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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2019)
A18 NEWS Blue Mountain Eagle Guns Continued from Page A1 one uses an unsecured gun to shoot another person or property. Some gun rights advo- cates oppose the legislation. Charlie Brinton, presi- dent of the Baker County chapter of the Oregon Hunt- ers Association, said it’s unfair to hold gun owners liable if someone stole their unsecured weapon and shot someone. The thief should be held liable, he said. Kevin Starrett, executive director of the Oregon Fire- arms Federation, said requir- ing that guns be locked up is “rendering firearms useless” because it will take too long to get the weapon out in an emergency. Relatives of the victims of the 2012 mass shooting at Clackamas Town Center wanted to impose the stor- age mandate through a bal- lot measure earlier this year. Their effort stalled after the National Rifle Association, the state firearms federation and other gun rights advo- cates challenged the bal- lot language in court. The Oregon Supreme Court dis- missed the challenge, but that left only a month for measure supporters to col- lect 88,000 signatures. State Rep. Barbara Smith Warner, D-Portland, and state Sen. James Man- ning Jr., D-Eugene, are now championing the stor- age requirement through legislation. “It codifies things that many reasonable gun own- ers do already: safely stor- ing your weapon, making sure kids can’t access it and if they do, that they’re super- vised,” Smith Warner said. If passed, the law would be called the Cindy Yuille and Steve Forsyth Act, named for two victims of the Clackamas shooting. Police said the shooter, Jacob Tyler Roberts, used a semiautomatic rifle he stole from a friend’s home. In what Smith War- ner described as a pub- lic health crisis, an aver- age of 456 Oregonians die each year from firearm inju- ries, according to the Ore- gon Health Authority. There is no data on how many of those deaths were the result of unsecured guns. Most states don’t require gun locks even though such laws effectively prevent sui- cides, according to the Gif- fords Law Center. In Massachusetts, the only state that requires all firearms be locked when not in use, guns are used in about 9 percent of youth sui- cides compared with 39 per- cent nationally, according to the law center. “I think that this legis- lation has the potential to have bipartisan support in the Legislature,” said Henry Wessinger, president of State of Safety Action, the Wednesday, January 2, 2019 group behind the proposed safe storage ballot measure. “If you are looking at what is the next gun safety pol- icy Oregon could imple- ment, this is the one that would save the most lives and would reduce the most amount of gun violence without preventing people from being able to purchase a gun who are currently able to purchase a gun or with- out telling people that they can’t purchase certain types of guns.” Gov. Kate Brown hasn’t yet proposed any gun reforms, though during her campaign for reelection she said she wanted to give the Oregon State Police more time to conduct background checks on potential gun buyers. “The governor looks for- ward to continuing con- versations with legisla- tors about which concepts should move forward to improve the safety of Ore- gonians,” said her press sec- Dayville Continued from Page A1 Funding Continued from Page A1 tier community with little human capital. On top of that, federal policy contin- ues to be disconnected from the realities on the ground, which includes Grant County’s difficult geogra- phy and terrain, he said. The declining local economy is a double-edged sword, Green said — the need for improved broad- band is high, but the market capacity is low. The broad- band coalition needs more public support and educa- tion, he said. Grant County has the second highest digital divide index ranking in Oregon, behind Wheeler County. Unlike many coun- ties in Oregon, Grant and Wheeler counties lack a long-haul broadband car- The Eagle/Richard Hanners A bow in the ridgeline of the Dayville School resulted from the weight of four layers of composition shingles topped with a layer of sheet metal, according to School Superintendent Kathryn Hedrick. the state to address struc- tural issues in the build- ing. Straightline’s estimate to remodel the gym is $1.5 million. rier, Green said. Christopher Mitchell, the director of the Com- munity Broadband Net- works Initiative at the Insti- tute for Local Self-Reliance in Minneapolis, traveled to John Day to facilitate the town hall meeting. He’s been working on broadband issues for 12 years. Mitchell bore grim news — while it is true that fed- eral funding for broadband had significantly increased, “help is not on the way,” he said. Most of the funding will go to the most orga- nized agencies because fed- eral officials typically don’t like to see failure, he said. He expected to see even more federal funding opportunities in the future, but accessing those funds would continue to be a frus- trating and difficult process. The Grant County Digital Network Coalition must be willing to “grind it out,” he The architects’ long- range facilities plan groups building issues into four main categories: • Deferred maintenance said — success will depend on local determination. Mitchell also empha- sized his belief in the importance of fiber connec- tivity, not wireless, which interestingly transitioned to a demonstration of wireless capability by ViaSat. The satellite internet company recently won a Connect America Fund 2 award and will provide 10,000 high- speed broadband connec- tions in Oregon. To demonstrate Via- Sat’s capabilities, two rep- resentatives set up a dish and receiver at the John Day Fire Hall and simulta- neously streamed the town hall meeting to the internet, downloaded a music video on a big-screen television and provided voice over IP telephone service, in which Green called a John Day dispatcher to say hello. Green explained that the coalition plans to run Intermountain Law, PC Welcomes Sean M. Jorgensen & Kimberley M. Mosier Attorneys at Law Sean has joined our firm effective November 06, 2017. He is licensed in Idaho and Oregon has been practicing law since 2016. His practice will focus on Civil Litigation, Construction Law, Family Law, Labor and Employment, and Landlord-Tenant Law. Kim has joined our firm effective September 17, 2018. She is licensed in Oregon and began practicing law in 2003. Her practice will focus on Estate Planning and Municipal Advising. Intermountain Law, PC David R. Auxier ~ Andrew G. Martin Martin Leuenberger ~ Krischele Whitnah ~ Sean M. Jorgensen ~ Kimberley M. Mosier 3370 10 th Street, Suite H, Baker City, Oregon 97814 (541) 523-6535 1513 North Whitley Drive, Fruitland, Idaho 83619 (208) 452-6535 www.bakercitylaw.com issues include parking lot paving; replacing roofing, soffit and facia on all build- ings; masonry work on all buildings; replacing all win- fiber to many parts of the county, but some locations are just too remote. In those cases, residents and busi- nesses will need to consider a wireless internet con- nection such as ViaSat or HughesNet, he said. While visitors from Long Creek and Bear Val- ley supported the coali- tion’s efforts to promote broadband access in Grant County, Bob Pereiro of John Day expressed his concerns about government invest- ing in what he said should be private industry. Pereiro noted that the $1.8 million the coalition received from the legislature was taxpayer money. Jennifer Barker from Bear Valley responded by pointing out that pri- vate industry hasn’t taken steps to improve broadband access. She said she used older satellite internet and CenturyLink at her home with mixed success. Looking to the future, Mitchell cited the exam- ple of rural electrifica- tion in the U.S. starting in the 1930s under the New Deal, which he said took 50 years to complete. Fifty years from now, people will have a vague memory of the time “they fibered the U.S.,” he said. dows and reopening the gym windows; replacing carpet- ing and floor covering in all buildings; refinishing the boys and girls showers and making repairs to the locker rooms; and caulking and repainting the exteriors of all buildings. • Safety and security issues include reconfigur- ing the main entrance to the high school and remodeling the reception area so peo- ple don’t enter through the cafeteria; installing instant lock-down and security camera systems; lead and asbestos abatement; demol- ishing and reconstructing the high school’s front entry on the steep north slope; extending perimeter fenc- ing; and covering exterior stairways. • Building system rec- ommendations include installing energy-efficient LED lighting; upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; improved ventilation to the locker rooms; replac- ing the hot water tank in the elementary building; and installing automatic irrigation for the play- ground and sports fields. • Accessibility rec- ommendations include a new ADA-compliant rest room in the high school; ADA upgrades to other rest rooms; moving the weight-lifting equipment off the stage to a wing attached to the gym; remod- eling the kitchen and replac- ing equipment; resurfacing the track; and new bleach- ers and nighttime lighting for the