Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, October 22 2008 - THREE
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Letters to the Editor ~
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Support for Matlack for sheriff
Time to tighten our belts
A bit of trivia
To the editor:
Here we are again, and we see that the political
comments and innuendos are being spread. I am referring
to the sheriff’s race in Morrow County.
1 note with dismay the opposition using the word
“ Integrity” in an apparent attempt to insinuate that Sheriff
Matlack somehow lacks integrity. 1 find this appalling!
According to Webster’s Dictionary integrity means
“unimpaired moral principals” and it is also a synonym
for “honesty”. This is Ken Matlack. I have a hard time
believing that this is even an issue with what I know of
Ken Matlack.
Quotes from the East Oregonian newspaper for
March 30, 2008: (Stanfield Police Chief Zumwalt): His
department trained and taught the ropes of police work to
an officer only to lose the officer after 14 months on the
job. Because small communities don’t have the budget to
offer high paying jobs, they cannot compete with larger
communities. Once the officer is trained, the often are ready
to move on, leaving the small towns in the same situation
they started in. This also happens in Umatilla and Mor
row Counties. Pilot Rock, Weston, and Boardman are also
looking for officers. That was a quote from the E.O.
Sheriff Matlack and UndersheriffMyren have been
out on patrols and doing more field work than any Mor
row County Sheriff since Sheriff Bowman. They have also
increased the visibility o f their deputies as well.
Now, as for the reserve deputies. Two of the young
men are relatives of ours. Both men joined shortly after get
ting married. Our grandson found that being a newlywed
and having a full-time job left little time for his bride, so
he left the reserve program which he loves and has since
rejoined. The other young man also enjoyed the reserves,
but moved out o f state for employment. He will also rejoin
when he returns to the area. The others I don’t know, but I
would recommend you are careful with your facts!
I cannot believe that the people o f Morrow County
would be willing to lose a man o f Ken Matlack’s caliber
and stature. Sheriff Matlack has over 25 years with the
Oregon State Police, four years as Morrow County Sheriff,
and he was a well known and successful private detective.
He has had many, many years o f training with a wide
variety o f programs and classes. It would be very hard to
find a man with his knowledge, leadership skills, and his
amount o f expertise in law enforcement.
The people would be wise to keep a man of his
quality as the Working Sheriff for Morrow County!
Billy and Sarnie Griffin
Irrigon
Dear Citizens:
Does Morrow County Health District think Board-
man and Irrigon residents are worthless or just ‘worth
less’? I am sorry to say that I was a founding member of
Morrow County’s Health District back in 1993/1994. The
idea was to create a county-wide district to distribute funds
for medical services. It made sense at the time. But that’s
not the way it has worked. Boardman and Irrigon usually
end up on the short end o f the stick.
The County collects from all of us no matter where
we live. But the Health District has a blind spot. It isn’t
spending money where people live. I am not looking at
‘registered voters,’ I am looking at where people live in
Morrow County. 75% o f Morrow County’s population of
12,000 live along the Columbia River. Now look at what
the Health District collects: almost $1,120,000, dollars
annually. Do the math. If every child, woman, and man,
including veterans received a hunk o f that change, about
$ 100 would be spent for each person in Morrow County.
Wrong. Irrigon and Boardman health clinics combined
will receive less than $300,000 o f the District’s proposed
budget. That means people up here are valued at about $33
a head. That amount is actually for Irrigon’s clinic only.
Boardman’s Columbia River Community Health Services
is slated to receive ‘zero’ funding. So the amount the dis
trict intends to spend on our local health clinic is $0.
Spending habits and patterns like these just don’t
add up. So I am asking, does the Health District consider
us to be worthless - or just ‘worth less’? Hindsight really
is 20/20. I am so sorry to have supported a county wide
Health District now. It has turned out to be a political foot
ball with county biases running the board. I urge a “no”
vote on the bond issue before us. This is a time to tighten
our belts, not to expand them.
A “no” vote sends the Health District a clear mes
sage. It needs to review its equalization of funding; past
practices may not be illegal, but they are totally wrong.
