24 | June | 2018 | Sherman County eNews

June 23 Report: Firefighting efforts being coordinated to safely accomplish control and minimize acres burned
Wheeler County News
What’s Coming Up at Sherman County Public/School Library
Sage Mountain Primitives Seeks Farm History for New Café Décor
Bias and Comfort Zones
Don’t blame children. Blame those who failed to discipline them.
Links: Things to Think About & Things to Do

1. June 23 Report: Firefighting efforts being coordinated to safely accomplish control and minimize acres burned

Maupin, Oregon – Hundreds of lightning strikes on June 20 and 21 caused nearly 70 wildfires throughout central Oregon. The Boxcar and South Junction Fires are in Wasco County near Maupin. The Jack Knife Fire is in Sherman County, along the John Day River northeast of Kent. Initial attack resources from the Central Oregon Fire Management Service, the Rural Fire Protection District, Maupin Fire Department, Mt. Hood National Forest, The Dalles Fire Department, and local ranchers have been fighting these fires since their detection. Strategic use of retardant and heavy helicopters has protected values at risk. As the fires have grown to large sizes and complexity, a Type 2 Incident Management Team (Northwest Incident Management Team #13) has taken over command of these fires as of 6:00 a.m. today. (June 23)

Boxcar Fire Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5862/

Estimated Acreage: 23,000 acres Containment: 10% Reported June 21, 07:48 am, Lightning

The Boxcar Fire is the largest of the three incidents with an estimated 23,000 acres burned. Firefighters have been challenged by gusty winds which have pushed the grass and brush fire south and east. Hwy 197 is closed between milepost 67 (the intersection with Hwy 97) and Maupin.

In the Maupin area, firefighters will be anchoring south of Maupin to build and secure containment lines to the north and east.
On the western flank, the fire is approaching the Deschutes River south of Maupin. Firefighters will be looking for places to safely engage to protect river recreation, private properties and cultural sites.
Firefighters engaging the Boxcar Fire on the east flank will work to stop easterly progression by using Highway 97 as containment line.

South Junction Fire

Estimated Acreage: 5,000 acres Containment: 0% Reported June 21, 3:00 pm, Lightning

This fire has made significant runs to the north and south from its origin west of Hwy 197 approximately 18 miles north of Madras.
It will likely join the Boxcar Fire today and, after that happens, both will be referred to as the “Boxcar Fire”.
Firefighters are coordinating with local ranch resources on containment lines.

Jack Knife Fire Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5864/

Estimated Acreage: 2,000 acres Containment: 0 Reported June 22, 8:11 am, Lightning

This fire is burning 5 miles northeast of Kent and 11 miles southeast of Grass Valley.
The Jack Knife Fire has reached the John Day River in several locations. Fire has spread north to Wilson Point and south to Adobe Point.
Approximately 10 ranches and outbuildings are scattered along the fire perimeter. Structure protection measures are in place for ranch homes and historical structures along the river.
Today, fire officials will scout opportunities for containment on this fire.

Closures: (June 23)

Hwy 197 is closed from south of Maupin from the town of Maupin to milepost 67, the junction with Hwy 97.
People can still use the Deschutes River for boating and recreation. Camping is being discouraged between Trout Creek and Maupin. This involves Harpham Flat, Longbend, Wapinita and Devil’s Camp. Boat ramps are still open for launching and takeout, but vehicles cannot be parked at the launch sites and a shuttle service should be utilized.
Periodically the River may be closed by local Rangers in order to facilitate helicopter water dips.
On the John Day River, river miles 68 through 55 are closed to camping.

2. Wheeler County News

Wheeler County News, published semi-monthly (1st & 3rd Wednesdays every month) was established in 2000 and is the only newspaper dedicated solely to promoting Wheeler County’s events, businesses, organizations and beautiful natural resources.

Wheeler County News, P.O. Box 190, Spray, OR 97874, Joan Field, Editor/Publisher. wheelercountynews@gmail.com | www.wheelercountynews.com $30/year outside Wheeler County. Ph: 541-468-2112 | Fax: 541-719-8003.

