A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Innovation
will take
dedication
T
he city of John Day’s
purchase of the Oregon
Pine property for the
John Day Innovation Gateway
has amazing potential to
revitalize the community,
but the project will require
dedication.
By transforming the old
mill property into an attractive
feature for visitors and the
community — with walking
trails, river access, botanical
gardens, ponds, event spaces
and more — the city can usher
in its own future.
In a county with the highest
unemployment rate in the state,
with declining populations
and poor economic outlook,
visionary ideas such as the
Innovation Gateway are
essential. Outside entities
cannot be expected to stop the
spiral. The community must
command its own destiny.
City Manager Nick Green,
in his fi rst year on the job,
should be commended for his
efforts to inspire and create a
long-term plan to improve the
city’s viability and livability.
As part of his growth strategy,
this targeted investment on
the Innovation Gateway
has the possibility to attract
new residents, provide new
recreational opportunities and
create new economic growth.
The site location is excellent.
Along the northern side of
Highway 26 on the west side
of town, the area could be
converted into an appealing
gateway, welcoming visitors
and replacing the current
view of what once was with
a vision of what will be. The
riverfront trail would be an
excellent feature for visitors
and residents alike.
But turning the property into
something residents can be
proud of will not be easy. The
purchase itself only provides
the possibility. Making the
investment pay off will be the
hard part.
Having land outside
the fl ood plain for the new
wastewater treatment facility
will be benefi cial, but 50 acres
is more than a bit excessive
if that’s all that develops.
Taxpayers will not and should
not be happy if this half million
dollar purchase sits idle, failing
to provide tangible benefi ts.
This investment in the land
will only set the stage for future
investments in the individual
projects that could comprise the
Innovation Gateway, which will
require continuous investments
to maintain. If the gateway
inspires growth, it could pay
for itself. If not, maintaining it
could be costly.
We hope Green has the
determination, dedication and
desire to follow through on his
lofty ambitions. If the Innovation
Gateway succeeds, the city will
be in a much better position.
In the face of decline,
we need change. We need
bold ideas. We need strong
leadership. We need a positive
but realistic outlook.
With strategic planning,
sound management and
community support, the
Innovation Gateway may be
exactly what we need.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Surprised
and perplexed
To the Editor:
I am surprised and perplexed by
the number of negative comments
that continue to be voiced and/or pub-
lished about the Blue Mountains For-
est Partners and Mark Webb. I have
read the rules for a 501(c)(3), includ-
ing the disclosure rules and the hiring
and payment of an executive director,
etc. I heard the summary of BMFP’s
major accomplishments presented to
the County Court. I have also perused
BMFP’s informative website. Since
it formed in 2006 (and with mem-
bership and participation from a very
wide range of community members),
they have completed a huge amount
of work with and for the communi-
ty. Their work has clearly resulted in
more logging, better forest conditions
and more jobs in the community.
They also insist on positive and pro-
ductive attitudes and behavior, which
I fi nd refreshing in this county.
On the other hand, the Grant
County Public Forest Commission
was created in 2002. I have always
been confused about their purpose
(per their original document), almost
never saw a meeting announced or
any minutes and, after 15 years, I
have yet to see any actual results from
their existence. In fact, when I have
heard GCPFC members speak, I have
heard only complaints and criticism.
Totally unproductive.
Am I missing something?
I am thankful and proud that Grant
County has the BMFP, directed by
Mark Webb, with full participation
of a diverse board and membership,
and with a well-researched and coop-
erative and collaborative approach,
doing so much for the economic well
being of our county.
Vicki Thompson
Mt. Vernon
From the ‘other side
of the mountain’
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 ongcreek.
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
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
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 Capi-
tol, 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. Web-
site: www. leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon
Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes).
• State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario
(District: 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.
To the Editor:
I am writing to the people of
John Day from the “other side of
the mountain.” Years ago, I came to
John Day from Portland to work at
the Blue Mountain Hospital, and I
still consider myself someone who
belongs among the people I grew to
love. I grew up on a ranch, can ride
a horse still at 76 somewhat decently
and know something of what it takes
to put up hay and the other things
that are a part of a rancher’s life. Re-
cently I wrote an email to Rep. Greg
Walden on behalf of the people who
live in John Day. What I said to him
was “if you are going to push a health
insurance bill through Congress that
removes people from John Day from
getting health insurance I am person-
ally coming to ‘the other side of the
mountain’ to see that someone else
represents them.” There are so many
issues that we on this side of the
mountain do not understand about
what people who work in timber and
ranching need in order to survive.
We have just passed a gas tax on fuel
to cover the tax loss to the state be-
cause people in the city are buying
hybrid cars and the state revenue is
down. What I know is that this is a
sorry addition to the diesel costs for
pickups and other equipment. This
by way of saying that there are peo-
ple here like myself, who want very
much to stop the rural/metropolitan
divide and work together with people
in John Day to assure there is health
insurance for the people, school fund-
ing for the children and fuel costs to
insure that we all survive this diffi -
cult time together. Please, if someone
reads this and has a community group
that I/we can help, let me know.
Jean Powrie
Portland
‘Challenge the opinion,
not the person’
To the Editor:
In the May 3 issue of the Blue
Mountain Eagle, a letter from Fran-
ces Preston was published. It was
clearly an attack on Judy Schuette.
The letter did include Ms. Preston’s
opinion on the County Court’s man-
agement of payments, but it also
personally attacked Judy Schuette.
The Blue Mountain Eagle’s own
policy on letters to the editor states:
“Letters Policy: No personal at-
tacks; challenge the opinion, not the
person.” If this letter is not consid-
ered a personal attack, then I need
to return to school to learn what a
personal attack really is.
Permitting this letter to be pub-
lished lowers the standards and ci-
vility of the Blue Mountain Eagle
and violates its own policies. This
also seems to give encouragement
to others to expect their personal at-
tacks to be published.
Please return the Blue Mountain
Eagle to its own guidance that we
all are supposed to follow, to “dis-
cuss opinions and no personal at-
tacks.” The license to write person-
al attacks and have them published
is disturbing.
Eva Harris
Canyon City
Poor headline
validates attacks
To the Editor:
I appreciate very much your ar-
ticle (May 3) about forest harvest
volume alternatives as proposed by
the Forest Service, but I am appalled
by your choice of headline.
The Oxford Dictionaries chose
“post-truth” as the word of the year
in 2016. That is a refl ection of the
pervasiveness of lies, half-truths,
innuendo, fake news, misrepresenta-
tions and alternative facts in much of
today’s media.
Your choice of “ALTERNATIVE
FACTS” as your headline is very clev-
er and accurate in its own way, but it
also serves to validate the use of “alter-
native facts” by the Trump administra-
tion to both mislead us and attack the
integrity of the press. Seems to me any
newspaper would be naturally sensi-
tive to the use of that term.
Maybe I’m an extremist in my
belief in and commitment to the truth
and overly sensitive to any assaults on
the truth. Or maybe I am suffering a
diminishment of my sense of humor
in my old age.
Richard Thompson
Mt. Vernon
Integrity of voting
process preserves
democracy
To the Editor:
Beyond the personal attack
by Frances Preston against Judy
Schuette in a letter to the editor in
last week’s Eagle, Preston made false
claims that cannot be left to stand.
Incredibly (and mistakenly), she
requested the county court to make
Mrs. Schuette pay the legal costs
associated with an investigation re-
quested by the County Clerk in or-
der to determine the voting status of
Preston’s nephew, John D. George
of Mountain City, Montana. County
counsel is on retainer, and his service
was appropriately requested and used
by the county clerk to sort out confus-
ing details in George’s peculiar resi-
dency status.
Preston blames Mrs. Schuette for
asking why a man, who maintains a
seemingly permanent abode in Mon-
tana where he is fully employed, is
voting in Grant County? There is
nothing unique in asking that ques-
tion; others have asked the same.
Preston claimed her nephew’s status
as a resident was established by the
county clerk sometime earlier before
the investigation. This is absolutely
not true. If it had been previously es-
tablished, there would have been no
need to investigate it.
Preston made an odd reference to
John George’s political position about
Blue Mountains Forest Partners. This
is irrelevant to his residency status.
The out-of-context injection of Julie
Carr’s dealings with the Secretary of
State Election Division (over her du-
ties as chief petitioner of the recent
recall effort) made no sense in this
discussion about George’s confusing
residency issues.
I listened to John George give
testimony about his residency sta-
tus, and had no problem wondering,
“How could the county clerk have
unraveled the confusion without duly
investigating it?” Several times coun-
sel had to ask Mr. George to repeat
his information to obtain clarity.
The takeaway from this? When
Brenda Percy, or any citizens ques-
tion or verify that election rules are
followed, democracy is protected.
She did the right thing in conducting
this investigation. Thank you, Judy
Schuette, for helping preserve the
integrity of the voting process. And
thank you for your personal integrity.
Frances Preston owes Judy
Schuette a full apology.
Kay Steele
Ritter
See LETTERS, Page A5
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 good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you
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be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for
questions. We 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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