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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2016)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, April 20, 2016 G UEST C OMMENT Prevention is possible By Matt Ipson For the Blue Mountain Eagle A pril is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This year’s campaign focuses on ways that individuals, communities and the private sector can help prevent sexual violence. Nearly one in fi ve women, and one in 71 men, are victims of sexual assault (Black et al., 2011), but all of us are impacted by sexual violence. Everyone understands that sexual abuse impacts victims and their families, but the effects of sexual violence on communities and society are less obvious. Sexual violence creates a climate of fear, anger and disbelief in the workplaces, schools and communities that it occurs in. Additionally, sexual violence burdens the criminal justice system, medical facilities and crisis and mental health service providers. Further, societal contributions of survivors may be hampered as a product of psychological trauma that can cross generations and last a lifetime. Preventing such a far- reaching and prevalent social issue as sexual violence may seem overwhelming or even impossible. This mentality implies that there isn’t a solution — or if there is, we can’t achieve it. But we can. There are many practical steps that are currently being taken in our homes, neighborhoods, schools, faith communities and workplaces. But there are many more things we can do to promote safety, respect and accountability. Together, we must resolve to change the prevailing culture that questions the actions of victims, rather than the actions of their attackers. Individuals can model supportive relationships and behaviors, call out harmful attitudes and challenge the societal acceptance of rape. We cannot look the other way. Communities, businesses and schools can take action to implement policies that promote safety, respect and equality. As this year’s slogan declares, prevention is possible! Join us in helping everyone see their role in preventing sexual violence. You can learn more at www.nsvrc.org/saam. Matt Ipson is the deputy district attorney for Grant County. W HERE TO W RITE 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. • Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@cityofl ong- creek.com. • Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025. Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net. • Mt. Vernon — 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: senecaoregon@gmail.com. SALEM • Gov. Kate 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). Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY • State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario (Dis- trict: 60), Room H-475, State Capitol, 900 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 Ferrioli, 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 White House, 1600 Pennsylva- nia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch- board: 202-456-1414. • U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516 Hart Senate Offi 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. • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D — 313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building, Washington D.C. 20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email: senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202- 228-3997. Oregon offi 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. • U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, 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 offi ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112, Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646. Fax: 541-779-0204. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Collaborative process yields better projects To the Editor: Those who were concerned by Mr. (Mark) Webb’s court challenge to the (Public) Forest Commission’s validity or those wanting more back story, please read the original char- ter posted (as a link with this letter) in the online version of the Eagle. It was drafted in more bleak times of local forestry and local economics. As the timber wars subsided, two approaches were embarked on in hopes of a solution. First was the establishment of the Public Forest Commission in a 2002 vote with members voted in during 2004. It was ambitious and brave, if not somewhat desperate in nature, and basically very likely not legal. Had it been fully implemented, I am pretty sure some major litigation time would have been involved. A few years later came the col- laborative effort that would become the Blue Mountains Forest Partners and then the Harney County Resto- ration Collaborative. While it is easy to sit back, refus- ing to learn new ways and fi ght for our long held positions, it’s much harder to educate ourselves and step out of our comfort zones to co-create a better future. These two collabora- tive groups have been successful so far and are on a good path to con- tinue that trend. Joining BMFP from very near the beginning, I will say it was not easy and exceptionally trying at times in the early years; I almost quit numerous times out of frustration with some members’ ex- treme or unreasonable viewpoints. Speaking for myself, I think bet- ter projects come out of a collabo- rative process. I do not want to see the forest managed by a small group of people who think very similar- ly or the Forest Service alone. The increasing trend of extreme polar- ization, personal attacks and name calling observed on social media is highly unlikely to move our com- munity forward; respectful dialog is more likely to yield meaningful re- sults. I do think the PFC can serve a useful role in forestry issues for the county though the charter needs a lot of work. I am running for one of the positions. If elected, this would be one of my goals moving forward. Dave Hannibal Mount Vernon Concerning the recall of Boyd Britton To the Editor: Many of us here in Grant Coun- ty benefi t from working for the Forest Service. Loggers, construc- tion workers who put in culverts to working on forest roads. Thinning, piling, burning. You might be hard pressed to fi nd someone who has never benefi