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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 2016)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 24, 2016 ~ Letters to the Editor ~ The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for veriication and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classiieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10. Liberal spirit has replaced independent spirit in Oregon As a native Oregonian born here in this state in the 1930s I personally had to make many adjustments politi- cally to run a business in this state. Agriculture has been my primary profession, running two businesses in the western part of the state, and I have been a Republican for 45 years. In 1998 I left the Repub- lican Party, as I saw it dwindling into an empty shell of what it once was as I saw it. I took up the non-afiliated party until two months ago and registered back to the Republican Party again. From 2000 my wife and I ran the Windyhill Sheep Ranch in the Burnt River area in the town of Unity. That side of the state is all agriculture and mostly Republican, and at times I felt we were a white dot in a red sea. After totally retiring from ranching and selling the ranch we relocated to Ione, a nice, quiet and clean town. Retiring gave me some time to think about an article I wrote for The Oregonian in 2010: “Why does Oregon come out so badly?” Today’s state oficials seem to have gotten a lot worse in their thinking on how to solve issues that require un- derstanding of how the west side of the state thinks as to what the east side has to do to make a living from the land. Looking back to that article I can see no changes, but blockage of ideas to try to get this state back on the right track to prosperity. The state seems to make the case by wasting millions of dollars from state employee funds to failed health care programs and liberalized programs that people seem to think they don’t have to work as hard to get what they want. All of the people in Oregon have an independent spirit, but if you live on the eastern side of the state you are on your own. And when it comes to voting on a statewide issue that would beneit the eastern side, the majority of the vote come from the populated areas. The tax structure in Oregon is one of the highest and does not encourage new development, but drives away the businesses that are already here, and the ones that are entrenched have been made secure by such massive tax giveaways they could not even consider leaving. Oregon is now a state with three parties—red, white and blue. In the coming years it will be a test of time to see if liberalism works. (s) Ronald Blaine Folck, Ione Historical society plans meeting Is the siege really over? Now that all the armed protestors are gone from Harney County, many of which are in jail, one would think the siege is over. Steve and Dwight Hammond are in federal prison, convicted as terrorists for starting two ires, the irst which improved BLM property and the second which saved the Hammond ranch. The BLM will coniscate the Hammond ranch, when the women will not be able to pay the $400,000 ine. The 200-plus FBI agents and other armed agents that had no insignias, that manned road blocks and interrogated American citizens, can go home. The siege is over. Right? C.J. Hadley, editor of Range Magazine, Spring 2016 issue, documents an intentional conspiracy on the part of the government to deprive Western ranchers of their property rights. In Hage v. United States 2010 Judge Robert C. Jones found a “literal intentional conspiracy to deprive the Hages not only of their permits, but also their vested water rights. This behavior shocks the conscience of the court.” The government has yet to pay the Hages the $14,000,000 ine. Many Americans, myself included, do not agree with the armed takeover; however, whether we agree with protestor methods never was never the issue in Burns. Our Pledge of Allegiance ends with “liberty and justice for all.” If justice and liberty are denied to the Hammonds then justice has been denied to all. These protestors are Americans. Most have families. Many are veterans. They have sacriiced their liberty and freedom to stand against injustice and government oppression. According to wit- nesses present Lavoy Finicum was shot multiple times with his hands up, attempting to surrender. Who exercised restraint and who exercised violence in Burns? Why has the press never documented that uranium is the real issue with the Hammond ranch? A 1956 Dept. of Geology Mineral Industries study (Vol. 18, #12 by Max Shafer) “documents occurrence of secondary uranium mineralization…in Harney Co.” In September of 2011 uranium oficials met with Burns oficials. The Oregonian Jan. 8, 2012 documents: “Oregon Energy LLC hopes to mine 18 million pounds of Yellowcake uranium” near Burns. The New York Times in April 2015 documented under the Hillary Clinton State Department the United States “gave the Russians control of one-ifth of all uranium production capacity” in America. The same article documents the Clinton Foundation received over $250,000,000 in contributions from uranium companies. Who are the real terrorists? (s) Stuart Dick, Irrigon Local students achieve FFA state degree The quarterly meeting of the Morrow County Histori- cal Society is scheduled for 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, March 13, at