A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Rainbow Gathering
response highlights
double standard
W
ith as much
environmental
scrutiny as ranchers
and loggers face, the response
by environmentalists and
the Forest Service to the
unauthorized Rainbow
Gathering on the Malheur
National Forest is perplexing.
While the Rainbow group
claims to care about the
environment and vows to
leave the forest better than
they found it, Forest Service
offi cials say tens of thousands
of people gathered in such a
small place causes numerous
problems for the ecosystem.
Yet the event continues every
year.
Where is the outcry from
environmentalists over this
unauthorized gathering?
The attendees won’t sign a
special use permit. The short
notice provides no time for
environmental assessments.
And there are many concerns
about water and wildlife.
Where are the protests?
Where are the lawsuits?
It seems the environmental
community has far less
concern over problems caused
by people with dreadlocks and
sandals than hats and boots —
despite the fact loggers and
ranchers maintain the local
economy and the infrastructure
needed to maintain forest
health.
The Rainbow group argues
its gatherings are protected by
the First Amendment right to
peaceably assemble. But most
groups are required to follow
the permitting process to
mitigate possible problems.
In response to this group
that refuses to follow the
process, the Forest Service
budgets $500,000 of taxpayer
money each year to mitigate
problems caused by this
event. Rather than punish the
unauthorized users, the federal
government picks up the tab.
Where is the logic and
fairness in that?
It’s a national decision —
and funding comes out of
the national pot — so local
offi cials should not be blamed.
In fact, the resource protection
work at the site by local
offi cials is likely preventing
some environmental damage.
But there appears to be a
double standard for the Forest
Service and environmentalists
when it comes to what types
of ecosystem damage are
acceptable — and by what
users.
Ranchers and loggers help
sustain our community, and
do it while navigating the
hurdles set up by government
regulations. At the very least,
the Rainbow Gathering should
be held to the same stringent
protections. And if the group
damages our public lands
beyond repair, such gatherings
should not be allowed in the
future.
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,
Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180.
Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
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.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
• 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.
• U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R — (Second
District) 1404 Longworth Building, Wash-
ington D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6730.
No direct email because of spam. Website:
www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-5774.
Medford offi ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112,
Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646.
Fax: 541-779-0204.
• Pending Bills: For information on bills in
Congress, Phone: 202-225-1772.
F ARMER ’ S F ATE
Pete the parrot
‘I
was gaining speed at an alarming
rate with no apparent way to slow
down. I tried putting my feet down to
act as brakes, but my flip flops quickly
caught fire so I aborted that plan. I had
to do something fast because at the
bottom of the hill was a stoplight and a
T intersection, and I didn’t think I could
make the turn at my rate of speed.’
By Brianna Walker
To the Blue Mountain Eagle
Some people are just born fun-
ny. My dad’s caveat to that is “fun-
ny looking, funny smelling, funny
sounding.” My brother-in-law is
funny and often funny in all of these
categories. Joe is quite the charac-
ter: 6 foot 7, skinny
as a rail and always
full of borderline
ill-advised adven-
tures. Such was the
case one Saturday
afternoon. Joe re-
calls it this way...
Brianna
My
buddies
Walker
John, James and I
were bored, so we
headed off to the beach to go bik-
ing — the scenery there was always
good on a sunny day. John and
James took their mountain bikes,
and I brought an old beach cruiser
I had purchased at a yard sale for a
few bucks. If I had to describe the
bike today, I would say it was quite
hideous, but back then I thought
it was the coolest thing around.
I added to its fl are by installing a
parrot, who I named Pete, onto the
enormous handlebars. Pete was a
squeaky toy I used to warn unsus-
pecting pedestrians that I was about
to pass them. The bike also sported
a seat large enough to be confused
with a mattress from a child’s crib.
