A12 The SpokeSman • TueSday, auguST 23, 2022
Central Oregon voters voice opinions for change
By HANNAH SEIBOLD and ZACHARY
JONES NEURAY CO Media Group
O
LINDSAY SERRANO —
REDMOND
Children drenched in chlo-
rinated water scooted their
way up to Serrano working at
the concession stand at Cen-
tennial Park, eager to pass
her a crisp dollar bill for their
Spongebob popsicle. A quint-
essential summer day brought
conversations about an ab-
sence of diversity in Redmond.
“We don’t have a lot of ex-
posure and education about all
different people, and I think
it makes people here close-
minded, which can be bad and
dangerous,” Serrano said. “It’s
hard in smaller towns, but as
we grow, it would be nice to
see more people move here
and feel welcomed to come
here.”
Serrano, 27, urges for inclu-
sion and diversification in her
community. She credits her
love for Oregon to the commu-
nity’s respect for nature, which
is a sentiment that resonates
with many rural Oregonians.
“I love the area we live in;
the nature and respect we have
for nature is a big one because
I’ve been to other places and
the respect is not there,” Ser-
rano said.
regon voter voices often
go unamplified because
the state is not a major
player on the national stage
due to its strong democratic
tilt driven by the metropoli-
tan areas. To capture the least
heard voter voices — youth
and those living in rural ar-
eas — EO Media Group part-
nered with students from the
University of Oregon’s Cata-
lyst Journalism Project to pro-
vide a platform for their views
in all regions of the state.
The Voter Voices project
started in Central Oregon. The
tri-county area is comprised
of one metro area, Bend, and
several rural cities. People were
asked about their concerns
and hopes rather than their
political affiliation or partic-
ular candidates in an effort to
have an open dialogue. Voters
from Madras to Bend to La
Pine spoke to reporters about
what their friends, family and
neighbors feel would make Or-
egon and the U.S. a better place
for all.
“If we just met over the fence
and had a conversation then
things could actually change,”
said Prineville resident Diane
DEVON BOWEN — REDMOND
Belnavis.
“There are always things
Deschutes County, home
that are broken, but those are
to Bend, Sisters and La Pine,
things I respect. Everybody’s
is Central Oregon’s largest
got a place in our community,”
county, with about just over
said Bowen, while standing by
190,000 residents, according
his farmers
to the latest
market can-
census data.
opy, offering
About 87% of
Voter Voices project
fresh produce
the county’s
Editor’s note: oregon
from the area.
residents are
voter voices often go un-
His father and
white alone,
amplified because the state
9-year-old son
just over 8%
is not a major player on
the national stage due to
stood at a dis-
are Hispanic
its strong democratic tilt
tance, usher-
or Latino, and
driven by the metropolitan
ing the local
the county’s
areas. To capture the con-
regulars that
median age is
cerns and hopes of the least
strolled by.
42.4. A third
heard voter voices — youth
Bowen
of the county’s
and those living in rural
owns
a ranch
150,000 reg-
areas — eo media group
istered voters
and has been
partnered with students
are nonaffili-
a captain of
from the university of or-
ated; 31% are
the Redmond
egon’s Catalyst Journalism
project to provide a plat-
Democrats,
Fire Depart-
form for their views in all re-
ment. He’s
and 29% are
gions of the state.
been fighting
registered as
fires for 25
Republicans.
years.
Crook
The past three years have
County, where Prineville is
been, “really bad,” he said. “We
located, has the region’s old-
est population, with a median
just have water issues. The en-
vironmentalists came in and
age of 46.8 among its 23,700
took our water away for the
residents. It’s also the region’s
frog, so they’re pretty much
whitest county, where 88% of
putting the frog above hu-
residents reported being white
alone and 7.7% being Hispanic mans,” he said. “I don’t have as
or Latino. Politically, the county much water. They won’t give
you water because you have
leans Republican, with 44% of
5 feet of water for the frog to
its 20,000 voters registered as
breed and that’s more import-
Republicans, 32% as nonaffili-
ated and 16% as Democrats.
ant than feeding people and
Jefferson County, the heart of the community.”
