WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A9
LOCAL NEWS
In search of Tiny Tim and Betty Lou Who
Sometimes we all
need a reminder
of our holiday
blessings
T
he calendar says,
unmistakably,
that
Christmas is just over
a week away, but I remain
in denial. The holiday spirit
has not possessed me yet
this year.
That’s not necessarily a
new phenomenon for me. I
used to be a pretty serious
procrastinator, out with the
masses on Christmas Eve
doing most, if not all, of my
holiday shopping. Living in
larger communities helped
cure me of that. I found I
hated the last-minute shop-
ping crowds even more
than I hated shopping.
My daughter helped
cure me of that too. For
many years getting to see
my daughter around Christ-
mas meant traveling, so
I would need to get my
shopping done before I got
on a plane. I also found
enjoyment in shopping for
her, especially if I had her
Christmas wish list as a
guide. If I knew what sort
of things she would like, it
would give me ideas and
con¿dence to go off-book
for a few purchases.
But this year, like last,
my daughter and I will be
delaying our Christmas
gift exchange until at least
sometime in January. She
works in the restaurant
business and won’t have
much time off around the
holidays, and the time she
does have is already over-
taxed.
So, knowing we won’t
be together around the hol-
idays dampens my enthusi-
asm for the season.
The last nine months
have blown past, like a
tumbleweed propelled on
a spring gust and obscured
by the dust in its wake.
It’s been a year ¿lled with
change and transition. Job
change, address change,
house purchase, new pet,
staff changes. As someone
who is prone to be a crea-
ture of habit and routine to
work most ef¿ciently, I am
at a loss to know what’s
normal now.
I want to just press pause
and let my head catch up
with the rest of me.
There’s still time for
Tiny Tim or Betty Lou Who
to make an appearance and
remind me of the spirit of
the season and melt my
Scroogey, Grinchy heart.
It’s happened before.
One of the more memora-
ble times was in December
1986. I was in my third year len. All the assignments I
of college at Oregon State, was sent on seemed trivial
but I’d taken the fall quarter and insigni¿cant. I didn’t
off to work as a photo in- want to be there. I wasn’t
tern for the East Oregonian. sure I even wanted to be a
journalist anymore. It
The month start-
was surreal to me that
ed with the crash of
people who made it
a helicopter ambu-
their mission to save
lance in the fog west
lives lost theirs so
of Pendleton, kill-
close to the holidays.
ing all three people
My Tiny Tim that
on board, including
year was a man by
paramedic
Nancy
the name of Glenn
Neerenberg of Herm- Gary
L. West
Jones Jr.
iston. Four of us from SHADES
Glenn was a kettle
the paper had joined OF GRAY
worker for The Sal-
the search party and
reporters Chuck Westlund vation Army that season. In
and Wil Phinney were the addition to raising money
¿rst to ¿nd the wreckage. for The Salvation Army he
As the son of a pilot, seeing raised the spirits of holiday
the mangled aftermath of shoppers by singing while
the crash affected me more he rang his bell.
In the days before
profoundly than I cared to
Christmas, I was dispatched
admit.
In the remaining days to get a photo of him and
and weeks of my intern- enough information for a
ship, I was moody and sul- copy block to accompany
the photo. I was not happy
about the assignment and
de¿nitely not in the spirit.
I grumbled all the way out
the door and to the K-mart
store where Glenn was
singing and ringing away.
It was supposed to be a
little holiday Àuff photo and
extended caption about a
guy singing Christmas car-
ols. That was, until I heard
more of Glenn’s story.
Glenn was a recovering
addict who was working to
rebuild his life and bringing
a little joy to others while
he did. He had three chil-
dren, but hadn’t seen them
for two years.
“I like to sing especially
to children because I can’t
be with my children,” he
told me.
Glenn was no saint, cer-
tainly. He had done plenty
to damage himself and his
relationships. Yet, he found
a way to seize upon the hol-
iday spirit and share it with
others. He certainly shared
it with me.
He showed me I had
plenty to be thankful for and
celebrate that year. Sharing
his story helped revive my
passion for journalism, pro-
pelled me through holidays
and sent me back to school
determined to continue my
pursuit of a career as a jour-
nalist.
Thanks, Big Glenn, for
being my Tiny Tim.
And may we all have a
blessed 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.
Local Facebook
posts about alleged
threat worry parents
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
Social media fueled
panic among parents in
Hermiston late last week
after rumors began swirl-
ing on Facebook and Twit-
ter of an alleged threat
to “shoot up” Hermiston
High School.
But Briana Cortaberria,
Hermiston School District
communications of¿cer,
said an investigation by
Hermiston Police Depart-
ment con¿rmed that no
such threat ever took place.
“Everything got blown
out of proportion,” she
said.
Cortaberria said the
rumors stemmed from a
comment that a student
overheard another student
make to someone else fol-
lowing a physical alter-
cation at the high school.
Through a “game of tele-
phone,” she said, the ru-
mor mill turned the com-
ment into a threat about a
school shooting.
“It was nothing like
that,” she said. “Nothing
of that nature.”
Once a student posted
about the supposed threat
on Facebook, however,
people began calling the
police department. Law
enforcement worked with
district administrators in
tracking down the origin
of the rumor and speak-
ing to the student who had
supposedly made the threat
and those who heard what
the student said.
Cortaberria said the
school district wouldn’t
have opened its doors Fri-
day morning if the admin-
istration or law enforce-
ment had any concerns.
“Our ¿rst priority is stu-
dent safety,” she said.
However, a post on the
district’s Facebook page
Thursday night, meant to
calm parent fears, con-
cerned some parents who
hadn’t heard of any possi-
ble threat.
The post, which ap-
peared at 9 p.m. Thursday,
said, “Hermiston High
School administration has
been made aware of an
alleged threat. With the
assistance of the Hermis-
ton Police Department, the
claim was con¿rmed to be
false. There is no reason
you should have concern
in sending your student to
school tomorrow.”
It was shared 176 times
and more than 200 com-
ments were posted under-
“There is a fine
line of what can
be shared for
privacy reasons
and with police
matters.”
— Briana Cortaberria
Hermiston School District
communications officer
neath within a matter of
hours. Many people asked
for more information and
wanted to know how the
district could be sure there
was no danger. Several
parents said they would
keep their children home
from school.
Tracy Gammell was
one of the parents who
commented on the post
Thursday night, asking the
district to post more in-
formation after starting “a
pretty big panic” among
parents.
She said she ended up
sending her children to
school on Friday, but only
after calling and talking to
an administrator.
“I was concerned by
the Facebook post from
the district,” she said. “I
felt it was probably meant
to calm people, but that it
had the opposite effect and
really startled parents be-
cause of the lack of infor-
mation provided.”
Cortaberria said at the
time she and district admin-
istrators felt it was better to
post something “short and
sweet” to address rumors
already swirling.
“There is a ¿ne line of
what can be shared for pri-
vacy reasons and with po-
lice matters,” she said.
However, she did post
an updated news release
with more detail on Friday
morning.
“In today’s climate, this
type of social media situa-
tion can be expected,” the
post read. “The positive
side is that, had there been
any merit to the claims,
we would have been able
to act accordingly and re-
spond appropriately to en-
sure student, staff, and pa-
tron safety. Unfortunately,
it can also work against us
when the accusations made
are false and unfounded.”
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