A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Finding hope
and strength
in comfort
of others
T
KHHYHQWVRIWKHSDVWWZR
ZHHNVKDYHEURXJKWWR
life the words of an Irish
SURYHUE³,WLVLQWKHVKHOWHURI
HDFKRWKHUWKDWWKHSHRSOHOLYH´
$VZLOG¿UHVFRQWLQXHWR
GHYDVWDWHVZDWKVRI*UDQW
&RXQW\ZKDWFRPIRUWVXVLV
WKHHPEUDFHRIRWKHUV2XU
IDPLO\2XUIULHQGV1HLJKERUV
6WUDQJHUV)URPDOOZDONVRI
OLIHWKH\KDYHFRPHWRRXUDLG
LQWKLVPRPHQWRIFULVLV
7KH¿UVWWRKHOSZHUHWKH
LQGLYLGXDOVVWDWLRQHGDWRS
86)RUHVW6HUYLFHORRNRXWV
LQ0DOKHXU1DWLRQDO)RUHVW
After three days of lightning
storms, they alerted the men
and women at the John Day
,QWHUDJHQF\'LVSDWFK&HQWHU
7ZHOYH¿UHVKDGEHHQVSRWWHG
)LUH¿JKWHUVVPRNHMXPSHUV
DQGUDSSHOOHUVZHUHTXLFNO\
GLVSDWFKHG$LUWDQNHUV
KHOLFRSWHUVDQGZDWHUWHQGHUV
IROORZHG,WZDV:HGQHVGD\
$XJ7ZRGD\VODWHUWKH
WZR¿UHVZRXOGPHUJHDQGWKH
&DQ\RQ&UHHN&RPSOH[EDWWOH
ZDVHQJDJHG
$VWKH¿UHVVSUHDGLQWR
WKHZHHNHQGORFDOFKXUFKHV
EHFDPHHYDFXDWLRQFHQWHUV
gathering food, clothing and
household goods for those
GLVSODFHG,QQVDQGPRWHOV
EHFDPHHPHUJHQF\VKHOWHUV
5DQFKHVDQGYHWHULQDU\FOLQLFV
RIIHUHGERDUGLQJDQGIRRG
IRUSHWVDQGOLYHVWRFN7KH
fairgrounds was transformed
LQWRDUHOLHIFHQWHU
$VDGGLWLRQDO¿UH¿JKWHUV
DUULYHGDQGVHWXSFDPSV
PRUH*UDQW&RXQW\LQGLYLGXDOV
VWHSSHGIRUZDUG.HYLQ0ROHV
KHOSHGYLFWLPVZLWKWKHLU
ZDWHUV\VWHPV'LDQQD&KXUFK
RIIHUHGODXQGU\VHUYLFHV2VWHU
3URIHVVLRQDO*URXSSURYLGHG
WHOHSKRQH,QWHUQHWDQGHPDLO
VHUYLFHVIRUWKRVHWU\LQJ
GHVSHUDWHO\WRUHDFKUHODWLYHV
.ULVWLQ&XUULQDQG-LP+DPVKHU
VSHDUKHDGHG+D\IRU-RKQ'D\
WRSURYLGHKD\IRUOLYHVWRFN
7KHQXPEHURI*UDQW&RXQW\
FLWL]HQVDQGEXVLQHVVHVWKDW
VWHSSHGXSDUHWRRQXPHURXV
to list, though the staff of the
(DJOHLVDWWHPSWLQJWRGRMXVW
WKDW
%H\RQGWKH¿UHFUHZVWKHUH
are also hundreds of men and
ZRPHQIURPRWKHUSDUWVRI
Oregon and the nation who are
JLYLQJDLGDQGFRPIRUWWRWKLV
FRPPXQLW\7KH\PD\KDYH
RQFHYLVLWHG*UDQW&RXQW\2U
NQRZIULHQGVZKROLYHKHUH2U
WKH\¿UVWOHDUQHGRI-RKQ'D\
DQG6HQHFDDQG3UDLULH&LW\
DVZRUGVDQGSLFWXUHVRIWKH
GHYDVWDWLRQVSUHDGDFURVVWKH
ZHEDQGVRFLDOPHGLDRXWOHWV
VXFKDV)DFHERRN
5HFRYHULQJIURPGLVDVWHUV
VXFKDVWKLVUHTXLUHVPRQH\
/DUJHRUJDQL]DWLRQVOLNH
WKH5HG&URVVDUHJDWKHULQJ
GRQDWLRQVIRUYLFWLPVRIWKH
KXQGUHGVRIZLOG¿UHVEXUQLQJ
LQZHVWHUQVWDWHV2OG:HVW
)HGHUDO&UHGLW8QLRQPRYHG
TXLFNO\WRHVWDEOLVKDUHOLHI
IXQGIRUWKLVFRPPXQLW\/RFDO
VWRUHVPHDQZKLOHKDYHVHWRXW
GRQDWLRQMDUV*UDQW&RXQW\
FRQIURQWVPDQ\PRUHZHHNVRI
¿UHDQGVPRNH
Those who lost their homes
IDFHDGHVSHUDWHIXWXUHRI
WHPSRUDU\TXDUWHUVGRQDWLRQV
DQGSDSHUZRUNDVWKH\VHHNWR
UHEXLOGWKHLUOLYHV7KHVWUHWFK
DKHDGZLOOFKDOOHQJHRXUVSLULW
:HFDQQHYHUIXOO\UHSD\WKH
men and women who in our
WLPHRIWULDOFDPHIRUZDUG²
ZLWKWKHLUWLPHWKHLUODERUDQG
WKHLUWUHDVXUH%XWZHFDQWDNH
FRPIRUWDQG¿QGVWUHQJWKLQ
WKHLUKXPDQLW\
Community opens their hearts
and their homes to ¿re Yictims
The stories will
remain long
after the fires
By Nancy McCarthy
Blue Mountain Eagle
(Nancy McCarthy has been work-
ing as interim editor of the Blue
Mountain Eagle for the past four
weeks)
$V ¿UH URDUHG WKURXJK &DQ\RQ
&UHHNDQGRYHUWKHKLOOVMXVWVRXWKRI
John Day, those who were ordered to
HYDFXDWHUHFDOOGHWDLOVWKH\SUREDEO\
QHYHUZLOOIRUJHW
Dean Elliott, who lost his home
RI\HDUVUHPHPEHUVWKHVRXQGRI
WKH ZLQG ,W ZDV OLNH D ORFRPRWLYH
KHVDLG
His wife, Betty, recalls how the
R[\JHQZDVVXFNHGRXWRIWKHDLUDQG
VKHFRXOGKDUGO\EUHDWKH
0LNH 0DQQHOO ZKR ZDV ZRNHQ
E\DIULHQGWHOOVKRZKHUDQWKURXJK
WKH VPRNH WR SXW D VSULQNOHU RQ KLV
+DUOH\'DYLGVRQDQGDQRWKHUVSULQ-
NOHURQKLVQHLJKERU¶VKRXVH
,I KLV IULHQG KDGQ¶W ZRNHQ KLP
that morning, says Mannell, whose
FDELQ WKDW KH KDG EHHQ EXLOGLQJ IRU
VL[ \HDUV EXUQHG WR WKH JURXQG ³,
SUREDEO\ ZRXOG KDYH SHULVKHG LQ
WKDW¿UH´
And with tears in his eyes, the
QHLJKERU %U\DQ 1HOVRQ ZKRVH
KRPH0DQQHOOVDYHGFDOOV0DQQHOO
D³KHUR´
7KHVHVWRULHVDERXQGLQWKHFDQ-
\RQ 7KH\ DUH WROG DQG UHWROG WR
IULHQGV UHODWLYHV UHVWDXUDQW ZDLW-
ORRECTION
UHVVHV VWRUH FOHUNV 7KH\ DUH WROG
,Q D VWRU\ DSSHDULQJ LQ WKH$XJ SOH[¿UH'XQQDFWXDOO\ORVWDZRUN- EHFDXVH SHRSOH LQ WKLV FRPPXQLW\
