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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2021)
A4 OPINION Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, January 20, 2021 Legislature should pass records bills T he resignation of Or- egon’s former public records advocate, Gin- ger McCall, still echoes with consequences. First, over the holidays, The Oregonian reported on an investigation from Gov. Kate Brown’s offi ce. It concluded that a member of the gover- nor’s staff did not pressure McCall to take the governor’s side. An attorney hired by the governor’s offi ce authored the report. McCall has challenged it. Second, a related bill is on the Oregon Legislature’s agenda for the 2021 session. Legislative Concept 1478 attempts to make it clear that Oregon’s Public Records Advocate is to be an inde- pendent offi ce. The governor would no longer get to appoint the advocate. The state’s Pub- lic Records Advisory Council would. Oregon actually has good laws that are supposed to ensure the public gets access to government records and government meetings. But sometimes because of lack of training of government employees or a desire for secrecy, it can be hard for the public to get access. The pub- lic records advocate is sup- posed to help with both. The advocate position is relatively new. With any new position there can be a lack of clarity how it should work. McCall resigned, in part, when she believed Misha Isaak — now the former gen- eral counsel to the governor — was using his political power to exert pressure on her to pur- sue the governor’s agenda on public records but to tell no one. LC 1478 will not settle every question about how the advocate is supposed to oper- ate. It should help. The pur- pose of the public records advocate should be to improve understanding of the exist- ing law, help mediate pub- lic records disputes, point out walls blocking transparency and recommend fi xes. Another bill for the 2021 session, Legislative Con- cept 2036, is one of those fi xes. It would mean the Pub- lic Records Advisory Coun- cil would do a survey every even-numbered year. The existing law just says the surveys should be done “periodically.” The survey would be used to determine how state agencies and other public bodies are complying with the public records law — what fees they are charging, what decisions they have made about records that are exempt from disclosure and other questions the council deems appropriate. Oregonians can’t know how the public records law is work- ing without information like that. We urge the 2021 Legis- lature to pass both of these proposals. 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@ cityofl ongcreek.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. Blue Mountain EAGLE Published every Wednesday by OFF THE BEATEN PATH Lost and (hopefully) found I LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ‘Peace be with you’ Grant County voted for Trump. I’m ‘Those who ignore To the Editor: not sure how many are Christians, but history are doomed This is to the person who seems to I would guess at least 77.28%. I don’t take some kind of pleasure in writing know you personally. All I do know to repeat it’ letters to this newspaper in an attempt to insult the people who support our President Donald Trump. Referring to the latest letter, he called us “thugs” among other derogatory things. He insinuates that anyone who supports the President could not be a Christian and we are all evil. For one, I am very surprised this paper would give this person the audience he so craves in his attempt to shame the people who live in this county and country — 77.28% of the voting population in is what you seem to be trying to do is start something that is not positive. Well I do not believe you will suc- ceed because God is love, and we are all good people that honor our Lord and savior and law and order. You seem to be quite divisive. Hate will get you nowhere. Take a drive. God’s gifts are everywhere. You live in the most beautiful place there is. Peace be with you. Sandra Rue Prairie City To the Editor: “It doesn’t matter who votes, it matters who counts the votes,” attributed to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, the infamous mass mur- derer responsible for the deaths of 20 million Russians through delib- erate starvation or murder. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Dave Traylor John Day 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 SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com One year ..................................................