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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2015)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 25, 2015 A tale of two wolf shootings An Eastern Oregon man who accidentally shot a protected wolf near Prairie City may be able to take solace in the outcome of a nearly identical case last year in Washington state. On Oct. 12, 2014, 38-year- old Jonathan Rasmussen noti¿ed state authorities that he had accidentally shot a wolf in a farm ¿eld southwest of Pullman, Wash. Wolves in Washington state are protected under the state Endangered Species Act. Rasmussen was initially charged with taking a state endangered species, a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000 ¿ne. Whitman County, Wash., district attorney Denis Tracy had a tough choice to make, whether to prosecute Rasmussen to the maximum extent of the law — which would be legally correct but patently unfair — or seek a more even-handed outcome. He chose the latter, and in September of this year reached an agreement with Rasmussen’s lawyer in which the hunter would forfeit his riÀe and pay $100 in court costs and vow to commit no further game violations for six months. Short of dropping the case altogether, this was about the best conclusion that could have been reached. Fast forward to last week in Oregon. Brennon D. Witty, 25, was charged with killing an endangered species after he accidentally shot a wolf on private property south of Prairie City. He was also charged with hunting with a center¿re riÀe without a big game tag, Harney County District Attorney Tim Colahan said. He is handling the case because the district attorney in Grant County, where the accident happened, knew the defendant’s family. Each charge is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,250 ¿ne. Witty noti¿ed authorities immediately and told them he had been hunting coyotes and accidentally shot the wolf. The similarities between the facts of these two cases are striking, and the outcomes should be, too. The federal Endangered Species Act and its state counterparts were written in an effort to bring species back from the brink of extinction. Wolves are not teetering near extinction, or anywhere close to it. Tens of thousands of wolves live in Canada and Alaska and hundreds live in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming after they were transplanted there and multiplied in number. Now wolves are spilling into Washington state, Oregon and Northern California. Any wildlife biologist would agree that wolves are thriving in the Northwest. Their numbers are increasing, as are the number of breeding pairs. The loss of one or two wolves to accidents in no way endangers them. The idea that someone who accidentally shoots a wolf and then noti¿es the authorities of his mistake should be criminally prosecuted completely misses the purpose of the state and federal laws, which are targeted at those who kill endangered species on purpose. It is common for those who commit a crime and then cooperate with authorities to get lighter sentences. In light of the realities of the wolf populations in the Northwest and the fact that sometimes people make mistakes, prosecutors would best serve the public by making sure the punishment matches the crime. In these cases, the lighter the sentence, the better. Thankful for farmers and ranchers at Thanksgiving By Cyndie Shearing For the Blue Mountain Eagle The American Farm Bureau’s 30th annual informal price sur- vey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving dinner table revealed this year’s cost is $50.11, a 70-cent increase from last year’s average of $49.41. The big ticket item — a 16-pound turkey — came in at $23.04 this year. That’s about $1.44 per pound, an increase of less than 9 cents per pound or a total of $1.39 more per whole turkey, compared to 2014. Concerns about the supply of two favorite holiday foods — turkeys and pumpkins — turned out to be just a blip on the radar screen. Plen- tiful supplies of both are available at reasonable prices to grace our holi- day tables. As we turn to cooking and eating special meals at this time of year, exploring what farmers and ranchers have to say about how they produce food for our tables adds a little spice to our food-related conversations. Don Steen, a turkey farmer in Missouri, has been working on his farm since 1973. Syrian immigrants worry legislator Dear Editor: I write to express my profound concern regarding the fate of those refugees expected to arrive in the United States from war-torn Syria. While I have the deepest empa- thy for these families’ desperate sit- uation, I am concerned by reports of a disproportionate number of single, combat-aged men among the pro- spective immigrants. It seems no proper means of vetting these indi- viduals have been employed and, as we have seen, persons with ill-will or bad intent have secreted them- selves among the refugees — to dev- astating effect. I recognize that immigration is the province of the federal govern- ment, and, by and large, the states are not directly involved with re- settlement of refugees. However, I hope Gov. Kate Brown will refuse to cooperate in the resettlement of un- screened refugees, or, at minimum, delay resettlement until such time as we know whom, precisely, we are welcoming to Oregon. I hardly need remind you that our ¿rst and foremost responsibility is to the people of Oregon. Their safety is paramount. Should the actions of the federal government threaten the safety and security of our citizens, we must muster the courage to say, “No.” Know that Gov. Brown would have my unyielding support should she elect to take such a stand. Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY While compassion would have us act quickly, common sense tells us we must not act in haste or without regard for our safety. The governor must ensure that all necessary pre- cautions are taken to protect our cit- izenry from terror attacks as we re- cently have seen in Beirut and Paris. Carl Wilson Deputy Leader House Republicans Grants Pass Governor has ability to reject refugees Dear Editor: In reference to the Nov. 18 Blue Mountain Eagle, a small article penned by Portland Democrat Paris Achen stated her LEGAL opinion that “Governors have no authority to reject Syrian refugees....” Our supposedly unbiased Blue Moun- tain Eagle needs to apologize for this extremely misleading com- ment that has no basis in law. Each state has the sovereign authority to defend citizens against a federal government that fails to protect them. Writers for this paper can make up law if they wish to hon- or the Oregon government of¿cials who support Obama’s WAR by Is- lamist Terrorists BUT should ¿rst change the name of the paper to the “Weekly Communist Journal.” Tom McHatton Long Creek Blue Mountain Eagle One of my favorite spots in Grant County is atop the ridge near the airport overlooking John Day. From there, I can see much of the community nestled in the valley. Off to the east, cattle are lowing in a green pasture. Baseball dia- monds lie ready for the ¿rst hits of spring. The rodeo and fair grounds are buttoned up for the winter. White church steeples reach sky- ward. This is a community at ease with itself. By any measure, it’s been a dif¿cult year. The wild¿res that marched up the canyon, destroying all in their path, threatened the com- munity but not its resolve. Those whose homes and property fell vic- tim to the Àames found help and comfort in the generosity of their neighbors and friends. I like mathematics. It helps tell a story that cannot easily be told any other way. Consider these num- bers: 7,180, 9.1, 35,051, 43 and 244,615.31. In Grant County, 7,180 people live. It is a shrinking number. Since 1950, when the population peaked at 8,239, the number of county resi- dents has decreased as the economy has faced challenge after challenge. The mills have struggled and oth- er businesses have not been able to replace those economic drivers. The 9.1 percent seasonally adjusted local unemployment rate as of Sep- tember was the highest in the state and more than 50 percent higher than the unemployment rate in Port- land and the Willamette Valley. The average per-household in- come of $35,051 signi¿es how much each household brings in an- nually. That’s $17,000 less than the median household income in Mult- nomah County. The number 43 is the saddest number. It’s the number of homes lost to wild¿res this year in Grant County. If 43 is the saddest number, 244,615.31 is the most miraculous. That’s the number of dollars donat- ed to victims of the wild¿res. That means, in the county with the highest unemployment rate in the state, $34 was contributed by every man, woman and child. If you consider the 3,319 households in the county, $74 was contributed by each. Every so often, life knocks you to your knees. No matter how tough you are or how prepared you are, something comes along that leaves you at loose ends. That’s when your neighbors, friends — and total strangers — pitch in to help you get back on your feet. That’s when miracles happen. People such as Jason and Aman- da Wright and their daughter Carle know about that. They lost ev- erything to the ¿res. Their home, clothes, furniture — everything. Yet through the generosity of the com- munity and other guardian angels — including Kathy Stewart, who offered them the use of a furnished house — they are getting back on their feet. The people of Grant County are known for their resilience, for how they bounce back from misfor- tunes, large and small. Now they are also known for their generosity. When I stand atop that ridge overlooking the valley, I see more than the natural beauty. I see the beauty of the people who live here. Carl Sampson is managing ed- itor of the Capital Press, an agri- cultural newspaper and website. He was in John Day helping out at the Blue Mountain Eagle. W HERE TO WRITE GRANT COUNTY Grant County Courthouse — 201 S. Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541-575-2248. Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509. Fax: 541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@centurylink. net. Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville 97825. Phone: 541-987- 2188. Fax: 541-987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.net John Day — 450 E. Main St, John Day, 97845. Phone: 541- Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper P UBLISHER ............................... M ARISSA W ILLIAMS , MARISSA @ BMEAGLE . COM E DITOR .................................... EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT ........ K RISTINA K REGER , KRISTINA @ BMEAGLE . COM E DITORIAL A SSISTANT ................ C HERYL H OEFLER , CHERYL @ BMEAGLE . COM C OMMUNITY N EWS .................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM S PORTS ................................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM M ARKETING R EP ....................... K IM K ELL , ADS @ BMEAGLE . COM O FFICE M ANAGER ..................... L INDSAY B ULLOCK , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION are very heavy,” Wegmeyer says. Being a farmer is a year-round job but one that she ¿nds exciting. “Each season there is something new going on at the farm,” according to Jeff LeFleur, a cranberry farmer in Massachusetts. “Our goal is to take good care of the farm for future gen- erations,” he says. Many people believe that cran- berries grow under water, but they do not. The bogs where cranberries grow are actually dry during most of the season. Water is used to help with the harvest and to protect the berries from the cold. Water also helps the cranberries grow. If you’ve ever wondered why cranberries Àoat, LeFleur has the answer. “The cranberries Àoat to the top because there are air pockets inside them,” he explains. Order a copy of “Farm a Month: Where Does Our Food Come From?” from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture to learn more about Steen, Wegmey- er, LeFleur and other food producers. Cyndie Shearing is director of in- ternal communications at the Ameri- can Farm Bureau Federation. Grant County’s people show generosity By Carl Sampson L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR “There are both hen and tom tur- keys. A hen is a fe- male and a tom is a male,” explains Steen. Water is very im- portant to a turkey’s Cyndie Shearing survival. Poultry — turkeys, chickens, ducks and other fowl — need to be able to drink water at all times. The Steens’ turkeys eat a corn, soybean and mineral mix made at a local feed mill. The Steens have a high level of biosecurity on the farm to protect the turkeys. Cars and trucks are washed when entering and exiting the farm. Don and his wife even wear special clothing in the barns to protect the turkeys. Pumpkin farmer Harriet Weg- meyer of Virginia was a guest on Emeril Lagasse’s cooking show. She and her husband plant pumpkins in early summer and harvest through mid-October. In winter they care for the land by planting cover crops to add nitrogen to the soil. “Harvesting pumpkins is a hard job, because all of the picking must be done by hand and some of them 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .....................................$40 Everywhere else in U.S. .....................$51 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery 575-0028. Fax: 541-575-1721. Email: cityjd@centurytel.net. /RQJ&UHHN — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek 97856. Phone: 541- 421-3601. Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@cityoÀongcreek.com. Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025. Email: monument@oregontrail.net. 0W9HUQRQ — P.O. Box 647, Mt. Vernon 97865. Phone: 541- 932-4688. Fax: 541-932-4222. Email: cmtv@ortelco.net. Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie City 97869. Phone: 541- 820-3605. Fax: 820-3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net. Periodicals Postage Paid at John 'D\DQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRIÀFHV POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 ZZZ0\(DJOH1HZVFRP 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. ZZZIDFHERRNFRP0\(DJOH1HZV @MyEagleNews