Ballots for the primary will be sent to voters on April 27

The 2012 primary election is near. The following deadlines apply:

Feb. 1 is the first day for candidates for precinct committeeperson for respective parties to file declaration of candidacy for primary election with the county clerk. The deadline is March 6.

March 1 is the last day for potential nonaffiliated candidates to register as not a member of a party to meet 180-day requirement for general election.

March 6 is the deadline to file for county offices. Harney County offices to be voted on are: clerk, sheriff, commissioner, justice of the peace and district attorney.

Maria Iturriaga, clerk, will be retiring and will not seek re-election. Derrin “Dag” Robinson, deputy clerk, has filed to run for clerk. Sheriff David Glerup has filed to run for re-election. Kelly Edmondson, Jennifer Jenks and Dorothy Peterson, have filed to run for justice of the peace. The district attorney files with the secretary of state, where Tim Colahan has filed to run for re-election. All above mentioned are non-partisan offices. Commissioner Dan Nichols, Republican, has filed to run for re-election and Herb Vloedman, Republican, has also filed to run for commissioner.

March 15 is the last day for a city elections official, county governing body or district elections authority to give notices of measure elections to the county clerk for the primary election.

April 24 is the last day to change party affiliation for the primary election and the last day to register to vote for primary election.

Ballots for the primary election will be sent to voters on April 27.

Plan to deal with wolves that kill livestock must be in place by Feb. 15

By Jennifer Jenks
Burns Times-Herald

Being given just a month to come up with a plan for the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) Wolf Depredation Compensation and Financial Assistance Grant Program, the Harney County Court elected to form a Harney County Advisory Wolf Committee at their meeting Jan. 18. The application process opened Jan. 12 and closes Feb. 15.

“This is a nightmare that’s been dropped in our laps very suddenly by ODA,” County Judge Steve Grasty said, “and now this committee has to come up with a plan by Feb. 15.” Grasty added that if a plan is not in place by that date and wolves kill livestock here, the owners will not be compensated.

The ODA requires the committee to be made up of one county commissioner, two members who manage or own livestock and two members who advocate wolf conservation or wolf co-existence with ranchers. The committee must then choose two business members from the community, making a total of seven committee members.
With the deadline approaching so quickly, Grasty advised the only option would be to form the committee, have them look at Wallowa County’s plan (which is the only county that has one done) and come up with a plan based on that.

Commissioner Dan Nichols agreed to be the county court representative. The board discussed other possible committee members and came up with some possibilities to contact. The board passed a motion to appoint the named individuals if they are willing to serve and gave Nichols authority to fill any vacancies with anyone he feels appropriate, in the interest of time. They agreed to revisit committee membership and set the terms of the committee after the Feb. 15 deadline.

•••
Harney County resident Mary Ausmus, in attendance, questioned the current purpose of the justice court and whether it was needed. Judge Grasty told her there had been a lot of discussion about this issue over the last year in particular. In a county our size, he said, with all the traffic and wildlife violations, justice court is an absolute necessity. In addition, small claims court is a less restrictive way for people to work out their differences.

It was explained that the criminal proceedings have moved to circuit court since the beginning of the year, and with the added workload on circuit court, there may be an eventual redistricting in which Grant and Harney counties will no longer have to share a judge, but that justice court will still be necessary and a service to the community. There was no update as to an appointment to replace Justice of the Peace Matt Fine, who is stepping down at the end of this month.

•••
Chris Siegner, director of Symmetry Care, gave an update on the services, finances and goals of the facility. There have been no interruptions in services, and they have implemented a walk-in schedule that has improved access to services.

Siegner discussed quality assurance goals including prompt follow-up once an assessment has been made and adding on a private area for emergency situations. He advised a recent site review undertaken at Liberty House, one of their treatment facilities, was better than when they were Harney Behavioral Health, and were actually licensed for two years this time, which is unusual.

Siegner said Symmetry Care was actually profitable in December, but they are currently $267,000 in arrears, most of which is owed by the state. Most of the fault for that lies with Symmetry Care, he said, because of some billing program issues.

