Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2020)
Sheriff will not enforce Governor’s COVID edicts 50¢ VOL. 139 NO. 48 8 Pages Wednesday, November 25, 2020 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon ‘We have not engaged in any criminal enforcement on COVID-19 measures or orders sent down from Governor Brown and we will not start now,’ says Sheriff Matlack Four locals join 51 Eastern Oregon officials signing push-back letter against Governor Brown’s COVID rules ‘Our students are struggling in their education as well as their mental and emotional fitness, families have been stressed to the maximum, and decade-old businesses that are the lifeblood of our Oregon communities have closed for good.’ We have been living Oregon Democrat Gov. position for our commu- for employing tens of thou- sands of Oregonians and with extreme difficulty with Kate Brown received a nities. Our COVID-19 cases keeping our already fragile COVID-19 for over eight letter last Wednesday from economy moving. Our months and have taken 51 legislators and commis- will ebb and flow restaurants and bars the necessary precautions sioners from across eastern over the next sev- need to be able during this time, but Oregon. They urged her to eral months just as to extend their we have another six, stop her one-size-fits-all they have over the hours beyond the 12, 18 months, or approach to COVID-19. last several weeks. arbitrary closing longer to go as we Below is the full text of the This metric is not a reliable indica- time of 10 p.m. continue to under- letter sent to Brown: Commissioner stand this pandemic. Dear Governor Brown, tor of the situa- Don Russell and need to safe- ly expand their Further shutdowns We appreciate and un- tion. The metric that is most important indoor occupancy es- Commissioner are not sustainable. derstand the chal- to reconsider at this pecially as we head Jim Doherty We must adapt our lenges you have time is the original into the holiday sea- phases to allow for faced as our Gov- goal of ensuring there son and winter when indoor therapeutic ernor during this is adequate hospital restaurants, lodging and r e m e d i e s challenging time in capacity and not over- tourism activity will grow. that appear Oregon. We have whelming our medi- We are at risk for nearly 40 to be on the seen improvements Morrow cal facilities. We have percent of our remaining horizon. in the response to County At this COVID-19 and the Commission met this goal from the businesses closing in the Melissa onset and continue to next six months if we do juncture, by executive decisions Chair Lindsay meet this goal. This not allow for reasonable not allowing State Senator you have made that must be the bench- expansion of these services our kids to Bill Hansell have slowed the go to school, spread of the virus. In our mark for future conversa- and industries. 2. Schools: Our schools our parents and families to roles as state legislators, tions on how we learn to need to be allowed to fully work, our agencies to open county commissioners and live with COVID-19. There is still much re-open for in-classroom for services, and our small judges, and regional lead- ers, we’ve encouraged ev- we don’t know about learning, and our students businesses to reopen for ery effort available to do COVID-19, but what we need to be allowed to par- business, we are failing our do know is the continued ticipate in extracurricu- state and devastating the the same. A one-size-fits-all ap- closure and limitations un- lar activities. All teachers, lives of tens of thousands proach to shutting down der these guidelines dispro- students, staff and volun- of Oregonians. Our rural the state was logical and portionally impact women, teers who want to return to communities are being left appropriate in March when single-parent homes, rural in-person learning should out and left behind. As the onset of this pandemic communities and small be able to do so in a safe leaders, we are failing our was new and was unknown. businesses. Our students manner. All teachers, stu- constituents and the future Over time, we have learned, are struggling in their ed- dents, staff, and volunteers of our state’s survival is at adapted, adjusted and im- ucation as well as their that desire to continue CDL risk. We urge you to consid- proved. Keeping counties mental and emotional fit- should be able to do so. If it and regions in a Phase II ness, families have been is safe for college athletes to er a more realistic approach for an indefinite period of stressed to the maximum, return to sports, assuredly and set a course of action time is a one-size-fits-all and decade-old businesses it is safe for high school that allows for freedoms, approach that does not work that are the lifeblood of our students. Parents need to be safety and sustainability to Oregon communities have able to return to work, and work in conjunction with any longer. our students and teachers one another. In order to It is time to re-evaluate closed for good. Over the past few need the stability of the accomplish this, we must the metrics and the ev- empower our local public er-changing goal posts re- weeks, we have safely met classroom. 3. State Agencies: We health authorities to work lated to slowing the spread with school superinten- of COVID-19 in our ru- dents, the ODE Director, need to reopen our state with the local elected lead- ral, semi-rural, eastern and county sheriffs, county agencies at all levels, in- ership, both of whom fully frontier communities. We public health authorities cluding and specifically know local situations, to have shut down for months, and agency representatives DMVs, across the state. We work together and in part- we have met the metrics to discuss how we move would argue, and assume nership with the OHA to you would agree, that our move forward with what required, we have followed forward. We must make signifi- state agencies and state can become a regional the goal posts as they’ve moved, we have adhered to cant changes to the way our employees are essential. version of Phase II-A and the rules, we have slowed systems are being managed These agencies are funded Phase II-B. We are having these the spread—and yet, our going forward. It is not with public dollars and our counties, communities, realistic or sustainable to public needs full access to conversations now, and more importantly, we are small businesses, K-12 continue in Phase I or II, these essential services. 