A18
News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
OEA’s new president seeks conservative inclusion
By Paris Achen
Capital Bureau
John Larson has been in-
volved in working bipartisan
relationships since he was
born.
Both schoolteachers, his
mother was a Republican, and
his father was a Democrat.
As the freshly minted pres-
ident of the Oregon Education
Association, Larson hopes
to bring his bipartisan back-
ground to make the state’s
largest labor union more ef-
fective in building support for
public education.
“We tend to be viewed as
liberal organization, but real-
ity is more than one-third of
our members are conserva-
tives,” Larson said.
In his career as an English
teacher and union representa-
tive in Eastern Oregon, Lar-
son routinely worked across
party lines. He worked in both
the Morrow County School
District and most recently, the
Hermiston School District.
Larson, who is unaffiliated
with any political party, plans
to revive a plan for an OEA’s
Republican caucus, a group of
conservative educators who
want to advocate for public
education.
“We are in the beginning
stages but we firmly believe
as Oregonians we need all
to get on the same page,” he
said. “There is not a single
member who doesn’t believe
pub education is important.
We have differences on how
it should be funded, but there
isn’t anyone who doesn’t
think we should have public
education.”
Such inclusion may seem
at odds with an association
that most closely aligns with
Democratic candidates and
ballot measures. Larson sees
the shift as following the mis-
sion of the association to do
what is best for the students in
public education.
As the son of schoolteach-
ers in Montana, Larson grew
up in a culture that values
union ideals. His first stint
as union representative came
early in his career when he
volunteered as a building rep-
resentative for the Morrow
County Education Associa-
tion. He later served as pres-
ident for the association for
four years.
During his involvement in
OEA, he has served as bar-
gaining chair, president of
the Hermiston Association of
Teachers, the National Educa-
tion Association Board direc-
tor, NEA PAC captain, on res-
olution committees for NEA
and OEA, and on the OEA
Executive Committee.
He was elected as OEA
president in April and started
his four-year term July 10.
Capital Bureau/Paris Achen
John Larson, the new president of the Oregon Education
Association, hopes to bring his bipartisan background
to make the state’s largest labor union more effective in
building support for public education.
RALLY
Continued from Page A1
M. Bates, who died during the
demonstrations in Charlottes-
ville.
Lindsay Rausch and
Ashley Stevick, two local
women who organized the
John Day march, said they
brought people together for
the demonstration as an out-
let as well as a show of sol-
idarity.
“I was fed up with sitting
and reading and thinking and
stewing and not doing any-
thing,” Rausch said. “I think
that right now, with everything
that’s happening, we all need
to be doing something to let
our voices be heard.”
Rausch advocated for peo-
ple to talk to their families and
friends about issues like white
supremacy.
“We’ve dealt with this issue
here in Grant County,” Rausch
said. “It was just several years
ago where we had a neo-Nazi
group trying to purchase prop-
erty and trying to establish
headquarters here.”
She said she thought the
world took a clear stance on
the issue in World War II.
“It feels like we’ve already
dealt with this, and it keeps
coming back,” Rausch said.
Residents hold signs and chant during a march against
hate through downtown John Day Tuesday, Aug. 15.
Eagle photos/Rylan Boggs
Rosalinda Gonzalez, left, and Susan Church stand for a photo after a march against
hate through downtown John Day Tuesday, Aug. 15.
“If your friends give you
any crap about attending this
event, you need new friends,”
Stevick said. “Everyone
should be able to get behind
this anti-Nazi, pro-love mes-
sage, unless you are a white
supremacist.”
The march was nonpartisan
and included people of all ages
and all walks of life.
“I came out mainly to
show some solidarity in the
effort against hate groups in
America,” Dayville resident
Michelle Bartov
holds Annabelle
Raschio’s hand and a
sign during a march
against hate through
downtown John Day
Tuesday, Aug. 15.
John Fiedor said.
He said people need to
come together to counter or-
ganized hate, violence and
bigotry.
“You need to drive hate
back into the closet,” he said.
“It’s a skeleton. It needs to go
back in the closet and stay hid-
den.”
William Lloyd holds a sign showing a heart during
a march against hate through downtown John Day
Tuesday, Aug. 15.
Inshallah Ranch
REPORTER
Grant County, OR
The Blue Mountain Eagle, a family-owned weekly newspaper in a stunningly
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even national attention.
Despite the small-town charm, the residents are engaged and politically
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public lands grazing, water supply, wildlife habitat improvements and wildfire
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The position offers a wealth of breaking news and enterprise opportunities.
Serving the community for 146 years, the Eagle is the oldest weekly
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offers excellent advancement opportunities in a company that prefers to hire
from within. EO Media Group owns 11 newspapers and 17 websites that
provide accurate, fair and timely reporting about the people and issues
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We seek a journalist who is passionate about local news and excited about
the opportunity to publish in print, online and through social media.
Candidates must be able to develop story ideas, take photographs, develop
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The Inshallah Ranch is known throughout the state for its
exceptional big game hunting. Located in Grant County,
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Trophy bull elk in the 350-400 class, Mule deer in the
170-210 class.
9,900,000
$
Contact M.T. Anderson, 541-377-0030
or MTAnderson@CraterLakeRealtyInc.com.
• 12,000 deeded acres
• 2 USFS allotments
• 50+ springs
• 564 acres of water rights
• FREE irrigation water
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• 6 LOP tags for mule deer
• 6 LOP tags for elk
Linda L. Long, Broker
Crater Lake Realty, Inc.
Phone: 541-891-5562
linda@craterlakerealtyinc.com
195 N. Canyon Blvd.
John Day, Oregon
06023
Main Office: 541-783-2759
33550 Hwy. 97 N
Chiloquin, OR 97624
06024