We arrived at Newport Beach
in board shorts, Hawaiian shirts,
straw hats and fl ip fl ops. We un-
loaded the bikes out of the back of
my Jeep and started riding down
the boardwalk. Pete was having a
good time squeaking at pedestrians
as I huffed past them on my way to
nowhere. We eventually got bored
and began looking for something
else to do. We decided to ride up to
the top of a hill that overlooked the
ocean. This turned out to be quite
a workout since my bike only had
one speed and with the enormous
handlebars was nearly impossible
to stand up and peddle. I eventually
made it to the top and was rewarded
with great views and a snow cone —
mostly the snow cone.
We decided to head back down
the hill and get some dinner. John
and James took off fi rst. Not want-
ing to be last, I decided it was nec-
essary to pass them — which in-
volved getting on the sidewalk as
there wasn’t any room between the
traffi c and parked cars. I quickly
shot past them and decided to get
back on the street again. My brain
said it would be cool to jump off the
curb instead of waiting for a drive-
way entrance to rejoin traffi c. This
plan worked well — except for one
small problem. When I jumped off
the curb the chain fell off my bike.
On a beach cruiser with a single
speed, the chain is necessary as it
also runs the coaster brake — an
import function when going down-
hill.
I was gaining speed at an alarm-
ing rate with no apparent way to
slow down. I tried putting my feet
down to act as brakes, but my fl ip
fl ops quickly caught fi re so I aborted
that plan. I had to do something fast
because at the bottom of the hill was
a stoplight and a T intersection, and
I didn’t think I could make the turn
at my rate of speed. I began look-
ing around for something to crash
into. I spotted a perfectly manicured
hedge up ahead and thought maybe
that would be a good place for the
paramedics to pick me up. I’m not
sure how fast I was going when I hit
the hedge, but it was fast enough to
completely uproot two bushes and
destroy another.
Once the dust settled, I started
assessing the damage. I immediate-
ly checked out my Hawaiian shirt to
make sure it wasn’t torn — it wasn’t.
I noticed Pete had abandoned me
and the hurtling death machine. I
found him later in the bushes with
no feet. He doesn’t squeak the same
now. I think he hates me.
I put the uprooted bushes back in
place, picked up my chain and the
remains of Pete. He’ll eventually
learn that pain lasts but a moment,
but glory forever.
So if you are even feeling a little
bored, grab a “funny looking” old
beach cruiser, a “funny sounding”
squeaky parrot named Pete and a
brother-in-law named Joe. Your
parrot may unfriend you, but you
might make new friends with the
paramedics that come to pick you
up. And boredom will never be in
your vocabulary again — fear, trep-
idation and pain, perhaps — but
never boredom.
Brianna Walker occasionally
writes about the Farmer’s Fate for
the Blue Mountain Eagle.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Eagle’s page
priorities
questionable
Peggy and Marilyn’s exemplary ser-
vice is buried on Page A8? Really?
Al Olson
John Day
To the Editor:
A thought regarding the Blue
Mountain Eagle’s front page prior-
ities: Consider the Blue Mountain
Eagle’s article on June 21 buried on
Page A8 regarding two key School
District No. 3 teachers’ retirements.
Really?! And the “Rainbow people”
get top billing? Together, Peggy
Murphy and Marilyn Berry taught
our children for 52 years! The Rain-
bow people are committed to them-
selves and will likely never be back
again. Yet, a picture and article of
Rainbow Gathering
comes with a cost
To the Editor:
My heart goes out to the res-
idents of John Day and your up-
coming struggles with the Rainbow
Family gathering. Several years
ago, this group descended on our
area of southwest Montana and
caused a giant mess. Forget your
opinion of the people in the group
or their ability to use public land;
just focus on the costs associated
with them showing up. After they
left us, the state of Montana said
the US Forest Service costs were
$573,000. Our county reported a
cost in excess of $230,000 with
$193,000 being imposed on our lo-
cal hospital. How can a group like
this just pick a location and descend
upon that area and expect the local
residents to foot the bill and take
care of them? Articles are available
online about the costs associated
with this group. Good luck to you.
My personal opinion is that they
should be stopped before they even
get to your area.
Shannon Maness
Dillon, Montana
L
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Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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