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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (June 24, 2015)
A4 Opinion wallowa.com June 24, 2015 Wallowa County Chieftain Tell public what’s up at WVSL A n unpleasant episode for three Wallowa Valley Senior Living residents and their families appears to have reached a less troubling end as WVSL has suddenly backed off from UHTXLULQJWKHUHVLGHQWVWR¿QGQHZGLJV3UHGLFWDEO\GD\QRWLFHV WVSL tendered the three — all of whom had moved over to EDITORIAL WKHVSDQNLQJQHZWD[IXQGHG IDFLOLW\IURPWKHZRUQRXWIRUPHU The voice of the Chieftain hospital annex across town where nursing care was offered — sparked public outcry. Although Senior Living has now been in business two years, it continues to encounter some mistrust from a public that never bought in fully to the idea that nursing care can no longer be part of the program here. So far, the episode that just played out RQO\VHUYHVWRFRQ¿UPFULWLFV¶PRVWQHJDWLYHYLHZVUHJDUGOHVVRI ZKHWKHUWKHVHZHUHRULJLQDOO\ZHOOIRXQGHG$QGSHUKDSVEHFDXVH the controversy involves questions about care levels afforded (or QRWDIIRUGHGWRNQRZQWKRXJKQRWSXEOLFO\LGHQWL¿HGLQGLYLGXDOV the Wallowa County Health Care District is appearing a mite tentative in its public response to the issues raised. The district allotted approximately 20 minutes to the matter at its June 22 board meeting – enough time for affected family members to air their grievances in some detail, at times reading from prepared statements — but it was clear that little of substance would be LPPHGLDWHO\IRUWKFRPLQJIURPGLVWULFWRI¿FLDOVWKHPVHOYHV ,WPD\EHWKDWOLDELOLW\ZRUULHVNHHSRI¿FLDOVIURPVSHDNLQJ FDQGLGO\WRWKHSXEOLFEXWWKDW¶VXQIRUWXQDWHIRUDOORIXVEHFDXVHD IHZNH\TXHVWLRQVMXVWZRQ¶WJRDZD\ For instance: What was the deciding factor in rescinding the GD\QRWLFHV"'LGVWDWHRUORFDORI¿FLDOVGHWHUPLQHWKHIDFLOLW\ indeed bore a kind of “grandfathering” obligation to these three UHVLGHQWVEHFDXVHWKH\KDGPRYHGIURPWKHQXUVLQJKRPH"2U ZHUHLQGLYLGXDODVVHVVPHQWVRIWKHVHUHVLGHQWV¶UHVSHFWLYHOHYHOVRI QHHGHGFDUHHDFKLQVHULRXVHUURU" And, most important: What has the district learned, and what VWHSVDUHEHLQJWDNHQWRHQVXUHWKDWUHVLGHQWVZRQ¶WEHZURQJO\ QRWL¿HGLQWKHIXWXUH" Sorry, health care district, but we do need to know. –RCR Shame this ranch, please 5 DQFKR6DQWD)HDZHOOKHHOHGHQFODYHLQ&DOLIRUQLD¶V6DQ 'LHJR&RXQW\XVHV¿YHWLPHVWKHZDWHUSHUFDSLWDDVWKH UHVWRIWKHVWDWHDFFRUGLQJWRWKH:DVKLQJWRQ3RVW7KH 3RVWIRXQGQRVKRUWDJHRIUHVLGHQWVRQWKHUDQFK²DVWKHWRZQ is known by residents — who are on record that the drought is IRUWKHOLWWOHSHRSOHZKRFDQ¶WDIIRUGWKHZDWHU 6WHYH<XKDVVD\VQRRQHVKRXOGEHIRUFHGWROLYHZLWKEURZQ lawns, or golf on brown courses. ³:HSD\VLJQL¿FDQWSURSHUW\WD[HVEDVHGRQZKHUHZHOLYH´ KHVDLG³$QGQRZH¶UHQRWDOOHTXDOZKHQLWFRPHVWRZDWHU´ *D\%XWOHUDQLQWHULRUGHVLJQHUWROGWKH3RVWWKDWDOOWKH ³GURXJKWVKDPLQJ´RI5DQFKR6DQWD)HLVXQIDLU ³,WDQJHUVPHEHFDXVHSHRSOHDUHQ¶WORRNLQJDWWKHRYHUDOO SLFWXUH´%XWOHUVDLG³:KDWDUHZHVXSSRVHGWRGRMXVWKDYH GLUWDURXQGRXUKRXVHRQIRXUDFUHV"´ The drought will cost the farm economy $2.7 billion and DOPRVWMREV/LYHOLKRRGVDUHEHLQJORVWEXWLQ5DQFKR 6DQWD)HLW¶VDERXWEURZQ\DUGVDQGJROIFRXUVHV :KRLVQ¶WORRNLQJDWWKHRYHUDOOSLFWXUH" Corrections • The late Charlie Trump was a resident of Wallowa, not of Enterprise. The Chieftain regrets the error in last ZHHN¶VDUWLFOHDERXWWKH%OXH0RXQWDLQ2OG7LPH)LGGOHUV event. 7KH 'XOFLPHU ([WUDYDJDQ]D &RQFHUW LV VFKHGXOHG IRU)ULGD\-XO\DWSPDWWKH-RVHSK\&HQWHU7KH Chieftain regrets that it was listed under the wrong date in ODVWZHHN¶VFDOHQGDU USPS No. 665-100 P.O. Box 338 • Enterprise, OR 97828 2I¿FH1:)LUVW6W(QWHUSULVH2UH 3KRQH)D[ :DOORZD&RXQW\¶V1HZVSDSHU6LQFH Enterprise, Oregon M EMBER O REGON N EWSPAPER P UBLISHERS A SSOCIATION P UBLISHER E DITOR R EPORTER R EPORTER N EWSROOM ASSISTANT A D S ALES CONSULTANT G RAPHIC D ESIGNER O FFICE MANAGER Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com Rob Ruth, editor@wallowa.com Stephen Tool, stool@wallowa.com Kathleen Ellyn, kellyn@wallowa.com Elliott Seyler, eseyler@wallowa.com Brooke Pace, bpace@wallowa.com Robby Day, rday@wallowa.com Cheryl Jenkins, cjenkins@wallowa.com :KDWLVWKLVVWRU\UHDOO\DERXW"7DNH your pick. Hair color, hair style, skin col RU"5DFH":KRVHUDFH"0D\EHLW¶VDERXW ER[HVDQGFKHFNLQJWKHULJKWRQHV0D\ EHLW¶VDERXWLQWHJULW\OLHVDQGGHFHSWLRQ Two weeks ago, I had never heard of 5DFKHO 'ROH]DO WKH ZRPDQ ZKR UHFHQWO\ stepped down from her post as executive GLUHFWRURI6SRNDQH¶V1$$&3DPLGDVZLUO of media controversy regarding her race. I have several confessions of my own WRPDNHDERXWWKLVVWRU\)LUVW,¶PFRP ing to despise “the media,” whose main function these days seems to be public bullying. Second, I admit that my view point might be atypical, in that the more ,OHDUQDERXW5DFKHOWKHEHWWHU,OLNHKHU $QG¿QDOO\,KDYHEHJXQWRUHDOL]HWKDW, WRRDPSDUWO\$IULFDQ$PHULFDQDQGWKDW you probably are as well. In case you have been living in a cave recently (and if you have, congratulations ²\RX¶YHSUREDEO\PDGHDZLVHFKRLFH I will give you a little background infor PDWLRQ 5DFKHO ZDV UDLVHG LQ D IDPLO\ alongside four adopted black siblings. Her parents — whose reliability has been portrayed as unimpeachable so far by our QDWLRQDOPHGLD²KDYHVDLGWKDW5DFKHO ZDVEORQGDQGIDLUVNLQQHGDVDFKLOGDQG WKDWVKHLVRIPRVWO\*HUPDQDQG&]HFK DQFHVWU\ZLWKDWUDFHRI1DWLYH$PHULFDQ heritage. 