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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2018)
Election 2018 Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, April 25, 2018 A7 Preston wants common Stinnett dedicated to justice system sense in justice court By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Grant County justice of the peace candi- date Harold Preston, 71, Prairie City, grew up in Grant County and graduated from Prairie City High School. After a time in the Army, he attended col- lege and graduated with a bachelor’s in edu- cation at the University of Idaho and later a master’s in education from the University of Forest Grove. After teaching and working in the private sector, Preston went to Alaska in 1990. After working on a tugboat, he was hired at the state maximum security prison, where he worked for 13 years, rising from disciplinary sergeant to lieutenant. He next worked six years as head of se- curity and safety at a gold mine with 300 workers north of Juneau, followed by three years as head of security at the federal build- ing in Juneau. Preston then retired and re- turned to Grant County. Preston said it was important for a justice of the peace to keep an open mind and be fair, and to show compassion while using common sense. He said he grew up here and understands when someone is not paying close attention and accidentally speeds in their car. “Those things happen,” he said. “Of course, if it was a pattern, then we would need to treat it more harshly.” Harold Preston Fining a person $500 when they don’t have the money and won’t have it any time soon is a situation that calls for adjustment, Preston said. Requiring a person with financial hard- ships to complete commu- nity service just takes that person out of the job market, he said. “He’s not getting paid and not being pro- ductive at putting food on the table,” he said. Preston said he’d prefer to talk to busi- ness owners who need workers to see if they could hire these people temporarily while they pay off their fines. A justice of the peace needs to use common sense when handling landlord-tenant cases, Preston said. He said he’d hate to see tenants thrown out, but if they’re not paying rent or trashing the place, it’s unfair to the landlord. “If they’re driving a nice new car and buying New York steaks, that would tell me they’re deadbeats,” he said. Preston said he has the experience to handle the management requirements at jus- tice court. “I’ve never had an employee that com- plained about me,” he said. Preston said he decided to run to provide voters with a choice. “Nobody should run unopposed,” he said. Grant County Justice of the Peace Kathy Stinnett, 59, John Day, is running for a second six- year term. She won a three-way primary race in May 2012 with 72 percent of the vote to suc- ceed Terry Farrell as justice of the peace. Stinnett grew up in Grant County and graduated from high school here with honors. She and her husband owned a plumbing business for 25 years. “I’m a self-taught book- keeper and business manager,” she said. Stinnett served on the coun- ty planning commission from 2000-2008. She served as a Grant County Justice Court Clerk from 2009-2013 and as Grant County Justice of the Peace Pro Tem from 2011- 2012. She has attended the Na- tional Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, as required by statute. “The office is unique in that a justice of the peace is both a state court judge and a county elected official,” she said. Justices of the peace pre- date Oregon statehood, she said. Justice courts are courts of limited jurisdiction that han- dle violations, misdemeanors, small claims, evictions and other criminal or civil matters. Stinnett Kathy said she spends Stinnett about 40 per- cent of her time handling misdemeanor crimes, about 30 percent on traffic vio- lations and about 30 percent on small claims and civil matters. The court also handles city or- dinance violations for John Day, Canyon City, Prairie City, Mt. Vernon and Long Creek, she said. Stinnett also is serving her second one-year term as pres- ident of the Oregon Justice of the Peace Association, which seeks to preserve local court systems against a movement to consolidate courts. “There is no guarantee we will have these court systems in the future unless we advo- cate for why counties need them,” she said. Currently, justice courts are independent of the Oregon Ju- dicial Department and justices of the peace are elected locally, but that could change, she said. “We are constantly having to be aware of changes that threaten local court systems,” she said. “It’s our biggest chal- lenge.” Stinnett said she works full time, “which means 24/7,” while her clerk works a four- day week. As a result, Grant County Justice Court is closed on Fridays. “It’s a challenge to run the court the way it should be – professionally, fairly and serv- ing the needs of the people,” she said. Stinnett said she recognizes the county’s budget constraints, but the case load has increased and there is a need for the court to be open on Fridays. “The county is bearing 100 percent of the cost of running Justice Court and receives only a portion of the revenue that is collected,” she said. Part of her job is educating people about the court, whether they’re appearing in court on a charge or someone she meets in public. “I am dedicated to provid- ing access to justice for local citizens and passionate about preserving justice courts in Or- egon,” she said. “I want to con- tinue to work on these things. I don’t want to walk away from the