Heppner gazette-times., May 15, 2024, Page 3, Image 3

+HSSQHU*D]HWWH7LPHV+HSSQHU2UHJRQ Wednesday, May 15, 2024 7+5((
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Todd Nash
is built to be
OUR Senator
Growing up in a small
rural community gave me
an appreciation for heart felt
handshakes, ingrained in me
the value of integrity, and
showed me the importance
of local neighbors working
together. Through the years
Todd Nash has always stood
out to me. He is a man to
look up to, and the kind of
rare leader who is passionate
and steady without needing
to be the loudest voice in the
room. He is unlike many of
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who somehow become career
politicians and sets himself
apart with his genuine care for
the betterment of our personal
lives and communities.
I have been so inspired
with his willingness to step
up and lead effectively in
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brings an air of thoughtful
response, quiet confidence,
and willingness to work with
others to any challenge he is
presented. Todd is great about
seeing potential in people and
encouraging them to grow
and accomplish as much as
they can. People who get the
chance to work with Todd will
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Todd’s values and pri-
orities for our state give me
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for the future of my family
here. Todd knows we want to
live and raise our children in
safe communities, where our
law enforcement professionals
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He sees we are tired of the
continuing cycle of criminals
who get regurgitated back
onto our streets and wishes to
see meaningful penalties for
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strongly holds to our constitu-
tional rights, and the heritage
that has helped build our great
state. He also believes that
children are precious and
should be supported in their
right to life, as well as the
chance to grow up in a thriving
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Todd isn’t one to brag,
but I am here to tell you he
is strongly supported by re-
tiring senator Bill Hansel, the
NRA, several dozen County
Commissioners, The Right to
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Todd Nash is the man for this
job and will work hard for us.
Please join me in supporting
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Clayton Lowe
La Grande, Oregon
Smith’s prin-
ciples are good
for Salem
As business owners in
Umatilla County for over
25 years, we know job
creation does not start in
Salem, it starts right here
at home. It is achieved
through strong leadership
and the promotion of pol-
icies that encourage steady
growth, support existing
businesses, and attract new
business. This is accom-
plished by building a strong
relationship with communi-
ty members and respecting
their needs.
Greg has been there for
us personally and profes-
sionally by being a sound
resource of advice and
mentorship. He is very ac-
cessible to his community,
making himself available
and always approachable.
He truly cares about his
community, its businesses,
and the people in it. He has
helped us through many
challenges and has been
there to celebrate successes.
Greg Smith has demon-
strated this kind of lead-
ership through his com-
mon-sense approach to the
challenges we continue to
face. Time and time again,
Rep. Smith has embraced
his responsibility of sup-
porting small businesses.
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in new business, while pro-
tecting local businesses, is
commendable. We know
that we can trust Greg to
have our backs and be a
strong voice in Salem.
Please join us in voting
for Greg Smith’s reelection
to House District 57.
Daren & Paulette Du-
ÀRWK8PDWLOOD2U
Smith exempli-
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engagement
As a community or-
ganizer, I have had the
pleasure of interacting and
working with Greg quite of-
ten over the last two years.
Greg is active and present
in each community he rep-
resents, in a way that feels
personable and meaningful
to each constituent. His
friendly, approachable, and
problem-solving demeanor
makes him particularly
popular amongst the resi-
dents of the region.
Every time I’ve met
with or heard about Greg,
his commitment to our
little town is deeply mov-
ing. He has participated
in community clean up
events, literally cleaning
up garbage in the streets.
Greg has done meet-and-
greets at our Friday Nights
on Main live music series,
sponsored our community
Awards Banquet, attended
choir performances, and
spent Holidays with us in
Milton-Freewater. Greg
has been a great ear for
me personally on sever-
al occasions, repeatedly
demonstrating how he is
willing to stop everything,
just to listen.
Most importantly, Greg
gets things DONE. In late
2023, Milton-Freewater
experienced one of many
fatal traffic accidents on
Highway 11; this one was
particularly painful and
the people of Milton-Free-
water began to reach out
to Greg for solutions. Im-
mediately, Greg came to
Milton-Freewater to hold
a community forum about
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11. Among those he brought
with him were stakeholders
from Oregon Department of
Transportation and Oregon
State Police. The conven-
tion of the people of Mil-
ton-Freewater with their
State Representative and
the key group of stakehold-
ers Greg brought with him
created the platform for a
highly productive commu-
nity meeting. Within weeks,
Greg secured increased
State Police presence along
this particular stretch of
highway.
As an individual, it is
my honor to cross the pro-
verbial “party aisle” and
write in support of Greg
Smith’s bid for re-election.
As a politician, Greg Smith
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compassionate, and down
to earth human beings I
have ever met. It has been
a pleasure to work with
Greg on building a brighter
future for our children and
families.
Maryelizabeth Garcia,
Executive Director
Milton-Freewater, Or.
Chamber Downtown Al-
liance
Smith gives
our smallest
communities a
voice
I have known Greg
Smith for over 30 years, and
I can attest to the strength
of his character and to his
dedication to the people of
District 57. Ensuring that
constituents have a voice
in the legislative process is
fundamental, especially to
our frontier communities
that are extremely rural and
a long drive from Salem.
Legislators serve as the
conduit through which the
concerns, aspirations, and
priorities of their constitu-
ents are communicated to
the halls of the Capitol.
Greg listens attentively
to the needs of his constitu-
ents and engages in open di-
alogue in every community
meeting or event he attends.
By providing avenues for
public input, such as town
hall meetings, surveys, and
community forums, Greg
has fostered transparency
and accountability. He has
demonstrated a commit-
ment to responsive and
inclusive representation.
Please join me in voting
for Republican Greg Smith
for State Representative of
House District 57.
Randy Hilderbrand
Sherman County
Greg Smith is a
man of integrity
In November 2000,
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ed to represent District 57
in the Oregon State House
of Representatives. In the
years since then, Greg has
demonstrated himself to
be honest, positive and
extremely hardworking on
behalf of the residents of his
constituency. He has shown
time and again his dedica-
tion to represent a portion of
the state that is often over-
looked and disregarded. He
has demonstrated a com-
mitment to representing all
entities regardless of their
circumstances. His keen
commonsense insight into
the strengths and challenges
that face his region and his
continual can-do attitude
set him apart from others.
Greg is a good listener.
He demonstrates a will-
ingness to learn and grow.
When he does not know
or understand a point of
view or concern, he will
ask questions and seek to
learn facts. He has shown
time and again that he has
not only the desire to lead
and represent the people
but the ability to do so well.
Greg has taken a leadership
role in the region to help its
cities grow and develop.
This is especially apparent
in Hermiston, as this city
has shown strong contin-
ual growth and economic
development.
Greg is honest and car-
ing. His constant trademark
smile is genuine. He has an
ongoing concern for people,
and he carries that compas-
sion with him everywhere.
Through the years in which
I have known Greg Smith,
he has demonstrated lead-
ership skills, personal and
public integrity, thought-
fulness, and an ability to
connect with people of all
walks of life. These skills
are exactly what we need
in a representative for our
district in the Oregon State
House of Representatives.
I strongly encourage
you to join me in support
of Greg Smith’s reelection
bid as State Representative
of House District 57.
Cathy Lloyd
Hermiston
Smith has
shown profes-
sionalism
Smith the
right choice
for District 57
As the Hermiston
School District superin-
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balance the needs of our ed-
ucators, students, parents,
and community. In an age
of political grandstanding,
the easiest thing to do is to
sit back and blame others
for the problems we expe-
rience, and it seems many
politicians do that.
Rep. Smith chooses
the harder, less politically
expedient road. He focuses
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and developing pragmatic
solutions to problems. He
isn’t afraid to work across
the aisle, across agencies,
across the state and more
if it means delivering for
his school districts, ports,
counties, communities, or
individuals.
Rep. Smith’s beliefs
and values allow him to
represent us well. At the
same time, his experience
and professionalism have
allowed him to become
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statesman for us in Salem.
Many issues our region has
faced have been quietly and
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his advocacy.
I cannot be more hon-
ored to have Rep. Smith as
our voice in Salem. Thank
you, Greg, for your service,
your example, and your
leadership.
Dr. Tricia Mooney, Su-
perintendent
Hermiston School Dis-
trict
Ballots are in the mail,
and we would like to urge
you all in voting to reelect
Greg Smith, State Repre-
sentative for House District
57. Greg has been a person-
al friend for many years but
more importantly, he has
been a friend to Eastern
Oregon.
