Over 250 people paid their respects Thursday, Sept. 8 at the White Pine County Fairgrounds, for not only fallen firefighter Justin Beebe, but all of those who serve and protect the local communities.
Dinner was pulled pork, Evah’s mac & cheese, coleslaw, salad, Anderson’s rolls and dessert from Salt and Sucre out of Eskdale.
“It was amazing to see the community support as well as the groups of wildland firefighters from our local agencies and the hotshot and smoke jumper crews that were in the area,” said Meg Rhodes, an organizer of the event.
There were members of the Helena Hot Shots, Great Basin Smoke Jumpers, Boise Smoke Jumpers, SiIver State Hot Shots, Unified Command VFD from Utah, and Baker, Caliente, Pony Springs and local BLM, Forest Service, city and county emergency personnel that came out to celebrate the sacrifice of one of their own.
Individuals and businesses from around the community donated over 25 raffle items and the Caliente BLM fire crew employees went together and purchased a Ruger American .30-06 to be raffled as well.
Kevin Robison did a great job entertaining the crowd as the winner of the rifle was determined. A Boise Smoke Jumper with the jack of hearts stuck to his forehead came out victorious over local Hal Hollingsworth’s ace of hearts.
“We would like to thank everyone who helped make this happen and it was a great honor to be able to send the Wildland Firefighters Foundation $8,735.80 from the community and surrounding area in honor of Justin Beebe,” said Rhodes. “Anyone still wanting to support this amazing organization can go to www.wffoundation.org for several donation options. The importance of what the foundation does is immeasurable.”
It’s amazing to see all of the do-gooders of White Pine County willing to help an unknown nobody that died doing a job. But when it comes to locals needing help in times of illness, and strife, like people who teach your children, have families that extend back to the foundations of the towns, who extended hands to others in times of need, who gave shirts off their backs to down trodden locals, who fed families who were hungry, who donated to the needs of others, who were a friend when you had no other to turn to, you turned your backs and ignored them! It makes me sad, and a little pissed off that all of you are so willing to extend that hand to a family who already had help to cope with the disaster, but you turned your backs on so many that could have actually used your help! This article is a perfect example of why you have so many people leave that area, and so many good people that are no longer willing to even lift a finger to help. To those that were willing to help when locals need it, you are appreciated, to the rest of you, you should be ashamed of yourselves for ignoring your own. Also as one who was born and raised there, yes I DO have the right to criticize all of you, as this DID affect my family!
Wow. O.K. – Just to summarize:
Local ‘Do-Gooders’ should be ashamed – for honoring fallen heroes and giving money to a related foundation – because that has nothing to do with you personally (or people like you). And so they are hypocrites in your estimation. Or somehow have their priorities in disarray.
And, since every member of the community did not, at some point in the past, specifically give you or your family (or people like you) money out of vague appreciation for whatever, the community is ethically lacking and deserving to be abandoned.
And, all of this (naturally deserved but) not provided support for ‘people who teach your children’ and then move away should haunt those that, for whatever reason, did not spontaneously pony up to someone back in the day (we don’t know when).
(And, you call yourself ‘Localboy’ but you don’t even live here anymore.)
Well, gee – not that this article had anything at all to do with YOU in the first place, but thanks for hijacking it to TROLL the entire community. I’m truly sorry for your unspecified/anonymous loss, and or, hardship (whatever it was you are referring to), but based on this, I’m imagining there might have been a reason why wallets weren’t exactly flying open to rain $$ down upon you.
And as the community is clearly ‘no good’ as again proven by its cursed, unsightly, subjective, un-‘Localboy’ related generosity, I trust you won’t be troubling it with your opinions anymore?
Right.
Actually it has nothing to do with any appreciation towards any of my family, my family has an immense ammount of appreciation around the community there, and has for quite some time. So your assumption on that is incorrect. What it has to do with is the fact that there are people in white pine county, that over the years, could have used help, and not a single finger was lifted to assist. As far as honoring fallen heros, there are plenty of fallen heros and their families in white pine county, again, that could use the communities help that are ignored. Instead money is sent away “for a good cause” rather than being used to better/help white pine and its residents.
Now for the teach and run as you so eloquently put it, most of the people teaching in that area have been there for quite some time, and receive no help from the locals in assisting them when the teachers pay out of pocket. $8,000 left the community that could have been awarded to the schools to assist students and teachers to further learning.
Now for me no longer residing in white pine? I have NO regrets that I am no longer there. My life is better off away from the stale economy and people there who, as this article shows, who have no concerns for fellow local citizens. So wheeler, anything else you suppose and assume about my life and family?
‘Runaway Boy’, I have little interest in you or your personal matters. What I find amusing is your obvious narcissism as you insist that everyone concern themselves with you, your successes, failures, and condemnations. I’m sure you are familiar with the classic expression regarding the suffering of fools. And I have little if any desire to suffer you or your opinion, expansive as it may be on the many estimated failures of White Pine County.
As to teachers, it troubles me slightly that you may have been in a position to effect the way people think as you espouse such self-serving opinions – but I hate to insult local reader’s intelligence by stating the obvious.
However, here’s the bad news: I’m sure this traditionally generous community will continue funding many future causes (both local and beyond) that are not specifically about you. I guess you’ll just have to pump your lucky new neighbors.
How does your cult of personality really work with only one member?
Wow Wheeler… Do you like to argue and put people down, just to make yourself feel empowered? If you didn’t care about my opinion, then why do you keep replying? Why do you insist upon trying to belittle, and be demeaning towards me? Could it be that you need to (as you so formally accused me of being) TROLL the opinion threads to bolster yourself, to make yourself look better in your own eyes? I could care less what the opinion you or the few small hypocritical minds in White Pine county have towards me. One of the reasons I left, is to leave behind the opinions of small closed minded people like yourself. But hey! I’ve said my piece about how disappointed and mad at the asinine decisions the people of WPC have made, and have really no more concern about you or your berating. Cìao!
Wow Wheeler… Do you like to argue and put people down, just to make yourself feel empowered? If you didn’t care about my opinion, then why do you keep replying? Why do you insist upon trying to belittle, and be demeaning towards me? Could it be that you need to (as you so formally accused me of being) TROLL the opinion threads to bolster yourself, to make yourself look better in your own eyes? I could care less what the opinion you or the few small hypocritical minds in White Pine county have towards me. One of the reasons I left, is to leave behind the opinions of small closed minded people like yourself. But hey! I’ve said my piece about how disappointed and mad at the asinine decisions the people of WPC have made, and have really no more concern about you or your berating. Cìao!
Wheeler, you are the very definition of a troll. You reply on everything. I love how you judge people. I love how ignorant you make yourself to be. Have you ever left ely? Because you sound like you havent.
Well, kids – I think the entire community can easily see WHO is TROLLING who, and with what personal agenda – whether it be drugs or unsolicited bombastic criticism. Petulance is usually obvious, and it doesn’t take much to draw the puss from an otherwise healthy organism.
Maybe a little advice: more or better education. You’re witlessly embarrassing yourselves.
But by all means, if you can’t help it, stomp your feet a little more – it’s revealing (and maybe even a bit amusing) to the grown ups – as well as the people with their priorities in order.
Ely and WPC remain strong despite you.
Ely, thank you for your thoughtful, generous support of wildland fire fighters in memory of a fallen comrade!
Terry Graham, NW IMT 10 member & Nevada native.
Olympia, WA