%OXH0RXQWDLQ(DJOHLWZDVLQ- VKRS WKDW ZDV RQ KLV SURSHUW\ 7KH NQRZ HDFK RWKHU DQG PRVW LPSRU-
correctly stated that James Dunn lost KRXVHUHPDLQHGVWDQGLQJ7KH(DJOH WDQWO\WKH\FDUHDERXWRQHDQRWKHU
KLVKRXVHWRWKH&DQ\RQ&UHHN&RP- UHJUHWVWKHHUURU
)RU WZR ZHHNV Blue Mountain
C
Eagle VWDIIHUV &KHU\O +RHÀHU DQG
$QJHO&DUSHQWHUKDYHEHHQNHHSLQJ
a running list of all the donations,
VHUYLFHV RIIHUV RI KRPHV DQG RWK-
HU UHVRXUFHV DYDLODEOH WR WKRVH ZKR
ZHUH DIIHFWHG E\ WKH ¿UH 5HVSRQVH
KDV EHHQ SRXULQJ LQWR WKH (DJOH¶V
)DFHERRN SDJH IURP WKRVH ERWK LQ
the area and throughout the region,
DVNLQJKRZWKH\FDQKHOS
7KDW¶VZKDW\RXGRLQDFULVLV
:KHUH,OLYH²RQWKH1RUWK2UH-
JRQ&RDVW²ZHDUHDVPDOOFRPPX-
QLW\WRR0RVWDOORIXVKDYHWLHVWR
HDFKRWKHU²WKURXJKIDPLO\ZRUN
YROXQWHHU DFWLYLWLHV FLYLF GXWLHV RU
IULHQGVKLS
:H DOVR KDYH HPHUJHQFLHV 8VX-
DOO\ LW¶V ÀRRGLQJ RU ZLQGVWRUPV LQ
WKHZLQWHUEHFDXVHLWUDLQVVRPXFK
DORQJWKHFRDVWZKHUHZHOLYHRQD
QDUURZ VWULS RI ODQG EHWZHHQ IRUHVW
DQGRFHDQ
2XU ODUJHVW RYHUULGLQJ FRQFHUQ
KRZHYHU LV WKH SRWHQWLDO &DVFDGLD
6XEGXFWLRQ =RQH HDUWKTXDNH WKDW
LVH[SHFWHGWRRFFXUWRPLOHV
offshore and trigger a tsunami that
ZRXOGZLSHRXUFRPPXQLWLHVRIIWKH
PDS
It seems that, no matter where
\RXOLYHVRPHVRUWRIGLVDVWHUORRPV
threatening to destroy all we hold
GHDU
7KHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKH1RUWK
&RDVWDQG(DVWHUQ2UHJRQKRZHYHU
LVWKDWWKH&DVFDGLDHDUWKTXDNHKDS-
SHQVHYHU\\HDUVDQG¿UHVDUHD
UHDOSRVVLELOLW\KHUHHYHU\GD\V
We are constantly in the emer-
JHQF\ SODQQLQJ PRGH RQ WKH FRDVW
:H ZRUU\ DERXW ZKHUH ZH ZRXOG
HYDFXDWHWRHVFDSHWKHZDOORIZDWHU
heading toward us 15 minutes after
WKHHDUWKTXDNHGURSVWKHJURXQGRXW
IURPXQGHUXV:HJDWKHU³JREDJV´
² EDFNSDFNV ¿OOHG ZLWK HPHUJHQ-
F\ VXSSOLHV ZH WHVW RXW HYDFXDWLRQ
routes leading toward ground higher
WKDQIHHWDQGZHRUJDQL]H&RP-
PXQLW\(PHUJHQF\5HVSRQVH7HDPV
WR KHOS XV GHDO ZLWK WKH LPPHGLDWH
FULVHVWKDWZLOORFFXUZKHQSHRSOH¿-
QDOO\UHDFKSUHHVWDEOLVKHGJDWKHULQJ
VSRWV
$IWHUREVHUYLQJDQGUHSRUWLQJRQ
KRZ-RKQ'D\DQG&DQ\RQ&LW\DUHD
residents and emergency crews are
