OPINION
A4 HERMISTONHERALD.COM
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2015
EDITORIAL • COMMENTARY • LETTERS
HermistonHerald
VOLUME 109 ɿ NUMBER 3
JESSICA KELLER
EDITOR
jkeller@hermistonherald.com
541-564-4533
MAEGAN MURRAY
SEAN HART
SAM BARBEE
JEANNE JEWETT
REPORTER
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541-564-4532
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REPORTER
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MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT
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STEPHANIE BURKENBINE
MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT
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In praise of
big families
P
ope Francis recently
SUDLVHGWKHEHQH¿WVRI
big families — that a
big family teaches children
VHOÀHVVQHVVDQGVKDULQJ
ZKLFKEHQH¿WVWKHZKROH
of society — and I couldn’t
agree more.
I was raised as an only
ER\ZLWK¿YHVLVWHUVZKLFK
was at once a blessing and
a curse.
When I was 12, the
neighborhood bully was
constantly picking on
me, but I had no brothers
WRWHDFKPHWR¿JKW0\
sisters taught me. I looked
the bully dead in the
eye and said, “You are
soooooooo immature!”
Despite me having no
brothers, my father made
me wear hand-me-downs.
It wasn’t too bad most
of the year, but Easter
Sunday was unpleasant.
Do you know how
hard it is to outrun the
neighborhood bully with
your pantyhose bunching
up on you and your bonnet
ÀRSSLQJLQWKHZLQG"
Though my sisters
loved and doted on me
at times, at other times
they complained to my
parents that my behavior
grossed them out. (So I
liked to pick my nose. Big
whoop!)
I longed to have a
brother — longed to have
someone of like mind and
griminess — and almost
was blessed with one in
1970 with my mother’s
sixth pregnancy. (I had
four sisters by then and
my mother had suffered
one miscarriage years
before.)
All of us were rooting
for a boy. And if the baby
was a boy we would name
him Edward, after my
mother’s father.
I had big plans for
little Eddie. I’d teach him
to play ball. We’d ride
bikes together. We’d go
down to the creek by the
water company and build
DGDPDQGFDWFKFUD\¿VK
We’d build a shack in the
woods!
Early one morning,
my mother began
having contractions.
Our neighborhood went
into Red Cross mode.
Mrs. Krieger tended to
my mother, as my father
rushed home from work
to drive my mother
to the hospital. Other
neighbors were assigned
to watch over my sisters
and me. And then Mrs.
Clearly showed up with a
meatloaf, as she did every
time any family in our
church had an emergency.
I was placed with Mrs.
TOM PURCELL
Cagle columnist
Gillen, since I was buddies
with her son, also named
Tommy. Tommy and I
played all afternoon. But
after dinner, Mrs. Gillen
pulled me aside.
“Tommy,” she said, in
a somber tone, “may I talk
with you?”
“Yes,” I said, feeling
suddenly awkward.
She put her hand on my
shoulder.
“Tommy, it is about
your mother. It is about
her baby. Tommy, your
mother had a miscarriage.”
The doctor told my
father the baby was a boy.
We were all saddened by
our loss, and my parents
would eventually heal.
They’d have one more
child, my sister Jennifer,
almost a year later, and
our family would roll
along.
According to Breitbart,
Pope Francis said that “the
fact of having brothers and
sisters is good for you:
the sons and daughters
of a large family are
more capable of fraternal
communion from early
childhood.”
He said that “each
family is the cell of
society, but the large
family is a richer, more
vibrant cell ... .”
I found this to be true.
My parents’ house
is still a raucous place
where people come and
go at all hours. The
laughter and drama
common to big extended
IDPLOLHVKDV¿OOHGPH
with an incredible sense
of joy and camaraderie.
It has been great to be
WKHRQO\ER\ZLWK¿YH
sisters and, when we get
together, we laugh as hard
as we ever did.
Still, I wonder how
different my life would
have been if I had a little
brother. We could have
teamed up to really gross
out our sisters. And we’d
surely be best buddies
today.
That’s why I still get
sad, now and then, at the
loss of little Eddie.
— ©2014 Tom Pur-
cell. Tom Purcell, author
of “Misadventures of a
1970’s Childhood” and
“Comical Sense: A Lone
Humorist Takes on a
World Gone Nutty!” is a
Pittsburgh Tribune-Re-
view humor columnist and
is nationally syndicated
exclusively by Cagle Car-
toons Inc.
G
What to expect in 2015
ood-bye and good
riddance to 2014.
As we move into
2015, what can we learn
from how 2014 ended and
how we’re now “trending”
in various areas? Here are
a few items to watch:
• Look for signs of
President Barack Obama’s
REAL intentions. Not
only were the results of
the 2014 Congressional
elections a “shellacking”
for Democrats and
Obama, a major paint
job — with four coats of
black and blue paint. Now
the question is whether
Obama intends to spend
his remaining two years
nurturing compromises
where he can get them,
or looking for ways to
embarrass, check-mate,
thwart and weaken the
Republicans who’ve spent
his term stalemating his
agenda, trying to destroy
his legacy and demonizing
him. By December 2015
who will have had the last
laugh?
• Will the Tea Party
tail continue to wag the
Republican dog — or
is the Republican dog
now the Tea Party’s tail?
There are already signs
that House Speaker John
Boehner and Republican
Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell are
headed into a political
buzz saw in their dealings
with Congress’ most
conservative members
who favor confrontation,
political brinksmanship
and power politics over
compromise, consensus
and bipartisanship. Will
JOE GANDELMAN
INDEPENDENT’S EYE
Cagle columnist
Boehner and McConnell
prove to be leaders who
direct party members on
a political path, or fearful
followers and panderers
obsessed with not losing
support?
• Notoriety means big
ER[RI¿FH1RUWK.RUHD
and its hacking buddies’
attempt to keep Sony
Pictures from releasing the
comedy “The Interview”
featuring a story involving
the assassination of North
Korea’s very much alive
leader Kim Jong-un utterly
EDFN¿UHG%\KDFNLQJ
Sony and allegedly being
responsible for making
terrorist threats against
movie theaters which
subsequently pulled the
movie, North Korea
KHOSHGWKHÀLFNVKDWWHU
online movie sales records.
Add its almost certain
release on DVD, cable
and overseas showings,
and North Korea turned a
reportedly lame and inept
comedy into ... big B.O.
Get ready for some studio
to announce a movie about
a team of Navy Seals
assigned force ISIS leaders
to eat pork chops.
• Hollywood may
get more daring.
Never underestimate
Hollywood’s ability to
grind out predictable
sequels, formula action
pix and cookie-cutter kids’
movies. 2014 gave us the
¿OP³%LUGPDQ´IHDWXULQJ
a comeback-generating
performance by Michael
.HDWRQ¿OPHGWRPDNHLW
appear to have been shot
in one or a few continuous
takes, with an ending that
left moviegoers debating
and guessing. It started
off in limited release and
immediately soared, with
more theaters quickly
added.
Acceptance of the
TXLUN\¿OPLVDVLJQWKDW
Americans don’t only
yearn for (God save us)
more Adam Sandler
movies. Another sign
came in early 2015 with
WKHKLWUHOHDVHRIWKH¿OP
adaptation of Stephen
Sondheim’s and James
Lapine’s “Into the Woods.”
While Sondheim’s
famous complex scores
that often seem to be
ÀHHLQJWUDGLWLRQDOPHORG\
may make theatergoer’s
swoon, they’re more of an
acquired taste to others.
• The pizza revolution
will continue. Pizza
remains one of the biggest
offenders when it comes
to unhealthy fast food.
But consumers are now
demanding more than
just sauce and cheese on
crust, and they’re often
getting it. Frank Peppe
Pizzeria, the 90-year-old
top ranked pizzeria from
my home city of New
Haven, has started to
add restaurants in New
York and Massachusetts.
Pizza Hut revamped its
menu with some unusual
and often weird new
ÀDYRUV:KHQ,ZHQWWR
Colgate University from
1968-1972, local pizza
in the town of Hamilton,
New York was terrible
to tolerable. Today,
Hamilton’s pizza places
offer r-e-a-l world class
SL]]DÀDYRU
• Will those mistreating
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tolerance? 2014 was a
bad year for politician
and celebrity sex
harassers, offenders and
exhibitionists in the U.S.
and in Canada. Will 2015
HQGLQWKHGH¿QLWLYH
implosion of comedian
Bill Cosby, who is
reportedly hiring private
investigators?
• Can several big
FRUSRUDWLRQVVWD\DÀRDW"
Will 2015 end with a big
“buh-bye” to the greatly-
ailing JC Penny and to
Radio Shack?
