OPINION
MyEagleNews.com
To the Editor:
We encourage you to write
in Mark Webb for Grant County
commissioner.
Mark has the experience for
the job:
• Longtime resident and con-
tractor in Grant County.
• County judge from
2007-2013.
• Chairman of the forest
coalition.
Mark is a pragmatic
problem-solver:
• He looks for creative solu-
tions to complicated county
problems.
• He is open-minded.
• He has no agenda other
than the betterment of Grant
County.
Mark works to build good
relationships with institu-
tions that affect Grant County’s
well-being. Please write in Mark
Webb for county commissioner
and remember to fill in the oval.
Mark and Sandy Murray
Prairie City
We need to go
slow on new pool
To the Editor:
While I am 100% for a
swimming pool for our com-
munity and feel it is essential, I
am equally concerned about the
extensive cost that will be the
burden of the property holders in
the taxing district.
Perhaps those planning the
aquatic center could offer multi-
ple building plans, along with the
corresponding costs, and allow
the community to vote on what
they feel they can best afford as
well as what is best for the com-
munity. Another idea might be to
build in stages, which John Day/
Canyon City Parks & Recre-
ation has a long history of doing
and has done a fabulous job, as is
evident with our Seventh Street
Complex. I am truly proud of the
work they have done and feel this
property is a substantial asset to
our community. But we are in
uncertain times, and it is import-
ant that we all live within our
means, which includes our local
government and JDCCP&R.
Suzy Burton
John Day
Finding grace in
an Easter egg hunt
To the Editor:
The church in Monument
planned an Easter egg hunt for
the city park. It had snowed for
three nights, but the sun had
come out and the snow was gone.
Moms and dads had prepared
nearly a thousand eggs. I haven’t
been to an easter egg hunt since
I was a kid, so for some reason I
felt it was important for me to go.
When I woke up everything
was white, cloudy and cold. I
though it would be canceled, but
everyone who had helped was
meeting at 8:30 a.m. Bright-col-
ored eggs were placed all over
the park in 3 to 4 inches of snow.
Was anyone going to come?
Cars and trucks started show-
ing up, and I had no idea there
were so many children in our
small community. The preschool-
ers and 2- and 3-year-olds were
in one group with their moms
and dads, and older kids in other
groups with their hats and boots
on. Everyone was running around
finding bright-colored eggs in the
snow with their bare hands.
As adults with all our busy
schedules, we can take simple,
important things for granted. The
snow added something special
to this Easter egg hunt, and I am
grateful for everyone who made
it happen. These children are our
future. I am an old guy and have
lived in this county for the past
52 years with no regrets, but what
will stay with me for years was
seeing the excitement in these
children’s eyes and the smiles on
their faces.
If Putin had made his troops
color Easter eggs and deliver them
to all the parks and towns and cit-
ies in Ukraine, this war and all the
suffering could’ve been avoided.
Jim Bahrenburg
Kimberly
Dems responsible
for mess we’re in
To the Editor:
Local Democrats indicated
it was “mean-spirited” when the
sorely lacking in patriotism mem-
bers of their party were called
“self-serving and cowardly.”
What other words can describe
a political group that is doing its
best to destroy all we should hold
dear in America?
In just one year the leadership
the Democrats put in power have
caused the southern border to be
crossed by millions of illegal,
unvetted people including crim-
inals and terrorists. A debacle in
Afghanistan that diminished our
trust and credibility worldwide. A
blind eye to rampant corruption
that includes the president and his
son Hunter. Causing an energy
crisis where there was none.
Inflation that is ruining our cur-
rency and causing critical short-
ages. The list goes on.
Democrats are responsible for
the sorry mess we’re in and can-
not lie their way out. If they were
patriotic as they profess to be,
then we would see them standing
up and demanding honesty and
accountability. That’s not the case
and probably never will be.
Marc LeQuieu
Mt. Vernon
Webb best pick
for county court
To the Editor:
Greetings, Grant County. This
is Boyd Britton, four-term Grant
County commissioner, retired.
I left office on July 1, 2018,
to move closer to my wife Bon-
nie’s family. We have been keep-
ing up with the events in Grant
County through the newspaper
and keeping up with old friends.
That being said, Grant County has
an opportunity to elect an excellent
advocate for the county: Mark
Webb. I had the honor of serv-
ing with Judge Dennis Reynolds
and Judge Mark Webb and they
were intelligent, hardworking,
moral men. Mark had a vision for
the county and was and is much
respected in state and federal cir-
cles. When the regulatory agencies
met and Mark Webb was in the
room, the bureaucrats knew they
would not be able to ignore or run
roughshod over Grant County.
