A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015
Help appreciated in this season of Thanksgiving
I
¿ nd a house
and has helped
my care for
my yard by
trimming trees
for me and
loaning
me
tools.
Gary
When
I L. West
couldn’t get SHADES
OF GRAY
my car to start,
Joe Thompson
at Eastside Market let me
leave it in his parking lot
for a while until I could re-
trieve it. A farmer friend of
my father’s who stopped at
the market took time out of
his day to try to help me get
it running again. My dad
loaned me his car for a day,
while mine was in the shop.
When I got sick a few
weeks ago, my mom,
friends and coworkers of-
used to be a holiday
procrastinator. But now,
with Thanksgiving still
more than a week away, I
know what I am thankful
for this year.
Simply stated, I am glad
to be home.
0ore speci¿ cally, I am
glad to be able to regularly
spend time with family and
friends and be making new
friends.
There is a real family
feeling to this communi-
ty, which I had forgotten
about in my years away. It
is amazing to me how many
offers of help I’ve received
since moving back to town.
Family, friends, neighbors
and coworkers have been
generous with their assis-
tance and offers of support.
A good friend helped me
fered to bring me soup and
supplies.
A high school class-
mate’s mom gave me a din-
ing table for my kitchen,
rebuf¿ ng my offer to pay
her for it.
When my lawn mower
was making funny noises,
a neighbor brought over
some fuel additive to help
make the small motor run
better.
It’s been humbling how
helpful people have been.
These are but a few of the
offers of generosity that tell
me I am truly home again.
Last week I met with
three people who have
volunteered to share a bit
of their time and perspec-
tive in our bid to make the
Hermiston Herald a more
valuable resource to the
community.
Dave Wright, Clara Be-
as-Fitzgerald and Karen
Hutchinson-Talaski have
generously agreed to be
the inaugural members of
an advisory group to talk
about the things they like,
or don’t like, about the Her-
ald and help us ¿ nd ways to
make it a better information
source for the community.
Wright is retired from
Oregon State Parks and
Recreation, where he was
the assistant director of op-
erations. Beas-Fitzgerald is
a member of the Hermiston
City Council and serves on
the city’s Hispanic Advi-
sory Committee. She also
worked for the East Orego-
nian at one time. Hutchin-
son-Talaski is the executive
director of the Umatilla
ELECTED OFFICIALS
Chamber of Commerce. She
is also a former reporter for
the Hermiston Herald.
Their reasons for volun-
teering to be advisors vary.
But they all care deeply
about this community and
the people who live here.
They have all lived and
spent part of their careers
elsewhere and now choose
to live here.
We are looking for a few
more people to join our
group. Our next meeting
will be at 4:30 p.m. Thurs-
day, Dec.17. We plan to
meet about once a month to
talk about ways the Herald
might be able to better serve
the community as a news
and information source. If
you would like to join us,
send me an email message
at gwest@hermistonherald.
com. You don’t have to be a
subscriber to participate.
Send me an email with
a bit of information about
yourself and a short de-
scription of why you are
interested in serving as an
advisor to the Hermiston
Herald.
Thanks, in advance to all
who have, or will, volun-
teer to participate.
And to all, have a happy
and safe Thanksgiving and
a joyful holiday season.
Gary L. West is editor
of the Hermiston Herald
and Hermiston editor for
the East Oregonian. Reach
him at gwest@hermiston-
herald.com or follow him
on Twitter @GaryLWest
or on Facebook at www.
facebook.com/journalist.
glwest.
LETTERS POLICY
STATE
District 58: Rep. Greg Barreto,
R-Cove; 900 Court St. N.E.,
H-384, Salem, OR 97301,
503-986-1458. E-mail: rep.
gregbarreto@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.
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 Ferrioli,
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: ferrioli.sen@state.
or.us.
FEDERAL
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
Sac Annex Building, 105
Fir St., No. 201, La
MEDICAL
DIRECTORY
Grande, OR 97850;
(541) 962-7691. E-mail:
kathleen_cathey@wyden.
senate.gov; (Kathleen
Cathey, community
representative); 717 Hart
Building, Washington, 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
Senate Offi ce Building,
SDB-40B, Washington, D.C.
20510. (202) 224-3753.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (2nd
District)
843 E. Main St., Suite 400,
Medford, OR 97504, (541)
776-4646, (800) 533-3303;
2352 Rayburn House Offi ce
Building, Washington, D.C.
20515, (202) 225-6730
The Hermiston Herald welcomes original letters for
publication on public issues and public policies.
Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include
the city of residence and a daytime phone number. Phone
numbers will not be published.
Letters may be mailed to the Hermiston Herald, 333
E. Main, Hermiston, OR, 97838; or emailed to editor@
hermistonherald.com
Visit us online at
HermistonHerald.com
We treat all
of you.
PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY
Call Today!
541-289-5433
1060 W. Elm, Suite #115,
Hermiston, OR
(across from Good Shepherd Medical Center)
www.apd4kidz.com
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm
URGENT & FAMILY CARE
URGENT CARE
Sports & Dot Physicals • Minor Injuries • Family Care • Minor Surgeries
We accept Medicare & some Advantage Medicare plans
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY
HOURS:
236 E. Newport
Mon.-Sat.
541-567-1137 Hermiston
7:30am-7:00pm
(across from U.S. Bank)
FAMILY DENTISTRY
Family Dentistry
~ N ew Patients Welcome~
541-567-8161
995 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston
Ryan M. Wieseler, D.D.S .
VISION CARE
Eye Health & Vision Care
Robert D. Rolen , O.D., LLC
Optometric Physician
115 W. Hermiston Ave. Suite 130
541-567-1837
URGENT & FAMILY CARE
GIFFORD MEDICAL
541-567-2995
Columbia
and Family Care
Professional • Urgent
Weekdays 8am-6pm
Plaza
Saturdays 9am-3pm
1050 W. Elm Ave. Ste 110
Hermiston, OR 97838
Walk-Ins Welcome
Joseph
Joseph
R. Gifford,
Gifford, M.D.
M.D.
Milton J. Johnson, Jr., M.D.
David
P. Martinez,
M.D.
Angie
L. Hays, FNP
Angie
Hayes, FNP
Candace L. Degenstein,
FNP
Davies, Jr.,
FNP M.D.
Milton Michele
J. Johnson,
• In-House X-Rays
• Adjacent Lab
MENTAL HEALTH
LET US BE THE ONE THAT HELPS!
LIFEWAYS PENDLETON
331 SE 2nd St.,
Pendleton, OR 97801
Office: 541-276-6207
• Adult, Child and Family Therapy
• Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment
• Mental Health and Crisis Services
• Confidential and Professional Care
Crisis Phone: LIFEWAYS HERMISTON
866-343-4473
WWW . LIFEWAYS . ORG
595 NW 11th St.,
Hermiston, OR 97838
Office: 541-567-2536
URGENT & FAMILY CARE
Good Shepherd Medical Group
The specialists you asked for...
...Right here at home.
Family Medicine
Internal Medicine
Pediatrics
Women’s Health
General Surgery
Urology
Appointments
541-567-5305
Whether you’re nine days old
or ninety-nine years young,
our network of clinics provides
comprehensive medical,
dental and social services for
all members of your family.
Mirasol Family Health Center
600 NW 11th St., Suite E-37 • Hermiston • www.gshealth.org
To advertise in the
Medical Directory, please
call Jeanne at 541-564-4531
forall.org