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About The Dalles chronicle. (The Dalles, OR) 1998-2020 | View Entire Issue (March 14, 2020)
B4 Weekend of March 14-15, 2020 The Dalles Chronicle TheDallesChronicle.com OPINION Oregon newspapers offer expanded coverage on coronavirus On Wednesday, March 11, I received the following message via email through the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association: “Dear Oregon editors and publishers: “The Oregonian/OregonLive, The Bulletin, the Statesman Journal and Salem Reporter, among others, are sharing coro- navirus coverage in the public interest. Instead of waiting for the Associated Press to move a story, editors can select any staff-written story published on the news orga- nization’s website and republish online or in print. “This sharing is in recognition that no one organization can cov- er all angles and some newsrooms have more resources and/or expertise than others.” The letter was signed by Therese Bottomly, Les Zaitz and John Schrag. The Chronicle has been plac- ing all coronavirus-related reports outside the paywall, available free to subscribers and From the Editor Mark Gibson Oregonians informed: they are first and foremost members of their community—and that community at this time is all of Oregon. United, we stand. And that includes standing together under the cloud of coronavirus. Beyond Well with Sheila Hamilton non-subscribers alike. We will continue to do so going forward. The message above also en- couraged interested newspapers to join in making staff-written stories available to other newspa- pers statewide, and the Chronicle has done that as well. We are not alone—within hours of the message going out, 16 newspapers had made their content available, as had one blog/podcast. That number is grow rapidly. Although the competitiveness of the newspaper industry is legend- ary, and the “media” a popular target, I’m not surprised Oregon’s biggest and best newspapers are leading this statewide effort to keep As the Coronavirus spreads, so does fear, paranoia, and discrimi- nation. Doctors have a few tools to help: What can you do if your anxiety and worry is worse than the outbreak? If you must stay at home, main- tain a healthy lifestyle—including proper diet, sleep, exercise and social contacts with loved ones at home and by email and phone with other family and friends. Get the facts. Gather informa- tion that will help you accurately determine your risk so that you can take reasonable precautions. Find a influenza, depending on who and when. What makes it more dangerous than influenza: No immunity in the population, no vaccine, no To the editor, approved antiviral, much higher Some of you know me. I was transmission rate, hospitaliza- born and raised in The Dalles. I won the game show Jeopardy in tion rates approaching one in college 26 years ago. After that, five people and higher mortality I worked at Princeton and Los rate in older people, especially Alamos National Laboratory on those over 80. Something like one virus transmission. I work now in in six elderly people who catch healthcare. I have the fortune of COVID-19 die. knowing which organizations and What makes it less dangerous people are trustworthy, and I’ve than influenza: Few people in the been reading some of the technical US have it so far, it’s not as deadly papers. Here’s what I know: to young kids, most cases are mild, COVID-19 is not a hoax. hand washing works. CDC and NIH have great rep- The hospitalizations are big deal. Remember when our hospital was utations for honest dealing of the overwhelmed by the food poison- facts. The virus is probably already ing from the Rajneesh? Only 45 here in thousands of undiagnosed were hospitalized. It could easily cases. Almost nobody has been be worse than that with COVID-19 tested. for months. I have a coworker from COVID-19 is worse than China whose mother has been in the hospital on oxygen for six weeks. The hospitals in northern Italy are overwhelmed. ICU beds are being set up in hallways. No, we are not all going to die. But it could kill millions globally and hundreds of thousands or more in the US this year. Hospitals are likely to become overwhelmed. There are only 100,000 ICU beds in the entire US. We are already at nearly full capacity on the respira- tory ICU beds from influenza sea- son. It’s hard to see how this gets stopped no matter how smart the response. Global pandemic seems inevitable absent some change not on the horizon. A vaccine is at least a year away. Listen to the CDC recommen- dations. That means don’t worry about wearing a mask if you aren’t infected. Elderly and those with fragile immune systems should stay home as much as possible. Avoid air travel. Avoid groups of credible source