News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
“
Rural communities are vulnerable
to agendas driven by a national
movement. We didn’t want to see that
happen here more than it already has.”
PATRIOT
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while simultaneously gaining
inluence from the outside by
using threats and intimidation
and militia as community infra-
structure.
Not everyone in attendance
agreed, however.
Grant County resident and
self-described patriot Dave
Traylor wrote in a letter to the
editor that the meeting “could
have been informative except
for the one-sided narrative
on just what a patriot is.” He
asserted patriots were cast in
a negative light with an “ap-
proach with caution” label at-
tached.
Following the meeting,
Traylor stood and read dictio-
nary deinitions of “patriot:” “A
person who loves, supports and
defends his or her country and
its interests with devotion — a
up on his own oficers’ well
being as well as responders in
other departments. He ensures
they are doing well mentally
and physically and aren’t
affected by post-traumatic
stress disorder.
Gray has personal experi-
ence with the dangers police
work can involve. In May of
2003, Gray and another of-
icer, Jason Rehling, were
wounded in a shootout in
Long Creek. Gray was shot
in the back and neck, and
Rehling was shot in the face.
Both oficers recovered, and
Gray received a purple heart
and medal of valor. Though
violence like this is hardly
an everyday occurrence, it is
something of which oficers
must always be aware.
“I don’t think the public
really realizes what we go
through,” Gray said.
He emphasized work-
ing with the community and
building trust so people felt
comfortable enough to report
problems to the police.
“The job is a hard job to do,
so if we can use the public to
help us do the job that’s great,
that’s more eyes,” he said.
He cited a recent example
of a stolen truck that a citizen
had seen and called in. Gray
said the caller stayed on the
line and guided police units to
the stolen vehicle, allowing it
to be returned to the owner.
Sgt. Damon Rand has
been with the JDPD for 15
years and grew up in the area,
something he said has helped
enormously with building
trust within the community.
In that time, he has seen a no-
ticeable increase in drug relat-
ed violence.
“I haven’t seen anyone get
shot that you couldn’t trace
back to drugs, sex or money,
and with drugs, you’re usu-
ally talking about all three,”
Rand said.
He said combating the
drug problem in the commu-
nity is a dificult and expen-
sive battle illed with long
hours and astronomical over-
time costs. Rand said prof-
itability will always exist in
the illegal drug market, which
adds to the problem.
“It’s kinda like a river: You
can dam it up, but it will ind
an alternate route,” he said.
“You can slow it down, but I
don’t think we’re ever going
to get it stopped.”
Burke sentenced to more than 3 years
Blue Mountain Eagle
David Wesly Burke was
recently sentenced to more
than three years in prison for
charges related to a stolen
pickup.
Burke pleaded guilty Sept.
22 to unauthorized use of a
vehicle, possession of meth-
amphetamine,
irst-degree
criminal mischief and driving
under the inluence of intoxi-
cants in Grant County Circuit
Court.
On Oct. 13, Judge Wil-
liam D. Cramer Jr. sentenced
Burke to 20 months in prison
for the unauthorized use of a
vehicle charge, 18 months in
prison for the criminal mis-
chief charge, 30 days in jail
for the intoxicated driving
charge and 10 days in jail for
the possession of metham-
phetamine charge. He was
also sentenced to 18 months
of supervised probation, and
his license was suspended for
three years. He was ordered to
pay $2,988.75 to the victim
and ined $1,755.
Burke was stopped by po-
lice Aug. 30 while driving a
white GMC pickup that had
been reported stolen from the
100 block of Second Avenue
in John Day.
OREGON CAPITAL
INSIDER
Get the inside
scoop on state
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Debbie Ausmus
245 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
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countryfinancial.com
Would like to thank all the
businesses and individuals who donated
and helped at the rally
Roans
Kings Ron Hasher Bar -B
Ace Hardware Ed & Margy
McCrary
Lonnie’s Hair Care
John Gay Golf Club
Mel McDaniels
J.D. Hardware
Grubsteak Mining Co.
Mitch Wilson
Gardners
Radio Shack
Floor Store
Maxine Day
Lynda Farrell
Melody Jackson
Jeanette Hueckman
Ronda Pade
Huffman’s Select Market
John Day Auto Parts
Pioneer Feed
Squeeze-Inn Deli
1188 Pub
John Day Polaris
Out Post Pub and Grill
Burns Golf Club
Jonna’s Hair Care
Hair - It - Is
Brad Campbell
Raymond Hire
Great Basin Art
Kathleen Lee
Gail Burton
Kim Ward
Clay Tanler
Rose Tanler
Dan Propeck
Bob Burton
Bruce Ward
Dick Johnston
Roy Densberger
Vicky and Gerry Mullaney
Sherrie Rininger
04723
She was pleased with the
turnout and described the pre-
sentation as balanced and non-
inlammatory. The group’s goal
had been to shine a light on the
patriot movement in the area
and let people draw their own
conclusions, she said.
“Rural communities are vul-
nerable to agendas driven by a
national movement,” Steele
said. “We didn’t want to see
that happen here more than it
already has.”
Steele said the questions had
been screened to avoid causing
a disruption during the ques-
tion and answer session.
“We didn’t want to see this
turn into a political ight,”
she said. “We wanted it to
be nothing more than giving
people the opportunity to see
what’s happening and what
has happened.”
T FEST
ES
V Oct. 22 I
8AM - 1PM
L
VA
Police Chief Richard Gray
said the recommendations
are all still applicable to John
Day.
Gray says the changes
won’t drastically affect the
day-to-day workings of the
department, but the communi-
ty may see social media activ-
ity, such as a Facebook page,
from the department. Gray
said social media is a tool that
could be used to better serve
and protect the community.
He also wants to improve
the department’s transparen-
cy, stating if someone had a
problem with an oficer there
is a good chance the interac-
tion was recorded. If an issue
with the way an oficer han-
dled a situation arises, a com-
plaint can be iled and it will
be looked into, Gray said.
One pillar Gray highlight-
ed was safety and wellness.
He said he regularly checks
The Eagle/Rylan Boggs
Jessica Campbell (right) presents information about the “patriot movement”
in Oregon at the Canyon City City Hall on Friday, Sept. 7. Campbell has been
traveling with a group called the Rural Organizing Project on a tour to inform
communities about the movement in Oregon. Cayon City was the seventh stop
on their 10-stop tour.
person who regards himself or
herself as a defender especial-
ly of individual rights, against
presumed interference by the
federal government.”
During a question-and-an-
swer session that followed the
presentation, Traylor said only
a few questions were answered
and many people’s queries, in-
cluding his own, were simply
ignored.
Traylor said he wanted to
pose the question, “How does
one tell the difference between
a good patriot and suspect ones
that were mentioned?” He at-
tributed the selective answering
of questions to the Rural Orga-
nizing Project’s inability to an-
swer some questions.
Grant County Positive Ac-
tion member Kay Steele said
she thought the meeting was a
success.
HA
R
POLICE
Kay Steele, Grant County Positive Action member
C elebrate the fall with our
annual Harvest Festival, a fun filled
end to our Farmers Market season.
There will be fruits, vegetables and pumpkins galore.
Baked goods, confections, treats and more.
Sewn goods, jewelry, wooden items, etc. There will
be games and crafts for the kids. Great music.
Our main attraction, the cider press, will be
working hard all morning. Just bring your apples.
JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK
PG-13 Jack Reacher must uncover the truth
behind a major government conspiracy in
order to clear his name.
FRI & SAT
(12:45) (4:10) 7:10 9:45
SUNDAY
(12:45) (4:10) 7:10 9:35
MON-THURS (12:45) (4:10) 7:10 9:35
OUIJA: ORGIN OF EVIL PG-13
A mother and her daughters add a new stunt to
bolster their seance scam business and
unwittingly invite authentic evil into their
home.
FRI & SAT
(12:45) (4:20) 7:20 9:50
SUNDAY
(12:45) (4:20) 7:20 9:35
MON-THURS (12:45) (4:10) 7:20 9:35
THE ACCOUNTANT R
For more information
Call Dale Rininger @ 831-596-0656
or visit us on Facebook
@JohnDayFarmersMarket
As a math savant uncooks the books for a new
client, the Treasury Department closes in on
his activities and the body county starts to rise.
FRI & SAT
(12:45) (4:00) 7:00 9:40
SUNDAY
(12:45) (4:00) 7:00 9:35
MON-THURS (12:45) (4:10) 7:00 9:35
$9 Adult, $7 Senior (60+), Youth
04696
taking advantage of failing ru-
ral Oregon economies where
a loss of jobs has resulted in
crumbling infrastructure and
law enforcement. Campbell
talked about the 2015 occu-
pation in Josephine County,
painting the picture of a com-
munity suffering from a failing
timber economy and drastic
cuts to law enforcement. She
described people attempting to
get restraining orders and being
told, by the judge, to get a gun.
In April of 2015, Oathkeep-
ers and members of the III%
occupied the Sugar Pine Mine
in Josephine County follow-
ing demands by the Bureau of
Land Management to provide a
plan of operations for the mine.
The incident ended the follow-
ing month without bloodshed,
and the miners were allowed to
continue mining.
Campbell said these patriot
groups gain inluence from the
inside by passing resolutions,
running candidates and re-
cruiting local law enforcement,
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04726
