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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2020)
OPINION READER’S FORUM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 A4 EDITOR’S DESK Your guide to making sure your vote counts lection Day isn’t until Nov. 3, but another deadline looms nearer: The deadline to regis- ter to vote in Oregon is Oct. 13. Each year around election time I see a lot of confusion and misin- formation around voting, some of which can pre- vent people from exer- cising their right to help Jade choose the people who McDowell NEWS EDITOR represent them in gov- ernment. I hope that the following advice can help make sure that your voice is heard. Whether you vote in every elec- tion, you’ve never voted or you’re not entirely sure if you ever regis- tered in Oregon, visit the Oregon Secretary of State’s website at www. oregonvotes.gov today to make sure you’re ready for Nov. 3. To check on your registration status as an Oregon voter, click on the “My Vote” button and enter your name and birth date. If there is no record listed but you thought you were registered to vote, contact your county elections offi ce to help determine what the problem may be. Umatilla County’s elections offi ce can be reached at 541-278- 6254 and Morrow County’s number is 541-676-5604. They can also assist you if you don’t have internet access. If you already know you’ve never registered to vote before, you can do so online by clicking the “Register to Vote” button at oregonvotes.gov and providing the necessary information, including your driver’s license num- ber or Social Security number. You E Staff photo by Ben Lonergan, File /East Oregonian Bundles of ballots sit in trays waiting to be opened prior to the November 2019 election at the can also print out a physical copy of a voter registration card and mail it to your county elections offi ce, or visit the offi ce to fi ll one out in person. If you check your voter registra- tion and you are marked as “inac- tive,” that means you will not receive a ballot unless you submit a new voter registration card. Your registra- tion may be marked as inactive if a ballot mailed to you was returned as undeliverable, you were incarcerated for a felony, you haven’t voted in at least fi ve years or your last ballot was challenged. If you check your voter registra- tion and it shows you are an active voter, double-check to make sure all of the information, including your address and political party affi liation, is correct. If anything needs updated, you can click on the “Update my reg- istration” button at the bottom of the screen. It’s important to note here that if you update your registration during the two week period between when an election takes place and when the results are offi cially certifi ed, the change will not take effect until after the election is certifi ed. This caused a lot of conspiracy theories in May 2020 when people attempted to change their party affi liation a few days after the primary election and were certain elections offi cials were plotting to prevent people from regis- tering as Republicans. After the deadline to register to vote has passed, ballots will be COLUMN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Stop denying the impact of fuel in big fi res here are no adjectives that adequately describe the devastation that wild- fi res have brought to the West in the last month. At least 33 people are known to have died in the fi res, and the damage to lives, liveli- hoods and property cannot be calculated. Western governors — Kate Brown, Jay Inslee and Gavin Newsom — were quick to place the blame on climate change. Citing climate change tells not even half the story. Dry conditions certainly are a contributing factor in the spread of the fi res. The real cul- prit is the decades-long increase in the understory fuel load that feeds these massive fi res. And this fuel load has been allowed to build because of a combina- tion of public policy and envi- ronmental lawsuits that have severely reduced logging on public lands and efforts such as prescribed burns and selective thinning to treat the problem. Fire is a natural part of for- T est ecology. Low-intensity fi res periodically cleared out the grasses, brush and small trees that fl ourish in the understory. The government aggressively fi ghts wildfi res on public lands, which is completely warranted when those fi res threaten peo- ple and private property. Without fi re, the forests have become more densely packed with vegetation. Thinning and prescribed burning of dense stands within national forests is the federal government’s main preventive approach to the problem, but even the largest of these proj- ects that span 10,000 acres or more are modest compared to the 160 million acres the U.S. Forest Service manages in the West. And in many cases it takes years to get these projects through regulatory and court challenges that attend any actions on public lands. So, when the forest catches fi re the dense understory causes it to burst into the canopy. Add the 60 mph winds that drove the fi res in the Northwest 10 days ago, and you have a con- fl agration of epic proportions. Yes, dry conditions have played a part in this drama. Putting the blame on climate change is convenient for pro- gressive politicians who have a policy agenda. But implement- ing all of the climate legislation dreamed up by environmental- ists would not impact the exist- ing climate for decades, if at all. Remember, though, that fi re has been a part of the forest for millennia. Even if the climate could by returned to some ideal “norm,” today’s forests would still burn, and burn intensely. We know how to prevent big fi res today, and that’s by removing the fuel — whether by letting more fi res burn, cut- ting more timber, prescribed burns, selective thinning or a combination thereof. This viewpoint was written