A4
East Oregonian
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
The transformative power of art
A
rt is a refuge in our modern
world. At its best it’s a trans-
formative experience to take
in the creative endeavor of another
person, to clear your own mind and
make room for another perspec-
tive. It’s therapeutic to just take in
the beauty and challenging to see the
world through another’s eyes and ears.
Chris Thomas, a Pendleton native
and renowned composer, has turned
an actual refuge into a piece of art
with his symphony about the Malheur
Wildlife Refuge.
It was first dreamed up by Jay Bow-
erman, responding to the 2016 occu-
pation of the land by militants protest-
ing federal regulations. He wanted to
restore the reputation of the place and
present its beauty to wider audience.
Thomas and Bowerman toured the
refuge, taking inspiration from the
sounds of the birds who make Mal-
heur their home. In it’s final form —
which will be performed by the Cen-
tral Oregon Symphony in nearby
Burns in May — the piece in four
parts will be accompanied by images
from the refuge.
Thomas would love to bring the
symphony to Pendleton, and we hope
Contributed photo
The artwork of Hermiston native Andrea Murphy is on display during the month of February
at the Hermiston Public Library.
he does.
In the meantime, there are other
free displays of art in the area that are
well worth experiencing.
At the Pendleton Center for the
Arts, the collage art of Cory Peeke is
presented in the exhibit “On The Tip
Of My Tongue.” It’s an attempt to con-
vey an idea you feel you know but
can’t quite explain. The exhibit is free
through the month of February and
features small samplings from several
other artists.
Marie Noorani’s art is on display at
the Betty Feves Memorial Gallery at
Blue Mountain Community College in
Pendleton. The exhibit is called “How
It Looks On Paper,” in which she cre-
ates and destroys each piece into its
final form. It’s open Monday-Thurs-
day from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. through
March 14.
And in Hermiston, the work of
Andrea Murphy is on exhibit at the
Hermiston Public Library. She’s a
2004 graduate from Hermiston High
School who met her husband riding
bulls at the Pendleton Round-Up and
has lived across the West. She’s now
back in Hermiston with two young
sons and creating art that reflects the
West.
We love to encourage artists to
share their work, and the best way
to do that is to see it. If you haven’t
already, make it a point to visit these
galleries, expand your mind and grow
your world.
YOUR VIEWS
Homeless
problems now
more visible
I have had very little
contact with homeless peo-
ple, like most residents in
Pendleton. The last few
months have opened my
eyes. It is a problem in
Pendleton and most of these
homeless do not choose to
live this way.
The Salvation Army
provide a lot of help for
the homeless in Pendle-
ton. A place to get a good
meal and help finding other
places where they can get
the help they need, like
Lifeways, Catholic food
bank, warming station and
a lot of the churches in
Pendleton. I know there are
others who also help.
Some of the help is
financed with our taxes, the
majority are financed by
donations. We need to sup-
port these charities who rely
on us for funds.
I give to the Salvation
Army when I can and know
the Salvation Army has a
good record as to how the
funds are spent. If you are
looking for somewhere to
make a donation you can’t
go wrong with the Salvation
Army.
Rex Morehouse
Pendleton
Fishing, hunting
licenses a pain
In response to the arti-
cle, “What’s new in fishing
in 2019?” I purchased my
hunting and fishing license
plus salmon and steelhead
tags. My trip wasn’t as sat-
isfying as Luke Ovgard’s.
At my usual point of sale
outlet I ended with five
sheets of 8-by-11 inch doc-
uments. Most of which I
must have in my possession
while hunting and fishing.
That will require some kind
of cumbersome folder.
When I inquired, what
happens when these print-
outs get wet — it does
sometimes rain in Oregon
— the sales person had no
idea. You guessed it. The
paper readily absorbed the
water and any attempt to
write on them with a ball
point pen (required) got the
expected results.
The sales person did
say you could use a smart
phone to tag your fish and
any game where tags were
required. I am assuming
these smart phones get tele-
phone reception every-
where in the state. I am also
assuming the batteries for
these phones never go dead.
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.
And then, there are those
who go hunting and fish-
ing to get away from their
phones.
Carlisle Harrison
Hermiston
Potential for
homeless services
Are warming stations
really acceptable? In this
era of health care for all,
subsidized housing and
doctor-induced opioid
addictions, is it humane for
us to continue down this
path of homelessness to
over 600,000 veterans and
the ever-growing percent-
age of our population?
Pendleton needs to add
a priority to its zoning pur-
pose statement to encour-
age homeless shelters that
include heat, kitchens, bath-
rooms and laundry rooms.
The old John Murray build-
ing would make an excel-
lent opiod recovery facility
if it did not have to have a
sprinkler system and meet
new construction standards
because of its “change of
use.” No building on the
flat can meet the parking
requirements of any change
of use. There are many
affordable housing build-
ings on the flat.
The old IRS building,
OK Upholstering, the old
movie theater, and the PGG
buildings are available.
The old Stanfield High
School could easily pro-
vide humane housing con-
ditions. The city and state
would have to encourage it.
They talk like they really
want affordable housing.
Their actions prove that
they do not. Oversized
paved streets with side-
walks on both sides, storm
drains, system development
charges, huge permit fees,
high taxes, water, sewer
and garbage rates all prove
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.
that government really does
not care.
The ACLU or legal aid
may need to file suits to get
this mentality changed.
Affordable housing is not
accomplished by the gov-
ernment selling tax exempt
bonds to build $175,000 per
unit subsidized housing,
units that have to rent for
$1,495 per month. People
on Social Security or Social
Security disability income
need to live in these units
but must be made to work,
remain drug free, and set
goals to improve their lives.
Kalvin B. Garton
Pendleton
Send letters to managing
editor Daniel Wattenburger,
211 S.E. Byers Ave.
Pendleton, OR 9780, or email
editor@eastoregonian.com.