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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 2015)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, December 23, 2015 T HE B ACKROADS A very merry Christmas to all we’d been trying to solve a problem that wasn’t there. It sure is nice to be out of a The real problem hotel and into an actual house. was that my drain Having a washer and dryer truly hose wasn’t long is an amazing thing — something Sean Hart enough and was you don’t really think about until forcing too much Editor you go without. air down the pipe I appreciate the welcoming that couldn’t vent. attitude that everyone here has If I had a nickel ... shown me so far. This is already I think a working dryer, starting to feel like home, and though, is even more of a marvel. that usually has far more to do My former duplex in Stanfield with the people than the place. was too small for a washer and It’s been an in- a dryer, so I was teresting first sev- forced to hang my I enjoyed eral weeks. Min- clothes to dry. It utes into my first laundry so much worked pretty well day on the job, I in the summer, but stumbled into the this weekend when it got cold, I first hearing about had to make sure I that I was the county ordi- did my laundry Fri- nance to ban com- evening after washing rugs day mercial marijuana work, so I would operations. I was a and comforters have something to little surprised how wear on Monday many people were that wasn’t still that haven’t arguing against wet. the ban and, per- been washed in Now that I have haps more so, that a working washer years. some of their ar- and dryer togeth- guments actually I am absolute- Does anyone er, made pretty good ly amazed how sense — whether know what cycle much easier laun- or not they were dry is. My house the best course of you’re supposed doesn’t look like action. Maybe the a flea market with to set the libertarianism just clothes hanging runs in the wa- everywhere, machine on to I’ve been able and to ter here or some- thing. I may have wash a dog? use those clothes- to do some inves- pins to hold up my tigative journal- shower curtain. ism into the unicorn thing, but I For a change, I enjoyed laun- digress. dry so much this weekend that I My dog, Frank, and I are final- was washing rugs and comfort- ly starting to get settled in here. ers that haven’t been washed in It’s been a while since Frank has years. Does anyone know what seen this much snow, but I think cycle you’re supposed to set the we’ll get used to it. He still has machine on to wash a dog? to stumble around the unpacked Anyway, it’s been fun getting boxes of junk I forgot I had in- to know the people and what’s side the house, but I think he’s going on in the community. I enjoying having his own yard. look forward to meeting more of I’m just thrilled to actually you in the future, and hopeful- have a washer and dryer — that ly you’ll all be as welcoming as work. It took almost all day Sat- those I’ve already met. urday to get the washer to work So, Merry Christmas every- without pouring all the drain one! If you’re an atheist, I guess water onto the floor, but we fi- just enjoy the day off or the dou- nally got it. My landlord came ble time. over and snaked the drain pipe I appreciate all the support and snaked from the roof and from the community as I estab- the bathroom and the kitchen. I lish my roots, and God bless you was beginning to think he need- all — even the atheists. I think ed a longer snake, but it turns that’s a Christmas message of out the lines weren’t clogged — which Jesus would approve. By Sean Hart 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@centu- rylink.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: 541-575-0028. Fax: 541- 575-1721. Email: cityjd@centurytel.net. /ong CreeN — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@cityoÀong- creek.com. Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monu- ment 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934- 2025. Email: monument@oregontrail.net. Mt 9ernon — 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. Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca 97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161. Email: cityseneca@centurytel.net. SALEM Gov .ate Brown D — 254 State Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378- 3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: www. governor.state.or.us/governor.html. Oregon Legislature — State Capitol, Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180. Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes). State Rep CliII Bent] R-Ontario (Dis- trict: 60), Room H-475, State Capitol, 900 Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY Court St. N.E., Salem OR 97301. Phone: 503-986-1460. Email: rep.cliffbentz@state. or.us. Website: www.leg.state.or.us/bentz/ home.htm. State Sen Ted )errioli R — (District 30) Room S-223, State Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-986-1950. Email: sen. tedferrioli@state.or.us. Email: TFER2@aol. com. Phone: 541-490-6528. Website: www. leg.state.or.us/ferrioli. Oregon Legislative Information — (For updates on bills, services, capitol or messages for legislators) — 800-332-2313. WASHINGTON, D.C. The :hite +ouse 1600 Pennsylva- nia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch- board: 202-456-1414. US Sen Ron :yden D — 516 Hart Senate Of¿ce Building, Washington D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224-5244. Email: wayne_kinney@wyden.senate.gov Website: http://wyden.senate.gov Fax: 202-228-2717. US Sen Jeff MerNley D — 313 Hart Senate Of¿ce Building, Washington D.C. 20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email: senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202- 228-3997. Oregon of¿ces include One World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St., Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; and 310 S.E. Second St., Suite 105, Pendleton, OR 97801. Phone: 503-326-3386; 541-278- 1129. Fax: 503-326-2990. US Rep Greg :alden R — (Second District) 1404 Longworth Building, Wash- ington D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6730. No direct email because of spam. Website: www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-5774. Medford of¿ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112, Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646. Fax: 541-779-0204. Pending Bills: For information on bills in Congress, Phone: 202-225-1772. Old methods meet new solutions By Sandra Ghormley For the Blue Mountain Eagle I vividly remember how an- noyed I became after hearing my Dad shout, “Don’t forget to turn the lights off when you leave the room.” “OK, Dad, I got,” I’d reply. “You’ve said it 100 times!” You see, Dad grew up in the 1930s when electricity had not reached every neighborhood in America, and many homes were lit with oil lamps. Back then, only 10 percent of the farms had electricity, and Àipping a switch to light a room was still considered a luxury. Yet, even then, people realized how im- portant it was to conserve energy. Decades later, shutting off lights may be a little old fashioned, but it is still a good idea. Combine it with new lighting technology, and real savings result. In the 1960s, the