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EDITORIAL: Oregon celebratesFeb 13, 2013 (The Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Oregon celebrates its 154th birthday Thursday, Valentine's Day, and it doesn't look a day over 100. We're lucky to live here. We have Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States, and Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America. We have the Oregon pioneer on the state capitol building, representing the spirit of the state's earliest settlers. We even have a state nut. No, it's not a senator. It's the hazelnut. We have 11,239-foot Mount Hood, our tallest peak, and the Pacific Ocean. We have the world's most photographed lighthouse at Heceta Head, and a beach bill that preserved the beach for public use. We pioneered the bottle bill, which helped clean up our highways, and along with New Jersey are the only states without self-serve gasoline. Oregon may not be perfect -- economy, health care and education are continuing issues -- but it is a good place to call home. ___ (c)2013 The Observer (La Grande, Ore.) Visit The Observer (La Grande, Ore.) at www.lagrandeobserver.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |