Articles from the March 21, 2024 edition


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  • Sherman 4-H Pans on Fire Club meets

    4-H Student Reporter|Updated Mar 22, 2024

    By Haley Rose Blagg, 4-H Student Reporter The Pans on Fire Outdoor Cooking 4-H Club met on Thursday March 14 at 3:30pm at the Extension Office. Attending were: Junior leaders Sara, Haley, Andrew and Sebastian; second year members Kynlie, Clyde, Olivia, Harley, Roper, Isaiah, Elizabeth, Ireland; first year members Cooper, Livy, Zan, Logan C., Landon, Aiden, Evan. Adults: Jessica W, Christian A, Cindy B, Cathy Musick. What we did during the meeting: we made s'mores today. We...

  • Gilliam County recall signature sheets submitted

    Updated Mar 22, 2024

    Signatures sheets for the recall of Judge Elizabeth Farrar Campbell and Commissioner Pat Shannon were given to the Gilliam Co. Clerk on March 19, 2024. A total of 150 signatures for each recall petition was required and according to members of the recall campaigns, that number was met. The signatures will need to be verified by County Clerk Ellen Wagenaar, and if shown to be valid, will give five days to Judge Farrar Campbell and Commissioner Shannon to either resign or...

  • Statement from Cliff Bentz regarding his vote in favor of "The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act" (FCAA)

    Press Release|Updated Mar 22, 2024

    WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Cliff Bentz, (OR-2) released the following statement regarding his vote in favor of the "The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act" (FCAA): "This was a difficult vote. There is much I dislike in this bill, but when we Republicans barely control only one of the three branches of government (House, Senate, White House), the results our team obtained after months of work and thousands of amendments are deserving of serious respect. Additionally,...

  • Gilliam County Cultural Coalition sets spring grant deadline

    Updated Mar 22, 2024

    The Gilliam county Cultural Coalition has set a grant application deadline for March 28, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on April 4, 2024. Non-profits, groups, and individuals are encouraged to apply for up to $1,500 in funding for activities that focus on arts, culture, heritage, and humanities. Applications are available online at www.co.gilliam.or.us/residents/cultural_coalition....

  • Gilliam County Sheriff to be President of Western States Sheriff's Association

    Updated Mar 22, 2024

    Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt has been selected to be the next President of the Western States Sheriff Association. The Western States Sheriff Association is made up of sheriffs and command staff from seventeen western states, which spans from Texas to Oregon. Sheriff Bettencourt has been active with the Western States Sheriff's Association for several years and will take over from Sheriff Corey Helton of Lea County, New Mexico....

  • Sherman County Cultural Coalition spring grant open

    Updated Mar 22, 2024

    The Sherman County Cultural Coalition has set an application deadline of March 31, 2024 for the Sherman County Cultural Coalition Spring Grant Cycle. Up to $1,500 for local culture, humanities, heritage, and arts. Open to individuals/groups. Apply at www.shermancountyculturalcoalition.com. Questions? Contact Melva Thomas, 541-980-4968 or [email protected]....

  • Turnover, resignations, recalls at Gilliam County a cause for concern

    Stephen Allen|Updated Mar 22, 2024

    Last week, two more resignations were submitted from staff of Gilliam County, adding to a growing number of people who have left their jobs in the past few years. Rachel Boyer, who was hired a year ago to be the first Finance Director at Gilliam County, resigned from her position last week. Boyer, who attended middle school in Condon, had long hoped to return to Condon, the hometown of six generations before her. A certified management accountant (CMA), Boyer moved from...

  • LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Dawn Parm

    Updated Mar 20, 2024

    There has been a question asked, Why not RECALL Leah Watkins? Our answer, She's only been in her job for 1 year and we were hoping she might become an effective Commissioner. And the reason why we're still recalling The County Judge Farrar and Commissioner Shannon is they’ve been working on Radical changes to our County Court structure with little to no input from the public. They would still have the remainder of 2024 in the office to do more irreversible and costly damage to our County. There have been seventeen employee t...

  • LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Hon. Kathy Stinnett

    Updated Mar 20, 2024

    Dear Editor, I have known Cris Patnode both personally and professionally since 2012. As a fellow Justice of the Peace, we have served in each other’s courts and together in leadership for Oregon Justice of the Peace Association. Judge Patnode is highly respected by local court judges statewide for her knowledge and dedication to her profession. Integrity and transparency are essential qualities that we should all demand from our government officials. Judge Patnode illustrates what ethics in government should look like. She h...

  • What would Jesus have Cut? Part Three

    Lawrence J. Hammar|Updated Mar 20, 2024

    Last week I left you hanging by a thread. What would happen to this unique “cut-and-paste” Bible? How on earth was $3,277 too high a cost to publish such a masterpiece of bricolage? As do many good ideas, it died on the House floor. When Iowa Congressman John Fletcher Lacey took to it in defense of his proposal in joint with Professor Cyrus Adler, his fellow Republican, Charles H. Grosvenor of Ohio, rose to complain, but Lacey replied, "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth...

  • LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Barbara Anderson

    Updated Mar 20, 2024

    It’s been brought to my attention that maybe some have no idea that there are two 6 bedroom homes in Condon that are set up for transient work forces. We have been housing workers for nearly 5 years. The average cost per person with just 5 people is 480$ a month. These rent for $2,400 for 5 persons to $3,000 for 6 persons a month with ALL utilities, fully furnished, linens, cookware and paper products. Garbage and wifi also. We were happy to host Jessica Lynch and family the first month they were here in a smaller unit u...

  • Crispy fish and chips

    Isabel Montclaire|Updated Mar 20, 2024

    My friend Jerry makes the best fish and chips ever! Since I live in the middle of nowhere, I can’t run down to the local Skippers or beach fish house every time I want to eat those. So, I asked Jerry to teach me how to make them. Fish and chips are incredibly easy to cook and there are just a few dishes to wash. Jerry has a Fry Daddy deep fat fryer made by Presto which makes deep fat frying remarkably easy. There is no temperature control to fiddle around with and it’s sim...

  • LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Jordan Maley

    Updated Mar 20, 2024

    To the Editor and Gilliam County residents, Rural counties across America are fortunate to be relatively peaceful places in a country increasingly divided by opposing viewpoints and even violence. But what is it that sets us apart? I believe it comes from a deeper tolerance of our differences and personal accountability to each other. In rural areas there are fewer of us to get the job done and make things work. Small counties and towns survive because we are communities of volunteers who pull together regardless of our...

  • Housing and remediation discussions continue for old Condon Grade School

    Stephen Allen|Updated Mar 20, 2024

    Efforts to remediate and revitalize the old Condon Grade School were discussed by the Environmental Sentry Corp board of directors last week at its monthly meeting. The Environmental Sentry Corp is the non-profit wing of the Port of Arlington. The non-profit has been utilized to help with remediation efforts on large projects that are outside of the Port's scope and abilities. The Environmental Sentry Corps took ownership of the old Condon Grade School last year and has...

  • Home values in Tri-County area soar, outpacing state average

    Stephen Allen|Updated Mar 20, 2024

    Home values in Oregon have been some of the most expensive in the country for many years. High value homes have traditionally been confined to the Portland metro area, the Willamette Valley and along the Oregon Coast. But in rural areas of the state, average home values have typically been much lower. Affordable land, housing, and a cheaper cost of living have attracted people to the region since the time of the pioneers. But with home values growing exponentially in Central...