OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2020
A4
EDITOR’S DESK
Schools need our help this fall
T
here are still a lot of ques-
tions about what school will
look like when it resumes
in the fall, but one thing is clear: It
won’t look anything like
what the rest of us expe-
rienced when we were
students.
I don’t envy educa-
tors, lawmakers, parents
Jade
and public health offi -
McDowell
NEWS EDITOR
cials right now as they
try to fi nd the best bal-
ance between health and education.
Solutions are going to look differ-
ent based on each school’s circum-
stances, but for as long as COVID-
19 remains a threat, students will
be facing a less-than-ideal learning
environment.
During a Hermiston City Council
meeting last week, I was glad to hear
council members express an inter-
est in offering up use of city facilities
to Hermiston School District, if that
would help the district offer more
opportunities for in-person instruc-
tion for students while maintaining
social distancing.
Nothing may come of the sugges-
tion if logistics, such as transporta-
tion, prove too diffi cult. But the “it
takes a village” attitude refl ected in
the discussion is one that we will
need in the coming months. Busi-
nesses, nonprofi ts, government enti-
ties and service clubs may all be able
to fi nd new ways to contribute to stu-
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan, File
Allyssa Sullivan organizes bags of student materials while distributing them to students in
Umatilla on April 3, 2020. School districts are now working on new solutions for the 2020-21
school year.
dents’ learning.
Since most school districts are
planning for a hybrid model of some
days in the classroom and some days
learning online, a lack of reliable
internet access and electronic devices
at home is a serious problem. Dis-
tricts worked hard in the spring to
address that by loaning out Chrome-
books and setting up WiFi hot spots.
Continuing that work of helping all
students in our community be able to
reliably access online learning should
be a top priority.
That may look like grants pro-
vided to low-income families for
internet access, similar to programs
available for assistance paying util-
ity bills. There could be a fund set up
where community members could
make a one-time donation or sign up
to sponsor a student’s internet bill
for the year. Or businesses may con-
sider donating electronic equipment,
books and other supplies that stu-
dents can take home and use when
they’re learning outside of a physical
classroom.
It may be that businesses can also
assist districts in curriculum that can
help prepare students for the work-
force. At the high school level, I hope
businesses can continue to fi nd ways
to provide work studies and intern-
ship opportunities for students. Our
own summer intern at the Hermis-
ton Herald, Nada Sewidan, is having
a much different experience than her
predecessors had, but we’re fi nding
ways to make it work.
Businesses that have in the past
allowed for fi eld trips at their facili-
ties might be able to offer a live tour
via video chat, followed by a ques-
tion and answer session with stu-
dents. Or professionals might be able
to send in video tutorials for classes,
such as welding or animal science.
In past reporting I have done about
preparing students for the workforce,
local employers have repeatedly
stated that the hardest part of staffi ng
their company is not fi nding someone
who knows the quadratic equation or
the plot of “The Scarlet Letter,” but
fi nding applicants who are reliable
and have a good work ethic.
Teachers may not be able to get
through as much curriculum as usual
in the next school year, and students
may not do as much homework or
take as many tests. But whether a stu-
dent is being home schooled, taught
in the classroom or learning online,
they can still learn problem solving
skills and other important life lessons
in the face of adversity.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Community stepping up to
support local businesses
To the editor:
Since the beginning of the coro-
navirus outbreak, Hermiston res-
idents have shown a strong inter-
est in making sure our local
businesses have the support they
need to navigate a quickly chang-
ing environment.
Whether by ordering carry-
out when restaurants couldn’t pro-
vide in-house dining, shopping
local when stores opened back up,
or simply being patient as busi-
nesses implement new state man-
dates, people have found ways to
encourage and sustain our business
community.
Uncertainty is one of the biggest
obstacles a small business faces,
and these are uncertain times.
Knowing your friends, neighbors,
and community have your back is
reassurance. Feeling confi dent that
you will be able to survive even
diffi cult times is critical to long-
term planning.