UHVSRQGLQJWRWKLVFULVLV,KDYHKRSH
WKDWZHZLOOGRMXVWDVZHOOZKHQGL-
VDVWHUKLWVXVRQWKHFRDVW
7KH ORFDO ¿UH GHSDUWPHQWV 86
)RUHVW 6HUYLFH 2UHJRQ 'HSDUWPHQW
RI )RUHVWU\ *UDQW &RXQW\ 6KHULII¶V
2I¿FH DQG 5HG &URVV DOO EHJDQ
ZRUNLQJWRJHWKHUWRIHQGRIIWKH¿UH
DQGNHHSXVLQIRUPHG,QRQO\DGD\
RUWZRZKHQLWZDVREYLRXVWKH¿UH
FRXOGQ¶WEHFRQWUROOHGORFDOO\QHDUO\
¿UH¿JKWHUV IURP WKURXJKRXW
WKHUHJLRQUHVSRQGHGDQGWZRLQFL-
GHQW FRPPDQGHUV WUDLQHG WR VXSHU-
YLVHPDVVLYHZLOG¿UHVWRRNFKDUJH
0HDQZKLOH ORFDO YROXQWHHUV
RSHQHG WKHLU KHDUWV ZDOOHWV DQG
homes to those who needed imme-
GLDWHKHOS
:KHUH , OLYH WKH\ VD\ QRW WR
FRXQW RQ RXWVLGH KHOS EHLQJ DEOH
WRUHDFKXVIRUVHYHUDOZHHNV²RU
HYHQPRQWKV:HZLOOEHRQRXURZQ
WRFRSH
7KLV H[SHULHQFH LQ WKLV VPDOO
FRPPXQLW\VKRZVPHWKDWLWFDQEH
GRQH
7KHGHWDLOVRIRXUSRWHQWLDOFULVLV
ZLOO EH GLIIHUHQW :H ZLOO KDYH GLI-
IHUHQWVWRULHVWRWHOO,QVWHDGRIDZDOO
RI¿UHZHPD\EHÀHHLQJDZDOORI
ZDWHU,QVWHDGRI¿UHFRQVXPLQJRXU
KRPHVLWZLOOEHDQHQRUPRXVRFHDQ
ZDYH
%XW,KRSH²DQGH[SHFW²WKH
FRPPXQLW\ UHVSRQVH ZLOO EH WKH
VDPH:HZLOOWDNHFDUHRIHDFKRWK-
HU
%HFDXVHWKDW¶VZKDWFRPPXQLWLHV
GRLQDFULVLV
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Blue Mountain
GoYernment
responsiEOe for ¿re
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
To the Editor:
$FFRUGLQJWRWKH¿UHWLPHOLQHRQ
$XJ WKHUH ZHUH DFUHV EXUQ-
LQJ2Q$XJWKHUHZHUH
DFUHVEXUQLQJRXWRIFRQWUROWKDWPD\
QRWEHFRQWDLQHGZLWKRXWWKHKHOSRI
ZLQWHU
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
editor@bmeagle.com
Kristina Kreger, kristina@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
$51.00
$55.00
$60.00
Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery
See the Blue Mountain Eagle on the Internet
www.MyEagleNews.com
POSTMASTER — send address changes to
Blue Mountain Eagle
195 N. Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845-1187
Copyright © 2015 Blue Mountain Eagle
All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced
or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher.
