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CONDON, OR — The Condon Arts Council is proud to welcome the dynamic Mike Beck to Condon's Historic Liberty Theatre on Saturday, May 18. The show is free and for all ages. Mike Beck lives in Montana and performs extensively throughout the United States and Europe. He is known as an engaging acoustic solo artist who has played with some of the greatest cowboy country musicians of all time. Many consider him to be a protégé of his old friend Ian Tyson. He is a regularly fea...
FOSSIL, OR — The Fossil Public Library is pleased to announce that the Oregon Book Award Author Tour will bring Oregon Book Award winner Josephine Woolington to Fossil for a book reading and discussion on Wednesday, May 8, at 4:00 pm at the Jean E. Burch building located at 401 Fourth St. in Fossil. This event is presented in partnership with Literary Arts, is free to the public, and appropriate for all ages. Woolington is the 2024 winner of the Frances Fuller Victor Award in...
Wheeler County will hold primary elections on May 21 and ballots will be mailed out next week. The race for Wheeler County Commissioner is one of the best in the region. Three candidates with diverse experiences and who are deeply invested in Wheeler County are vying to become the next county commissioner. The three candidates are Matt Davis, Candy Humphreys, and Zach Bruce. We asked each of them five questions – here are their responses. MATT DAVIS TJ: Please tell us about y...
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has released its Annual Wolf Report. With details of packs and known wolf-zones, the ODFW report shares findings from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. ODFW reports that for the first time in eight years, the population of gray wolves did not increase in 2023. ODFW claims that illegal poisonings and shootings killed 12 wolves last year, while the state sanctioned the killings of an additional 16 wolves for chronic depredation of...
We’ve been chipping away at our restoration and renovation project at The Times-Journal building. It’s been a lot of work and there is a long way to go but the end is in sight. Built in 1903 as The Bank Saloon by Fred Wilson, the building is a real gem. The story goes that Wilson hoped to build a bank on the property, but he was beaten to it and opted to instead open a saloon. Known as “A Gentlemen’s Resort,” the Bank Saloon was no doubt a beauty in its day. With tin-press...
Data centers owned by global giants such as Amazon and Google have boosted coffers in Morrow and Wasco County in recent years. This has brought a boom in construction that boosts local companies and also provides some long-term jobs. Counties and cities have received tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue. Gilliam and Sherman County have been looking on in envy. With rumors of a possible Amazon data center being built in Arlington, hopes have grown for additional...
Getting kids away from screens is no easy feat. But the Condon Arts Council did just that at a special camp over spring break. Twenty-two kids from Condon and Fossil took part in the class. Called "Ana Con" – short for Analog Convention – the camp had a no-electronics focus. Kids instead learned how to immerse themselves in role-playing games and character creation, while using their imaginations and improvisational skills to complete tasks. Wendell Seitz, the son of Wheeler C...
Last week we wrote about the upcoming recall election and listed the reasons for why we are voting “No.” In doing so, we said that the group that is pushing the recall has been disingenuous. But we also said that the spouses and friends of current candidates are involved in the recall, to which Cris Patnode, who is running for Gilliam Co. Judge, pushed back and said that her husband Joe Patnode has taken all efforts to avoid the recall effort. I apologized to Joe and Cris for...
U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz assembled a panel of county commissioners, state representatives and federal employees at a public hearing on the gray wolf on Thursday, April 4 at the Pendleton Convention Center. It was the third hearing that Rep. Bentz (R-Ontario) has held on the gray wolf, which was reintroduced to parts of Canada and the Yellowstone National Park in the late 90s. The gray wolf has expanded its range and territory over the past two decades. Joining Rep....
Manchester, Vermont-Highland Hills Ranch, nestled just outside Condon, Oregon, has clinched the esteemed title of 2024 Orvis Wingshooting Lodge of the Year, marking its third triumph in this category. Founded in 2002 by Sherman County native Dennis Macnab, the ranch has become a hallmark destination for upland bird hunters. The lodge was built by renowned contractor Dave Allstott of Heppner, Oregon. Spanning 3,000 acres along Rock Creek, Highland Hills Ranch boasts an...
Gilliam County voters will receive ballots for the special recall election of Judge Elizabeth Farrar Campbell and Commissioner Pat Shannon on April 10. We will be voting “No” on both. There is no doubt that the Gilliam County Court unleashed discord when it passed resolution 2023-01 in December. That order stripped the county court of its judicial functions. The court then held listening sessions and discussed the potential of changing the county’s governing structure to a...
