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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 2019)
NEWS Wallowa.com Wednesday, October 30, 2019 A5 Greg Walden opts not to run for another term Cites desire to move on to new work and challenges Molly Jenkins HOOD RIVER, OR – Today, Greg Walden (R-Hood River) announced that he will not seek a new term in Congress in the 2020 elections. Walden announced his decision in a video state- ment. https://www.dropbox. com/s/xdldk571bdsp9yx/ screenshot.m4v?dl=0 “At the end of this term,” he said, “I will have devoted 30 years to the import- ant calling of public ser- vice; of helping bring people together to solve problems and leave our communities, our beautiful state and our great nation better off for the next generation. “Together we’ve worked to fi nd solutions to the opi- oid crisis, improve forest health, and increase access to high speed broadband. “My team and I have helped thousands of Orego- nians get the Social Secu- rity, Medicare, and veter- ans’ benefi ts they earned and deserved. Oregon Congressman Greg Walden fi elds questions on timber salvage and other topics at his town hall meeting June 30 at the Wallowa Senior Center. “I fought to save the fi re-fi ghting tanker base in Medford, the VA facility in White City, and I’ve stood up for the ranching and farming way of life that is eastern Oregon. “Rural Oregon values run deeply in my veins. My ancestors arrived here in 1845 and I grew up on a cherry orchard in The Dalles with parents who survived the Great Depression. They taught me the true meaning of community; the impor- tance of giving back; and the value of hard work. That’s why I’ve given it my all for the people and the way of life we so enjoy in Oregon. “Based on recent poll- ing, strong fundraising, and the backing of my wife and family, I am confi dent I could earn the support of 2nd District voters for another term. I’m also opti- mistic that a path exists for Republicans to recapture a majority in the House, and that I could return for two more years as chairman of the House Energy and Com- merce Committee. “But I also know that for me, the time has come to pursue new challenges and opportunities. “So, I will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, nor elec- tion to any other offi ce, but instead I will close the pub- lic service chapter of my life, thankful for the friends I’ve made and the successful work we’ve done together. “It’s been an honor and privilege to represent the people of Oregon’s 2nd Dis- trict in the U.S. House. Know that I will continue to work hard on their behalf as long as I’m in offi ce. Thank you.” Walden is the former chairman, and now top Republican, of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Under Walden’s leadership, 93 percent of the bills approved by the com- mittee received bipartisan support on the House fl oor, with the bulk of the work becoming law. He led efforts to tackle the opioid cri- sis, increase access to high speed broadband service, modernize the energy sector and move forward on medi- cal research and innovation. Walden and his wife, Mylene, owned and oper- ated radio stations in Hood River and The Dalles for more than two decades. They are the parents of two sons, Anthony, 29, and Gar- rison, who died of a con- WILL AMTRAK RETURN TO NE OREGON? La Grande group wants passenger train service back By Dick Mason The Observer Cook Memorial Library’s community room was probably as crowded late Saturday morning as the Union Pacifi c Railroad depot in La Grande was on Sept. 27, 1937, when people gathered there for the train carrying President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to arrive. FDR was asleep when his train stopped in La Grande around 12:30 a.m., but First Lady Eleanor Roo- sevelt did appear and spoke briefl y to the crowd. Few if any of the more than 100 people at La Grande’s library Saturday were the same ones who saw FDR’s train arrive in 1937, but many lived here when La Grande had pas- senger train service. The desire to see passenger rail service return to Northeast Oregon is what drew the crowd to Saturday’s East- ern Oregon Rail meeting, which was held to inform people how they could help bring back Amtrak’s pas- senger service. Those in the audience included an individual who explained why he wanted passenger train service to return: “I’m 79 — don’t know how much longer I can drive long distances. I need to travel monthly to Boise and Portland.” This 79-year-old and many others at the meet- ing learned what steps need to be taken to make this dream become a reality during a program put on by the all-volunteer nonprofi t Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates, with help from All Aboard Washington. AORTA is proposing to revive at least the Portland to Boise por- tion of the old Amtrak Pio- neer route, which was dis- continued in 1997 because of funding issues. “We need your help if (the return of passenger genital heart defect in 1994. He served six years in the Oregon House, (1989-95), including as House Majority Leader during the 1991 and 1993 sessions, before serv- ing two years in the Oregon Senate, (1995-97). As Deputy Chairman of the National Republi- can Congressional Commit- tee, (NRCC) Walden helped Republicans regain control of the U.S. House in 2010 and keep it in 2012. His col- leagues twice elected him Chairman of the NRCC (for the 2014 and 2016 cycles) which produced the biggest back-to-back GOP majori- ties in U.S. history. Walden was elected to Congress in 1998 with 61 percent of the vote. He held every challenger to less than 40 percent of the vote in every election including in 2018. “I am deeply thank- ful to my supporters who made such a difference at the grassroots level to help achieve huge victories in each election. Likewise, I could not have run or served effectively without the sup- port of