Central Oregon agriculture and
He’s referring to the Habi-
home to Madras, is the region’s tat Conservation Plan, which
most ethnically diverse county. places limits on how much
water is supposed to remain
Of 24,000 residents, 20% are
in the Deschutes River for the
Hispanic or Latino, and 59%
frog’s survival and reproduc-
are white alone. The county’s
tion cycle, limiting the amount
median age is 41. Just under
of water released for irrigation.
40% of its 17,000 voters are
“In three to five years, there
nonaffiliated; a third are regis-
tered Republicans and 20% are
will be no farming, which is
Democrats.
the production of our entire
Despite wide differences in
community. My son wants to
voter demographics, concerns
be a rancher, but it’s just not
and hopes seemed to align.
a sustainable livelihood any-
dean guernsey/The Bulletin
Carson Janssen, owner of Janssen Metalworks in La Pine, was one of
several Central Oregonians who spoke to reporters for the Voter Voices
project. He talked about the changes he’d like to see in his rural town
and the region.
more,” he said as his father and
son approached quietly. “Give
me an honest answer, and if
you’re not going to go that
way,” Bowen said. “Give me a
choice or else it’s a deception.”
DIANE BELNAVIS — PRINEVILLE
Without hesitation, vendors
at the CROP Farmers Market
stacked leftovers in wagons,
filling truck beds with pallets
of berries accompanied by
sounds of folding lawn chairs
squealing. Belnavis said she
believes this is a space that
creates a sense of community.
“We have different beliefs,
but we all love the same thing.
This community is forced to
interact with each other, and I
just love it,” said Belnavis, sit-
ting beside the farmer’s market
that she helps organize weekly.
“I’ve always lived rurally. I like
to farm. I’ve been living in
Central Oregon for the past 40
years or so.”
Belnavis shares her farm-
land with her neighbors allow-
ing the bordering sheep extra
space to graze, but also pro-
vides Belnavis a meeting point
for differing political parties to
communicate. She says their
fence serves as a place to dis-
cuss current events and learn
about their differing views.
WHITNEY BELL — MADRAS
“I like that we are the hip-
pie state; people in Oregon
are a lot nicer and a lot more
accepting of everything,” said
Bell, sitting behind a white
foldout table, which was cov-
ered with sweet treats, includ-
ing shortbread cookies glued
together by strawberry jam.
The tantalizing baked goods
could not divert from the con-
cern-ridden conversation.
While Bell has utilized
health care to overcome an
inability to eat — she was pre-
scribed a pool pass to swim
weekly — the Madras resident
recognizes that not all health
conditions are equally con-
sidered.
“I hope our government
puts mental health in the
same category as physical
health,” Bell said. “We go once
a year to get physicals, but
your primary care provider
never says, ‘Hey maybe you
should check in with a coun-
selor.’”
LAURIE GONZALEZ AXSOM —
MADRAS
“They say we can’t save the
world, but we can save one
soul at a time,” said Gonzalez
Axsom, working at the Ma-
dras Saturday Market at Sa-
halee Park. She comes from
a family of addicts. A lack of
rehabilitation facilities and
focus on mental health causes
the “generations to mess up.”
The percentage of Oregon
residents addicted to drugs
and alcohol is among the
five highest in the nation,
and the state’s access to drug
treatment is the worst in the
U.S., according to the Na-
tional Survey on Drug Use
and Health 2020 state report
and the nonprofit Oregon
Recovers.
Gonzalez Axsom shared
that she sees a pattern of par-
ents not having resources to
help themselves get through
addiction, jail and mental
health crises. Children are
left to fend for themselves,
often falling into drug use as
their parents did.
Her daughter struggles
with mental health. “She’s at
the point of smoking mari-
juana, and I kind of just want
to say it’s OK because it’s bet-
ter than doing meth because
that’s where I come from.”
JEREMIAH TETER — LA PINE
The aroma of greasy, home-
cooked burgers wafted
around the red leather booths
and framed jerseys at Coach’s
Drive-In. Heavenly scents
were paired with a discussion
of the rising living costs.
Teter has lived in La Pine
since 1996 and loves the hos-
pitality of Oregonians. His
appreciation of Oregonians’
kindness is outweighed by
frustrations that resources
are inaccessible in his com-
munity.
“I want to move out of it
because everything is getting
too high priced and political
everywhere,” Teter said.