as an editorial by EO Media Group newspapers. CORRECTIONS Printed on recycled newsprint VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 38 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 To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising or subscription information: • call 541-567-6457 • e-mail info@hermistonherald.com • stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St. • visit us online at: hermistonherald.com The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN 8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838, (541) 567-6457. mailed starting Oct. 14. If you are correctly registered to vote but still have not seen a ballot in your mail- box as Nov. 3 approaches, never fear. You can call your county elec- tions offi ce and ask for a new one to be sent, or, if you are worried you will not be able to receive a new one in time, you can visit the elections offi ce and fi ll one out in person up until 8 p.m. on election night. If you receive your ballot in the mail, you can fi ll it out, sign it and send it back through the mail (no postage stamp required), where it will be counted by the county elec- tions offi ce as long as they receive it by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. If you are con- cerned about your ballot making it there on time, you can also drop it at a secure ballot drop box until 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Hermiston’s drop box is located in the drive-thru at city hall, and a full list of locations can be found at oregonvotes.gov. If your signature on your ballot doesn’t match the one on fi le with the elections offi ce, or something else looks fi shy, you may receive noti- fi cation that your ballot was chal- lenged. If that happens, you will have 14 days to provide evidence to the county clerk that it was you who cast that vote. And remember: Attempting to vote in two different states, sub- mit two ballots in Oregon, lie on your registration or other forms of voter fraud are felonies that the system is well-designed to catch. I wouldn’t try it. Good luck! Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR. Postmaster, send address changes to Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838. Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2020 It is the policy of the Hermiston Herald to correct errors as soon as they are discovered. Incorrect information will be corrected on Page 2A. Errors commited on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page. Corrections also are noted in the online versions of our stories. Please contact the editor at editor@hermistonherald.com or call (541) 564-4533 with issues about this policy or to report errors. SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Letters Policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for the Hermiston Herald readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters should be kept to 250 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. The Hermiston Herald reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Jim Doherty has the character for commissioner I confi dently endorse Jim Doherty for reelection as Mor- row County Commissioner. During his fi rst term serving Morrow County, Commissioner Doherty has proven his leadership ability not only for Morrow County, but as serv- ing as President of Association of Oregon Counties. The last time a fi rst term commissioner served in that role was 1905. The ability to lead his peers shows Commissioner Doherty’s assets in areas critical to that role — organiza- tion, mediator, and strength of character. Commissioner Doherty serves Morrow County from the viewpoint of caretaker. He was born and raised in the South end of the county. Jim and Kelly have raised their fam- ily and built a life in the North end. If something impacts Morrow County, it impacts Commissioner Doherty. Commissioner Doherty has demonstrated his deep love and concern for our citizens by seeking out those among us who need help. He has assisted the Boardman Food Pantry in the beginning stages of its establishment by advocating and seeking funds for a permanent location. In May, when the windstorm ripped through Boardman, Commissioner Doherty stepped up to the plate when residents needed help not only getting out from under the chaos that ensued, but also a voice. My family and I have lived down the road from the Doherty family for about 10 years. We have done busi- ness with them and admire the ethics that Jim Doherty has exhibited. As neighbors, we have called on them when we needed help. Jim has always shown up when we needed him. Through our experiences with Jim Doherty over the years, we have seen compassion, responsibility, and a strong belief that each of us needs to do our part to make Morrow County the best it can be. Jim Doherty has the vision and integrity to carry Morrow County through the growth and changes while preserving the honor of our county. His commitment to our way of life and the insight he brings to the development of our county is worthy of our vote in November. Mary A. Killion Boardman Letters must be original and signed by the writer or writers. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. Only the letter writer’s name and city of residence will be published. OBITUARY POLICY The Hermiston Herald publishes paid obituaries. The obituary can include small photos and, for veterans, a fl ag symbol at no charge. Expanded death notices will be published at no charge. These include information about services. Obituaries may be edited for spelling, proper punctuation and style. Obituaries and notices may be submitted online at hermistonherald.com/obituaryform, by email to obits@ hermistonherald.com, by fax to 541-276-8314, placed via the funeral home or in person at the Hermiston Herald or East Oregonian offi ces. For more information, call 541-966-0818 or 1-800-522-0255, x221.
