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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 2019)
OPINION A12 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAy, SEpTEMbER 18, 2019 September is a great time to prepare for natural disasters hen I was a kid, my parents’ canned green beans go on sale, grab a cou- ple extra (just make sure you own a can unfinished basement held doz- ens of milk jugs filled with opener that doesn’t depend on electricity). water and shelves of large silver cans with Also think about the specialty items words like “rice” and “oats” written across your family might need, from diapers to the side in black marker. dog food. Some people might have My family never used our food looked at that and thought my storage for a natural disaster when family was some sort of weird I was growing up, but it did come doomsday preppers, but hav- through for us a few times when ing a few weeks’ worth of non- a large, unexpected expense came perishable food and water stored up and money was extra tight. at home was a pretty standard Beyond some extra food and part of the self-sufficiency cul- water at home, I like to stay pre- J ade pared by keeping a “72-hour kit” ture I grew up in as a member of M c d owell in the trunk of my car. I purchased the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat- COMMENT ter-day Saints. a large, sturdy backpack with It’s also a pretty standard numerous pockets and stuffed it part of the advice the Red Cross, the gov- with a pair of jeans, T-shirt, jacket, extra ernment and every other organization socks and underwear, fleece blanket, non- perishable snacks and a few water bottles. involved in disaster response wish every- one would listen to. That’s why this month Then I started shoving toiletries and camp- ing supplies such as waterproof matches is being celebrated as National Prepared- ness Month. into every pocket. I also keep a first aid kit I’ve used my platform as a journalist to and extra pair of boots in the car, just not harp on this subject a lot over the years, in the kit. but it’s an important one. If the big Casca- I have yet to use my emergency kit dia earthquake hits the Pacific Northwest, while stranded in the woods or fleeing a Umatilla County is expected to go weeks massive flood, but I can’t tell you how — not days, weeks — without electricity, many times it has come in handy to be able internet, cell phone service and landlines. to pull a dry pair of socks or travel-sized Failure of those services will cascade into a bottle of contact solution out of my car series of other failures, because just about when I’ve been away from home. everything in our modern life, from using a Considering a natural disaster might debit card to pumping water into homes or not come with internet access, now is also gas into cars, requires electricity. the time to look up and maybe even print To put it nicely, those of you who have out information on topics such as which to drive to a restaurant the next town over woodland plants are safe to eat, how to tie for dinner every time there’s a two-hour a tourniquet and how to start a fire without power outage would be in huge trouble. matches. And the government won’t be rushing to Stocking up on batteries and beef jerky save you first when there are people on is a privilege that not everyone can afford, the other side of the state who had whole but for those of you who can, please con- sider how you might prepare to be a help buildings collapse on them. instead of a drain on our community in the The important thing is to build up your supplies a little at a time as you can afford event of a disaster. it. If bottled water is on sale, buy an extra Jade McDowell is the news editor for case and stash it in your closet. When the Hermiston Herald. W Driving within the lines — and city ordinances ecent road construction has altered A number of years ago some friends my preferred route to work. asked John and I to “babysit” their truck. Not only is it slightly inconve- After being parked in front of our house nient, it takes longer — OK, it only adds several days, it mysteriously disappeared. When I called to report it stolen, I found maybe 60-90 seconds, but it raises my out it had been towed — in blood pressure. accordance with city ordinance. As a way to help reduce stress, I wonder why someone didn’t some professionals suggest to knock on our door and ask if we stop and smell the roses along the were aware of the 72-hour rule. way. I’m good with that except It’s not that I want other peo- when driving to work. I just want ple to have to pay to free their to get there in the quickest, most rigs from incarceration, but I efficient way possible. don’t understand why other vehi- While Archimedes, the famous T aMMy cles in town can sit for weeks, ancient Greek mathematician and M algesini even months — if not years. inventor, is credited with saying, COMMENT Case in point, my alternate route “The shortest distance between took me by a truck that was two points is a straight line,” it jacked up with tires missing. Whoever wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to fig- ure that out. However, since I can’t bar- was working on it even put little reflector rel through houses and yards, I have calcu- tabs up — which evidently kept the tow lated my perfect route to work. truck at bay. I didn’t come up with any sort of math- Even more disturbing is a vehicle with ematical equation. Although, I did factor tags that expired nearly two years ago. I in the number of stop lights, typical traf- don’t know how long it’s been derelict fic patterns and the width of roads to set on the street — but certainly more than my path. 72 hours as evidenced by the weeds that All that went out the window the lat- “have a prevailing height of more than ter part of July as crews began working on 15 inches” growing around it in cracks in different phases of construction projects on the pavement, which is out of compliance with property nuisances. Hermiston Avenue. Initially, it wasn’t too Looking at city ordinances has been much of a hassle — except driving home an eye-opening experience. It appears we at night when I didn’t see the “Bump” may have violated the law when recently sign. It was a jarring experience to hit it draining our little swimming pool. It got while traveling 30 mph. me a bit heated — and don’t even get me Those who regularly travel on Hermis- started on the ordinance about removal of ton Avenue can attest that driving on the completed part is pretty sweet. But another ice and snow. ——— phase of the project continues to require Tammy Malgesini is the community edi- detours. tor. Her column, Inside my Shoes, includes While trying to determine my alternate general musings about life. Contact her route, I’ve come across some interesting at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or things — and by interesting, I mean not 541-564-4539. quite right. R LETTER Economic growth fuels need for new schools, helps pay for them To the editor: Hermiston’s growth is not an accident. Its lo- cation, weather, culture and even soil have cre- ated an environment ripe for development. Careful planning has made way for sustained expansion. In 1999, when voters approved a bond to ex- pand Hermiston High School and build Desert View Elementary, the assessed value of prop- erty in the district was $714.8 million. In 2019, the assessed value is $2.116 billion. School enrollment has grown just as quickly, as new businesses bring new employees, and new employees bring families. There are no indications this era of opportunity is a passing phase. Fortunately, with voter support, the Hermis- ton School District can leverage that econom- ic growth to help build new schools needed to maintain adequate room for its students. The growing industrial, commercial and resi- dential areas will add to the tax base and gener- ate the property taxes needed to pay for this construction. We all benefit from strong school districts. The Port of Umatilla re- lies on being able to at- tract qualified employ- ees, and investments like this are keystones to a healthy economy. That’s why the commissioners have formally endorsed the bond measure. Measure 30-130 con- tinues in the tradition of thoughtful planning, and the school board and district should be commended for offer- ing voters a plan that keeps us growing in a positive direction. Join me in voting Yes for Hermiston Schools in November. Kim B. Puzey Hermiston HH file photo Road Construction is underway on Hermiston Avenue. 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