Due in large part to Mark’s
efforts, Grant County still has a
mill and timber industry. Mark
was instrumental in bringing back
the county’s health and mental
health departments to respectabil-
ity and to bring a model of how it
can be done across the state.
Mark is fiscally responsi-
ble and I have witnessed person-
ally his dedication to serving and
protecting the county’s interests.
He is not just a bystander when
it comes to the county budget; he
gets it. Mark is a happily married
family man with three success-
ful children, a Grant County land-
owner, and has a vested interest
in the county’s natural resources.
He thins brush, removes junipers,
builds fence and is a contract
tree faller for the Forest Service
during fires.
Grant County, Mark Webb
would bring respectability to the
court by his experience, knowl-
edge and compassion. Please
help bring Grant County back
by writing in my friend, Mark
Webb, for the Grant County
commissioner position.
Boyd Britton
Show Low, Arizona
Local children
need a new pool
To the Editor:
This will be the third year that
we haven’t had access to a local
pool in our community. I have
young children, and the last time
they swam at Gleason Pool was
2019. I believe it’s extremely
important that we have a local
pool for several reasons, but for
our family it would mean our
kids can be a part of the local
swim team. This community has
always been excellent in regards
to supporting access to sports,
and a pool would not only serve
to enhance these options, but for
the physical well-being of the
entire community.
There are many stories from
community members whose chil-
dren were on swim team grow-
ing up or who have memories
themselves of the value that swim
team provided them as children
and young adults. In addition, the
proposed facility and pool will be
ADA-accessible to include swim-
mers of all abilities. This is some-
thing that was lacking at Gleason
Pool, and will improve access to
low-impact exercise and therapy
options for our local community.
I understand that people are
concerned about the cost of taxes
and I do think it’s important to
note that this bond, if approved,
will start in 2023 for people liv-
ing in the John Day/Canyon City
Parks and Recreation District
boundary. 2021 was the last year
of the bond that provided fund-
ing for the hospital, a tax burden
which was significantly higher
than the proposed 70 cents per
$1,000 of assessed value for the
pool.
A pool provides important
recreational, competitive swim-
ming, physical exercise, and
social opportunities for people of
all ages in Grant County. You will
be receiving your ballots in the
coming week, I encourage you to
vote yes on ballot measure 12-80
on May 17.
Amy Charette
John Day
with the best background and
skills to serve as county com-
missioner. Over the years, I have
observed his ability and concern
to make sure that everyone had
their say during meetings of the
Blue Mountain Forest Partners.
He works hard to help a wide
range of interests and people find
common ground. If he is elected,
his experience as a former county
judge and executive director of
BMFP will be an enormous asset
to the future of Grant County. I
urge you to write in Mark Webb
for Grant County commissioner.
Mark Cerny
Bear Valley
Give our children Time to make
a chance to swim tough decision
To the Editor:
I have been involved with the
Gleason Pool in some way for as
long as I can remember. When I
was a child I had lessons, was on
swim team and spent thousands
of hours playing at the pool.
When I was old enough to have a
job, I was a lifeguard and taught
swim lessons in the summers and
while in college. As an adult with
children, Marty and I were lucky
enough to have the pool avail-
able, giving our girls an opportu-
nity to repeat the cycle.
Unfortunately, our pool, that
has provided thousands of chil-
dren hours of fun and a very nec-
essary skill (swimming), has
come to the end of its life! Do we
really want a whole generation to
not have that skill? To not have
the joy to be in the water and play
safely? Play in the lake? Swim
out to the log? You know you’ve
done it!
I’ve heard many comments
asking why we can’t just fix the
pool. I would encourage those of
you who think it is fixable to chat
with any parent over the last 28
years who, along with Marty and
I, worked at the pool to put on
swim meets. The pool is beyond
fixable; it was built in the 1950s
and has outlived its useful life.
The bond for the pool will
cost about 70 cents per $1,000 of
assessed value. That means your
$200,000 home will cost $140
per year. That’s not even $12 a
month, less than 50 cents per
day. If you don’t own property,
it will cost you nothing. The joy
of watching your grandchildren,
your children, the child down the
street jump in the pool and play
or swim out to the log, without
you being fearful they will drown
— isn’t that worth 50 cents per
day?
Please vote yes on the pool
bond! Give our children a chance
to swim! Give them something
fun to do in the summer! I could
go on for pages about the ben-
efits of swimming, but I won’t,
mostly, because I’ve used up my
word limit! Thanks for listening!
