A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Mass timber
movement
aims high
A
mass movement is
underway in Oregon
— a mass timber
movement.
Mass timber is cross-
laminated timber — called
CLT — mass plywood and
other types of engineered
wood that turn lumber into
large, strong building materials
that can support multi-story
buildings. It’s been called
“plywood on steroids” and is
substantial enough to replace
steel and concrete. It’s “green”
because it comes from a
renewable resource — trees
— and sequesters carbon. It
also emits less carbon dioxide
during its production than
other materials.
While mass timber has been
used in places like Europe
and Australia for decades —
huge mass timber structures,
buildings and houses have been
built across those continents
— it’s just starting to catch on
in the U.S. That’s because U.S.
building codes typically don’t
include it.
Now, however, Oregon
codes allow its use. National
codes could also allow it within
a few years, opening the door
to wider use of mass timber.
The U.S. mass timber
movement had its beginnings
in tiny Whitefish, Montana, in
2011, when a 4,863-square-
foot commercial building was
constructed using CLT. It was
completed at a cost of $145 per
square foot and took five days
to build, according to the Wood
Products Council. The CLT
panels came from Europe —
there are now several sources
for it in the U.S. and Canada —
and the building was designed
using international building
codes.
A person doesn’t have to
be a construction engineer to
see the value of CLT — and
the potential of mass timber
in general. It is cost-effective,
easy to install and strong.
Oregon State University
and the University of Oregon
have created the TallWood
Design Institute to take the
lead in mass timber research
and development. The U of O
College of Design and OSU’s
College of Forestry and College
of Engineering have a platoon
of researchers working on new
products and designs, testing
materials and helping to chart
the future of mass timber.
The institute’s new $79
million building is also made
of CLT, though a glitch in its
production has set back the
construction schedule.
Elsewhere in the state, Freres
Lumber Co. in Lyons has
patented a new type of mass
timber called mass plywood.
The company’s owners say the
plywood panels can range up to
48-feet long, 12 feet wide and
24 inches thick, use 20 percent
less wood and are as strong as
CLT.
Other companies in the U.S.
and Canada are also pressing
ahead with innovations, making
the future of mass timber
virtually unlimited.
Already in the U.S.,
buildings as large as 156,000
square feet and eight stories
tall have been built in Portland.
Seattle allows the use of CLT in
buildings up to six stories.
But that’s just the beginning.
A 270,000-square-foot mass
timber structure is proposed for
Chicago, and a 220,000-square-
foot seven-story apartment
complex is planned for
Minneapolis.
And a 100-story mass timber
tower has been proposed for
London, England.
Now that’s aiming high.
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@cityoflongcreek.
com.
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
• 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.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
‘Mr. Webb’s
true intentions’
To the Editor:
I’m writing in response to a let-
ter to the editor published last week
in the Blue Mountain Eagle by Mr.
Mark Webb.
This is Mr. Webb’s response to
a letter by Mrs. Judy Kerr of Can-
yon City. Mr. Webb attempts to
paint Mrs. Kerr as a paranoid con-
spiracy theorist who’s afraid the
U.N. is going to take over Grant
County, but that’s not the reality of
the matter. Not only is that patent-
ly false, it’s part of a smoke screen
designed to conceal Mr. Webb’s
true intentions.
The reality here is that Mr.
Webb is doing the bidding of the
U.S. Forest Service, and Steve
Beverlin, Malheur forest supervi-
sor, in particular. As evidence, I
submit to you the following email
sent from Mr. Beverlin Feb. 13,
2018, to Grant County Court mem-
bers.
Please note Mr. Beverlin’s obvi-
ous concern for the very same ordi-
nances Webb is attempting to have
removed. Because this email was
sent from a federal government
official in the capacity of his role
within the government to a public-
ly elected official and concerning
public matters, there’s no reason
that Grant County citizens should
be prevented from seeing it. This
message was sent Feb. 13 from Mr.
Beverlin to the county commis-
sioners:
“Scott, Jim, and Boyd,
“I have attached a letter sent
to then Grant County Judge Mark
Webb in May of 2011 by then For-
est Supervisor Teresa Raaf high-
lighting the continued concerns of
County vs. Federal Jurisdictional
issues. The recent letters we all re-
ceived by now resident Mark Webb
raises these same issues.
“I noticed today that nothing
was on the Court Agenda for Feb-
ruary 14th to discuss it. I am con-
cerned that the Grant County Court
continues to delay addressing this
issue.
“I believe it is time to get clar-
ity around these issues and the re-
maining Grant County Ordinances
such as the UN Free Zone, Custom
and Culture, Legality of the For-
est Service, and Road Ordinance
which are interwoven with it. I
strongly urge you to move forward
in a quick manner to gain the clar-
ity needed.
“Thank you. Steven K. Bev-
erlin, Forest Supervisor, Malheur
National Forest.”
Sandy Rue
Prairie City
The wave
To the Editor:
Times do change. Sometimes
for the good and sometimes not.
When friends and family came for
a visit not too long ago, I was proud
to hear them comment about how
much they enjoyed people waving
at them as they drove by one anoth-
er. That is falling by the wayside in
today’s world.
I personally always enjoyed the
wave. Even from law enforcement
officers. I’ve noticed that the lack of
civility has changed by them also.
I know we don’t live in Mayberry
anymore, but if you get a wave, how
about one back? This would include
the men in the blue and black police
cars that serve and protect us.
Grant County can set a better
standard by this simple, friendly
action.
David W. Davis
John Day
Just showing up
To the Editor:
Someone famous once said,
“Showing up is 80 percent of
life.” If that’s true, then Jamie Mc-
Leod-Skinner is a winner in my
book. Jamie is showing up every-
where these days in Oregon District
2 — actually she’s been showing
up everywhere in ORD-2 for over
a year visiting and meeting people
in all of the district’s counties. But
where’s Walden?
Jamie’s message is clear: people
over party; support Oregon’s values
of creating jobs and a livable wage;
access to affordable health care for
all; support veterans; stewardship
of our natural resources; education
without debt; create and enforce
just laws; build strong communi-
ties; and protect our “Dreamers.”
And now we must all show up
in November and cast our vote for
change. Let’s be that 80 percent
(or more) that show up and vote
for all of us: the people that work,
teach, study, serve, retire, create
and enjoy all that ORD-2 has to
offer.
Lillian Koppelman
Medford
The United Nations
is a threat
To the Editor:
I thoroughly enjoyed Mr.
Webb’s response in a recent let-
ter to the editor and fully support
his inalienable right to voice his
opinion, although name calling
was a bit tacky. In rebuttal, how-
ever, I must point out that I was
only one of 58 percent (1,326)
of Grant County citizens who by
vote determined the U.N. was a
threat.
The proposed American Sov-
ereignty Restoration Act indi-
cates that Grant County doesn’t
stand alone in rejection of the
U.N., and there is a process by
which it can occur. As he point-
ed out, U.N. invasion hasn’t hap-
pened so we could hypothesize
the existence of the measure is
the reason.
He really must stop confusing
Oregon Revised Statues (ORS)
that prove ordinances do not
control the initiative process and
measures passed by voters. The
ORS’s he references actually sup-
port the formation of Ordinance
2013-01 (ordinance pertaining to
public road closures within Grant
County, Oregon, determined en-
forceable by county counsel).
In an attempt not to drag this
out and bore the feathers off a
chicken, if you would take the
time to look up ORS 203.030,
203.035, 203.060 and 203.111,
which outline the powers of gov-
erning body or electors, the defi-
nition of “governing body,” legis-
lative power by statute or charter
and basis for judicial review, you
might form your own interpreta-
tion of your rights as electors.
If the ordinance and the mea-
sures are so “useless,” why is it
so important that after 13 years
for the measures and five years
for an ordinance to seek their de-
feat, and who would benefit?
He calls it “scaremongering,”
but I call it a challenge to get
educated on what is happening
in our county and who is assum-
ing to control our economy and
public lands. Proving me right or
wrong matters little if it inspires
you to look for yourself. It takes
a lot of effort and intellect to of-
fend me, and to succeed I must
first value your opinion. Nice try,
though.
Judy Kerr
Canyon City
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 letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to
edit letters for length and for content. Letters must 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.
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
P UBLISHER ............ ..................... C HRIS R USH , CRUSH @ 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
A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT ........ M AKENNA A DAIR , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM
O FFICE A SSISTANT .................... A LIXANDRA H AND , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM
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
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