$51 Monthly autopay .............................. $4.25 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Reporter ...................................................Rudy Diaz, rudy@bmeagle.com Reporter ...................................................... Steven Mitchell, steven@bmeagle.com Sports ........................................................sports@bmeagle.com Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery Online: MyEagleNews.com Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Offi ce Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, offi ce@bmeagle.com MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION sweater stall. In fi ve minutes, I’d purchased two armloads of sweaters. I exited Old Town, surprised to see that I’d actually been within a few feet of the sweater stall when I’d arrived that morning, which peo- ple with the “Ability to Get Lost” DNA gene frequently fi nd. Another favorite “get lost” trick of mine occurred in Vienna, Austria. Our tour leader announced that shortly the mag- nifi cent Lipizzaner stallions would be practicing at the Spanish Riding School and the public was invited at no cost. A map showed the way, which looped through the town. On foot, I’d never make it in time. No prob- lem. I employed the “shortcut” method, a favorite of those talented for getting lost. I drew a straight line to the venue and headed out. I ended up at the “Happy Needle Tattoo Parlor.” I did not employ their services but took off on one of those last-minute dashes utilized by those of us who fall for the “shortcut” route. Once, fi nding myself lost in deep woods, I shot off three quick shouts. “I’m lost! I’m lost! I’m lost!” “Don’t panic,” advised the sur- vival manual. “Stay put.” I was able to hyperventilate in place. I heard a mechanical whop, whop and knew the rescue crew was on its way. The driver of the golf cart gave me a ride, and that is how I was res- cued on the ninth hole of the rural golf course. Jean Moultrie is a freelance writer from Grant County. She advises that if one visits China to collect plants and uses a local map, it’s prudent not to mistake a mil- itary installation for a tree-fi lled arboretum. don’t wish to brag, but I possess turn left at Wolf Breath Hollow. a special talent. Then a right at McGuzzle’s machine I have the propensity, the shed. Don’t miss that turn-off or ability, the skill, the knack for get- you’ll end up on a dead-end dirt ting lost. road too narrow to turn around on Some people possess a sharp and no cell service.” sense of direction. They hike deep Much later — me returning a into the woods, get clunked call, a sharpness in my on the head by falling tree voice. “Did you mean branches and nabbed by Big- McGuzzle’s machine shed foot who blindfolds them that burned down fi ve years and spins them around sev- ago?” eral times. These direction- “That’s what happens ally fortunate people remove when you give a woman their blindfolds and locate direc…” Jean Ann their vehicle within 15 Phone disconnect. Moultrie minutes. Overseas travel gives me I dash into a grocery store additional opportunities to for bread and milk and spend 15 “get lost.” minutes lost in the parking lot trying The phrase, “Old Town,” has two to locate my car. meanings. 1. Unique shopping 2. My gift for getting lost mani- Place for tourists to get lost. fest itself at age 4. Mother, with her Take Tallin, Estonia, for exam- attention diverted by a new baby, ple. Easy day trip by boat from Hel- didn’t notice that I boosted my sinki, Finland. Old Town shopping younger brother into my red wagon draw — a stall selling reasonably and started off on an adventure. priced, hand-knit wool sweaters. I was an obedient child. Parents The map showing the sweater loca- taught that I should never cross the tion looked like the equivalent of a street without an adult. I obeyed. 10-acre Iowa corn maize designed I calculated that if I stayed on the by a computer in which several sidewalk I would circle the block dozen tourists are still missing two and end up back home. I couldn’t weeks after it closed. fi nd home, so I turned and headed Even I with my talent for getting back. Back and forth I went, lost in lost found this challenge daunting. our neighborhood. “Turn left at the corner near the A neighbor spotted me and called town square,” instructed a Tallin my mother. local. New rule: Stay in the yard. After At the corner, there were sev- Dad got home, my red wagon mys- eral turn-left options: sorta left, left teriously disappeared. with slight south hook, left with As an adult, taking directions gusto (dead-end), lefty left, etc. was fraught with misguidance. Pre- Impressive. GPS, the family installed a compass I spent the day lost in Tallin’s in my car. Even that wasn’t always Old Town, and it was only when I helpful. heard the boat whistle from the dock Over-the-phone directions I shriek a warning that passengers received: needed to board for their trip back “Go out Grizzly Paw Lane and to Helsinki that I stumbled onto the Phone: 541-575-0710 Copyright © 2021 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. 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