“It’s amazing how an outhouse can excite people,” said State Rep. Mark Johnson, kicking off a town hall meeting at the Resort regarding the impending closure of the rest stop in Government Camp.

The excitement was palpable and before the Oct. 8 meeting was over, in a
surprising announcement, legislators and state and county officials declared
“We have a deal.”

The embattled rest stop will remain open through March 2012 with Oregon
Travel Experience covering operations with a financial boost from the county.
More than 50 local residents crowded the room to have their questions
answered and to halt the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Oct. 31
closure of the rest stop – a plan that had flown under the radar since 2009.
Prior to cobbling a plan to halt the closure, local residents made their opinions
clear.

“This is a safety issue,” said Paul Munsell, of Brightwood. “It’s the only
bathroom break between Portland and Madras.”

“It’s frustrating to us up here,” said Sandra Palmer, of Welches. “It takes a
front-page story in The Oregonian to get your attention. We are tired of
having our needs ignored by state and county officials. It goes beyond this
issue.”

“We build infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan and we can’t have a rest stop
in Government Camp,” said Cliff Goldman, of Portland. “We’re building a third-
world country.”

“This is not the right rest stop to close,” said Rick Applegate, of
Rhododendron. “You can’t throw this on tourism. This is an ODOT problem.”
The temporary solution – the deal – was announced by State Sen. Chuck
Thomsen (R-Hood River), and he read from a hastily prepared, hand-written
document:

“Oregon Travel Experience will apply for a permit next week and assume the
permit from the Forest Service starting Dec. 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012;

“OTE, Clackamas County and stakeholders will identify and apply short-term
funds for operation and maintenance of the rest stop from Dec. 1 to March
2012;

“ODOT will apply $50,000, less the October to November maintenance of the
rest stop, for operations;

“And, OTE and Clackamas County and stakeholders will work with legislators
in February to secure permanent funding for the rest area.”

Tom Lang, of Brightwood, was wary of the so-called deal.

“ODOT considered the rest stop an unessential item,” Lang said. “So I wonder
how effective this will be.”

For the moment at least, welcome relief awaits at the Government Camp rest
stop.