As a member of a 25-person team, R.N. Melanie Thomas treated earthquake victims who were in desperate need of medical care

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

On Jan, 12th, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake jolted southern Haiti, and one of the hardest hit areas was the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Buildings were reduced to rubble, leaving millions injured, homeless, and struggling to survive. The expected death toll was estimated at more than 200,000.

Medical Teams International (MTI), formerly known as Northwest Medical Teams, immediately began sending disaster response medical teams of doctors, nurses and other health professionals to help those injured in the disaster. The first team arrived in Port-au-Prince on Jan. 15.

On Jan 20, Melanie Thomas of Burns, a registered nurse and a volunteer on the Disaster Response Team, received the call to go join the Disaster Team for three weeks in Port-au-Prince, and 24 hours later she was on a flight to Florida.

Because of the damage to the Port-au-Prince airport, only military and private aircraft were allowed to fly in and out of Haiti.  Thomas and four other medical volunteers flew to Fort Lauderdale, where they then flew to Port-au-Prince on Howard Hedinger’s private Leer jet.

Hedinger is the Chief Executive Officer of American Industries and donated his jet to fly medical teams back and forth for a week to Port-au-Prince, and his employees donated the money to pay for the fuel.

Thomas was on a medical team of about 25 people working in various locations throughout Port-au-Prince, giving medical aid to thousand of Haitians.

King’s Hospital was a hospital created after the earthquake, as it was one of the few buildings structurally safe. The medical team of orthopedic surgeons, physicians, anesthesiologists, and nurses hit the ground running, giving medical care and operating on Haitians injured in the earthquake. “When the destruction is that overwhelming, the priority for us as a team was to help every person we could medically,” Thomas said. “There was rubble everywhere. Nothing was straight. All the buildings were leaning or fallen over. It was like driving through Universal Studios or a movie set, except it was real.”

Medical teams would also go out in mobile teams of four to five people to areas outside of Port-au-Prince that had not yet received medical care, including Carrefour, the epicenter of the earthquake.

A refugee camp of 17,000 people on five acres, all living under sheet tents with no running water, electricity, or bathroom facilities is where Thomas and others camped for days and nights giving medical care to anywhere between 300 and 500 patients a day. All of those people in the camp lost their homes, belongings, and even family members in the earthquake. “Sleep was overrated, and so often we were very busy, that as a team, we were constantly reminding each other to drink water, and eat something,” Thomas said.

The injured
Thomas stated that as word spread that medical help was available, the injured began to arrive in droves. Most injuries the team saw were broken and crushed bones, and open wounds, but also included pneumonia, scabies, respiratory problems, malaria and typhoid fever.

Thomas said one boy came in and pulled off his shoe, and half of his foot was gone. A woman limped in with a fractured femur. “Eight days she had had that fracture. That’s how long it took her to get to medical care,” Thomas said.

Another patient who arrived was a 12-year-old girl who had run out of her home when the quake hit, ran back in to pick up something she forgot, and as she ran back out, was struck by a car. The girl got stuck under the car and suffered third degree burns on her face from the muffler. Because the medical team had limited resources, the girl was flown to Miami for better care.

With every aftershock, the Haitian people would run from whatever building they were in to an open area. “People are still sleeping in the streets out of fear of another building coming down on them,” Thomas said.

The relief effort
There were several other organizations in Haiti to help with the disaster. They included World Relief, U.S. Army and Marines and Red Cross. This was the biggest medical team Thomas had been on, and even with the elite medical personnel she had the privilege to work with, there were no ego or control issues. “It was great teamwork,” she stated. “We decided we were going to do whatever it takes, and the cohesiveness among all of us could not be outdone. We were sweaty, dirty, hungry, exhausted and yet every team member had an encouraging smile, a heart full of compassion and the desire to help.”

Three weeks and thousands of patients later, Thomas arrived back in Harney County. “There were so many people who needed help,” Thomas said. “And everybody had a story.”

This was Thomas’ fifth trip to Haiti, and she plans to return again for 10 days with a medical team on June 17.

Often asked why she goes on these short term medical trips Thomas said, “I’m a firm believer in pay it forward, and if I can help just one person with the kindness I’ve been shown in my life, then the whole experience is worth it.”

A few things have changed but the focus is still on books, coffee

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

Kris and Maranda Robbins recently bought the Book Parlor in downtown Burns from Janice Morefield. After closing for two weeks to change things around a bit, the business re-opened on Feb. 9 providing customers with an enlarged sitting area to  read, chat and drink coffee.

