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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 4, 2015)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, March 4, 2015 Tone matters in debate over public access I n their resignation letter ODVWZHHN¿YHPHPEHUVRI WKH*UDQW&RXQW\3XEOLF Access Advisory Board offered an unintended irony when they pressed the County Court to HPEUDFHUXOHVRIUHVSHFWIRURWKHUV DQGDJDLQVWDOOSHUVRQDODWWDFNV While criticizing the Court for its actions, the letter failed to DFNQRZOHGJHWKDWVRPHPHPEHUV RIWKHDFFHVVERDUGKDYHUXQDIRXO of those very rules with their own comments in recent meetings DQGFRPPXQLFDWLRQV7KHODFNRI civility in the road discourse has EHHQVWULNLQJDQGWKH\PXVWVKDUH WKHUHVSRQVLELOLW\IRUWKDW 7REHVXUHWKH&RXQW\ Court played a role in the eventual meltdown of the access ERDUG7KH&RXUWFUHDWHGWKH ERDUGRXWRIDJHQXLQHGHVLUH for a participatory process ODVWVXPPHUEXWLWZDVD UXVKMRE7KHFRQIXVLRQDQG contentiousness that ensued ZDVDOPRVWSUHRUGDLQHG7KH PHPEHUVZHUHDSSRLQWHGWRD vague purpose, without the Court providing a detailed charter for WKHERDUGRUVHWWLQJVLGHERDUGV IRULWVRSHUDWLRQV8QOLNHRWKHU DSSRLQWHGERDUGVDQGFRPPLWWHHV this group was left largely on its RZQWRFKDUWLWVFRXUVH It’s no surprise, then, that the ERDUGPRUSKHGLQWRVRUWRID SXEOLFSULYDWHK\EULG,QGHHG we suspect those who quit the ERDUGODVWZHHNZLOOEHIDUPRUH FRPIRUWDEOHDVDSULYDWHJURXS WKDQDVDFRXQW\ERG\7KDWZDV VXJJHVWHGDIHZZHHNVDJRLQDQ HPDLOH[FKDQJHREWDLQHGIURPWKH FRXQW\E\WKH(DJOHWKURXJKD SXEOLFUHFRUGVUHTXHVW ,QWKHH[FKDQJH&RXQW\ -XGJH6FRWW0\HUVDVNHG-LP Sproul, then chair of the access group, to restore the forest VXSHUYLVRU¶VQDPHWRWKHERDUG¶V PDLOOLVW6SURXOUHSOLHGWKDWWKH DFFHVVERDUG¶V³SULYDWHHPDLO OLVW´KDGEHHQGHOHWHGDQGWKDW DQ\SHUVRQDOHPDLOVVHQWE\ ERDUGPHPEHUVZRXOGEH³IRU information only to concerned FLWL]HQVRIRXUFKRRVLQJ´+H PDGHLWFOHDUWKDW³DOOHPDLOVVHQW E\WKHDFFHVVERDUGPHPEHUV to interested citizens of Grant County are for information SXUSRVHVRQO\DQGDUHSULYDWH´ 7KDWEOHQGLQJRISULYDWH FRPPXQLFDWLRQVDQGSXEOLF duties suggests the separation ODVWZHHNZDVLQHYLWDEOHDQG SUREDEO\DJRRGWKLQJ7RGD\ WKHVHPHPEHUVDUHIUHHWRSXUVXH WKHLUJRDOVZLWKURDGV±DQGDQ\ RWKHULVVXHV±DVSULYDWHFLWL]HQV without the constraints of transparency that go with serving RQDSXEOLFERDUG 6WLOOWREHVHHQLVZKHWKHU the tone of the road discussion LPSURYHV6RIDUZH¶UHKHDULQJ DQHVFDODWLRQRIDQJU\WDONRQ some social media platforms; a few of the more strident voices LQWKHZLGHUURDGGHEDWHDUH WDUJHWLQJLQGLYLGXDOVEXVLQHVVHV and agencies for personal FULWLFLVPDQGVFRUQ,W¶VQRWFOHDU KRZWKLVKDSSHQHGEXWZH¶YH apparently reached