3. What’s Coming Up at Sherman County Public/School Library

Community Preschool Storytime – Every Tuesday at 10am
Join us for Preschool Storytime and crafts. Ages 0-6.

S.T.E.A.M. – Tuesday, June 26 at 10am
Come join the fun as we learn about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math in new and exciting ways. Ages 6-12.

Movie Night – Footloose (1984)
A city teenager moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.
Rated PG | Run Time 1hr 35 min
Movie starts at 6pm in the program room, snacks and drinks provided.

Craft Day
Every Tuesday this summer from 11- 3, come to the library, enjoy our air conditioning, use our crafting equipment and supplies. Support will be available for the Cameo Cutter and the 3D printer. Get help with your crafty projects and learn new techniques. All ages!

July’s Book Club book is The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
Thursday, July 19 at 6pm.
Nina is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile — a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling. From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.

To request a hold, please call us at 541-535-3279 or stop in. Available in Large Print and Audio by request.

4. Sage Mountain Primitives Seeks Farm History for New Café Décor

farm.windmill
Sage Mountain Primitives is gearing up to finally start the remodel on the old Moro Café. We are looking for the history of farms in Sherman County to make it a part of our new décor in the café. Please if you have a farm, or your family had a farm, or you just know some history of the farms in Sherman County, please come see us and fill out a form to claim your bag, or call Deena Johnson at 541-705-0232

5. Bias and Comfort Zones

Whether it is the intentional racist comments from a celebrity, applying a nasty epithet to a sitting politician, or the active discrimination towards gender, society is quick to condemn the perpetrators. Publicly, overt racism and discrimination has no place in today’s world, despite what we are seeing from some individuals these days. However, is there a more persistent bias running “under the radar” about which we are unaware?

University of Washington professor of psychology, Anthony Greenwald, says there is, and it is not so much “against” another group, but an unconscious favoring of the familiar. Greenwald and his associates developed the Implicit Association Test (IAT) in 1995, and their initial findings were first published in 1998. Since that time, the test has been expanded to cover several different types of bias and undergone rigorous study to check for validity.

The IAT measures the strength of an individual’s automatic association with objects and concepts. In other words, it relies on automatic reactions, on the subconscious (or unconscious) level, based on our memories. It is more reaction without thought, than conscious decision-making. The result is a kind of discrimination without the overt intent to do harm, except that it does cause harm when practiced by a dominant group.

A comfort zone, by definition, is where the world feels familiar to us. We have a lot of comfort zones, depending upon the subject at hand. We have a tendency to think that comfort zones are wonderful, because we feel safe. Our comfort zones are based on who we believe we are, and that belief is stored in our subconscious. We make all of our decisions, conscious or unconscious, based on that picture of who we believe we are. We look for others who are similar to us, to join us in our comfort zones.

It isn’t just individuals who search and find the familiar. Organizations have comfort zones, which leads to stagnation of innovation. A lack of diversity of thought and experience causes institutional favoring of the familiar, more commonly known as a blind spot or scotoma. And scotomas cause us to miss options and opportunities.

The cure? Self-reflection, individual and organizational, and a transformation of that internal picture of who we are which, someday, will do away with negative automatic responses. ~The Pacific Institute

6. Don’t blame children. Blame those who failed to discipline them.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once observed, “Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.” Although children doubtless do not recognize it at the time, they crave discipline, particularly during their formative years. Discipline defines boundaries for them, provides security, and is an active expression of a parent’s love. Most important, it prepares them for the challenges of adulthood. If your childhood was less than perfect, you are in good company. Most of us have experienced difficulties at one time or another, and we all make mistakes from time to time. The good news is that while your environment as a child will have a profound influence upon the person you become, it is not the sole determinant. The person you choose to be is entirely up to you. Only you can decide who and what you will become in life. ~Napoleon Hill Foundation

7. Links: Things to Think About & Things to Do

Wheeler County News, P.O. Box 190, Spray, OR 97874, Joan Field, Editor/Publisher. wheelercountynews@gmail.com | www.wheelercountynews.com $30/year outside Wheeler County. Ph: 541-468-2112 | Fax: 541-719-8003.