Locals can check out the changes during a three-day open house March 11-13. There will be drawings and sales each day.
Maranda will run the counter at the bookstore and confesses that she’s been a devoted customer of the Book Parlor since she and her husband moved to Burns nine years ago to open Robbins Equipment. “I’d come here all the time,” she said. She’s a big fan of authors James Patterson, Stephenie Meyer and local young adult and children’s author S.A. Bodeen.

Kris is originally from Baker City, while Maranda hails from Boise, but both agreed that Burns is a great place to live and raise a family. “We love it here,” Maranda said. The couple has three children Alivia, 8, Trenton, 5, and Addison, 2.

The Book Parlor is a family-friendly business that allows Maranda to bring her kids to work when need be.  She revamped the store adding more seating up front, removing a wall and moving the coffee counter to the back, where she can keep an eye on her kids in the back room. However, she wanted to keep the rustic decor and the homey, comfortable feel that Morefield cultivated.

The Book Parlor will continue to sell Alann Brothers coffee and specialty drinks. In addition to books, the store features three exclusive lines of merchandise: Flirty Aprons, Danielson Designs picture frames and Country Presents home decor items. Maranda makes book orders each week for customers who want books that the store doesn’t have in stock.

For those who miss Morefield, Maranda said the previous owner will fill in for her on Wednesdays.

One new feature that the bookstore now offers is wireless Internet for visitors and locals who want to bring in their laptops.
The Book Parlor, 433 N. Broadway, is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Dawn Crafts replaces Kim Perlot; Cody Hodges sworn in as new councilor

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

Officially, the City of Burns now has a new Municipal Judge and a full council.

At the city council’s meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24, City Clerk Dauna Wensenk swore in Dawn Crafts as Municipal Judge, replacing Kim Perlot, who resigned in late January.

City Manager Don Munkers also presented Crafts with a new gavel that resembled a croquet mallet on steroids.

Wensenk then swore in Cody Hodges as a new council member. Hodges takes over the seat vacated by the resignation of Joyce Kozeni.

Addressing nuisance concerns that were brought up at the previous council meeting, Munkers reported that two of the properties had complied with the city’s wishes and were moving forward. Those properties included 290 West D St. and 608 East Madison.

Under citizens concerns, Munkers said the city had received the final report regarding the audit and investigation at the Burns airport. Munkers stated that per legal counsel, he did not read the report, but rather placed it in an envelope, stamped it “Confidential,” and sent it to legal counsel.

Munkers said he expected to meet with legal counsel in the next few days, and have a full report by the next city council meeting.
John Ebar had questions as to why the airport committee was not meeting, when in City Ordinance No. 782 it states that the committee should be meeting at least quarterly.

Mayor Len Vohs reminded Ebar that an emergency had been declared and the committee meetings had been suspended until the investigation at the airport was concluded.

Ebar then asked how the meetings could be suspended when there is no record of council approval for the suspension?

Ebar also questioned why there were no committee meetings for several months prior to the suspension, and how much it was costing the city to have the Public Works Department performing tasks at the airport?

•••

Following an executive session, Munkers addressed the perception of some members of the public that the city and council were “spend-happy.”

Munkers stated that the city has been able to get more than $334,000 worth of equipment through General Services Administration (GSA) at a cost of just $7,743.19 to the city.

The equipment includes a crane, welding machine, generators, ATV and snow plow.

In other business:

• the council agreed to draft a letter of support for a community garden;

• Councilor Linda Johnson reported the Harney County Opportunity Team (HCOT) is currently trying to get the county’s communities to purchase signs that would be placed on the Community Center in Burns. Johnson said the cost is $500 per sign, and that Drewsey and Diamond had already signed on for the project.

Councilor Bill Renwick stated that he is a member of the HCOT board and they are still fund raising to pay the original cost of the building. He added that HCOT is a non-profit group and are continuing to determine future projects for the county’s benefit.
The council voted to donate $100 to HCOT’s “Cap Off Campaign” to help pay down the outstanding debt, and set $500 aside in the next budget cycle for the purchase of a sign;

• the council voted to pay invoices to Morrison Maierle, Inc. and Ferguson Surveying in the amounts of $62,827.50 and $3,825, respectively.

The next city council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, at city hall.

Those who are interested can attend the April 6 meeting

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

The Harney Hospital Foundation is looking for new members. Gretchen Bates and Sandra Obradovich addressed the hospital board at the Feb. 25 meeting and said that while the three members currently on the foundation’s board will continue, they would like to recruit new members and hand over some responsibility.

In a letter presented to the board Bates wrote, “I feel it is important to stress that while the three of us currently serving on the foundation’s board have tremendously enjoyed our involvement, an infusion of new talent is needed to maintain the foundation’s viability.” She went on to say that until more members are recruited, the group will need to scale back its activities. Meetings will take place on a quarterly basis and the next one will be on April 6.

