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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (July 22, 2015)
A4 Opinion wallowa.com July 22, 2015 Wallowa County Chieftain Just say no to hiring chief prematurely A not-funny thing has apparently happened on the way to the City of Enterprise openly communicating with residents about their police force, which, as everyone knows, has been under review. It seems the city has abandoned that communication goal, or at least postponed it until a time when it won’t EDITORIAL be of much use to citizens. The voice of the Chieftain Former police chief Wes Kilgore resigned his position in March. Within weeks, city officials were engaging the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police as their primary guide through a process to move the city forward in an orderly manner. The idea — or so the city led us to believe, early on — was to identify any shortcomings in the current departmental setup, and from that point councilors and the mayor could make an informed decision — either to reaffirm the city’s longstanding commitment to maintain a police force, or to begin more seriously exploring the obvious alternative, contracting with the sheriff’s office. Meantime, on the advice of the association, the city would advertise the police chief opening because it would give Enterprise a ready pool of qualified candidates — sparing the city an unnecessary delay, if and when it came time to hire someone. Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts, who led the association’s departmental review for Enterprise, recently completed his report. He was to formally present it at a special meeting of the city council hastily scheduled for Wednesday, July 15. On that meeting’s agenda: an oral report from Roberts, followed by an executive session, after which the council would return to open session to approve the “final written document to be released for public review.” For reasons unknown to us, the city canceled that special meeting. We’re also now informed that RI¿FLDOVSODQWRSURFHHGZLWKKLULQJDQHZFKLHIZLWKRXW H[SODLQLQJDQ\WKLQJWRWKHSXEOLF¿UVW Mind you, Pendleton Chief Roberts continues to say he sees no reason why the city couldn’t follow a more open process, and he remains available to take part in a public meeting, if Enterprise’s government so desires. So why won’t our councilors and mayor take him up on that offer? 'XULQJWKHSDVWIRXUPRQWKVWKHWRQHRIFLW\RI¿FLDOV¶ statements about the police department points to a de facto default position of keeping the department going. It’s also no secret that Sheriff Steve Rogers isn’t SDUWLFXODUO\DQ[LRXVWRDGGWKHFRXQW\VHDWWRKLVRI¿FH¶V primary enforcement duties. %XWVRZKDW"1RPDWWHUKRZWKRURXJKO\FLW\RI¿FLDOV may have already convinced themselves that hiring a new chief is the right thing to do, they’re mistaken if they think they are absolved from providing residents a clear picture of what’s being bought with local property tax dollars. This is especially true in view of the fact that many residents already have the impression — probably accurate — that they’re paying more to maintain a city department than they would in a contract for county enforcement services. Maybe the city’s default support of its own department is justifiable, but if it is, city officials haven’t troubled themselves to make that case — now, at the precise moment the case is needed. And unless Enterprise government earnestly makes the attempt, we don’t think residents should support any move to –RCR hire a new chief. 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 P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY : EO Media Group 3HULRGLFDO3RVWDJH3DLGDW(QWHUSULVHDQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV Subscription rates (includes online access) Wallowa County Out-of-County 1 Year $40.00 $57.00 6XEVFULSWLRQVPXVWEHSDLGSULRUWRGHOLYHU\ See the Wallowa County Chieftain on the Internet www.wallowa.com facebook.com/Wallowa | twitter.com/wcchieftain POSTMASTER — Send address changes to Wallowa County Chieftain P.O. Box 338 Enterprise, OR 97828 Contents copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Volume 133 Expecting stocks to cool off My modest endeavors as a stock mar- ket investor began through intermediar- ies in 1997 during my one-year stint as a schoolteacher. Like millions of other public employees, I chose the “safe” route of allowing professional mutual fund managers to nurture my little nest egg of about $100/month, which we carefully set aside for one year. About 12 years later, through their shrewd choices (and yearly fees), these pros were able to hand me back a grand total