•••
Guy McKay, veterans services officer, presented the quarterly update for the Veterans’ Services Office. He stated he had 76 scheduled interviews in the last quarter, not including walk-ins and seven out-of-office interviews, where he goes to Drewsey, Fields, Crane or elsewhere for scheduled interviews.

McKay has been getting a lot of positive response to his weekly radio show and has had interest for him to expand it to other counties. It would be no extra time or resources for him because he would simply be sending out the same show to the other counties with the contact information changed. “If I can get one guy out of 100 to come in and file a claim, it’s worth it,” he said.

The court was agreeable to this, but recommended he discuss it with veterans services officers in those counties first. Harney County Senior Center Director Angie Iturbide advised there were no financial issues with the program, as it was paying its way.

•••
In other news, the court:

• heard from Darrell Williams, community service supervisor, who was in attendance to update the court on the community service group. In 2011, between the county and both cities, 9,840 hours of community service were performed. Most service is performed cleaning up around the cities and around the county, but he said they were always looking for suggestions on what needs to be done;

• agreed to submit an Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Legislative Issue Form regarding the Oregon Department of State Lands’ revising its Real Estate Management Plan (REAMP). This new REAMP, the AOC is concerned, may impact county tax bases and local businesses;

• signed orders appointing Scott Spence, M.D., as the County Health Officer (it was pointed out that this is for public health and not for hospice); Julie Burri as Harney County Medical Investigator; Sandra L. Richards, Stephen Finlayson and Matthew R. Fine as Harney County Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore; and Steven E. Grasty as Budget Officer, all for the year 2012;

• approved and signed Resolution #2012-01 In The Matter of Appropriating Funds Due to Unexpected Occurrence or Condition dealing with Taylor Grazing Fund;

• opened two proposals for Forest Health Grant Funds, one from Timber Contracting Tony Hauth and the other from Joseph’s Juniper Inc. As stated at the last meeting, a committee will be formed made up of three community members who will be asked to get back to the court with recommendations by Feb. 1. The court discussed possibly setting aside $100,000 each year for projects like this without limiting them to forest health. Grasty said he would see what he could do while working on the budget;

• voted to use LGPI to carry on labor negotiations with the Harney County Deputy Sheriff’s Association;

• Scheduled two more interviews for the Harney County Home Health Director position for Jan. 24.

The next county court meeting will be held Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 10 a.m. in Grasty’s office at the Harney County Courthouse.

Thefts totaled more than $30,000 worth of property; all suspects are in jail

The Harney County Sheriff’s Office announced that on Jan. 11, the Harney County Grand Jury issued a 19-count indictment on recent burglaries and thefts.

The indictments are the result of an investigation by the Oregon State Police and the Harney County Sheriff’s Office in which more than $30,000 worth of property was stolen in burglaries in Harney County.

The following people were arrested after several searches were conducted in Harney, Lane and Union counties:

Jennifer Dawn Griffin, 31, was charged with three counts of theft in the first degree;

Jerrod Daniel Griffin, 33, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm, theft I by receiving (3 counts), burglary II and aggravated theft I;

Nickolas Dean Bleuler, 18, was charged with theft I by receiving (2 counts), burglary II and aggravated theft I;

Honey Lenn Schatz, 44, was charged with burglary II;

Michael Ken Pannell, 44, was charged with burglary II, possession of marijuana (more than one ounce) and felon in possession of a firearm (2 counts);

Misty Rae Pannell, 31, was charged with possession of marijuana (more than one ounce).

The state is also seeking forfeiture of an SUV used in the commission of the thefts.

Arraignments were scheduled for Jan. 18 on all but Jarrod Griffin, who is currently serving a sentence in the Malheur County Jail.

There are still several items that were not recovered. If anyone has information regarding these individuals and property, contact the Harney County Sheriff’s Office at 541-573-6156.

Eastern Oregon towns spend more on public safety than collected in property tax

A new report from the League of Oregon Cities finds that Oregon’s cities have yet to bottom out from the recent economic recession, and that many cities are pessimistic about a rebound in the near future.

