WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025
The Erosion of Democracy?
The Rise of Appointed County Commissioner Blech and the Will of the People
By: John Oliver
For most of American history, county commissioners have been elected by the people they serve — entrusted to oversee local government operations, budgets, and public policy. These officials make critical decisions that affect every corner of daily life, from law enforcement funding to infrastructure development. But in Josephine County, Oregon, this long-standing democratic principle is under threat as appointed commissioners consolidate power without direct voter consent.
County commissioners have traditionally been elected to ensure they remain accountable to the public. This electoral process has long been a bedrock of local democracy, where the people retain the ultimate authority to choose — and remove — those in charge. While appointed officials can fill temporary vacancies when necessary, they were never intended to wield unchecked and prolonged control over local government.
Yet that is precisely what is happening in Josephine County, where Commissioner Andreas Blech — a twice-appointed official who has never been elected — now chairs the Board of Com-
missioners. In this role, Blech has been granted sweeping, unilateral authority over all county departments for a 90-day period — without public oversight, without a vote, and without accountability to the residents of the county. And who gave him this power? His fellow commissioners, Chris Barnett and Ron Smith.
Among Blech’s first moves, carried out with no oversight, was the rehiring of former Commissioner Simon Hare, now serving as Budget Officer and placed in charge of the county’s finances. This hiring took place outside the standard public hiring process outlined in county and state guidelines. There was no public notice, no open application, and no transparent selection process — violating not only ethical standards but also legal requirements. This alone raises significant questions about the integrity of county governance.
Josephine County policy and Oregon law require that positions of such significance be publicly posted to ensure transparency and equal opportunity. Discussions and decisions around such appointments are required to comply with Oregon's public meetings law, which mandates that deliberations and votes be conducted
openly. Additionally, county Human Resources protocols require standardized hiring practices that ensure fairness and prevent discrimination. None of these processes were followed in Hare’s appointment.
Hare also remains under contract for an IT Broadband Grant project, though there is little to no visible progress on that effort. Public records requests to reveal Hare’s current invoices and scope of work have gone unanswered, fueling suspicions of cronyism and possible misuse of public resources.
Compounding the county’s troubles, Blech recently announced a delay to the 2025-26 fiscal year budget process by two weeks, without providing any explanation. This sudden shift leaves county departments scrambling to adjust to new deadlines, creating uncertainty around essential services that rely on timely budgeting. As county employees and residents alike question the leadership's capacity to manage public funds, concerns over the county’s stability grow.
In an effort to "stabilize" county operations, Blech has appointed Ruth Nelson as Finance Manager — a role in which she now inherits a volatile financial situation within an already unstable leadership structure. Further compounding the dysfunction, Michael Sellers, who already oversees Information Technology (IT), Emergency
Management (EM), and Board of County Commissioners (BCC) office administration — in addition to working half-time for Senator Robinson now been appointed as Interim Director of both Finance and Human Resources (HR). This creates an alarming concentration of power within a single individual. If Sellers is in control of Finance, HR, and IT, there are effectively no checks and balances to prevent fraud or abuse — a structure that may not be illegal but directly conflicts with accounting best practices.
Equally concerning is the fact that Sellers' appointment only violates county hiring policies if he is classified as an employee. If he is being treated as an independent contractor, it would not necessarily violate policy — however, personal services contracts must be reviewed by both Legal and HR to ensure compliance. IRS regulations use a six-point test to determine if an individual qualifies as an independent contractor versus an employee. It is highly questionable whether such an analysis was ever conducted in Sellers' case.
Finally, beyond structural and procedural concerns, this consolidation of roles creates serious operational risks. Should a major emergency arise — one demanding full-time leadership from Emergency Management and IT —
Major Stormwater and Sewer Replacement Project Set to Begin on 5th Street
CITY OF GRANTS PASS
Residents and businesses along 5th Street should prepare for significant construction activity starting the week of March 11, 2025, as Timber Mountain Construction begins a largescale stormwater and sewer line replacement project. The work will span 5th Street from "G" Street to the Rogue River, bringing needed infrastructure improvements but also temporary disruptions to traffic, parking, and street access.
