Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 10,2013
CITY WATER TANK
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
ADVOCATE
•Continuedfrom PAGE ONE
of 635 bill payers currently
pay late. She said if payers
were given until the 15lh, it
would not work with the
city’s billing system, as the
city starts reading meters
on the 2\" of the month
and then sends out bills on
the 25lh.
“If we move it to the
15lh it is too tight,” she
said.
She also made it clear
that the city does not post
any payments after 3 p.m.,
so people need to get their
payments in before then on
the due day or their pay
ment would be considered
late.
She also said that she is
working with the Bank of
Eastern Oregon to set up an
auto bill payment system so
people can have their water
and sewer bill automati
cally withdrawn from their
accounts.
The council voted
unanimously to raise the
late fee to $5 and also left
open the possibility this
may increase later if it does
not cause more prompt pay
ment.
“We can change this
from five dollars to $7 or
$7.50 later,” Mayor Joe
Perry said.
S h eriff re p o rt for the
month of June
Traffic-
There were four traffic
stops with no citations.
There was one driving
complaint. A deputy made
contact with the driver and
warned them.
A person reported a
possible intoxicated driver
of a red scooter. A deputy
located the driver at his
residence.
A juvenile was warned
for not wearing a helmet.
-Continuedfrom PAGE ONE post cards signed by Or resulting in the freeing of
A diver from LiquiYision Technology Diving Services of Kla
math Falls prepares to enter water tank #3 for cleaning and
inspection. -Contributedphoto
Code Enforcement-
Fourteen animal calls
were reported resulting in
three citations. One cat was
taken to Pet Rescue.
Deputies worked on
four locations regarding
code enforcement issues.
Theft Complaints-
MCSO investigated
two thefts.
A person reported an
attempted fraud via the
telephone.
Two gas drive offs
were reported. The fuel
was later paid for in one of
the cases.
A person reported an
employee had their keys
and would not return them.
A deputy responded and the
keys were returned.
A firearm was reported
stolen from a residence.
All Other-
One welfare check was
completed.
Deputies investigated
two reports of restraining
order violations
There were four suspi
cious person complaints.
A person contacted a
deputy about another per
son following her around.
A deputy located an
open door on a residence.
The homeowner was not
home at the time.
Deputies arrested an
adult male for Disorderly
Conduct and Criminal Mis
chief. He was booked into
Umatilla County Jail.
Deputies dealt with two
mental health patients, one
who escaped from Lakev-
iew Heights and the other
who overdosed on medica
tion.
A person reported he
has a restraining order
against him and the other
person keeps driving by his
house yelling at him.
A person reported be
ing in a disturbance with
their spouse. A deputy re
sponded and resolved the
issues.
A fight was reported. A
deputy was unable to locate
those involved.
MCSO assisted OSP
with an investigation in
Heppner
MCSO responded to
three alarm calls.
MCSO responded to
a fight call. A deputy was
unable to locate any people
fighting.
Earn While
You Learn Program
At Community Bank we recognize the importance
of education and would like to encourage our
student-customers in their academic success.
•
•
Pays $l directly into an open Youth Savings Account for
every "A” (or top grade') that our l st through 12th grade
students receive on their end-of-the-year report cards.2
Reports cards3 must be presented at the local Community
Bank branch during the months of June or July of the
same year of the dated report card.
(Community
BANK
Local Money Working For Local People
www.communitybanknet.com
1 Top grades include any grade of an "A" (A-, A, or A+). Bonus paid once per
main school subject per grading period Top grades should be noted on report
card and could include "S+" for above satisfactory, 'E" for excellent, or any other
grade explained on report card to be the top grade for that grading system.
$25 minimum balance required to open the account and obtain the Annual
Percentage Yield and the bonus. The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on a Youth
Savings account is 0 05%, effective May 29, 2013 and is subject to change at any
time Bonus will be deposited on the same business day that the report card is
reviewed
2 Up to $50 annually per student
5 Report cards must be originals, no copies please
Member fdic
It's almost fair & rodeo time!