“State of the Cities” combines survey data from 178 cities with an in-depth analysis of five years of annual financial data from 50 cities throughout Oregon. According to the report: “Revenues are down and rainy day funds are drying up. Stimulus funds will soon be exhausted. Services have been cut and will likely be cut further — all at a time when citizen demand for services is increasing. For most cities, balancing their budgets will be an increasingly difficult task.”

The report found that many Oregon cities spend more on public safety alone than they collect in property taxes, the largest source of revenue for the vast majority of cities. Of the 40 cities analyzed that have police and/or fire departments, the average city spent exactly 100 percent of property tax collections on public safety, and some cities spent far more, including the cities of John Day, Union, Pendleton, Lakeview and Burns in Eastern Oregon.

The report also finds:
• Revenues of the 50 cities analyzed have declined over the last five fiscal years, with governmental fund revenues down nearly four percent;

• The “rainy day fund” (for most cities, the governmental balance fund), has plummeted 16 percent over the same time period;

• 42 percent of survey cities report being less able to address their financial needs this year than they were the year prior, and nearly half of survey respondents believe that they will be even less able to meet financial needs next year; and

• The cities analyzed reduced governmental fund expenditures by 3.9 percent since the start of the recession.
Smaller cities dipped into their savings accounts more frequently than others, with 56 percent of survey respondents with populations less than 5,000 reporting a decrease in their general fund balances in FY2010-11.

Cities making tough choices
In the face of falling revenues, cities have enacted a number of measures to limit or reduce expenses, including workforce reductions. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, local governments in Oregon cut 119 police officers and 100 additional police personnel between 2009 and 2010, an average reduction of 2.15 percent of officers, and a 2.78 percent reduction in total police staff. Local governments also eliminated 217 firefighting positions during that time, a 6.5 percent reduction in firefighters.

In addition to reducing their workforces, cities have taken other steps to align revenues and expenditures. For example:

• 38 percent of cities have reduced road maintenance;
• 37 percent have reduced staff and/or operations at city hall;
• 30 percent have cut total operating spending;
• 25 percent have cut infrastructure spending; and
• 24 percent have increased their employees’ contribution to health insurance.

Beyond cutting core services like public safety, important quality-of-life programs have also faced severe cutbacks. While not all cities have libraries, park programs, senior services, etc., those that do are scaling them back significantly. Thirty-three percent of cities surveyed that devote resources to parks and recreation activities and facilities report reducing that support over the past several years, and 28 percent report reducing support for local libraries and social services.

Service demands are rising all around
These cuts have been made at a time when citizen demand for services has increased and is expected to continue increasing. More than 48 percent of survey respondents reported seeing an increase in demand for services over the past several years, and almost half of responding cities believe that citizen demand for services will increase further in the future.

“The current challenges facing cities are not just the result of the economic downturn,” LOC Executive Director Mike McCauley warns. “These problems are the result of structural revenue limitations and rising expenditures over which cities have little control, such as health care and pension costs. With very limited options, many cities are left with no option but to reduce essential services and maintenance. This will further erode their ability to effectively provide the platform for Oregon’s future job growth and economic health.”

About the League of Oregon Cities
Founded in 1925, the League of Oregon Cities is a voluntary association representing all 242 of Oregon’s incorporated cities. The league helps cities serve their citizens by providing legislative services, policy setting, intergovernmental relations, conferences and training, technical assistance and publications.

Plan will provide decision-making framework for the next 15 years

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, as dictated by law, has drafted a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) which is scheduled to be released in early February.

The draft, which has been two years in the making, is the result of a collaborative process in which interested parties and diverse stakeholders were involved in all phases of the planning.

Colby Marshall, one of the stakeholders in the CCP process, explained that part of the success in drafting the CCP was a result of the High Desert Partnership and their ability to create solutions by bringing all sides and opinions together to formulate a common goal. “It takes time and effort to build a plan, and we wanted to build one that could be implemented,” Marshall said.

Marshall added that the plan sought a balance among community, ecological and economic factors.