Board Chairman Tim Smith suggested that the hospital’s health information services coordinator help recruit new members with some advertisements, and Denise Rose in development and recruiting said she knew of some people who might be interested in taking some leadership roles in the foundation.

In other business:

• Hospital CEO Jim Bishop presented the board with Cody Hodges’ final report. As the Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) coordinator for the last year, Hodges has worked with local community members on prioritizing health issues. Among other programs, he initiated work on the school-based health center project and the chemotherapy program that the hospital will soon be implementing.

Hodges will become an independent contractor and will focus on building a contract grant writing and contract lobbying business.

“I think it has been a tremendous program,” Bishop said of the CHIP program.

The board agreed that a letter of thanks should be written to Hodges and the community members who assisted him in his work;

• the hospital has hired a new EMS manager. His name is Jeffery Sceirine and he is currently waiting for his Oregon paramedic license to arrive in Burns;

• Chief Nursing Officer Barb Chambers said that she and Jodi McLean recently made a site visit to the Cancer Care Center of the Cascades and gathered a lot of useful information and ideas to use at Harney District Hospital as it proceeds with its chemotherapy program. She is planning another site visit to a facility in Grande Rhonde in March;

• a report from Chief of Medical Staff Holland Haynie stated that the number of patients at the clinic has increased dramatically with the addition of nurse practitioner Toni Feist and physician assistant Lisa Howe;

• Chief Financial Officer Catherine White said that in researching what the hospital can do to alleviate accounts receivable issues, she found that many hospitals have a financial counselor who consults with patients before their procedure so that they know exactly how much they will owe ahead of time and can devise a payment plan. She said the hospital could either train someone in such a position or hire someone new.

Chairman Smith told her to look into the idea a bit more.

The next HDH board meeting will be at 6 p.m. March 24 in the board meeting room downstairs in the hospital.

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

A trio of women working for three different non-profit groups focusing on children’s issues as well as agricultural issues in this rural county share an office at 113 W. Washington.

Angie Witzel is the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Coordinator for Harney Partners for Kids & Families; Hilda Allison is the coordinator for the High Desert Partnership; and Amanda Benton is the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) representative assigned to Harney County to work with the High Desert Partnership for 11 months.

Witzel took over the DFC coordinator job from Brett Jantze in September, and Allison began work for the High Desert Partnership in October. Benton began her 11-month RARE stint in Harney County in January. While each has a different mission, they are all committed to bettering Harney County as they share office space and expenses.

High Desert Partnership and RARE

With the High Desert Partnership, Allison facilitates resolution of important land stewardship, community and economic issues with the intent of addressing these issues in a collaborative forum before they reach a crisis situation.

Some current High Desert Partnership project include Harney County restoration collaborative projects, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge’s Comprehensive Conservation Plan, grassbank feasibility studies and floodplain education.

RARE representative Benton is working with Allison on some of these projects. RARE’s mission is to increase the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social and environmental conditions through the assistance of trained graduate-level participants who live and work in communities for 11 months while gaining community building and leadership skills.

The High Desert Partnership’s goal is to protect the rural lifestyle and associated natural resources of Southeast Oregon for present and future generations through open communication and cooperation. It is a private non-profit organization comprised of state and federal agencies, county government, private landowners, conservation groups and individuals.

Harney Partners Drug-Free Communities

As part of Witzel’s job with Harney Partners for Kids & Families, she has organized a youth subcommittee of 25 to 30 teens from Crane and Burns to discuss substance abuse and alcohol issues. The group has put together a Web site, riseabovetheinfluence.com to serve as a resource for students and parents. The site features news stories, a blog and a listing of drug-free events.

A Drug Free Communities Grant of $625,000 ($125,000 for five years) funds Witzel’s position and her projects.

One of her goals is to lessen the age of onset for first-time alcohol/tobacco use, which is currently age 13 in Harney County. She hopes to do this primarily through education in the schools and community. There are four billboards around town with anti-drug/tobacco messages. She is also working with law enforcement  on conducting regular compliance checks of local alcohol and tobacco vendors.

A recent Oregon Healthy Teens Survey revealed several reasons why Harney County’s numbers regarding alcohol and tobacco use among teens are higher here than elsewhere in the state. Teens perceive that their parents don’t feel it’s wrong to use tobacco, especially smokeless tobacco. Youths also feel that if they host a party or attend a party, where there is alcohol, they won’t get caught. Many teens also didn’t think there would be any ill effects from regular alcohol use.

Out on the ranches, Witzel said it may be common for teens to have a beer after a branding. Parents feel it is OK because that is how they were raised.