In late February, a two-day old calf was killed by a wolf or wolves in Lost Valley in Wheeler County. Last week, wolves killed a calf in Morrow County and wolf sightings have been on the rise in north-central Oregon. Wolf depredation of livestock has become a part of life for ranchers in Wallowa, Baker, and Umatilla County over the past decade. But wolves are now moving further west through the Blue Mountains and into the sparsely populated and livestock rich ranches in...
Before Waste Management came to Gilliam County, Cedar Springs Road was one like any other. Two lanes and gravel, the road was used by area farmers and some fishermen that were headed to the John Day River. But over the years, Cedar Springs Road has been used heavily as the Columbia Ridge Waste Management site has grown. With contracts from Portland Metro and Seattle, the Columbia Ridge landfill is the county's largest employer. At the joint work session on February 22 between...
Gilliam County Clerk Ellen Wagenaar has scheduled a special election for April 30, 2024. Voters will decide whether Judge Elizabeth Farrar Campbell and Commissioner Pat Shannon should be recalled, or if they will be allowed to finish their terms in office. Ballots are set to be mailed out on Wednesday, April 10 and will be due back on Tuesday, April 30. Recall petition signatures were submitted to the Gilliam County Clerk's Office last week. After being verified, both Judge...
The Condon Round-Up has sold to Nick Smith of Tigard. Smith has been visiting Condon for many years and is a close friend of Scott and Steve Miller and of the Miller family. Smith is the Senior Project Manager at Emerick Construction, one of the largest residential and commercial builders in the Portland area. During trips to Condon, Smith would often visit the town's favorite watering holes, including the Round-Up and the Elks Lodge. After the Round-Up closed on New Year's...
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....
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...
Efforts to remediate and revitalize the old Condon Grade School were discussed by the Environmental Sentry Corp board of directors last week at its monthly meeting. The Environmental Sentry Corp is the non-profit wing of the Port of Arlington. The non-profit has been utilized to help with remediation efforts on large projects that are outside of the Port's scope and abilities. The Environmental Sentry Corps took ownership of the old Condon Grade School last year and has...
Home values in 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...
The Gilliam County Court rescinded its order to transfer all judicial duties to circuit court during its meeting on March 6 in Condon. Using the South Gilliam Emergency building for the session as the Gilliam County Courthouse is under construction – the court met in executive session and emerged with a decision to rescind a portion of order 2023-01. That order, passed in December, would have removed all judicial duties from the Gilliam County Court. Six rural counties in Oreg...
The Gilliam County Court approved funding for two capital investment grants during its regular session on March 6 in Condon. The court also worked to find funding solutions for a third applicant. Taking recommendations from The Competitive Grant Review Committee, which convened on February 15, 2024, the court looked to fund the fifth cycle of the Capital Investment Grant Applications. The court’s strategic goals for capital investment grants are narrow and apply to c...
The current political changes unfolding in the United States are monumental. In many ways, the two parties are swapping long-standing platforms and altering their historic identities. Both parties are also embracing candidates and agendas that they once disdained or mocked in the run-up to the 2024 Presidential Election. Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party is nearly complete. Although Trump was once a Democrat, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is highly l...
Judge Elizabeth Farrar Campbell will face her second recall and Commissioner Pat Shannon his first, after petitions were filed with the Gilliam County Clerk, Ellen Wagenaar on February 22. A committee called We the People of Gilliam County – Farrar, and We the People Gilliam County – Shannon, have filed the petitions. The chief sponsor for the recall petition against Judge Farrar Campbell is Denny Newell of Arlington (Blalock). The chief petitioner to recall Commissioner Pat S...
Condon CAN! That is the rallying cry being used to talk about the coming years and decades in Condon. Initiated by the City of Condon, the effort looks to develop a long-term vision for the town. The City of Condon partnered with Rural Development Initiatives, a regional rural development organization that works hand-in-hand with communities to strengthen rural people, places, and economies in the Pacific Northwest. Rural Development Initiatives (RDI) has helped towns like...
A bill that had the potential to change how county courts function in six rural counties was killed during the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Oregon State Capitol on Monday. Senate Bill 1576 included an amendment that would have given county courts the option to give up its judicial function by relinquishing probate cases to circuit courts. In doing so, SB 1576-9 would have also given county courts in Gilliam, Wheeler, Sherman, Harney, Malheur, and Grant counties the...