The project, aimed at upgrading aging underground utilities, is expected to improve stormwater drainage and sewer system reliabil-
ity for the downtown area and nearby neighborhoods. However, city officials and contractors are urging the public to be mindful of changing construction zones and road closures as work progresses.
Residents and visitors traveling through this corridor should be prepared for periodic street closures, lane shifts, and detours throughout the construction period. People are asked be patient and follow posted signs to ensure both public and worker safety.
In particular, on-street parking along 5th Street will be heavily restricted during active construction hours, and residents are being
asked to remove vehicles from the right-ofway to avoid potential towing or obstruction of work. The presence of construction equipment, materials, and personnel will make parking in these zones impractical and hazardous.
To help mitigate confusion and keep residents informed, an on-site Traffic Control Supervisor will be assigned to the project. This supervisor will work directly with residents, business owners, and visitors to provide updates on which sections of the street are under construction on a given day and offer guidance for alternate routes or temporary access when possible.
Anyone with questions or concerns about the construction schedule, road closures, or access to properties along 5th Street is encouraged to contact Timber Mountain Construction directly at (541) 956-8700.
Legal Troubles Intensify for Former Josephine County Commissioner John West
By: Jay Meredith, CPA / Investigative Journalist
On Thursday March 6th Judge Bain of the Josephine County Circuit Court released his decision and opinion letter related to the arguments between former Josephine County Commissioner John West (plaintiff) and Lily Morgan (defendant), the chief petitioner of the December 17th voter approved recall John West petition. The vast majority of the judge’s opinion letter and decision was bad for John West.
In my biased opinion (I worked in favor of the recall campaign), Judge Bain did a good job of doing a fact-based review of each recall petition point based on the arguments submitted to the court. The judge reviewed each point, decided whether that point was a fact-based statement or free speech protected opinion statement, and then ruled on whether any fact-based statement was in fact true based on information presented by both the plaintiff and defendant.
Recalled Commissioner John West’s case basically alleged that every single point in the recall petition was a false statement, and West’s attorney in the original February 7th hearing tried to make a dramatic case about the nature of the false statements (see here for the original report of the February 7th hearing). Judge Bain disagreed, ruling that every statement in the petition except one was either a true statement or was protected statement of opinion.
Defendant Lily Morgan’s attorneys made a motion to dismiss the case based on Oregon’s Anti-SLAPP statutes which protect free speech and help protect free speech from frivolous and costly lawsuits such as this one. If a defendant prevails with an anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss, the case of the plaintiff is dismissed, and the plaintiff must usually pay the defendant’s legal fees.
As first reported by Chrissy Ewald of The Daily Courier on March 7th, chief petitioner Lily Morgan called the judge’s ruling a “win for freedom of speech and a win for our Oregon constitutional right to recall an elected official.” Both parties have the potential to appeal the judge’s decision and based on the judge’s discussion of the one single point where he ruled in West’s favor, I would predict that Lily Morgan will
appeal that one point.
The only recall petition points of the six main recall petition points that the judge ruled in West’s favor was “Ignored the will of the voters by eliminating funding for community programs, including OSU extension, Law Enforcement, and Public Health.” The judge agreed with respect to the OSU extension part of this point, but didn’t find enough evidence in the declarations and information submitted to the court to rule that the Law Enforcement and Public Health portion of this statement was factually correct. From my personal perspective of the judge’s opinion letter, this is primarily because some declarations filed by West’s attorney were misleading on these points and not enough evidence was submitted yet to document this fact-based point without doubt. This will likely be clarified in what I see as a likely appeal on this point, and I’ll leave the details to the court process to follow.
Overall, I agree that this is definitely a win for free speech. The court of public opinion has weighed in loudly with the nearly 2-1 voter approval of the recall. And now the court of law has found that almost all points in the recall petition were either true or a matter of opinion protected by free speech laws. By the time this court case and any appeals are completed, I would say the odds are very good that Chief Petitioner Lily Morgan will win on each and every recall petition point.
This is a bad look, or as they say in political circles “bad optics” for former Commissioner John West, given that his anti-recall campaign strategy was to try and convince voters that every recall petition point was a false statement. Now a court of law has also proven West wrong.