One other thing, advisory boards o f Irrigon and Board-
man should be allowed to determine their needs without
interference. Each community is entitled to set priorities
and the direction o f its own health services.
Rodney Flug
Boardman/Irrigon
To the Editor:
A bit o f trivia for you: Which team has played at
every “Bill’s Traveling Trivia” night in Heppner and has
placed at or near the top in bravado each year (though it
has not even placed near the top three winning positions
since the very first event)?
This Saturday night offers this team another op
portunity to try to dethrone the BEO’s Brainiacs from their
too-long-lasting reign as Heppner’s Trivia Team Extraor
dinaire! Other teams, too, will be targeting the Brainiacs,
hopefully the Lounge Lizards, for one. All your readers
are invited to join in, whether for a brain strain or just for
the great time had by all!
Everyone is invited to the Elks at 7 p.m. The eve
ning really is fun for all, and the proceeds will help out the
Heppner Day Care. Each team o f up to six players pays
$120 to play the several rounds o f trivia questions that
tuxedoed Mr. Bill offers from a wide variety of categories,
and no one but Mr. Bill’s lovely assistant sees those written
answers as she keeps a running score for each team. O f
course, at key spots in the evening, she does let everyone
know the running totals for all the teams.
Oh, yes, the Legends (in Their Own Minds) will
be there again, and hoping for more stiff competition this
year. I know I have missed some familiar faces from the
earlier events and hope to see them back with their brainy
friends. I suppose that knowing that Legends will be play
ing might scare a few people, but I encourage them not to
be afraid. After all, the Legends might not be in top form,
giving everyone else a good chance!
For just $20 a person, we get this fun-filled eve
ning. We save more than that by skipping an out-of-town
movie and popcorn. It is such a refreshing change from
Saturday-night TV, and we can catch reruns later. Even
you hunters can still get up to the mountains early enough
on Saturday morning.
Anyone can sign up at the door that night. A call
to the Heppner Day Care this week will ensure you a table
waiting with your team name on it. Please, join the fun!
Doris Brosnan
Heppner
To the editor:
I am writing this letter in support o f Ken Matlack
to continue as Morrow County Sheriff. Ken has done an
outstanding job as our Sheriff the past four years! I have
lived in Morrow County for 42 years and the services be
ing provided by the sheriff and his staff have never been
better.
There have been many positive changes in law
enforcement in this county since Ken has taken over. First
and foremost, there is increased visibility and accessibility.
In addition, the professionalism of the department is very
evident. The experience and diversified training that Sheriff
Matlack had as an Oregon State Policeman for 25 years in
a tremendous asset. It also established the foundation for
him to implement improvements to the sheriff’s depart
ment, both in procedures and equipment. It also allowed
him to develop a good system of networking with other
law enforcement agencies.
I mentioned that Ken has been visible and acces
sible. Both he and his undersheriff, Steve Myren, make
countless calls themselves when other members o f the
department are already busy. They also make a point of
following up on any calls that they receive. Sheriff Mat-
lack also has a listed home phone number where he can be
reached in addition to being able to contact him through
the department.
On a personal note, I work for the Irrigon Park Dis
trict where we had significant gang activity and graffiti on a
regular basis. This was a serious problem in our community
as well as at the park. We really appreciate the concentrated
effort by the sheriff and his department to control gang
activity and get rid o f the graffiti. I also live just across
the street from the Irrigon Skate Park where there was a
considerable amount o f bad language and rowdy behavior.
This seems to be under better control now, again thanks to
the diligence shown by the sheriff’s office.
We also appreciate Ken’s civic involvement in
community and county services. He has been a Morrow
County School Board member, Irrigon City Councilman,
served on the County Health District Board, the Planning
Commission, and the Irrigon Cemetery Board. In other
words, he has been willing to be involved wherever he
could help.
I could go on and on about Ken’s attribute as a well
trained and dedicated sheriff who is always willing to go
the extra mile. His integrity and professionalism cannot be
denied. I sincerely hope that you will join me in voting to
retain Ken Matlack for Morrow County sheriff!