Witzel said that it comes down to educating both parent and teens about alcohol and tobacco use. She noted that the cities, county and community members need to buy in to the realities of the problem. Seven out of 10 teens who try alcohol likely will go on to live a normal life. It’s those three who become addicts as a result of teen alcohol use who worry Witzel. If she can prevent just one youth from having drug/alcohol problems now or later in life, she feels she’ll have done her job.

For more information on Harney Partners for Kids & Families Drug Free Communities attend one their monthly meetings, the third Wednesday of the month at noon at Glory Days Pizza, 960 Oregon Ave.

New Burns Paiute Tribe program focuses on bridging gap between youth and elders and fostering community leadership 

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns Paiute Tribe has implemented a new program that encourages interaction between youths, elders and others in the community as well as creating ties between tribal and non-tribal leaders.

It’s called “Spanning Generations: Tribal Leaders Program.” It started about one month ago as program coordinators Elise Adams and Myra Peck began working on various activities with community members each Friday at the Gathering Center to take advantage of the four-day school week.

Activities on a recent Friday included an Elder Breakfast sponsored by the social service program on the reservation (the first week of the month), a Forest Service Job Fair coordinated by a tribal member who works for the Forest Service, beading with Adams and Peck and Bingo put on by the All-American Boxing Club. The Spanning Generations program taps into many different groups.
Adams and Peck recently took a group of about 20 on a field trip to the Four Rivers Cultural Center in Ontario. More trips will be scheduled in the future to places such as Castle Rock. These field trips focus on Paiute cultural exhibits and places that have significant historical meaning to the tribe.

The program’s purpose as described in the original proposal that was submitted to the tribal council is “to utilize every available local resource to honor our aging leaders, sustain and support our current leaders and support the growth and development of our future leaders.”

Friday activities will revolve around seven facets of cultural preservation and survival:
1. Story and oral history telling;
2. Academic tutors for students and adults seeking a GED;
3. Paiute life-skills learning, preservation and recording of specific skill sets;
4. Paiute language;
5. Natural resources;
6. Green living, restoration and research
7. Prevention and public safety.

Learning the Paiute language will eventually be a key part of the program but both Peck and Adams said that aspect of the program has yet to be set up. It will take coordination with the elders and the Tribal Council. “It’s just in the beginning stages,” Peck said. “There’s interest there.”

The ultimate goal is to bring members of the community together while retaining Paiute cultural traditions. “We want to make it fun to learn and come together as a community,” Adams said.

She added that if there are people within the community who would be willing to teach art, cooking or other classes, the program is always looking for instructors. Those who are interested in volunteering their talents and time can call Burns Paiute Tribe General Manager Beth Coahran at 541-573-2088 ext. 258 or e-mail coahranee@burnspaiute-nsn.gov.

Cost will be in the neighborhood of $220,000

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

Saying, “The time is here,” County Assessor Ted Tiller presented the county court with two proposals for updating the software at the courthouse.

Tiller said they have known for more than five years that they would need the update, but they have held off, hoping that the costs would decrease and any “bugs” in the system would be worked out.

“We’re not unhappy with the current system, but the company meeting our needs said it’s time for a change,” Tiller said. He explained that most other counties in the state have gone away from using the AS400 system, which is the one Harney County is currently using, and the support company, ASI, wouldn’t support just one county.

Tiller said he had researched other systems available, and presented two options to the court for discussion.

When asked what the expense of the update would be, Tiller said both options would cost a little over $220,000.

“Just let me say this is not catching us off guard,” Judge Steve Grasty said. “We knew this day was coming and we’ve been putting money aside every year.” He added that they have almost the entire amount of the update set aside because of the foresight.

Tiller stated that his preference between the two options was the Helion system because after talking with other counties, they seemed to offer better support after the conversion was completed.

Because there was a question of compatibility with the Helion program  and the AS400 used in other departments of the courthouse, it was suggested that Tiller explore the possibility of upgrading the clerk’s office and the general ledger to Helion as well. “Maybe we could end up with one provider across the board, and it could be a money-saver,” Grasty said.

Tiller agreed to look into the costs involved and report back to the court.

Planning Director Brandon McMullen was in attendance for a public hearing to discuss proposed changes and updates to the Harney County Comprehensive Plan.

There was a lengthy discussion regarding section  4.130, dealing with “public need.” McMullen explained that the planning commission felt the language should remain in the comp plan, while the court was leaning toward omitting the section.

The court decided to have a continuation of the hearing and have a member of the planning commission address the court as to why they felt 4.130 should remain in the plan.

Judge Grasty stated that Shane Otley of the Oregon Farm Bureau had approached him about a federal grant available for improving band width in rural areas.

The grant is part of a reported $4 billion available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Grasty said the grant application was lengthy, about 155 pages, has a $15,000 application fee and a March 15 deadline.