Greg knows and under-
stands the issues facing ru-
ral Oregon. He understands
the strengths and challenges
of our communities. We
continue to watch as he
fights with honesty and
common sense for Eastern
Oregon.
Greg Smith has true
compassion for the resi-
dents of District 57 and a
willingness to listen to peo-
ple’s problems, concerns,
and suggestions. He is a
true leader giving careful
thought to decisions he
makes, and he is willing to
share those reasons. Often,
he is called upon to lead
discussions and bring all
sides into focus, coming
out with a consensus of the
whole — not an easy task.
We urge you to join us
in voting for Greg Smith.
His work ethic, values, and
experience make him the
right choice for District 57.
Bryan and Lou Ann
Wolfe. Hermiston, Or.
Smith trades
on experience
Greg Smith has proudly
served the Milton-Freewater
community for over 14 years,
as our State Representative.
His tenure in the Oregon Leg-
islature has allowed him to
master the legislative process
and forge deep relationships
with colleagues in Salem.
Experienced legislators play
a pivotal role in shaping ef-
fective governance and pol-
icy-making. Their depth of
knowledge, acquired through
years of service and under-
standing of legislative intri-
cacies, equips them with the
insight needed to navigate
complex issues facing their
constituents.
Seasoned lawmakers, like
Greg, bring invaluable insti-
tutional memory, ensuring
continuity and stability in
government operations. Their
ability to anticipate challeng-
es, negotiate compromises,
and build consensus based on
past experiences fosters prag-
matic decision-making and
promotes long-term solutions
to enduring problems.
In an era marked by rapid
change and increasing com-
plexity, the presence of expe-
rienced legislators is essential
for maintaining institutional
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ing the democratic process.
Please join me in voting for
Republican Greg Smith for
State Representative of House
District 57.
Paul Seaquist
Milton-Freewater
Clearance Rack
Do you ever feel like
you’ve been put on the
clearance rack? Just hang-
ing there hoping someone
will eventually see some
value in you that’s worth a
second look. Getting older
does that to you sometimes.
It makes you realize that not
everything gets better with
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thing doesn’t always cut it.
It’s not like I stand
around looking in the mir-
ror. In fact, I spend as little
time as possible there. My
goal in that position hasn’t
exactly been to strive for
perfection. “Good enough”
is usually where I end.
About once a year or so, I
put on a little mascara. But
it usually ends up in my eye
or running down my cheek.
So, I think maybe the
clearance rack thing is more
of a feeling that by “this
age”, I should have my
act together…maybe even
accomplished at least ONE
thing I set out to in my
youth. Or maybe I just
wanna see that I’m making
a difference somewhere.
One can only make so many
quilts and, although I’m
sure the animals appreciate
being fed on a regular basis,
I know for a fact that they
haven’t a clue what a bale
of hay costs.
But one day something
happened that made me
think maybe I was on the
right track and actually do-
ing something more valu-
able than making a goat
happy (no offense to the
goat).
Part of my duties at the
ER was making follow-up
phone calls to check on
patients and ask a few ques-
tions about how they are
doing and how they viewed
their care. My co-worker
and I split the large lists of
patients to call, and we each
had about 40 calls to make.
I was on about my 5th
call that day when I asked
the last question, which is
“Is there anyone in partic-
ular you’d like to recognize
who gave you exception-
al care”. (I’ve asked this
enough that I know the
questions by heart). Well,
this patient got kind of
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There was this one nurse….
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really sweet…wait a min-
ute. I even wrote her name
down in my phone.”
The next thing she said
was a total shocker….”
Susie Crosby…that’s her
name. She was sooooo
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PH´2.VR,¶PQRWH[DFW-
ly a nurse but I was basking
in the moment and didn’t
correct her. She said some
other very nice things and
we laughed about the fact
that I was the one to call her.
I’m not writing this to blow
my own horn. I just want
to remind folks that, some-
times we have the power
to make a big impact with
just a few words…whether
it’s words of kindness to a
patient or recognition for
an act of kindness. Words
do count.
Thank you, Lord, for
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rack. I won’t ever forget
how she made me feel. And
it’s a good thing I wasn’t
wearing mascara.
By Susie Crosby
Prineville, Or
($562)
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