Those attending the meetings agreed that the CCP should establish a process to restore the refuge’s aquatic health, enhance wildlife habitat, generate sustainable local and regional economic benefits, and revitalize relationships with stakeholders in the community.

Refuge Manager Tim Bodeen compared working through the process to making soup. “You’ve got the meat, potatoes and vegetables as the main elements. Then everyone else brings along a certain spice to add to the final product,” Bodeen said.

The CCP, and the upcoming Inventory and Monitoring Plan are meant to establish a decision-making framework to guide the 187,000-acre refuge’s direction for the next 15 years, and will require continued stakeholder engagement and outreach from the refuge. “Judging by the number of partners who want to stay involved will give us an idea how well the plan is working,” Bodeen said.

Jay Kerby of The Nature Conservancy noted that the Harney County Restoration Collaboration, a High Desert Partnership initiative, had success with the Jane Project on the Malheur National Forest, and the collaboration on the CCP was formulated along those same lines. “You’ve got state and/or federal agencies working with ranchers, community groups, environmental groups and others and they all learn from each other and move forward,” Kerby said.

Marshall added that there is a lot of potential for further successes in other areas. “Using the same model, built off the High Desert Partnership effort, could be used for other government agencies around Southeast Oregon,” he said.

Kerby said that while not all at the meetings saw eye-to-eye on everything, it was an opportunity for everyone to sit down and have a discussion on key issues such as the carp population, as well as haying and grazing. The adaptive management portion was also a key part of the talks as it allows for flexible decision making, which can be adjusted as outcomes from management actions are studied and understood. “For example, the permittee will have the ability to sit down with an ecological working group and have data to work off of for future decision making,” Kerby said. “There is a mutual agreement among the parties on the process.”

“A tool to support innovation,” Bodeen added.

All three men agreed that having all interests able to sit down and discuss the process was key to getting the CCP draft finished. “It was important to have diverse groups like the Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) at the table and I give them credit for staying in the process,” Marshall said. “Everyone has concerns, and the talks were open and productive which allowed everyone to stay at the table.”

A copy of the CCP draft will be available in several formats at the beginning of February.

Rep. Greg Walden has organized a bipartisan letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack that expresses strong support for funding two job-creating and large-scale forest restoration projects – one in the Lake County area and the other in Grant and Harney counties. The letter was signed by Walden, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader, and Earl Blumenauer.

The “Lakeview Stewardship Landscape” and “Southern Blues Restoration Coalition” collaborative forest landscape restoration program (CFLRP) project proposals were reviewed and ranked by the CFLRP Advisory Committee as the top two proposals in the country. Since Congress fully funded the program this year, it is now up to Secretary Vilsack to select which projects will be funded.

“I’ve been a proponent of this program as it focuses forest restoration and planning resources on large federal forest landscapes of at least 50,000 acres,” Walden said. “These two projects encourage collaboration, economic growth, and large-scale forest health projects. In addition, these projects will reduce wildfire management costs and create a predictable supply of forest byproducts to stabilize local communities and infrastructure.”

“Best of all, they will create and sustain jobs in areas of historically high unemployment,” Walden said. “We need jobs in these rural communities. Hopefully Secretary Vilsack follows the advisory committee’s recommendations.”

The Lakeview proposal includes 150,000 acres to be treated, and estimates it will create more than 80 jobs. The Southern Blues proposal includes 271,980 acres to be treated, and estimates it will create more than 150 new jobs.

“The collaborative efforts behind this project are made up of diverse members who have come together to prioritize job creation and the need to improve the health of our federal forests. This project will actually lead to work and expand what has already been accomplished on a landscape scale,” Harney County Judge Steve Grasty said.

“Congress has done its job, now Secretary Vilsack must do his by selecting these projects,” said Lake County Commissioner Dan Shoun.

Committee will come up with plan based on requirements in decision of record

By Jennifer Jenks
Burns Times-Herald

The big topic of discussion at the meeting of the Harney County Court last Wednesday, Jan. 4, was the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Record of Decision for the North Steens transmission line and the implications this might have for the county.