you can trust such as the WHO website or a local or state public health agency. Limit worry and agitation by lessening the time you and your family spend watching or listening to media coverage that you perceive as upsetting. Draw on skills you have used in the past that have helped you to manage previous life’s adversities and use those skills to help you manage your emotions during the challenging time of this outbreak. Here’s where a meditation or mindfulness practice really helps. In this moment, right now, are you and the people you love okay? Could you set aside your worries about the future, and observe your thoughts objectively? Notice how erratic and negative the things are that we tell ourselves? Are you capable of getting through this moment by taking one deep breath, letting it out, and then repeating? Could you turn off the television and ask someone you trust to inform you if the threat worsens? Could you exercise more? Give your dog some extra attention? Or pick up the phone to speak to those you love? Hygiene, social distancing, working from home and obsessive vigilance only gets us so far. The other part of surviving anything that is unexpected and unwelcome is the ability to remain lighthearted and optimistic. If you are someone who has regularly worried about your health or the possibility of infection, the coronavirus is bound to exacerbate your panic. Seek out mental health counseling regularly to help man- age your symptoms. people. Wash your hands with regular soap and water. Wash your hands. A lot. Jeff Stewart Cary, NC, formerly The Dalles “America” and “Tonight” came to life on the stage in Hood River. It was an excellent cast, headed by Lily Galvez and Orville Grout as Maria and Tony, the star crossed lovers, who sang and broke your heart with their tragic story. Accolades go the all these young people (and many not so young, too) for a job well done. The show will continue on the stage at Wy’east Performing Arts Center for three performances the weekends of March 6th, 13th and 20th. Don’t miss a wonderful eve- ning of quality entertainment by local musicians and thespians. And as one who has devoted half of his life to educational and com- munity theatre, I enjoyed having a full orchestra to accompany these excellent performers. A job well done! Don’t miss this show! Jack Lorts The Dalles This article was provided by Sheila Hamilton, one of over a dozen media outlets throughout the state sharing their coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak to help inform Oregonians about this evolving health issue. YOUR VOICE COVID-19 is no hoax Job well done To the editor, I just came in after experiencing a wonderful production of the musical “West Side Story.” It was opening night for The Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association’s staging of the classic musical at Wy’east Middle School in Hood River, and what a wonder- ful evening it was. Under the direction of Director/ Musical Director Mark Steighner, the 25 members of the cast sang and danced, believe it or not, the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet, as set in New York in the 1950’s. Sung beautifully by the chorus and cast, such familiar songs as “Maria,” Farm Bureau member questions legislative testimony From Barb Iverson ■ Oregon Farm Bureau “My Journey to Find 98 Chlorpyrifos Alternatives; The Unexpected Rabbit Hole,” is a blog post on Nuttygrass.com that details a farmer’s investigation into a letter opposing chlorpyrifos —and the frustrating realization that it was considered more trustworthy to some lawmakers than her lifelong experience in agriculture. One of the bills Oregon Farm Bureau opposed during the 2020 Oregon Legislative Session was House Bill 4109, a bill that aimed to outlaw chlorpyrifos, an insecticide used to protect certain specialty crops from bug infestations. During a public hearing on HB 4109 before the Senate Environment Committee, Marion County Farm Bureau member and full-time farmer Brenda Frketich testified against the bill and ex- plained how a ban on chlorpyrifos would impact her family farm and many others in the Willamette Valley, in large part because there are no alternatives available. In response, a legislator asked Frketich about a “letter” submitted as online testimony that claimed there were “98 safer insecticides” that could be used in place of chlorpyrifos. This letter had “47 different signers, academics and scientists, from multiple universities here in Oregon,” he said. The letter was referred to in other committee hearings and was the basis of at least one legislator’s decision to vote in favor of HB 4109. “While I’m used to the back- and-forth and ‘he said, she said’ that is typical of a public hearing on legislation, this time