The Russians caught the meteor of the century with their personal recording devices. The media credited the Russian’s penchant for dash cams to their need to control their rogue police force. The cams provided video evidence of their misdeeds and in some cases supported claims against the police. Our police vehicles supposedly have dash cams. I know of one instance where the dash cam was not working. Some of us have phones with sound and video capabilities. Learn how to use them.

I have read about the discussion by County officials about the need for many new cameras and an upgraded security system at the courthouse. The needs of the officials are very expensive. And I want to know who will be watching the monitors.

I say, it is time to remove or vote out some more of the old guard. They have too much to protect. They are worn out and not safe to use. I say thanks to Ulys Stapleton for daring to do the right thing. I say thanks to Mark, and all the others who contributed to changing the odds against the citizens of Lake County. I say thanks to the Russians for sharing their meteor videos.

And for those who don’t drive: Helmet cams might be the answer. We can Cam.

 Bonnie Gonzales

Lakeview

2) AP phone hacking: since when do Republicans object to finding leaks of secrets?

3) IRS investigations: politics aside, doesn’t any group named “Taxed Enough Already” trying to set up tax shelters deserve investigation?

Stop witch-hunting, GOP.  It failed under Clinton, and it will fail now.  Oh, one more thing: ObamaCare is now law.  Ha ha.

 J. Andrew Smith

Bloomfield, NJ

In May 2013 Shuanghui International agreed to purchase Smithfield Foods. Smithfield is the world’s largest hog producer with 460 farms and contracts with 2,100 others across the U.S. Will the hog supply be diverted from the U.S. to feed China’s burgeoningpopulation? Will China’s poor food safety record and the manufacture of low quality products impact Smithfield’s operations? Hopefully, Midwestern states will be able to block the sale with laws that prohibit foreign ownership of farmland.

A Chinese consortium purchased International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC), which owns and leases over 1,000 aircraft and has relationships with many airlines. In 2012 Chinese companies purchased AMC Entertainment, one of the largest movie theater chains in the U.S.

The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment should deny Chinese acquisitions if they impact our national security or our country’s economic well-being.

 Donald A. Moskowitz

Londonderry, NH

Owner and operator Sid Robinson, who aptly named his humble yet thorough produce stand Sid’s Produce, opened his doors in mid-May.  Located in the heart of the town proper of Christmas Valley, Robinson said that business is thriving so far, with a variety of produce and related items available for sale.

His inventory, which is picked up three days a week thanks to deliveries by Portland-based company Charlie’s Produce in La Pine, runs the gamut from varied fruits and vegetables that are expected from a produce stand to an array of specialty spices and sauces.

Robinson estimated that 3,000 pounds of produce has come through his store in the first two weeks of operation.

From green onions to asparagus, artichokes and Roma tomatoes in the center island display to surrounding cases filled with beets, yams, potatoes, apples, lemons and carrots, Sid’s Produce has a little bit of everything for customers seeking out fresh items.

“I carry a little bit of everything,” he said.  “Spices for barbecuing, for fish fry, if you’re going to do a whole pork…”

Robinson said he will also offer case prices on products of interest for those that do their own canning, such as peaches, green beans and more.

“I started out small, here, as I wasn’t sure if it was going to work,” he said. “Apparently it is, so I’m already thinking about building on.”

Business hours are currently 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays.

For more information, contact Sid’s Produce, located at 87061 Christmas Valley Hwy., at 541-410-4525.

Feed Barn Café’s new digs include expanded
customer seating as a grand feature in its new
location, the former site of the Christmas Valley Moose Lodge, which was extensively remodeled.

into a larger location featuring a marked increase in seating for patrons.

The Western Art Deco flavored building front, known affectionately as ‘Jackrabbit Junction’ by building owner George Schmidt, is the new home of the Feed Barn Café, which is owned and operated by Kathi Wenick.

Well known for their pizza, sandwiches and salads, the Feed Barn is expanding their offerings thanks to the addition of a deep fryer, Wenick said.  Desserts will soon be making a return to the menu as well, she said.