of about $1,100, which left me somewhat unim- SUHVVHGE\WKHLU¿QDQFLDODFXPHQ In March 2009, after having seen the stock market plunge for more than a year- and-a-half, I felt more optimistic than most people about that moment for in- vesting. So I waited for four consecutive positive days on Wall Street, gave a nod of approval to the newly adopted stimu- lus package, held my breath, and opened a Scottrade account where I chose stocks myself. Four-and-a-half years later, that account had increased by an average an- QXDOUDWHRIDERXWZKLFKZDV¿QHE\ me. Encouraged by my early success as a manager of my own Wall Street destiny, I converted what I will call my “Oops” fund (named for the famous rocket sci- entists who managed my retirement ac- count from 1997 until February 2010) into a second Scottrade rollover account. That account, with mostly different stock selections, grew at an annual rate of about 12% from early 2010 until late 2013. Not being greedy by nature, I was DOVRVDWLV¿HGE\WKDWUHWXUQVLQFHLWZDVD marked improvement over the “I-should- have-kept-it-under-a-mattress” standards So it might surprise you to learn that a few months ago, I began to implement a new strategy for my stocks. I have be- gun selling. In fact, I have sold most of John the stock I owned, although the returns McColgan are still in cash in those same Scottrade accounts alongside my remaining stocks. set by my former mutual fund managers. Why, you might ask, would an optimist Since October 2013, more as a con- and a cheerleader for President Obama, sequence of my parents’ lifelong fru- sell now, rather than buy? Alas, what goes up must come down, JDOLW\ WKDQ P\ RZQ ¿QDQFLDO ZL]DUGU\ I have been able to set aside additional and six-and-a-half years is a solid run for allotments into my IRA rollover account. a stock market increase. I did some casual My annual returns since then are more research recently, and I noticed that since GLI¿FXOWWRFDOFXODWHEHFDXVH,KDYHDGG- :RUOG :DU ,, QHDUO\ HYHU\ VLJQL¿FDQW ed chunks of money three times during drop in the stock market has occurred ei- 2013, 2014, and 2015. But if I just com- ther during a presidential election year or pute all the money I put in against the during the latter half of the prior year. The simple explanation for that phe- value I have now, the annual increase nomenon might be that investors dislike comes to about 10% during that period. But before any reader decides that uncertainty. The conspiracy theorist’s all this data might mean that I’m pretty translation would be that greedy billion- good at investing, I would discourage aires occasionally cash in their chips. Back in the days when I used to watch that thought. The overall rates of return in my accounts have mostly mirrored the “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” I en- increases of the stock market as a whole joyed yelling this unsolicited advice at since March 2009. Currently, the Dow the contestants: “Take the Money!” Hav- Jones average and other major indexes ing made solid gains during this prosper- are all nearly triple what they were worth ous era on Wall Street, I am content now during that low point of the market crash. to have converted most of those gains Throughout this recent six-year period into cash so that I can wait for the next of historic growth on Wall Street, there big market drop before I reinvest. I’m sure I will be wincing and sec- have been plenty of Doomsday prophets whose ideological opposition to Presi- ond-guessing myself whenever one of dent Obama blinded them from reaping my old stocks goes up again. But as my WKHEHQH¿WVRILQYHVWPHQWJDLQV'XULQJ own frugality trumps my optimism, this that same time, with an optimistic out- is my new, “safe” strategy moving for- look about the economy, I have derived ward. John McColgan writes from his home a lot of fun and satisfaction from choos- ing stocks and watching my accounts in- in Joseph, except when he is on vacation. crease. POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY Walden and staff falling short To the Editor: I personally will never vote for Greg Walden again, EVER!!! He refuse to act and keeps moving staff in and out of his /D *UDQGH RI¿FH WKDW ZLOO QRW DFW XSRQ the Forest Service to enact change on the planning process that targets to restrict and remove our motorized access from our mountains. If you vote for the man you are openly supporting your restriction and closure from the mountains and I would hope you would share this with everyone from Joseph to Medford. I’ve made this public for a reason, share it wide and share it far. The man keeps running staff thru his La Grande RI¿FH WKDW