A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
OUR VIEW
Should
Oregon divest
itself from
Russia?
S
tate Treasurer Tobias Read has faced calls to pull state
investments out of fossil fuels and NSO Group, an Israeli
company whose software was used to spy on people’s
phones. And now there are questions about state investments in
Russia.
His offi ce told the Baker City Herald the state has $135 bil-
lion in assets under its management. They ran the numbers and
of that about $122 million is invested in bonds, public equity
and currency connected to Russia.
Is Oregon going to pull that money? Not at the moment.
Should it?
“We support the people of Ukraine,” Read said in a statement
that was sent to us on Feb. 28. “I’ve asked my team to fully
evaluate the portfolio’s exposure to investments in Russia and to
identify our options as institutional investors. I’m also meeting
with the U.S. Treasury this week to determine, with their guid-
ance, any opportunity we have to aid the U.S. response.”
Read has pointed out Oregon’s investment policy is about
making money and doesn’t allow purely political divestment.
“We are to ‘make the moneys as productive as possible’ (ORS
293.721) and the ‘investment funds shall be…managed as a
prudent investor would do…’ (ORS 293.726). This means we
cannot insert personal or political preferences into our invest-
ment decisions,” Read and other members of the Oregon Invest-
ment Council wrote in a letter in 2021 to Senate President Peter
Courtney about investments in fossil fuels.
What’s also interesting about that letter is that they did not
ask for more authority to make investment decisions based on
political factors. In fact, they cautioned against it. They argued
they did not believe it was an eff ective way to change corporate
behavior. There could be fi nancial penalties for pulling out of
certain investments.
As you might expect, if that is his perspective, Read did not
ask this legislative session for changes, either. To be fair to
Read, he didn’t know Russia would invade Ukraine or what the
international response would be.
Do you believe the people managing Oregon’s investments
should have more authority to make investment decisions based
on political decisions? In some cases? In the case of this Rus-
sian invasion? You can tell Read what you think at oregon.trea-
surer@ost.state.or.us.
There is a short summary on the treasurer’s blog about invest-
ments and fossil fuels at tinyurl.com/ORfossilfuels.
FARMER’S FATE
Finding the magic in everyday life
I
love life. Even on the most stress-
ful of days, there is always a little
magic sitting silently in the corner
just waiting to be noticed.
There are many life skills I hope
my kids learn. But one that I hope is
instilled in their bones is to fi nd the
magic in each situation — being able to
fi nd the little things that come to cheer
us every day: the sunshine, a good
meal, a card, a smile, a book, the cour-
tesy of a stranger, the thoughtfulness of
a friend.
Each night, as we’re tucking them
in, we always ask what their favorite
part of the day has been. Some days
the answers are obvious: “Shooting my
new bow” or “Going snowmobiling.”
Other times, their answers create lumps
in our throats: “Laughing during that
funny chapter in our book today,” or
“Making a pillow for Grandpa.”
This last month we have had to
look extra hard for the magic. My hus-
band caught a bug before Christmas —
and kind compassionate me, couldn’t
decide if it was a real, nasty bug, or he
just wanted the opportunity to watch
all the Herby movies. During the day
(after several cups of coff ee), I was
almost believing he was truly sick —
but during the night (as I’m trudg-
ing out in the dark to take care of new
baby lambs), I am convinced it’s just
another case of the Man Flu.
No sooner was he on the path to
recovery — perhaps because he’d
watched the last of the Herby movies
— his dad got pneumonia and ended
up in the hospital.
The week was cold and foggy.
Things looked bleak. With knot-
ted stomachs, we told the kids their
Grandpa was real sick, and might not
come home.
Our oldest took the news solemnly,
while his little brother piped up, “Why
doesn’t ‘Drampa’ just go stay with
his mom? She’ll take care of him and
make him better. Mommies always
make you feel better.”
You gotta love kids. No matter
how bad the day — they can always
send you on a positive detour!
Later that week, after a particularly
bad update from the
hospital, my husband
left to go on a drive,
and I went to check
the sheep, slogging
through the snow and
ice. One ewe off in
Brianna
the corner — with a
Walker
lone, limp, dry hoof
dangling behind her.
My stomach lurched. I walked
closer, and she took off running, the
leg fl opping unnaturally.
I called the neighbor; she didn’t
answer. I called a friend, but the ice
prevented her from leaving her drive-
way. I wanted my mom — but she
was in Texas. It wasn’t the fi rst time I
have pulled a dead baby — but, at that
moment, it just seemed too much.
I sat down in the snow and cried. I
cried for my father-in-law and his ten-
uous hold on life. I cried for my hus-
band, who had already lost his mom.
I cried for my kids, who had never
known their paternal grandmother and
now would have limited memories of
their grandfather. I cried for myself. I
cried for things that weren’t. I cried for
things that should have been. I cried
until the snow soaked through my
coveralls.
I stood up and wiped my blood-
shot eyes with my scarf. A good pity
party is great fun and all — but it
wasn’t making my father-in-law bet-
ter, and it wasn’t getting the lamb out
of the ewe.
While I was contemplating how
to get her to a place I could handle
her alone, she laid down and started
straining. Without the head or another
hoof, I wasn’t optimistic. Before I
could even fi nish my pessimistic (yet
realistic) thought, a head appeared.
