OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
A4
EDITOR’S DESK
Fighting fear with preparation
I
f there is one thing 2020 has
taught us, it is that you never
know when disaster will strike.
I don’t think any of us in January
thought Umatilla County would be
underwater in February
and locked down by a
pandemic in March, but
here we are.
Even if we don’t
know when disasters will
strike, however, we do
Jade
McDowell
know they will. No one
NEWS EDITOR
is shocked when wild-
fi res happen in the sum-
mer, even if they couldn’t predict
exact locations and dates. The same
goes for hurricanes, tornadoes, fl oods
and earthquakes. Even a pandemic is
not unprecedented.
The good thing about this is that,
while we cannot control the tim-
ing, we can control our own prepa-
ration for emergencies. September is
National Emergency Preparedness
Month, which means it is a perfect
time to brush up.
Think back to March, when stay-
at-home orders and school closures
caused the Great Toilet Paper Short-
age of 2020. As people started panic
buying and you heard tales of empty
grocery store shelves, what were you
most worried about running out of
if the stores shut down or you were
placed in quarantine?
That should give you a pretty good
road map for increasing your prepa-
ration. People living paycheck to
paycheck may have no choice but to
buy only a few days’ worth of grocer-
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan, File
Harley Hauck, a property manager at Riverview Mobile Home Estates in Pendleton, loads
sandbags into a truck at the mobile home park on Feb. 6, 2020, in preparation for fl ooding
that took place throughout Umatilla County later that night.
ies at a time. But there are also plenty
of people who can afford to stash
a couple of extra packages of toilet
paper or bags of rice in their garage
next time they’re on sale.
Even for people who can’t afford
to buy extra food or survival gear,
there are other ways to be prepared.
You can learn fi rst aid skills, make
a family plan for where you would
meet up if an earthquake struck while
you were apart, practice making a
fi re with no matches or study up on
ways to purify water.
In 2016, I wrote a series of arti-
cle for the East Oregonian about the
massive Cascadia Earthquake that
scientists believe may hit the Pacifi c
Northwest, and how Umatilla County
will almost certainly lose access to
electricity, cellphone service, inter-
net, gasoline and other essentials for
weeks if that happens.
That kind of thing is scary to talk
about, but the real worry we should
have is not being prepared for things
that will or will not happen, regard-
less of whether we stuck our heads in
the sand.
In “Feel the Fear ... and Do It Any-
way,” by Susan Jeffers, the author
describes three levels to our fears.
At the fi rst level, we may say, “I’m
afraid to ask someone on a date” or
COLUMN
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Encouraging employees to return to work
ne of the biggest chal-
lenges many employ-
ers are facing is getting
their workforce back on the job
during the continuing COVID-
19 environment. There are many
obstacles, including the fact those
collecting unemployment bene-
fi ts received an addi-
tional $600 per week,
which in many cases
amounted to more than
their salaries. This ben-
efi t expired July 31 and
workers are beginning
to return to their jobs.
Greg
There are discussions
Smith
about a lesser weekly
benefi t being introduced, but so
far that has not been implemented.
A major issue is the fact schools
in Oregon may not be open for
much of the school year and par-
ents have found themselves as
teachers.
Others are sincerely frightened
about the prospect of returning to
work, questioning the safety pre-
cautions employers may or may
not have put in place. This is espe-
cially true in cases where social
distancing may be diffi cult in such
workplaces as manufacturing or
food processing plants.
Some people may have chil-
dren or elderly relatives living
with them with severely compro-
mised health due to underlying
conditions.
All of these are legitimate
O
issues and concerns. So, what can
employers do as they endeavor to
resume operations?
• Some parents are fi nding indi-
viduals willing to supervise online
learning while parents work, help-
ing to ensure their children are
on task and that a regular school
schedule is established and
maintained.
• Employers should provide
detailed information about all the
precautions being implemented,
including exactly what the
employee’s responsibilities are.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention’s website, www.
cdc.gov, outlines safety precau-
tions and recommendations.
• Offering additional train-
ing and professional develop-
ment opportunities is something
attractive to employees and some
employers are offering monetary
incentives.
• On a recent webinar, an eco-
nomic development specialist
noted many employers are net-
working and fi nding qualifi ed,
enthusiastic employees from com-
panies that are having to downsize.
• Some companies are expand-
ing the option for working
remotely, which is very appealing
to many as they balance family and
work. Clear communication and
expectations must be given along
with deadlines for projects to be
completed. Establishing video plat-
forms so employees do not feel iso-
lated is proving to be benefi cial for
those transitioning to this model.