One of the roles local businesses
take most seriously is providing
a paycheck for their employees.
Many of these workplaces are like
families, and employers will go to
great lengths to make sure their
workers can pay their bills and pro-
vide for their families even when
doing their jobs is impossible.
As the Hermiston Herald
reported last week, the Paycheck
Protection Program (PPP) saved
nearly 1,600 jobs in the Hermis-
ton ZIP code over a 60-day period
in April and May. The Greater
Hermiston Area Chamber of Com-
merce and city of Hermiston staff
responded quickly when the fed-
eral funding became available,
reaching out to more than 400 busi-
nesses to make sure they had the
information necessary to access it.
The city has also partnered with
Umatilla County to provide $1,000
grants to 38 businesses with fewer
than 26 employees to help cover
costs incurred by COVID-19.
We’re fortunate to have active
partners who are working toward
the same goals as us — creating an
environment where businesses can
thrive to the benefi t of everyone.
We’re continuing to look for
ways we can support the busi-
nesses that are the backbone of
our community as we weather this
storm together.
Byron Smith, city manager
Hermiston
The Bridge shows how far
Umatilla has come
To the editor:
Umatilla has long had a reputa-
tion for being the “naughty” town
in the area. They had the less than
reputable shops, and they had all
the strip clubs, and downtown was,
well, run down and uninviting.
Umatilla has been making great
strides in revitalizing their down-
town lately. They’ve gotten rid of
the ridiculous boulders in the mid-
dle of Sixth Street and are rework-
ing the sidewalks and street park-
ing to have more of a friendly and
inviting appearance, and some
of the businesses downtown are
catching on and updating too. The
fi re department has a beautiful new
digital sign and a friendly bench to
take a break on, the strip clubs are
all gone now, with the Riverside
being the fi rst to show and the last
to go, and once the construction
is complete, it will be a delightful
downtown to drive through.
With the pandemic, the owners
of the Riverside, Daren and Pau-
lette Dufl oth, decided to “go in a
different direction.” The once-ris-
que business has now been con-
verted into a family friendly,
upscale, mid-priced dining experi-
ence. The new restaurant has been
dubbed “The Bridge,” in keep-
ing with the revitalization of the
community and Umatilla’s historic
landmark.
My wife and I decided to go
to The Bridge to check it out and
try one of their pizzas. We ordered
their “Butcher” pizza, basically a
meat lover’s, all-meat pizza. It was
amazing!
This time, for some variety, we
got the “Pit” pizza, a barbecued
chicken pizza. I don’t know if I’ll
ever get around to trying another
pizza variety at The Bridge,
because I just can’t bring myself
to not get The Pit. The pizzas were
there faster than you could get a
drink refi ll in another restaurant.
Don’t take my word for it, go to
The Bridge and get a pizza (I rec-
ommend The Pit, but you do you).
I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Rob Tooley
Umatilla
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP
U.S. SENATORS
RON WYDEN
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
GREG WALDEN
STATE REP. GREG SMITH,
DISTRICT 57
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
whitehouse.gov/contact/
———
221 Dirksen Senate Offi ce Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande offi ce: 541-962-7691
•
185 Rayburn House Offi ce
Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
La Grande offi ce: 541-624-2400
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Email: Rep.GregSmith@state.
or.us
———
JEFF MERKLEY
STATE SEN. BILL
HANSELL,
DISTRICT 29
313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton offi ce: 541-278-1129
900 Court St. NE, S-423
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 28
Andrew Cutler | Publisher • acutler@eastoregonian.com • 541-278-2673
Jade McDowell | News Editor • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536
Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531
Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538
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Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Email: Sen.BillHansell@state.
or.us
———
GOV. KATE BROWN
HERMISTON MAYOR
DAVID DROTZMANN
180 NE Second St.
Hermiston, OR 97838
ddrotzmann@hermiston.
or.us
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
Email: www.oregon.gov/gov/
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