2Q$XJ FLWL]HQ ORJJHUV DQG
UDQFKHUV ZLWK WKHLU SHUVRQDO HTXLS-
PHQW DQG H[SHULHQFH FRXOG DQG
ZRXOG KDYH SXW WKH ¿UH RXW ,I WKH\
KDGGRQHVRWKH\ZRXOGKDYHEHHQ
DUUHVWHG E\ WKH )RUHVW 6HUYLFH DV
HFRWHUURULVWV
,ZRXOGVXJJHVWWKDW2EDPD¶V'H-
SDUWPHQWRI$JULFXOWXUHIURPWKHWRS
GRZQ LV UHVSRQVLEOH IRU WKLV ODFN RI
¿UHVXSSUHVVLRQGXHWRWKHSDVW\HDUV
RIPDQDJHPHQWIDLOXUHLQDOODUHDV
, KDYH GHYHORSHG WKLV IDFWX-
DO RSLQLRQ DIWHU OLYLQJ \HDUV LQ
*UDQW &RXQW\ ¿JKWLQJ PLQRU DQG
PDMRU¿UHVGXULQJWKHGD\VZKHQWKH
JRYHUQPHQW DJHQFLHV ZHUH HI¿FLHQW
RUJDQL]DWLRQV
John Aasness
John Day
W HERE TO WRITE
Washington, D.C.
The White House, 1600
3HQQV\OYDQLD $YH 1:
:DVKLQJWRQ '&
Phone-comments:
202-
6ZLWFKERDUG
86 6HQ 5RQ :\GHQ
' ² +DUW 6HQDWH 2I-
¿FH %XLOGLQJ :DVKLQJWRQ
'& 3KRQH
(PDLO ZD\QHB
NLQQH\#Z\GHQVHQDWH
JRY:HEVLWHKWWSZ\GHQ
VHQDWHJRY )D[
86 6HQ -HII 0HUN-
OH\'²+DUW6HQDWH
2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ :DVKLQJ-
WRQ '& " 3KRQH
(PDLO
VHQDWRU#PHUNOH\VHQDWH
L
JRY )D[
2UHJRQ RI¿FHV LQFOXGH
2QH :RUOG 7UDGH &HQWHU
6:6DOPRQ6W6XLWH
3RUWODQG25
DQG 6( 6HFRQG 6W
Suite 105, Pendleton, OR
3KRQH
)D[
865HS*UHJ:DOGHQ
5 ² 6HFRQG 'LVWULFW
1404 Longworth Building,
:DVKLQJWRQ '&
3KRQH
1R GLUHFW HPDLO EHFDXVH
RI VSDP :HEVLWH ZZZ
ZDOGHQKRXVHJRY )D[
0HGIRUG
RI¿FH 1RUWK &HQWUDO
Suite 112, Medford, OR
3KRQH
)D[
Pending Bills: For in-
IRUPDWLRQ RQ ELOOV LQ &RQ-
gress, Phone: 202-225-
Salem
*RY.DWH%URZQ'²
6WDWH &DSLWRO 6DOHP
3KRQH
)D[
:HEVLWH ZZZJRYHUQRU
VWDWHRUXVJRYHUQRUKWPO
Oregon
Legislature
² 6WDWH &DSLWRO 6DOHP
3KRQH
:HEVLWH ZZZ OHJ
VWDWHRUXV LQFOXGHV 2UH-
JRQ &RQVWLWXWLRQ DQG 2UH-
JRQ5HYLVHG6WDWXWHV
6WDWH 5HS &OLII %HQW]
52QWDULR 'LVWULFW
5RRP + 6WDWH &DS-
LWRO &RXUW 6W 1(
6DOHP 25 3KRQH
(PDLO UHS
FOLIIEHQW]#VWDWHRUXV
:HEVLWH ZZZOHJVWDWH
RUXVEHQW]KRPHKWP
6WDWH 6HQ 7HG )HUULROL
5 ² 'LVWULFW 5RRP
66WDWH&DSLWRO6DOHP
3KRQH
(PDLO VHQWHGIHU-
ULROL#VWDWHRUXV (PDLO
7)(5#DROFRP 3KRQH
:HEVLWH
ZZZOHJVWDWHRUXVIHUUL-
ROL
2UHJRQ /HJLVODWLYH ,Q-
IRUPDWLRQ²)RUXSGDWHV
RQELOOVVHUYLFHVFDSLWRORU
PHVVDJHV IRU OHJLVODWRUV
²
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.
