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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2018)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, April 11, 2018 Adopt-A- Highway A fter receiving complaints about an Adopt-A-Highway permittee, the Eagle reached out to John Eden at the Oregon Department of Transportation for some answers. Eden looked into the situation, and ODOT will be rolling out some changes to improve the program in our district. Previously in the district, which includes Malheur and most of Grant and Harney counties, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers have been allowed to remain in the program by picking up litter along their designated stretch of roadway twice per year. Eden said long winters and wet springs led to that number, when other areas of the state were required to do so more often. However, as a result of a statewide effort to decrease trash along highways, all new and renewed Adopt-A- Highway permits in the district will require at least three litter pickup events per year. The pickups will be verified by the local maintenance office to ensure compliance. The complaints received by the Eagle focused on John Day Taxi, which has a permit on Highway 26 just west of John Day, but Eden said the business operated by Richie Colbeth appeared to be in compliance with the program. Eden said John Day Taxi applied to be in the program in January 2017 and completed its first verified cleanup in April 2017. Colbeth said he and his crew picked up litter four times in 2017. Going forward, Colbeth will be required to report the pickup operations to Eden directly, who will verify the work with the maintenance manager in John Day. The permit is set to expire in February 2019, and Eden said he will review the permit with the district manager at that time before a renewal is offered. Eden also said some people may have misconceptions about the Adopt-A-Highway program and what it is intended to do. “In all fairness to the John Day Taxi folks, I have learned that stretch of highway is a portion of the route taken by most to the local landfill, so part of the problem may be folks not covering or securing trash that is being hauled to the dump,” Eden said. “I would also reiterate that the Adopt- A-Highway program is not intended for the permittee to clean the roadside every time a piece of trash falls along the highway. It is intended to give folks an opportunity to help the community and the state by volunteering a few times a year to perform an organized cleanup.” Eden visited John Day and inspected Adopt-A-Highway permit sites. He said he saw trash in John Day Taxi’s area but also in an area adopted by Community Corrections east of town. “If there is a legitimate concern for the trash,” he said, “it is my humble opinion that the best results would come from pitching in to help pick up litter all over town or remind folks to cover their loads when going to the dump.” Eden said there are a variety of opportunities for people who’d like to help. People can join one of the current Adopt- A-Highway groups or adopt their own section of highway. Another program Eden said has worked in other communities is SOLVE, which started as a beach cleanup and has expanded into a volunteer operation in which people can create their own events: https://www.solveoregon. org/create-your-own-event. If everyone pitches in, a lot could be accomplished. It sounds like progress is being made regarding Adopt- A-Highway and litter, and we hope to see it continue. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Rand went above and beyond To the Editor: There’s an aspect of Officer Damon Rand’s accomplishments that’s been overlooked. He accept- ed the responsibility of searching for my missing nephew, Farren Stanberry. Back in June 1980, my mom, Beulah Harrison, and I dropped Farren off at the old Joaquin Mill- er campground. He wound up in San Francis- co and disappeared. After an ex- haustive, fruitless search involv- ing DNA evidence, he went as far as he could go, but at least he tried. Sandra Colbeth John Day If guns kill people, forks make people fat To the Editor: If guns kill people, do forks make people fat? They both have to be loaded, and action has to be taken before they are harmful. I have lived in Long Creek my entire life and have had many opportunities to hunt, especially with my dad and brother, but nev- er once did I ever see a gun just jump out of a vehicle and shoot an animal. Perhaps this could work as an alibi for poachers but not a legal hunter. The gun has to be aimed and the trigger has to be pulled by a person. Nancy Morgan Long Creek County court made hurried broadband decision To the Editor: After reading your article “Court signs on for broadband,” I have come to the conclusion that our county court just got rolled over by the ever-aggressive city of John Day. The statement for passing was “Improve the lives of residents in the county.” This was a hurried decision by the county court to appease a special interest, and the two vot- ing members need to reconsider and take all of the residents of this county into consideration. In the past couple years, they seem to put special interest groups ahead of the citizens. We all will be paying for this, and if we pay 60 percent of the li- ability, then the county should be the leading figure. What you did was create yet another government entity ac- countable to no one. There was no cost figured into it, antiquated method of delivery and, last but not least, the county should not be in competition in a private-run utility. Satellite delivery is going to be the future in internet and cell- phones. Overhead lines are a thing of the past. The city of John Day has tak- en action to get every grant, bond and community funding possible to fund its Seattle agenda. Not once, other than public safety, have I heard them cut funding to balance a budget. Like the county, I still haven’t seen any actual business model for this “Schumer” gateway proj- ect to be successful, and with all these grants only come more un- funded mandates. This, in turn, is their own whin- ing reason for a budget-control issue. Like the 911 levy attempt, they went another route on the in- ternet and were successful. Maybe it is time to get a coun- ty political action committee to oversee a way to guide the county court. This way the rest of the county will have a say in decisions. And as a person who has voted to elect both court members who voted yes, I will not vote for them this fall, and I hope this encourages others to vote Judge Myers out. Maybe we can reverse this action, as we can leave this intergovern- mental “agreement.” Robert Pereira John Day Ogden for BOLI commissioner To the Editor: Oregon voters should pay close attention to the May primary election for commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries. A very important choice will be made in this non-partisan race. I hope voters will support Lou Og- den. Lou has been mayor of the city of Tualatin for the last 24 years. His balanced and fair leadership has brought business and indus- trial development providing thou- sands of jobs and over a billion dollars of investment by the pri- vate sector. He wants to lead BOLI as the driver for skills training and ap- prenticeship programs that will put employees into living-wage jobs and provide high school grad- uates an alternative to college. Lou is an insurance broker, farmer, husband and father. He has the vision, experience and proven record of leadership nec- essary for the job. Gary Wilhelms Portland Free trade To the Editor: Free trade has been our pol- icy goal since World War II. To achieve this goal, the United States made favorable trade deals first with Europeans and Japanese, then with “third world” countries. We held most of the world’s gold reserves and most of the intact in- dustry. Over time, we exchanged gold for Arab oil; purchased low-tariff cheap foreign goods instead of our own highly regulated and union- priced products; and invested in multi-national corporations while closing our manufacturing. Nearly $1 trillion more is going out than coming in. The elites who own these multi-nationals also own our national debt and bene- fit from government tax, spending and borrowing. Who owns the ca- ble news networks? The same elites who own these multi-nationals gave $33 billion to the Clinton Foundation and dictate fake news! They would control world economies, soci- eties and governments! Trump is challenging these powers that be! Michael F. McCarthy Hayward, California 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@centurylink.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: Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY cityjd@centurytel.net. • Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@ cityoflongcreek.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@ Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper I NTERIM P UBLISHER .............K ATHRYN B. B ROWN , KBBROWN @ EOMEDIAGROUP . COM E DITOR & G ENERAL M ANAGER ... S EAN H ART , EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM R EPORTER ............................... R ICHARD H ANNERS , RICK @ BMEAGLE . COM C OMMUNITY N EWS .................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM S PORTS ................................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM M ARKETING R EP ....................... K IM K ELL , ADS @ BMEAGLE . COM O FFICE M ANAGER ..................... L INDSAY B ULLOCK , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM O FFICE A SSISTANT .................... A LIXANDRA P ERKINS , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM 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. Web- site: www.governor.state.or.us/governor.html. • Oregon Legislature — State Capitol, Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180. Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes). 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .....................................$40 Everywhere else in U.S. .....................$51 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Email: www.MyEagleNews.com Phone: 541-575-0710 • Oregon Legislative Information — (For updates on bills, services, capitol or messages for legislators) — 800-332-2313. • Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario – 900 Court St. NE, S-301, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-1730. Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/Bentz. Email: Sen.Cliff- Bentz@oregonlegislature.gov. • Rep. Lynn Findley, R-Vale – 900 Court St. NE, H-475, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-1460. Website: www.oregonlegislature.gov/findley. Email: Rep.LynnFind- ley@oregonlegislature.gov. Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Copyright © 2018 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. www.facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews