| Letters
to the editor from this week's Chronicle To the Editor, As a good Cottonwood native should do, I stay in contact with my roots by reading the Cottonwood Chronicle every week. I thought I would share a possible story for you. Jake Wren provides his weekly Redneck Review and he positively influences his readers. However, his influence extends way beyond the Camas Prairie. As a math, and economics teacher in the 80s, he set a course for a group of students that have led them to being leaders in the mining industry throughout the world. He developed a link with the University of Idaho’s School of Mines and where his impassioned students could explore mining engineering opportunities. A group of us have taken his teaching and life lessons and used them to complete our Mining Engineering Degrees and demonstrating these core values in our industry today. Dean Gehring - 1986 PHS Graduate – Currently is the Executive Vice President for Newmount Corporation located in Denver Colorado. Shawn Goeckner – 1986 PHS Graduate – Former Asset President of BHP located in the New Mexico region. David Swisher – 1989 PHS Graduate - Currently is the Technical Director for Worley located in Everson Washington. Greg Mager – 1989 PHS Graduate – Currently is the Director of Technical Services for Navajo Transitional Energy Company located in Gillette Wyoming. Jody Goeckner – 1990 PHS Graduate – Currently is a Senior Engineer for North American Coal located in Coushatta Louisiana Point here, these values are needed and are extending well beyond Cottonwood. His former students are leading others by living and sharing these core values. Greg Mager To the Editor, Magistrate Payne - Are we a Nation of Laws under God, or of Men? I was a member in good standing of the Lawyer’s Bar (Washington, California, Maryland and DC) for 25 years. I never had an ethical complaint and maintained the highest standards of fiduciary conduct for my clients. I conducted or managed hundreds of litigations (including appeals) and thousands of transactions. I served in private practice, as in-house counsel and had a stint as Deputy DA in charge of white collar crime in Merced County CA. Based on my experience here in Idaho County I can say that IMO the conduct of "Special Counsel" Scott Olds, Magistrate Judd (visiting) and our own Magistrate Payne are the opposite of the ideal expected of those wielding public authority. Their conduct in various matters has demonstrated a disregard of fairness and justice. They have conducted matters inconsistent with impartiality and the legal standards for Prosecutors and Judges. When I came out publicly against the former Sheriff many citizens reached out to echo the same concerns I had. I am guessing there are others who have experienced Magistrate Payne's "character" and come away with loss of trust and confidence in our legal system. In fact I have already heard such. It's really shameful. I write this letter with no expectation of favor or gain - quite the opposite as "payback" seems to be a goal for some in Idaho County. But I feel it is right to speak out to uphold the intent and spirit of our Constitution – but also the HOLY spirit. Pride, arrogance and willfulness are contrary to what we learn from JESUS. I pray in his name that these folks wake up, see what they have done and repent of it. I have many good reasons for my opinions – and if anyone cares to know them I own Riders Rest in Elk City - come on by for prayer, coffee and talk any time. Joshua Palken Tell Reps No on S 1110 The Idaho House of Representatives will soon vote on Senate Bill 1110 which, if adopted, will make it virtually impossible for citizens to exercise their constitutional right to propose a law change for consideration by fellow voters. Gathering enough signatures to get an initiative - a proposed law change - on the ballot is not easy. For enough volunteers to engage in the effort, it has to be an important issue that elected officials have ignored or mishandled. The current law requires signatures from 6% of registered voters in the state, including at least 6% of voters in 18 legislative districts. This requirement was established in 2013 and since then only 2 initiatives have made it to the ballot. If we have a problem, it is that existing requirements are too difficult. S 1110 makes this worse by requiring signatures from 6% of registered voters in all 35 legislative districts. If there is one district without someone willing to coordinate signature gathering, the initiative, no matter how good, is doomed. Why is S 1110 being considered? Because the Idaho legislature does not want average citizens exercising their constitutional right to changes state laws. If you want to retain our initiative rights, encourage Legislative District 7 representatives to vote no on S 1110. Their contact information is: · Rep. Priscilla Giddings 208-332-1033 (statehouse)/ 208-570-8616 (home) pgiddings@house.idaho.gov · Rep. Charlie Shepherd 208-332-1067 (statehouse)/ 208-859-0023 (home) cshepherd@house.idaho.gov Shireene Hale Grangeville Redneck Review! No. 309 - 3/28/2021 Happy with the news today? Comfortable with the southern border? Surprised maybe? Anything a single individual can do to stop the direction our country seems to be heading? Our last two or three RNR's have argued that a single person can have an unbelievable impact on the world close by, and even the entire world itself! TOSS A PEBBLE, you might recall! BE INFORMED was the closing comment of RNR #206 which encouraged readers to read or research DARK WINTER by John Casey. And 207 and 208 promised an example from the past arguing just how much influence a single person has had on the world around! So here is that example, taken from LET FREEDOM RING back in the mid 1980's! "It happened at halftime, on Homecoming night. One 50 yd long, heavy rope, and over 100 local high school (Prairie here in Cottonwood, ID) students roughly divided into two groups, struggled mightily in a 'Tug of War' to drag their opponents across an imaginary line in the center of the field. Frosh and Srs. on one side, Sophs and Jrs. on the other, the two groups tugged fiercely on the rope with feet dug in and veins popped out! Ever so slowly the toiling lines would drift a bit, first this way then that, as each team made new effort... but to no avail! "Stalemate! Each new burst of effort by one side would quickly be countered by new resolution and new energy on the other. "Suddenly, one lone senior boy came running across the field, grabbed a hold and began to tug! The tide was turned! Ever so slowly at first, then with increased momentum, the struggling forces started drifting toward the senior side, It was all over! That one unknown lad had turned the tide! "And so it is in history, and so it is now. Through the ages, gigantic wars have been won and lost, and entire civilizations have prevailed or perished due to day to day efforts of individuals! That was the case at Thermopylae Pass in 480 BC where heroic King Leonidas with '300 Spartans' stopped the giant army of Persia's Xerxes dead in its tracks, and helped preserve the heritage of Greece for those to come! And so it was the case at Tours in France in 732 A.D. when Charles Martel stopped the Muslims from entering Europe and thus saved the day and history for Western civilization! "But never forget! Behind each historical hero there stands the unmentioned many who played their part. On Prairie's field, at Thermopylae Pass or Tours in France, its all the same. No hero can win without the zeal and hard work and sacrifice of the rank and file. It's there in the trenches where history is made, where battles are won or lost, where civilizations survive or die. And so it is today. The forces of history are locked in a mighty struggle, and each of us is destined to play a vital part. At one end of the mythical rope are the forces which would destroy us, and on the other side, the forces of the past, characterized by their respect for others, property rights, human dignity, and their zeal for God, country and community! "The struggle is still on. The rope so much more taut. And each of us must decide anew whether we will grab on and give a tug or stand aside and idly watch! Make no mistake about it! Each effort made by everyone is vital and plays a part. In every 'Tug of War' the winning side is a combination of all of the individual efforts... Had one more senior on that Homecoming eve just given up, the results might have gone the other way. And had any Spartan turned and ran, Leonidas might never had made his niche in history. Had Martel's soldiers lost their nerve, Europe would have come under the influence of Muslims, and history's course would have been dramatically changed! "And one last thought! What each of us does or fails to do is not the whole story. For no one acts alone. Rather each of us has a ripple affect on those around us and those to come!" So, TOSS A PEBBLE! Jake Wren |
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