A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Winter a
time for good
Samaritans
S
ome days weather
makes for nice small
talk. Whether it’s hot,
cold, rainy, windy or just
perfect, you can always
strike up a conversation with
an acquaintance or even a
total stranger. It’s a shared
experience.
Other days, especially
days with snow, ice and sub-
freezing temperatures, weather
must be a shared experience.
We must look out for one
another, and especially the
most vulnerable among us.
It starts on the roads, one of
the most dangerous places to
be when winter hits hardest.
We always worry about the
“other guy” on the roads,
but remember you are the
other guy to other motorists
— take it slow, signal early
and, as always, get rid of
all distractions while you’re
behind the wheel.
And when that “other guy”
loses control, or gets lost, or
simply gets stuck, it’s time to
put on your good Samaritan
boots and help out. We’ve
seen many examples of this in
the past weeks, and know the
kindness of strangers is alive
and well in Eastern Oregon.
That’s the obvious, but we
implore our readers to consider
the less obvious as well. Check
in on your elderly or otherwise
susceptible neighbors, maybe
with a plate of cookies or
thermos of hot chocolate. It
can be hard to ask for help,
but if a friendly face shows up
to ask how you’re doing you
might be willing to express
a personal need, if only for
groceries, a shoveled sidewalk
or an extra blanket.
For those who may be
harder to reach, the sheriff’s
offi ce has offered to provide
welfare checks for people who
cannot be reached by phone or
under normal conditions. Just
provide the name and location
to the sheriff’s offi ce, 541-575-
1131.
With winter underway
with no signs of stopping,
abundant opportunities exist
to make a positive impact on
your neighborhood and those
around you.
Try not to let the “other guy”
on the roads bother you too
much and be a good Samaritan.
T HE B ACKROADS
The strength of our community
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
2016 was a turbulent year — in
Grant County, throughout our na-
tion and across the world.
From protests to heated election
rhetoric, the year was full of events
that divided us. Issues pitted neigh-
bor against neighbor and carved
chasms through our communities.
Yet, through the vitriol and po-
larization, the resilience of our rural
community and the genuine com-
passion for others could not be ex-
tinguished.
Despite the negativity that per-
meated Grant County, much as
it spread throughout the country,
the true strength of the communi-
ty shone through when people put
aside differences and pulled togeth-
er to support each other and the
common good.
From volunteerism — such as
Jim Jerome of John Day, who was
named the January volunteer of the
month for Boise’s Veterans Affairs
Medical Center — to the support of
local causes — such as December’s
Carrie Young Memorial that raised
$24,000 for local seniors in need —
the positive spirit of
the community was
evident in almost
everything that was
accomplished.
When
people
worked for the com-
Sean
mon good, they of-
Hart
ten achieved it.
Countless stories
of camaraderie grace the Eagle’s
pages from the last year, such as
when the Grant County Fair staff,
board and volunteers stepped up to
fi ll the large shoes of manager Mary
Weaver during this year’s event af-
ter her cancer recurrence.
When leaders from the cities
of John Day and Canyon City sat
down at the same table and listened
to each other’s concerns, they were
able to reach an amicable agreement
for water and sewer services.
These stories of success, tran-
scending trivial disputes and diffi -
culties, are what separate communi-
ties such as ours from places where
people merely live in close proxim-
ity.
In large cities, lost in the ano-
nymity of bustling crowds, people
may rarely see their own neighbors
or feel the bonds of common experi-
ence that unite a community.
But in rural America, where even
those who disagree share almost
everything in common — from
schools to stores, from entertain-
ment opportunities to economic op-
portunities — we are forced to inter-
act with each other. Seeing the faces
and hearing the stories of those with
whom we share the community pro-
vides a greater foundation for empa-
thy and understanding.
In Grant County, it is clear this is
what makes the community such a
great place to live — in 2016 or any
other year.
Not everyone will agree on ev-
ery issue, on the best way to over-
come any particular obstacle. But
when everyone agrees to work
together, we can overcome every
obstacle.
As we turn the page on another
year, I hope we all remember the
common bonds we share and what
makes Grant County great.
I hope we all remember the
strength of our community is our
community.
Sean Hart is the editor of the
Blue Mountain Eagle.
G UEST C OMMENT
New Year’s resolutions strategies
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,
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180.
Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes
Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised
Statutes).
• 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.
By Bryan Golden
To the Blue Mountain Eagle
Almost 90 percent of Americans
will make at least one New Year’s
resolution.
Less than 20 percent will suc-
ceed in accomplishing even one.
The beginning of the year is a
great time for life-improving resolu-
tions. Common resolutions include
losing weight, giving up smoking,
maintaining a budget, saving mon-
ey, fi nding a better job, getting
healthier, becoming more organized
and spending more time with fam-
ily.
Whatever your resolutions, here
are some specifi c strategies to help
you succeed. First and foremost is
to take the fi rst step, which is to
start. Without action, there will be
no success. Action creates results.
Intention alone will not work.
Have written goals stating what
you want to accomplish. If you
want to lose weight, how much and
by when? If you want to live with-
in a budget, what is the amount? If
you want to continue your educa-
tion, what school will you go to and
which classes will you take?
Take small but consistent steps.
Habits are formed by frequent rep-
etition over time. Change occurs by
the same process. A resolution is not
all or nothing. Partial change is OK.
Any progress in the desired direc-
tion, regardless of how small, is a
success. Accomplishing a resolution
is a process, not a one-time effort.
Positive goals are more effective
than negative ones. Rather than say-
ing you will eat less, resolve to have
a healthier diet. Instead of spending
less time at work you can endeavor
to spend more time at home. Bad
habits can’t just be eliminated; they
have to be replaced by good ones.
Identify potential obstacles so
they don’t surprise you. If you ex-
perience a setback, don’t give up.
Don’t blame yourself if you stum-
ble. Failure only occurs when you
stop trying. Diffi culties are an op-
portunity to learn. If you slide back-
wards, get back on track, get back in
gear and resume your progress.
Don’t keep your plans a secret.
Develop a support system utilizing
friends and family. Visualize how
great you will feel as you succeed.
Take credit for all accomplishments.
It doesn’t matter if your progress is
slower than you would like.
Don’t try to change too many
things at once or you risk becoming
overwhelmed and discouraged. You
can have a long list of resolutions
so long as you realize all of the
items don’t have to be addressed
simultaneously. Each accomplish-
ment can be followed by another.
Change can begin at any time, not
just on Jan. 1.
Believe in yourself and your
ability to change. Change can feel
diffi cult, uncomfortable or painful,
but you can do it. Become deter-
mined to succeed. Don’t procrasti-
nate. Although doing nothing is of-
ten an appealing alternative, it leads
to frustration.
Each day is a new opportunity
to work on your resolutions. If you
were successful yesterday, fantas-
tic, keep going. If yesterday was
a disappointment, today is a new
chance to make progress. Replace
the word “try” with “will.” Do
whatever it takes to get the results
you want.
Bryan is the author of “Dare to
Live Without Limits,” a self-devel-
opment expert, syndicated colum-
nist and professor. Contact Bryan
at Bryan@columnist.com or visit
DareToLiveWithoutLimits.com.
Copyright 2016 Bryan Golden.
L
etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is
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must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle,
195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.
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