the Irrigon Baptist Church, 315 N. 10 th Street in Irrigon. Six Heppner FFA mem- The agenda will be a continuation of the last meeting. bers will be among the The group also will bring everyone up to date on society 246 Oregon FFA members projects, and make decisions about the ield trip planned receiving their State FFA for April 15, 2016. Degree at the 88 th Oregon FFA State Convention in Corvallis March 19. This achievement, the high- est accolade the state can awards its members, is the result of their participation in the Oregon FFA for a minimum of two years, and of meeting the high standards required for the Degree. CJ Kindle, Patrick Col- lins, Tim Gould, Kolby Currin, Kaelyn Lindsay and Rylee Kollman began in the FFA with the Greenhand Degree, followed by the Chapter FFA Degree. These two degrees are awarded by their chapter after they have met the qualiications for each degree. In addi- STOP BY AFTER tion, some chapters include middle school programs, THE GAME FOR A 50% OFF ST. PATS HOODIES AND TEES O nsies , T Oddler T ees and selecT adulT Tees OnlY $5 VICTORY DRINK! CHECK OUT OUR IRISH GIFT WARE AND DECOR which allows them to earn the Discovery Degree. For the State FFA De- gree, each of the recipients must have two years of records of working in an Agricultural Placement for over 900 hours or have earned and invested $1,500 in an Entrepreneurship Su- pervised Agricultural Ex- perience, or a combination of the two. In addition to complet- ing the application for the State Degree, each candi- date had to pass a written exam, present a six-minute presentation on an ag topic, serve as an oficer or com- mittee member, participate in at least 30 activities, and complete a presentation on their project to a local advisory team in their com- munity or region. Oregon FFA has a total membership of over 5,500 members. St. Pat’s boxing event cancelled The Heppner Cham- ber of Commerce has an- nounced that, due to restric- tions placed by state rules and regulations regarding sponsoring boxing events, the chamber board has no choice but cancel the Irish Smoker amateur boxing event for this year. The boxing event had been planned for March 18. Chamber executive di- rector Sheryll Bates said the board will review the required process and deter- mine whether to sponsor a boxing event in the future. “We want to thank ev- eryone who volunteered in any way to help us put on such a successful event for the last eight years,” said Bates. “We know it was a popular event in the annual St. Patrick’s celebration.” Sponsors who already submitted checks will have the funds returned, Bates said. “We have really appre- ciated your sponsorships for the last eight years,” added Bates. “We couldn’t have done it without you.” Morrow SWCD to meet The Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will hold a regular board meeting Tuesday, March 1, at the Ag Service Center Conference Room, 430 W Linden Way, Hep- pner, beginning at 6 p.m. Time will be set aside at the beginning of the SWCD meeting to receive comments from the public. The agenda for the SWCD meeting includes review and approval of the minutes of the Feb. 2 regular meeting, bank rec- onciliation for February, budget versus actual report, staff reports including an update on a cooperative water quality testing project on Upper Willow Creek, partner reports, update on an easement document al- lowing the Heppner Fire Department access to High- way 74 across Morrow SWCD property, and loss of income reimbursement request. A board position rep- resenting the Irrigon area is currently vacant, and in- terested parties are invited to contact SWCD for more information. Meetings of Morrow SWCD are open to the public. St. Pat’s Players are back with another dramatic offering The St. Patrick’s cel- ebration this year will again feature an original play written by Fr. Gerry Con- don and performed by local community members. “Intrigue at Glendal- ough” will be performed twice for the community; irst on Sunday, March 13, at 3 p.m. at Ione Commu- nity School and again on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall in Heppner. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. Cast members include Joe Lindsay, Larry Lutcher, Bill Monagle, Rick Drake, Bill Kuhn, Cam Sweeney, Corey Sweeney, Dan Van Schoiack, Dan Lindsay, Adam McCabe, Debbie Gutierrez, Ashley Lindsay, Rita Van Schoiack, Janet Greenup, Beth Dickensen, Brian Kollman, Josh Coin- er, Ann Morter and Nikki Coe. The evenings will also feature Irish music with Joe Lindsay, Bill Monagle and Rick Drake. More in- formation on the play will be available closer to the event. St. Pat’s pins available now The lapel pin for Hep- pner’s Wee Bit o’ Ireland Celebration is available for sale at Heppner City Hall, Murray’s Drug, Commu- nity Bank, and will be avail- able during the celebration. Each pin is $3 and gives you a chance to win $100 at two different draw- ings. All proceeds help with expenses of the annual St. Pat’s buttons are now March event. available. Free Tuiion! Time is running out. Apply by March 1, 2016 for the opportunity of free community college tuiion through Oregon Promise! ww.bluecc.edu/OregonPromise ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: 217 North Main St., Heppner • Phone 676-9158 • Floral 676-9426 Serving Morrow, Wheeler & Gilliam counties Since 1959 - FIVE MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