West has also sued two other parties in relation to this recent recall petition, the County Clerk, for the method of verifying petition signatures and the owner of the Grants
Pass Tribune for statements he published in relation to the recall (and a couple other things). The owner of the Grants Pass Tribune filed an additional suit against West, West’s attorney, Commissioner Chris Barnett, and a few others for a series of false statements and damaging actions against the owner of the GP Tribune. This legal ruling will likely compound West’s legal troubles regarding the cases with the GP Tribune owner.
West’s actions, legal and otherwise, are still increasing costs for Josephine County and West continues to ignore the will of voters. West has appealed his court loss in the case against the Josephine County Clerk for the recall signature verification process which unnecessarily increases the county’s legal expenses yet again. The County Clerk’s case appeared to be an easy decision by the judge and most thought it wouldn’t be appealed.
But West appears to be on the path of dragging out these legal cases as long as possible so he can once again ignore the will of voters and run for County Commissioner again next year. And so West has already appealed the decision related to the County Clerk’s signature verification process.
West has also attended and spoken at just about every County Commissioner Weekly Business Session since he was recalled from office, and in the weeks following the certification of the recall vote, sources say he spent practically more time in the County Courthouse than when he was actually a commissioner and was mostly having meetings with the new commissioners. If there was a clearer case of a local elected official ignoring the will of voters, I haven’t seen it in my 17 years of watching local government activities closely here in Josephine County.
Appointed County Commissioner Blech
From page 1
how could one person effectively manage both critical functions simultaneously, along with overseeing Finance and HR? Additionally, if any county employee has a grievance involving Sellers, who would they report it to when he oversees Human Resources as well?
This excessive overlap of authority, lack of oversight, and absence of proper internal controls raise serious ethical and functional concerns about Blech’s ability to operate responsibly and effectively.
The broader issue facing Josephine County is not simply who holds these roles, but how they assumed power in the first place. When elected officials fail, voters can hold them accountable at the ballot box. But when appointed commissioners gain unprecedented authority without ever facing the electorate, the public's voice is effectively silenced.
The elevation of Andreas Blech to commission chair, with total control over county departments and policies for 90 days, represents a profound breakdown in local democratic governance. Residents now face a scenario where a single unelected individual can shape the county’s future without answering to the people.
This situation is not unique to Josephine County. Across the United States, some local governments are quietly moving toward appointed commissions, enabled by "home rule" charters and other legal mechanisms. While technically lawful, such systems often violate the spirit of democracy, undermining the principle that public officials should derive their power from the consent of the governed.
At a time when trust in government is already fragile, the opaque way in which Josephine County’s leadership is operating continues to further erode public confidence. Behind closed doors, significant appointments are being made that will shape the county’s finances and operations for years to come — yet the public has been kept largely in the dark.
Citizens are left wondering why these appointments were made without any public input or transparent discussion, why the budget process is suddenly delayed, and what measures are in place to prevent abuse of this newfound concentration of power. Without clear answers, the county appears to be operating on shaky ground, leaving taxpayers and residents uncertain about the future of their government and its ability to deliver es-
sential services.
Ultimately, the events unfolding in Josephine County highlight an urgent need for transparency, public involvement, and electoral accountability in local governance. If county commissioners are to hold such immense authority, they must be accountable to the voters — not merely to their political allies. Public engagement, transparent processes, and an insistence on elections over appointments are necessary to restore integrity to local government.
The people of Josephine County, and citizens across the nation, must see this as a call to action. County government is where democracy should be at its strongest — closest to the people. But when appointed officials hold absolute power, the will of the people is reduced to an afterthought. If this is not what democracy looks like, then residents must ask themselves what steps they are willing to take to reclaim their voice and restore the democratic process before it’s too late.
In the end, the real question remains: Did you vote for this? And if not, how long will you tolerate a system that denies you a say in who governs your community?
POLITICS
FBI Releases Hundreds of Pages of Subpoenaed Documents to House Judiciary Committee
GPT News Desk
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has delivered hundreds of pages of documents to the House Judiciary Committee following ongoing demands from Republican lawmakers for access to records related to previous congressional investigations.