5DFKHOVSHQWVRPHRIKHUFKLOGKRRGLQ 0LVVLVVLSSLLQPDLQO\EODFNVFKRROVDQG VRPHRILWKRPHVFKRROHGZLWKKHUIDP LO\ LQ 0RQWDQD %\ KHU DFFRXQW DV ZHOO DVKHUSDUHQWV¶VKHFDPHWRLGHQWLI\ZLWK 3HULRGLFDO3RVWDJH3DLGDW(QWHUSULVHDQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV 1 Year $40.00 $57.00 6XEVFULSWLRQVPXVWEHSDLGSULRUWRGHOLYHU\ See the Wallowa County Chieftain on the Internet www.wallowa.com facebook.com/Wallowa | twitter.com/wcchieftain 32670$67(5 — Send address changes to Wallowa County Chieftain 32%R[ (QWHUSULVH25 Contents copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY John McColgan black children and black culture at an early age. She married a black man, has one son from that marriage, and has le gally adopted one of her former adoptive black siblings. She also attended histori cally black Howard University. Given her life history, it is small won GHUWRPHWKDW5DFKHOFDPHWR³VHOILGHQ WLI\´DVEODFN6KHOHDUQHGDERXWKDLUVW\O ing, and she chose to style her own with an Afro look. I guess this is one of the things “the media” wants us to be outraged about. Somewhere in the Ten Commandments, there must have been a “Thou shalt not change thy hair style or hair color,” but PD\EH0RVHVPLVVHGWKDWRQH Along the course of her life, people EHJDQ WR PDNH DVVXPSWLRQV DERXW 5D chel, based on her looks, her family, and her lifestyle, and she did not correct them. 0D\EHVKHHYHQPLVOHGWKHPE\FKHFN LQJWKH³ZURQJ´ER[HV'LGVKHVHOILGHQ WLI\ DV ³%ODFN´ RU ³$IULFDQ$PHULFDQ´ ZKHQVKH¿OOHGLQMREDSSOLFDWLRQV" ,¶YH QHYHU OLNHG KDYLQJ WR GHFLGH ZKLFK RI WKRVH ER[HV WR FKHFN 7KHUH¶V XVXDOO\RQHIRU³1DWLYH$PHULFDQ´DQG I think I ought to qualify there, since I ZDVERUQLQWKH86$EXW,NQRZWKDW¶V not what the designation means. I hate FKHFNLQJ ³:KLWH´ EHFDXVH ,¶P UHDOO\ WZRWRQHG ZLWK WDQQHG DUPV DQG IDFH DQG WKH UHVW RI PH SHDFKFRORUHG 7KH\ have no boxes for “Irish” or “Greek,” which is my heritage. And the box for “Caucasian” makes me cringe, especially QRZWKDW,KDYHFKHFNHGWKHGH¿QLWLRQRQ Wikipedia. ,I\RXORRNXSWKDWGH¿QLWLRQ\RXZLOO ¿QG ODUJHO\ GLVFUHGLWHG DUFKHW\SHV WKDW sound uncomfortably like the foundation RI³0HLQ.DPSI´7KHUHLVHYHQDJUDSK from a book published in 1920, entitled ³7KH5LVLQJ7LGHRI&RORU$JDLQVW:KLWH World Supremacy.” And it turns out that being Caucasian actually includes being from Africa as one of its many subsets. .QRZLQJWKDWRQHRIP\JUDQGIDWKHUV was born on the island of Crete, I have no problem accepting that my naturally tanning skin probably dates back to some African ancestry. And if you believe in evolution, you too should accept that if you could trace your own roots back far enough, you probably have African bloodlines as well. 6R KDV 5DFKHO EHHQ O\LQJ WR XV" ,¶OO say this: she never lied to me, and I wish her the best in life, which seems to be more than her parents do. 2QH RI 5DFKHO¶V VRQV UHDVVXUHG KHU WKLV ZD\ ³0RP´ KH VDLG ³5DFLDOO\ \RX¶UHKXPDQ&XOWXUDOO\\RX¶UHEODFN´ Well said. And I recommend that we all start being more honest with ourselves about our own very mixed racial