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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2015)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Can GMO, other crops coexist ZLWKRXWFRQÀLFW" A LGHVWR2UHJRQ*RY John Kitzhaber say he will propose legislation later this month to facilitate the coexistence of conventional, organic and genetically modified crops ZLWKLQWKHVWDWH It’s a promising announcement, although VKRUWRQGHWDLOV 7KH*02LVVXHKDV proven divisive for Oregon consumers – consider the razor-thin defeat of the labeling measure in 1RYHPEHU It’s no less thought- provoking for Oregon’s DJULFXOWXUDOLQGXVWU\ Producers of high-value specialty seed crops and organic producers have legitimate concerns about the potential for cross- pollination with GMO FURSV Farmers who grow, or who may in the future want to grow, GMO crops must be allowed to produce crops approved by the federal JRYHUQPHQW 7KHVHDUHQRWPXWXDOO\ H[FOXVLYHREMHFWLYHV During a special session late in 2013, the Oregon Legislature pre-empted most local governments from restricting genetically modified crops at .LW]KDEHU¶VXUJLQJ7KHELOO was part of a legislative package that also included corporate tax increases and was known as the “grand bargain,” which the House and Senate leaderships worked out in advance with .LW]KDEHU 7KHLGHDZDVWRDYRLG a patchwork of county regulation, and to give the Oregon Department of Agriculture time to work out a reasonable scheme that addresses legitimate concerns of organic and conventional growers of high-value crops who fear contamination from genetically engineered SROOHQ 7KHJRYHUQRUWKHQ appointed a task force to frame the controversy over genetically modified organisms and inform lawmakers’ decisions on possible statewide legislation ODWHU 7KHWDVNIRUFHFRQVLVWHG of stakeholders representing all camps, who predictably found it difficult to agree on much except there needs to be more clarity in the role of the state in regulating production of genetically PRGLILHGFURSV Clarity is in the eye of the EHKROGHU 7KHVWDWHORVHVDQ\SRZHU to restrict where genetically modified crops can be grown once they are deregulated by 86'$ Proponents of stronger regulation say the state could pass legislation giving the ODA the authority to establish restrictions on where and how GMO crops FRXOGEHJURZQ7KH\SRLQW to a mapping system used by seed growers in the :LOODPHWWH9DOOH\ 7KH\ZRXOGDOVROLNHD mechanism for compensating farmers if their crops are FURVVSROOLQDWHG Supporters of GMO crops favor a more voluntary DSSURDFK7KH\VD\ neighbors should be able to work out the particulars among themselves with PLQLPDOUHJXODWLRQ We prefer as soft a touch DVSRVVLEOH%XWRQFHWKH Legislature is involved, we’re past the point where neighbors can reach DFFRPPRGDWLRQV7KHLVVXH has become too polarizing, and both the industry and the public need to be able to trust any framework that is SXWLQSODFH We still have hope that common sense can prevail so that farmers who grow conventional or organic crops can be protected without denying others the choice of growing already approved genetically modified crops or capitalizing on new RSSRUWXQLWLHVWKDWDULVH C OMMENTARY Down history lane with the PC Fire Dept. By Jim Sullens 7RWKH%OXH0RXQWDLQ(DJOH ,MRLQHGWKH3UDLULH&LW\)LUH'H- SDUWPHQW LQ RI¿FLDOO\ LQ 'H- cember, as that was the time of my WK ELUWKGD\ , ZDV MXVW LQ WLPH WR help with evacuations during the ÀRRGV 7KH¿UHFKLHIZDV9HUQRQ5H\Q- ROGV D IDWKHU ¿JXUH WR PDQ\ RI XV 6RPH RI WKH RWKHU ¿UH¿JKWHUV WKHQ were Floyd Rynearson, Virgil Chap- man, Larry Stark, Otis Howard, Ce- cil Bradford, Larry Bradford, Ernie Blair, Rich Looney, Jerry Maley and PDQ\ PRUH $W WKH WLPH PRVW RI the local ministers, merchants, mill workers and Forest Service employ- ees were