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As a public employee for the past 25+ years, I am familiar with how public employee benefit systems work. Vacation and sick leave is accrued at a fixed number of hours every month, and those hours are documented in an employment record keeping system, where both the employer and employees know monthly what their vacation and sick leave accruals are. Sick leave balances are forfeited when leaving public employment. Vacation balances are limited to a fixed number of hours that will be compensated for when leaving public...
Something beautiful happened last Thursday at Summit Springs Village and our whole community need to know about this. These young kids (all locals 5-7 years old) had matching little green t-shirts and they called themselves The Cloverbuds. They came into our rooms and delivered spotted sedums from their projects. We were all thrilled and everyone was reliving their own young days in 4-H and all the character it gave us. We remember all the responsibility we had, and how to get through bitter cold winters and protect our...
Having the administrative progress this county has made over the past three years turned upside down is disturbing and disappointing. Had the recall petitioners and their followers paid attention and listened to the platform on which Elizabeth Farrar-Campbell and Pat Shannon ran when they were elected back in 2020, they would have known exactly what to expect, rather than claiming to be alarmed now by the action of the court. The petitioners could have been a positive part of the process then and along the way, rather than...
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, I am running for re-election for Gilliam County commissioner, in the aftermath of a very contentious recall. As I and my supporters reach out to voters, we are hearing feedback and complaints about my oversight of the road department. I would like to take this opportunity to provide context for my decisions, done with the intention of ensuring Gilliam County is in compliance with health and safety regulations for the safety of road department employees, landowners, residents of county, and...
To the Editor, I am writing to encourage Gilliam County voters to support Leah Watkins for Gilliam County Judge. I served on the Condon School Board with Leah and remember she was always fair with her decisions and her first priority was serving the community. She spoke her mind yet was willing to work for a common solution that best served the school district. With the current situation in the county, she is the only candidate with prior experience on the court. In talking to former and current county court members, they...
To the Editor: Anyone can access the online letters submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on February 12th, where our current county court members supported Senate Bill 1576-4 Amendment; two of those three are now subject to recall. The Senate Judiciary Committee opted to remove amendment 4 regarding the alteration of six other county courts, thus giving the voters in each county the opportunity to make their voices heard. The proposed legislation could have provided a way to replace our existing court with a...
To the Editor and Gilliam County Residents, I submit this letter to express my support for my brother Pat Shannon in his re-election bid for Gilliam County Commissioner. I no longer live in Gilliam County, but I lived there most of my life and I still care a great deal about all things Gilliam County. It’s where I grew up, where we raised our daughters and where I lived and worked most of my adult life. During the more than two decades I worked for the Gilliam County Court I gained a unique insight into the operations of l...
To the Editor, At a local social gathering place in town, it was once remarked that the City of Condon was a lot easier to manage from the Texaco gas station than it was from City Hall. We are about to find out that Gilliam County is a lot more complicated to administer from the Courthouse in Condon than it is from the pizza parlor in Arlington. I’ve noticed over the years that there are generally two types of individuals who seek election to the Gilliam County Court. There are those who are willing to put in the hours n...
To The Editor: As a candidate for the County Commissioner, I Grant Wilkins will appreciate your support in voting for me. As a Gilliam County resident for almost my entire life, I have served over twenty years in attained, appointed, end elected positions in Gilliam County. Additionally, I have been General Manager for a Chevron Distributing company, am currently a small business owner, and also am currently employed by Portland General Electric as a Control Room Operator for one of their Thermal Generation Plants. These...
To the Editor: I’m writing this letter in support of Pat Shannon, Gilliam County Commissioner for re-election. Now is not the time for inexperience, we are at a serious crossroad in Gilliam County. Do we let 32% of the voters in Gilliam County determine the future of the County. Pat is currently serving as the vice chair of CREA Community Renewable Energy Association, as one of the counties with a large amount of renewable energy we need representation. He is knowledgeable about this subject, and starting back at ground z...
Letter to the Editor: After our recent SpringFest flower basket sale, the board of The Woolery Project, Inc. wanted to take a moment to educate the naysayers and social media trolls who have recently taken it upon themselves to make untrue and negative statements about our fundraising efforts and our intentions in the community. We had a lady taking issue with most of our flower baskets being sold before our sale officially opened. That only happened the first couple of years, as we were adjusting our quantities to the needs...
To The Editor: I am writing in support of Cris Patnode for Gilliam County Judge. I have known Cris all of her life, both personally and professionally. She was employed at North Central ESD as business manager, while I was working there as the media coordinator. We worked together for ten years. Her work ethic is unquestionable and Cris has excellent communication skills. She is honest and her loyalty and objectivity are constant. She is a hard worker and organized. Cris is well qualified, and very “in-tune” with what nee...
To the Editor: I have known Greg Smith for over 30 years, and I can attest to the strength of his character and to his dedication to the people of District 57. Ensuring that constituents have a voice in the legislative process is fundamental, especially to our frontier communities that are extremely rural and a long drive from Salem. Legislators serve as the conduit through which the concerns, aspirations, and priorities of their constituents are communicated to the halls of the Capitol. Greg listens attentively to the needs...
Dear Editor, As a proud veteran and a member of the Wasco community, I want to express my deep appreciation for the efforts being made to honor our heroes this Memorial Day. The upcoming events, including the country breakfast, the Memorial Day parade, and the complimentary BBQ lunch for veterans and military members, are a testament to the gratitude and respect we hold for those who have served our country. While I am grateful for the complimentary BBQ lunch for veterans, I feel compelled to emphasize the importance of...
Dear Editor, From a law enforcement perspective this year’s primary election comes at a critical time for Oregon. We need leaders who will hold offenders accountable for their actions to protect families and businesses. We need leaders who will listen to Oregon citizens and local leaders in our communities for the betterment of the whole state. I am supporting Dave Drotzmann for state senator in District 29 because of his accomplishments with League of Oregon Cities and as a clear decisive leader in his community. Through h...
We have elections from the local, state, and national levels coming up in the coming months and all are important. I would urge everyone to vote with their heads and not their hearts. Get the facts then vote. Most important of all VOTE! If you don't vote you get what you get so don't complain later! Bill Berray Condon, Oregon...
Letter to the Editor: As was pointed out in the March 22nd Issue of this newspaper, both Judge Farrar Campbell and Commissioner Shannon could have either resigned or contested the findings of the recall campaign or take the recall to a special election vote. They both chose to take it to a special election vote so I find it in poor taste for all the threats of what a recall would do to this county if they are both recalled. Think about that. It was all un-necessary. They both could have resigned. Judge Farrar is leaving...
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...
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...
