Page 4A
East Oregonian
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Publisher
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
TIM TRAINOR
Opinion Page Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
Leading a newspaper
in changing times
Pamplin Media Group. You’ll see stories
from Grant County or Wallowa County
from our sister papers. Much of our
Being in the newspaper business is
agriculture news comes from reporters
always fascinating, but 2017 was the
for the Capital Press (including George
most interesting and challenging in my
Plaven, who moved from Pendleton to
memory.
Salem last month).
In 2017, we heard the word “media”
Our perspective is that we are
used more frequently than ever before.
fulfilling several roles. One is the
Some people used it disparagingly, as
newspaper’s most important role
if much of the news
as a watchdog over
media — including
public institutions,
“What we’ve seen this year
newspapers such as
including city and
is that ‘mainstream media’
ours — are part of
has changed from a gener-
county governments and
some vast “mainstream al description into a term
schools, to inform the
of abuse. We’ve seen trust
media” conspiracy.
public about decisions
The reality is that the in media ebb and flow over
made that may affect
many years but there’s been
East Oregonian is an
nothing like this before. There them for good or ill.
independent newspaper, is now a completely different
Another is our role as a
part of the family-
way of self-manufacturing and source of information
owned EO Media
distributing news outside of
that helps our readers
the mainstream. These new
Group of publications
know what is happening
outlets can be very diverse
in Oregon and
in the community around
and exciting, but they exist
southwest Washington.
them, including sports
outside any conventional
Over the last 110
coverage, entertainment,
sense of journalistic princi-
years, four generations
local business news and
ples – of fact-checking and at
of my family have
least trying to get it objec-
human interest stories.
published the EO and
tively right.”
We play a role in
— Veteran media commentator
over time invested
helping local businesses
Raymond Snoddy, as quoted in
in other community
succeed by advertising
The Guardian, Aug. 6, 2017.
newspapers in Eastern
their goods or services to
Oregon, around the
a wide audience, through
mouth of the Columbia
display advertising, classified ads or
River and down the Oregon coast.
preprinted inserts. Our classified pages
We also own the regional agricultural
help connect buyers and sellers, and find
newspaper, Capital Press, which is
willing employees for employers. Legal
produced in Salem and printed here in
notices alert the public to hearings and
Pendleton.
other actions being taken by government
The local news you read in the EO
bodies.
is written by our reporters who live in
The national and international news
Umatilla County. Much of the state news in the EO comes from the Associated
out of Salem is written by reporters
Press, which is a nonprofit cooperative
from our Capital Bureau, which is a
news agency that many newspapers
joint effort between our company and
and other news organizations around
By KATHRYN BROWN
East Oregonian Publisher
EO file photo
The East Oregonian newsroom in Pendleton, circa 1979.
the country belong to. It is a long-
established and highly regarded source
of news.
Our opinion pages are a mix of
opinions from our editorial board
(myself and two editors), nationally
syndicated columnists, other newspapers
and local citizens. This is a page anyone
can contribute to, as long as you have
a reasonably informed opinion and are
willing to put your name to it. When
the EO is accused of being biased
— whether that’s too liberal or too
conservative is in the eye of the beholder
— it is usually because of something on
our opinion page, which our editorial
board may or may not even agree with.
Because we do all this, we are
recording the history of Umatilla and
Morrow counties in every issue. This
is a big responsibility, and one we take
seriously. And we must be “mainstream”
to accurately reflect what is happening
around us. We check our facts, correct
them when we get them wrong, and we
try to get it objectively right every day.
Our challenge in 2018 and beyond is
to keep doing what we are doing — and
do it better than ever, while adapting
to changing technologies and news
consumption patterns. The days of
every household subscribing to their
local newspaper are long over. The
expectation that news should be free
in the age of the internet has harmed
and even killed many independent
newspapers all over the country. Our
financial reality is that we are constantly
looking for ways to cut our costs as
subscribers and advertisers migrate
to Facebook and other online media
sources. Our change to all-mail delivery
in 2017 was part of that effort.
In order for the East Oregonian
to continue and thrive, we need your
help. If you need to advertise your
business or your organization’s goods
or services, recognize that there is a cost
to newspaper advertising, but also a
significant benefit in reaching thousands
of potential customers who live and
shop here.
If you depend on us for news, we
need you to subscribe — in print or
online or both, whichever works for you.
We know it’s easy to share online login
information with family, friends or work
colleagues — but at $14.50 per month,
a daily newspaper subscription is one
of the best bargains around and is an
investment in your community.
Happy New Year to all!
OTHER VIEWS
How best to say thank you?
T
YOUR VIEWS
Measure 101 keeps
important services in place
More than one in ten Wallowa County
residents has health insurance because of
Medicaid expansion. These are working
people – ranchers and farmers, store clerks
and contractors – who cannot otherwise
afford health care coverage. These are
the people whose access to health care,
and whose health itself, could be severely
impacted if Measure 101 fails.
A yes vote on Measure 101 supports the
assessment of a fee on large hospitals and
health insurers in the State and brings in
three times that amount in Federal funds. It
is a way to maintain the State’s Medicaid
program at its current level for two years,
giving the Legislature time to work out a
long-term solution.
