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