Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 154
The Gilliam County 4-H International Club embarked on a trip to the East Coast this past Spring Break. The club departed Condon and Arlington late in the afternoon of Tuesday, March 19. The "red-eye" flight departed Portland at 11:59PM. They arrived in Boston at 10:00 AM, March 20, via Chicago. Over the course of the trip, they stayed in Boston, New York City, Washington D.C., and Williamsburg, VA. A total of 26 students and chaperones made the trip. After touching down in...
Days of Yore for April 25, 2024 10 years ago— Fossil Grade School students took an outing to Mayville to the Stinchfield log cabin. The students in grades 1-4 with teachers Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Burrows, had a host of questions with tasks to perform with information they gathered to go along with their studies of the Oregon Trail and pioneer life. Rural counties in Oregon have struggled with financial woes in recent years, likely none so severely as Wheeler County. A native of Spray and graduate of Oregon State University, T...
Back in 2021 Reuters reported that a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) had sold through Heritage Auctions for $471,000. This exemplar of the title that was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone here in the U.S. featured a gorgeous illustrated cover, a "variant" binding, "magical" contents, and appeared "incredibly bright and so very near pristine." But $471,000? Sheesh. This copy was the most expensive Harry Potter book ever sold and the most...
Real men don't eat tofu. . . unless it's cooked the right way and my friend Randal Miller knows how to do just that. He fries it like onion rings and tops it with sweet and sour sauce. Delicious! Tofu gets a bad rap because some say that it's like eating cardboard, but tofu doesn't deserve this reputation. Poor tofu suffers from being misunderstood!! As I mentioned before, I was raised by a mother who was a vegetarian during a time when most people didn't know what that was. V...
The Wingin' It Poultry 4-H Club met April 8, 2024 at 5:30 at the Gilliam County Fairgrounds. Leader Aubrey Gibson stated that the remodel for the 4-H building will start in June. We will be relocating our meeting location in the future. She has also reached out to a new processor for processing our fair turkeys and chickens. The Small Animal Clinic will be held at the Gilliam County Fairgrounds on April 19th. Spring Classic will be held April 27th at the Deschutes County...
Sending the right leaders to Salem is critical for us in Eastern Oregon. We have to elect representatives who are ready to do the job from Day 1 as effective advocates for our values and our communities. We have the opportunity in May to elect Dave Drotzmann to the State Senate, and I’m confident he’s prepared for the task. I’ve seen Dave in action for many years now, putting his principles of local control, conservative values, and compassionate leadership to work to benefit all of us. As the League of Oregon Cities (LOC)...
People I want to thank 1) Steve Allen for putting our letters in the paper 2) The voters of Gilliam County for their thoughtful listening 3) The 100’s of people who signed our Recall petitions in record time 4) The people who said they would vote Yes but couldn't put their names on a petition 5) Especially the big group of people who supported our efforts both financially and through their hours of dedicated work 6) The many citizens who wrote letters and testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee 7) ALL the past and p...
To the Editor: Earlier this month, I reached out to staff at Governor Tina Kotek’s office with questions on the vacancy appointment process. On April 10th, I received a phone call from Richard Lane, the General Counsel, and he explained the process. It consists of a 21 day advertisement period, followed by review of the applicants that applied, scheduling and conducting of interviews and finally an Oregon State Police criminal history background check on the successful candidate. Once all of that is completed, the committee’s...
To The Editor, A Times-Journal 4-4-24 letter indicated the audits on file in the Gilliam County Clerk’s office had “no adverse findings.” This tells me that Gilliam County needs to find another auditor. The entire point of an audit is to identify weaknesses in an organization’s financial management system. An audit should always contain suggestions for strengthening the system of check and balances to help an agency manage financial risk. Otherwise, what is the point of paying an auditor to give you a perfect score, if they...
I’ve been contemplating the same topic over and over for a couple of weeks now and my mind is stuck in a loop. That topic is “If there are 26 letters in the alphabet and they combine to make 275,000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary, then how many recipes can a person make with just 100 foods in their pantry?” I don’t know why I am fixated on this question; maybe it’s because I want to know why, with so many food choices available, people still fret about “What’s f...
This court is threatening to shut down this County due to their inability to prepare a budget, for which there is plenty of time and assistance to finalize. Let's look at what they have done. At the Mar 6 meeting, they approved $1.12 Million for the Port of Arlington, $568,000 for Pioneer CDC for a duplex, and zero to Honker's Nest Child Care in Arlington, an issue Liz claims to hold near and dear to her heart. At the April 10 court meeting, they approved $1.1 million for Kelley Nonprofit Consulting, $1.225 million to...
To the Editor: Gloom and Doom. The sky is falling. You must vote no on the recall. So, what is the County Courts’ “positive message” for keeping them in Power. Let’s see: They will lay off all Gilliam County employees; They will “shutter” (catchy word) public transportation systems, the senior meal sites, the public library; There will be no law enforcement to respond to your calls (is that even legal?); No roads paved or weeds sprayed; No summer work experience program for our youth. What other “positive” actions do they hav...
To The Editor: No to Recalls. We are voting no on the recall election for Judge Elizabeth Farrar and Commissioner Pat Shannon. The recall seems to be creating an unhealthy divide in our county. As a small county, we need to work together to prosper. Recalling our elected officials could cause county business to grind to a halt. Some have said those saying this are using it as a scare tactic. Assuming not all projects come to an end if the judge and commissioner are recalled, there are decisions to be made and a new budget to...
To the Editor: It has been an interesting journey over the past several weeks in reading the plethora of letters to the editor printed in the Times Journal. Readers should know that the Times Journal is among a shrinking number of Oregon newspapers that still provide space for public comment via letters to the editor. Letters to the editor tend to (usually) be more factual and reach a more relevant audience than posts on social media. T-J readers, appreciate what you have. — Chris Childs, Silverton, OR... Full story
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...
April 18, 2024 10 years ago— Marnie Fitzsimmons continues her experience in South America where she is studying in Quito, Ecuador. She has recently visited Machu Picchu in Peru and has spent some time on the Amazon River. Following several months of an incredible experience, she is expected home again at the end of the school year. A plane wreck occurred west of Condon April 12 that sent an Aurora pilot to OHSU in Portland with serious injuries. According to the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office, two airplanes had landed on...
By Lawrence Hammar How much do you really know about the books you love? Any bibliophile will tell you that a rare book is far more than the sum of its parts. And parts is parts, right? But who founded and set the type-faces that made the penned manuscript readable? Who made the inks and how? Where did the paper come from, and how was it made? Who did the stitching, sewing the leaves “gathered” into “signatures” and then stitching those together into a text-block? Can one jud...
To The Editor: I support Dave Drotzmann for Oregon Senate District 29. I first met Dave when we served together on the Hermiston School District Board of Directors, more than 20 years ago. Since then I have seen his commitment to our Eastern Oregon values through his leadership as Mayor of Hermiston, his involvement, commitment and leadership within the League of Oregon Cities and in many other capacities like supporting high school sports, raising funds for the local football/track stadium or helping to raise funding to buil...
By Todd Lake Gilliam County Transportation Director Gilliam County Transportation (GCT) Department provides for the transportation needs of the people in Gilliam County. We provide public transportation for medical appointments, both locally and in the surrounding communities including Bend, Portland, The Dalles, Hood River, the Tri-Cities areas, and others. Other transportation provided includes trips to the Sr. meal site, food bank, and shopping. GCT provides transportation...
Letter to the Editor: It is my honor and pleasure to highly recommend Honorable Cris Patnode for the position of County Judge in Oregon. I have known Judge Patnode for many years, through our membership in the National Judge’s Association. She worked her way through the various offices of NJA, from Secretary to President, and her service and professionalism was second to none. She has been an inspiration to me, as she understands the balance of being on the bench, between the human element and the legal element. As past P...
To the Editor: With the May primary election fast approaching, we as voters have the opportunity to elect a leader who will bring fiscal responsibility and business-friendly policies to Oregon politics. That is why I am supporting Dave Drotzmann for state senator. Everyday expenses like groceries, medication, and housing are concerns for all Oregonians. We need leaders in Salem who will hold our government accountable for every dollar that is received and spent. During his time as Hermiston mayor, Dave has overseen...
Letter to the Editor: With the May primary election fast approaching, we as voters have the opportunity to elect new leaders who will bring fiscal responsibility to Oregon politics. That is why I am supporting Dave Drotzmann for state senator. As a small business owner, Dave understands the struggle of Oregonians working to afford everyday expenses like groceries, medication, and housing in the face of record inflation. We need leaders in Salem who will hold our government accountable for every dollar it spends, without...
Letter to the Editor: I support Dave Drotzmann for Senate District 29. His dedication and commitment to addressing critical issues make him the clear choice. Dave, as a small business owner, comprehends the challenges our local businesses face and is dedicated to providing necessary support for their success. His plans will foster economic growth and job creation in our district. Dave is invested in addressing our community's housing crisis, recognizing the need for affordable housing options to ensure safe and stable housing...
Spring action for the Oregon High School Rodeo Association kicked off last weekend in Klamath Falls. The Columbia Basin High School Rodeo club was represented by Condon Senior Gracie Garthwaite, who is also serving as Student President of the OHSRA. In Saturday's rodeo, Gracie placed second in the Goat Tying with an 8.95. She turned in a 16.31 in the Barrel Race, earning fifth place. Spray's Molly Davis, a Freshman, also placed in two events, with a fourth place in the Goat...
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...