County Judge Steve Grasty noted the record of decision has areas of concern scattered throughout, such as the BLM not administering to anything on BLM property having to do with the property lines. “That will fall to the county instead,” Grasty said. Columbia Energy Partners would like to see the county impose a habitat mitigation plan, Grasty said. He suggested the court form a committee to come up with a plan based on requirements listed in the record of decision. Grasty noted there were a lot of recommendations in the record of decision and that it was important to sort out the requirements from the recommendations and base their habitat mitigation plan on this. Grasty expressed concern with putting too many limitations on the power companies and where they can put their power lines. Commissioner Dan Nichols expressed a desire for the mitigation plan to not be specific to any one species, but agreed that a plan was necessary. “There are so many things that could be done for mitigation that would be better for the county,” Nichols said.

Grasty expressed there may be roadblocks in going forward with the power lines, but he didn’t want the county to be one of them. “I’m incredibly optimistic about getting this thing off the ground,” he said. “This is a big deal for this community, and I hope it’s a home run.”

The court agreed to form a subcommittee to go over a draft mitigation plan and make recommendations for the wind farm. The committee will be formed of private individuals, as well as technical input from several agencies. Grasty said he would like to try to create a balance on the committee between private landowners and government agencies.

•••
In other business:

• The court had a vacancy on the budget board and had received only one letter of interest and that was from the person who currently holds the position. The court agreed to reappoint Holly Smith to the budget board;

• a county resident expressed concern over military drones flying outside of the expressed boundaries near her property by Dog Mountain. The resident was worried about her privacy and wanted to know if there were other things going on that county residents don’t know about. Grasty noted that there are many private enterprises using drones for various uses now, as well as the military, and it could well have been one of these she had seen.

The court was asked what the county intended to do if the drones make a habit of flying outside the boundaries and Grasty stated he didn’t know that the county had any authority to do anything and that it was probably up to the Federal Aviation Administration to deal with that. The court agreed, however, that the incident was unnerving;

• Gena Harvey gave a presentation on the Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener program. She explained that the participants were expected to pay for the program but that the instructors were all volunteers and the money only needed to be used to pay for their fuel and motel rooms. Participants would be expected to give back 40 hours in community service, such as working at the fairgrounds, helping with demonstrations and booths, and helping at the schools and with the community garden. Harvey requested that the funds be run through the county, and after some discussion, the county agreed to this;

• the court signed the annual order appointing the Burns Times-Herald as the newspaper of record for the county;

• the resignation of Justice of the Peace Matt Fine was discussed and it was hoped that the vacancy would be filled by the end of the month. Grasty noted there were rumors that the appointment would be up to the court this time, but he said that was misinformation and that the governor still had to make the appointment. “It’s the governor’s call at the end of the day,” he said. Grasty said he has asked the governor’s office to make an appointment by Feb. 1, but if that doesn’t happen, the court would need to go over a list of pro-tem judges at the next meeting;

• the court discussed the criteria to be used in the request for proposals for awarding of forest health grant funds. The court decided to form a committee to help them make a decision on whether the proposals submitted were viable or not. The committee will look at the proposals and come back to the county court with recommendations. If no one is deemed to be qualified, the court decided, they would not award the money. Grasty stated the goal of the grant funds was to make jobs in Harney County right now, and that’s what he wanted to see in the proposals.

The next Harney County Court meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, in Grasty’s office at the courthouse.

From left, ODFW John Day District Biologist Ryan Toreland and OSP Trooper Andrew McClay examine teeth of cougar killed by the Oregon State Police. (OREGON STATE POLICE)

Animals reported to be prowling athletic facility

Law enforcement and Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) searched for over six hours Friday afternoon in the area of a John Day city park and athletic facility after three cougars were reportedly spotted in the area within the city limits of John Day. An Oregon State Police (OSP) trooper shot and killed the first cougar and a second one was killed about four hours later. A third cougar hasn’t been found.

According to OSP Master Sergeant Gordon Larson, on Jan. 6 at approximately 12:15 p.m. a John Day resident called 9-1-1 to report a cougar was in a dugout at the John Day 7th Street Complex, a park and athletic facility in the city limits of John Day. Shortly after the first report, another resident who lives next to the complex reported two cougars in his backyard.