it didn’t sit right with me. I felt as though my Chelsea Marr/Publisher • 541-296-2141 Ext. 119 cmarr@thedalleschronicle.com CeCe Fix/Business Manager • 541-296-2141 Ext. 110 cfix@thedalleschronicle.com Tanya Lindsey/Circulation Manager • 541-296-2141 Ext. 108 tlindsey@thedalleschronicle.com Mark Gibson/News Editor • 541-296-2141 Ext. 107 mgibson@thedalleschronicle.com • Established 1890 • Ray Rodriguez/Sports Editor • 541-296-2141 Ext. 105 541-296-2141 rrodriguez@thedalleschronicle.com 811 East Second, The Dalles, OR 97058 A member of Eagle Newspapers, Inc. Joe Petshow, President Neita Cecil/Reporter • 541-296-2141 Ext. 115 © 2018 The Dalles Chronicle All rights reserved ncecil@thedalleschronicle.com integrity and that of my industry were being called into question,” Frketich writes on her blog. So Frketich decided to get to the bottom of this mysterious letter and the alleged 98 safer alternatives to chlorpyrifos, of which she as a full-time farmer was completely unaware. “I’ll be honest that when this whole thing started, I imagined myself pouring over 98 labels of insecticides—cataloging mode of actions, pests controlled, pests partially controlled, how they would work into our cropping system, etc. I almost wish that was where this journey landed me.” Instead, she found nothing. “I ended up down a rabbit hole of zero accountability for what is submitted as testimony by a reg- istered lobbyist. Where I landed is frustrating, because I take a lot of The Dalles Chronicle is published Wednesday and Satur- day except: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Entered as Periodicals postage paid at the Office of The Dalles, OR and additional mailing offices. pride in what I put my name be- hind, and I was under the (appar- ently false) assumption that others did too,” writes Frketich. Frketich’s story is worth the read. It’s a story about the legislative pro- cess, who’s considered trustworthy on agriculture-related issues, and a farmer’s passion to fight for her livelihood. Writes Frketich, “I didn’t write this to argue the pluses and minus- es of having the tool chlorpyrifos. I am writing this because I hope it comes across how frustrated I am. If we are at a place in Oregon where people can just submit whatever they wish without data to back it up, then farmers in Oregon are sunk. If integrity doesn’t matter, then what happened this session will occur in sessions following the 2020 short session. And I fear that someday this mentality—and the ability to put forward false information as truth—will cost my family our farm.” Oregon Farm Bureau thanks Frketich for digging deeper into the anti-pesticide lobby’s claims about alternatives to chlorpyrifos during the 2020 legislative session. We hope the state legislature is as concerned about this misleading communication as we are and will take steps to ensure the integrity of the legislative process. Oregon Farm Bureau President Barb Iverson comes from a mul- tigenerational family farm from Woodburn, raising industrial hemp, grass seed, squash, vetch seed, ha- zelnuts, wine and table grapes, and operating the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, which attracts over 160,000 visitors each year. Iverson is OFB’s 17th president. EDITORIAL GUIDELINES The Dalles Chronicle welcomes letters. They must be accurate, free from personal attacks, and include the writer’s name and contact information for verification. Those without identification of the writer will not be pub- lished. Letters containing advertising will not be printed. Digital submis- sions are welcome and can be submitted online or emailed. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Dalles Chronicle, P.O. Box 1910, The Dalles, OR 97058. 400 WORDS MISSED DELIVERY: Please contact The Dalles Chron- icle Circulation Manager at 296-2141 Ext. 108. Writers are limited to one letter per month and 400 words per letter. All letters are subject to editing. Letters to the editor and guest columns printed in The Chronicle do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of the newspaper. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One year print subscription and digital access $55. Six month print subscription and digital access $35. Three month print subscription and digital access $21. SUBSCRIBERS SERVICE HOURS: Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.TheDallesChronicle.com Fax: 541-298-1365 E-mail: tdchron@thedalleschronicle.com 1SSN0747-3443 GUEST COMMENT Opinion pieces may also be considered for guest editorial status, limited to 800 words. SUBMISSION Letters may be delivered to: 811 East Second St, The Dalles, OR Mailed to: P.O. Box 1910, The Dalles, OR 97058 E-mailed to: tdchron@thedalleschronicle.com. Submitted online at: www.thedalleschronicle.com.
