KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Funding
starting to
flow into
Boardman
ust as criticism of public officials is
sometimes necessary, praise is just
as important when it is deserved.
Oregon U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and
Jeff Merkley deserve to be lauded for
their help in channeling $1.7 million to
Morrow County to address drinking
water contamination in Boardman.
The money — from the 2023 Senate
Appropriations Bill — will help pay for
the testing of wells and to study long-term
solutions to the contamination prob-
lem for rural residents of the county.
The money is good news and even
better for voters is the knowledge the two
elected leaders identified the problem and
acted to support a solution. While parti-
san politics matter in the coffee shop and
when forming opinions, when it comes
down to the heartland whether an elected
leader is a Democrat or Republican really
doesn’t matter when there is a crisis.
Then, what matters is simply are elected
leaders looking out for their constituents
best interests and finding a way to help?
Merkley and Wyden did exactly
what they are supposed to do as our
representatives at the federal level.
The money will be important
and so will long-term solutions. The
sooner those solutions can be devel-
oped and implemented the better for
the residents of the Boardman area.
Recently, Morrow County Commis-
sion Chair Jim Doherty said that since
the county issued an emergency declara-
tion the area is “finally receiving atten-
tion and resources from state agencies.”
That is good news as well. Yet it is
troubling there wasn’t a faster response
from the state to this issue. A good ques-
tion so far unanswered is why it took so
long for the state to provide assistance.
A larger, even more troubling ques-
tion, revolves around the Oregon Depart-
ment of Environmental Quality’s
actions regarding the Port of Morrow’s
wastewater violations connected to
the water crisis. The state agency fined
the port $1.3 million in January for
violating its wastewater permit and
allowing hundreds of tons of excess
nitrogen onto area farmlands situated
on the already contaminated basin.
The DEQ boosted the fine to $2.1 million
in June. The real questions are for the future.
For example, how will the voters know the
state is monitoring the port in an adequate
fashion to prevent another such violation?
The solution to the greater contamina-
tion problem is crucial and will need to be
addressed by a wide range of stakeholders,
including the port. We need the port, but
we also need the port to be good stewards.
J
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
our website. The newspaper reserves the right
to withhold letters that address concerns about
individual services and products or letters that
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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
The Spruce Goose and the watermelon
DANIEL
WATTENBURGER
HOMEGROWN
T
he Spruce Goose is a spectacle
of an airplane — part sideshow
oddity, part historical relic —
on display in a custom hangar at the
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
in McMinnville.
It was constructed primarily of
birch wood in Long Beach, Califor-
nia, during World War II in a plan to
produce air-worthy transports that
didn’t require scarce metal commodi-
ties. It made one flight in 1947 to prove
the concept and was then mothballed
as the only prototype.
Half a century later, the McMin-
nville museum bid on the right to
purchase the one-of-a-kind plane,
building a sizable collection of real
and replica planes and helicopters
around it to tell the history of flight.
As we climbed the steps up to
see the Goose a few weeks ago, the
friendly veterans stationed at the
entrance went through an all-but
scripted dialogue with us. They asked
if we were enjoying the museum,
asked the kids if they were ready to fly
a plane, and asked us where we were
from.
When we told them we were from
Hermiston, the inevitable question fol -
lowed: “Are the watermelons ready yet?”
Only for locals, I let them know, but
we’ll ship them out once we’re ready to
share with the world.
My agricultural background is mini-
mal, and I’ve certainly never harvested
watermelons in the heat of summer.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t take pride
in living in a town that produces the
best version of the best fruit known to
mankind.
I’ve never been asked how the pota-
toes are looking, how the onion crop
is coming in, or if the grass seed is as
good as last year. Frankly, I wouldn’t
have an answer, although I know a
few folks at the Hermiston Agricul-
tural Research & Extension Center
who could share some thoughts. But
I do know enough to know that the
iconic watermelon, proudly displayed
on the water tower, doesn’t nearly tell
the story of Hermiston’s agricultural
bounty. It’s just a digestible slice of
what makes Hermiston special.
In the same way, Pendleton has the
Round-Up, a once-a-year event that
doesn’t completely define the town but
captures its ethos. Maybe McMinnville
didn’t birth the birch behemoth that
now plays an outsized role in its tour-
ism culture, but it does tie into a rich
aviation history that could otherwise be
missed.
