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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 2020)
A4 OPINION Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Time to heed government warnings E astern Oregonians are typically an indepen- dent bunch who take great pride in overcoming challenges, from natural disasters to forest fires to economic downturns. Our independence is a hall- mark of a great culture, and it is one that resents outside interference or government overreach. We carry a muted skepticism of government, a sentiment rooted in the very foundations of our nation. We now face a steep chal- lenge regarding the COVID- 19 virus, and now is the time we must put away any inher- ent distrust of government and start listening to what our elected and appointed leaders and health officials are tell- ing us. The COVID-19 virus isn’t a conspiracy. It isn’t make believe. It isn’t part of some bizarre political plot to unseat the president. And it isn’t “just like the flu.” For one, the common influ- enza virus isn’t exactly a walk in the park if you happen to come down with it. It kills thousands of people every year and puts healthy people out of action for weeks. Com- paring COVID-19 to influ- enza isn’t really any compari- son at all. True, statistics show now that most of us, if we hap- pen to fall victim to COVID- 19, will suffer mild symp- toms. That fact, though, has never really been the point. The COVID-19 virus is very dangerous to older folks and those with underlying health conditions. At the same time, the American medical system isn’t geared to take on a mas- sive pandemic. That’s been the point all along — there might not be health care avail- able for those who need it. The measures instituted by the government and by states, including Oregon, are meth- ods to save the lives of people that are the most vulnerable. The closing down of restaurants and social distanc- ing measures are to protect everyone, but especially those who are the most vulnerable. That is why we all must pay very close attention to what our president is telling us and what his deputies are saying. We can’t shrug this off as just another common mal- ady, like a head cold, because it’s not. If we can mitigate the spread of this virus then we can buy ourselves time to develop a vaccine or treat- ment without an undue loss of life. If we ignore the guidance from our governor and our president, then we are simply putting other people’s lives — and maybe even our own — in danger. It is really that simple. Our independence is a treasured piece of our cul- ture. Now, though, is the time for all to heed the warn- ings and guidance from our government. WHERE TO WRITE 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: 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@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: governor.state.or.us/governor.html. • Oregon Legislature — State Capitol, Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180. Website: leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes). • 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: oregonlegislature.gov/Bentz. Email: Sen.CliffBentz@oregonlegislature.gov. • Rep. Lynn Findley, R-Vale – 900 Court St. NE, H-475, Salem 97301. Phone: 503- 986-1460. Website: oregonlegislature. gov/findley. Email: Rep.LynnFindley@ oregonlegislature.gov. WASHINGTON, D.C. • The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202- 456-1111; Switchboard: 202-456- 1414. Blue Mountain EAGLE Published every Wednesday by GUEST COMMENT SILVER LININGS By Rose Howe T his morning, as I sit in my easy chair, a shawl wrapped around my shoulders to ward off the chill that pervades the house, my thoughts are on the world at large. The fire is starting to take hold in the wood stove and the kettle will soon be boiling for the much needed first cup of tea of the day. Normally, I wake up and the first thing I feel is gratitude and thankfulness for hav- ing a new day stretching out before me. Today I woke up and still felt a sense of gratitude, but also a desire to write and share my thoughts on the situation that faces the entire world at this time. COVID-19, a wee little bug, that is creating havoc wherever it sur- faces. Striking terror in some, non- chalance in others but still evoking strong feelings as it makes its way relentlessly across the globe. The news media, for the most part, seems to add fuel to the fire by continu- ally painting a doom and gloom pic- ture along with their reporting. A pic- ture that often minimalizes the good things coming out of this crisis and emphasizes the negative. Hard as it may be, one can always find a silver lining if one looks for it. Living in a small community, a community that has a large popula- tion of older citizens that are con- sidered very vulnerable to this new virus, it cannot help but create worry and stress. Most folk living in the countryside tend to keep their pan- tries well stocked, their freezers often chockablock with frozen meats, veg- gies and fruit. That is often in part to living miles from a large city and the huge department stores city folk are used to having close by. However, our little family owned grocery shops do a wonderful job of keeping us local villagers well supplied with all manner of goods from fresh veggies to dry goods and much more. Folk in the country tend to be much more self-sufficient than our city counter- parts. While many in the big cities adage, “This too shall pass.” Yesterday, as I was heading home after teaching my EMT class in Spray, I passed numerous campers, trailers, cyclists and other “outsiders” along the road. They were camped at almost all the parks alongside the river. Even a couple of camps were set up on the gravel bars down by our old farm outside of Kimberly, folks no doubt from the big cities, wanting to get away and enjoy our country air. At first, I must admit, a grumbling issued from deep inside me. What were these people doing here? What were they thinking? Do they realize how much they could be straining local resources such as the local grocery shops or if they get sick, the local health care facilities? Then I realized who would not want to get away from the hustle and bus- tle and stress of the west side of the state at a time like this! It was inev- itable our wonderful little piece of heaven would be a balm to their soul. So during this time of stress and uncertainty, let us think thoughts of good health. Let us face tomor- row with a smile for our friends and neighbors. Oh, and let me add… when someone is sick and we EMTs turn up at their door dressed like we are about to enter a home full of alien invaders sprouting tentacles and covered in contagious slime, please know it is just protocols we have to follow. It does not mean the person we are helping has the dreaded bug; it means we are out there helping folk in their time of need. So give us a smile and thumbs up too as that pro- tective gear is hot to wear! Spring is here! Blossoms cover the trees in the orchard, bees are on the wing, birds are singing and frog songs fill the evening air. The sun continues to rise and each morning we wake up is a blessing. What will come will come, and we will all get through this. What wonderful little communities we live in out here in the wilds of Eastern Oregon! Rose Howe is an EMT in Grant County. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What’s the cost? Oregon has ‘What is going on ‘Support 588,000 K-12 school children. computers for all Chromebooks retail for about in Grant County Buying in bulk, cost would Oregon students’ $150. again?’ be around $58 million. To the Editor: What is going on in Grant County again? The four-year experienced emergency coordinator bypassed — why? Sheriff Palmer suggested emergency meeting of county court — why? Prior talk between sheriff and county commissioners occurred — when?? “No comment” from Sher- iff Palmer. Is this an indica- tion of the transparency his task force will display in handling this emergency? We would hope The Blue Mountain Eagle will dig deeper to find out what is really going on and monitor closely the emer- gency response. Sandy and Mark Murray Prairie City Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper Publisher............ ......................................Chris Rush, crush@eomediagroup.com Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com Reporter ...................................................Rudy Diaz, rudy@bmeagle.com Reporter ...................................................... Steven Mitchell, steven@bmeagle.com Sports ........................................................sports@bmeagle.com Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Administrative Assistant ..................Christy Smith, office@bmeagle.com Office Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, office@bmeagle.com MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION were dashing to the shops to stock up on toilet paper, country folk were feeling thankful for the venison and elk in the freezer, courtesy of hunting season last year! As the virus spread from coun- try to country, then across the United States, the realization that this relent- less bug might — no, would — even- tually make its way to Eastern Ore- gon became a certainty as county after county saw cases pop up. Plans were made by health care facili- ties such as clinics, hospitals, county health departments and ambulance services to prepare for the worst yet hope for the best. Maybe, just maybe, because we are somewhat isolated, somewhat away from the big cit- ies, our county could be spared for a while. Ah! Wishful thinking! The Oregon government has done a very good job some might say of keeping its citizens informed of the statewide spread of the virus. Before long, Deschutes County to the west of us and Umatilla County to the north had their first cases. It was creeping closer. The day the Grant County Health Department announced our first confirmed case of COVID-19, local social media lit up like a fireworks display on the Fourth of July! Everyone wanting to know who it was, how had they got it, where had they been, who was next? All of a sudden it was as if common sense flew out the window and mass panic cunningly slipped in and took its place! Neighbor started to look askance at neighbor, rumors started flying like shrapnel through the air — all because of a nasty little bug. Yes, this is a nasty little bug! An insidious invader of our shores that is wreaking havoc left, right and cen- ter. Disrupting our schools, our work environments, in many cases our livelihoods. Small businesses are being devastated; our local restau- rants and many little specialty shops may well be forced to close their doors. This is a trying time, yet we are strong and will get through this! My mind firmly holds on to the old Online: MyEagleNews.com To the Editor: It is urgent and imperative to provide for Oregon students’ educational needs while protect- ing their health and that of their teachers and communities. Let’s use a 21st century tool to avoid a bleak future for our state’s stu- dents, both immediately and in the long term. Internet-connected tablets and/ or laptops will allow students to continue to pursue their educa- tional needs. Devices with built-in cameras enable real-time inter- action with teachers and other students. Other states provide their stu- dents with tablets and/or laptops and Oregon can too. Already in Crook County, every high school student has a Chromebook and kindergartners have iPads. Stu- dents in grades 5-12 in the Sisters School District have district-is- sued Chromebooks. 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .........................................$45 Everywhere else in U.S. .......................$57 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery 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 Phone: 541-575-0710 Oregon’s public colleges and universities educate 162,000 stu- dents. A Dell Latitude 5300 retails for $1,300. The cost of a bulk purchase would be around $162 million. The issue of internet access can be significantly addressed via partnership agreements with inter- net service providers and using smartphones as mobile hotspots. Providing for at-risk students and those with individual edu- cation plans is important. And already hard-working teachers will need support to deliver effec- tive online classes. Finally, when the current C-19 crisis passes, computers will be well-used in regular and hybrid classrooms. Please consider urging your state legislators to support com- puters for all Oregon students. Kate Marquez Klamath Falls Copyright © 2020 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. facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews