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not beholden to any other
FRXQW\RI¿FHUZKLFKLVKRZLW
should be.”
Facebook pages and groups
in support of Palmer have more
than 2,000 members and likes.
Even Ammon Bundy, the
leader of the refuge occupation,
has voiced his support of Palmer
from jail.
Palmer declined to speak to
OPB for this story.
“I am not doing any inter-
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“and I am not likely to change
my mind.”
A Contentious History With
Federal Agencies
Palmer’s approach to the oc-
cupiers is just one example of a
leadership style that, for years,
has set him apart from other Or-
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Palmer challenges federal
land policies and practices, re-
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believes are unconstitutional
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a movement of self-described
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remove or bar federal agents
from their jurisdiction. Palm-
er is the only current Oregon
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the Constitutional Sheriffs and
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Palmer, a decorated Air
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as Grant County Sheriff since
2000, and is currently running
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hosting community Christmas
dinners open to anyone and
building beds made out of logs
for a local charity.
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seat have been unusual from
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create a document called the
Grant County, Oregon Public
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an effort to give him and po-
tentially other county leaders
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are managed. Palmer surprised
leaders of Grant County’s gov-
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them his plan in September and
asked them to adopt it.
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of 11 people to formulate this
plan, and they gave it to me,”
Palmer told the county judge
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“I’m adopting it, and I’m here
to tell you today that I’m imple-
menting coordination.”
The idea behind Palmer’s
plan is to leverage more local
say in federal land manage-
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thing called the “coordination
clause” in federal land poli-
cies — an obscure, often over-
looked requirement that directs
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cal governments.
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Palmer said. “The people that I
represent are not getting heard.
I’m not getting heard.”
The court declined to adopt
the plan, said Grant County
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ZLWK VHDUFK DQG UHVFXH :KLOH he refused to enforce Oregon’s IRXU\HDU WHUP WKLV 1RYHPEHU
Citizen Deputies
public input,” Myers said. “It
all Oregon counties require spe- QHZ ODZ WKDW UHTXLUHV EDFN- +LVRSSRQHQWLVIRUPHU8QGHU-
Back Palmer
did not involve at all a public
3DOPHUKDVGHSXWL]HGDWOHDVW cial training for search and res- ground checks for private gun VKHULII 7RGG 0F.LQOH\ ZKR
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in statement said he decided to
WDNH LW DV RXU SODQ ,W ZDV QRW *UDQW &RXQW\ FLWL]HQV LQ- cue teams, most do not go so far sales.
+HH[SODLQHGKLVVWDQFHLQD run after seeing the “audacity
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our plan.”
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For years, Palmer has ex- GHYHORSWKHUHVRXUFHSODQ'HS-
SUHVVHG IUXVWUDWLRQ ZLWK WKH uties are appointed “to do and emergency dispatch manager in investigating, responding to, can dictate the course of Grant
U.S. Forest Service, tying Grant SHUIRUPDQ\DFWZKLFK3DOPHU ZKR VXEPLWWHG D IRUPDO FRP- expending resources or taxpayer &RXQW\ ZLWKRXW WKH LQSXW RI
County’s economic struggles might perform as sheriff,” ac- plaint about Palmer, expressed IXQGVLQPDNLQJLVVXHZLWKGLV- DOO´0F.LQOH\FXUUHQWO\ZRUNV
ZLWK WKH DJHQF\¶V ODQG PDQ- FRUGLQJWKHLUGHSXW\FHUWL¿FDWHV concern over these deputies’ DUPLQJ RI ODZ DELGLQJ FLWL]HQV as the county’s director of com-
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0DOKHXU 1DWLRQDO )RUHVW RYHU various reasons, but it’s unusual 'DWD6\VWHP7KDW¶VDVWDWHZLGH ing their 4th Amendment right
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WKLQJVVXFKDV¿UHZRRGFXWWLQJ for them to designate “special database that includes sensitive to be secure in their personal ef- investigation could stretch be-
permits and road access, and deputy” community members LQIRUPDWLRQ DERXW ZDUUDQWV fects and 2nd Amendment right \RQG WKH 1RYHPEHU HOHFWLRQ
)RUHVW6HUYLFHODZHQIRUFHPHQW at the rate and number as Sheriff criminal histories, license plate to bear arms.”
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information and more.