a point where demonizing those with different views is seen as an effective VWUDWHJ\WRDWWDLQRQH¶VJRDOV We hope that as the discussion moves forward, the former PHPEHUVRIWKHDFFHVVERDUGZLOO HPEUDFHWKHUHVSHFWDQGWROHUDQFH rules they urged on the Court and HQFRXUDJHRWKHUVWRGRWKHVDPH 7KH\KDYHWKHSRWHQWLDOWREHD IRUFHIRUSRVLWLYHPRYHPHQW±RU VWDOHPDWH±RQWKHVHLVVXHV As for the Court, we urge the PHPEHUVWR¿UPXSWKHFKDUJHRI WKHDFFHVVERDUGEHIRUH¿OOLQJDQ\ YDFDQFLHVDQGPRYLQJDKHDG:H DOVRXUJHWKHPWRDGRSWVSHFL¿F rules of conduct for their own meetings and to post them clearly, VRWKDWDOOPHPEHUVRIWKHSXEOLF ±QRPDWWHUZKDWWKHLURSLQLRQV PD\EH±ZLOOIHHOFRPIRUWDEOH DWWHQGLQJDQGSDUWLFLSDWLQJ±6& L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Kudos to hospitals To the Editor: Over the past three months I had WKHQHHGWRFOHDUXSDPHGLFDOWKLQJ¿UVW with the Veterans Administration hospi- WDOLQ%RLVH,NQRZWKHUHKDVEHHQDORW RIEDGSUHVVIRUWKH9$KRVSLWDOVEXW, FDQWHOO\RX¿UVWKDQGWKDW,UHFHLYHGJUHDW FDUH I was transferred to Blue Mountain Hospital for follow-up care, and I cannot VD\HQRXJKJRRGWKLQJVDERXWRXUORFDO KRVSLWDO (YHU\RQH ± IURP WKH NLWFKHQ VWDII WR KRXVHNHHSLQJ WKH QXUVHV DQG &1$VWKHODE±ZHQWWKHH[WUDPLOHWR PDNH P\ VWD\ DV SOHDVDQW DV SRVVLEOH The director of nursing services and WKHQHZWHPSDGPLQLVWUDWRUVWRSSHGE\ DFRXSOHRIWLPHVMXVWWRFKHFNDQGVHH KRZWKLQJVZHUHJRLQJ :KHQWKUHHDPEXODQFHVDUULYHGLQ minutes, additional staff was called in so the level of care was not decreased, and those who came in were very willing to MXPSULJKWLQDQGGRZKDWZDVQHHGHG :HDUHEOHVVHGZLWKDKRVSLWDOWKDWLV VXSSRUWHGZLWKRXUWD[EDVHDQGDORFDO ERDUGRIGLUHFWRUV,IRURQHZLOOEHVXS- porting our local hospital in every way ,FDQ I hope you don’t need their services EXW LI \RX GR \RX ZLOO EH LQ JRRG KDQGV Eddie Smith Prairie City Roads or timber? To the Editor: When did we come to the point in Eastern Oregon that we found our- VHOYHVQHJRWLDWLQJRXUDFFHVVWRSXEOLF ORRECTIONS ODQGV IRU WLPEHU KDUYHVW DQG ZK\ LV /DVWZHHN¶VDUWLFOHDERXWWKHWKUHH GXULQJKHUPHPEHUVKLSVLQFH WKLVDQDFFHSWDEOHPRGHOIRURXUHOHFW- $PHULFDQ /HJLRQ $X[LOLDU\ ODGLHV $)HEDUWLFOHDERXWD&LUFXLW HGRI¿FLDOV" honored should have included the fol- Court hearing had a typo in the name The answer lies directly under our ORZLQJLQIRUPDWLRQDERXW5XWK+DUULV of the attorney representing Roy Pe- QRVHVEXWIRUWKHIDFWWKDWDJUHDWGHDO WKH RUJDQL]DWLRQ¶V FXUUHQW SUHVLGHQW WHUVRQLWVKRXOGKDYHVDLG'=DFKDU\ RIXVGRQ¶WNQRZLWH[LVWV&ROODERUD- $W WKH )HE 6ZHHWKHDUWV¶ 'LQQHU +RVWHWWHU WLRQDQGWKHEULQJLQJWRJHWKHURI³LQ- her granddaughter, Rhonda Millwood, Errors may be reported to editor@ terested” parties