The court discussed partnering with Harney Education Service District (ESD), who would provide the broadband technology and service,  as well as the local farm bureau to cover the application fee.

Because the ESD would be in a position to recoup their portion of the cost and the court wouldn’t, the court felt the ESD and the Oregon Farm Bureau should work together on the project.

In other business:
• the court voted to sign a re-application for the Drug Free Communities Grant, now in its third year;

• after opening two bids, the court awarded the fuel bid to Ebar Oil Company. Because the court would be switching from Staub & Sons to Ebar Oil Co., there was some discussion as to how to make that transition as smooth as possible;

• Brandon Baron from Paramore Real Estate approached the court for a review of applications by Roaring Springs Ranch to purchase two parcels, one 20 acres, the other 40 acres, of county-owned property on Steens Mountain.

The parcels didn’t sell at public auction, and there was some question as to the Real Market Value (RMV) of the 40-acre parcel.

The minimum bid was set at $40,000, and Baron said the adjacent parcels of land weren’t close to $1,000 per acre. He explained that there was some land worth that amount on the Steens because of their trade value, but these two particular parcels weren’t in that area.

Baron said Roaring Springs Ranch was offering $15,000 for the larger parcel and $2,000 for the smaller one, and felt that was closer to the RMV.

The court reviewed their policies the state statute for selling county-owned land, and decided to seek legal counsel before making a decision;

• the court reviewed the updated Harney County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and voted to accept it.

The next county court meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 2.

Local leaders Steve Grasty, Ruth Schultz and Len Vohs address issues of importance at Feb. 16 event held at the Harney County Community Center

 By Harney County Judge Steve Grasty

While the economy of this county is fragile and very worrisome, Harney County government services and obligations remain in solid financial condition today. General fund is where your property taxes go. Many of the programs and services delivered to this community by the county are financially operated from the general fund. Law enforcement viewed as a program area (jail, sheriff’s office, justice court, the county paid portion of district attorney costs and juvenile services) make up the largest share of expenses in this fund. Generally, these services do not generate any revenue and are expected to be a cost center. Justice Court is an exception and the Harney County Sheriff has been quite successful in partnering with federal agencies by contracting for deputies time to cover federal ground. His success offsets the cost of more than one full time staff person.

The county library is an important service paid by the general fund as well. Under our Library Director Cheryl Hancock, the library has “weeded” its collection of older un-circulated books, improved the organization of the entire facility and has seen a dramatic increase in both public use and number of books checked out. Hancock also secured a grant to update the single pane windows in the library to insulated glass. This was from economic stimulus funds and the project should be completed by June 30. All efforts will be made to use a local contractor and local building supply for materials. Last year, the general fund was required to pick up a much larger share of the cost of operation at the library due to the poor returns for the Library Foundation’s investments. Those returns are significantly improved in the last several quarters, and it is hoped they will be able to assist in the future.

Many departments have seen a downturn as a result of the national recession. The number of recordings in the clerk’s office are down from the previous year, and this is a pretty good barometer of home/property and ranch sales. At the same time the planning department’s applications for new homes and manufactured home placements are off.

Perhaps a bright note here; our county has not seen the dramatic downturn in home and land prices that occurred in the rest of the state, i.e. Bend. I believe mostly because we did not see the over inflated values that occurred elsewhere. An interesting statistic is that our county at one point actually had more new homes under construction last summer than Deschutes County.

The public health and home health departments are also financially operated from the general fund. In some years these programs have been funded in large part by the general fund, this year is appearing to be one in which revenue from the state and federal government will nearly cover the expenses. If this continues to be true, these programs will not require significant local dollars to operate this fiscal year. Both of these program’s services touch the lives of many in our community through, immunizations, home care, access to family planning and hospice services. I cannot say enough about county nurses and staff in these two programs as they continue to provide incredible efforts to care for many families, friends and neighbors. If you include hospice, I hear more compliments about these county programs than any other.

Economic development: The court has repeatedly said that we believe economic development is and should be a community-wide effort. At the same time we are pressed hard to take the lead and provide the dollars for economic development. The county economic development efforts are funded by the general fund. Mark Maliwauki, Harney County Economic Development Coordinator, has covered these efforts, and I want to add that we desperately need the involvement of the community to be successful. Interestingly, it is local connections that have started interest in our community on several fronts, i.e., former Monaco Coach employees job hunting and finding a company wanting to expand; a childhood connection to a principal in that company by one of our commissioners; a new interest only two weeks ago that has a close friend and brother-in-law who lives here. It may be that one of you knows someone who knows someone who is a decision-maker at some business considering expansion. We will pursue those leads if we know about them, and we will need your help.