heritages. John McColgan writes from his home in Joseph. No to fees for Joseph streets To the Editor: +HUH DJDLQ FRPHV WKH %OLQG /HDGLQJ WKH %OLQG 0U 6DQGV DQG 0V 6ZDUW ¿W the description. Sands still thinks simple logic can be hidden by showing a lem on and calling it an apple. His method of presenting numerous schemes of debt DSSOLHGWRQRUPDOFLWL]HQVRI-RVHSKFRQ WLQXHV %\ ODEHOLQJ VXFK UXHV XQGHU DQ array of different titles, we mortals might ELWH +LJKHU FRVWV RU IHHV RU WD[HV VWLOO is just that, increased taxes. For Sands to continue trying to steal from us is an LQVXOWWRRXUFRPPRQVHQVH1RVHQVLEOH commoner would ever agree to his blind doggedness to raise taxes. 0V6ZDUWVORJLFGLVSOD\VKHUXWRSLDQ convictions. This being, if some folks can afford constant increases in taxes then let the commoners suffer for it. Her logic and Sands doggedness shows us all cer tain truths. This being all bureaucrats and politicians must justify their ignorance and positions held. Hold fast mortals and vote against all such bills to steal from us. Harlan Menton Joseph USFS doesn’t want us to know P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY : EO Media Group Subscription rates (includes online access) Wallowa County Out-of-County We are all racially mixed To the Editor: The US Forest Service has sunk to a QHZORZLQ(DVWHUQ2UHJRQWKDWLVWKH\ have decided that you are too dangerous a group of people to be informed as to what roads they plan to close in your mountains. How do I know that, because I have received a response telling me so. While they put out propaganda of how WKH\ZDQWWRHQJDJHZLWK\RXRQWKH1D tional Forest, but when I or anyone else requests documents to engage, we are told we may cause “injury to the quality of the agency decision.” let me emphasis, ZH WKH SHRSOH RI (DVWHUQ 2UHJRQ PD\ cause injury because we received a docu ment to educate ourselves with. 0XFKOLNHWKH0XOODKV¶LQWKHPRVD ics of Afghanistan, the US Forest Service means to keep you ignorant as to what is going on around you. Communities DQGFLWL]HQVDUHHDVLHUWRFRQWUROLIWKH\ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR DUH NHSW IURP WKH WUXWK RI ZKDW¶V JRLQJ on around them and the decisions a few are making for the larger population. See, you/we/I are too dumb, too backwards, too unenlightened to understand the complexities of such ecological process, RUDUHZH" I have a college education in natural UHVRXUFH,NQRZWKDWZDWHUÀRZVGRZQ hill and that active management tech niques play a greater role in meeting the SXEOLF¶V QHHGV WKDQ H[FOXVLRQ RI XVH , know that there is a “tread lightly” cam paign being pushed by a small minority on the upper echelons of the US Forest Service where man is looked at as a dis ease on the landscape and not a part of