Here in Wallowa County, providers will
continue to care for our families, friends
and neighbors regardless of the outcome on
Measure 101.
However, a no vote may require cuts in
services currently offered by local health
care providers, including the hospital
and the full range of medical, dental and
mental health clinics in the County. Our
local providers, due in part to Medicaid
expansion, are working together to provide
some of the most innovative health care in
the state of Oregon. A yes on Measure 101
continues that good work.
Please vote Yes on Measure 101 so that
hard working folks in Wallowa County can
continue to access essential healthcare for
themselves and their families.
Nick Lunde
Wallowa County Healthcare District
Liz Powers
Winding Waters Community Health Center
EDITOR’S NOTE
Welcome to the newly redesigned East Oregonian opinion page.
You’ll still find opinions from a variety of viewpoints, including the voices of the East
Oregonian editorial board, local readers and community leaders, other newspapers and
columnists, and cartoons from all over the world.
But we hope the new look makes the wide range of opinion easier to read and consider, while
at the same time differentiating this page from the news pages elsewhere in the paper. The opinion
page is a place for all kinds of commentary, but shouldn’t be read as strictly news. While news and
opinion have merged in some places, we aim to keep a clearly drawn line in our paper and website.
As always, we welcome your letters and will dedicate as much space in this new format as
we need to facilitate local discussion of local topics, which is our top priority.
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the
East Oregonian editorial board. Other
columns, letters and cartoons on this page
express the opinions of the authors and
not necessarily that of the East Oregonian.
he Hermiston Police
equipment from both their farms,
Department and city of
Troy Betz and Greg Juul of Bud
Hermiston just concluded
Rich Potato, and Alan Cleaver of
the 48th annual Christmas Express
Columbia Basin Onion.
program. Each year since I took over
We have other partners that
in 2004 we have tried to fine tune
donate services and equipment as
and make the operation as efficient
well. This includes the Walmart
and effective as possible with the
Distribution Center, Sanitary
incredible amount of donations that
Disposal, Living Faith Church,
Jason
come from the community. I have
Edmiston Hammell Transport, and of course
ensured a thank you note is sent to
perhaps our biggest partner, Dave
Comment
everyone we know to have donated
Hughes and his staff at the Agape
money, equipment or services.
House.
This year I was approached by a
Presents flood the lobby of the police
community member who asked if I ever
department and the overwhelming majority
thought about recognizing those people who of those come from people unknown to
donate to the program. I was a bit taken back us, at least by name. Altrusa International
because I do try to recognize the people who consistently donates an incredible amount of
make the machine run.
toys, and the KOHU staff
But the question itself is
include sports announcer
Despite being to Erick
still a good one. Is there a
Olson do a great job
best way to recognize and
born and raised of creating competition that
thank people for the good
goes for a good cause — a
they do to make Hermiston here, it wasn’t until I child having the opportunity
a welcoming and diverse
started working on to open a present Christmas
community? To be quite
The tenants at
Christmas Express morning.
honest, my greatest fear in
Desert Sage Manor spend
attempting something like
that I realized how all year making dozens and
that is two-fold: one, some
of beautiful quilts that
generous our area dozens
people may not want to be
are given away during our
recognized and two, I may
program. We have received
farmers are.
forget someone.
hygiene products from local
Cash donations for
dentists as we know there
the 2017 program came in at a staggering
is a direct correlation between hygiene and
$15,651. This included a $9,000 donation
self-esteem, especially with our youth.
from the Hermiston Rotary International
Lastly, I would like to thank Ric
Club (the largest monetary contributor to
Sherman, not only for his 30 years of
the program each year) and other donations
service as an educator in Hermiston, but
ranging from $10 to $3,500. The gentleman
the non-stop work he puts into this program
who donated $3,500 this year, donated
each year assisting and reminding me
the same amount last year. We had an
about various things. Ric is instrumental
anonymous $500 cash donation this year
in energizing the second group I’d like to
and clubs such as the Umatilla Lodge of
thank, that being the students and staff of
Perfection for Scottish Rite, The Funrunner
the Hermiston School District. The amount
ATV Club, and both the Big River Men’s
of food (nearly 14,000 cans) and presents
and Ladies Golf Clubs each donated. I’m
collected during the canned food drives
going to opt not to name the individual
ensures we are able to push out food boxes
donors, but you know who you are and
weighing nearly 100 pounds once all the
you know if it wasn’t for each of you, our
produce and turkeys are added.
program would eventually wither away.
I pray I have not inadvertently forgotten
Each year when I give presentations and
someone, but this is my humble attempt to
talk about our program, I always say despite remind people that we here at the Hermiston
Police Department know the silent majority
being born and raised here, it wasn’t until I
is out there doing good things for all the
started working this program that I realized
right reasons and we appreciate it.
how generous our area farmers are. Make
■
no mistake, this program would not be
Jason Edmiston is the chief of the
successful if it weren’t for people like John
and Skip Walchli with donations of food and Hermiston Police Department.
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. Letters must be signed by the author and include the
city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published.
Send letters to managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.