Wenick said she re-opened for business as of May 14, following an extensive remodel and moving process that started in mid-March.

The new building, which previously housed the now-defunct Christmas Valley Moose Lodge, saw considerable work in order to comply with commercial restaurant code standards, she said.

She said Schmidt took on the tasks of re-plumbing and wiring the building for its new commercial purpose.  The fire suppression system was also upgraded in light of the new deep fryer unit, Wenick said.

“Our original intention was to add on to the old Feed Barn (building),” she said.

Ultimately, she said that relocating the business proved to brighten things and an opportunity to grow from within.

“It’s just like a new building,” she said. “Everything’s up to code and 100 percent inspected.”

Business hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.

For more information, contact the Feed Barn Café, 87142 Christmas Valley Hwy., at 541-576-3333.

Sportsman, Pro and Super Pro classes ran on both days, along with a Gambler’s Race that provided any willing participants an opportunity to run for a cash pot, split 60-40 between the winner and runner-up.

On Saturday, the Sportsman final came down to two Nevada racers, Marc Klose in a ’91 Toyota Celica, and Tami Phillips in an ’85 Mazda RX-7.  Klose took the win, running a 12.585 on a 12.53 dial-in at 55.97 miles per hour with a .556 reaction time.

Phillips placed second with a 12.282 on a 12.36 dial-in at 58.70 miles per hour and a .727 reaction time.

The Pro class final also brought a pair of visiting racers to the line, with the clean early Chevy Nova of Dairy’s Paul Melsness running a perfect 7.100 on a 7.10 dial-in at 97.02 miles per hour and a .682 reaction time.  Runner-up was the Mopar mobile of Larry Cravy of northern California, who ran a 7.102 on a 7.00 dial-in at 98.66 miles per hour.  Cravy red-lit with a .441 reaction time.

Super Pro saw a final pairing a door car with a dragster, namely the Chevy Vega of Phil Elder and the dragster of Melvin Dick.  It was the dragster’s day to shine, with Dick running a 6.769 on a 6.68 dial-in at 100.11 miles per hour, on a .569 reaction time.

Elder ran a 7.416 on a 7.38 dial-in at 95.62 miles per hour, with a .669 light.

On Sunday, Elder switched rides, piloting the Desert Cruisers’ club car, a ’62 Chevy Impala, to victory over Klose.

Elder ran perfectly on his dial with an 8.400 on an 8.40 at 81.11 miles per hour, despite a leisurely .932 reaction time.

Klose, comparatively, broke out by running too quick with a 12.567 on a 12.58 dial-in at 54.55 miles per hour and a .563 reaction time.

In Pro, Melsness and Cravy also met for the final, with Cravy taking the Sunday afternoon win.  Cravy ran a 7.699 on a 6.99 dial-in at 98.99 miles per hour while Melsness ran a 7.033 on a 6.90 dial-in at 97.57 miles per hour.

Super Pro saw two Lakeview racers line up, with the yellow ’40 Ford coupe of Mike Yates edging out Greg Randolph.

Yates ran a 7.41 on a 7.40 dial-in at 96.58 miles per hour, while Randolph broke out with a 7.343 on a 7.36 dial-in at 95.62 miles per hour.

Yates also defeated Jesse Alexander in Sunday’s Gambler’s Race, which featured a $10 buy-in for interested racers.

The $80 pot was divided up in a 60-40 split between the winner and runner-up.

Yates ran a 7.423 on a 7.40 dial at 96.40 miles per hour, while Alexander narrowly broke out with a 7.539 on a 7.54 dial-in at 92.97 miles per hour.

Diversified Contractors Inc., of Klamath Falls have marked the streets around town indicating where the pipeline will go. The project will derive its source from the Barry Well, where initial marking has outlined the route that will lead through the south side of town and eventually end up at the Lakeview High School and Daly Middle School, or the upcoming Western Regional Innovation Learning Center.