The release of the material comes after months of tension between the committee and the Biden administration, with committee members claiming that the requested documents had not been provided in response to earlier subpoenas. Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have argued that these documents are critical to their oversight efforts concerning issues ranging from alleged government overreach to past FBI investigations under Democratic leadership.
The newly released documents reportedly pertain to a range of subjects that have been the focus of Republican-led inquiries over the last several years, including matters involving the FBI's handling of politically sensitive investigations and communications between federal law enforcement and other government agencies. The committee has previously expressed concerns about what they describe as a lack of transparency from the Justice Department and the FBI, particularly on issues involving potential mis-
conduct or bias within the agency.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) has been among the most vocal critics of the FBI’s and the Justice Department’s compliance with congressional subpoenas, repeatedly asserting that critical information has been withheld from the committee's review. The production of these documents may represent an effort by the FBI to address those concerns, although it is unclear whether the committee considers this latest release to be fully responsive to its demands.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate that the document production includes both internal FBI communications and memoranda that relate to past and ongoing investigations that have been subjects of partisan debate in Congress. It is not yet publicly known whether any of the materials have been redacted, or if they are subject to additional confidentiality provisions.
The move by the FBI to comply with the subpoenas comes as Republicans continue to scrutinize federal law enforcement agencies over what they allege is a pattern of political bias and lack of accountability. Some lawmakers have argued that the FBI has not acted independently in politically charged investigations and have sought detailed records to evaluate those claims.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration and Democratic members of Congress have pushed back on many of these efforts, accusing Republicans of attempting to undermine trust in federal institutions for political purposes. They argue that many of the investigations Republicans are pursuing are rooted in conspiracy theories or exaggerated claims.
With the delivery of these documents, the House Judiciary Committee is expected to continue its review and may hold additional hearings or issue further subpoenas depending on what the materials reveal. The FBI has not issued a formal public statement on the nature of the documents but has previously defended its cooperation with congressional oversight, stating that it must balance transparency with the need to protect sensitive law enforcement methods and ongoing investigations.
As the committee reviews the newly produced documents, it remains to be seen whether this release will ease tensions between the FBI and congressional Republicans, or if it will prompt additional demands for information.
Further updates on the contents and potential impact of these documents are expected as the House Judiciary Committee continues its examination.
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THE BCC WEEKLY
The BCC Weekly - Taking the “Blind” out of the BCC
Josephine County Commissioners Don’t Realize the County Has a Relatively Good Financial Position
By: Jay Meredith, CPA Investigative Journalist
This is the first weekly edition of The BCC Weekly, a weekly column that discusses the government activities of Josephine County in an open and transparent manner that shares the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because the County and those on the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) responsible for news distribution have only been willing to share the good of late and try to ignore the bad and the ugly.
One would think the BCC and other Josephine County officials such as the Finance Director would be interested in reporting that Josephine County’s budget is generally more fiscally healthy than it’s been in almost 15 years because we’re headed into the annual budget season. But that doesn’t fit the narrative of the current BCC and republicans overseeing government agencies throughout the local and federal government that desire to tear down certain parts of government or penalize any program that may not fall in line with their political agenda.
Yes, you read that right…Josephine County is currently in a relatively good financial position. Who knew? Not the BCC, apparently. And Josephine County has been complaining about being broke since the timber hay days of the 1970s and 1980s when environmental regulations started curtailing timber harvesting activities. A lot of people out there believe the County still is broke, because this mantra continues to be repeated so often even in recent years.
By pretending the County is broke or predicting that “bad times are coming,” the Josephine County Commissioners have used these opinions and various forms of misleading statements to justify cuts to government programs that they desire to tear down. Or in some cases Commissioners are grasping at straws to fulfill campaign promises since they don’t truly understand the current financial position of the County.
If your goal is to attack the Library District by making a huge increase in rent for the Grants Pass library building owned by the County, as former Commissioner John West tried to do right before he was recalled from office, it would be an inconvenient truth to disclose the real financial position of the County. The increase in rent has to be because the County is “broke,” and the County cannot afford to continue to cover the maintenance costs for the exterior of the building.