Within seconds she had pushed that
baby out with one leg backward.
I was surprised. But when I
reached to remove the dead lamb,
I was fl abbergasted — it was alive.
Twenty minutes later, this lamb that
shouldn’t be alive was kneeling down
to nurse the teats under his mom. I
named him Magic.
Then I did what any crazy,
sleep-deprived woman would do — I
sat right down in the snow and cried
some more.
Even on the bleakest of days there
is always magic. Until the last grain
of sand in the hourglass has run out,
there is life — and where there is life,
we can fi nd magic.
For the next week, the boys made a
little treat for their grandpa every day.
It kept their minds and hands occupied
and gave us all hope in our hearts and
magic in our thoughts.
After two weeks my father-in-
law, who was at the forefront of every
thought and conversation, was well
enough to go home. Another moment
of magic — but one which really
brought the brevity of life to our dinner
table conversations.
We don’t want to spend our lives
rushing from point A to point B.
We want our family to relish in the
moment of now, even if it means
inventing some imaginary letters in
between A and B.
Take the detours, read “Curi-
ous George” for the 172nd time, play
another round of Uno — after all, it’s
only midnight! Make the days as mag-
ical as possible, for too often, too late
comes too soon.
Most of us think of the wonder-
ful things we would do if it weren’t
for the worries, the stress, the trage-
dies, the setbacks, the things that nettle
us daily — but it’s in those challenges
that we learn to appreciate the magic in
every-day happenings.
I want my kids to know the impor-
tance of working for that pot of gold.
But I also want them to step back and
appreciate the magical colors of the
rainbow — and share that magic with
their world.
Think of the wonderful things we
would do if it weren’t for the worries,
the stress, the tragedies, the setbacks,
the things that nettle us daily — but it’s
those challenges that teach us to appre-
ciate the magic in common, everyday
happenings.
Brianna Walker occasionally writes
about the Farmer’s Fate for the Blue
Mountain Eagle.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Time to
restore energy
independence
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,
oregonlegislature.gov.
• Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale — 900 Court St.
NE, S-301, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-
1730. Website: oregonlegislature.gov/fi ndley.
Email: sen.lynnfi ndley@oregonlegislature.
gov.
• Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane — 900 Court St.
NE, H-475, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-1460.
District address: 258 S. Oregon St., Ontario OR
97914. District phone: 541-889-8866. Website:
oregonlegislature.gov/fi ndley. Email: rep.
markowens@oregonlegislature.gov.
To the Editor:
Time to wake up, Amer-
ica! Things have to change. What
we see happening in Ukraine is
unconscionable.
Since becoming a player of some
signifi cance on the oil and petro-
chemical scene, Putin has decided to
fl ex his muscles and he needs to be
reminded he is not invincible. One
way to do that is to hit him in the
pocketbook! Every time we fi ll our
tanks with gas, we contribute to his
war chest.
Why are we still buying Rus-
sian oil? Oh, right, now I remem-
ber, someone higher up decided we
Americans should quit being energy
independent, quit producing so much
oil at home and buy Russian! By
doing so we have aided and abet-
ted — and still are by the way —
Ukraine’s desperate situation.
We should not be begging Rus-
sia or OPEC to sell us more oil, we
should be petitioning our politicians
to do their job and demand the resto-
ration of drilling operations and the
opening up of the Keystone Pipeline
work here in America immediately,
creating American jobs and Ameri-
can profi t! America could be export-
ing oil and gas to the EU.
Please, folks, write to your rep-
resentatives and senators. Time for
us “little people” to make our voices
heard! Stand up for American Made,
America!
Darrell and Rose Howe
Monument
Here’s your chance
to get involved
To the Editor:
Are you tired of complaining,
listening to complaints and rumors
regarding goings-on of the city of
John Day? This may be the year for
you to be involved and infl uence the
future direction for the city of John
Day.
There will be changes of the
city’s representatives as a new coun-
cilor is currently being considered
for appointment and a new city man-
ager will be hired. In addition, the
election for mayor and three coun-
cilor positions will occur in Novem-
ber. This is your chance to make
a diff erence and be part of the
solution.
Who will have the knowledge
and skills to mange all the active
grants and projects as well as new
grants and projects being pursued?
Will the city be considering hiring a
Blue Mountain
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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POSTMASTER
send address changes to:
Blue Mountain Eagle
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Phone: 541-575-0710
consultant, and who may this be?
The city of John Day is currently
reviewing a draft ordinance ratify-
ing creation of a housing and pub-
lic improvement consortium know
as Regional Rural Revitalization
Strategies, or R3. This consortium
also includes the cities of Burns and
Lakeview.
This consortium as currently
written will be governed by a
board of directors consisting of
three standing (elected) board posi-
tions and two positions who will
be appointed by the standing board
members. In addition, the consor-
tium will hire a managing director.
Do you not want to be involved
in the appointment of board mem-
bers and the hiring of a manag-
ing director as well as deciding on
the authority they may be given?
Do you know people who would be
good candidates for these positions?
Will this consortium be benefi cial
for the cities? What will be the cost?
Now is the time to be attending
and participating in the city of John
Day’s council meetings as decisions
are being made that will have eff ects
on the future of the city. This is
the opportunity to make our voices
heard and provide guidance for the
future direction for the city of John
Day.
Louis E. Provencher
John Day
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