members, as well as several high school kids who were treated WKHVDPHDVDGXOW¿UH¿JKWHUV We had lots more calls in those GD\V 7KLVZDVEHIRUHZHKDGDQG “dispatch” services or emergency PHGLFDO UHVSRQGHUV 2XU PRUWLFLDQ in Prairie City had an old ambulance he used to transport people to the KRVSLWDO :H KDG ZKDW ZDV FDOOHG D ³¿UH phone” system where a phone num- EHUIRUWKH¿UHGHSDUWPHQWZDVSXE- lished and when that number was dialed, it rang 10 different places LQ WRZQ (YHU\ERG\ ZKR KDG D ¿UH phone had a button which set off WKH ¿UH DODUP 7KH ¿UH GHSDUWPHQW UHVSRQGHGWRMXVWDERXWDQ\NLQGRI HPHUJHQF\RWKHUWKDQSROLFHFDOOV We had lots of training in those days, and we did everything from rescuing folks from wrecks to giving &35 :H HYHQ KDG our own mechanical resuscitator/aspira- WRU We were among Jim WKH EHVWWUDLQHG ¿UH- Sullens ¿JKWHUV LQ WKH VWDWH Stan Phillips, icon- ic Deputy State Fire Marshal from John Day, assisted with nearly all of the training, from classroom to live ¿UH WUDLQLQJ ± DQG ZH KDG ORWV RI WKHODWWHU:HZRXOGEXUQROGKRXV- HV WR FOHDU SURSHUW\ ZH EXUQHG WKH old Anchor Club – where the Grant County Health Department now stands – and we burned the struc- WXUHVZKHUH&KHVWHU¶V7KULIWZD\DQG WKHRWKHUVWRUHVVWDQGQRZ In 1964, we had a 1949 FWD-500 JDOORQ ¿UH HQJLQH DQG D )RUG pickup that had a built-on pump, as well as our 1928 Ford Model A hose WUXFNZKLFKZHVWLOOKDYH :KHQ , ¿UVW VWDUWHG RXU WXUQRXW gear amounted to surplus military UDLQ FRDWV UXEEHU JORYHV ¿UH KDWV DQG VXUSOXV PLOLWDU\ JDV PDVNV ,W wasn’t long before we began getting and using Scott Air Packs and real ¿UH SURWHFWLYH VXLWV WXUQRXWV LQ- FOXGLQJERRWV 7KHUH ZHUH VRPH KLVWRULF ¿UH years, but the one that stands out for WKHROGHUIRONVLV:HKDGVHY- HQ PDMRU ¿UHV LQ RXU UHVSRQVH DUHD LQ MXVW D IHZ ZHHNV LQFOXGLQJ WKH historic barn at the Camp Logan site that was struck by lightning – held WRJHWKHU ZLWK SHJV LW MXVW H[SORGHG L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR myeaglenews.com/breakingnews Question of loyalty Blue Mountain EAGLE 195 N. Canyon Blvd. • John Day, OR 97845 541-575-0710 • Fax 541-575-1244 Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper USPS 226-340 John Day, Oregon MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION P UBLISHER E DITOR A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT E DITORIAL A SSISTANT C OMMUNITY N EWS S PORTS M ARKETING R EP C USTOMER S ERVICE R EP Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com Scotta Callister, editor@bmeagle.com Alyssa Cone, alyssa@bmeagle.com Cheryl Hoefler, cheryl@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Lindsay Bullock office@bmeagle.com PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY: EO Media Group 3HULRGLFDOV3RVWDJH3DLGDW-RKQ'D\DQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County Elsewhere in Oregon Continental U.S., Outside Oregon Outside Continental U.S. 1 year $40.00 $48.00 $55.00 $60.00 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery See the Blue Mountain Eagle on the Internet www.MyEagleNews.com POSTMASTER — send address changes to Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 Copyright © 2015 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. with a direct hit – as well as the Prai- ULH&LW\0RYLH7KHDWHUDQGWKH-DFN- VRQ$SDUWPHQWV Over the years, we have had sev- HUDO WUDJLF ¿UHV DQG DFFLGHQWV ZLWK ORVVRIOLIH,ZLOODOZD\VKDYHQLJKW- PDUHVDERXWWKRVH After serving 29 years, Chief 5H\QROGV UHWLUHG 1H[W WR VWHS XS was Hank Goslin, a hard-working WUXFN GULYHU DQG EXVLQHVV PDQ +H VHUYHG DV FKLHI IRU DERXW \HDUV During that time, he began to spend winters in Arizona and, as his assis- WDQWFKLHI,GLGDORWRI¿OOLQJLQIRU KLP+DQNUHWLUHGLQDQG,ZDV YRWHGLQDVFKLHI $OVR GXULQJ WKDW WLPH 7RP 6XW- WRQ-RKQ'D\¿UHFKLHIDQG,ZHUH