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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 2006)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 26,2006 - FIVE Candidates9 Forum ... continued from page 4 my opponents. 1 have tried far m ore cases as a p ro se cu to r and d efen se attorney in 23 years. I have proposed many ideas to effectively combat juvenile crime, drug abuse and drug crim es, n e ig h b o rh o o d disputes, and changes in family law to assist children. If elected, what is the b iggest ch a lle n g e facing you? We need to effectively manage juvenile and drug offenders despite shrinking recourses. Current methods have failed. New approaches must occur to closely manage and monitor treatm en t and insure b eh av io r m o d ifica tio n . Unless we do, the number of offenders will increase and so w ill crim e. O th er diversion programs to get families and children needed help should be encouraged. A lte rn a tiv e d isp u te re so lu tio n , c o u n se lin g , education and treatm ent must be an early part of our fam ily and crim inal law ap p ro ach . We need to expand the accessibility of the courts by instituting a night court and keeping the courts open from noon to 1 p.m. for the working people. W hat is you r opinion of Measure 11 and should judges have more discretion in sentencing? Measure 11 was the public response to ju d g e s w ho failed to use common sense in dealin g w ith v io len t criminals. The problem with Measure 11 is that it takes the discretion away from the Ju d g es and gives it to p ro se cu to rs w ho are som etim es guided by political agendas rather than the best interests of justice. T h rea ts o f M easure 11 conviction regularly scare defendants into pleas where there are legitimate defenses to a ctio n s. T his is p articularly true in self- d efen se cases. Judges because of their impartiality and guiding principles of justice and fairness are in the best p o sitio n to u tiliz e discretion. It is my belief that Measure 11 has unwisely taken away that discretion. Is there anything you could do to help crime victims better have their day in cou rt? A ju d g e should require prosecutors to p ro ceed in a tim ely manner. Judges should insist that p ro se cu to rs notify victims of all hearings, not merely trials and sentencing. On more serious offenses, victims should be allowed to ad d ress the co u rt as to release issu es and conditions. Presently this is not allowed. Where cases have not been filed by the d istric t atto rn ey , it is incumbent on the Court to listen to victims in modifying release agreem ents. As it stands now, the Courts and Prosecutors refuse to modify no contact orders for 30 days if no charges are filed. The Court should exercise its pow er to m odify these release a g re em e n ts in appropriate cases. What would you do to m ake sure M orrow C ounty has ad eq u ate ju d ic ia l co v era g e? The purpose of this position is to provide more coverage. The sp o n so r o f the bill anticipated that there would be a Judge sitting 2.5 days. Morrow County should not only have a ju d g e as frequently as necessary to adequately conduct court business, but should have some consistency in which judge appears. The idea of a case having five different ju d g es during its life is absurd. The sam e ju d g e should handle one case to conclusion. As a prosecutor, I was always willing to go out in the middle of the night to do search w arrants or to assist in crim e scene in v e stig a tio n s. As your Judge, I would be willing to answ er that same call as needed to sign search w arran ts or telep h o n ic search w arrants. I would gladly travel to the police, in stead o f the police traveling to me. Annetta L. Spicer, 55, of H eppner, and her husband. B i l l Kuhn, m oved to the c o u n ty in 1977. They h a v e Ann Spicer two grown children Phillip, 27 and Paula 21. S p ic e r g rad u ated National Volunteer Week April 24- 28 Thank you to all that volunteer within the Morrow County 4-H Program! 4 -H Le a d e rs I am the only candidate with the k n o w led g e and experience to be capable of handling such a broad range of cases. If elected, what is the b iggest c h a llen g e fa cin g you? In su rin g e ffe c tiv e and e ffic ie n t servicing of the public. A judge’s job is to hear cases and render quick and fair decisions. As a judge, I must cooperate with as well as motivate the current court administration to schedule hearings so they ‘can be heard from start to finish w ith o u t in te rru p tio n s causing witnesses, furies, and p a rtie s to w ait. Witnesses and parties must have their day in court when that day is scheduled and that day must be scheduled as q u ick ly as p o ssib le. Otherwise costs escalate and frustration with the judicial system b u ild s. Ju stice delayed is justice denied W hat is your opinion of measure 11 and should judges have more discretion in sentencing? Oregon judges and judicial candidates are required to follow a strict code of ethics. T his code p ro h ib its statements in campaigns that cast doubts on the judge’s im partiality in cases she might hear. As a judge, I will certainly hear Measure 11 cases and cannot express a personal opinion on the statu te. M easure 11 is Oregon law. As a judge I will apply it. The purpose of the act is to pro v id e m ore uniform sen ten cin g throughout Oregon and in my e x p erien ce th at is happening. Is there anything you could do to help crime victims have their day in cou rt? My co u rtro o m would require that victims receive all the rights the O regon L e g isla tu re has granted them in the Oregon C rim e V ic tim s’ B ill o f Rights. As judge, I can and will require that prosecutors, police and social services do th eir Jobs by p ro v id in g victims the information and assistance Oregon law now gives them. When victims fall through the cracks now, it is because prosecutors, police and social service agencies do not do what Oregon law requires. What would you do m ake sure M orrow C ounty has ad eq u ate judicial coverage? I am the only M orrow C ounty resident in this race. I will continue to live in Morrow C ounty and know the County is now underserved based upon population and 4 -H L e a d e rs Tami Rietmann Ken Bailey Susan Russell Glaya Baker Patrick Struthers Greg Barron Gary Waddell Carma Barron Amy Waddell Rita Bergstrom Stacey Wainwright Sharon Camarillo Karen Wolff Sarah Carlson V o lu n te e rs Kristy Crowell Jan Coe Kim Cutsforth Carley Drake Kelly Doherty Erin Heideman Courtney Fisher Karen Lunders Brad Foster Mary Haguewood Nancy Gorham Shilo Svetich Joyce Graff Donna Rietmann Travis Harrison MaryAnn Elguezabal Christina Hendergart Snack Shack volunteers Angie Hughes 4-H Camp volunteers Nancy Jepsen Jeannie Collins Mark Jones Marcia Anderson Jocelyn Jones Melissa Coiner Tracie Kennedy Patty Rill Sharon Lewis 4-H Ambassadors Larry Lutcher S p e cia l T h a n k s to Patty McNary Morrow County Justin Miller Livestock Growers Anne Morter Morrow County Larry Palmer Grain Growers Heidi Parker Elizabeth Pettibone Bank of Eastern Oregon Ken Grieb Theresa Proctor-Reece Kathy Rauch Ruggs Ranch Lois Richards « from Toppenish High School and received her bachelor of scien ce d eg ree from Portland State University and her juris doctor from L ew is and C lark Law School. She has been employed as a partner in the law firm of Kuhn and Spicer for 23 years. They have o ffice s in H ep p n er and Hermiston. Spicer has been very active in church and civic o rg an izatio n s including: H ep p n er A A U W -1970s; Heppner Soroptomist and Willow County Service Club 1984 to 2005; H eppner E conom ic D ev elo p m en t C o m m issio n - 1980s; H ep p n er C h am b er o f Commerce 1977 to present; Methodist Church Sunday School Teacher -1980s; 4-H Cooking Club Leader-1980s and 1990s; St. P a trick 's Committee and Auction co- ch air- 1990s; D om estic Violence Services attorney 2005; O regon State Bar Ethics Committee Oregon State Bar CLE Committee; 6th Judicial District Family Law Advisory Committee; and Oregon Trail Library District member and chair. She has a range of p o litic a l ex p erien c e including serving as Morrow C o u n ty D eputy D istric t A tto rn ey in 1980 and M orrow C ounty D istrict Attorney 1981-82. She has also been an Oregon Trail L ib rary D istric t board member over five years and chair for two years (current chair). She has also served as a member of United States District Court and the Ninth C ircuit Court of A ppeals sin ce 1978. She has practiced before the Oregon Court of Appeals and has a case currently before the Oregon Supreme Court. She w orks as a m unicipal attorney serving Heppner, Lexington. Irrigon, Echo, M onument and Stanfield. She is also a past attorney for the Morrow County School D istrict, Condon School District and Olex School District. She is also a family law mediator. W hy sh ou ld a voter select your over your opponent? I have been a trial attorney my entire 28 plus years of practice. I have practiced at the appellate and federal court level. I have been both a prosecutor and defense attorney. I have done wills, contracts, adoptions probates and all types of family law. Judges in the Sixth Judicial District are generalists and must hear and decide all types of cases. (Aiotfier's is Sunday, May 14tfi E s p re s s o B a r s p e c ia ls : M o c h a F ra p p e o r caseload. Morrow County must have a Circuit Judge at least two days a week and if elected, I will do everything possible to insure a minimum of two days’ service a week with an actual (not video) judicial presence in Morrow C ounty. I w ill also be available during non-court hours for search warrants and other necessary work. Chamber Chatter By Claudia Hughes, Exec. Dir. Recently, I asked a gathering of people if they were ‘'B lackberry N uts.” R esponses v aried . One resp o n d ed th e y ’d never heard of blackberry nuts, while another said they like blackberry pie, but had never tried nuts w ith it. One wondered if it had anything to do w ith b lack b erry brandy. The rep lies reinforced what I already knew ; m ost o f us w ere technically challenged or close to being over the hill. So, readers, do you own a Blackberry and, if so, do you go “nuts” if it’s out of your sight? D o n ’t expect a totally correct definition from a person technically challenged with a new cell phone in hand. As near as I can figure out, a Blackberry is a handheld device that pretty much holds every thing going on in your life and brain and everybody else’s too, plus more than your m ind could hold or remember in one lifetime. In o th er w ords, you can probably go online, send and receive messages, order out, check your to-do list, touch bases with friends, check in at your office, scan your c h ild ’s sp o rts sch ed u le, touch bases w ith your clients, listen to tunes and maybe even watch a movie, for all I know. And they are so small that they require sharp eyesight and a little tiny pointer or very sharp fingernails to utilize. So, would this be why people are m eeting th em selv es com ing and going these days? Would this be why everyone is so busy that they barely have time to check to see if they are still b reath in g ? S om etim es timesavers take up more of your time. Are you tough enough to turn them off to take a look at the real world, to see the tulips in bloom, to sm ile at som eone, to daydream , to hold one thought before you've multi- tasked yourself right into a comer? Think I'll pass on the Blackberry. Being nuts; I think I've understood that part for almost 20 fun-years of working for the Heppner Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy spring, and it’s back to Jo h n 's Place for Chamber on Thursday where the discussion will center on Cycle Oregon and marketing Heppner in new and different ways. “Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of our greatest earliest natural resources, which must be preserved at all cost.” -Jam es Thurber Youth fishing event scheduled for Cutsforth pond Oregon Department of Fish and W ildlife and M orrow C ounty Parks announced a youth fishing event May 6 at Cutsforth Park F ish in g Pond near Heppner. ODFW will stock 650 trout in the pond for the ev en t, in clu d in g som e trophy-sized fish as part of the Youth A ngling Enhancement Program now in its third year. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the angler catching the biggest fish in age groups six and under, 7 to 9, 10 to 12 and 13 to 14. Volunteers from the Elks Lodge of Heppner will be serving the kids hot dogs and h am b u rg ers. ODFW will provide young anglers w ith loaner rods and reels, bait and tackle and volunteers will be available to help the kids clean and care for their catch. “T his ev en t is specifically for the kids," said ODFW D istrict Fish Biologist Tim Bailey. “We want to encourage children as they learn to fish and hope they enjoy an activity that can pro v id e lifelo n g recreation.” Anglers 13 years of age and under can fish for free. A juvenile license is required for anglers’ 14-17 years of age. All state fishing re g u la tio n s co n tin u e to apply. The pond is located at Cutsforth County Park, 22 miles southeast of Heppner on Willow Creek Road (Blue Mountain Scenic By-Way). For m ore information, contact Betty Gray with Morrow County Public Works at (541) 989- 9500 or Bailey at ODFW ’s Pendleton office at (541) 276-2344. HYSA to hold softball clinic The Heppner Youth Sports A cadem y w ill be putting on a softball clinic Sunday, A pril 30. The Eastern Oregon University coaching staff and players will be instructing. Registration forms will be available at Heppner High School and Heppner Elementary School. The cost is $10 per player. Registration and money are still being accepted. Girls participating in little league, minors, majors and juniors are welcome to the morning session and high school players are welcome to attend the aftern o o n session. T his is a great opportunity for our softball p lay ers to receiv e high quality collegiate instruction. For m ore information please contact Petra Payne at 676-9138, ext. 2518. lonp fro m is Saturday, A pril 29th.. ^ u g a r le s s M o c h a F r a p p e and H pppner Prom is I6 O Z ¡s $ 2 . 0 0 Saturday, May 6th... C h o c k o u t o u r E s p re s s o tlrd rr corsages and C a r d s ! < I5 w o r t h o f d rin k s ! flow ers here! u fi D w j 217 N orth Ma In • Heppner www heppne r.net/murraya P h o n e 6 7 6 -9 1 5 8 • F lo ra l 6 7 6 -9 4 2 6 Serving Heppner Lexington S lone W ILLO W CREEK WATER PARK ¡Purchase or ¡Make payment* on season passes early! Fam ily Passes: * 12.1 Individual Passes: *70 Nwiin Ijessons: KilO (|M*r session ) Therapy pool Is open! Wednesday - Saturday $12.50 per hour To set up an appointment, call Merry, 676-5752 or 676-5756
