KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
PHIL WRIGHT
News Editor
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Communities
working
together
make a big
difference
Y
ou have to hand it to Helix.
The small Umatilla County town
achieved something of a triumph
recently through a vaccination program that
will funnel funds to specific groups because
it reached a high vaccination rate.
The effort began with Emily Smith, chair
of the Helix Parks and Recreation and the
director of marketing, communications and
foundation for CHI St. Anthony Hospital in
Pendleton.
Smith met with Pastor Mark Woolbright
at the Helix Community Church about the
county’s Community Rewards Program.
The program incentivizes COVID-19
vaccine inoculations and works like this:
When the ZIP code that covers Helix
reached 60% of residents with vaccinations,
groups that helped with the vaccine effort
split a $10,000 reward.
Helix’s ZIP code was short of the 60%
mark, but the parks department and the
church united to sponsor a night swim at
the town pool late last month. At the night
swim offered free vaccines and nine people
received inoculations, pushing the commu-
nity to the 60% mark.
Helix now has the highest COVID-19
vaccination rate in the county.
The federal funds will be split among the
key groups that helped with the effort and,
according to Smith, the parks department
wants to use its cut of the funds to build
a new swimming pool. Woolbright said
his church will give its money back to the
community.
The Helix effort is especially significant
now as the county is in the middle of another
serious COVID-19 surge.
Across the state, the delta variant is fuel-
ing the COVID-19 wave.
That’s why such efforts as the one in Helix
deserve a tremendous amount of praise.
While Helix is a small town, its outsized
determination to make a difference shows
what people can do if they work together.
The money will be well spent to enhance
the overall livability of the community.
While there are dozens of state and
federal programs and initiatives on the books
to battle COVID-19, in the end the key battle
in the war against the disease will be won
at a grassroots level in places such as Helix.
When individuals decide to make a positive
difference, it is encouraging and laudable.
What the Helix effort shows is it doesn’t take
trillions of dollars to take on COVID-19 but
a clear plan and some motivated individuals
who wish to help their community.
Area residents should review what Helix
accomplished and reflect on how people
such as Smith and Woolbright made a real
difference.
EDITORIALS
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Oregonian editorial board. Other columns,
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opinions of the authors and not necessarily
that of the East Oregonian.
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Keeping a couple out of divorce court
BLAINEE
CLOOTEN
ASK A LAWYER
Q
: My boyfriend and I are
getting married soon. What
advice do you have for us
avoid divorce court later?
A. First off, congratulations.
Second, the fact that you are already
contemplating these questions means
that you care enough to try and avoid
a negative future outcome. So, you are
already heading in the correct direc-
tion.
Here’s why your question is so
important. I recently helped a person
in Hermiston through the tumultu-
ous end of their relationship. Unfortu-
nately, there was significant domestic
violence, and local agencies and
services were involved. Out of respect
for my client’s identity (and attor-
ney-client privilege), I’m being inten-
tionally vague about the facts.
There are a number of areas in
which our firm typically sees relation-
ships break down. The broad catego-
ries are kids, finances, and work ethic.
I’m ignoring the obvious substance
abuse, religion, and personal attraction
questions, and assuming those have
been previously addressed, or else you
would not be considering marriage.
Regarding kids: Are you going to
have kids? What will be your parent-
ing style? What will be your discipline
strategy (spanking, timeouts, talking)?
What religion will the kid(s) follow (is
this important, how often will you go
to church)? How about school (home
school, private, public)? What values
are important to instill in your kids
(relationships, hard work, athletics,
schoolwork)? What happens in the
event of infertility?
Regarding finances: What is import-
ant to spend money on (house, fun, car,
retirement, vacations, school)? Who
is keeping the budget? What is your
significant other’s credit score and who
is applying for loans? Is it important to
save or important to have fun?
Work Ethic: Who is going to work
outside of the home? How are you
going to divide chores and responsibil-
ities (grass, dishes, vacuum, cars)?
Usually it is not one of these, but
it can be. You might be surprised (or
perhaps you wouldn’t) to hear how
often the reason one spouse is fed up
with the other is, “their spending is out
of control.” Or, “they won’t pull their
own weight.” You should have a pretty
good idea about most of these answers,
and do not ignore the red flags.
Q: My neighbor built a shed, and
I think it’s over my property line
by about 2 feet. Can I ask him to
compensate me for use of my prop-
erty?
A. Property line disputes are often
complicated and can lead to litiga-
tion. I generally recommend talking
to an attorney about your particular
facts and circumstances to know your
rights.
