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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2021)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 13, 2021 -- THREE ~ 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 verification 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 classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10. Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net. America needs another Open the businesses Share some good news Martin Luther King To the editor. H i G a z e t t e - Ti m e s media, but I believe that the barriers and other measures To the editor: Martin Luther King was a great American, pri- marily because he did not see the color of your skin nor did he countenance vio- lence as a means for justice. How desperately America needs another Martin Lu- ther King. The right-wing rioters storming the Capitol building are no different than left wing rioters at- tacking police and federal buildings across America. Right-wing conservatives that justify violence to gain justice are no different from left-wing politicians that justify Antifa and BLM terrorists. Sports icons like Labron James claim the Trump pro- testors were treated differ- ently by police than BLM protestors proving racial bias and prejudice, further stoking the fires of racial division in America. Dem- ocrat politicians, led by House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Leader Schumer, who have supported, ad- vocated and incited Antifa and BLM violence across America blame President Trump for the mob that invaded the Capitol build- ing. The hundreds of thou- sands of Trump supporters that came to Washington D.C. are now all lumped together as a right-wing terrorist mob. President elect Biden claims he wants to bring America together as he attacks Trump and his supporters as white su- premacists. In the midst of incen- diary accusations that are further dividing America, what really happened on the day Biden was to be formal- ly declared the President of the United States at the United States Capitol? Cer- tainly, the Washington D.C. police, Capitol police, and multiple adjacent police forces, along with Nation- al Guard units from three states would have been well prepared for perhaps one of the most momentous and potentially tumultuous days in American history. Hundreds of thousands of Trump supporters were expected on the capital grounds of America that day. The most controversial convention of electors in the history of the Republic were scheduled to meet that day, January 6, 2021, to formally elect the President of America. It is beyond comprehension to learn: 1) the Capitol police nor any other police department or National Guard units devel- oped any threat assessment, 2) the Capitol police had access to multiple police reinforcement and the Na- tional Guard units, yet they turned down every offer for back up. Democrat D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser de- liberately refused to allow the city to prepare for any form of violence or insur- rection. “To be clear, the District of Columbia is not requesting other federal law enforcement and personnel and discourages additional deployment without imme- diate notification and with Municipal Police Depart- ment.” (“Weeks in plain sight the police were not ready,” PBS Jan. 6, 21) Thirty-four-year Capitol police veteran Larry Schae- fer commented, “We have a planned known demonstra- tion that has a propensity for violence in the past and threats to carry weapons. Why would you not prepare yourself as we have in the past.” (PBS Jan. 6, 21) Nothing happens by accident in this world. The U.S. Congress is one of the most secure facilities in the world. That securi- ty has not been breached since 1815. No one, no mob could breach the U.S. Congress unless the attack was an inside job. There are layers of security, bul- let proof, blast proof doors guarded by machine guns. PBS documented “videos showing officers stepping aside, sometimes taking selfies as if to usher Trump supporters inside the build- ing they were supposed to guard.” (PBS Jan. 6, 21) There are videos of Trump supporters taping Capitol police escorting four bus- ses and black government vehicles through police roadblocks to the front of the Capitol building. No reinforcements were called until over 30 minutes after the breach. The Capitol “mob” attack was well choreo- graphed. Pictures were staged inside the sacred halls of Congress mocking every value and standard America once stood for. Donald Trump has no re- cord or history of instigat- ing this kind of insurrection or violence. He has stood for the police, military, law and order and against rioting and mob violence throughout his presidency. Now the press, media and politicians on both sides of the chamber are foaming at the mouth to lynch Trump and his mob of supporters. Professional athletes are clamoring against a sup- posed racial injustice. BLM and Antifa should have been ushered into the halls of congress for a picture shoot like the Trump mob. Those that lawlessly broke into the Capitol building do not represent Donald Trump, American patriots or those Christian conser- vatives that love America. I long for the hour truth and justice is restored in America