The Heppner GT will be publishing
its fair edition August 7th!
J
- SEVEN
Get your fair tab ads and articles to
megan by July 31! 541-676-9228
or megan@rapidserve net
Ì
Stillman, the sole Or
egon representative, ad
vocated for passage of the
“Human Trafficking Pri
oritization Act," which el
evates the authority of the
State Department's Traf
ficking in Persons Office,
a U.S. government agency
dedicated to combating hu
man trafficking. Stillman
said U.S. citizens' interest in
eradicating slavery has kept
the issue high on the politi
cal agenda in Washington
for the past decade. In re
cent years, the existence of
proven anti-slavery models
has equipped advocates
with data and success sto
ries to encourage members
of Congress from across
the political spectrum to
support increased invest
ment in anti-trafficking
programs.
“1 became aware of the
global human trafficking
problem and the U.S.’s role
in both fighting and sup
porting the trade while in
high school. I was amazed
at how large a problem it
was and disgusted that such
a crime exists in my country
that claims to stand on val
ues of freedom, liberty, and
justice all while unwittingly
supporting the trade in hu
mans,” Stillman said.
That led Stillman to
become passionate about
advocacy, which she said is
“.. the calling and purpose”
that drives her life.
“As a Christian, 1 also
believe that I cannot stand
by while such injustice
exists and affects the most
vulnerable in our world.
While I was in high school
and delivering an oratory on
present-day slavery, I was
amazed at how often the
information I presented was
greeted by looks of sheer
unbelief and even doubt. 1
knew then that I needed to
take part in educating the
public in Oregon on the is
sue,” she said.
Stillman said commu
nity support in events like
“reverse trick-or-treating”
and in helping her get to the
University of Puget Sound,
as well as the continued
interest in her work, tells
her that advocacy for vic
tims of human trafficking
is something residents of
rural Eastern Oregon care
about. While in D.C., she
also was able to give the
congressional delegation
egon residents.
“That kind of informa
tion tells our legislatures
that it matters to us and sup
plies me all the more with
encouragement to pursue
my work. My belief in the
work of organizations like
1JM and my desire to do
all 1 can to advocate for
survivors of this crime has
motivated me in a number
of my choices, including
where I attend college and
w hat I plan to do after grad
uation next year. More than
likely my senior thesis will
be on human trafficking
following a research paper
that I wrote for school this
past year. 1 hope at some
point to be able to return
to Oregon and Lexington
periodically to continue the
job of educating the public
about human trafficking,”
said Stillman.
All government agen
cies have faced budget cuts
in the face of sequestration,
making citizen support for
U.S. government programs
to combat slavery more
important than ever, Still
man said.
“ When it comes to
fighting human trafficking,
a relatively small amount of
money goes an extremely
long way,” said Holly Bur-
khalter, vice president of
government relations at
1JM. “The State Depart
ment’s Trafficking in Per
sons office makes grants
that save lives and build
international capacity to
end human trafficking. The
office should be made a
full-fledged State Depart
ment Bureau, in order to
best represent the inter
ests of the most vulnerable
people in the world—slaves
and trafficking victims.”
Organizations like IJM
say they are seeing signifi
cant improvements in pub
lic justice systems protect
ing the poor and preventing
slavery, even over short
periods of time. In just four
years of collaboration with
local authorities in Cebu,
the Philippines, IJM has
seen the number of minors
available in the commercial
sex trade reduced by 79
percent. Private investment
by Google.org for IJM’s
anti-slavery work in India
has enabled a dramatic
expansion of the organiza
tion’s work there from 9
to 50 states in the country,
nearly 1,000 bonded labors
in just 10 months.
“The trafficking of hu
mans is an issue that will
require dedicated individu
als to combat its prevalence
both abroad and the issue
which exists domestically
in the U.S., including a
large, growing problem in
Oregon. Eradicating hu
man trafficking means that
there is still much more
work to be done, but it
is a task worthy o f the
U.S. government’s support
and the attention of every
freedom-loving American.
For that reason, I chose
to come show my support
at our nation’s capitol for
H.R. 2283 (the number of
the bill mentioned above),”
said Stillman.
