A4 Blue Mountain Eagle Oregon needs more DXGLWLQJ FDSDFLW\ W KDWDUHWKHELJJHVW GLIIHUHQFHVEHWZHHQ Oregon and Washington? They pump their RZQJDVDQGZHGRQ¶W"7KH\ KDYHDVDOHVWD[DQGZHGRQ¶W" They have NFL and Major League franchises and we GRQ¶W"<HV\HVDQG\HV 7KHUHLVDQRWKHUVLJQL¿FDQW distinction, which is glaring LQWKHZDNHRIWKH&RYHU 2UHJRQ¿DVFRDQGWKH GHSDUWXUHRI*RY-RKQ .LW]KDEHU:DVKLQJWRQKDV an independent auditor who carries out aggressive, far- UHDFKLQJLQYHVWLJDWLRQV+HLV PXFKEHWWHUIXQGHGDQGVWDIIHG WKDQ2UHJRQ¶V ,Q6DOHP\RXZRXOGEHKDUG SUHVVHGWR¿QGDOHJLVODWRURU state employee who does not NQRZWKDWVWDWHJRYHUQPHQW¶V computer systems are largely DQWLTXDWHG³2XUFRPSXWHU V\VWHPVFDQ¶WWDONWRHDFK RWKHU´VDLGVWDWH5HS'HQQLV Richardson during his FDPSDLJQIRUJRYHUQRU %XWQRZKHUHZLOO\RX¿QG a comprehensive written study RIVWDWHJRYHUQPHQW¶VF\EHU UHDGLQHVVRUODFNRIUHDGLQHVV $QGQRZKHUHZLOO\RX¿QGD FRPSOHWHOLVWLQJRIWKHVWDWH¶V KXJHFRPSXWHUEOXQGHUVDQG what those disasters cost the 7UHDVXU\ Every Oregon secretary of state tells us they will use their RI¿FH¶V$XGLW'LYLVLRQWRVKLQH DOLJKWRQVWDWHJRYHUQPHQW But few audits over recent GHFDGHVKDYHPRYHGGHEDWH and discussion within 2UHJRQ:KHQ3KLO.HLVOLQJ was secretary of state, the division did conduct an audit of the Department of Motor 9HKLFOHVFRPSXWHUPHVV$ major recommendation of that audit was that the state QHHGHGWRSH[SHUWLVHRQLWV side, to ensure that software YHQGRUVGLGQ¶WRYHUFKDUJH and were held to the highest RISURIHVVLRQDOVWDQGDUGV,I WKDWUHFRPPHQGDWLRQKDGEHHQ heeded, we would not have had the Cover Oregon disaster ZLWK2UDFOH So there is a question of institutional memory within state government as well DVWKHVWDWH/HJLVODWXUH An institution that cannot UHPHPEHUWKLQJVZLOOPDNHWKH VDPHPLVWDNHVRYHUDQGRYHU The other question is the FDSDFLW\RI2UHJRQ¶V$XGLWV 'LYLVRQ In Oregon, the Audits 'LYLVLRQKDV¿QDQFLDO auditors, 27 performance DXGLWRUV¿YH,7DXGLWRUV and two municipal auditor SRVLWLRQV,WVELHQQLDO EXGJHWLVPLOOLRQ,Q :DVKLQJWRQWKH$XGLW¶V2I¿FH has a total staff of 355 and DEXGJHWRI PLOOLRQ :DVKLQJWRQVWDWH¶VDXGLWRU GHOLYHUVVKDUSSUREHVRI state, county and local DJHQFLHV7KHDXGLWRULVDQ independent statewide elected RI¿FLDOUHVSRQVLEOHIRU PDNLQJFHUWDLQJRYHUQPHQW entities comply with rigorous accounting standards, free IURPRXWVLGHLQÀXHQFHDQG FRQWURO7KHPHUHSURVSHFW of such oversight might KDYHEHHQHQRXJKWRFXUE WKHW\SHVRIEOXUUHGOLQHV EHLQJUHSRUWHGDERXWIRUPHU *RY-RKQ.LW]KDEHUDQGKLV HQWUHSUHQHXULDO¿DQFpH States and their many tiers of agencies and smaller jurisdictions are, in effect, JLDQWFRUSRUDWLRQVSDLGE\ WD[SD\HUV3URIHVVLRQDO independent and appropriately supported auditing is LQGLVSHQVDEOH Having an independent DXGLWRUFRXOGEOXQWVRPH of the political tug and pull RIVWDWHKRXVHSROLWLFV$QG it could help us learn from VWDWHDQGORFDOJRYHUQPHQW¶V