DEOHWREXLOGWKH¿UVWUDGLRV\VWHPIRU WKH ¿UH GHSDUWPHQWV -RKQ 'D\ KDG used a low band system that worked fairly well, and Prairie City had only &%UDGLRVSULRUWRWKLV$WWKLVWLPH we also began to plan and implement WKHGLVSDWFKV\VWHP Dean Hicks now has the reins as chief of the department at this time, DQGLVGRLQJDQH[FHOOHQWMRE6LQFH LWVIRUPDOLQFHSWLRQDVD¿UHGHSDUW- ment that covered the City of Prairie City and the Prairie City Rural Fire District in about 1949, there have RQO\EHHQ¿YH¿UHFKLHIV1RQHKDYH EHHQ SDLG &RQWLQXLW\ DQG VWDELOLW\ are very important when working ZLWKYROXQWHHUV Lifelong Bates and Prairie City resident Jim Sullens recently re- ceived an award for 50 years of ser- vice with the Prairie City Fire De- partment. ¿OOHG LW IURP WRS WR ERWWRP :LWK the passing of timber sales and road To the Editor: construction, the Forest Service Speaking of loyalties – If you EDUHO\ ¿OOV WKH HTXLYDOHQW RI RQH think your livelihood depended ÀRRU on the Forest Service, give some All those who are buzzing around thought that Forest Service’s ex- its hallowed halls may not realize istence in Grant County depended that after the Forest Service manag- XSRQ \RX 7KH )RUHVW 6HUYLFH GLG es to close off our forest access the not have the army of fallers and QHHGIRUWKHPMXVWOLNHWKHIDOOHUV buckers, log trucks and drivers, buckers, mills, et al) will fade and mills to handle the forest boun- GRZQVL]LQJLVLQWKHLUIXWXUH:KHUH ty, trained construction workers GRWKH\JRIURPKHUH"0D\EHWRMRLQ to build stable roads, or welders WKHPLV¿WVLQ:DVKLQJWRQ'&ZKR needed to keep the Forest Service are attempting to control our land in IXQFWLRQDO1RZMREVDUHGZLQGOLQJ LWVHQWLUHW\7KHRQO\)RUHVW6HUYLFH and so is the “we are the biggest people left would be those wading in employers in Grant County” facade creeks, chasing weeds, counting the IDGLQJLQWRREVFXULW\ beavers that their actions caused to When the Malheur National For- become extinct in Grant County wa- est headquarters moved into Jack terways, or attempting to control a Young’s new big blue building on ¿UHWKDWKDVKDGDOODFFHVVEORFNHG Patterson Bridge Road in the ear- Did someone say that the Forest ly 1990s, Forest Service personnel Service is the biggest employer in *UDQW&RXQW\"7U\RQ³ZDV´ 2Q WKH VXEMHFW RI PLVILWV , DP reminded of the Malheur Forest landscape engineer who wouldn’t allow a cutting unit be laid out near the bottom of Vinegar Creek because it detracted from the land- VFDSH VHHQ IURP 7LSWRQ 6XPPLW RQ +LJKZD\ 7KH /RQJ &UHHN Ranger District interdisciplinary WHDP SODQQLQJ WKH SURMHFW OHW WKDW pass without telling the damned fool that it was a bit difficult to see through two ridges between Highway 7 and the Vinegar Creek GUDLQDJH DW DQ\ SRLQW +RZ UDG- ically blind was that? But, that is okay … the local Forest Service, in all wisdom, promoted him and sent KLP WR :DVKLQJWRQ '& +H QRZ represents the Forest Service from DPRUHHOHYDWHGSRVLWLRQ Judy Kerr Canyon City L etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244. W HERE TO WRITE Washington, D.C. 7KH:KLWH+RXVH3HQQV\O- YDQLD$YH 1: :DVKLQJWRQ '& 3KRQHFRPPHQWV 6ZLWFKERDUG 866HQ5RQ:\GHQ'² +DUW 6HQDWH 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ:DVK- LQJWRQ '& 3KRQH (PDLO ZD\QHBNLQQH\# Z\GHQVHQDWHJRY :HE VLWH KWWS Z\GHQVHQDWHJRY )D[ 866HQ-HII0HUNOH\'² +DUW 6HQDWH 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ:DVK- LQJWRQ '& " 3KRQH (PDLO VHQDWRU#PHUN- OH\VHQDWHJRY )D[ 2UHJRQ RI¿FHV LQFOXGH 2QH :RUOG 7UDGH&HQWHU6:6DOPRQ6W 6XLWH 3RUWODQG 25 DQG6(6HFRQG6W6XLWH 3HQGOHWRQ 25 3KRQH )D[ 865HS*UHJ:DOGHQ5²6HF- ond District) 1404 Longworth Build- LQJ :DVKLQJWRQ '& 3KRQH 1R GLUHFW HPDLO EH- FDXVHRIVSDP:HEVLWHZZZZDOGHQ KRXVHJRY )D[ 0HG- IRUG RI¿FH 1RUWK &HQWUDO 6XLWH 0HGIRUG253KRQH )D[ Pending Bills: For information on bills in Congress, Phone: 202-225-