Stillman organized a
slave-free reverse trick-or-
treat after writing an oratory
for her school’s speech and
debate team, and became
an active member of IJM’s
citizen support team while
still in high school. Apart
from attending IJM’s advo
cacy day, during her time at
Puget Sound, Stillman has
helped put on Freeset events
on campus, an organization
that helps support women
who have been freed from
sex slavery in India. She
is currently working on
starting an advocacy or
ganization in Tacoma that
will connect her campus
to the Seattle/Tacoma anti
trafficking movement. This
summer, Stillman said she
will be arranging trafficking
awareness events, meeting
again with both Oregon
and Washington congres
sional delegations, attend
ing an IJM student leaders
conference in Atlanta, GA,
and working with Tacoma
organizations to help de
velop her advocacy orga
nization, all while working
full time and participating
in an internship at the Ta
coma Rescue Mission, an
organization that focuses on
providing effective help to
survivors of homelessness
who are trying to get back
on their feet.
In the past year alone,
IJM said it has brought
rescue to more than 2,400
victims o f violence and
injustice.
For more information
about International Justice
Mission, visit www.ijm.
org.
ODF tightens fire prevention
restrictions
Rapidly increasing
wildfire danger has prompt
ed Oregon Department of
Forestry to tighten public
fire prevention restrictions
in its Central Oregon Dis
trict effective Thursday,
July 4. These restrictions
apply to private and non-
federal public forestlands
in 12 counties including
Morrow County.
Assistant District For
ester Tracy Wrolson said
the current hot weather is
drying vegetation quickly
and, as a result, fire danger
levels are increasing dra
matically.
“ Last w eek’s rains
helped delay the onset of se
vere burning conditions, but
this heat wave has erased
those benefits,” Wrolson
said. “Fine fuels like grass
and brush will easily ignite
now. People need to be ex
tra careful when recreating
or working in the forests.”
The following activi
ties are restricted or pro
hibited:
-Smoking is prohib
ited while traveling, except
in vehicles on improved
roads.
-Open fires are prohib
ited, including campfires,
charcoal fires, cooking fires
and warming fires, except
in designated areas. Por
table cooking stoves using
liquefied or bottled fuels are
allowed. Open fires are al
lowed if in compliance with
a valid burning permit.
-Chainsaw use is pro
hibited between the hours
of 1 -8 p.m. Chainsaw use is
permitted at all other hours
if the follow ing equipment
is present with each operat
ing saw: one ax, one shovel
and one eight-ounce or larg
er fire extinguisher. Also,
a fire watch is required at
least one hour following the
use of each saw.
-Cutting, grinding and
welding of metal are pro
hibited between the hours
of 1-8 p.m. All other times
the area is to be cleared of
flammable vegetation and
the following fire equip
ment is required: one ax,
one shovel and one 2-Vi
pound or larger fire extin
guisher in good working
order.
-Use of motor vehicles,
including motorcycles and
all-terrain vehicles, is pro
hibited, except on improved
roads and except for vehicle
use by a landowner and em
ployees on their own land
while conducting activities
associated with their liveli
hood.
-Possession of the fol
lowing firefighting equip
ment is required while
traveling in a motorized
vehicle, except on federal
and state highways, county
roads and driveways: one
shovel and one gallon of
water or one 2-'A pound
or larger fire extinguisher,
except all-terrain vehicles
and motorcycles, which
must be equipped with an
approved spark arrestor in
good working condition.
-Mowing of dried grass
with power driven equip
ment is prohibited between
10 a.m. and 8 p.m. except
for commercial culture and
harvest of crops.
-Use of fireworks is
prohibited.
-The release of sky lan
terns is prohibited.
-The discharging of
exploding targets or tracer
ammunition is prohibited.
• Blasting is prohib
ited.
-Any electric fence
controller in use shall be:
1) Listed be a nationally
recognized testing labo
ratory or certified by the
Department of Consumer
and Business Services; and
2) Operated in compliance
with m anufacturer's in
structions.