— Letters to the Editor —
Hoopes would be better for the
local economy
To the Editor:
How can a county sheriff affect the lo-
cal economy? It is a no-brainer.
The federal agencies are trespassing
against us by claiming authority and
jurisdiction that they truly do not have
inside our county. These federal agencies
have a long and dismal history of applying
management mandates out of Washington,
DC and destroying the local logging and
mining industries and recreation.
Who does not know this to be a fact? The
forest road closures alone drew thousands
of protesters recently.
The real problem we face is that the lo-
cal Sheriff is already sidestepping his oath
and entering into written agreements with
federal agencies allowing them new pow-
ers inside our county. Travis Ash, follow-
ing Mr. Southwick’s example, has done
so. This activity must be stopped because
it is wrong.
There is a large movement in this nation
for county governments to manage their
own resources and assets and to restrict
the encroachments of federal agencies.
John Hoopes has been committed to local
control of resources and pledges not to
sell out to the feds for any price. Local
control will bring back logging and min-
ing, and we can all benefit! Elect John
Hoopes for Sheriff.
Arthur Bingham
Richland
Vote no on 1-74 to keep County
transparent
To the Editor:
The difference between conservative
thinking and the liberal mentality is as-
tonishing. Think about it. Everyday, we
common citizens largely view our world
through the lens of either one political
extreme or the other.
In nearly every decision we make,
whether it’s healthcare, jobs, local
economy, recreation in the mountains,
education, or entertainment, we think and
act from either a conservative or progres-
sive mindset.
On one side they believe that central-
ized big government should determine
how we live our lives, that we should be
taken care of from cradle to grave, that
our public lands should be owned by gov-
ernment itself, that our private property
should be taxed and controlled by bureau-
crats, that our children should be forced
how and what to think, and that we should
pay for it with enough excessive taxing to
fund it all.
Conversely, there is self-reliance. We
can choose self-government within lawful
organized structures that meet our needs
by being responsible. The federal govern-
ment is $20 trillion in debt, and neither
Clinton nor Trump will get us out of that
mess. It’s too great.
Politics play a huge role in how our
county commissioners think and decide.
The ordinances they pass and the deals
they make with government are absolutely
political. Every day. I want to know if our
county is headed in a direction that relies
totally on a bankrupt big government for
all its solutions, or if it’s headed in a direc-
tion that will allow us in Baker County
to control our own destiny to the greatest
extent possible.
I want to know what side our commis-
sioners are on. Whether we want to admit
it or not, politics is an integral part of
Baker County government. Let’s keep it
transparent.
Vote no on measure 1-74.
Phil Brown
Halfway
A different view of 1-74
To the Editor:
I keep hearing party platforms don’t
need to be involved in county business,
but in fact they are essential. There is a
distinct and clear contrast in reasoning
between conservative and liberal views
when it comes to decisions that are made
regarding public and private land use,
jobs, and industry here in Baker County.
There is a difference between liberal
centralized approaches when receiving
grants, allowing optional federal policies
through agreements and contracts, and
openly welcoming the behemoth that is
nationalization. This stands as a stark
contrast to the more conservative ap-
proach of local governance, self-reliance,
and solutions based on the ingenuity and
creativity of people and resources in the
county.
The Windy Ridge/Cornett and Dry Gulch
fires are striking examples of big govern-
ment letting structures burn while local
farmers and ranchers were out late at
night fighting to protect their families and
neighbors. This is an example of a nation-
alization of policies, not local control.
People need to know and consider the
core beliefs of candidates for county of-
fices, and party platforms must be consid-
ered as an indicator. Vote no on Measure
1-74!
Frank McCleary
Richland
Hoopes will refuse
unconstitutional federal orders
To the Editor:
Europe and the USA are suffering in a
battle for their very survival as indepen-
dent nations. And you know why. Unlaw-
ful immigration policies pushed by the
communist UN and the socialist regime
in Washington DC are bent on destroy-
ing our culture and economy. The federal
government flies planeloads of unscreened
criminal elements into areas all over our
country, placing tremendous expense upon
the local people to feed, clothe, shelter,
medicate, and assimilate them.