Former County Commissioner Herman Baertschiger made countless pontifications in recent years about the frail state of the County’s budget in Commissioner meetings, weekly radio show comments, and when justifying random cuts made to certain budgets in last year’s annual budget process. And as he spent a lot of time working on State budgets as a former State Senator, his peers believed in and trusted him. But most of his statements regarding the frail state of the County’s budget were misleading at best, downright false in some cases. Local budgets don’t work exactly like state government budgets, and in the case of Grants Pass and Josephine County budgets our local budget
revenue sources for main operations are more reliable and predictable that revenue sources for State budgets, at least in recent years.
Former Commissioners Baertschiger, West, and others like to warn that something close to 80% of the County’s budget comes from grant sources, which is grossly misleading. While a big chunk of the County’s budget does come from State or Federal sources (more so State than Federal other than timber-related federal funds), most of these State and Federal funding sources are relatively reliable revenue sources. The State is not likely to make any major changes to allocations of gas tax/DMV fee revenue sharing which supports road maintenance, is
County will be facing reduced budgets countywide in the very near future; and it is necessary, in order, to prioritize public safety funding, offer an opportunity for a voluntary resignation program for a reduction in force, now, therefore….”
There have been no recent facts or budget projections released that would lead any prudent person to expect reduced “countywide” budgets at any point in the next year or two. In fact, to the contrary the BCC recently met with representatives of the O&C Association and received the good news that federal timber harvesting revenue sharing this year will be about the same as it was last year and about $1 million higher to Josephine County this year than what
not likely to make major reductions to what the State provides for County departments such as Community Corrections and many components of Public Health, and the 1930s era O&C timber revenue sharing agreement is still in effect.
But that’s another inconvenient truth if the BCC desires to follow in the footsteps of President Trump and use the excuse of federal budget cuts to justify cutting certain County budgets. Despite comments by certain former and present BCC members, County operational revenues that support the main operations of the County have been increasing in recent years and not decreasing as they say.
The misunderstanding of the County’s current financial position is no more apparent than in the language of Order 2025-013 which the BCC approved a few weeks ago creating the County Employee Voluntary Resignation Program. Up to 32 County employees could have received a large buyout to voluntarily resign under this new program, and the BCC’s approved Order 2025-013 had the following language:
“WHEREAS, these federal programs were never meant to be a permanent solution, and the county has struggled to secure other tax revenue.” This is a completely false statement. Between the Adult Jail/Juvenile Justice levy approved by voters starting in 2017 and the new permanent Law Enforcement Services District approved by voters in November 2023, the County has replaced most of the previous federal timber funding that it lost years ago.
“WHEREAS the Board believes Josepine
they thought last year was likely the worst-case scenario for 2025.
Today, the biggest funding source for County Law Enforcement and the County General Fund is property taxes, which is the most reliable and predictable revenue source that local governments have in Oregon. Because of the common differences between the assessed value and real market value for many properties across the County and state along with the unique constitutional limitations on annual increases to the assessed values of properties in Oregon, annual property tax revenues usually increase a little bit each year even in times of recession. Even in the historic housing market downturn and great recession of 2007 to 2009, the City of Grants Pass (more reliant on property tax revenues than the County) didn’t see any decrease in total year over year changes to total assessed values during those otherwise difficult financial years.
Here are some more inconvenient truths (or should I say, “good news?”) for the BCC as it relates to the County’s current financial position. This may not sit well with the current BCC if they are looking for reasons to increase the rent for the GP Library branch building.
1. The County budgeted to start FY25 with a General Fund balance of $14.3 million and actually started the year with $15.5 million, a positive budget differential of $1.2 million in extra funds available in the General Fund this year.
2. Now that the County has achieved a very
healthy fund balance in the General Fund, the annual budget can withstand some volatility in SRS/timber funding. With the new Law Enforcement Services District, the County actually has much more annual operating revenues for general fund and Law Enforcement operations, even if SRS goes away permanently because the O&C agreement is still in force.
3. The Adult Jail & Juvenile Detention & Residential Fund budgeted to start the year with a fund balance of $3.1 million in FY25 but actually started this year with a fund balance of $3.9 million, a positive differential of about $800,000.
4. The Property Reserve Fund started this fiscal year with a fund balance almost $1.4 million higher than budget this fiscal year (although with capital funds sometimes this is just because capital projects didn't move as quickly as they could have).
