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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Wednesday, August 9, 2017 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor MARISSA WILLIAMS Regional Advertising Director MARCY ROSENBERG Circulation Manager JANNA HEIMGARTNER Business Office Manager MIKE JENSEN Production Manager OUR VIEW A fair time at the fair It’s that time again — the Umatilla County Fair is underway. Pigs and lambs and cows, along with rhubarb pies, zucchini and quilts, are all polished up for their moment in the sun or at the center of the ring, beneath the critical eyes of a judge. Everyone is competing for the bright blue ribbons and a bit of county- wide bragging rights. But it’s not all competition. The week is full of fun and games, classic foods and celebrating another year with friends and neighbors. We drop some dollars to hear some classic rock, or take a trip on the Ferris wheel like we have for years. It’s Umatilla County at its Umatill- iest, and thousands upon thousands of us take in the show. This year, however, the nostalgia of the county fair has changed dramatically. If you drive to the old fairgrounds, you’ll be surprised to find an open parking spot at the entrance. You’ll be even more surprised when you get out and realize there is no fair there — that the entire enterprise has been moved south of town to the gleaming though still under construction EOTEC grounds. You’ll see plenty of growing pains at the new site, not least because this year’s event has been put together without a fair manager. On a quiet Tuesday at the fair, there were lots of tables set out in the eating area but no chairs. There were no bleachers set up to watch the events at the children’s stage. And scorching temperatures combined with a lack of shade portend a jam-packed, air-conditioned event center later in the week. Parking and logistical concerns are likely to be troublesome, especially because this is the first time everyone has tried to navigate this event and best practices have yet to be identified. Still, fairgoers should put aside whatever critical, long-term issues there are with the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center. The fair and rodeo are volunteer-led efforts that deserve support and patience. Those volunteers need to hear your feedback on what works and what needs to be improved, but they also need your investment in making that improvement. Hermiston city councilors and Umatilla County commissioners, who are our voices in co-ownership of this enterprise, need that feedback too. By all means, attend this year’s fair and Farm-City Pro Rodeo. Rock out to a show, support our county youth livestock programs, eat an elephant ear that could actually be larger than a real elephant’s ear. Yes, there are bound to be problems with such a large event at a new facility. Growing pains are real. But support and constructive feedback are critical to longterm success. And for the 2017 Umatilla County Fair, patience and forgiveness are key. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of publisher Kathryn Brown, managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, and opinion page editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. OTHER VIEWS Safety concerns at county fair, Farm-City Pro Rodeo By KERRY TASSIE To the East Oregonian A s I am scrolling through Facebook this past week, I see a lot of questions, concern and negativity regarding this year’s Umatilla County Fair and Farm-City Pro Rodeo. My biggest and most important concern is for the safety of everyone at the fair, rodeo and carnival. I foresee a lot of dangerous situations in just getting to the fairgrounds. There is only one way in and out of the grounds for public transportation. I read that there is now a mandated lower speed limit on Airport Road and a fine for anyone parking alongside the road. What about foot traffic? There were not sidewalks placed along Airport Road for foot traffic. Is there any reason why a temporary walking path along the road was not established? The cost for that: inexpensive. The benefit for pedestrians: colossal. What about the traffic on Highway 395? Although the cost of parking on the grounds is minimal, pedestrians may avoid parking there due to the hassle of leaving. There is not a safe area along the highway for foot traffic. Once again, why was a temporary walking path not established? Next, I wish to address the safety concerns once one is inside the grounds. The temperature in Hermiston this week is predicted to be higher than 100 degrees. It’s understandable that EOTEC was unable to produce the large shade trees that the previous location had, but is there a viable reason why temporary shading could not be erected? The last article I read stated that if you wish to cool down, go into the trade center. Even with its size, it is not able to accommodate all those who need a break from the sun. Something as simple as a temporary outdoor awning could be set up. I would have much rather seen a ground covered in dirt and straw instead of expensive sod this year so temporary external cooling areas could be added. For the grounds itself, not many promises that were given in the beginning have been awarded. We were told that if you have reserved box seating for the rodeo that would not change — you’re still getting the best seat in the arena. Well, that’s not true. The box seating now is not the best view. You want the best seat in the arena? That would be general admission seating. Why continue to spend the extra money on reserved premium seating when you could pay the bare minimum for the best seats? We were told that there would be backs on all the seats. That did not happen. We were forced to give up wooden seats or center aluminum seats with backs for our new “advanced arena” where we have no backs and all seating is aluminum. When we purchased reserved tickets last week from a local business, the lady asked for our name and phone number. She indicated that they had not numbered the seats in the arena yet and if there was a problem with the seats, she would contact us. Two weeks prior to fair, tickets being distributed throughout town for sale and they haven’t even numbered the seating? RV parking? Currently, the RV parking on site is dry camp only. Which means that as soon as this year is over, you will be tearing up the RV park to install full hookups. To me that sounds like poor planning and an unnecessary expense that could have been avoided. The initial vision of the new Umatilla County Fair and Farm-City Pro Rodeo was 20 years in the making and was to be a larger, unmatched venue for the residents of Umatilla County. Are you showing us that the vision we were promised and the money we have contributed thus far has only given us a venue that has a high potential of endangerment, destruction and wealth restrictions? That was not the promise we were given. ■ Kerry Tassie is a longtime resident of Umatilla County. Not many promises that were given in the beginning have been awarded. LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a phone number. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. OTHER VIEWS State Department divided on mission A s part of what he calls a interests of the United States and its “redesign” of the State people.” Department, Secretary of State From 2013 to 2016, the consultants Rex Tillerson has surveyed more added by contrast, the State mission than 35,000 State employees on the statement was “to shape and sustain most fundamental questions facing a peaceful, prosperous, just, and the organization. And Tillerson — or, democratic world and foster conditions more accurately, a consulting firm for stability and progress for the hired by the secretary — has found benefit of the American people and Byron that large blocs of State workers do people everywhere.” York not agree on what the department’s It’s a we-are-USA vibe versus a Comment mission should be. we’re-citizens-of-the-world vibe. “For an organization with a very When I asked Tillerson spokesman significant role in the world, too many in the R.C. Hammond whether he would agree Department of State were not clear on the that the proposed new statement is in fact exact mission of the agency,” consultants more assertively American than the old, he Insigniam wrote in a “Listening Report” answered, “I would. We will not apologize for completed in June. being American.” Some said the mission is, or should On the campaign trail, candidate Trump be, “installing democracy” around the expressed contempt for America’s disastrous world. Others said it is effort to install democracy “spreading American in Iraq. In his inaugural values.” The one mission address, the president that the largest number said, “We do not seek to of employees could impose our way of life on agree on was “protecting anyone,” Trump said, “but Americans and the rather to let it shine as an interests of America example for everyone to throughout the world.” follow.” Beyond that, no Now, some Trump single phrase united the critics, Republican and Department’s employees. Democrat, are unhappy So now, Tillerson and that the proposed mission his top aides are trying statement does not include to craft the material the word “democracy.” gathered from those Tom Malinowski, an 35,000-plus questionnaires Obama State Department into a new mission official, told the statement. (Changing Washington Post that the department’s mission — Insigniam consultants, the proposed mission statement is pretty much after surveying more than 35,000 statement — “Lead standard procedure when State Department workers America’s foreign policy a new president and through global advocacy, party take over.) Working action, and assistance to with Insigniam, a group of leaders from shape a safer, more prosperous world” — State and the U.S. Agency for International reflects “a worldview similar to that of Putin.” Development came up with three draft It is hard to take such commentary sentences, one to describe the department’s seriously — after all, the three-part purpose/ purpose, the next to describe its mission, and mission/ambition statement includes the goal the next to describe its ambition. of a world that is not only “peaceful” but The purpose statement: “We promote “free” — but that is what Malinowski said. It the security, prosperity, and interests of the just shows there’s plenty of Trump Resistance American people globally.” in the State Department world as well as the The mission statement: “Lead America’s rest of Washington. foreign policy through global advocacy, Tillerson’s consultants found that in the action, and assistance to shape a safer, more absence of a single idea of mission, many in prosperous world.” The ambition statement: the State Department tend to define their job “The American people thrive in a peaceful and by the area of the Department in which they interconnected world that is free, resilient, and work. The foreign service sees the mission as prosperous.” one thing. Washington-based administrators The consultants asked State employees for see another. Economics-oriented specialists reaction to each keyword. Does “advocacy” see yet another, and so on. accurately describe what the Department “Without a unified mission, people in the does? What about a “free” world? And State Department speak from their place in “resilient”? The consultants also asked the organization, not as one organization,” the employees to offer any other words they felt contractors noted. better described State’s mission. Tillerson’s job is to find some sort of unity. In a cloud made from responses to the With a big part of the permanent bureaucracy question of which words best describe opposed to him, and especially opposed to the State’s current mission, the standouts were president who appointed him, that might be “diplomacy,” “security,” “peace,” “prosperity,” impossible. So Tillerson might want to choose “democracy,” and “development.” the proposed mission statement that brought One thing that is likely to come out in the the closest thing to a consensus: “Protecting final product is that the Donald Trump State Americans and the interests of America Department mission statement will be more throughout the world.” Let others argue about assertively American than the statement under democracy and various causes, while the Barack Obama. The consultants noted that a secretary sticks to the main thing. State document from May of this year wrote ■ that “ABOVE ALL, the mission of the U.S. Byron York is chief political correspondent Department of State is to advance the national for The Washington Examiner. “For an organi- zation with a very significant role in the world, too many in the De- partment of State were not clear on the exact mission of the agency.”