my wife and family who backed me every step of the way. To them, I owe the most special thank you,” said Walden. Enterprise Elks off er free dinner for Wallowa County veterans Non-veterans eat for $10 Photo courtesy Oregon Department of Transportation An Amtrak Cascades train leaves Portland’s station in this fi le photo. A La Grande group wants to reinstate Amtrak service in eastern Oregon. train service) is going to happen. It will be a longer term effort,” said AORTA President Joe Nuxoll of Eugene. The need for passen- ger train service in North- east Oregon is greater now than it was in 1997, Nux- oll said. A big reason is that Greyhound Bus now pro- vides one westbound and one eastbound bus a day, while 22 years ago at least two westbound and two eastbound buses made daily stops in La Grande. Nuxoll would like to see as much of the Pioneer route, which ran from Port- land to Salt Lake City, Utah, restored as possible. How- ever, he said it is more real- istic to start small by fi rst attempting to restore the Portland to Boise part of the Pioneer route. The AORTA presi- dent said that when peo- ple are speaking up in sup- port of Amtrak, they need to address one of the most common criticism of it — that its subsidized with SPACE RESERVATION DEADLINE for weekly advertising is 5pm Friday for the following week. Ad copy is due on Monday at 10am. Ads must be approved by Tuesday at 12pm. Contact Jennifer Cooney today jcooney@wallowa.com 541-805-9630 government funding. This is a weak and unfair argu- ment, according to Nuxoll, because all modern trans- portation receives substan- tial government funding. “All transportation is subsidized,” he said. He explained that virtu- ally all highway construc- tion and maintenance is funded by the government and that air travel is possible because of airports, which receive signifi cant levels of government assistance. Nuxoll emphasized that the best way to get mem- bers of Congress to begin looking into expanding Amtrak’s routes is for local city councils and county commissions to pass reso- lutions in support of having local and regional passen- ger rail service. He said that when senators and mem- bers of congress learn of the resolutions they will know that the people they repre- sent want passenger trains to return. Mark Meyer of Portland, an AORTA board mem- ber, said he believes there is strong bipartisan support in Congress for expanding Amtrak. One of these leaders is Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Portland), who is a sup- porter of Amtrak, according to Jeff Broderick, a gradu- ate student at Portland State University who is earning a master’s degree in urban planning. He also noted that Rep. Peter Defazio (D-Eu- gene), who is chair of the House Committee on Trans- portation and Infrastrucure, is in a good position to help boost Amtrak’s expansion. Broderick, like other speakers at Saturday’s meeting, emphasized the Mountain View Medical Group Please help us welcome... Jennifer Little FNP Jennifer is a family nurse practioner with her masters from Vanderbuilt University Call Jennifer to schedule your appointment in Enterprise or Joseph today! BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILIES VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH KALA LINVILLE 541-426-7900 We treat you like family 601 Medical Parkway, Enterprise, OR 97828 • 541-426-3111 • www.wchcd.org 209 NW First St., Enterprise • 541-426-4567 importance of communicat- ing with legislators about restoring Amtrak service in Northeast Oregon. “Your fi rst step should be contacting your legislators,” he said. He said that part of the problem Amtrak faces is that it received a weak mandate from the govern- ment when it was created in 1971. This makes it diffi cult to get large sums of money from Congress. “It is a fi ght for it to get funding from Congress each year,” Broderick said. Many of those attending the meeting Saturday talked of how much they miss pas- senger train service, and the atmosphere in the library’s communitiy room was one of hope and excitement. “You have priceless enthusiasm,” said Louis Musso, a member of All Aboard Washington. Wallowa Memorial Hospital is a equal opportunity mployer and provider Building Healthy Families 541-426-9411 oregonbhf.org On Saturday, Novem- ber 9, the Enterprise Elks will host a dinner for Wal- lowa County veterans. This dinner will be from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Enter- prise Elks Lodge, on 211 W North St. Proceeds from the evening will benefi t local Veteran’s programs. The Elks are committed to honoring veterans and their service, and this is one of the ways we honor veter- ans for Veteran’s Day. The Elks established the Elks National Veterans Service Commission in 1946, with the pledge, “So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.” The Elks nationwide have made serving veterans in need, a special focus. We also wish to thank VFW Post #4307, for their generosity and kindness when they opened their building to us as a meeting place, while the Elks build- ing was being renovated. The members of the VFW Post graciously allowed us to meet there for the last fi ve years. We can’t thank them enough. The dinner is open to vet- erans, and their families, as well as Elk’s members and their families. Doors open at 4:30 PM, and the cost will be $10 per person for non-veterans. If you wish to become a member, or you wish to reinstate your lapsed membership, please respond to our email address: bpoe1829@gmail.com, or come join us for dinner. This month we are recognizing Kala Linville for her role in the creation of The Caring Closet at Building Healthy Families- a community resource for foster children and families in need. Kala has spent countless hours gathering, washing, folding and organizing clothing donations for The Caring Closet. Thank you for your dedication and passion Kala!