Before that, in 2013, Palm- WRUHYRNH3DOPHU¶VODZHQIRUFH-
Palmer has — or even at all.
patrols on county roads.
In her complaint submitted er joined several other Oregon PHQWFHUWL¿FDWLRQLWZRXOGQRW
“I can tell you it’s not a stan-
At the county meeting
sheriffs and oth- necessarily lead to him being
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I will not tolerate nor will I permit any federal incursion ers across the UHPRYHGIURPRI¿FH,IKHZHUH
he presented
States in WR SHUIRUP ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW
his natural re-
within the exterior boundaries of Grant County, Oregon, United
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source plan,
where any type of gun control legislation aimed at not enforce any ZRXOGEHEUHDNLQJWKHODZEXW
Palmer
ex-
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pressed frustra-
disarming law abiding citizens is the goal or objective.”
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tion at not be-
regulations.
ing included in
his job. And in Grant Coun-
Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer
³, ZLOO QRW ty, perspectives on the sheriff
Forest Service
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management
decisions that affect his ability dard practice in Oregon,” said WR '3667 /XWWUHOO VDLG WKDW LQ I permit any federal incursion both sides claiming that the
Malheur County Sheriff Brian fall 2015, she asked Palmer for ZLWKLQ WKH H[WHULRU ERXQGDULHV majority of the community
to conduct search and rescues.
“I can’t get a meeting, I :ROIHZKRLVDOVRSUHVLGHQWRI DOLVWRISHRSOHZKRFRXOGDFFHVV RI*UDQW&RXQW\2UHJRQZKHUH DJUHHVZLWKWKHP
any type of gun control legis-
FDQ¶WJHWDQDQVZHU,FDQ¶WJHW the Oregon State Sheriffs’ As- the database.
“Our sheriff is probably
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a document from these people,” sociation. “I can’t think of any
other sheriff that’s doing it at the D KDQGZULWWHQ UHVSRQVH WR KHU DELGLQJ FLWL]HQV LV WKH JRDO RU — the actual people — have,”
Palmer said.
memo: “Anyone that I depu- REMHFWLYH´3DOPHUZDUQHG9LFH VDLG 7DG +RXSW DQRWKHU RQH
But the supervisor of the current time.”
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266$ ([HFXWLYH 'LUHFWRU WL]H´/XWWUHOODVNHGIRUDOLVWRI 3UHVLGHQW -RH %LGHQ LQ D of Palmer’s deputies.
Steve Beverlin, said it’s Palm- and former Curry County sheriff deputies, but said Palmer has letter. “We live in a free society
“Is he here to protect us?”
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HU ZKR UHIXVHV WR FRPH WR -RKQ%LVKRSVDLGWKDWLQKLVFD- never provided such a list.
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the table. In four years of at- UHHUKHFDQUHPHPEHUGHSXWL]-
tempts, Beverlin said, Palmer LQJRQO\RQHFLWL]HQWRKHOSZLWK area commander for Oregon becoming a victim of a crim- IRU 3DOPHU WR PHHW ZLWK WKH
has never agreed to a meeting. patrol at the annual county fair. State Police, sees a problem inal act or from a far reaching militants from the refuge. “I
Beverlin said he’s even sent 7KDW SHUVRQ ZDV D UHWLUHG ODZ ZLWK3DOPHU¶VSUDFWLFHRIGHSX- government attempting to enact don’t think so. I think he’s here
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his requests to get together via HQIRUFHPHQWRI¿FHU
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Sproul, one of Palmer’s
da that I don’t understand.”
Up For Re-Election
did not respond.
deputies, said that he and oth- people under the auspices of
Dave Blanchard contribut-
3DOPHULVUXQQLQJIRUD¿IWK ed to this report.
In 2011, Palmer ended a HUV ZLWK DQ LQWHUHVW LQ QDWXUDO DFWLQJXQGHUWKHFRORURIODZVR
ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW FRQWUDFW UHVRXUFH LVVXHV ZHUH GHSXWL]HG that they can do certain things
ZLWK WKH 0DOKHXU 1DWLRQDO “to be eyes and ears of the sher- or obtain certain objectives,
Forest that funded his office LII´6RLIWKH\VDZSRDFKLQJRU WKHQ \RX¶YH XVXUSHG WKH ODZ´
to the tune of thousands of other illegal activity, they could VDLG/DUVRQZKROLYHVLQ*UDQW
County. “We can’t be so cav-
dollars per year. In a Blue alert Palmer.