Stacie Holmstrom
John Day
Community pool
is indispensable
To the Editor:
When searching for a new
location to move our family 13
years ago, Grant County fit the
bill because it was a small county
that still maintained many essen-
tial amenities such as a hospi-
tal, grocery stores, and a swim-
ming pool. Over the years that we
have lived here, we have spent
many summer hours at the Glea-
son Pool. We are grateful for the
strong swimming skills that our
older three children developed
in swim lessons and as members
of the John Day Swim Team.
Learning to swim is a vital life
skill. Our three older children are
strong swimmers and our three
younger children are not. The dif-
ference between them is the lack
of a local swimming pool for two
summers now.
As property owners, we rec-
ognize the tax impact of the pro-
posed pool bond. However, we
believe that funding and building
a new pool is a critical investment
in the future of Grant County,
both in the safety of our citi-
zens (especially children) and in
attracting families to move to the
area by showing that we value
this indispensable amenity. We
are thankful that this measure is
on the ballot. And we urge you to
join us in voting yes on measure
12-80. Thank you, neighbors.
Heather and Zac Bailey
Canyon City
Mark Webb is the
right candidate
To the Editor:
Mark Webb is the candidate
A5
COMMENTARY
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Fill in the oval
for Mark Webb
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
To the Editor:
No matter how well intended,
we the people and our country
have an out-of-control spending
problem that is especially true of
governments utilizing taxpayer
funds. We as residents of the city
of John Day and Canyon City
are now being asked to support
a bond measure for the construc-
tion of a replacement pool (sea-
sonal) with an office and other
recreational amenities. Let’s not
forget future use and operational
costs. This may be an emotional
and difficult decision as for small
cities we’ve had the luxury of
having a pool for several years.
A reality check for such
low-populated cities must be
taken. Considering slow growth
or even decreased growth and the
continuous increases in taxes and
other costs, we must consider our
financial capability and priorities.
What are the other future finan-
cial needs of our cities and com-
munities on the horizon we may
be asked to support?
We know Grant County’s
schools have a backlog of mil-
lions of dollars in maintenance
costs and the desire to build a
new school (option to include a
pool?). Our hospital, no doubt,
will have further needs. How
about our emergency services
such as policing, ambulance ser-
vices, fire department as well as
just maintaining current infra-
structure, etc.?
Consider why other larger cit-
ies such as Nyssa and Sandy in
Oregon chose to close their pools.
You must ask yourself why.
What other options do we
have? There is the opportunity
for JDCCPD to promote and
arrange for swimming activities
with our one local hotel having
a pool or arrange scheduled bus
trips to the Baker City Aquatic
Center or the city of Burns for
swimming opportunities similar
to the trips provided to Anthony
Lakes Mountain Resort for snow
skiing opportunities. This could
also provide the opportunity and
benefit of increased ridership for
the Grant County People Mover
transportation service. We are
given the opportunity to make
our voices heard and be respon-
sible citizens, so please vote and
consider the potential financial
hardship for friends, neighbors
and others with limited resources.
Louis E. Provencher
John Day
Please vote no
on pool tax
To the Editor:
I think that Grant County
needs a swimming pool, but here
are the reasons I am going to vote
against a swimming pool tax:
1. Food costs are going up.
2. Fuel costs are going up.
3. Labor costs are going up.
4. Property values are going up.
5. Rent will go up if property
tax goes up.
6. The drought we are in is
having a major impact on the
food chain.
These costs are increasing at a
faster rate than normal. The senior
citizens living here are going to
have a hard time absorbing the
increase in these costs. Food is
going to be hard to get because
we do not have the water to grow
the food. This is going to drive
the cost of food up even more.
Take a moment to look at where
the drought is located in the West-
ern part of the United States. It is
the area where the food is grown.
If they do not have the water, they
cannot grow the food.
We do not have control over
the costs listed above. What we
do have control over is adding
additional costs to our senior cit-
izens. I am going to vote no on
the swimming pool tax, and I am
asking you to not add this addi-
tional burden on our citizens.
Tom Sutton
John Day
Grant
County is
honored by
namesake
T
oday marks the 200th birthday of our coun-
ty’s namesake and one of America’s greatest
sons: Ulysses S. Grant.