PLVWDNHVDQGNHHSIURP UHSHDWLQJWKHP 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 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 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. Opinion Wednesday, March 11, 2015 C OMMUNITY V OICES *URZLQJNLGVEHQH¿W IURPURXWLQHKHDOWKFDUH By Jenni Workman To the Blue Mountain Eagle Adolescence is a crucial period in the lifespan and provides opportuni- WLHVWRLQÀXHQFHIXWXUHKHDOWKEHKDY- LRUVDQGKHDOWKRXWFRPHV,QDGGLWLRQ the physical growth and development GXULQJWKLVSHULRGDUHVLJQL¿FDQWDQG \RXQJSHRSOHDUHEHJLQQLQJWRPDNH WKHLURZQGHFLVLRQVDERXWWKHLUKHDOWK According to the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, DGROHVFHQWV ZKR PDNH XS SHU- FHQWRIWKH86SRSXODWLRQDUHJHQ- erally healthy and they tend to not VHHNZHOOFDUHVHUYLFHVZKHUHKHDOWK FDUH QHHGV FDQ EH DGGUHVVHG DV WKH\ HPHUJH'XULQJWKLVWUDQVLWLRQDOVWDJH LQ OLIH DGROHVFHQWV DUH PRUH OLNHO\ WRHQJDJHLQDFWLYLWLHVWKDWULVNWKHLU RYHUDOOKHDOWKDQGZHOOEHLQJLQFOXG- LQJXVHRIDOFRKROWREDFFRRURWKHU KDUPIXOVXEVWDQFHVXQSURWHFWHGVH[ SRRUHDWLQJDQGOLWWOHH[HUFLVH Adolescence is also a period in life when many chronic physical, mental KHDOWK DQG VXEVWDQFH XVH FRQGLWLRQV ¿UVW HPHUJH 7KHVH FRQGLWLRQV PD\ LQFUHDVHWKHULVNIRUQHJDWLYHEHKDY- ior which may result in harm to self RURWKHUV Well-care visits decline as children WUDQVLWLRQ LQWR DGROHVFHQFH 5RXWLQH preventative care visits provide great opportunities for early detection, LGHQWL¿FDWLRQ DQG DSSURSULDWH WUHDW- PHQW IRU FRQGLWLRQV DQG EHKDYLRUV WKDWFRXOGSRWHQWLDOO\EHFRPHVHULRXV DQGSURJUHVVLQWRDGXOWKRRG The Grant County Health Depart- PHQW ZKLFK ZLOO EH SURPRWLQJ DGR- lescent screening days in the coming months, encourages parents and ado- OHVFHQWVWRVFKHGXOHURXWLQHFKHFNXSV and preventative care appointments ZLWK WKHLU KHDOWK FDUH SURYLGHU ,W LV a great opportunity for adolescents to QRWRQO\DGGUHVVKHDOWKFDUHQHHGVEXW to learn how to navigate through the health care system as they grow into DQDGXOWDQGJRRXWLQWRWKHZRUOG Jenni Workman is an RN and pub- lic health nurse for the Grant County Health Department. Readers can call 541-575-0429 for more information about adolescent health care. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Progress on grouse 7RWKH(GLWRU %DFNFRXQWU\+XQWHUV$QJOHUVRI Oregon is encouraged with current con- servation efforts to save the greater sage grouse from a threatened or endangered OLVWLQJ 7KH2UHJRQSODQ6DJH&RQZLOOEH UHOHDVHGODWHUWKLVVSULQJ$QGZLWKRQ- JRLQJHIIRUWVE\WKH%/0WKHVWDWHDQG DZLGHYDULHW\RIVWDNHKROGHUVSURJUHVV LVEHLQJPDGH,QDUHSRUWUHOHDVHGUH- FHQWO\E\WKH1DWXUDO5HVRXUFHV&RQ- servation Service, Oregon is leading the way in eliminating encroaching ju- QLSHUVZKLFKUREWKHODQGVFDSHRIVDJH KDELWDWDQGSURYLGHSHUFKLQJSRLQWVIRU ELUGVZKLFKSUH\RQWKHJURXVH :LOG¿UHDQGLQYDVLYHZHHGVDUHDOVR