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Mountain Eagle report that
year, the sheriff said he IRUFHPHQW´6SURXOVDLG³-XVWLI enforcement.”
Summer Youth Conservation Crew Jobs Are Now Open
planned to make up lost rev- ZH¶YHVHHQVRPHWKLQJWRUHSRUW
with the North Fork John Day Watershed Council!
HQXH ZLWK PRQH\ PDGH E\ it to the sheriff, especially in re-
Gun Rights Activist
LVVXLQJFRQFHDOHGZHDSRQOL- gards to access, roads, road clo-
A staunch Second Amend-
• Hiring young adults 14 & up in Grant County
censes. Palmer sees himself sures, stuff like that.”
ment activist, Palmer has also
• Crew members will help with a variety of natural resource
³QRWILJKWLQJZLWKWKHIHGHU-
But the duties of special dep- opted not to implement certain
projects
al government. In my opin- uties are not spelled out in their JXQODZV,QIRUH[DPSOH
• New opportunities and skill levels
ion I’m defending the people DSSRLQWPHQW FHUWL¿FDWLRQ DQG
To apply, stop by our office in Long Creek
that I serve.” That’s from his that vagueness is a source of
2012 speech at a Constitu- anxiety for some county leaders.
(691 Hwy 395 N.)
tional Officers and Peace
³,W¶V DOZD\V ZRUULHG PH´
or visit http://www.nfjdwc.org
Officers Association event VDLG*UDQW&RXQW\-XGJH0\HUV
Call 541-421-3018 for information
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“
Looking for an Adventure
This Summer?
“Constitutional Sheriff of
the Year.”
“I’ve pretty much start-
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P\RZQ´3DOPHUVDLGRIKLV
approach to federal agencies.
³,MXVWJRWWRDSRLQWZKHUH,
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omy and our communities
WXUQLQWRJKRVWWRZQVDQGWKH
public lands being shut off
for no reason at all.”
[Palmer] considers their authori-
W\ZKHQLWFRPHVGRZQWRLW&DQ
they tell somebody to get on the
ground and put their hands up?
That’s spooky stuff.”
Myers also said he’s never
seen Palmer deploy deputies in a
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3DOPHU ZRXOG QRW UHVSRQG
to questions about his special
deputy force, but some of the
residents on his list are involved
The Wheeler County Stockgrowers,
BATMAN V SUPERMAN:
DAWN OF JUSTICE PG-13
Batman takes on the Man of Steel, while the world
wrestles with what kind of hero it really needs.
FRI-SUN
(12:45) (4:00) 7:30
MON-THURS (12:45) (4:00) 7:00
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 PG-13
Portokalos family secret brings the characters back
together for an even bigger and Greeker wedding.
FRI & SAT
(12:45) (4:20) 7:20 9:40
SUNDAY
(1:10) (4:20) 7:20
MON-THURS (12:45) (4:20) 7:20
DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT,
PT. 1 R After the earth-shattering revelations
of Insurgent, Tris must escape with Four beyond
the wall that encircles Chicago to finally discover
the shocking truth of what lies behind it.
FRI & SAT
(12:45) (4:10) 7:00 9:35
(1:10) (4:10) 7:00
SUNDAY
MON-THURS (12:45) (4:20) 7:10
$9 Adult, $7 Senior (60+), Youth
03619
DOJ
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
03597
in conjunction with
OSU/Wheeler County Extension,
will host a Stockgrowers Spring Meeting on Friday,
March 25, at the Spray Grange,
from 6:00 to 8:30 PM.
This meeting will convene local stockgrowers
encouraging them to bring their ideas for the group’s
revitalization. Officer elections
and planning for the upcoming year will occur.
Please bring your ideas and input.
The evening will consist of a complimentary tri-tip
dinner, door prizes and great conversation with friends
and neighbors. We will host Cari Wade, DVM who will
speak on vaccinations, disease, and the importance of
pre-weaning conditioning.
Please contact Amy Derby,
Wheeler County Extension agent
at (541) 763-4115 with
questions or to RSVP for the event .
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so you can rest easy. Visit your AGCO Parts Dealer and get the parts and
services you need to “Keep you in the Field” this season. Find out more at
agcoparts.com.
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03473