A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020
OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded 1906
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020
A4
EDITOR’S DESK
Time to put our giving reputation to the test
I
n my years of interviewing peo-
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tain phrases I hear over and over
again. One is that Herm-
iston is a “very giving
community.”
It does seem as if
the community punches
above its weight when it
comes to the amount of
money raised each year
Jade
for charitable causes
McDowell
and livability projects.
NEWS EDITOR
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sions of Hermiston was
being in awe of the amount of dona-
tions Hermiston School District was
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which had its grand opening the week I
moved here.
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it seems Hermiston (and surrounding
communities) may need that giving
spirit more than ever. Not only have
mass layoffs and an economic reces-
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demic has also shut down the normal
methods of fundraising to help meet
that need.
A good example of this is Christ-
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ton Police Department has run for
the past 50 years to give out boxes of
food and gifts to families and individ-
uals in need. The main source of food
for Christmas Express is a canned
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classes compete against each other to
collect the most food. But this year stu-
dents can’t bring canned food to class-
rooms they’re not attending in person.
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be collecting canned food (no glass
jars) from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 (except
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5 p.m. at the Hermiston Commu-
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Hermiston.
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organizations will likely also be
announcing efforts to collect warm
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supplies and other needed items. There
Hermiston Herald, File
Donated food sits in the Agape House after a previous canned food drive for Christmas Express.
is also a perennial need for donations
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For anyone who does have the
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erously than you have in the past. If
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that allows you to impulsively buy a
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consider impulsively feeding a family
instead.
If you wish you could afford to
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plenty of other ways you can make a
positive difference in someone’s life.
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have you been doing?” messages are
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time they can mean a lot.
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hardship I would also encourage you
to not be afraid to ask for help that you
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services are there for a reason. People
want to help. Everyone goes through
seasons in their life where they strug-
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who receive help during that time want
to pay it forward afterward. Don’t deny
them the opportunity.
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COLUMN
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thankful for a community of support
T
his has been an incredibly chal-
lenging year for the Hermiston
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especially for our students
and families. So much of
their learning and growing
experience is about being
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has forced us to stay apart.
Our teachers and stu-
dents are doing the best
Tricia Mooney
they can with Compre-
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meant adjusting to entirely new teaching
methods and learning styles as we wait
for approval to reopen our classrooms.
But even through the challenges and dis-
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things to be thankful for.
I’m thankful for the parents who have
generously given their time to make sure
their children are getting the most out of
this strange year. Turning so many liv-
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parents have stepped up to show that edu-
cation is a priority.
I’m thankful for the support of this
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through for our kids. The senior parade
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ness toward our students makes Hermis-
ton a special place to live. This commu-
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they get the full education they deserve.
I’m also thankful for the teachers and
staff who have bent over backward to
learn new skills and reach out to their stu-
dents in new ways. Starting from scratch
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worked as a team to stand up a new edu-
cational platform for Hermiston students.
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our staff has stood up to every challenge
and should be very proud of what they’ve
accomplished.
And I’m thankful for everyone who has
taken the task of health safety to heart and
protected themselves and our community
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precaution to protect those in our school
buildings against the spread of coronavi-
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pens elsewhere. We know that the only
way we will be allowed to fully reopen
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that’s a goal we all share.
The new Oregon Department of Educa-
tion guidelines require Umatilla County to
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over a two-week period to begin bringing
elementary students back into the class-
room. We nearly reached that number in
September and October before a post-Hal-
loween spike lifted us into the hundreds
again.
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only way to beat it is to protect our own
health. The simple measures of wearing a
mask and maintaining physical distance in
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staying home if you’re sick are the best
ways to stop the spread and protect our
community. If we’re able to again reduce
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at opening school in the second half of the
school year.
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on the path right in front of us that lead
to a brighter future. Every student in the
Hermiston School District deserves a
complete education. The only way we can
make sure that happens is by getting them
safely back in the classroom.
I’m thankful for all of you who are
working to make that happen. Happy
Thanksgiving.
———
Dr. Tricia Mooney is the superintendent
of the Hermiston School District.
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 42
Andrew Cutler | Publisher • aculter@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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those who aren’t in a position to need
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trying to police whether the recipients
of community programs all deserved it
or used it the “right” way. People mak-
ing such judgments usually don’t know
the full story.
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this holiday season may be more bleak
than usual. It’s not too early to start
thinking what we can personally do to
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hope and a little more love to this
winter.
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Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2020
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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,
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No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person.
The Hermiston Herald reserves the right to edit letters for
length and for content.
Divisiveness doesn’t help
either side
I read with interest the Democrat
comments about holding onto their
“power” after the last election and
the disappointment expressed that
they still aren’t able to muster a quo-
rum to overcome a Republican walk-
out. Nowhere did I see mention of a
desire to work across the aisle to dis-
cuss issues and pass legislation that
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just the power centers of Portland and
Salem.
Those of us living on the east side
RIWKHVWDWHDVZHOODVWKHRWKHUSRFN-
HWVRIFRQVHUYDWLYHOLIHVW\OHVDUHRIWHQ
ignored. The carbon tax that Republi-
cans stood their ground on last session
is a case in point. Rather than work-
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way or the highway” type of legislat-
ing. Passing that bill would have been
disastrous for the east side economy.
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can continue to expect more of the
same out of our Oregon Legislature.
The old saying “No taxation without
representation” seems to apply to us
in a disconcerting way. Our Repub-
lican representatives work hard and
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they are outnumbered and outvoted.
-LP6KHI¿HOG
Hermiston
Letters must be original and signed by the writer or writers.
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a telephone number so they can be reached for questions.
Only the letter writer’s name and city of residence will be
published.
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