But the problem is that most do not want
to be assimilated—they want to conquer,
using our own generosity and compassion
as weapons against us. You have seen it
happen all over Europe, and it is starting
here.
Who can say when the federal govern-
ment will dump busloads of religious
fanatics at the Baker Court House? Will
your commissioners and Sheriff agree to
take the federal moneys and bow to the
unlawful Executive Orders? Will you
allow this to happen here? I say it is a
real possibility, and a genuine threat to our
very existence.
Will Travis Ash, as Sheriff, comply
with UN-inspired Executive Orders from
the head socialist in Washington DC?
Yes! He has already shown his allegiance
to the federal causes bringing harm and
cost to others.
But John Hoopes will not give in and
comply with unconstitutional federal
instructions. Big John will do what is
RIGHT for the people he swore to serve
and protect. Vote John Hoopes for Sheriff!
Jeannie Anderson
Richland
Local police cruiser voted
best-looking vehicle in contest
During last year’s
Christmas Twilight Parade
downtown The Baker
County Press took a pho-
tograph of the parade’s
lead vehicle—a Baker City
Police Department (BCPD)
patrol car.
The vehicle had its blue
emergency lights on and
the lighting was such that
the vehicle’s reflective
decals were prominent
against the backdrop of an
illuminated historic Geiser
Grand Hotel.
In mid-October a public-
safety related Facebook
page called The Thin
Blue Line Supporters, a
closed site with 16,000
law enforcement members,
launched a photo contest
with the goal of determin-
ing which agency had the
best looking vehicle.
The local photo, submit-
ted by Reserve Command-
er Jerry Boyd, was one of
nearly 200 entries from
across the country. There
were even some entries
Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker County Press
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Advertising and Opinion Page Disclaimer:
Opinions submitted as Guest Opinions or Letters to
from foreign countries.
The contest was not re-
stricted to police vehicles.
There were fire engines,
ambulances and many
other public safety vehicles
(including a helicopter)
entered in the contest.
On October 28 the re-
sults were announced and
the BCPD photo won first
place.
The photo can be seen in
the 2015 Twilight Parade
folder at www.facebook.
com/theBCPress.
the Editor express the opinions of their authors, and
have not been authored by and are not necessarily
the opinions of The Baker County Press, any of our staff,
management, independent contractors or affiliates.
Advertisements placed by political groups, candidates,
businesses, etc., are printed as a paid service, which
does not constitute an endorsement of or fulfillment ob-
ligation by this newspaper for the products or services
advertised.
City Planning makes no
decision in tennis court issue
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
A recent Baker City Plan-
ning Commission meeting
a public hearing was held
regarding the grass tennis
courts located at 3925
Grace St.
The grass courts have
been a source of conten-
tion since they were first
installed, two in 1995 with
an addition of two more
courts in 2000.
The public hearing was
the result of a September
22, 2016 complaint filed
by Joanna McCormick
that alleged violations of
a conditional use permit
and to determine whether
the conditional use permit
should be revoked.
McCormick alleged the
violation in question had
occurred by the use of the
lights on a non-tournament
night. The date of the al-
leged violation was August
13, 2016. Several photo-
graphs showing the alleged
violation were submitted
to the Baker City-County
Planning department as
part of the formal com-
plaint, all photos had been
date/time stamped.
One photo showed light
from the tennis court
clearly shining over a
property line. A direct
violation of a 2012 stipula-
tion to the conditional use
permit that reads, “Use
of the tennis court lights
shall be restricted to only
tournament nights; shall be
turned off by 10:00 p.m. on
the ten selected Friday and
Saturday nights; and shall
be turned off by 9:00 p.m.
on all other tournament
nights. The modifications
to the conditional use per-
mit went on to outline that
all ‘flood’ style lights shall
be replaced with ‘shoebox’
style lights and cut off
shields shall be added so
that light shall not extend
over the property line.”
