KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2022
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
We are
obligated
to end acts
of violence
T
he racist shooting massacre at a
Buffalo, New York, supermarket
two weeks ago seems far away and
with little relevance to the rural heartland
of Eastern Oregon, but its significance
and impact is vast and should stand as a
signpost for all Americans regarding a
cancer that continues to metastasize.
The cancer is a violent, militant ethos
that runs hard and deep within certain
sections of this nation. It is not a new
disease — violent racist aspects of our
history are common — but its current
form, exemplified by the Buffalo massa-
cre, is by far the most serious in recent
memory.
The avowed white supremacist killed
10 black people and workers at the super-
market and left behind not only a blan-
ket of terror but questions that require
deep contemplation by all Americans.
Whether one lives in Alabama or Penn-
sylvania or Eastern Oregon, the slaughter
perpetrated on the victims of the massa-
cre should stimulate reflective pause
regarding an array of subjects, including
how such acts of violence are spawned
and what they say about our nation to the
rest of the world.
Americans by history and nature are
often an unreflective bunch in percep-
tions of our democracy by other nations.
That must change. We stand as the great-
est world power and proclaim our form
of democracy — where justice for all and
equal representation are hallmarks — as
a bright beacon for the rest of the world.
Yet, we consistently fail to live up to
our own high-minded expectations. So,
we must do better.
Too many men and women have laid
their lives down on foreign shores for our
citizens to tolerate lowering our stan-
dards. Every American, regardless of
their color or their place of origin, should
be able to enjoy the rights of being an
American. Being gunned down while
shopping for dinner doesn’t fit that
scenario.
It is not appropriate to place blame on
others or to view the question as one for
one part of the country or another and yet
not an enigma for us to deliberate.
No, it is for all Americans, our obli-
gation really, to work to ensure such acts
of violence vanish and the merchants of
hate and the brokers of national dissen-
sion are vanquished. If we do nothing we
are tempting dishonor as well as more
acts of violence.
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
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:
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801
Getting behind the wheel
REGINA
BRAKER
ANOTHER MILE
t’s that time of year for youthful
milestones, with end-of-school-year
traditions and graduations playing
out around us everywhere. For many
teens it’s high time to pass the require-
ments to be able to get behind the wheel
in the family vehicle, in preparation
for summer jobs or just getting out and
about with friends.
One parent friend proudly shared her
daughter’s experience two years ago
navigating revised processes for acquir-
ing a driver’s license. It took me back to
our sons’ experiences, the most recent
10 years ago, one of those milestones
toward individual freedom that involved
wonderful nonfamily adults to help
make it happen.
When my friend talked about this rite
of passage, especially important in our
rural counties, I realized that so much
had changed beyond the experience
of learning the rules of the road. The
licensing process has changed to where
parents know as little about it as their
children. It’s one thing to hear about
it from mom, another to get it straight
from the new driver.
She succeeded through sheer
persistence. Passing the Provisional
Instruction Permit test was not difficult,
she said, having practiced on sample
tests to understand what was required.
Instructional options were not as avail-
able during the last two years, so a will-
ing parent provided driving instruction,
practice and feedback. Oregon’s required
50 driving hours came through chauf-
I
feuring her grandmother on errands.
The driving test posed the greatest
challenge for our novice driver. In late
February 2020 she had scheduled it for
March 26, but COVID-19 closed down
that service through the Oregon DMV,
no longer available then in all communi-
ties at all times. A friend shared about a
private company giving driving tests in
La Grande, so she explored online what
other options were emerging, some as
far-flung as Ontario.
It felt like moving targets: an October
appointment in La Grande too long a
wait, a possible early August appoint-
ment for Pendleton that didn’t pan out,
also postponed to October. The early
October slot almost fell through when
the examiner was not scheduled. Each
change for the behind-the-wheel test
necessitated another rescheduling for
the written test, too.
Finally, a parental intervention
brought about an 8 a.m. road test
through South Hill Pendleton in the
examiner’s vehicle. A small ding in
performance was for hand placement on
the wheel, an error picked up from her
father. Her advice to others is, “Don’t do
anything illegal in your driver’s test.”
And she laughed about getting in a
stranger’s car to be able to take the test.
Currently, Oregon Driver & Motor
Vehicle Services has updated online
guidelines for attaining the Provisional
Instruction Permit, accessing driver
education at the Learn to Drive link
and options for taking the driving test
and required written test at the link for
WhyDriveWithEd.
As to scheduling of driver’s tests,
I contacted Sarah Lien, East Region
manager for Oregon DMV, who reports
that staffing shortages still impact wait
times in Pendleton and Hermiston, with
DMV driving tests seeing a two-month
wait. She stated that, “DMV is encour-
aging anyone interested in working for
ODOT to view our open jobs online at
Oregon.gov/jobs,” specific to this need,
but also more generally.
Third party vendors report a four-
week wait, with a shorter wait time
possible in Hermiston if an additional
examiner is hired. Her advice is, “Appli-
cants need to go to the website to look
for availability and to schedule their
appointment at DMV2U.”
I asked about whose vehicle is used
in the test, with her answer reminding
us all of vehicle documentation: “Tests
are conducted in a vehicle provided
by the customer. It is important they
bring proof of current registration and
insurance to their appointment and the
vehicle can pass the pre-trip inspec-
tion. Information on what to expect on
a drive test and how to be best prepared
is at www.oregon.gov/odot/forms/
dmv/6614.pdf.“
For those drivers needing a commer-
cial license, Lien also included this
information:
Class C drive test providers in
the Hermiston and Pendleton area
include:Hanford Testing Services,
Hermiston and Milton-Freewater,
541-730-8484, www.hanfordtestingser-
vice.com; Training Wheels of Oregon,
Pendleton, trainingwheelsoregon@
outlook.com, 541-961-9753 or 541-272-
4917.
Here’s to success in getting licensed
to drive, and thanks to all who help
make it happen.
———
Regina Braker, of Pendleton, is a
retired educator with journeys through
many places and experiences who enjoys
getting to know people along the way.
including the loss of value of the proper-
ties to the private property owners. But
because of additional tax money promised
to the counties, Umatilla County sold the
people out.
Idaho Power says “they want to work
and get along with the land owners.” This
is why they file lawsuits against the land-
owners and threaten to sue for high legal
fees, if the landowners don’t comply with
their demands. This also shows how the
laws are written to cover eminent domain
in Oregon to the benefit of the big corpo-
rations and against the small land owners.
Idaho Power seems to have only filed suits
against select landowners at this time and
many have found their neighbors have not
been contacted about legal actions being
taken against them. It should be noted that
the majority of the landowners object to
this line being built on their properties.
An example of the over reach by Idaho
Power against private landowners, Idaho
Power has filed a lawsuit against a family
farm in Malhuer County for access to
build roads across their property. This
being done even though the unneeded
power line would be on adjoining BLM
property and not on the families prop-
erty. Idaho Power must believe it would
be easier to build access roads on private
property as opposed to that of a govern-
ment held property.
I would like someone to explain why
Idaho Power would want to build a line
using a route that goes south from Board-
man, then east, back north, back east and
then southeast, instead of a straight line
from Boardman to Hemingway, Idaho.
Could it be possible, while being
denied by Idaho Power, that it is to avoid
all the requirements state, federal and
Tribes would put on the line as opposed
to the small private landowners who can’t
afford to fight the for profit private corpo-
ration?
John Harvey
Stanfield
YOUR VIEWS
Recent B2H article only
had part of the facts
Only part of the facts were included in
a recent article, “Idaho Power gains access
for surveys, withdraws lawsuits,” on the
front page of the East Oregonian (May 12,
2022).
What is a glaring omission in the
article was in the paragraph that stated,
“Although sections of the proposed route
runs through public property — Idaho
Power has received permission from the
federal government to do so — the line, as
proposed, also would cross several dozen
parcels of private land in multiple coun-
ties, including Baker, Union, Wallowa and
Morrow in Oregon.”
What the writer stated is incorrect
in that it is far more than several dozen
parcels of private land. The fact is that the
proposed line will actually cross 100%
private land in Umatilla County and the
land is owned by around 700 land owners.
Idaho Power is being allowed to run
over the small private landowners, with
the support of Umatilla County commis-
sioners, unlike Union and Baker County
who opposed the line and support the
private land owners. It seems as Umatilla
County cares less about private landown-
ers and cares more about revenues.
With the magnitude of this project
there will be land, water, wildlife and
private range lands destroyed forever, not
Worth the road trip
We took a trip back in time on the old
highway between Reith and Echo. We
got a taste of what the pioneers felt when
crossing into Oregon in covered wagons.
The road varied between gravel, cracks,
potholes making it quite adventuresome.
About halfway we pulled over and
had a tailgate picnic while the kids fished
in a pothole. Each caught a small fish
and were just delighted. The scenery was
beautiful between the meadows so green
this time of the year and the hills with
cattle grazing peacefully.
As we approached Echo, we were
delighted to find a brand new road that
was smooth as glass. This trip is well
worth your time if you enjoy the beauty
and nostalgia as you cross a small stretch
of Eastern Oregon.
Mike Mehren
Hermiston