OSP troopers from the John Day office responded and found one cougar near the ball field dugouts. Due to the close proximity to homes and people using the park, an OSP Fish & Wildlife Division trooper shot and killed the cougar. ODFW Biologist Ryan Torland estimated the cougar weighed 25-30 pounds and appeared malnourished.

OSP, John Day police, Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer, and ODFW officials searched for the other two reported cougars with the assistance of hound dogs. Police and ODFW officials found signs of two other cougars in the area consistent with reported sightings from citizens and searchers.

A second cougar, similar in size to the first cougar, was shot and killed in the area of the baseball complex at about 4:30 p.m. The third cougar was spotted but searchers lost sight of it.

Larson said no evacuations were necessary. Local radio station KDJY broadcasted warnings to residents and advised them to have their pets stay inside while the search took place.

ODFW, OSP and local law enforcement urge area residents to contact 9-1-1 if they spot any cougars in the John Day area. Cougars seen repeatedly in daylight or around residences or other structures are considered safety risks. Still, the risk of a cougar attack is very low and there has never been a confirmed cougar attack on a person in Oregon.

ODFW offers the following safety tips if you encounter a cougar:
• Cougars often will retreat if given the opportunity. Leave the animal a way to escape.
• Stay calm; stand your ground.
• Maintain direct eye contact.
• Pick up children, but do so without bending down or turning your back on the cougar.
• Back away slowly.
• Do not run. Running triggers a chase response in cougars, which could lead to an attack.
• Raise your voice and speak firmly.
• If the cougar seems aggressive, raise your arms to make yourself look larger and clap your hands.
• If in the very unusual event that a cougar attacks you, fight back with rocks, sticks, tools or any items available.

Additional information is available on ODFW’s website at: www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/living-with-cougars.asp

Secretary Salazar approves renewable energy projects

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar last week announced the approval of the North Steens Transmission Line Project in Harney County, and a solar plant project in California. The two  renewable energy projects will further advance President Obama’s initiative for a rapid and responsible move to utility-scale production of renewable energy.

Both projects will be built on private lands, and will use power lines that cross public lands to connect to their respective power grids. When built, the projects will deliver 379 megawatts of power — or enough to power 112,500 homes — and help support over 600 jobs through construction and operations.

“Today’s projects are the 26th and 27th renewable energy projects that Interior has advanced in just the last two years,” Salazar said. “As we continue to move thoughtfully and quickly toward a clean energy future, these projects are strengthening local economies by generating good jobs and reliable power.”

The North Steens Transmission Line Project is a 44-mile, 230-kilovolt power line that will carry power from a proposed wind power project on the north side of Steens Mountain to Harney Electric Cooperative’s existing electrical transmission grid. The wind project, proposed on private land near Diamond, would generate 104 megawatts, enough to power about 30,000 homes. The project would support 235 jobs and generate $4.5 million in local tax revenue of the life of the project.

In California, the Centinela Solar Energy Project is a 275-megawatt solar energy power plant that will connect via a 230-kilovolt transmission line to the existing San Diego Gas & Electric Imperial Valley Substation. The solar plant will be located on 2,067 acres of previously disturbed private land near El Centro, Calif. Interior approved the right-of-way for 19 acres for the power line on public land, and Imperial County gave a green-light to the solar power plant on Dec. 27. The project would support at least 367 jobs, generate more than $30 million in tax revenue over the life of the project and deliver enough electricity to power about 82,500 homes.

Last week’s announcements by Salazar follow a series of solar, wind, geothermal and transmission facility approvals resulting from Interior’s renewable energy program that has focused the department’s resources to prioritize and process existing applications in a coordinated, focused manner with full environmental analysis and public review.

In the past two years, Salazar has used this approach to approve 27 major renewable energy projects, or the transmission and roads associated with them, on public lands. When constructed, the projects are expected to create over 12,500 construction and operational jobs and produce nearly 6,600 megawatts of energy, enough to power 2.3 million American homes.