ted from working for the Forest Service. From what I can fi nd, Boyd Britton Welding may have received $4,000 to $5,000 net a year from work for the Forest Service — the Forest Service used them because his business could take a credit card. About county road closures: In 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 one situation, Boyd went out past “Wickiup” to look at a road that the Forest Service was putting “tank traps” into. He stopped the work and called Scott Myers, and together they put a stop to that road being closed. The County Court had people ap- ply to be on a roads committee. The committee only existed a short while. Some quit. What happened to that group that was to bring information on roads to the County Court? D.R. Johnson fi led a lawsuit with the Forest Service over the “Summit Fire.” We knew the ranchers who had it surrounded but were told to pull back by the Forest Service. D.R. spent a great deal of money. He nev- er could prove the F.S. was at fault or that the way they managed the forests was wrong. We joined D.R. as land- owners who had land burnt. I think that lawsuit went on for over three years. No one won. What if you fi nd a citizen did something wrong at the very begin- ning? Are you going to blame the entire fi re on that one person? Maybe a F.S. employee? He could be your neighbor. Maybe the wind blew the smoke jumpers off target? What if it was a volunteer? You will be hard pressed to get volunteers in the future. Many homes were lost. People are still hurting. Things are gone that can’t be replaced. People still have nightmares! The past can’t be changed. We can only learn from it. Hopefully! Jan O’Rorke John Day Farmers: Providing nourishment and economic opportunity To the Editor: The way in which we improve a communities’ lifestyle is to add value to it. In order to add value, we must create something new, something wanted by consumers and providing net gain. Consumers need more tangible usefulness than small strips of paper and coin. We add value by doing just that, adding more to the marketplace than we re- move. Do public sector jobs, after massive overhead costs, add value to our economy? Imagine if you would that your pantry was our economy. You walk in and immediately notice more cans at the top than the bottom. This does not suit you, so you re- organize. The goods are distributed among the shelves in an even man- ner. When fi nished, you look at the work you’ve done, pleased with the aesthetics of it all, and walk out with a couple cans for dinner. Ask yourself, “Did I add any value to the storeroom?” The shelves cer- tainly look better. So do our unem- ployment numbers, as reported in the March 30, 2016, edition of the Blue Mountain Eagle. Did we add any value by taking from some and giving to others, plus overhead? Now imagine a seed placed in the soil. From the dirt and the rain, two leaves rise and a root taps down. Through time and care, leaves and roots continue to grow, resulting in a tangible and quantifi - able product. Farmers harvest this crop to feed the needs of the peo- ple. Taking only from soil, rain and time, crops are then traded for fi at currency. Has value been added to the marketplace? Yes. We may help our neighbors by helping our farmers, and frankly our energies are more properly aligned to help each other with long-term solutions. Farmers are the mothers and fathers of society. They care for the land and their communities far more than themselves. Though, even the caretakers of the land need help at times. Please support our local farmers by allowing them to grow and harvest what God placed on this planet. Please support Ini- tiative 12-58 in adding value to our governmentally impoverished county. Cassandra Ross Vancouver, Washington Wake up, Grant County To the Editor: The date to vote on initiative 12-58 is fast approaching. Voters will decide on May 17 whether or not citizens in Grant County have the right to use private property for a legal profi table business. 12-58 allows citizens to open and operate facilities for production, processing and retail sales of marijua- na products. It also opens the door for hemp production on private land. In 2014 Oregon voters approved the legaliza- tion of recreational marijuana. That law allows residents over 21 the right to grow up to four marijuana plants as well as posses 8 ounces of dried mar- ijuana. The laws set no boundaries state-wide. It’s legal in every county in Oregon including Grant. Agree or disagree with the law, but this is the current state law in Oregon. Oregon is now in the phase of imple- mentation. Once the system is set up counties that participate become eligi- ble for revenue from the state tax sys- tem as well as giving counties around the state an opportunity to produce good paying sustainable jobs. Coun- ties that have opted out receive noth- ing! Not a dime of revenue or a single job! Not only have state representatives unfairly denied Eastern Oregon com- munities their right to receive revenue under this program, they essentially have told the private citizens the gov- ernment will dictate what they believe is appropriate use of private property. This has now become a land use issue for private property owners. If we vote no on 12-58, we set a precedent that allows elected offi cials to decide for us without a vote what is and will be ap- propriate use of our land now and into the future. Voting no on 12-58 does nothing to the existing law for recreational mar- ijuana; your neighbors can still grow and smoke it even if you vote no. So why vote no if the only thing you’re blocking is private property rights and the opportunity to bring in revenue and produce jobs in our community? Let’s vote yes on 12-58 and send a clear message that the people of Grant County will decide what is appropriate use of our land. Norma Russell John Day 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offi ces. Grant County .....................................$40 Everywhere else in U.S. .....................$51 POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Email: www.MyEagleNews.com Phone: 541-575-0710 USPS 226-340 See LETTERS, Page A5 Copyright © 2016 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. 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