Mental health and drug addiction programs operate in a stand alone fund. The programs offered at Harney Behavioral Health also help many in the community. This program is entirely funded by state revenue and local fees. This is a financially stable program today.

The one fund that we will really need to worry about is the road fund. That fund today is in solid shape, and we can already see that the next year the road fund will have adequate revenue to cover expenditures. But following that year we have likely finally hit a wall on having enough revenue each year to cover expenses.

How are we doing as a community? I propose that question needs to be answered three ways. First, we have the best folks anywhere and that should always give us pride. Second, we have the best part of the state in our county and probably the nation.

But on a much more challenging note we are confronting an incredible number of obstacles to our economy and yet at the same time there are strengths and opportunity in this community. I think we can categorize the obstacles in two or three areas. The first is special interest groups such as Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) with no representation or participation in our community who litigate on nearly everything we attempt economically. The second is excessive government regulation. This can be extremely limiting and/or time consuming to many good projects. And finally, I believe the tax increases from Measures 66 and 67 will challenge us to attract and retain businesses.

So how do we change these challenges into opportunities or strengths for this community?

I believe a huge strength we have is the High Desert Partnership (HDP) and their effort to try to find common ground amongst many diverse interests. Their efforts speak highly of how we are doing as a community. One example of this is the collaborative group trying to find a way to provide a predictable supply of products from the Malheur National Forest (God forbid we say logs and/or bio-mass). The county court and HDP have both tried on numerous occasions to invite ONDA and others to seek some solutions we can all live with and we should keep trying.

Government regulation has slowly crept up on us over the last several decades, and now is so invasive that it restricts both existing and emerging businesses. I think we will have a slow time of removing them, but again think we need to try. The county court has requested Business Oregon to work with us to see if some waiver of regulation, particularly the paperwork, could be put into place in this county to see if this might enable attraction of new businesses or to allow existing businesses to grow. If any business owner has an example of how reducing some specific regulation on their business would allow them to grow or be more prosperous, we would like to hear it.

Measures 66 and 67: Well there was no doubt how the voters of this county felt on these two tax measures. We are attempting to get an idea of the actual impact to individuals and businesses in the community to tell the story in Salem. We are also looking for an actual tax comparison state to state of our surrounding states. This would allow us to show a comparison as we talk with any interested business. So here again if you are willing to share a specific story related to these tax measures we would like to hear it.

This is the best community anywhere. The people here are the best, and we can make ourselves some opportunity. We just need to keep after it.

City of Hines

By City of Hines Mayor Ruth Schultz

The City of Hines tries to remain positive in these financially tough times, and we strive to provide the basic services in the most cost effective way.

As with every yearly budget, the decisions made at the state level impact the revenue to the city. New development is at a standstill, but property taxes have remained stable.

On a positive note, we have been fortunate to have received several grants for improvement to our city.

1. Last spring we received a Small City grant, which allowed us to install new curbing on the west side of our main park.

2. The county provided $100,000 to use for street repair and maintenance, and we are very appreciative of their generosity.

3. We will be receiving $292,000 from the T-HUD federal stimulus money, also to be used for street repair and maintenance.

4. Partnering with ODOT, on a 50/50 cost share, new pedestrian flashing lights have been installed on Highway 20 and Barnes.

5. In January, the fire department received a grant from FEMA in the amount of $77,510 to update and purchase new equipment.

6. The police department is functioning very well under the guidance of Chief Cook. Drug Awareness material has been printed and dispensed to 24 various schools, businesses, etc. If you haven’t seen one of these booklets, I urge that you do so as they are very enlightening regarding the drugs our young people are being exposed to. We were also able to purchase a new vehicle for the chief.

7. The city maintenance crew does a remarkable job keeping our sewers repaired, our wells in working order, our streets plowed and our parks watered. Many hours are spent outside the normal work day, and we really appreciate Earl Hofman, Pedro Zabala and Roger Glerup — they keep the city together.

8. The city staff — Pam Mather, Ramona Hofman and Maxine Seadschlag — do the mundane day-to-day tasks that keep the city going. The council and planning commission members are all dedicated individuals and are a great asset to the community. I appreciate all their hard work and the many hours that they contribute to the smooth running of Hines.

This budget year (2009-2010), all employees graciously accepted a wage freeze. I know that hard choices will have to be made again in the 2010-2011 budget, and I am hopeful that they do not have to be too drastic.

It has been a pleasure to be the Mayor of Hines, and as I enter my eighth year in this position I am hopeful that the economy will improve and that the residents of Hines will enjoy the services that they have come to expect.

City of Burns

By City of Burns Mayor Len Vohs

The City of Burns, in cooperation and collaboration with our partners, Harney County, the City of Hines and the Sovereign Nation of the Paiutes, have made significant strides together with our sights on strategic planning and a 20-year vision for the future of our community as a whole.

It is exciting to be a part of what I have called  “hands across the table.” With this combined effort, we will accomplish what is so vitally important to all of us in Harney County, and that is economic revitalization and growth. As we work together we will see that with a combined plan we will not only move forward, but we will finally see that obstacles that have stopped our progress as individual entities are much smaller or nonexistent.

Thanks to this effort we have finally solved one major obstacle — that being the lack of an industrial area that is not in the flood zone. We are in the final stages with the State of Oregon to certify 40 acres owned by Harney County that is within the Burns city limits as industrial/energy development. There are other lands in that same area that we may eventually be able to add to that designation at a later date.

In conjunction with that effort, we have received the “green light” from the Oregon Department of Transportation to add the improvements to the Monroe Street intersection to accommodate the traffic corridor to this new zone. This again shows that with cooperation of the Sovereign Nation of the Paiutes and Teague Motor Co., and with the help of the Oregon Department of Transportation, the governor’s economic response team led by Scott Fairly, with special recognition to  Mark Radabaugh and Rick Minster, and the Harney County Planning Department, we were able to overcome the obstacles that have prevented this from becoming reality for many years. The Oregon Department of Transportation will include this project in the Highway 20 project scheduled for bid in September of this year, with construction beginning in the spring of 2011.

The City of Burns is well into the process of strategic planning in all departments. The Burns Cemetery Committee, together with the Mayor’s Executive Committee for the cemetery is in the final stages of completing their strategic plan, and we have begun the foundation of that plan with the engineering firm of Furgeson Engineering and Surveying. A very special “thank you” goes out to councilors Dan Hoke and Craig LaFollette, and the dedicated members of that committee, as well as Dick Day,  Jean Cain and Jan Cupernall of the Mayor’s Executive Committee. Together they have worked through this very tedious task with an eye on the 20-year vision.

Under the management and direction of Don Munkers, our Burns City Manager, and with the help of his management team, we have begun and are well into the restructuring and revitalization of the Burns Municipal Airport. We will upon completion of this process, with the help of the Airport Committee and the Mayor’s Executive Committee, put together the strategic plan and 20-year vision, with an eye on infrastructure and economic development that is so vital to this community as a whole.

Special thanks go out to the city manager and his management team of the Burns Public Works Department, Bryan Hutchinson, City Clerk Dauna Wensenk, and Utility Clerk Dawn Crafts for all of their help during this difficult task.

Further to this effort, City Manager Munkers has been successful in applying for and has been granted affirmative status to receive equipment from the G.S.A. equipment surplus program. Under this program the city has acquired trailer-mounted generators, a 35-ton rough terrain crane and another snow plow for the airport. As part of the ongoing agreement with the FAA, and with special thanks to  Fred LeLacheur of the engineering firm of Morrison Maierle, the Burns Airport Committee and the diligence of our city manager, the resurfacing of runway 12-30 in concrete rather than asphalt will begin this spring. This will be accomplished though an FAA grant.

City management has also applied for infrastructure funding through Connect Oregon III, and through Federal Appropriation for Airport improvements. The total of these funding streams, including the runway resurface, is approximately $5.25 million. These improvements, as well as management structure, checks and balances, strategic planning and a 20-year vision will ensure our participation in economic revitalization here in Harney County.

Again, this planning is vital so that we are ready and able to accommodate growth at the Burns Municipal Airport. I would be remiss if I did not mention the help we have received from the BLM. Not only were they instrumental in solving the problems with the BLM helitac facility at the airport, but they recently donated a 10,000 gallon water tank to help us with solving the fire suppression issue at the airport. A special thank you also goes out to the airport users and tenants during this restructuring period.

I have highlighted here the cemetery and the airport. We are also in the process of building a strategic plan for our parks system. Thanks to the contributions from Harney County and the diligence of the parks committee, chaired by Councilor Darwin Johnson, we will soon be ready for parks improvements.

We have many pressing issues yet to solve. The serious problem of street repair and paving is high on our priority list, and we are leaving no stone unturned in solving this problem.

We are working on much more, but in the interest of time I have highlighted here the major projects that we have on the front burner. I would like to recognize those who have been an integral part of his process, including all of the city employees and departments. I would also like to recognize the citizen groups and especially the downtown merchants for their unfaltering drive to improve our city. Without the cooperation and input of all the citizens of Burns, we would never have come as far as we have.

We look forward to working with all of our partners in solving the issues that are so critical to the growth and economic revitalization in our community.