Dirt has already been moved at the site of the reinjection well. This is the first location that construction has taken place, with piping having arrived Monday, June 17, to be laid underground.

The geothermal project was originally intended to have construction start before June 10, but suffered some setbacks that pushed the date of completion back.

Darryl Anderson, engineer and project manger, said that he anticipates there will finally be heat in the buildings by November.

Among the highlights for this year’s event will be the availability of health screenings, including blood pressure and the Oregon Lions with vision, glaucoma and hearing screenings.

This year’s event will be held on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lake District Hospital laboratory staff will have available glucose and lipid panel blood tests for those seeking to monitor their cholesterol and sugar levels.  The fee for this test is $25, and those that wish to have their blood tested must fast after 9 p.m. the night before.

This screening will only be available from 8 to 11 a.m., Lake District Hospital Exec. Asst. Sheryl Pavlak said.  Patrons that have their blood drawn will receive a report back with specific data on their high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, which refers to ‘good’ cholesterol.

Also monitored in the screening are glucose levels, which indicate the presence of sugars in one’s blood.  Triglyceride data will also be provided, and patrons will be able to pick up their results the same day.

Additional highlights for this year’s event include a tri-tip barbecue lunch available from Gary and Shelley McCleese for $8, which includes a side and bottle of water.  A hotdog and chips meal will also be available for $3.

In fashion with the family friendly nature of the event, there will be a ‘Kids Zone’ featuring a bounce house, face painting, free bicycle helmets and numerous giveaways.

The Sunshine Gift Shop has marked all items 20 percent off in honor of the occasion, while Abby’s Healing Hands will be on hand providing a free mini chair massage.

The event also serves as the opening weekend for the Lakeview Saturday Market.

Door prizes will be given away throughout the campus, allowing patrons to deposit their door prize tickets in buckets at varied sites.

For more information, visit www.lakehealthdistrict.org, or call 541-947-2114.

Nash has worked for the Lake County School District 7 for 29 years, serving as both a middle school principal and high school principal. He will be taking over the position that is being vacated by current Supt. Alice Hunsaker. Hunsaker reported the news and was happy that it is Nash who will be replacing her.

“I am absolutely thrilled with the choice,” she said. “He knows the schools, he knows the community, and he already has relationships with the key players and the key folks that he will work with.” Hunsaker stressed how much of an advantage Nash would have getting acclimated to his new role as the superintendent of the Lake County ESD.

Nash wouldn’t specify when it was that they informed him of their choice, but he did confirm that he officially resigned by the end of Thursday, June 13.

When asked how he felt about the offer, he replied, “I’m just extremely humbled and gratified to accept the new position.” He pointed to the support received from the School District as a contributing factor for why he was qualified to apply for the superintendent position, saying that they placed a lot of faith and trust in him and that it’s allowed him to grow.

According to Nash, it was a difficult decision for him to make, as he has been a part of the Lake County School District #7 for almost three decades. “I’ve worked with great people. When you’re in a position for 29 years, it’s extremely tough to leave.”

With his new role in the community, he hopes to help his students in a different fashion. He also anticipates being able to help all of them.

When asked about his replacement, he would only say, “Mr. (Steve) Prock has been a wonderful vice principal. I certainly hope he gets every consideration, and I’ll give him as much support as I can.”

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department attached the 2013 Local Government Grant Program large grant applications list, which is colloquially referred to as “the priority list.” The LGGP advisory committee recommends their funding in terms of rank, and has allotted a total of $5.43 million dollars for the programs. On the list, Lakeview’s Municipal Pool Rehabilitation project is ranked ninth out of a total of 35 applicants. Lakeview requested a grant total of $275,000.  The OPRD has projected its budget to cover the requests ranked in the top 22, but any project afterwards is not expected to receive funding.

The list is tentative and still requires authorization. As of this moment, the priority list has been forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Office for review. The list will then be sent to the OPRD Commission for review and approval on July 17.

Once projects are approved by the commission, project “agreements” can be drafted and then sent to the sponsors of the project