and the world. If the press and media would report the news honestly and our government offi- cials would honor our con- stitution and the Godly her- itage of our forefathers, our Republic could be restored. I would not be compelled to do research and document what is being deliberately hidden from the American people. Who gained from this mob violence? I guar- antee it was not Donald Trump. The Democrat/ Socialist/Globalist agenda has now been engraved in the American government: how fortuitous. A Demo- crat mayor and a Democrat Washington D.C. police force, with orders from the global deep state, organized this breach of our American government. It was not an accident and it was not negligence. The moral of the sto- ry: A number of innocent Capitol policemen lost their lives, in part because of the Trump mob, but primarily because they were set up like our boys at Benghazi. This does not excuse the Trump mob that lawlessly entered the Capitol. A four tour Air force veteran lost her life because she was deceived to attempt to win justice through storming the nation’s capital. Martin Luther King showed us the way - nonviolent protest must be the moral of the story. Stuart Dick, Irrigon Greetings in this new year of 2021. I sent this let- ter to Governor Kate Brown this week and would like to have it also run as a letter to the editor in your paper. Dear Governor Brown, I feel compelled to communicate to you about the present situation in Or- egon and a major decision you have recently made. Yes, we all know you and I have our differenc- es, but I am struggling to understand why you have decided to open schools and not businesses. I have seen businesses bend over backward to install safety and comply with social distancing. Businesses need to be open and employees need to go back to work. Most people are being, and will continue to be, very cautious as long as this epidemic lasts. Let’s give businesses the same opportunity you are giving schools. I challenge you to now end the ban before people and private businesses go bankrupt. Most sincerely, Liz VanLeeuwen Linn County State Rep- resentative 1981-1999 Profitability expected for north- west agricultural commodities Northwest Farm Credit Services, the Northwest’s leading agricultural lending cooperative, has released its quarterly Market Snap- shot reports covering the state of major agricultur- al commodities in the re- gion. Northwest FCS teams throughout Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington monitor conditions and re- port outlooks for commod- ities financed by the co-op. All Market Snapshots and audio highlights are posted online at Industry Insights. Northwest FCS’ 12-month outlook for the agricultural commodities most common in the North- west are summarized be- low. Cattle: The 12-month outlook on cattle suggests slightly profitable returns. The national herd size is moderating, which is pro- viding tailwinds to produc- er profitability. Instability around COVID-19 contin- ues to weigh on restaurant demand for high value cuts. Dairy: Slightly prof- itable returns in 2021 are forecast, although con- tinued volatility is like- ly. The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program pro- vided direct payments to producers and the Farm- ers to Families Food Box Program purchased dairy products, which supported milk prices, mainly Class III. Similar assistance is expected in 2021. Fisheries: The 12-month outlook for fish- eries expects profitable re- turns. Although 2020 hit the seafood industry hard with restaurant sales declining more than 50 percent, con- sumers remained hungry for seafood. Fisheries will continue to face challenges with ongoing COVID-19 protocols, changing total allowable catches and un- certain trade relations in 2021. There is optimism for increased demand as restau- rant sales recover and retail demand remains strong. Forest Products: The forest products outlook anticipates profitable opera- tions for both mills and tim- berland owners. Strong de- mand and tight supplies are leading to favorable log and lumber prices. Robust hous- ing starts will keep demand high, which could increase further as the COVID-19 vaccine improves economic conditions. Hay: The 12-month outlook for the hay industry calls for slightly profitable returns. In 2021, the hay market will focus on mod- estly optimistic fundamen- tals. A weaker dollar favors exports, and higher prices for protein substitutes, like soybean meal, will provide tailwinds to hay producers. Onions: Onions are forecast to provide break- even returns over the next 12 months. Supply and de- mand indicate prices could increase, yet producers are sensitive to continued COVID-19 restrictions in the food service industry. Potatoes: Slightly prof- itable returns are expect- ed for potato producers. Processors’ demand for uncontracted potatoes is restrained as the COVID-19 situation continues to damp- en restaurant demand for processed potato products, such as French fries. Sugar Beets: Sugar beet growers should see profit- able returns for the 2020-21 season. The USDA forecast suggests stocks-to-use ra- tios will continue to de- crease from 14.2 percent in 2019-20 to 13.5 percent in 2020-21, a favorable ratio for Northwest producers. Apples: Apple growers can expect to see slightly profitable margins. A small- er crop and solid demand should increase prices. However, several quali- ty issues have challenged growers this season. Qual- ity will be a key driver of individual growers’ profits. Cherries: Overall, prof- itable margins are antici- pated for cherry growers. Reduced supply coupled with strong domestic de- mand helped sustain high pricing, which will trans- late into strong margins for growers. However, those with measurable losses in tonnage may not have had enough fruit to capture re- turns and will be reliant on crop insurance. Pears: The 12-month profitability index forecasts slightly profitable returns for pear growers. Although demand has been lackluster Readers, Needing something to do and wanting to hear some good news for a change, I talked April and Bobbi at the Gazette-Times into letting me work on a column devoted to good news only. For those young people who are not familiar with the days when a common attraction in the local paper was the tidbits of person- al news individuals were willing to share with the readers, items that were beyond the announcements of new babies, engagements and marriages. Some peo- ple wanted to share that they had had company – usually people with whom many locals were familiar – or that they had been on a trip, were back from a hospital stay, or just had had a funny experience to relate, etc. I call it a type of “personal-interest” inclu- sion because I think many other people are like me in my pleasure in sharing someone else’s upbeat hap- penings. I do know that some of what I am thinking of is being shared on Facebook and other forms of social reading audience of the GT is broader, and I enjoy read- ing a paper newspaper more than an electronic post. So, I want to give this a try. Yes, I could be wrong…. To kick off the ap- proach, I plan to pop in at our local businesses and public entities to ask for some “good news,” proba- bly once every two weeks, or just once a month, de- pending on the reception of this idea. Maybe I can cover from the south end of town to the north in three or four days, looking for at least one upbeat note from each. Just one little tidbit can be enough to bring a smile to the reader’s face. I have thought for a long time that this type of column would be a good addition to the GT, and the past year’s restrictions on my comings and goings finally did the trick. I de- cided to put my thought into action. Soon, I hope to see many people who do not throw me out the door when I approach and say, “Any good news you want to share with the Ga- zette-Times?” Doris Brosnan the last few years, increased pricing indicates demand may be finding some high- er ground. Good quality will also increase growers’ returns. Wheat: The outlook calls for slightly profitable returns for wheat grow- ers. The USDA’s projected 2020-21 season average farm price for all-wheat is $4.50 per bushel. Current markets are showing a high- er average of $4.70 to $4.80 per bushel from the 2019- 20 season. High yields and government payments will partially offset otherwise break-even wheat prices. Wine/Vineyard: Slight profits are expected for both vineyards and wineries, al- though it’s a mixed bag for both. Lower grape yields and bulk wine supplies should support improved grape markets, but funda- mental oversupply issues remain. Some wineries in the retail and direct to consumer channels are hav- ing record sales; however, wineries reliant on tast- ing rooms, events or other in-person sales are left with limited options to generate revenue. Morrow County Dis- trict Attorney Justin Nelson has released the following report: -Kaelynn Holling- sworth was convicted of PCS Heroin and was placed into Umatilla/Morrow County Drug Court along with three years of formal probation. Also convicted of PCS Meth and sentenced to 90-day jail sentence im- posed upfront. Allowed ear- ly release if able to locate in-patient treatment facility program. -James David Town was convicted of Criminal Trespass 2 and sentenced to 18 months of probation, 10 hours of CSW and 15 days jail suspended on success- ful completion of probation. As part of the sentence, he is to send a letter of apology to the victim and comply with formal probation in other case. He was also convicted of Disorderly Conduct, sentenced to 15 days jail imposed upfront, 75 days jail suspended on success- ful completion of probation, 18 months of probation, 20 hours of CSW and comply with formal probation in other case. James David Town was also convicted of UUMV and sentenced to 20 days jail imposed upfront, 160 days jail suspended on suc- cessful completion of pro- bation, 18 months of pro- bation, 40 hours of CSW, alcohol and drug treatment evaluation and any recom- mended treatment. DA’s Report Justice Court Report Morrow County Justice of the Peace, Glen Diehl, has released the following Justice Court report: -Xavian L. Lenard, 27, Colorado City, TX was convicted of violation of basic rule, fine $165 and no operator’s license, fine $265. -Damien S. Wilhelm, 42, Lexington, was convicted of driving while suspended, fine $440; no insurance, fine $265; driving while suspended (second charge), fine $440 and no insurance (second charge), fine $265.