Grant was born April 27, 1822, in Point Pleas-
ant, Ohio. “Unlike many great historical fig-
ures,” writes Pulitzer Prize-win-
ning author Ron Chernow in his
2017 biography “Grant,” as a boy
and adolescent “Grant brooded on
no vast dreams, harbored no spa-
cious vision for his future, and
would have settled for a contented,
small-town life.” Fate, however,
had much more in store for young
Richard F.
LaMountain
Ulysses.
In 1838, Ulysses’ father, Jesse,
arranged for his son to be appointed to the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point. Excelling in
horsemanship but otherwise an average student,
Grant graduated in 1843 in the middle of his
class. He served in the Mexican War, married, and
served peacetime assignments in New York, Ore-
gon and California. In 1854 he resigned his com-
mission and returned to the Midwest, farming
60 acres of his father-in-law’s land. Failing as a
farmer, Grant sought to sell firewood in St. Louis
— but success eluded him there, as well. In 1860,
other options exhausted, Grant grudgingly took a
clerical job at his father’s leather-goods store in
Galena, Illinois.
With the advent of the Civil War, Grant’s for-
tunes changed. After helping organize Galena’s
company of Union volunteers, he rose swiftly
— from administrative aide to regimental col-
onel to brigadier general. Early in 1862, Grant
and his troops took the Confederate Forts Henry
and Donelson; at the latter, they captured 13,000
enemy troops. Later, Grant-led armies were vic-
torious in the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862), the
Vicksburg campaign (late 1862 to July 1863) and
the Battle of Chattanooga (fall of 1863).
After these successes in the war’s western the-
ater, in March 1864 President Lincoln appointed
Grant commander of the Armies of the United
States. In this position, writes Chernow, “he pre-
sided over twenty-one army corps ... with a total
of 533,000 battle-ready troops.” Fighting, now,
in the eastern theater, Grant utilized the North’s
superior manpower and firepower to wear down
Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Army of
Northern Virginia. In April 1865 at Appomattox,
Virginia, Grant accepted Lee’s and the South’s
surrender.
A national hero, Grant was elected president
in 1868 and served two terms. He pursued civil
service reform, returned the United States to the
gold standard, and fought valiantly but with lim-
ited success to reincorporate a still-bitter South
into the Union. After leaving office, Grant took a
lengthy world tour and contended in 1880 for yet
another term as president. Near the end of his life,
beset with tongue and throat cancer, Grant wrote
his autobiography, which he completed mere days
before his death in July 1885.
As are other great men of America’s past, Grant
today is under assault by “woke” radicals. They
invoke as proof of his “racism” his brief owner-
ship, as a young man, of one slave — whom he’d
acquired (possibly as a gift) from his father-in-
law. And they cite, during his presidency, the U.S.
Army’s clashes with Indians and his support of
placing Indians on reservations.
Grant, however, freed the one slave shortly
after taking possession of him. This was consis-
tent with his overall view on slavery: In a post-
war discussion with German Chancellor Otto von
Bismarck, Grant told him the war was fought
because “slavery must be destroyed ... it was a
stain to the Union that men should be bought
and sold like cattle.” As president, Grant fought
the Ku Klux Klan in the Reconstruction South
— and, writes Chernow, appointed “an unprece-
dented number of blacks ... as ambassadors, cus-
toms collectors, internal revenue agents, post-
masters, and clerks.” Indeed, posits Chernow,
Grant “deserves an honored place in American
history, second only to Lincoln, for what he did
for the freed slaves.”
In his first inaugural address, Grant promised
a new U.S. policy to pursue, as he described it,
“the proper treatment of the original occupants of
this land — the Indians.” He did support seques-
tering many Indians on reservations. But he sup-
ported this in large part, writes historian William
S. McFeely, “so they would be protected from
white incursions” — and indeed, as president, he
ordered the War Department to forcibly remove
white settlers who encroached on treaty-protected
Indian lands. He appointed Ely S. Parker, a Sen-
eca Indian, commissioner of indian affairs. And
he received Oglala Sioux Chief Red Cloud in the
White House, as per biographer Ronald C. White,
“with the pomp and pageantry reserved for a head
of state.”
Rather than vilify Grant, today’s “woke” Amer-
icans should heed the words of someone who actu-
ally knew him: Frederick Douglass, perhaps the
foremost Black American of the 19th century. Of
Grant, Douglass wrote: “To him more than any
other man the Negro owes his enfranchisement
and the Indian a humane policy. ... The black sol-
dier was welcome in his tent, and the freedman in
his house.”
Our county should be proud to share the name
of Ulysses S. Grant.
Richard F. LaMountain, a resident of John Day,
is a former assistant editor of Conservative Digest
magazine.