KDV QR FOXH DV WR ZKDW¶V JR- ing on, and we keep having to start from scratch because of Greg’s ... poor lead- ership. The man is so spineless, so useless, that he can’t even hold one simple agen- cy like the US Forest Service account- DEOHRU¿QGRXWZKDWWKH\DUHSODQQLQJ for the people of Eastern Oregon’s access to their mountains. It’s either that, or he’s actually helping them thru assisting in the stalling or releasing the information. I AM DONE!!! and I hope you will be too. John George Bates miles — more cars, trucks, hay wagons, etc. — until they reach the place where YLVLELOLW\LVORQJHUDQGWUDI¿FVSUHDGRXW Wallowa Lake visitors who pack their bikes on the back of their RVs can pedal SODQV VDLG KH VKRXOG , FRXOGQ¶W ¿QG DQ the hills at the head of the Lake, or make ODOT truck, so marched into the Coun- a hard ride or haul their bikes into town W\ &RPPLVVLRQHUV¶ RI¿FH ZKHUH 6XVDQ and stumble onto Dobbin, Swamp Creek, Roberts told me that although Hurricane Tenderfoot Valley, and miles more. Some Creek had extra wide shoulders, suitable do. But for now, the cheapest and safest for walking, biking, and horseback trav- el, it was not a “designated bike path,” so thing to do would be to erase all the bike markers going out of Enterprise after the could not get the symbols. This is all, in my mind, just the latest Hurricane Creek turnoff. At least then chapter in bike lane silliness. I went to riders might stop and ask and, designat- one meeting a few years ago, and made ed bike lane or no, enjoy a safe, pleasant, the case for bike lanes from the last mile mostly quiet ride to Joseph. Rich Wandschneider into Joseph on 82, from Walker Lane, Joseph DQGWKH¿UVWWZRPLOHVRXWRI-RVHSKRQ the Imnaha Highway, to Dobbin Road. Throw in, I said, a bike path from Joseph to the foot of the Lake, and it would all Trump right to raise make for safety for bikers and walkers immigration issue going from town to the Lake, and would safely open up miles and miles of biking To the Editor: They can build fences to keep out peo- from Joseph and, given Hurricane Creek, from Enterprise, and make it safer for the ple at the White House, and to keep the increasing number of cross country bike prisoners in prison. Why can’t they build travelers and Cycle Oregon riders to ne- fences at our border to keep out illegal gotiate the last few turns towards Imnaha immigrants. I am glad Donald Trump has entered and the loop road. But the great interest was for a bike the race to at least bring up some of our lane from Joseph to the head of Wallowa problems. Geraldine Eckel Lake. I asked Mike Hayward about it a Wallowa couple of weeks ago, and he said that the Bike lane silliness talk had been about that Joseph – Lake To the Editor: run for years, so he was all OK with do- etters to the Editor are subject They painted the road lines in En- ing a study on the project. to editing and should be limited terprise last week, and, while they were Well, the study was done, and showed to 275 words. Writers should also in- painting I noticed the bike signs going that it would be a $20 million trail, and, clude a phone number with their sig- past the Hurricane Creek Highway turn- that might, you’d think, end the matter nature so we can call to verify identity. off and to the edge of town on 82, past the and turn us back to more sensible proj- The Chieftain does not run anonymous EDVHEDOO¿HOGDQGEULGJHULJKWWRZKHUH ects. But there are apparently still dreams letters. the wide shoulder narrows and any biker, of it — as there is continuing opposition You can submit a letter to the Wal- if he or she follows the signs and stays off from lake-side property owners. Maybe lowa County Chieftain in person; by the highway, will be on six inches of as- the engineers like the challenge of it! mail to P.O. Box 338, Enterprise, OR phalt — maybe — and then some gravel. Meanwhile, the good bike road from 97828; by email to editor@wallowa. I thought, since the newly paved Hur- Enterprise to Joseph — Hurricane Creek ricane Creek had a nice wide marked ²LVDVHFUHWWRRXWVLGHUV0D\WKH\¿QG com; or via the submission form at the newspaper’s website, located at wal- shoulder that is a dream to ride a bicycle a local who tells them the secret, or stay lowa.com. (Drop down the “Opinion” on, there had been some big mistake. I clear of roaring cars and trucks, tractors menu on the navigation bar to see the turned around and caught a painter, who and hay-haulers out of town on 82. And relevant link). said that he didn’t know about Hurricane when they get to Joseph pedal carefully Creek, but he was painting where the WRZDUGWKHORRSURDGWKDW¿UVWFRXSOHRI LETTERS TO THE EDITOR L