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East Oregonian
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Resolve to be more involved in 2020
A
new year signals a new begin-
ning for all of us. While many
of us will make our standard
new year resolutions, as a community
there are several pledges we should
make for 2020.
In the upcoming 12 months, local
voters will once again secure an oppor-
tunity to get more involved in their
city, county and state government.
Democracy should not chiefly be
a spectator sport. Instead, the found-
ers designed a framework that, in large
part, depended upon the commitment
and interest of voters. Our nation is
divided along partisan lines, which
isn’t a good thing for democracy, but
what could be even more troubling is a
lack of interest in public business.
Getting involved is never easy and
can be, at times, a downright chal-
lenge. After a long day of work, who
wants to eat dinner, and then attend a
city council meeting?
The truth is, though, that finding
the time to participate in our govern-
ment is crucial. We simply can’t vote
EO file photo
Election specialist Debbie Swenson verifies the ballot count for a voting precinct in 2018 at
the Umatilla County Elections Division office in Pendleton.
a lawmaker into office, and then turn
our backs. Often that becomes the real-
ity. We tend to make our decision at
the ballot box, and then expect govern-
ment to operate on autopilot. When a
major issue seems to rise up like the
phoenix we are shocked, and suddenly
the seemingly mundane acts of city
government became critical.
Yet, most of those flashpoint issues
that seemingly come out of nowhere
are actually well-known to lawmakers
and have been debated and discussed
at meetings. They should be no sur-
prise, but often are because not enough
of the body politic is participating in
our democracy.
Becoming a small-town lawmaker
isn’t like serving on a high school stu-
dent body elected board. It isn’t a pop-
ularity contest. The job of a city coun-
cil member or mayor is — or should be
— serious business and our lawmakers
need our input and our vigilance.
That means voters must keep a close
eye on what is going on. That is also
where the newspaper comes in handy.
We also have an obligation to ensure
the actions of our public leaders are
well-known so that readers — vot-
ers — can debate them and fashion
opinions.
This year we should all reflect on
the state of our city and county and
endeavor to work to ensure we partic-
ipate. The founders bestowed upon us
a rich tapestry of democracy, but that
fabric remains strong only if voters
remain vigilant and get involved.
HOMEGROWN
Hermiston has arrived. Now what?
he 2010s began with Hermiston offi-
cially taking the mantle as largest city
in Eastern Oregon. It’s a point of pride
for this small town that came into its own
as an agricultural powerhouse at the cross-
roads of the Northwest over the last several
generations.
But as much as Hermiston still maintains
a small-town feel, much also has changed.
Below are five developments, in no particu-
lar order, that have defined Hermiston in the
past decade.
T
What’s happening Hermiston?
YOUR VIEWS
Redistricting should be
accomplished in a truly
nonpartisan manner
Regarding your Nov. 19, 2019, article:
Why does a diverse group of Oregon’s
political interests want to take redistrict-
ing out of the Legislature’s hands?
In about 1998, Bill Westmiller pro-
posed a computer programmed to apply
several “good government” principles to
the extent not mutually contradictory to
redistricting congressional seats.
Somewhat later, George Clark tested
the approach and reported the results
in “Stealing Our Votes: How Politi-
cians Conspire to Control Elections and
How to Stop Them.” While a single test
in a single state is hardly sufficient, the
results were promising and seem worth
further testing, perhaps to provide a the-
oretically independent commission with
the information needed for fair redis-
tricting. I envision running the program
four times using the northwest, north-
east, southeast and southwest corners of
Oregon as the starting point and debat-
ing the results on the basis of the good
government criteria.
It seems to me to have more promise
than any of the half-dozen or so alterna-
tive proposals commonly proposed that
dubiously assume its members will not
function in the same way as legislators to
favor their own preferred party.
Full disclosure — I knew both West-
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.
miller and Clark when I was living in
California.
David Churchman
Ashland
Vote now for Wild & Scenic
Rivers additions
The wild rivers and streams east of
the Cascades are lifelines — giving us
the gift of cold, clean water to drink,
late season flows for farms, havens for
fish and wildlife, and places to fish, boat,
camp, and rejuvenate our souls. When I
moved from Eugene to Prairie City back
in the early 1980s, I fell in love with
the John Day River — one of Oregon’s
70-plus designated Wild & Scenic Rivers
(just 2% of the state’s river miles). I also
explored the not-yet-designated forks and
tributaries — once finding a massive bull
elk skeleton in a forested stream bottom
off trail.
