A4 The SpokeSman • TueSday, SepTember 6, 2022
Student wins statewide ag art award
By Spokesman staff
Redmond fifth grader Olivia
Griffith, a student at Tom Mc-
Call Elementary, was selected
as one of 13 winners in a state-
wide annual calendar art contest
sponsored by Oregon Agricul-
ture in the Classroom.
Olivia’s artwork was selected
among 2,116 entries submitted
to the contest, which showcases
diverse agricultural and natural
resource commodities.
Olivia’s artwork featured a
Black Angus cow in a field and
can be viewed on the January
2022 page of the calendar.
“We have a lot of beef cows in
Oregon and the Sisters Moun-
tains in the background repre-
sent the Central Oregon region
where I live,” said Olivia.
The 13 students selected to be
featured in our 2022-2023 cal-
endar received a $50 award and
a certificate. The winning art-
work is displayed on the Oregon
Agriculture in the Classroom
website and at the Oregon State
Fair, which runs through Labor
Day in Salem. Calendars are
free to Oregon teachers, and can
be ordered for $4 on oregonaitc.
org/shop.
photo courtesy oregon agriculture in the
Classroom
photo courtesy oregon agriculture in the Classroom
Olivia Griffith, a student at Tom McCall Elementary in Redmond, was one of 13 winners in a statewide annual calendar art contest sponsored by
Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom.
Olivia Griffith, a student at Tom
McCall Elementary, was one of 13
winners in a statewide annual cal-
endar art contest sponsored by
Oregon Agriculture in the Class-
room.
Drazan campaigns for governor at Smith Rock
Gubernatorial candidate
gives clear support to
Oregon agriculture
BY NICK ROSENBERGER
Redmond Spokesman
Labor Day Weekend is the
traditional kickoff of the fall
campaign season.
Christine Drazan, the Or-
egon Republican candidate
for governor, got a head start
on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Smith
Rock Ranch, where she spoke
to a few hundred attendees and
rallied for change in Salem.
Much of the event focused
on agriculture, water rights,
and pushing back against gov-
ernment control.
Drazan emphasized her sup-
port for law enforcement, free
markets, low taxes, addressing
affordable housing and declar-
ing a state of emergency for the
homelessness crisis.
“We cannot turn a blind eye
to the homeless crisis in our
streets,” she said. “We have to
provide compassion and ac-
countability.”
Household names in the
Central Oregonian political
sphere also showed up to sup-
port — including Deschutes
County Commissioners Patti
Adair and Tony DeBone, along
with Redmond city councilor
and mayoral candidate Jay Pat-
rick.
Drazan noted the support
support she has received from
Vikki Breese-Iverson, minority
leader of the Oregon house of
representatives; Tim Knopp,
R-Bend; and Deschutes County
Commissioner candidate Phil
Henderson.
The November election will
be a three-way battle for the
open governor’s seat between
Democrat Tina Kotek, inde-
pendent Betsy Johnson and Re-
publican Christine Drazan.
“Look at the people on your
left, look at the people on your
right,” Drazan said. “This is the
winning team. It’s not people
sitting around a coffee shop
in Multnomah County. It’s the
people here tonight, fighting
for the future of our state.”
Some of those in attendance
agreed with Drazan on limiting
government overreach.
Jim Crouch of Tumalo de-
fined himself as a “conserva-
tive, not Republican.” Crouch
started a construction business
in 1972 and said he received
“nasty” letters from the govern-
ment saying they’d throw him
in jail unless he made changes.
He was audited six times and
disliked the amount of gov-
ernment involvement on his
business.
“I didn’t want to rely on the
government to provide for me,”
he said.
Matt Cyrus, the Deschutes
County Farm Bureau presi-
dent, also spoke. Cyrus said
the current Oregon legislature
failed to cooperate with the
agricultural community to ad-
dress concerns.
“We need to change the gov-
ernor to somebody that we
can work with and somebody
who will support agriculture,”
he said.
JoHanna Symons, owner of
Symons Beef Company and
co-founder of Perfect Balance
USA, spoke about water rights.
She blamed “radical environ-
mentalists” for strategically
abusing the Endangered Spe-
cies Act and causing irrigation
issues for agriculture in the De-
schutes Basin.
Symons emphasized that
she’s supportive of the Endan-
gered Species Act when en-
forced properly, but felt that
has not been done for the Ore-
gon spotted frog.
Symons, whose ranch is lo-
cated in the North Unit Irriga-
tion District, said the irrigation
district’s general manager and
board of directors voluntarily
decided to give up water to
benefit the frog. Because of
those demands, Symons said
nick rosenberger/Spokesman
Christine Drazan, Oregon’s republican candidate for governor, speaking at a fundraiser at Smith Rock Ranch outside Terrebonne on September 1.
that means “basically, our res-
ervoir is gone after the winter-
time release.”
According to Symons, her
operation produces enough
beef to feed 300,000 people a
year. If operations like hers fal-
ter, she is worried about the na-
tion’s ability to feed its citizens.
“The Deschutes Basin seems
small, but across the board we
have a huge national and inter-
national footprint on food,” Sy-
mons said.
Drazan also touched on both
local and international con-
cerns that tie to Oregon agri-
culture.
“On day one I will tear up
Kate Brown’s executive order
on cap and trade,” she said. “I
will veto bad bills that are writ-
ten to advance a progressive
global agenda that harm Ore-
gonians.”
█
Reporter: nrosenberger@
redmondspokesman.com
nick rosenberger/Spokesman
Crowds gather to listen to Christine Drazan, Oregon’s republican candidate for governor, speak at a fundraiser
at Smith Rock Ranch outside Terrebonne on September 1.
Kiwanis R’Oktoberfest set for Sept. 17 at Wild Ride
Event features music,
food and includes a silent
auction to raise funds to
benefit youth projects
Spokesman staff
The 14th annual Redmond Kiwanis
R’Oktoberfest Celebration will be
rocking downtown Redmond on Sat-
urday, Sept. 17, at Wild Ride Brewing
from noon to 10 p.m.
The Kiwanis version leans into the
rock and local food scene, and orga-
nizers said it is only slightly inspired
by German-style Oktoberfest. Admis-
sion is free.
More than 25 craft beers and ciders
will be on tap at the family-friendly
event.
Energy Youth Basketball, the event
beneficiary, will coordinate the chil-
Colby brown / Spokesman file
FILE — The 2016 8th Kiwanis Oktoberfest at Wild Ride Brewing Company. This year’s event is set for Sept. 17.
dren’s activities including bouncy
houses, hoop shooting, cornhole and
face painting.
Live music will be provided by the
Mark Mobley Band from 12:30 to
3:30 p.m., and Cheyenne West and
Silverado will perform from 6 to
9:30 p.m.
Other entertainment includes
a grain toss and stein hoisting for
adults.
The silent auction will go online
again this year to support Kiwanis
youth projects in the Redmond com-
munity. Those projects include educa-
tion scholarships, Jericho Backpacks
and Camp Sunrise.
Energy Youth Basketball Club is a
nonprofit that works to provide first
through eighth-grade girls and boys
in the greater Redmond commu-
nity with an opportunity to develop
basketball skills and teach charac-
ter-based life skills through sports.
EYBC is a volunteer organization
made up of invested community
members who have extensive back-
grounds in basketball and youth ath-
letics.
Learn more and register your child
for the upcoming season at www.en-
ergyhoopclub.com.