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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2016)
HONORING HILTON AND OTHER EVERYDAY HEROES The Blue Mountain PAGE B1 EAGLE Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 W EDNESDAY , S EPTEMBER 21, 2016 • N O . 38 • 20 P AGES • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com Maine monument’s creation concerns Malheur County ranchers By Sean Ellis Capital Press file photo A sign posted in Jordan Valley opposes the proposed Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument in Malheur County. Jordan Valley is nearly surrounded by the proposed monument. “ I think as more people see those videos ... it will bring more awareness to what’s going on.” EO Media Group The president’s recent creation of a national monument in Maine, despite lo- cal opposition, has Malheur County resi- dents concerned. Ranchers and other Malheur Coun- ty residents formed the Owyhee Basin Stewardship Coalition this year to fi ght a proposed 2.5 million-acre national mon- ument in an area of the county known as the Owyhee Canyonlands. Malheur County residents voted 9-1 earlier this year in opposition to the pro- posal, which is being pushed by the Ore- Elias Eiguren Malheur County rancher and OBSC board member gon Natural Desert Association, an envi- ronmental group in Bend, and Portland’s Keen Footwear. Monument opponents believe sup- porters will ask President Barack Obama to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to create the Malheur County mon- ument. On Aug 24, Obama declared 87,500 acres of land in northeast Maine as the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Residents who live near that site also opposed that plan, as did the state’s gov- ernor, legislature and congressional dele- gation, according to the Washington Post. See MONUMENT, Page A10 Public Forest Commission nullifi ed By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle Residents stroll armed with threat of K-9 attacks John Day council seeks solutions By Rylan Boggs Blue Mountain Eagle S ome John Day residents have taken to walk- ing the streets armed because of fears of dog attacks. During a Sept. 13 city council meeting, community members shared stories of re- The Eagle/Sean Hart peated attacks and expressed fear it was only a matter Dayville resident Cindy Bolman of time until a person was seriously hurt. A series of solu- shows the dog-bite injury tions were requiring four stitches brought up, that she sustained while rescuing Wiley, a Corgie including a man- mix that was being datory licensing sys- attacked by a larger tem, incentives to spay dog in John Day. and neuter, an animal con- — Resident Sharon Smith trol specialist and a code en- forcement offi cer. Tim Unterwegner said the prob- lem has gotten so bad he and his wife carry pepper spray and an aluminum baseball bat when they walk their dog for fear of attack. A full-time animal control professional would be beyond the city’s current budget. If it were made a county issue, there were fears the space would be too vast for one person to cover. Other issues brought forward were the lack of a holding area for problem dogs and that pet owners might disown problem animals once they were impounded. “We don’t want to walk around with ball bats. What’s an old lady like me to do?” See DOGS, Page A10 70 YEARS OF SERVICE Rynearson honored for dedication to American Legion Auxiliary By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Seventy years of service is in the books. Norma Rynearson was hon- ored for her service to the Prai- rie City American Legion Unit 106 Auxiliary, which she joined shortly after World War II. About 50 well-wishers joined Rynearson for a Sept. 9 party at Valley View As- sisted Living where she re- sides. It was also the guest of honor’s birthday. “It was a double cele- bration,” said Jan Plem- mons, an auxiliary member. “There were many friends, family and auxiliary mem- Contributed photo/Jan Plemmons Norma Rynearson enjoys a double celebration Sept. 9 at Valley View Assisted Living, receiving a pin for 70 years of service with the American Legion Auxiliary on her birthday. bers there to honor her.” Auxiliary secretary/treasur- er Pam Howard attended the party and placed the pin on Rynearson’s blouse. Howard said Rynearson has been “active her whole life” in the community and with the organization. “She’s such a knowl- edgeable person,” she said. “She’s the one we always go to when we have a question. If she didn’t have the answer, she knew where to go to fi nd the answer.” Rynearson, a long-time resident of Prairie City, mar- ried her late husband Floyd in December of 1946 when he returned from service in the U.S. Army during WWII. He joined the American Legion, and she, at age 17, joined the American Legion Auxiliary. Norma said she’s enjoyed her involvement in the orga- nization and has held every position at the local level. “It has been a very import- ant part of my life,” she said. Over the years, she has helped provide veterans with comfort items such as slippers and afghans, helped young ladies attend Girls State and has also kept a history of the auxiliary, among other duties. “To me, it’s an organiza- tion that helps veterans and their families, and they have lots of programs for chil- dren,” she said. “We need to take care of the ones who’ve taken care of us.” Grant County voters will not see Public Forest Commission candidates on the November bal- lot after a judge nullifi ed the mea- sure that created it. Grant County Circuit Court Judge William D. Cramer Jr. ruled Wednesday, Sept. 14, that the measure creating the commis- sion that was approved by coun- ty voters in 2002 “confl icts with paramount law in both the State of Oregon and federally” in a brief opinion letter to the county, which defended the measure, and Mark Webb, who challenged it. Cramer stated the measure was improper and granted a summary judgment nullifying it. He said he intends to prepare a more detailed opinion explaining the decision but offered the abbreviated opin- ion to advise Grant County Clerk Brenda Percy, who is preparing the ballots for the upcoming elec- tion. Measure 12-39, which was ad- opted by a majority of county vot- ers through the initiative process, established a seven-person com- mission “with the responsibility of managing all public lands and natural resources within Grant County.” The measure authorized the commission to divide public land into ranger districts and to purchase, sell and trade public land with voter approval. Webb argued in his petition for judicial review that the mea- sure confl icted with state law by authorizing the commission to manage land currently managed by state agencies, such as the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. He argued it confl icted with federal law by authorizing the commis- sion to manage Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service land. Webb said after the ruling he believed the measure was “a political statement” and that the commission created challenges to accomplishing work in Grant County. “In my view, they were a lia- bility to the county,” he said. “I think (this ruling) will create op- portunities for the county to move forward now.” Webb said, although he is the executive director of Blue Moun- tains Forest Partners, he chal- lenged the measure on his own and was not supported by the collaborative group. He said his decision was motivated by having worked with the forest commis- sion when he was a member of the Grant County Court. Webb said he has “a lot of re- spect” for Dave Traylor, whom he said was the chief petitioner for the measure, as well as many of the individuals who have been elected to serve on the commis- sion.