LW%XWPRVWLPSRUWDQWO\,NQRZWKLV<RX and I are not dumb, backwards or unen lightened. ,W¶VDOLHDQGZHDUHGHDOLQJZLWKOLDUV in the leadership positions of the forest VHUYLFHIURPWKHVXSHUYLVRU¶VRI¿FHXS If you want to keep your mountains open \RXDUHJRLQJWRKDYHWRGLJLQDQG¿JKW DUH\RXZLOOLQJWRGRWKDW",KRSHVREH cause your kids and grandkids right to access depends on it. John George Bates Let counties leave Oregon To the Editor: 5XUDO2UHJRQLDQVLQJHQHUDODQG(DVW 2UHJRQLDQV LQ SDUWLFXODU DUH JURZLQJ increasingly dismayed by the manner LQZKLFK2UHJRQ¶VOHJLVODWXUHDQG2UH JRQ¶VXUEDQGZHOOHUVKDYHPDUJLQDOL]HG WKHLU YDOXHV GHPRQL]HG WKHLU OLIHVW\OH YLOODLQL]H WKHLU UHVRXUFH EDVHG OLYHOL KRRGVDQGKDYHFODVVL¿HGWKHPDVVHF RQGFODVVFLWL]HQVDWEHVW$OOWKHZKLOH WKH\ FRYHU 2UHJRQ¶V PRVW IHUWLOH DQG well watered farm ground with urban sprawl, gangs, illegal aliens, homeless camps, welfare tramps, and touchy feely politics that add little or no value to ru UDO OLIHVW\OHV 0HDQZKLOH 2UHJRQ¶V UX ral residents carve out a resource based living on marginal farm ground and the OHIWRYHUVRI2UHJRQ¶VHFRQRPLFJURZWK infrastructure and technological innova tion. 7KH 3RUWODQG PHWUR DUHD LV KRPH WR RI 2UHJRQ¶V YRWHUV DQG FRYHUV D PHUHVTXDUHPLOHVRI2UHJRQ¶V VTXDUHPLOHVWKDW¶VOHVVWKDQ RILWVODQGPDVVWREHH[DFW )LYH RI 2UHJRQ¶V FRXQWLHV QRZ FRQWURO RI 2UHJRQ¶V OHJLVODWLYH DFWLYLW\1RQHDUHUXUDO1RQHDUHHDVWRI WKH&DVFDGHV1RQHDUHRXWVLGHWKH:LO lamette valley. It would appear to any rural resident RU RXWVLGH REVHUYHU WKDW PRVW RI 2UH JRQ¶VXUEDQLWHVYLHZ2UHJRQ¶VUXUDOUHV idents as nothing more than third world LQKDELWDQW¶V RFFXS\LQJ WKHLU ZHHNHQG and vacation playgrounds in what they DGYHUWLVH WR WKH ZRUOG DV 2UHJRQ¶V unique diversity. The political diversity in this state is becoming unpalatable. 6LQFH 2UHJRQ¶V XUEDQ GZHOO ers have elected a group of individuals that represent nothing short of the ar istocracy of political power, they have switched their role in democracy from servant to lord. These people have suc cessfully disenfranchised and subjugat ed the people occupying everything not 3RUWODQGRUWKH:LOODPHWWHYDOOH\7KH\ have enacted laws with little or no de bate and no amendments. They have VWDWHG WKH\ ZLOO ¿[ DGPLWWHGO\ ÀDZHG laws after they are enacted, this is back wards legislative procedure designed to exclude and silence opposition, often times with out of state money from east coast power brokers. 7LPHIRUDFKDQJH7LPHWRRUJDQL]H 7LPHWRVHFHGHRUVXFFXPE7KLUW\RQH counties need to put an initiative on their ballot that states, “Should (my) county VHFHGH IURP WKH 6WDWH RI 2UHJRQ DQG seek a more perfect union elsewhere” ,PDJLQHIRUDPRPHQW,GDKR¶VZHVW HUQERUGHUVWUHWFKLQJWRWKH3DFL¿FDQG WKH 6WDWH RI 2UHJRQ VKULQNLQJ WR OHVV than 4000 square miles of land locked river view property. Grant Darrow Elgin