Early Sunday edition features inaccurate information

Hoyt Wilson, owner of Mann Lake Ranch, found himself on the front page of The Sunday Oregonian this week. So did the wind energy projects planned for his ranch and other nearby private lands.

But there was an interesting story behind the story, too.

Early editions of The Sunday Oregonian, printed Saturday, had a picture of the  high Steens, viewed from the east, with a huge headline that read: “Picture a hundred turbines here.” But no turbines would be visible in the picture or anywhere nearby.

“I got hold of a paper as early as I could on Saturday, and when I saw that, I immediately called The Oregonian,” said Chris Crowley, President of Columbia Energy Partners, the company developing the wind projects. “The headline and picture were completely false. Not one turbine would be visible in the picture they showed. As soon as I said that to the editor, you could hear her thinking, ‘Uh-oh,’ ” Crowley said.

By 3:30 p.m. Saturday The Oregonian agreed to change the picture and headline. The new version shows a much larger version of a photo of Hoyt Wilson with a headline that reads, “For Harney County, turbines on Steens is simple math.” The sub-headline reads: “Officials see a smart, green investment during the recession, but environmentalists want to keep the mountain pristine.”
Unfortunately, the early version of The Oregonian was put on trucks for delivery to Harney County, so anyone who has the paper delivered here saw the old version.

Harney County Judge Grasty was not happy. “To me this is just a bald-face lie. They took a picture of the high Steens and imposed a headline over it. This is wilderness, we couldn’t do it, and wouldn’t do it. That is nothing there’s ever been a conversation about. If there was, I’d vote against it. I’m aghast that The Oregonian would stoop this low.”

To see what the story looked like in the Portland area, go to:
www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/02/oregons_steens_mountain_could.html
To see simulations of what the projects will look like from places the public is likely to go, see:
http://columbiaenergypartners.com/blog/

New bleachers will allow for more capacity and stability

By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

The 4-H show ring at the Harney County Fairgrounds may have new grandstands ready for use by the 2010 fair, thanks to the efforts of a member of the community.

Ed Herrera of rural Burns presented his plan for the grandstands to the members of the county court at their Feb. 3 meeting.

Herrera told the court he hopes to replace the current grandstands with bleachers that will be more stable, have a larger capacity and allow for a handicap area.

He is currently looking into funding ideas, such as family remembrance donations, possible grants, or individuals wishing to help with the project. He will be contacting Amy Woodruff, an engineer with Harney County 4-H ties, for design assistance.

Herrera hopes to put the new stands on a cement base, with a lean-to roof over the entire structure.

In other county court business:

• Loni Debban, director of the Malheur County Senior and Community Services and Ann Lessar, director of the Harney County Senior and Community Services discussed with the court a Regional Housing Center grant application.

Debban explained that the grant was a community development block grant that required at least three municipalities to sign to receive the funding. Malheur County Court has agreed to be the lead applicant, and she asked if Harney County would be one of the other participants. The grant amount would be for $60,000 the first year, and $48,000 for the next two years. Harney and Malheur counties would share the funding.

Lessar told the court that this grant was another funding source for programs that are already being provided. Debban will submit an agreement for the court to sign at a later date.

Judge Steve Grasty requested that in the near future Lessar update the court on all the programs offered through the Harney County Senior and Community Services, including the funding streams;

• The court discussed the possible veteran’s home opportunity. Upon research, the court found that the community that is awarded the bid, has to buy the home. The initial investment would be at least $15 million. The only option would be a bond levy, and the court felt it wouldn’t have a chance to pass. Commissioner Jack Drinkwater stated that Harney County hadn’t ever operated on indebtedness. Judge Grasty remarked that though the home would create jobs, it was an investment the community couldn’t afford;

• Bill Wilber, Fred Flippence and Linda Johnson, all representing the Harney County Opportunity Team (HCOT), requested a long-term agreement for rental fees of the Community Center conference facilities.

As per an agreement with the county, the economic development officer maintains an office in the Community Center at no cost. The HCOT said that the use of the conference room was not included in the agreement, and asked the court to consider an agreement for use of the room. The court will address the HCOT suggestion of a five-year, $5,000 rental agreement during the 2010-2011 budget process;

• Debbie White, Elizabeth Moore and Nancy Alvarado presented an update of services for Training and Employment Consortium and WorkSource Oregon;

• The court reviewed the 2010 IRS mileage reimbursement rate, and made the decision to adjust the county mileage reimbursement rate to match. The rate for those being forced to use their personal cars will be 50-cents per mile, and for those who choosing to take their own car, the rate will be 47-cents. This rate will take effect immediately;

• County Assessor Ted Tiller requested two appointments to the County Farm Board of Review. Scott Franklin and Keith Baltzor were reappointed to the board.