North Douglas Herald
Continued from Front Page
Pass Creek Park
of funds. It did turn out that revenues
from liquidated parks were diverted to
a project at Winchester Bay. Resulting
in Town hall meetings and the planners
were met with opposition. The County
leaned on their Parks Advisory Board
(PAB) and Parks Department to push
their plan. Many concerned citizens were
denied vacancies on the PAB, even after
the PAB devised a test for applicants, and
the concerned citizens scored the highest
and the County went ahead with their
plans.
The controversy between the
County and Park closures does not seem
a new developement and not for all of
the same issues or intentions. Well if the
loss of public resources to the enrichment
of certain parties, then maybe they are.
Mildred Kanipe Park, Stanton Park,
Busenbark Park and now Pass Creek
Park all seem to lend their story to a trend
in the dismantling of public resources ,
not for the betterment but for the profit.
The rezoning of Pass Creek
Park was approved by the Planning
Commission at their SEPT 19th meeting.
There was a scheduled Parks Advisory
Comittee meeeting for October 17th and
it was the target of a large contingent of
opposition until it was cancelled. In turn,
the BOC cancelled it’s own October
21st meeting. It is not clear if meetings
were convened in private but the next
scheduled meeting was then said to be
November 17th.
The current commissioners have
been accused of ignoring almost all public
input. Critics of the County claim that
the Parks Advisory Board (PAB) was
hand picked by the Commissioners, who
exclude anyone who may object to them.
They once gave applicants a test, but still
excluded those who scored highest because
they didn’t want them on the PAB. The
main problem is the advisory board actually
has no power or authority. They just rubber
stamp & sign off on what the parks director
and commissioners are presenting, and then
walk the county to gathering public input
and provided opportunities for comments.
The DC Board of Commisioners is
currently scheduled for it’s next meeting
on December 4th. It is to be seen as
to what outcome or revelations are to
be be presented but there is certainly a
concerted effort of citizens to be at that
meeting to voice concern, opposition and
even some outrage. The PAC, seemingly
bowing out of the line of fire, is also
tabling a meeting, but not until March
20th, 2025.
It is mindboggling to try to follow
the logic of the County, through it’s
commissioners, on the reasons to deny
the public of a needed and valuable
public resource. The county is selling
the park because they claim that there’s
not enough revenue generated for many
years. If you look at the corner of the
freeway exit and entrance to the park you
are assaulted by the delapidated structure
previously known as the Coach House.
Since it’s abandonment and subsequent
destruction and blight, it has been nothing
but an eyesore and empediment to the
Pass Creek Park visitors coming there
and wanting to stay there. They see that
building there and they’re not staying
there or coming back.
Supposedly, the only reason given by
the county for Pass Creek Park to be sold
is that it operates at a loss. Alternatives
have never been brainstormed with the
general public. And if the County truly
valued the interest and concerns of the
county residents and projected visiters
they would have long ago addressed some
answers to a property so distressed that it
so negatively impacts the entrance to
Pass Creek Park. With that kind of effort
on the part of the County they might more
readily find partners in the community,
that can work towards rejuvinating,
reviving and even elevating the space in
so many ways. There are many good and
even really great ideas that deserve being
at the tabler regarding what really should
be done and what should’nt be done
reguarding the Park.
Besides the dissatisfaction and
opposition to the loss of the resource and
the benefit it can and should bring to North
douglas County and Curtain residents, is
the notion of who benefits financially from
the privatization and sale of the property
and, according to a source who says there
are already finalized plans to use those
funds from the sale to fund the expansion
and development of the Winchester Dunes,
who or why are they profiting from that.
It has been challenging to understand
the process and to determine if fairness and
transparency are part of the County system.
I, personally, know of numerous, in the
dozens, of folks who are actively trying
to exercise their rights to voice concerns
and elicit answers reguarding legitimacy,
fairness and accountability of officials of
Douglas County. It would, bt any account,
amount to ‘Stonewalling”.
I have come into possesion of
a letter sent by one group of, I believe,
dozens of individuals to all or most of
the commissioners and other officials.
The letter seems concise, pertinant and
incitefull. Certainly containing points that
seem like they should be at least part of the
conversation. The single Commissioners
response I could find seems to bear that in
mind. It portends a continued rocky road
ahead.
More to report after the Decem-
ber 4th meeting.
December 2024
Page 13
School Days
North Douglas Elementary School
Student of the Month
North Douglas Middle School
Student of the Month
1st Grade: Everett Lindsey
Everett exemplifies gratitude as he is al-
ways the first to use his manners when asking
for help and reminds others to do the same.
Everett can find the good in every situation
and never complains about what he has or is
able to do. He celebrates his own wins without
shaming others and the wins of others without
complaints. Keep up the good work Everett!
7th Grade: James Hoyt
James is a positive, cheerful guy. He is al-
ways appreciative of help and the little things
people do for him. His outlook on life makes it
so other students enjoy being around him.
North Douglas Herald is pleased to feature
Students and their achievements. Please
submit to schoolnews@ndherald.com
North Douglas Warriors finish 2nd in Finals
Story by Rusty Savage
2024 1A-8 State Championship
The 1A-8 Championship finals were held at
Summit High School in Bend on November 30th.
The no. 3 ranked Warriors were defeated by the
Adrian Antelopes to 66-12. The Antelopes finished
with 509 yards total offense, 481 yards rushing and
28 passing.
“We knew we had to keep No. 4 (Hunter
Vaughn) inside the box,” Antelope Coach Bill
Wortman said. “Our defensive ends executed well,
turning the running back into our linebackers and
defensive linemen.”
Hunter Vaughn finished with a team-high
269 all-purpose yards, 19 yards rushing, 111 yards
receiving, and 139 yards in kick returns. North
Douglas went into the game missing 2 senior
Linemen and had to rely on several freshmen and
sophomore players.
“Hunter had no room tonight and he got beat
up pretty good,” according to Coach Mast. “He’s as
explosive a football player as there is out there. He
kept fighting and took a lot of shots, but he never
gave up and … sometimes that’s the way it goes.”
“Our boys should be really proud. They put
together a great season. It just didn’t happen for us
tonight. We’ll try our best to get back and see if we
can come up with one in the future here.”
North Douglas High School Warriors football
team finished the 2024 season with an 11-1 record.