Rain on the Fourth of July brought a muddy start to the annual rodeo in Haines, Oregon, held July 3-4.

But what’s a little mud to a cowboy?

The Haines Stampede traces its roots back to the mid-1890s. That’s when a rodeo was first held in the Rock Creek area, about five miles northwest of Haines, in Baker County.

The Haines Stampede was a regular part of the eastern Oregon town’s Fourth of July celebrations until the mid-1980s, when the rodeo grounds fell into disrepair and the rodeo was disbanded.

“In 1990, a bunch of us in the community got together and thought, we ought to start the rodeo again,” said Bill Taylor, the historian for the rodeo association and one of its founding members. The idea came up during an evening at the local watering hole. “We were all up at the Circle H one night, and some guys decided, ‘Hey, let’s do the rodeo.’”

They called on community volunteers, who chipped in time and money to build the current rodeo facility. They finished the new arena just in time for the rodeo to return to Haines on July 4, 1991.

“We were literally, on the morning of the Fourth, still putting nails in,” said Ken Bain, one of the directors with the rodeo association.

The Haines Stampede has been going ever since, run entirely by volunteers. The two-day event brings an average of 4,000 people to town each year, Bain estimated — not bad for a former mining town of less than 400 people.

 “It’s just kind of a hometown event,” Taylor said. “As you can see, even with the rain we had today, we have a pretty decent crowd. It is, in our opinion, the best little rodeo in the state of Oregon.”

The Pendleton Round-Up is known as the place to “Let ‘er Buck.” But here in Haines, the motto they’ve been using since the 1920s is “Cut ‘er Loose.”

Rodeo events continue this holiday weekend at the Haines Stampede Arena, where the Haines Junior Rodeo will be held July 5-6. Events include pony bronc riding, dummy roping and “mutton busting,” in which kids ages 5 and younger attempt to ride a sheep. The Junior Rodeo is free to attend. Find a full schedule of events at hainesstampede.com.

Next up at the Haines Rodeo Arena? The annual demolition derby will be held there at 6 p.m. Aug. 2.

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The 2025 Oregon Legislature exemplified the Founders’ warning. Democracy – even the representative democracy the Founders established – is a messy affair.

“I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory,” John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776.

The next day, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, whose 249th anniversary we celebrate this Fourth of July.

The chaos of democracy was on full display during the concluding day of this year’s meandering legislative session. 

Among the political weirdness on Friday, June 27, what stood out was how the public was treated.

Or mistreated.

The supermajority Democrats had put forth a last-gasp bill aimed at keeping the Oregon Department of Transportation afloat by increasing fuel taxes and vehicle fees.

The House Rules Committee scheduled a 3:45 p.m. public hearing on House Bill 3402. A second hearing room was opened to handle the expected overflow crowd. Forty-five people signed up to testify, either in person or online. Most opposed the bill, as did the more than the 250 pieces of written testimony.

The committee staff arrived on time. Individuals waiting to testify were on time. So, too, were various government officials, lobbyists and assorted onlookers.

They waited.

They waited more.

They kept waiting.

House Democrats were caucusing next door, discussing their next steps and refreshing themselves with dinner that had been brought in. Gov. Tina Kotek was among those milling around in the hallway. Yet there was nary an announcement from Democratic leadership as to what was happening and when the public hearing might start.

The delay stretched past two hours. Multiply two hours by the number of people waiting, and it adds up to a huge waste of their time and – for those on the clock – their salary.

Many individuals gave up, having made dinner plans. A legislative employee brought snacks to the committee staff.

Around 6 p.m., committee members began trickling in. House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, of Tigard, opened the meeting at 6:07 p.m. – two hours and 22 minutes late.

“Thank you for your patience and for everyone being here this evening,” Bowman said.

I would have expected a full-fledged apology for the tardiness. Of course, I also would have expected legislative leaders to keep the committee staff and public updated.

Kotek testified first, speaking for about six minutes in favor of the bill. Then came Republican Reps. Bobby Levy, of Echo, and Shelly Boshart Davis, of Albany, in opposition.

When public testimony began, each individual was allotted two minutes.

Another lengthy pause ensued before the committee approved the bill on a 4-3 party-line vote.

Yet HB 3402 died because: 

1. Republicans declined to waive the normal timelines for considering a bill on the House floor.
2. The Democratic leadership adjourned the Legislature instead of continuing to meet for two more days, as the Oregon Constitution allowed.

Adjournment came at 11:16 p.m. Each side declared victory.

The Republican leaders – Rep. Christine Drazan, of Canby, and Sen. Daniel Bonham, of The Dalles – emphasized how Republicans had stood together.

House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, and Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, whose press conference began at 12:04 a.m. Saturday, said the failure of a transportation package should not overshadow good work done by the Legislature in other areas.

Gov. Kotek was less complimentary when addressing reporters later Saturday morning: “I want to point out that it is Saturday here in Salem, and my team is working, but the Legislature has gone home.”

Meanwhile, the financial dominoes began dropping.

Julie Brown, general manager of the Rogue Valley Transit District, alerted state and local officials that the agency was poised to lose all federal funding and 82 employees would be laid off on Aug. 30. Brown also chairs the Oregon Transportation Commission.

While Wagner and Fahey were holding their post-midnight press conference, ODOT Director Kris Strickler emailed department employees to expect hundreds of layoffs. 

Those layoff notices are expected to go out next week. ODOT already has canceled maintenance planned for several highways, including Oregon 34 between Alsea and Philomath, U.S. 26 in Grant County, and OR 203-A and OR 237-A in Union County.

Many construction projects, which are funded differently, will continue. So, too, will the recriminations among lawmakers.

Assuming everything goes as planned, Oregon coach Dan Lanning appears to have hit a home run in the transfer portal at the exact right time he needed for his defense.

In the USA TODAY Top 50 players for this upcoming college football season, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman comes in at No. 26 although he hasn’t played an official down for the Ducks yet.

But he does have an impressive resume.

In his first season at Purdue, Thieneman had six interceptions and totaled 210 tackles in his first two seasons in West Lafayette. He should be a perfect fit for the back end of Lanning’s defensive unit and according to writer Matt Zemek, the timing of Thieneman’s arrival couldn’t have been better.

“Oregon’s outlook for the 2025 season begins with a basic point about the Ducks’ offense. Though Dillon Thieneman is not a member of the Ducks’ offensive unit, he — and everyone else inside the program — knows that the biggest question mark surrounding the team is the quarterback, Dante Moore,” he said.

“If Moore is the real meal deal, everything should come together for this team. However, what if Moore is not a rock star? Then the Ducks would have to make sure their defense can rock and roll and do the heavy lifting for the 2025 roster. Thieneman will have to be good for Oregon to do well in 2025. The thing is, he might have to be great — maybe even spectacular — if Moore does not deliver a first-rate performance under center.”

Oregon will enter the season with the assumption that Moore will be the full meal deal the Ducks are looking for. Let’s face it. Lanning wouldn’t have worked as hard as he did to get Moore back into the fold after a subpar freshman season at UCLA. The talent is obviously there, as he was the top quarterback in the Class of 2023. But the environment was all wrong for the Detroit native.

It is nice to have a dominating defense to fall back on just in case the offense doesn’t gel as quickly as expected. With Thieneman patrolling the secondary, he provides an awfully soft cushion and lightens the load, knowing he’s back there for support. By the time the season goes into the month of November, both units should be rolling, making the Ducks a huge threat in the playoffs.

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