According to the Department of Interior, both the projects approved last week underwent extensive environmental review and reflect strong efforts to mitigate potential environmental impacts, such as requiring funding for the acquisition of 80 acres of additional habitat for the flat-tailed horned lizard in California, and requirements that minimize audio and visual impacts from the North Steens project.

“Land stewardship is an important part of any energy project, including renewables,” said Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey, whose agency worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state and local agencies, members of the environmental and conservation communities, interested stakeholders and the companies to minimize the projects’ potential impacts to resources. “We use these lands now, but it is also important to make decisions that help ensure future generations get to use and benefit from these resources just as we do.”

Because the development on private land is connected to the federal right of way for the transmission lines and cannot proceed without Interior approval, the Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Assessment had to consider the impacts of the projects’ entire generation and transmission, including the components located on private lands.

Jennifer Jenks, right, pictured with her daughter Elina, is the new editor for the Burns Times-Herald. She has held numerous positions at the newspaper and looks forward to her new role. (Photo by DEBBIE RANEY)

New editor has worked at the paper since 2002 and went to high school in Crane

It’s a new year and a new era at the Burns Times-Herald. As one editor steps down, a new one steps up to take her place. Welcome Jennifer Jenks, who replaces Debbie Raney as editor of the newspaper.

Jenks started working at the Times-Herald in 2002 as a proofreader. Originally, she was only supposed to work one day a week, but during her second day on the job, management increased her hours and asked her to take on reporting duties. On her third day of employment, she became a full-time reporter.

In 2005, Jenks transitioned to the advertising department, where she built ads, designed the classified pages and retained some of her newsroom duties as a court reporter as well as covering community events from time to time.

“Jennifer was an obvious choice [as editor] for me,” said Sue Pedersen, general manager for the Burns Times-Herald. “After working with her for almost 10 years, I appreciate her writing and organizational abilities. I am anxious to watch her take her journalism skills to the next level.”

Jenks is excited to take on the responsibilities as editor and believes that having experience in so many facets of the paper gives her an added understanding of what this community wants from its weekly newspaper. “I think readers want the same local news stories and coverage of local events and sports that they’ve come to expect from our paper,” Jenks said. “I hope they know they can come to me with their story ideas and concerns.”

Jenks is no stranger to Harney County having lived and worked here for the past 10 years. She also attended Crane Union High School, graduating as salutatorian of her class in 1992. After that, she attended many different colleges including Eastern Oregon University, Central Oregon Community College and Treasure Valley Community College, before landing at Portland State University, where she earned the equivalent of a bachelor of arts in English.

While she was growing up, Jenks’ family moved around quite a bit. At different times she called Gloucestershire, England; Pennsylvania; Los Alamos, N.M.; and many places in Oregon home. “From driving with my parents and five siblings in a VW van through Europe, to skiing every year in the mountains of New Mexico and watching the beautiful sunsets there, to the hustle and bustle of city life in Portland and the slow moving lifestyle of the country in Crane and getting lost in corn fields in Pennsylvania – every place I lived was different and opened my mind to all the varied experiences life can throw at us,” Jenks said.

She believes that her unique upbringing has given her the necessary experience for her new role at the newspaper. “Learning to recognize that every person and place has a story to be told, if we only look hard enough, is probably the best preparation I’ve had for being editor. I know there are so many stories here in our county, just waiting to be told,” she said.

As she settles into her role as leader of the newsroom, Jenks said she would like to see as much local news covered as possible. “In the long term, I’d like to have more reporters available to cover events that we sometimes miss because all the reporters are already busy with other stories,” she said. She would also like to see more local columns highlighting the various talents of community members. “I think it would be fun to feature content from local people instead of just getting press releases off the Internet, that are still useful, but not local,” she said.

In her spare time, Jenks enjoys reading, cross stitching and spending time with her daughter, Elina. “My childhood prepared me for a life of traveling, so I love to travel and have new experiences like visiting museums and wilderness areas and different states,” she said.

Jenks looks forward to learning more about the special people and places of Harney County. “I think that my life experiences have made me understand a lot about people, their similarities and differences, and that we all have a story to tell,” she said.