football field. In their facilities assess- ment report, Straightline recommended remodel- ing the 6,710-square-foot high school at $666,000 and remodeling the 6,291-square-foot elemen- tary school at $281,000. The cost to remodel the other buildings is estimated at $46,400. The cost to upgrade the athletic fields would be $215,000. All told, Straightline estimates the cost to make its recommended build- ing improvements at $3.7 million. Community input is sought at the school board meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 in the computer lab. The Eagle/Richard Hanners Pot Continued from Page A1 effect on the from the [sic] date of approval by the County Court.” The emergency clause for the tax ordinance is nearly identical to the emer- gency clause contained in the ordinance approved Sept. 26 that established land-use regulations for recreational marijuana businesses. The Grant County ordi- nance may also violate a state law requiring all tax-related ordinances to be referred to voters and a law prohibiting tax-related ordi- nances from being passed in a single meeting as an emergency. The county court cur- rently is transitioning its county counsel ser- vices from Roseburg attor- 1809 First Street • Baker City • (541)523-5439 BARGAIN MATINEE IN ( ) Adults $7 ALL FILMS $6 ON TIGHTWAD TUESDAY MOVIE SCHEDULE JANUARY 4-10 CALL FOR TIMES 541-523-2522 or go to www.eltrym.com $9 Adult, $7 Senior (60+), Youth Port of Portland, she said. • Ghost guns/3D printed guns — Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum wants to regulate “ghost guns” made from kits or through 3D printing. Such guns can be manufactured with- out a serial number and are untraceable. • Age to buy “assault” rifles — Legislative lead- ers want to raise the legal age to buy assault rifles from 18 to 21 but have not yet defined what guns would be covered. • Domestic violence loop- hole — Legislative leaders want to remove a loophole that allows some domes- tic violence abusers to keep their guns. “Right now, if you have a domestic violence restraining order, you have the opportunity to request a hearing for it,” Burdick said. Abusers “have learned that if they don’t request the hearing, they get to keep their guns.” Commissioner Rob Raschio speaks with Commissioner- elect Sam Palmer at Raschio’s last Grant County Court meeting Dec. 19. 97681 growth in the next 20 years, although enrollment fluc- tuated on average only 1.3 percent since 2009. District population was 423 in 2010 and is expected to reach 434 in 2020. Hedrick cited signifi- cant plumbing issues in the kitchen, which serves nearly all the students in the high school cafeteria. The roof of the 94-year-old building has several layers of asphalt shingles covered with metal, and the weight has caused it to bow in places, Hedrick said. The arching laminat- ed-wood beams support- ing the gym are splaying, which could cause pieces of the ceiling to break loose and the roof to leak, Hedrick said. While Straightline’s facilities assessment report recommends replacing the 9,728-square-foot gym at a $3.8 million cost, the dis- trict plans to apply for a seismic-upgrade grant from retary, Nikki Fisher. Other gun law changes legislators may consider in the next session: • Safe storage tax credit — State Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, wants to give tax credits to gun owners for buying a safe or lock for their gun. “That is still the incuba- tor stage of development,” Prozanski said. “I have been working with the rev- enue office looking at how such a program could be funded.” • Handguns in public buildings — Senate Major- ity Leader Ginny Bur- dick, D-Portland, proposes closing a loophole that allows people to take con- cealed handguns into public buildings. “A number of public enti- ties would like to have the option to keep anyone with a gun off the grounds,” Bur- dick said. Those entities include schools, universities and the ney Ron Yockim to Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter. The Eagle asked Carpenter if county counsel had reviewed the tax ordinance and whether state law had changed to allow a marijuana tax to be established without voter approval. “This is an issue that we need to work through to determine whether the ordinance was properly passed and what the coun- ty’s options are moving for- ward,” Carpenter told the Eagle. “Once this has been done, the county will be able to provide you with a better answer.” The ban imposed on rec- reational marijuana busi- nesses in Grant County was put in place by the county court in 2015. Voters over- turned the ban in May 2018 after a previous attempt in 2016 was unsuccessful.