to negotiate projects WROGWKHDXGLHQFHRIWKHSXEOLFVHUYLFH bmeagle.com or by calling 541-575- LVNLOOLQJRXULQGLYLGXDOULJKWVHDFKDQG ZRUNDQGDFWLYLWLHVRIKHUJUDQGPRWKHU 0710. HYHU\GD\ The Grant County Court, as one H[DPSOH KDV GHFLGHG WR DOLJQ LWVHOI ZLWKWKH¿QDQFLDOLQWHUHVWRI,URQ7UL- Blue Mountain DQJOHDQGWKH³VWHZDUGVKLSFRQWUDFW´ In order for Iron Triangle to move for- ward with getting its projects complet- HGWKH\PXVWNHHSWKH)RUHVW6HUYLFH KDSS\ 195 N. Canyon Blvd. • John Day, OR 97845 0U %HYHUOLQ VXSHUYLVRU IRU 0DO- 541-575-0710 • Fax 541-575-1244 KHXU 1DWLRQDO )RUHVW PDGH WKLV YHU\ USPS 226-340 FOHDU LQ HDUO\ )HEUXDU\ ZKHQ KH LQ- IRUPHGWKH$PHULFDQ)RUHVW5HVRXUF- Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper es Council that any interference or John Day, Oregon SUHYHQWLQJ WKH )RUHVW 6HUYLFH IURP performing road closures will jeopar- MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION GL]HWLPEHURXWSXWVRQWKHIRUHVW P UBLISHER Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com That is where we have come as a E DITOR Scotta Callister, editor@bmeagle.com UHJLRQ DQG ZKHUH WKH )RUHVW 6HUYLFH A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT Kristina Kreger, kristina@bmeagle.com KDVFRPHWRDVDQDJHQF\<RXGRQ¶W E DITORIAL A SSISTANT Cheryl Hoefler, cheryl@bmeagle.com support what we want to do, we’ll C OMMUNITY N EWS Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com S PORTS Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com EUHDN \RX SHULRG HQG RI VWRU\ 6R M ARKETING R EP Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com what other choice do these companies C USTOMER S ERVICE R EP Lindsay Bullock office@bmeagle.com KDYH" (LWKHU +HOOV &DQ\RQ 3UHVHUYD- WLRQ&RXQFLOOLWLJDWHVDWLPEHUSURMHFWLI PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY: LW¶VQRWFORVHGDIWHUZDUGVRUWKH)RUHVW EO Media Group Service simply does not allow the proj- HFWEHFDXVH\RXFDQ¶WNHHSWKHSXEOLF 3HULRGLFDOV3RVWDJH3DLGDW-RKQ'D\DQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV VKXWXSDERXWLW SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) 1 year This isn’t just in Grant County; it’s Grant County $40.00 throughout the Eastern Oregon counties Elsewhere in Oregon $48.00 and the only way to address it is to tell Continental U.S., Outside Oregon $55.00 the commissioners that our motorized Outside Continental U.S. $60.00 DFFHVVLVQRWWREHQHJRWLDWHG Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery :H¶UH EHLQJ KHOG KRVWDJH IULHQGV Who stands up and says enough is See the Blue Mountain Eagle on the Internet HQRXJK" www.MyEagleNews.com John D. George POSTMASTER — send address changes to Bates C EAGLE 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. L A dearth of honor To the Editor: 7KH³&V´KDYHLW &RHUFLRQ FROOXVLRQ FROODERUD- tion, concealment, consorting, and FRUUXSWLRQ,KDYHEHHQSHUVRQDOO\ H[SRVHG WR DOO LQ RQH IRUP RU DQ- other since 1986 after joining the UDQNV RI WKH )RUHVW 6HUYLFH $IWHU VKDNLQJIUHHRIWKHHUUDWLFJRYHUQ- ment militia 10 years ago, I felt VOLJKWO\YLQGLFDWHG I thought to have found the per- fect opportunity attempting to right the wrongs done to the American SHRSOHE\VXSSRUWLQJWKHLUULJKWWR IUHH DFFHVV RI WKHLU SXEOLF ODQGV only to find that self-serving inter- HVWV H[LVW DW DOO OHYHOV RI JRYHUQ- PHQW 1RZ WKH ³'V´ KDYH LW DV ZHOO dishonor, dishonest, (mis)direc- tion, deception, derision, and de- EDVHPHQWZKLFKOHDYHVPHZLWKD WRWDO IHHOLQJ RI GLVJXVW 7KHUH DUH IHZ KRQRUDEOH PHQ RU ZRPHQ OHIW in the political world from all in- GLFDWLRQ ,W RQO\ WRRN PH D VKRUW SHULRG of time to find the one person in county law enforcement committed to serving the interest of the peo- SOHDQGLVZRUWK\RIUHVSHFW0RVW are involved in selfish interests and grandstanding, which elimi- nates their view of justice and pa- triotic duty (dishonor); hiding self advancement and financial gain (dishonest); leading people to view WKHLUDFWLRQVDVEHLQJIRUFRPPRQ good (deception); scoffing or ig- QRULQJ WKH HIIRUWV RI WKRVH VHHN- ing to represent the people of this FRXQW\GHULVLRQDQGGHEDVHPHQW I missed (mis)direction which is WKHVKHOOJDPHRIZKDWURFNLVWKH VQDNHQRZXQGHU 1RZEHLQJODEHOHGDV³DFWLYLVWV´ to camouflage the attempt to repre- sent the people that, to date, local and federal governments have mis- HUDEO\IDLOHGWRGR<RXGRQ¶WKDYH WRVLWRQWRSRIWKHEDUUHOWRVPHOO the spoilage within, so in self-in- terest, I will deny any association with un-American entities that are VWULYLQJWRWDNHFRQWURORIRXUODQGV from the people who paid for it, VXSSRUWLWDQGIRXJKWIRULW 7KHRQO\³ZHDSRQ´\RXQHHGWR EHFRQFHUQHGDERXWIURPPHLVP\ right to freedom of speech which your attempt at misdirection can’t GHWHU Judy Kerr Canyon City Girls take aim To the Editor: Grant County often has nearly HTXDO DWWHQGDQFH RIER\V DQG JLUOV DW +XQWHU6DIHW\&ODVV,QWKHUHVWRIWKH VWDWHWKHUHDUHXVXDOO\SHUFHQWER\V WRSHUFHQWJLUOV As the visiting coordinator said, ³<RX DUH ZD\ RXWVLGH WKH QRUP´ Daughters of the pioneers, I salute you! Katy Nelson Canyon City Credit to Cheyne To the Editor: ,QUHVSRQVHWRWKHOHWWHU³)RFXVRQ ORJJLQJ"´LQODVWZHHN¶VSDSHU,WKLQN ZHVKRXOGJLYH&KULVW\&KH\QHDMRE well done for trying to implement a plan that logs some of the millions of dead trees