5. Generally speaking, the County's Property Reserve Fund and ability to tackle major capital needs in recent years is in good shape, thanks in part to allocations of the $17 million ARPA funds the County received towards various building and capital projects that in many cases would have been paid out of the property reserve fund.
Therefore, if the County in negotiations with the Community Library for example, continues to say they can’t afford the estimated $100,000 in roof and HVAC repairs needed, as they said right before Commissioner West was recalled from office, this is in no way a truthful statement based on the real financial position of the County.
Furthermore, the Voluntary Resignation Program recently approved by the BCC looks like it will be mostly cost and no benefits. Instead of waiting to see what happens with federal and state funding levels that support certain smaller programs of the County and then making targeted reductions in force accordingly, the BCC took a misguided shotgun approach that allowed employees from any department to take the early resignation program buyout. And now, certain departments such as HR have lost most of their staffing due to this voluntary program. And losses of certain other key employees through this voluntary resignation program will be either hard to replace or costly to replace and train.
When approving this resignation program, it’s unlikely that the BCC expected to lose nearly their entire HR department as a result. The County needed more staffing in HR before this new program, not less, according to recent comments by the former HR/Finance Director a little over a month ago when she sought approval to add one more position to HR. Now both she and two others in the small HR department have all resigned.
It’s imperative that the new BCC members learn more about the County’s budget and the County’s current financial position before they make other large personnel changes. It looks to me that when the dust settles on this voluntary resignation program, the County will have had an estimated $700,000 more in expenses than was necessary this year just because of this illtimed early resignation program.
COMMUNITY
Josephine County Animal Shelter Offering Free Dog Adoptions Through March 17 to Combat Overcrowding
The Josephine County Animal Shelter is opening its doors and waiving all adoption fees for dogs from March 3 through March 17, in an effort to find loving homes for its many canine residents. This special initiative, made possible by the support of Shelter Friends, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the shelter’s animals, comes at a crucial time as the shelter faces severe overcrowding.
Over the past several years, the Josephine County Animal Shelter has seen a sharp rise in animal intakes, particularly dogs. Many of these animals arrive as strays, while others are surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them. The increasing number of animals has put an immense strain on the shelter’s limited space and resources, making it difficult to properly house and care for all of the dogs in need. Shelter staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly to ensure that every animal receives proper attention, but they are now turning to the community for help.
The free dog adoption event, which runs through March 17, is intended to encourage community members who are considering adding a furry friend to their families to take action now. By waiving adoption fees, the shelter hopes to remove any financial barriers that might prevent someone from adopting and give as many dogs as possible a chance to find a permanent, loving home.
Letter from the Editor
The dogs available for adoption come in all sizes, ages, and breeds, each with their own unique personalities and backgrounds. Whether potential adopters are looking for a playful puppy, a loyal adult dog, or a calm senior companion, there are many dogs waiting for their chance at a better life. Every dog adopted from the shelter is spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped, ensuring they are healthy and ready to start their new lives
with their adoptive families.
Shelter Friends, the nonprofit sponsoring the event, has been a long-time partner of the Josephine County Animal Shelter, providing critical support for medical care, supplies, and adoption promotions. Their generous backing of the free adoption drive underscores their commitment to improving the welfare of animals in the community.
The shelter is located at 1420 Brookside Boulevard in Grants Pass and is open for
adoptions Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 4:30 p.m. Anyone interested in adopting a dog is encouraged to visit during open hours to meet the dogs and speak with staff about which animal might be the best fit for their home.
For more information about available dogs or the free adoption event, community members can visit the Josephine County Animal Shelter’s official website or call 541474-5458.
Why I Don’t Drive on St. Patty’s Day (Or Any Other Day You People Lose Your Minds)
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I feel the need to share something I’ve stuck to for years — I don’t drive on St. Patrick’s Day. Not because I’ll be out celebrating, but because I know many of you will be — and let’s face it, not everyone makes good choices when it comes to mixing alcohol and driving.
Every year, St. Patrick’s Day brings people together for good fun — drinks with friends, music, parades, and laughter. And while there’s nothing wrong with having a good time, getting behind the wheel after a few too many is never part of a celebration. Unfortunately, this day consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous times to be on the road, with a noticeable spike in DUI-related accidents and fatalities across the country.
