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
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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
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