over 21 inch DBH on the 0DOKHXU1DWLRQDO)RUHVW In communities all over Eastern Oregon the logging of these trees ZRXOG EH D PXFK QHHGHG ERRVW There are thousands if not hun- dreds of thousands of acres of trees that need this same attention in ev- HU\FRXQW\LQ(DVWHUQ2UHJRQ The misuse of our greatest re- VRXUFH FDQ EH IHOW LQ HYHU\ FRP- PXQLW\ LQ WKHVH FRXQWLHV DOVR 6FKRROV EXVLQHVVHV DQG WKH HFRQ- omy as a whole has depended on WKHVHUHVRXUFHVDVDOLIHEORRG Instead of commenting nega- tively on the Draft Environmental Assessment I urge people to write 0UV &KH\QH DQG FRPPHQW SRVL- tively on this plan, and hope that SODQVOLNHWKLVDUHXVHGDOORYHURXU forests to help school funding, re- VWRUH MREV WKDW KDYH EHHQ ORVW DQG give our small rural communities D FKDQFH IRU D EULJKW IXWXUH $QG DOVR WR UHZDUG WKH )RUHVW 6HUYLFH IRUWKLQNLQJRXWVLGHWKHER[WRJHW some much needed attention to our )RUHVWV Ben Holliday John Day Parklike home not good for deer To the Editor: I’m writing this letter to Steve %HYHUOLQ0DOKHXU)RUHVWVXSHUYLVRU RQ EHKDOI RI %XFN\ 0XOH 'HHU DQG his family: Steve, the 10-year forest initiative WKDW\RXUIRUHVWLVZRUNLQJRQQRZLV GHVWUR\LQJ RXU KRPHV 7KH ORJJHUV DUH UHPRYLQJ DOO WKH KDELWDW WKDW ZH QHHGWRVXUYLYH 7KH\ DUH WDNLQJ DOO RI WKH OLWWOH WUHHVWKHEUXVKWKHEURZVHZHIHHG on, and leaving an area where we FDQORRNIRUDKDOIDPLOHWKURXJKWKH remaining trees and see nothing we FDQKLGHLQ7KHUH¶VQRZKHUHIRURXU EDELHVWRKLGHLQRUGHUWRHVFDSHEH- LQJNLOOHGE\DFR\RWHDQGLIWKH\DUH OXFN\HQRXJKWRJURZXSWKH\KDYHWR GRGJHWKHFRXJDUV:HZLOOEHFURZG- ed in to smaller and smaller areas or forced to retreat to private land and WKDW¶VQRWJRRGEHFDXVHWRRPDQ\RI XVRQSULYDWHODQGPDNHVWKHUDQFKHUV XQKDSS\ 2XU QXPEHUV DUH GHFOLQLQJ DQG WKHORVVRIKDELWDWLVSDUWRIWKHUHD- VRQ , KDYH ORVW VRPH RI P\ IDPLO\ DQGDJRRGPDQ\RIP\IULHQGV$V far as we are concerned, the loss of RXU KRPHV LV QRW PDQDJHPHQW EXW GHVWUXFWLRQ We need a place to rest and get out RIWKHEDGZHDWKHUDQGKRWVXQDQGD place to escape hunters during hunt- LQJVHDVRQ&DQ¶W\RXWHOOWKHORJJHUV to leave a mosaic pattern of cover IRU XV ZKHQ WKH\ FXW WKH WLPEHU" 2U FXW ¿UH EUHDNV" )LUH EUHDNV DQG D PRVDLF SDWWHUQ RI WLPEHU UHPRY- al would help us immensely, and it ZRXOGFUHDWHWKH¿UHFRQWUROWKDW\RX DUHVHHNLQJWKDWKDVEHHQSURYHQLQ WKHSDVW What has happened to common VHQVH" 5HDVRQDEOH ORJJLQJ LV JRRG IRU us and the mills need the logs, and WKDW¶V2.EXWQRWWKHUDGLFDOFXWWLQJ WKDW LV EHLQJ GRQH LQ PXFK RI RXU KRPH QRZ$ SDUNOLNH KRPH LV QRW JRRG IRU XV DQG QHYHU KDV EHHQ ± %XFN\0XOH'HHU Dean Elliott Canyon City 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.