Bob Byrd
Irrigon
Politicians are the only people in the world who
create problems and then campaign against them.
If both the democrats and the republicans are
against deficits, why do we have deficits? If all the politi
cians are against inflation and high taxes, why do we have
inflation and high taxes?
You and I don’t propose a federal budget, the presi
dent does. You and I don’t have the constitutional authority
to vote on appropriations, the House o f Representatives
does. You and I don’t write the tax code, the Congress
does. You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does. You
and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve
Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressman, one presi
dent, and nine Supreme Court justices, 545 human beings
out o f the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and
individually responsible for the domestic problems that
plague this country.
Excluded are the members o f the Federal Reserve
Board because that problem was created by the Congress.
In 1913, Congress delegated its constitutional duty to pro
vide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private,
central bank.
Excluded are all the special interest and lobbyists
for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They
have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a
president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they
offer a politician $ 1 million dollars in cash. The politician
has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the
lobbyists’ promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to
determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much o f their en
ergy convincing you that what they did is not their fault.
They cooperate in this common con, regardless o f party.
What separates a politician from a human being
is an excessive amount o f gall. No normal human be
ing would have the gall o f a Speaker, who stood up and
criticized the President for creating deficits. The President
can only propose a budget; He cannot force Congress to
accept it.
Donald R. McCallister Sr.
Heppner
Re-Elect Ken Matlack
Letter to the Editor:
I moved here seven years ago and was more than
a little surprised at the amount of graffiti I saw not only in
my community of Irrigon, but Boardman as well. It was a
sign that gang activity was very active in the area. I know
because I moved from the Everett, WA area where gangs
seem to flourish.
I don't know how long the tagging had been going
on in this area ... but I did notice and I’m sure you have
as well, that there just doesn’t seem to be any more of
that lately. I know that the sheriff’s department, under the
leadership o f Sheriff Ken Matlack, has worked very hard
to get control of an element o f society that can breed fear
and discontent in a community. He and all o f the deputies
have worked hard to make us feel very secure and I believe
that we are safer today than we were four years ago.
I look in the newspapers at the kind o f response
calls it lists. It seems to me that crime over all is down in
our county from what it used to be just four years ago. I
don’t know about you ... but I certainly feel safer and our
town is more livable because of his leadership.
I want to publicly thank Sheriff Ken Matlack and
all the deputies for their dedication to service and for help
ing make Morrow County a more livable community, a
safer community.
Rick Yardley
Irrigon
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217 North Main • Heppner • Phone 676-9158 • Floral 676-9426
Serving Heppner, Lexington & lone
Politicians: the only people who create
Matlack’s integrity and professionalism problems and then campaign against them
To the editor:
cannot be denied
Lexington voters have a choice
To the editor:
Lexington voters have a choice for council mem
bers. Here are a few facts about the current incumbent
council members: Once council member is not a regis
tered voter, two council members are sisters living in the
same house, voted to allow the city recorder to perform
the annual audit instead o f using a CPA firm, and failed
to inform the citizens o f Lexington about water samples
failures until the third consequent test. Please elect John
Edwards and Bob Taylor who will follow the city charter,
ordinances and keep citizens informed and encourage
citizen participation.
Marcia Kemp
Lexington
Support for the re-election of Matlack
To the Editor:
Support of the re-election o f Sheriff Ken Matlack
is much in the best interests o f the citizens o f Morrow
County.
M anagement o f the Morrow County Sheriff's
Department by Sheriff Matlack has resulted in significant
improvement in the safety o f the citizens o f Morrow
County. His cooperation with and support o f the city law
enforcement agencies and remote areas has been recog
nized by the officials responsible.
A significant reduction in meth labs, marijuana
fields, graffiti and petty crime has been a direct result of
his intelligent assignment o f his deputies. His ability to
successfully manage the use of deputies to achieve the
reduction in law enforcement required in troubled areas
is well known.
Citizens o f Morrow County are urged to support
the re-election campaign o f Sheriff Matlack.
Robert Flournoy
Irrigon