To the Editor:

On Monday, 31 Dec. I heard some very disturbing news on the “beauty shop news.” I was picking up my wife after her hair appointment. Over the next couple of days I was able to confirm it was true. Someone had poisoned Dr. Bachtold’s well with a deadly substance in a quantity sufficient to seriously injure or kill. It is unbelievable that there is anyone within our community filled with enough hate to threaten the life of a man, his wife, or their children. This is on a par with those hateful deranged souls that commit senseless school shootings.

Since this dastardly act, the air in our valley doesn’t seem quite as clear or the pastures as serene as they once were. All of us are blessed to have the opportunity to live in this beautiful county. I often (not completely in jest) tell visitors from outside that the highways leading out of the county have a wide spot at the county line to make it easier for us to turn around if we can’t bear to leave. How many have noticed the turnaround at the Harney County boundary on US 395 on the way to Burns? I would hate to think that the turnarounds are really for those that don’t want to come here.

We are now losing a good doctor and a fine family. Those of us that know or have been treated by Dr. Bachtold will miss him. He is a fine man and a good doctor. We cannot blame him for submitting his resignation. He and his family will be leaving us in a few months. We are fortunate that he or anyone in his family was not injured or killed.

My wife and I wish him and his family God speed and success in his future endeavors. We also pray that anyone with knowledge of who might have committed this evil act contact the authorities. Such an evil, despicable, pointless act cannot go unpunished!

Claude Baker

John Day