A Glass Half-Full: An Optimist’s View Of Crook County

By Scott R. Cooper, Crook County Judge
published in the Central Oregonian, December 2003
http://www.centraloregonian.com

There's a lot to be thankful for in this county.

Most of the time, I and the other columnists who fill this space devote ourselves to serious discussions of the problematic issues that face our world, nation, state and community. Budgets and choices are the stuff of which columns and journalism are made. But somehow that just doesn’t strike the right note this holiday season.

What seems more appropriate to the season is to stop and remember all the things that make our community a great place to live. With that in mind, I offer my top reasons to appreciate our community this holiday season:

Employers
Topping my list this year are the solid employers, those people who make sure we have the resources to enjoy the season. It’s true that this hasn’t been the best year we’ve seen in terms of job availability, and some people have truly suffered during down economic times this year. But it’s a fact that the vast majority of us did keep our jobs and our benefits. In Crook County, we have nearly 500 businesses to thank for that. Les Schwab, Clear Pine, American Pine, the school district, hospital, BLM, Forest Service and local governments rest firmly at the top of the list of largest employers, but every one of our businesses makes a difference in the quality of someone’s life. In counting your blessings this season, let’s stop and be thankful for them, each and every one.

The Spirit of Volunteerism
I often wonder if any government in the nation demands more of its citizens by way of volunteer participation than Oregon. Even our legislators are more or less volunteers. In Crook County, it requires some 98 people just to fill the elected positions in our county on courts, councils, sewer, water and road districts, fire districts, etc. And that doesn’t begin to count the number of volunteers who serve in appointed positions for no pay. Add to that, the enormous numbers of people who participate in service clubs, churches and various athletic groups (for kids and adults) and before too long it begins to appear that at least half our 20,000 residents must be engaged somehow in community building. Occasionally, I read an article about the death of volunteerism. Some commentator worries that as people spend more time with their computers or hiding in their fenced backyards we are losing our sense of community. I submit that people who worry about such things have never been to Prineville.

Public spaces
We’ve all had our share of arguments about how the federal and state lands—forests, deserts and reservoirs—that surround us ought to be managed, and our public parks, golf courses, fairgrounds and cemetery have all come under fire in the letters-to-the-editor column. But if we stop a minute, we have to admit we’re far luckier than many communities in having these facilities. I saw a study a few years ago that showed that Crook County has 6 acres of park ground for every 1,000 residents. That’s compared with 2 acres per thousand in most communities. How many citizens of New England or the Midwest can drive 20 minutes to select their own Christmas tree, or spend their weekends camping amidst the magnificent ponderosas or admiring petroglyphs in the High Desert?. To really put it in perspective, think about this: about half our county—some 1,500 square miles—is available for our recreational pleasure. That’s the entire state of Rhode Island, and that doesn’t begin to count the recreational pleasures that await us across county borders.

Cultural Facilities
OK, so there’s no movie theater in Prineville. And the Ochoco Inn burned down in 1962. Woe is us.Let’s not forget that we do have a fantastic library that runs at about two-thirds the per-capita cost of libraries in Portland or Eugene or even Bend. We have a museum labeled by one guidebook as one of the best small museums in the state. Our auditorium at the high school is the envy of many schools our size, and the newly formed Prineville Performing Arts Association is showing great promise at filling it with world-class performers. Our beautiful Courthouse (handsomely decorated this holiday season by the Ochoco Garden Club), was declared the most beautiful building west of the Mississippi when it was constructed, and continues to be the most photographed public building in Central Oregon. If you think those are small things, try life in Burns, Lakeview, Ontario, or Vale or even Madras or Warm Springs or LaPine. Things in Prineville could be a lot worse!

Medical facilities
The biggest crisis in America today, say some, is the lack of quality healthcare. As medicine as become more regionalized in large, institutional settings, the ill and indigent too often find that hospital care is more than an hour from family and friends and healthcare is delivered by people they’ve never met. For some, the distance and the paperwork obstacles involved with entering the hospital can mean life or death situations. It is well known that the presence (or absence) of a hospital means the difference between a successful economic recruitment effort and a failure. We’re fortunate in Prineville not only to have a hospital, but also one which is entirely community-supported and which doesn’t require a tax subsidy. Although we often take it for granted, it is one of our greatest assets.

I’m sure in my holiday list of things we ought to be glad about, I’ve left out something vital. The downside of any newspaper column is that the columnist who writes it is human and makes human mistakes, including omissions. My apologies in advance to those who feel they should have been listed here.

The point is that this holiday season there is as much or more to be thankful for as there is to regret not having in our community. Call me an optimist, but I think we live in a great community, and as we approach a New Year, the future is bright.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all.