PDMRUWKUHDWVWRWKHELUG The BLM will also release reports this summer detailing mitigation plans WRKHOSEULQJWKHELUGSRSXODWLRQQXP- EHUVEDFN±MXVWLQWLPHIRUWKH86)LVK DQG:LOGOLIH6HUYLFHWRPDNHDGHWHUPL- QDWLRQ RQ OLVWLQJ :H DUH KRSHIXO WKH ELUGZRQ¶WKDYHWREHOLVWHGDQGVRDUH PDQ\RWKHUFRQVHUYDWLRQJURXSV 3DXO +HQVRQ ZKR KHDGV 2UHJRQ¶V 86)LVKDQG:LOGOLIH6HUYLFHWROGXV KH¶V ³YHU\ HQFRXUDJHG´ ZLWK SUHVHQW FRQVHUYDWLRQ HIIRUWV7KDW¶V QRWDEOH DV Henson was part of the team that in VDLG WKH ELUG ZDV ZDUUDQWHG IRU OLVWLQJ $V DQ XPEUHOOD VSHFLHV RQH WKLQJ LV FHUWDLQ :KDW¶V JRRG IRU WKH VDJHJURXVHLVJRRGIRUDOO Brian Jennings Bend 2UGLQDQFHLVDQREUDLQHU 7RWKH(GLWRU There is some confusion and de- EDWH RYHU WKH SXUSRVH RI WKH 3XEOLF $FFHVV$GYLVRU\%RDUG,PXVW¿UVW JLYHFUHGLWWRDOOWKRVHPHPEHUVZKR JDYHWKHLURZQWLPHWUDYHOH[SHQVHV DQG LQLWLDWLYH WR WDNH RQ WKLV VLWXD- WLRQ I was at the County Court meeting ZKHQ WKLV ZDV ¿UVW SURSRVHG7KHLU MRE ZDV WR LQYHVWLJDWH ZKDW URDGV KDG EHHQ FORVHG E\ WKH 86 )RUHVW Service, and whether these roads ZHUHFORVHGEHIRUHRUDIWHUWKH*UDQW &RXQW\ RUGLQDQFH SURKLELWLQJ DQ\ closures without the County Court DQGWKHFRXQW\VKHULII¶VFRQVHQW It was soon apparent that in Sep- WHPEHUIRUPHU)RUHVW6HUYLFH Supervisor Teresa Raaf had signed a road closure order for some 214 roads in the southern portion of Grant County, without any notice or correspondence with the Court or WKHVKHULII7KLVZDVZHOODIWHU*UDQW County Ordinance 2013-1 went into HIIHFW 7KLVODZLVDQREUDLQHU,WLVDQ HDV\UHDG7KHFXUUHQWIRUHVWVXSHU- YLVRUKDVVWDWHGKHZLOOREH\WKHODZ There is some concern the road clo- VXUH SUREOHP PD\ DIIHFW WKH WLPEHU KDUYHVW7KLVVHHPVOLNHFRHUFLRQRU H[WRUWLRQDQGVRPHWKLQJZHQHHGWR DYRLG ,GRQRWEHOLHYHRXUFRXQW\VKHULII KDV EHHQ FRQVXOWHG RQ DQ\ RI WKHVH closures, and he is the most import- DQWYRLFHLQDOORIWKLV±IRUQRRWKHU reason than safety, and search and UHVFXH ,QFRQFOXVLRQ&RPHRQSHRSOH± JHWWRWKHWDEOHDQGZRUNWKHVHWKLQJV RXW,WLVQRWURFNHWVFLHQFH,WLVWKH ODZ *DU\-DFREVRQ Prairie City 7LPHWRJHWDJULS 7RWKH(GLWRU 6RPHWLPHVFODUL¿FDWLRQLVQHHGHG WRHQVXUHDFFXUDWHUHSRUWLQJ/DFNRI information tends to color the opinion RIWKHXQLQIRUPHG7KH3XEOLF$FFHVV $GYLVRU\ %RDUG ZDV HVWDEOLVKHG E\ Grant County Court Resolution 2014- GDWHG-XO\³WRDVVLVWWKH Court in implementing Ordinance 2013-01 pertaining to road closures ZLWKLQ*UDQW&RXQW\´ Names were drawn from a hat to ¿OO VHYHQ SRVLWLRQV $SSDUHQWO\ WKH Court failed to investigate the patriot- LFIHUYRURIWKRVH³UDQGRPO\´GUDZQ RXW RI WKH KDW ,QVWUXFWLRQV WR WKH ERDUGZHUHWRKDYHDWOHDVWWZRPHHW- LQJVSHU\HDU2EYLRXVO\WKH&RXUWGLG QRWH[SHFWSURGXFWLYHUHVXOWVIRUWKHLU DPELYDOHQWHIIRUWWRDSSHDVHWKHUHV- LGHQWV RI *UDQW &RXQW\ &RQVLGHULQJ WKH)RUHVW6HUYLFH¶VGD\FRPPHQW period on proposed projects, one ZRQGHUVLIWKH&RXUWDFWXDOO\H[SHFW- HGWKHERDUGWRKDYHWLPHWRSURYLGH effective input in support of the ordi- QDQFH The tone of the Court-Board in- WHUDFWLRQ ZDV ¿UPO\ VHW GXULQJ WKH 6HSWHPEHU SXEOLF PHHWLQJ DW WKH 2XWSRVW 3XE DQG *ULOO ZKHQ &RPPLVVLRQHU%R\G%ULWWRQYHUEDOO\ DWWDFNHGERDUGFKDLUPDQ-LP6SURXO ORXGO\ DQG LQ DQ DJJUHVVLYH PDQQHU Britton superciliously informed all present that he represented the Grant &RXQW\&RXUW All within hearing range of this RXWEXUVW ZHUH HPEDUUDVVHG LQVXOWHG DQG DVWRXQGHG E\ VXFK WRWDO ODFN RI SURIHVVLRQDOLVP6RPHDWWHQGHHVDQG WKHSXEOLFFRPPHQWHGRQWKHFKDLU¶V FRPSRVXUHZKHQPRUHVHYHUHUHWULEX- WLRQZRXOGKDYHEHHQMXVWL¿HG Since then, the Court has only act- ed on the most non-invasive recom- PHQGDWLRQVE\WKH%RDUGLJQRULQJRU SXEOLFO\GHEDVLQJH[WHQVLYHZRUNDQG UHVHDUFK 7KH )RUHVW 6HUYLFH KDV LJ- nored all Court missives regardless of 2UGLQDQFHGLUHFWLYHV0HP- EHUVRIWKHERDUGKDYHEHHQVXEMHFWHG WR DWWHPSWHG LQWLPLGDWLRQ E\ PHP- EHUVRIWKH)RUHVW6HUYLFHDVZHOODV KDYLQJEDUULHUVSODFHGLQWKHZD\RI SXEOLF LQIRUPDWLRQ JDWKHULQJ 6R LI \RX IHHO D FRXSOH LPSURSHU UHPDUNV KDYH EHHQ PDGH E\ ERDUG PHPEHUV in the County Court meetings, you QHHGWRJHWDJULSRQUHDOLW\<RXDUH ULJKW DERXW RQH WKLQJ ± WKH UHVLJQHG PHPEHUV RI WKH ERDUG DUH QR ORQJHU required to operate under the auspices RIWKH&RXUW Judy Kerr Canyon City %RDUGZLOOFRQWLQXH 7RWKH(GLWRU I am very disappointed with our &RXQW\&RXUW :KHQ , ¿UVW VXJJHVWHG WKH )RUHVW Access Board to the Forest Service and the Court, I saw something that would help the people of Grant Coun- ty have a voice in the Court on forest LVVXHV:HWKHPHPEHUVRIWKHERDUG KDYHZRUNHGYHU\KDUGZLWKWKHSHR- SOH RI *UDQW &RXQW\ DQG WDNHQ WKHLU comments, needs and opinions to the &RXUW :HKDYHQRWVHHQWKLV&RXUWPDNH any decision that is a positive move on WKHVXJJHVWLRQPDGHE\WKHSHRSOHRI WKHFRXQW\,GLGQRWVHHRQHPHPEHURI WKLV&RXUWDWWHQGDSXEOLFPHHWLQJKHOG at the Outpost where the people stated ZKDWWKH\ZDQWGRQHRQRXUIRUHVW,WLV very clear that the Court did not want DQ\LQSXWIURPWKHERDUG Instead, this Court has farmed out the future use of our forest to people ZKR KDYH QR VWDNH LQ WKH RXWFRPH RI WKHVHIRUHVWLVVXHV7KLV&RXUWLVSD\LQJ RQHRIWKHJURXSVDQG,GRXEWPRVWRI WKHPKDYHHYHUEHHQWR*UDQW&RXQW\ There are people who live in Grant County who would and could do the VDPH MRE DV WKH\ NQRZ WKLV IRUHVW 7KHVHSHRSOHZRUNOLYHDQGSOD\LQLW DQGWKH\FRXOGGRWKHMREIRUDORWOHVV PRQH\ DQG NHHS WKH PRQH\ LQ *UDQW &RXQW\ 7KHERDUGLVQRWJRLQJWRJRDZD\ We are going to continue to listen to the people and voice a stronger voice to the &RXUW,KRSHWKDWWKHVHDFWLRQVE\WKLV &RXUWZLOOZDNHXSPRUHSHRSOHLQWKH county as to what really is the position RIWKLV&RXUWRQRXUIRUHVWLVVXHV 7KH &RXUW QHHGV WR UHWKLQN WKHVH GHFLVLRQV7KHSHRSOHHOHFWHGWKLV&RXUW WRZRUNIRUWKHPIRUWKHJRRGRIWKH county, and they want a voice on what LVGRQHRQRXUIRUHVWLVVXHV Howard Gieger John Day