Don McClure, current
owner of the tennis courts
addressed the Commission
in his own defense to the
violation and impending
revocation of the con-
ditional use permit. He
began by stating, “On the
night in question I did not
give permission, nor was
I aware that these lights
were turned on.”
He firmly stated that he
had, or thought he had
made it clear the lights
were for tournament nights
only. The night in question
McClure says he was not
in Baker City, the players
were personal use players
from Portland and alluded
to the lack of communica-
tion from neighbors whom
he claimed he has reached
out to numerous times to
contact him directly with
concerns but instead “run
around taking pictures to
prove their case” and filing
formal complaints instead.
He seemed very frus-
trated that he had not been
contacted by anyone and
that if he had, the problem
could’ve been taken care
of promptly.
He stated that he had told
the players that were there
that night ‘no lights’ and
he believed there had been
no lights used. He told the
Commission, “I went to
OTEC for proof that those
lights had not been on”
but to his surprise, he was
given proof that the lights
had indeed been used.
McClure feels he did
everything reasonably ex-
pected of anyone to ensure
lights were not turned on.
He told the Commission
since this incident he has
taken more precautions
that the lights are not
turned on again “Short of
removal.”
However, the specifics
of said precautions were
not given. McClure said,
“I want my neighbors to
be happy. I’ve always done
everything that the com-
munity has asked me to
do, every precaution, every
modification.”
He eluded to the pic-
tures submitted by Mc-
Cormick saying, “You
can see how well of a job
I did at keeping the light
from extending beyond
the property line, as much
as you can contain light
and reflection.” He also
claimed that at one point
he even planted some trees
that in his opinion by now
would’ve blocked the light
for Joanna McCormick’s
property.
“She asked that I take the
trees out, I agreed. I not
only agreed I gave her the
trees,” he said.
He also stated that
there had been flood light
pointed her direction that
he had promised her would
never be turned on again,
and then had those lights
permanently removed but
feels, “It seems I can’t
make anyone happy.”
He told the Commis-
sion that he doesn’t benefit
— Contact Us —
from the tennis courts but
that Baker City does when
tournaments are held.
Tournament participants
go to local restaurants and
shop in local stores.
He sees the process of
bypassing him entirely and
filing a formal complaint
as a way to get the condi-
tional use permit revoked
and shut the courts down.
He went on to say that he
did have to give “Joanna
McCormick kudos because
she did call me a couple of
weeks ago to discuss this.
She told me she is tired
of this, tired of being the
ring leader, tired of being
the person who everyone
contacts. But evidently, she
enjoys it because he she is
again.”
He continued to express
to the Commission that if
something is going wrong
on his property and he
isn’t there or made aware
he cannot fix the problem;
he wasn’t made aware of
this current issue for over
a week by letter from the
City-County planning
department due to a formal
complaint. “I don’t think
that’s reasonable,” he said.
He asked for leniency
in correcting issues rather
than just an immediate
revoke of the permit.
Joanna McCormick ad-
dressed the Commission
next. She said, “You know
how many times we’ve
been in front of the Com-
mission, City Council. All
we ask is that these illegal
tennis courts that were
built without even any
permits, stay within the
conditional use permit of
22 days of tennis court use.
Stop the parties and shield
or take away the lights.
We filed a complaint with
LUBA (Land Use Board
of Appeals) and they ruled
in our favor. We entered a
land use permit agreement
with the then owners (Bor-
den and Sandi Granger).
They did not once violate
that agreement. 22 days of
tennis tournament play, the
tennis court lights turned
out by 9.”
McCormick said, “Then
they sold the property. So
then we start all over again
with the problems.”
McCormick said that she
has done what the planners
have asked her to do and
filed complaints so as to
come in front of the Com-
mission
SEE TENNIS COURTS
PAGE 5
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