That said, I suppose what often
comes first to people’s minds when
they think of a property line dispute is
the Hatfield–McCoy feud. But unlike
the families in West Virginia and
Kentucky, it sounds like your issue is
amicable.
If you follow the local news, you
might have seen a legal action where
Christopher and Monique Waine are
suing the Umatilla County and the
city of Hermiston to “Quiet Title”
to “their” property. As part of their
relief, the Waines seek an injunction to
prevent “trespass” and an order “clear-
ing” the “cloudy” title, and other relief.
In the media, Chris Waine has asked to
be “compensated” for the use of “his
land” by the county/city.
In any property line dispute, the
first thing to do is to gather the facts.
How long have you known about the
shed being on your property/how
long has it been there? Have previ-
ous surveys been done of the property
lines? Have pins been set? If no survey
has been done, there are several local
survey companies — Primm Land
Surveying, CK3, R.V. McKinnis and
others — available to perform the job
for you.
Once you are certain of the actual
property lines, the next step is to put
the other property owner on notice of
the issue. Clearly outline the issues and
keep careful records of these commu-
nications. After this, the neighborly
thing to do (and often the law requires
this) is to try and reason out a solution
with your neighbor. If the shed is on
your property, in most cases, you have
a right to have the other owner remove
the offending portion, or you can work
out an “easement” and be compen-
sated for the portion of your land being
encroached upon. If this fails, you’ll
need an attorney.
For additional answers to similar
questions please visit the resources
page of my website, oregonlegalfirm.
com. Please keep the questions rolling
in; send those to clooten@gmail.com.
———
Blaine Clooten is an attorney at law,
serving Umatilla County with a focus on
family law, estate planning and personal
injury cases. Questions answered do not
create an attorney-client relationship.
Facts and law may vary, please talk to an
attorney for more information.
Our president and federal govern-
ment spend vast sums to support and
distribute vaccines and information on
COVID-19.
So who badmouths the shots?
Dishonest politicians gain support
from fearful, uninformed constituents
by broadcasting propaganda: “The
shots contain microchips, which turn
us into zombies.” “Alien invaders, or
sinister secret groups, infect us with
the shots.”
Your answer to this deadly propa-
ganda? For medical advice, do not ask
a politician; ask any doctor or medical
professional.
If you feel that doctors and nurses
are part of a vast conspiracy against
you, see a psychiatrist for help.
Allan Smyth
Prineville
upon our allies to support the impas-
sioned pleas for democracy by that
island’s beleaguered population.
Unfortunately, the crocodilian
nature of the tears shed by Republi-
cans for oppressed Cubans has been
revealed by GOP actions here at home.
Mr. Bentz and his colleagues chose
to support Trump’s big lie of a stolen
election by voting against certifying
Joe Biden’s electoral win. They then
refused to endorse a bipartisan inves-
tigation into the Jan. 6 terrorist attack
on the Capitol incited by their leader.
Even worse, their party has passed
laws across the country to suppress
voting rights and enable partisan
bodies to overturn elections.
Republican lawmakers seem to
believe that they will have a hard
time holding or gaining power unless
they rig the electoral game and crush
democracy in the U.S.
It appears obvious that the Trump
cult, whether through its congressio-
nal wing (the GOP), or its paramilitary
wing (the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers),
has no goal beyond the termination of
our tradition of fair elections so that in
2024 they can turn Trump into Amer-
ica’s Fidel.
Stephen Ducat
Joseph
YOUR VIEWS
Why the stubborn
resistance against
COVID-19 protection?
Ads for new products often proclaim
“New Scientific Breakthrough.” We are
very science-oriented.
So why do some refuse to protect
their lives and loved ones by taking
scientifically proven COVID-19
vaccination, even while our hospi-
tals are overwhelmed with sick and
dying unvaccinated COVID-19 delta
patients?
When the brand-new Salk polio
vaccine was released in 1955, almost all
Americans rushed to receive it. Result:
Today, America is polio free.
When DPT shots were introduced,
protecting us against deadly diphthe-
ria, pertussis (whooping cough) and
tetanus, vast majorities signed up for
the shots, largely eliminating these
diseases.
So why the stubborn resistance by
a few against COVID-19 protection?
Who advises us not to save our lives by
taking this scientific marvel?
No real medical group downplays
COVID-19; medical establishments
beg us to save ourselves. They are over-
whelmed with unvaccinated patients.
GOP letter decrying
Cuban dictatorship
merely crocodile tears
On July 21, our congressional Rep.
Cliff Bentz, along with many of his
GOP colleagues, signed a letter to
“leaders of Democratic states” decry-
ing the Cuban dictatorship and calling