I was thinking about these touch-
points during a presentation about the
Hermiston HEROS project that would
add youth sports fields at the Eastern
Oregon Trade and Event Center. The
question of identity came up. What is
Hermiston all about? What would bring
people here from across the Northwest?
As EOTEC manager Al Davis likes
to say, it’s the middle of nowhere but
the center of everything. That’s a good
start.
But this community has also devel-
oped a reputation as a youth sports
mecca, and not just because of our
location at the crossroads of two inter-
states. In the fall we host playoff foot-
ball and soccer at Kennison Field, in
the winter we have AAU basketball
and wrestling in school gyms, in the
spring and summer our sports fields fill
with lacrosse players. A youth softball
team just did us all proud by carrying
the Hermiston name to the western
regional Little League tournament, as
many other local teams have done in all
areas of competition over the years.
Watermelons may be our nota-
ble export, but youth sports give us a
chance to showcase our talented youth,
dedicated adult coaches, commitment
to inclusiveness, and community hospi-
tality. They make up our character.
Everyone wants to live in a town
that stands for something. Knowing
what Hermiston stands for will guide
us through the continued growth and
change ahead.
———
Daniel Wattenburger is the former
managing editor of the East Oregonian.
He lives in Hermiston with his wife and
children and is an account manager for
Pac/West Lobby Group. Contact him at
danielwattenburger@gmail.com.
them? Why do we keep and insure worn
out vans, if that’s really the case, that just
sit idle? Out of site, out of mind seems
to be the latest tool in city hall’s bag of
tricks.
City management has decided to use a
government program intended to expand
public transportation to construct a bus
barn rather than expand bus service to
a seven day a week schedule that would
better serve the public. The only thing
this proposed plan will accomplish
is expanding the fuel bill and adding
another building to the maintenance
backlog.
The city council is letting the public
decide whether to ban the use of psilo-
cybin, those psychedelic mushrooms
approved in the last general election.
Why do you suppose they are not letting
the public vote on whether to build a $3
million bus barn up at the airport?
Rick Rohde
Pendleton
cost. With digital coupons a shopper
needs to buy an electronic device, pay
for a service plan, learn how to use it and
bring it along whenever they shop. One
literally has to pay to get the lower prices.
As one example of the extent of the
problem, 18.5 ounce bottles of Lipton
tea are $2.49 each at full price. However,
for the past several years, the price has
ranged from $1.25 to $1.50 each with a
club card. Now, you must use a “digital
coupon” to get that same lower price.
Hence, I am forced to pay $1.20 more
per bottle. If I buy just one a week, in
a month I have spent an extra $4.80 on
these alone. In all, I am paying around
$25 more per month because of these
digital coupons.
Like the previous writer, I have also
asked if there is some other way to get
these lower prices, and have received a
hard “no.” Also like him, I believe there
are alternatives the store could offer.
This problem disproportionally
affects older, disabled and lower income
people — those who can lest afford it.
Thus I find it both morally and ethically
objectionable. I am doubtful that Safe-
way will read our letters, so I encourage
other shoppers to express this concern to
them.
Shelley Wilson
Hermiston
YOUR VIEWS
Out of site, out of mind
It appears the Pendleton city manager
has decided to deal with the issue of the
surplus handicapped vans sitting in the
parking lot at city hall. After much criti-
cism and embarrassment forcing a push
for construction of a $3 million bus barn
for storage, you’ll notice those surplus
vans have mysteriously vanished.
That’s something positive to report.
Perhaps the city will save a few shekels
on insurance. It’s time for some kudos.
Or is it? Those sneaky devils at city hall
have simply moved them to the Public
Works storage yard near Washington
School. You’d think that since these vehi-
cles seem to be so valuable that construc-
tion for indoor storage in a bus barn has
been approved, they’d put them inside the
Public Work’s warehouse along with the
old Eighth Street Bridge, its last reported
location.
Don’t fret, though, according to the
mayor, the latest van purchased was
needed as a replacement for one that was
worn out. Besides, it was payed for with a
grant from the state of Oregon, as is most
of the cost of the bus barn. He continues
to stress that those grant expenditures
don’t cost us. How is that possible when
they are derived from our taxes? These
grants don’t come automatically, some-
one has to write the request. Who pays
Digital coupons means
paying for lower prices
Recently a letter about Safeway’s digi-
tal only coupons appeared in this paper.
The writer was absolutely correct. In the
past, sale prices were available using a
“club card.” These are available at no