So, while others may see March 17 as a chance to go out, I’ve made it a personal tradition to stay home and stay safe. Not because I’m worried about my own driving — but because I don’t trust the roads when so many others may be
impaired.
Think about it. After a long night of green beers, whiskey shots, and toasts to the Irish, people pile into their cars thinking they’re fine to drive — when they’re anything but. Add to that, distracted drivers, people walking between bars, and unpredictable traffic, and you have all the ingredients for a very dangerous night on the streets.
And it's not just about the late-night hours. When I was in my 20’s we started at the bar at 5am! St. Patrick’s Day celebrations often start in the early morning and roll late into the night, so the risk is there all day long. Whether it’s someone “day drinking” or leaving a party well after dark, you never know who’s on the road or how impaired they might be.
For me, it’s simply not worth the risk. Not being out means not being a target — not for accidents, not for reckless drivers, and not for those poor decisions people tend to make when they think they’re invincible after a few drinks.
I'm not saying people shouldn't celebrate — have your fun, enjoy your friends, and raise a glass if that’s your thing. But plan ahead. If you’re going out, line up a sober ride, use a rideshare app, or designate a driver. And if you’ve had anything to drink — even if you “feel fine” — think twice before turning that ignition key.
So as for me? I’ll be home, off the roads, leaving plenty of room for the revelers. Maybe next time you think about heading out on St. Patrick’s night, you’ll consider doing the same — or at least, make sure you’re not part of the problem. Stay safe, have a happy (and responsible) St. Patrick’s Day.
TAKE A BREAK
March 10, 2025
Posting Date
March 10, 2025
March 10, 2025
COMMUNITY
City Councilors to Host March Community Connection Event at Downtown Café
Residents invited to engage directly with local leaders on March 14
PASS
GPT News Desk
Residents of Grants Pass will have an opportunity to meet and engage with two members of the City Council during the upcoming Council Community Connection event scheduled for Friday, March 14, 2025, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. The event will be held at Taste & See, located at 239 SE G Street in downtown Grants Pass.
This monthly outreach effort is designed to give community members a casual and accessible setting to connect with their elected officials outside the formal environment of city council chambers. The March gathering will feature Councilors Joel King and Rick Riker, who will be on hand to speak directly with residents about local issues, upcoming initiatives, and community concerns.
Council Community Connection events serve as a platform for residents to raise questions, share feedback, or learn more about current projects and policy discussions affecting Grants Pass. By holding these meetings in public venues like neighborhood cafes, the city aims to encourage open dialogue between council members and constituents, allowing for conversations that may not always fit into structured council meetings.
The upcoming session will provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss a range of topics, such as public safety, city infrastruc-
ture, economic development, parks and recreation, homelessness, and other challenges and opportunities facing Grants Pass. Councilors often use these gatherings to gauge public sentiment, gather input on proposed policies, and clarify city processes or upcoming council decisions.
Residents attending the event are encouraged to bring their questions, concerns, or suggestions. However, attendance is not limited to those with specific issues to raise; community members are also welcome to stop by simply to listen to the discussions and learn more about how the city is working to address various matters impacting residents.
The setting at Taste & See provides a relaxed and informal atmosphere, making it easier for participants to engage in meaningful conversations. Events like Council Com-
munity Connection reflect the city's ongoing efforts to maintain transparency, accountability, and community involvement in local government.
While no formal agenda is set for these gatherings, the flexible format allows councilors and attendees to focus on topics of immediate concern or interest. This could include recent council decisions, ongoing public projects, and services that directly affect the daily lives of Grants Pass citizens.
The Council Community Connection program is part of the city’s broader outreach strategy, aimed at fostering better communication and collaboration between local government and the public. As Grants Pass continues to face issues common to many growing communities — including infrastructure needs, economic pressures, and social service demands — opportunities for direct dialogue between officials and residents remain crucial.
Those interested in attending are advised that the event will run for one hour, and no registration is required. Attendees can come and go as their schedules allow.
For more information about future Council Community Connection events or to learn more about city council activities, residents may visit the City of Grants Pass official website or contact city administration.
