Letters to the Editor for Dec. 21, 2009

Baker played against stacked deck

To the editor:

I would like to state very clearly that this is not a case of “sour grapes.” Rather, just an effort to share some not always known information regarding the Baker Bulldogs’ valiant effort at Saturday’s state football championship.

The bottom line is that our kids were playing against a “stacked deck.”

We have had an ever-increasing situation in our state’s districting formats resulting in a huge competitive advantage enjoyed by private over public schools. Basically, under the current rules these schools can recruit athletes from anywhere. Their student-athletes don’t even have to live in their particular school districts.

We have seen this trend very clearly at the state 1A basketball tournament which Baker has hosted for 30-plus years. Every year more and more of these schools make their way to these championships. I remember one year where a boys’ team from the Portland area won the championship, lost a number of their better players to graduation, and showed up the next year with three new players from Harlem. Tough for a school like Powder Valley to be competitive with these schools year after year. It’s actually quite remarkable that these rural kids have done as well as they have.

That being said, I do know that the OSAA is aware of this situation and is working diligently to address the problem. They are continually fighting court battles to try and keep these contests as fair as possible. It doesn’t always work out very well.

On a level playing field this recent championship should have featured Baker vs. Ontario. At a neutral site, and considering the Bulldogs’ momentum during the playoffs, I would have liked our chances.

What if it had been more than just a threat?

To the editor:

A Monday night bomb threat left on the answering machine at the Baker High School was discovered by school staff early Tuesday morning. The newspaper article noted that the school superintendent was notified at 7:30 a.m. although when the message was initially heard by a staff member was not reported. I would think it was prior to any children getting to school. 

The Superintendent stated there wasn’t time to notify anyone not to come to school. 

Several questions come to mind.  Time might have been tight, but why where children allowed to enter the building?  The evacuation didn’t happen until after the morning bell rang. If the message was heard before children arrived, why were any let in? If they had already started to arrive, why were more allowed to enter? Why didn’t someone meet buses and send them to North Baker School?

Mistakes were made by the school staff that shouldn’t have been made, but this isn’t a funny goof-up. This could have been a deadly disaster. Any threat on a child is serious, but when it is one of ours, we tend to take it seriously and very personally!

Threats should be considered the real thing.  99.9999 percent of the time a threat is made by someone with no brains, no conscience and no plan to deliver a bomb or start a fire. Usually there are no explosives, no flammable materials, nothing.  Usually time and money are wasted, children and parents are frightened, but no real harm has been done. Usually it’s only an empty threat. Usually. . . 

What if this time there was a real bomb? What if letting kids go into the school was sending them to their death? What if!

Whoever made this threat, do the right thing and turn yourself in to the police.  You will have to pay the price for some serious stupidity and for threatening innocent children.

The police will protect you. The law will protect and defend you.

The parents of threatened children are an entirely different story! Parents don’t protect criminals, they protect their children!

Is a new world order on the way?

To the editor:

Shortly after President Obama took office he promised change. Right away he began doing financial bailouts which he said would save jobs and help boost the economy. But the result has been just the opposite, as we now find ourselves in a dark hole of debt which could bankrupt our nation.

Just recently I heard that he and his liberal left are planning on spending over a trillion more. So, why does he keep spending? Maybe it is true that if America does become bankrupt, our government could become a socialist republic thereby taking over total control of our country. Could this be one of the changes Obama was thinking of?

The European Union has been holding a number of meetings concerning the establishment of a new world government, leader and currency, which they call the Euro. As President Obama anxiously waits to sign the climate change treaty, he knows that financially it would destroy our economy along with that of other nations of the world. It would make it easy then for the new world order to take over.

Bible prophecy predicts that in the latter days before Christ returns, a new world order will be created and controlled by a dictator called the antichrist. It suddenly seems to be coming together.

I am glad I know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

Volunteers make Hunt of a Lifetime possible

To the editor:

I would like to start off by thanking the Baker City Herald for printing the article on Hunt of a Lifetime. Every bit of positive publicity that Hunt of a Lifetime receives helps to promote this amazing organization, and gives the citizens of Baker County a better understanding of what it is all about.

I want to give special recognition to the landowners who have allowed us to hunt their land. All of the land that we hunt is privately owned. These farmers and ranchers are true stewards of the land. Through the generous donations of Carl and Sheila Town, and the Sunridge, these hunters and their families have had a positive experience in Baker City. I would also like to thank Don McClure for his donations to help the kids remember their experiences here in Baker County. I want to thank the following people for allowing us to hunt on their land:

Heffernans, Chris, Donna, Justin and Sheldon; Wilson Cattle Company, John and Molly Wilson; Pine Valley Cattle Company, Lucas; Jerry and Shelley Gray; Bob and Lin Haerling; Colton Ranch, David and Kristen; Cody Hufford; Beaver Creek Cattle Company, Gaylon; Foster Ranch, Don, Vickie and Jessica; Scott and Diana Thatcher; Lay Ranch, Ron and Joe; Phillips Ranch, Fredrick and Adam; Hutton Ranch, Mike and Justin; O’Connell Ranch, Richard O’Connell.

I would like to thank the following people for volunteering their time: Dan, Joel, Scott, Taylor, Coleman, Trace, Buck, Tim, Ray and especially my wife, Tammie, for being so understanding.

I would like to give a final thank you to Danny Benson for getting me involved in such an amazing organization. Without all of these people we would not have the success that we do.