goals I have set for myself.” ELECTION Candidates Continued from Page A1 • County judge: Jim Hamsher, Scott Myers • County commissioner: Tanner Elliott, Gordon Larson, Ar- chie Osburn, Sam Palmer, Richie Colbeth staunch critic of the initiative but “you can’t stuff it back in the bottle” and that he would support a tax if the initiative passes. • Justice of the peace: Harold Preston, Kathy Stinnett • District attorney: Jim Carpenter Natural resources and conflicts All the judge and commis- sioner candidates said they backed a 1999 ordinance in support of the county’s culture and custom, but Larson said he had concerns about coun- ty laws challenging federal supremacy. Commissioners should look out for potential legal conflicts, and if people don’t like a law they should follow the legal process to change it, he said. Larson also said he had “grave concerns” about a county ordinance claiming ju- risdiction over roads on feder- al lands. He said he got along with Malheur National Forest Supervisor Steve Beverlin and believed in the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution. He add- ed that he believed he could advocate for people who dis- agreed with him. Commissioner candidate Archie Osburn said he strong- ly opposed the creation of a natural resource adviser po- sition for the county. He said he can work well with federal agencies and he’d rather see the funding used elsewhere. Ending divisiveness The Eagle/Richard Hanners Grant County Judge candidates Scott Myers, left, and Jim Hamsher talk before the start of a candidate forum at the Trowbridge Pavilion in the Grant County Fairgrounds on April 22. County court members should stay on top of issues, he said, adding that it could be a long time before the county found out if they hired the right per- son for the position. Larson said he supported the position with limitations, citing concerns he had with similar positions in other coun- ties where the position became too strong. Myers said the position had become a “hot topic lately.” Re- lations between the county and the Forest Service were much better than in the past, he said. Several candidates objected to Elliott’s suggestion that he was the only candidate with no conflicts of interest. Palmer noted that his brother was sher- iff, but county budget decisions were made by a committee, and the sheriff’s office rarely asked for a budget increase, so he saw no significant problems. People in public office needed to recognize conflicts right away and determine their significance, Myers said. Ham- sher noted that situations may arise as “perceived, actual or potential” conflicts, and pub- lic officials should always re- cuse themselves and always be transparent. Kathy Stinnett, the incum- bent justice of the peace, said she was fiercely patriotic and proud of the oath she had tak- en, and she supported keeping local justice courts. Her chal- lenger, Harold Preston, said he filed because he believed no one should run unopposed, and if elected he would be humble and educated. Incumbent District At- torney Jim Carpenter, who is running unopposed, said methamphetamine use in the county has become a major issue. A shortage of police officers and passage of a bill making meth possession a misdemeanor was making the problem more difficult, he said. Several candidates empha- sized the need for the county to heal and for residents to end their divisiveness. Palm- er called the last election cy- cle “very disheartening” and “ugly,” with threats that need- ed to stop. Hamsher suggested that social media made it too easy for people to criticize each other. Myers said he believed he could work alongside any of the other candidates. Above all, Myers encouraged every- one to vote. Commissioner candidate Richie Colbeth was called away and didn’t participate in the forum. “It wasn’t an emergency,” Colbeth later told the Eagle. “It was at the point when I realized that I had absolutely no business even sitting at the same table with those gen- tlemen. I apologize and wish them well. Whoever wins, know that Grant County is in good hands.” A TTENTION G RANT C OUNTY V ETERANS : Did you know a service-connected disabled veteran is entitled to FREE use of Oregon State Parks? Michael B. DesJardin Dentistry, PC See your Grant County Veteran Services Officer today for more information, Katee located at Grant County Courthouse. Hoffman Preventive, Restorative & Endodontics 49487 New Patients Welcome! 208 NW Canton John Day 541-575-2725 mbddental@live.com michaelbdesjardindmd.com Call 541-620-8057 for an appointment 530 E. Main, Ste. 5, John Day, OR 49762 Help is available for victims of sexual assault in Grant County. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, please call: A man wakes up in the morning after sleeping on an ADVERTISED BED, in ADVERTISED PAJAMAS. Heart of Grant County 541-620-1342 Grant County Victim Assistance Program 541-575-4026 He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR, have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE. Then it’s too late. Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it! 52807 AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK? DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE Blue Mountain Eagle MyEagleNews.com Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710 Remember: sex without consent = sexual assault This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-WR-AX-0008 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/ program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Designed by the Blue Mountain Eagle 45063
