The
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
VOTE See our
Election Guide
on pages 8-11
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
W EDNESDAY , O CTOBER 19, 2016
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EXPERIENCE VS.
A FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Democratic
newcomers seek
to unseat longtime
GOP lawmakers
U.S. REP.
GREG
WALDEN
W. MARK
STRINGER
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
Blue Mountain Eagle
W
. Mark String-
er, the Democrat
underdog
running
against
incumbent
Republican Sen. Ted Ferrioli for
Oregon Senate District 30, has been
traveling the state in a whirlwind of
appearances in preparation for the
November election.
Stringer worked as a school
teacher for nearly three decades, has
By Rylan Boggs
been a rancher and is a former may-
Blue Mountain Eagle
or of Nyssa. He grew up in Eastern
Oregon and promises to represent
ed Ferrioli is up for his sixth
the interests of the people. He said
term as state senator for
he is all for small business and in-
Senate District 30, and this
dustry and against over-regulatory
time, he has an opponent.
government.
Despite being consistently elect-
Stringer, if elected, plans to ad-
ed since 1996
dress issues like
and becoming the
election fi nancing
ranking Republi-
and term limits,
Oregon Senate
can in the Senate,
among others.
he said he always
“We’re meant
District 30
campaigns seri-
to be a citizen leg-
ously.
islature,” Stringer
“If you’re not running like you’re
said.
10 points behind, people assume you
He wants to cap election spend-
don’t care,” Ferrioli said.
ing, stating current levels take the
One issue he is concerned with is
opportunity of elected offi ce out of
the current management of national
the hands of the people.
forests in Oregon. He points to the
He has quite literally put his
increased wildfi res and loss of tim-
money where his mouth is and ac-
ber production as symptoms of an
cepted no contributions from busi-
unsustainable relationship where the
nesses, unions, the Oregon Educa-
people of Eastern Oregon aren’t al-
tion Association or the Democratic
ways considered to be a factor.
Party, he said.
“The question that’s not getting
“I am beholden to no one,” he
an affi rmative is do these commu-
said.
nities have a right to be sustained,”
Regarding term limits, he points
Ferrioli said.
to Ferrioli as an example of a prob-
He asserts the “move or starve”
lem not having limits can cause.
model of thinking doesn’t work for
Though Stringer describes him as
everyone, that some people don’t
“very congenial and a nice fellow,”
want to live in the city and shouldn’t
he also said, “If I didn’t know he
STATE SEN.
TED FERRIOLI
T
See STRINGER, Page A12
U
.S. Rep. Greg Walden,
chairman of the Nation-
al Republican Congres-
sional Committee from
Oregon’s Second Congressional
District, is seeking re-election and
believes his record speaks for itself.
Walden, who was fi rst elected to
the large district encompassing all
of Eastern Oregon in 1998, said in
By Rylan Boggs
a statement he has passed more bills
Blue Mountain Eagle
through the U.S. House of Repre-
sentatives than any other member of
im Crary, a Democrat, is
the Oregon House delegation in this
running for U.S. Congress
term and all terms.
in Oregon’s Second Con-
This term, he said he’s passed
gressional District.
seven bills, more than 94 percent of
Crary doesn’t have an exten-
the other House members, includ-
ing helping bring
sive background in
commercial air ser-
politics, something
Oregon’s 2nd vice back to Klam-
he said might give
Falls, accessing
him an advantage
Congressional ath
funding for bridg-
against his oppo-
es in the Columbia
nent, Rep. Greg
District
Gorge and helping
Walden, whom he
improve rural inter-
describes as a “ca-
net service for consumers.
reer politician.”
“Throughout my time in public
Though Crary considers him-
service, I’ve worked very hard to be
self an underdog, he said this in-
the voice for the people of the enor-
spires him to work even harder. If
mous Second Congressional District
elected, Crary promised to repre-
and solve problems so that we can
sent the people and not special in-
better care for our veterans, grow
terests. He said the biggest issue he
our economy, better manage our
would tackle while in offi ce would
lands, and fi ght threats to our safe-
be campaign fi nance reform.
ty and security,” he said. “... I often
“I am so angry, upset and dis-
hear the same frustrations from resi-
gusted with how much money is
dents: concerns about an overreach-
in politics right now,” he said.
ing federal government stifl ing rural
“It’s obscene as far as I’m con-
economies and livelihoods.”
cerned. It gives people that have
Walden said federal agencies
the money an inordinate amount
need to do a better job listening to
of infl uence.”
local communities affected by land
He wants to propose a consti-
management decisions. He said
tutional amendment that would
JIM
CRARY
J
See FERRIOLI, Page A12
See CRARY, Page A12
Patriotic disputes
‘Beyond Burns’ attendees disagree
about nature of ‘patriot’ movement
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Canyon City Com-
munity Hall was packed Fri-
day Oct. 7 for a presentation
covering the ongoing “patri-
ot” movement in Oregon.
Jessica Campbell, orga-
nizing director for the Rural
Organizing Project, shared
“Beyond Burns,” a brief pre-
sentation of the recent patriot
activity in the Oregon area,
hosted by Grant County Pos-
itive Action.
Campbell gave brief over-
views of incidents at the Sug-
ar Pine Mine in Josephine
County and the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge in
Harney County. She identi-
fi ed militia groups, such as
III Percent of Idaho and Or-
egon, the Oathkeepers and
others as key players in these
events and cited the Bundy
Ranch standoff in Nevada in
2014 as a place where many
patriots met with like-mind-
ed people and formed con-
nections.
Federal offi cials eventu-
ally backed down in the Ne-
vada standoff surrounding
rancher Cliven Bundy and
disputes with the government
over grazing fees, though ar-
rests were made and charges
fi led after the occupation of
the Malheur National Wild-
life Refuge earlier this year
by Bundy’s sons and others.
That standoff, in which
armed protesters occupied
the refuge in protest of fed-
eral land management and
extended jail sentences for
two Harney County ranchers,
lasted 41 days before the last
holdouts gave up and were
arrested. The trial for many
of the key occupiers is cur-
rently underway.
Campbell asserted the
patriot or militia groups are
See PATRIOT, Page A3
See WALDEN, Page A12
21st century policing
John Day hopes
policies reduce
crime, distrust
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
In order to combat a ris-
ing local drug problem and
increased national scrutiny of
police, the John Day Police
Department is looking at re-
vising police practices.
These changes would re-
fl ect policing practices rec-
ommended by the President’s
Task Force on 21st Century
Policing.
The recommendations are
centered around six pillars:
building trust and legitima-
cy, policy and
oversight,
technology
and
social
media, com-
munity polic-
ing and crime
Richard
reduction, of-
Gray
fi cer training
and education
and offi cer safety and well-
ness.
The task force states these
recommendations are in re-
sponse to “recent events that
have exposed rifts in the re-
lationships between local po-
lice and the communities.”
Though the program is aimed
at larger departments serving
larger communities, John Day
See POLICE, Page A3