economy was booming, and energy was abundant. Consumers gradually moved away from thinking about conservation and developed insatiable appetites for electricity. From the 1940s to 2007, electric usage in the United States more than doubled. America became the largest consumer of everything electricity could offer. As a result, more dams were built, and more pe- troleum, coal and natural gas-pow- er, more widespread illumination of areas while using 1/10 of the energy. LEDs last much longer than incan- descent or compact Àuorescent bulbs, light quickly and do not radiate as much heat. There is a wide range of LED lamps and ¿xtures on the mar- ket today to customize your speci¿c lighting solutions. OTEC has made it worth the investment over the last two years by helping members save more than 4 million kilowatt hours, reducing electric consumption and lowering electric bills. Today, almost everyone recog- nizes the importance of conserving electric energy. Although our moti- vations for conserving electricity may differ from altruistic to personal gain, it lowers our electric bills, puts less pressure on electric infrastructure and makes the world a little better for the next generation. Combining old-fashioned ideas for conserving electricity with new lighting solutions is good advice. I must admit Dad got a few things right. And, yes, I catch myself offer- ing similar advice to my children: “Let’s change it out to an LED bulb, and oh, before you leave the room, turn the lights out.” Sandra Ghormley is a 20-year veteran of the electrical utility indus- try and joined OTEC in 2013 as the director of member and program services. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Unconstitutional laws are invalid To the Editor: For those laboring under the as- sumption of federal government su- premacy, Unconstitutional Of¿cial Acts — 16 Am Jur 2d, Sec 177 late 2d, Sec 256 — is worth the read. Succinctly put: The general misconception is that any statute passed by legisla- tors bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land. The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any statute, to be valid, must be in agreement. It is impossible for both the Constitution and a law violating it to be valid; one must prevail. The general rule is that an un- constitutional statute, though hav- ing the form and name of law is in reality no law, but is wholly void, and ineffective for any purpose Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no of¿ce, bestows no power or authority on anyone, af- fords no protection and justi¿es no acts performed under it. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it. Any unconstitutional act of an of¿cial will at least be a violation of the oath of that of¿cial to exe- cute the duties of his of¿ce, and therefore grounds for his removal from of¿ce. No of¿cial immuni- Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper P UBLISHER ............................... M ARISSA W ILLIAMS , MARISSA @ BMEAGLE . COM E DITOR .................................... S EAN H ART , 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 ered electric generation plants were needed to satisfy the growth. New transmission and distribution power lines were constructed — connect- ing, expanding and crisscrossing the countryside in order to handle the increased loads and keep pace with customers’ expectations. Today, we cannot imagine our lives without electricity. It is no lon- ger a luxury but a way of life. Ac- cording to a 2013 report from the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. is now the second largest energy con- sumer and producer of electricity in the world, following behind China, which has moved into ¿rst place. The good news is, if you are a member, Oregon Trail Electric Coop- erative can help you ¿nd ways to take action. Since 1990, OTEC has of- fered conservation programs to teach responsible electricity use and to help members make wise energy choices in their homes and businesses. OTEC has joined with Bonneville Power Administration, its power producer, to offer many rebates that can offset the cost of purchasing lights and up- grading ¿xtures to more ef¿cient, en- ergy-saving devices. Over the last two years, OTEC has assisted more than 150 local businesses to upgrade their lighting systems to a variety of light emitting diodes, or LEDs. Many of the new LED lighting products offer bright- ty or privileges of rank or position survive the commission of unlaw- ful acts. If it violates the rights of individuals, it is also likely to be a crime, and the militia duty obligates anyone aware of such a violation to investigate it, gather evidence for a prosecution, make an arrest, and if necessary, seek an indictment from a grand jury and, if one is obtained, prosecute the offender in a court of law. Judy Kerr Canyon City Unregulated pot market is dangerous To the Editor: I was quoted in the Dec. 16 issue of the Blue Mountain Eagle regard- ing the county ordinance to ban the commercial growing and selling of marijuana in the county. I am not in favor in any way that un- derage youngsters have access to marijuana. But the reality is that youngsters do have access, and it is easy for them to get it. But they are getting it from an unregulated market. Oregon Measure 91 legalizing recreational marijuana contains requirements for security systems surrounding and within commer- cial sites of growers, processors, dispensaries, wholesalers and retailers. Measure 91 requires registration and licensing of the business and monthly reports of activities to the state Health De- partment. It requires labeling and 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 Periodicals Postage Paid at John 'a\ and additional Pailing oIÀces POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 wwwMyEagleNewscoP packaging the products sold and requires testing for molds, pesti- cides and the potency of the prod- uct. This information has to be stated on the product label. The county’s ban (opt-out of Measure 91) on these commer- cial activities has removed these safety measures and left youth and adults alike the unregulated “street market.” The production and selling of food and medical products is reg- ulated to secure consistency and purity of those products sold. We have tried to develop systems for the protection of our youth from the negative effects of alcohol, to- bacco and other drugs that are on the market today. We recognize these are not perfect and they nev- er will be perfect, but we can try. I don’t like being regulated any more than you do. Our youth need some protec- tion and guidance on moderation until they have developed the ma- turity of judgment to be respon- sible for their actions. It would be nice if these things could be learned at home with our fam- ilies. But that does not always happen. Measure 91 is not perfect. But opting out and passing the ban has removed the opportunity to require and enforce these safety measures and has left us without the tools we need to assure the security of grow and processing sites and the clear identi¿cation of the products being sold. Eva Harris Canyon City Copyright © 2015 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. 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