• Species going extinct:
The Siberian Tiger and 14
other species may be gone
by the of the year, mostly
due to human negligence
or aggression. The black
rhino is almost extinct. The
Republican RINO is extinct.
— Copyright 2015 Joe
Gandelman, distribut-
ed exclusively by Cagle
Cartoons newspaper
syndicate. Joe Gandelman
is a veteran journalist
who wrote for newspa-
pers overseas and in the
United States. He has
appeared on cable news
show political panels and
is Editor-in-Chief of The
Moderate Voice, an Inter-
net hub for independents,
centrists and moderates.
He also writes for The
Week’s online edition. He
can be reached at jgandel-
man@themoderatevoice.
com
COMMUNITY APPRECIATION
Family thanks agencies for rescue effforts
Editor,
This is a letter of appreciation to all who participat-
ed in the rescue of Marie (Pat) Earle from the Umatilla
River in Hermiston on the morning of Dec. 21. Included
LQWKHUHVFXHZHUHWKH8PDWLOOD&RXQW\6KHULII¶V2I¿FH
0RUURZ&RXQW\6KHULII¶V2I¿FH+HUPLVWRQ)LUH'HSDUW-
ment, EMTs, City of Umatilla police, Med Star chopper
and others who helped.
A special thank you to the good folks from the Country
Church at Hermiston for their prayers and expression of
concern.
BILL AND PAT EARLE
HERMISTON
Thank you for Matheny Project support
Editor,
Thank you, from Sandy Matheny and Doriz Pitzer to
all who continue to support the Matheny Project: those
who buy the CDs, the East Oregonian and the Hermiston
Herald for the informative articles and all who have do-
nated their time.
3URFHHGVIURPWKH&'SXUFKDVHVJRWR¿QGVSLQDOFRUG
research through OHSU.
Special thanks to Walker’s Furniture in Hermiston and
Murray’s Drug Store in Heppner, where CDs are available.
For more information or to order online, go to www.
mathenyproject.com.
DORIS PITZER
Balance beam is great addition
Editor,
To Hermiston High School and its wood shop:
Thank you for a beautiful balance beam for learning to
... balance! Thank you!
LITTLE DRAGONS OF MASTER LONEY’S SCHOOL, AND TOM AND
MIKE LAIN
HERMISTON
ELECTED OFFICIALS
STATE
District 29: Sen. Bill Hansell,
R-Umatilla Co., 900 Court St. N.E.,
S-423, Salem, OR 97301, 503-986-
1729. 101 S.W. Third St., Pendleton,
OR 97801 (541) 278-1396. E-mail:
ssen.billhansell@state.or.us.
District 30: Sen. Ted Ferrio-
li, R-John Day; 900 Court St. N.E.,
S-223 Salem, OR 97301, 503-986-
1950. 750 W. Main, John Day, OR
97845, (541) 575-2321. E-mail: ferr-
ioli.sen@state.or.us.
District 58: Rep. Bob Jenson,
R-Pendleton; 900 Court St. N.E.,
H-480, Salem, OR 97301, 503-986-
1458. 2126 N.W. 21st., Pendleton,
OR 97801, (541) 276-2707. E-mail:
rep.bobjenson@state.or.us.
District 57: Rep. Greg Smith,
R-Morrow, 900 Court St. N.E.,
H-280, Salem, OR 97301, 503-986-
1457. P.O. Box 215, Heppner, OR
97836, (541) 676-5154. E-mail:
smith.g.rep@state.or.us.
FEDERAL
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
Sac Annex Building, 105 Fir St.,
No. 201, La Grande, OR 97850;
(541) 962-7691. E-mail: kath-
leen_cathey@wyden.senate.gov;
(Kathleen Cathey, community repre-
sentative); 717 Hart Building, Wash-
ington, D.C. 20510, (202) 224-5244.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
One World Trade Center, 121 SW
Salmon Street, Suite 1250, Portland,
OR 97204; (503) 326-3386; Dirksen
6HQDWH 2I¿FH %XLOGLQJ 6'%%
Washington, D.C. 20510. (202) 224-
3753.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (2nd
District)
843 E. Main St., Suite 400, Med-
ford, OR 97504, (541) 776-4646,
(800) 533-3303; 2352 Rayburn
+RXVH2I¿FH%XLOGLQJ:DVKLQJWRQ
D.C. 20515, (202) 225-6730