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The Wingin’ It Poultry 4-H Club met March 11, 2024 at 5:40 at the Gilliam County Fairgrounds. Leader Aubrey Gibson discussed the upcoming field trip to Spring Classic at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond on April 27th. We also talked about dates to get turkeys and meat chickens for fair. The last item of discussion was the Small Animal Clinic being held at the Gilliam County Fairgrounds on April 19th. Maggie Justice will be sharing her knowledge of chickens, t...
BY OLIVIA BURBANK 4-H Student Reporter The Terrific Tomatoes 4-H Gardening Club met on March 18 at 6pm at the Extension office. Attending were: Erin, Isaiah, Sebastian, Avery, Andrew, Sara, Evan, Aeden, Olivia. Excused: Kinley, Roper, Harley. Pledge of Allegiance by Avery, 4-H Pledge by Sebastian. What we did during the meeting: talked about different family families and how plans diseases can spread to other members of that family, talked about what plants are in each...
I met another dead man this week. Actually, I met his three lovely children this week in beautiful Loudonville, New York. I definitely met his books, 5,541 of them, if truth be told, and several piles of ephemera (Life magazines, W.W.I.I.-era newspapers, signed posters and the like). After about nine months of back-and-forth by e-mail and Facebook Private Messenger spent in the making of nicey-nice and in anticipation I flew into Albany, rented a car and pulled up eventually t...
March 28, 2024 10 years ago— Sherman County Historical Society Board of Trustees has announced that the museum has received a generous grant from the Sherman Development League. It was obvious there wasn’t enough work space for work being done with photos and artifact collections. With the grant the volunteers redesigned their space, and added a computer workstation. A crowd of about 120 Arlington area residents gathered at the Arlington Grade School cafeteria to learn more about investigations into recent arson and cri...
To the Editor: I am working on my family history and two of the best years of my life were spent at 636th Radar Station in Condon, Oregon in the years 1968-1970. Back when your great paper was the “Condon Globe Times.” Many articles from then fill my scrapbook. I am feeling nostalgivc and wanted to write and let you know how much I loved your little town and my time at Condon High School. It was with such sadness that I had to leave before my Senior year when the base closed. I don’t know how many of my friends are still...
Thinking about the past week. Last week began in Salem participating in two Zoom interviews with applicants for a new Gilliam County position. Monday afternoon at AOC for the Health and Human Services Summit #5. Rushing home Tuesday morning and a telephone meeting while on the road with Trever Berry from CCS discussing best use for BHRN funding in Gilliam County. MCEDD meeting at 1:00 in the Gronquist Building and discussed adding the County to the MCEDD Strategic Plan becoming part of their economic development district....
Dear Editor: I believe I feel the same way many of your readers do. It is time to stop polishing the “what’s wrong” and get on with, “beginning to fix.” I suggest the following, at least, to get solution-thinking started. If something like this is already in the works. I apologize, and plead, my ongoing concern for a place I care about deeply. The existing County Court has the ability to begin that process. 1. They can appoint a volunteer Commission ( or any title they choose) of citizens to begin the process of Rebuildin...
Dear Gilliam County, I am writing to encourage the citizens of Gilliam County to ask some critical questions of your incumbent elected officials, including those who are going to be on your ballot for the May primary election. I have been the Finance Director at Gilliam County since July 10, 2023. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA), and I am a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). I have over 20 years of experience in Accounting/Finance and spent the last 8 years try...
To the Editor The Elizabethan Era was when many historic plays and tragedies we all studied in school were written. Gilliam County is now nearing the end of our own tragedy (play) with our own Queen Elizabeth Farrar Campbell. Her court Jester has been Commissioner Pat Shannon, playing the lead role. First year Lady in Waiting Leah Watkins, with only a little over a year's experience, has played an excellent supporting role. Commissioner Leah Watkins appears to be changing her role, however, from Lady in Waiting to Aspiring...
To the Editor and Gilliam County Voters, Yesterday, I filed paperwork with the Gilliam County Clerk’s Office requesting the voters allow me to continue serving them as Gilliam County Judge through the remainder of my term, which ends in January. Today, I am asking for your help in defeating this divisive and reckless waste of taxpayer resources by voting “no” on the recall election. One of the Chief Petitioners, Ms. Parm, has stated this effort is driven by her belief the people of Gilliam County should be able to “voic...
To the Editor, Currently recall petitioners have gathered enough signatures to submit to the County Clerk. A special recall election could potentially remove 2 of the 3 court members. The following are facts voters should consider as they cast their ballots, the effects of which could be devastating and long lasting for our county. If the recall is successful it will result in an emergency shut down of all county services, including furloughing all county employees. Elected Officials may choose to open their respective...
It has been a rocky 90 days in Gilliam County. The Gilliam County Court's decision to transfer juvenile and probate court on December 6th, its discussions of changing to a board of commissioners, and efforts to get a legislative fix on the probate issue in Salem created division and anger in the county. There was a resounding demand to bring such issues to the voters. There were accusations that the methods employed were underhanded. Much of this anger revolved around timing....
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...
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...
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...
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...
Last week I left you hanging by a thread. What would happen to this unique “cut-and-paste” Bible? How on earth was $3,277 too high a cost to publish such a masterpiece of bricolage? As do many good ideas, it died on the House floor. When Iowa Congressman John Fletcher Lacey took to it in defense of his proposal in joint with Professor Cyrus Adler, his fellow Republican, Charles H. Grosvenor of Ohio, rose to complain, but Lacey replied, "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth...
It’s been brought to my attention that maybe some have no idea that there are two 6 bedroom homes in Condon that are set up for transient work forces. We have been housing workers for nearly 5 years. The average cost per person with just 5 people is 480$ 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...
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...
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...
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...
Days of Yore March 14, 2024 10 years ago – Damascus Christian had been a thorn in the side of the Condon-Wheeler Lady Knights all year, since the State Class 1A basketball tournament in Baker City in 2013 when the Eagles defeated the Lady Knights by two points for the championship. All of their hard work through the year paid off when the Lady Knights mounted a well-calculated come-from-behind effort to defeat the Damascus Christian Eagles 57-52. The student council of Sherman Jr/Sr High School will present the ‘Mr. Hus...
While driving to Salem this afternoon to follow up on the Legislative Short Session results and start conversations for the 2025 Legislative Long Session, I couldn’t help but think about the events that have taken place regarding the County Court during the past several months and the conversations and actions that have happened since last week’s County Court meeting. There seems to be a continuing accusation that I have voted on and been part of approving an illegal Order. I felt a strong urge to respond by stating to the...
When I joined the Gilliam County Court in 2023, one of our first tasks was to review the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan. The plan was updated to have an emphasis on Housing, Broadband, and Childcare. We have worked diligently to make strides in these areas in many ways including hiring a broadband consultant to guide us through the grant process, established an endowment fund to support childcare as part of the Waste Management Host Fee Ordinance, and provided funding for several housing projects through the Competitive Grant...
Letter to the Editor: I am a candidate for Gilliam County Judge. I bring 37 years public service and administrative experience, and 21 years judicial experience having adjudicated approximately 60,000 cases. I have been elected four times previously, so elections are nothing new to me. I consider an election the ultimate job interview before you the people, and if elected I will be working for and accountable to you. Like you, I care deeply for Gilliam County, its communities, and its people. We all want the best for Gilliam...