Decades later, I’m grateful to Sen.
Ron Wyden for the opportunity to nom-
inate favorite streams and rivers to be
considered for additions to congressio-
nally designated Wild & Scenic Rivers.
His leadership and belief in the grass-
roots to rise up and shape history are a
heartening way to begin 2020. Please
send in your river and stream entries
through January 20th to: rivers@wyden.
senate.gov.
Marina Richie
Bend
established a voice on city policy, distributed
information on city programs, and offered
bilingual access for residents uncomfort-
able speaking directly to the city council.
The Latino Business Network, a subsidiary
of the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce,
has created a place for business owners
who have felt disconnected from the greater
community.
These groups and others that got their start
in the past decade have helped make Herm-
iston a more inclusive community. While not
an end solution, they create connections and
establish an important mechanism for grow-
ing and empowering Hispanic leaders in
Hermiston.
Love it or hate it (and sometimes both in
the same breath), the private Facebook group
has nearly as many members as the city pop-
Sports capital
ulation. It’s a loosely moderated community
When Kennison Field at Hermiston High
bulletin board that seeks to answer a sim-
ple question — what, indeed, is happening,
School got a remodel in 2013 to go along with
three new schools (and gymnasi-
Hermiston?
ums) funded by the school bond,
Aside from the shared commu-
nity events, the posts that fill the
Hermiston officially became a high
page each day range from innocu-
school sports destination. Not only
ous to highly suspect to downright
was the field eligible to host OSAA
playoff games, but the network of
divisive, with occasional moments of
gyms gave the city the capacity to
inspiration. It has also turbo-charged
host large-scale AAU tournaments.
the local rumor mill by immediately
This coincided with the Herm-
inserting personal opinion into every
D aniel
iston Bulldogs’ rise to the upper
event, regardless of fact or relevance.
W attenburger
echelon of Oregon football, win-
We are beginning to understand
COMMENT
ning two 5A titles to add to its tro-
how social media is shaping our
phy case already heavily populated
daily lives, relationships and ideolo-
gies. It seems community groups and pages
with wrestling honors. The cumulative effect
have the best chance of being a positive force was putting Hermiston on the map for a new
statewide audience.
in places like Hermiston on the wider web,
The decade also saw Hermiston High
but they’re only as good as the people who
School join the Washington Interscholastic
post want them to be.
Activities Association, opening the venues
I love my city
to the city’s nearest metropolitan center and
It’s the real-world antidote to the divisive-
offering the chance to play host to visitors
ness of social media. This faith-based move-
from across the river on a regular basis.
ment has aimed to put good intentions into
Steady economy
practice and create a more engaged and com-
Two events in Hermiston’s decade would
passionate community.
have crippled many other small towns — the
The projects themselves are simple — lit-
ter cleanup, landscaping, free car washes
closure of the Umatilla Chemical Depot and
— but seeing an army of red T-shirts giv-
the massive layoffs at the Hinkle Railyard.
ing their time to unified service is inspiring.
While both certainly impacted many lives,
Adults, teenagers and children all pitch in,
and the Hinkle layoffs are still fresh, Hermis-
ton has proven resilient in the face of change.
spending time with friends and neighbors
Jobs have come in to replace those lost, in
doing good deeds.
Hermiston and the surrounding area. Hous-
There are many social issues this com-
munity faces, and this volunteer goodwill
ing has grown in leaps and bounds, with no
campaign has room to grow. Hermiston has
signs of slowing. The tax base in Hermiston
been a giving community for far longer than
has increased substantially because of new
a decade, and seeing that generosity and ser-
development.
vice come together for the greater good is
Hermiston is a city of opportunity, and we
worth celebrating and sharing with the next
saw through the 2010s how the small town is
growing into the 21st century.
generation.
———
Hispanic involvement
Daniel Wattenburger is the former manag-
ing editor of the East Oregonian. He lives in
About 44% of Hermiston’s residents
Hermiston with his wife and children and is
are Hispanic, up from 35% at the turn of
an account manager for Pac/West Communi-
the decade, and that population has seen
increased representation in a number of ways. cations. Contact him at danielwattenburger@
gmail.com.
The Hispanic Advisory Committee has
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