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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