• Businesses may simply have
to fi nd ways to attract new employ-
ees. Join other employers in host-
ing a virtual job fair. There are
many individuals whose former
employers have closed their busi-
ness. They may not have all the
skills needed for a particular posi-
tion, but with the right attitude and
ample training, may be the perfect
fi t for the job.
Finding enough qualifi ed
employees wanting to work is
something businesses will have to
fi nd creative and unique ways to
address. Post your jobs to a variety
of platforms and utilize the Ore-
gon Employment Department’s
database of job seekers. Employ-
ers may post a job themselves by
clicking the employer tab “hiring
an employee” at www.workingi-
noregon.org and by the old-fash-
ioned way— by word of mouth.
In closing, use those entities
that serve businesses, including
your local chamber of commerce,
downtown and other business
associations, economic develop-
ment professionals, small business
development centers, and the Uma-
tilla Electric Cooperative Business
Resource Center.
———
Greg Smith is the executive
director of the Umatilla Electric
Cooperative Business Resource
Center.
Rep. Smith provides
constant, competent
leadership
As the Hermiston School Dis-
trict superintendent, I know fi rst-
hand how diffi cult it can be to
balance the needs of our educa-
tors, students, parents and com-
munity. Especially in the envi-
ronment COVID-19 has created
with seemingly ever-chang-
ing rules and guidelines, fi nd-
ing responsive state leadership is
more important than ever.
But there has been a constant
we have been able to count on —
Rep. Greg Smith.
In an age of political grand-
standing, the easiest thing to do
is to sit back and blame others
for the problems we experience,
and it seems many politicians
do that. Rep. Smith chooses the
harder, less politically expedi-
ent road. He focuses on fi nding
common ground and developing
pragmatic solutions to problems.
He isn’t afraid to work across the
aisle, across agencies, across the
state and more if it means deliv-
ering for his school districts,
ports, counties, communities or
individuals.
Rep. Smith’s beliefs and val-
ues allow him to represent us
well. At the same time, his expe-
rience and professionalism have
allowed him to become an effec-
tive and powerful statesman
for us in Salem. Many issues
our region has faced have been
quietly and effectively solved
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 34
Andrew Cutler | Publisher • acutler@eomediagroup.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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“I’m afraid to give a public speech.”
But what we are really afraid of is is
that things will turn out badly — the
person we asked out will reject us or
we will embarrass ourselves in front
of people we respect. And behind
that level of fear comes our real, core
fear: We won’t be able to cope with
the bad outcome we are imagining.
Controlling our fears, she teaches,
means tackling that third level of fear
by doing what we need to in order to
feel confi dent we can handle those
worst-case scenarios that keep us up
at night.
While that concept has plenty of
personal applications, it also applies
to more physical emergencies. I’m
not exactly a “prepper” with six
months of freeze-dried meals wait-
ing in an underground bunker, but
because I was raised to always keep
an extra supply of food and other
essentials on hand, when the pan-
ic-buying hit this spring I wasn’t
worried by the idea that the stores
might be out of stock for a while or I
might get quarantined for two weeks.
It feels like there are a lot of things
to be scared of these days. Whatever
scares you, decide on a concrete step
you can take now to feel better pre-
pared to cope. Make a plan. Learn a
new skill. Buy a new item. Read up
on available resources. Ask for help
or advice.
You have handled everything life
has thrown at you so far, and you can
handle whatever is coming too. But it
doesn’t hurt to make it a little easier
on your future self.
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through his advocacy.
I cannot be more honored to
have Rep. Smith as our voice
in Salem. Thank you, Greg, for
your service, your example, and
your leadership.
Dr. Tricia Mooney,
superintendent
Hermiston School District
Too many choppers
I live close to Good Shep-
herd Hospital and once COVID-
19 took an upturn in Umatilla
County, I’ve noticed an upturn in
the number of helicopters I hear.
I can’t but help think they are
headed for Good Shepherd.
As of Aug. 25, Umatilla
County has lost 35 folks to
COVID. Why is it so high?
Because some people still refuse
to acknowledge this a serious
event, they blow it off and in
doing so they risk both their and
others’ health and possibly lives.
Is wearing a mask fun? No!
And by the way, by wearing a
mask I mean having it over your
nose, as if you have your mask
below your nose you might as
well not be wearing one at all.
You are only lying to yourself
and possibly endangering anyone
you come into contact with, so
get that mask over your nose!
Is it easy breathing in a mask?
Again, no! But I tell you what,
it sure beats not breathing at all.
Which would you rather do? I
know my choice. Viva masks!
Mark Severson
Hermiston
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Only the letter writer’s name and city of residence will be
published.
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