ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
SATURDAy, APRIL 17, 2021
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
A tip of
the hat,
a kick in
the pants
A
kick in the pants to the closure of
Aspen Springs Psychiatric Hospi-
tal in Hermiston.
According to Lifeways, the commu-
nity mental health provider running Aspen
Springs, the hospital was closed because
Lifeways could not find enough qualified
professionals, particularly psychiatrists, to
staff the facility.
The nationwide psychiatrist shortage
isn’t Lifeways’ fault, and it is an issue the
mental health profession, universities and
government leaders should be putting their
heads together to address. However, the
timeline here does bring up some ques-
tions about the level of due diligence that
went into the decision to build the hospital.
Lifeways took four years to build the
facility instead of the expected one year,
which leadership at the time attributed to it
being more difficult than expected to meet
all of the state requirements for that level
of secure facility. Now, after just under
seven months, it is closing as a psychiatric
hospital, with leadership citing more diffi-
culties than expected recruiting staff.
Umatilla County Commissioner John
Shafer is questioning why Lifeways
abruptly closed the facility with five
months still to go on a one-year waiver
given by the state, giving the county less
than a day’s notice, rather than going
public with the problem first and giving
some time for government leaders and
outside organizations to work on possible
solutions. We have the same questions,
and we hope that the sorely needed facility
may once again welcome patients in the
future.
A kick in the pants to people threaten-
ing Republican state legislators for show-
ing up to work.
Sen. Bill Hansell was one of a handful
of Republican legislators who declined
to do another walkout, this time on a bill
that would ban firearms in state buildings.
Hansell opposed the bill, but ultimately
decided that it was better to spend hours
pointing out flaws in the bill and working
to convince Democrats to amend it, rather
than taking himself out of the conversation
altogether.
In return, Hansell said, he has received
emails threatening to shoot him.
That kind of behavior is unaccept-
able. Nobody who sends a sitting legisla-
tor death threats for showing up to work
can call themselves a patriot, or a rational
person. And on this particular bill, such
a reaction makes the exact opposite point
Hansell was trying to make on the Senate
floor — that the public can be trusted to
carry firearms responsibly.
EDITORIALS
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.
LETTERS
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of 400 words or less on public issues and public
policies for publication in the newspaper and on
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to withhold letters that address concerns about
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Unsigned letters will not be published.
SEND LETTERS TO:
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801
YOUR VIEWS
Spencer’s experience will
benefit Pendleton schools
It is with great enthusiasm that
I write this letter to announce my
endorsement of Briana Spencer for the
Pendleton School District Board Posi-
tion 7 candidacy.
Ms. Spencer has served as a very
reliable and dependable community
organizer since my introduction to her
work in July of 2020. We have accom-
plished much in a short period of time
due to Briana’s professional network
and her dedication to racial equity.
Briana is an intelligent, hard-work-
ing team player. I know her to be an
effective leader with a high level of
computer skills and outstanding people
skills.
As part of the Pendleton School
Board, Briana Spencer would have
extensive training and developed exper-
tise to draw on. She is an accomplished
public speaker and advocate for local
policy change. She has developed,
planned and delivered volunteer train-
ing. She has regularly been asked to
facilitate social media engagement for
various grass roots alliances, including
Pendleton Community Action Coalition
and Umatilla County Responds.
These engagements have allowed
her a unique insight into the commu-
nity’s immediate and long-term needs.
They have also fostered a deep relation-
ship with other organizers, volunteers
and nonprofit organizations throughout
rural Oregon.
I am confident that Ms. Spencer will
contribute to any district’s learning
community in countless ways as she has
already for us here in the city of Pend-
leton.
Jessica S. Pedersen, LMT
Pendleton
Spencer can bring new
facets to Pendleton School
Board
I’m writing to show my support for
Briana Spencer to be elected to Pendle-
ton School District Board Position 7.
I believe Briana would be a great
addition to the school board. This young
LETTERS DEADLINE FOR MAY 18 ELECTIONS
The East Oregonian does not run endorsements of more than 400 words.
The East Oregonian will institute a deadline for letters to the editor, so we can be fair
with all the letters we receive and allow for responses before Election Day, if necessary.
We run local letters of endorsement on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please submit your endorsement letters to the editor by 5 p.m. Friday, May 7. You can
email them to editor@eastoregonian.com, or mail them to East Oregonian, c/o Andrew
Cutler, 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton, 97801.
We will publish our last letters on Saturday, May 15. Any letters received after the dead-
line will not run. Election Day is May 18.
woman would be an active participant
in the political aspects of the school
district. Briana is a young lady who can
make a difference in the overall quality
of the education the school is providing,
which Pendleton School District needs.
Briana is a person that knows being
on the school board she will have to put
in a lot of time that essentially amounts
to a volunteer position, which she has
been doing throughout our community
for the past several years in the Pendle-
ton area and the Nixyaawii community
area on the reservation. It takes a good
person like Briana to be a good school
board member to help development and
success of our children’s education.
I see this school board member as
one who will have arguable and ques-
tionable points that will have direct
impact on nearly every facet of the
school outcome, whether it be budget
or common goals, daily operations,
contracts or developing policy. She can
do the job as your next elected school
board member.
I’m asking you to join me in voting
for Briana Spencer for our next school
board member Position 7. Please vote on
May 18.
Sally Kosey
Nixyaawii School Board member
Pendleton
Spencer brings insight,
passion to her community
It is my privilege and honor to
endorse Briana Spencer to the Pendle-
ton School District Board Position 7. I
have been a Hermiston and Umatilla
County resident for the past 30 years,
and I find it refreshing and exciting to
see Briana Spencer run for the Pendle-
ton School Board position.
This past February, the Hermiston
Cultural Awareness Coalition (HCAC),
of which I’m a member, hosted our first
Martin Luther King Cultural Diverse
Community panel. Briana Spencer was
one of our key presenters and we found
her knowledge, insight and passion
around diversity, equity and inclusion
very insightful regarding its impact
within our country and local commu-
nities.
Briana Spencer comes with a great
deal of skills and assets that the Pendle-
ton School District and its community
would truly benefit from, which is why
I’m happy and excited to endorse her
for the Pendleton School District Board
Position 7.
Jesus Rome
Hermiston
Sen. Hansell stands
for Umatilla County
I would like to put in a good word
for Senator Bill Hansell in his stand for
constitutional law. It seems as if every
time he stands up for what he believes
in, someone finds a reason to object.
Senator Hansell has said he is not
willing to deny a quorum on bills he
doesn’t agree with. We may not always
agree with him, but he is usually on the
side of the right. Let the people vote on
it.
Senator Hansell’s showing up in not
supporting the bill shows his support for
rural Oregon. Dissidence is not often a
good position. One just has to dodge the
bullets!
Dr. Dorys C. Grover
Pendleton
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
REPRESENTATIVES
Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-376
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@state.or.us
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Cliff Bentz
2185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford office: 541-776-4646
SENATOR
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-415
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us