4. Religious institu- taking the necessary steps schools, childcare and col- as currently described, for leges, health departments our districts, counties and tions: Release our church- to develop these plans so es and places of worship. we can act and move our and more, sit in a stale communities wherein. We propose four areas While outliers will exist unique regions forward to- and stagnant state without as the exception, most wards a sustainable, viable forward progress. We have for change: 1. Restaurants and bars: churches and places of future. Something has to done and continue to do all that is within our capac- Our hospitality industry, worship will be and have change, and we’re prepared ity to slow the spread of restaurants and bars must been more than scrupulous to move ahead. We have a simple ask. COVID-19, and now, some be able to stay open. The in protecting their congre- of our border counties are data shared by OHA does gations from harm from being directly affected by not show any indication that COVID-19. Give pastors, decisions and actions from our restaurants and bars are religious leaders and gov- outside our state over which the cause of increased cas- erning boards the latitude es. In addition, our hospital- to exercise their best judge- we have no control. This is not a sustainable ity industry is responsible ment for safety. Sheriff Ken Matlack Morrow County Sheriff Ken Matlack last week is- sued a statement saying his office will not be enforcing any COVID orders sent from Salem by Democrat Governor Kate Brown. Following is the sheriff’s complete statement: A message from Mor- row County Sheriff Ken Matlack First, I wish to thank the people of Morrow County for my re-election as your sheriff. It continues to be a great honor to serve you. 2020 has been a very challenging year as a na- tion, state and county. Like I said in April, “We are facing the COVID-19 pan- demic head on, at the state, county and local level. To say our everyday lives have been changed would be an understatement.” Following Governor Brown’s latest executive or- der, the “Two Week Freeze” we have been asked by members of the public, “Are you going to be en- forcing the order. Are you going to be citing and ar- resting people for spending Thanksgiving with their loved ones, in their own As the leaders chosen by Oregonians to represent their best interests and be their advocates, throughout and across our beautiful state, we would ask that the governor and governor’s office participate in these meetings and work with us, assess the proposals and plans we put forward, and consider the options we will be recommending for your consideration and approval. We look forward to hearing from you soon. The letter is signed by Sen. Lynn Findley, Sen. Bill Hansell, Rep. Mark Owens, Sen. Kim Thatcher, Sen. Fred Girod, Sen. Brian Bo- quist, Sen. Chuck Thomsen, Rep. Greg Barreto, Rep. Racquel Moore-Green, Rep. Shelly Boshart-Da- vis, Rep. Mike Nearman, Rep. Bill Post, Rep. Rick Lewis, Rep. Carl Wilson, Rep-Elect Lily Morgan, Rep.-Elect Bobby Levy, homes? The short answer to that question is no. When this pandem- ic started in early 2020, as your sheriff I took the position that the Sheriff’s Office would be educating the public on safety mea- sures, recommendations and guidelines. I said at the time we would not be the primary enforcers of the Governor’s executive orders. The Governor has the Oregon State Police who work directly for her. In addition, the Governor exercises direct control of OSHA for work-place violations and agencies like OLCC that regulate alcohol use in businesses and restaurants etc., along with other state entities that are controlled by the governor’s office. We have not engaged in any criminal enforcement on COVID-19 measures or orders sent down from Governor Brown and we will not start now. If citi- zens or businesses refuse to follow the safety recom- mendations, they could face civil litigation or fines from OSHA or OLCC. They will not be cited or arrested by any member of the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office. As a county we have worked through the state of emergencies, executive orders, shutdowns, restric- tions, health guidelines and safety recommendations. We have been successful by working together as a community of family and -See MATLACK/PAGE TWO county commissioners from Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Polk, Umatilla, Union and Wallowa coun- ties. Local elected officials signing the letter were: G-T closed for Thanksgiving The Heppner Ga - zette-Times will be closed for the Thanksgiving hol- iday on Thursday and Fri- day, November 26 and 27. Normal business hours will resume Monday, November 30. The Gazette-Times wishes everyone a hap- py and safe Thanksgiving weekend. MORROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS 350 MAIN STREET LEXINGTON OR 97839 CONTACT JUSTIN BAILEY 541-256-0229, 541-989-8221 EXT. 204 POLARIS.COM/SNOWMOBILES ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. R E B AT E S U P T O $2000 ON SELECT MODELS Offers valid on select new 2018-2021 Polaris snowmobiles purchased between August 1st, 2020 – August 31st, 2020. Minimum payments required. Offer may not be combined with certain other offers, is subject to change and may be extended or terminated without further notice. Model specifications subject to change. All rebates are paid to the dealer. The Promotional Limited Warranty consists of the standard 12-month y warranty plus an additional 12 or 24 months of additional promotional limited warranty coverage for a total of 24 or 36 months of warranty coverage. See dealer for details. Any additional warranty coverage after the initial 12 month factory warranty is subject to a $50.00 deductible per visit. Valid at participating Polaris Snowmobile dealers only. Model & year exclusions apply. See your local dealer for details. Polaris recommends that all riders take a safety training course. Do not attempt maneuvers beyond your capability. Always wear a helmet and other safety apparel. Never drink and ride.