OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2021
A4
EDITOR’S DESK
Good books make reading fun for students
W
hen I was in mid-
dle school, I
thought Mulan
was the coolest Disney prin-
cess, but I related most to
Belle. I felt a kinship with
the woman more delighted
by a castle’s
giant library
than its ward-
robe of fancy
gowns, and who
often hid behind
books as a way
Jade
to escape social McDowell
NEWS EDITOR
interaction.
In some ways,
a love of reading feels like
an innate personality trait,
similar to personal prefer-
ences about other hobbies.
I grew up in a house full of
books and frequent trips to
the library; yet, in my imme-
diate family the numbers are
split right down the middle
between the avid readers and
those who don’t spend much
time reading for fun.
Research suggests that
there are plenty of exter-
nal factors that do infl u-
ence people’s reading habits,
however. One study by the
National Endowment for the
Arts in 2012 found the like-
lihood that an adult had read
a book for leisure in the past
year was directly proportion-
ate to their education level.
Reading with your child, dis-
cussing books with them and
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald,
Tania Uribe, 11, reads along with her classmates in her copy of “Hatchet”
by Gary Paulsen in Kyra Hruza’s sixth grade “books and movies” class at
Clara Brownell Middle School in Umatilla in September 2019.
providing them access to
books they enjoy helps too.
The benefi ts of frequent
regularly reading for plea-
sure are great. Reading
builds vocabulary, strength-
ens communication skills,
increases knowledge,
improves memory and fos-
ters empathy. I worry that
the pandemic has caused
more students to fall below
grade level in their reading
skills, increasing the likeli-
hood they will see reading as
a chore.
It’s vital, then, that we
make sure students are read-
ing books they will truly
enjoy. If you’re looking for
books to tempt more reluc-
tant preteen or teen readers,
or to keep feeding the diet of
your voracious reader, here
are a few suggestions that
helped feed my love of read-
ing at that age.
One book I absolutely
loved (still do, actually) is
“The Watsons go to Bir-
mingham — 1963” by Chris-
topher Paul Curtis. The book
stars fourth grader Kenny
Watson, who recounts the
exploits of his 13-year-old
brother Byron and Byron’s
buddy Buphead as he tags
along. Most of the book is
funny, but it turns serious
and moving at its fi nal desti-
nation in Birmingham, Ala-
bama, in 1963 for what the
book jacket calls “one of the
darkest moments in Amer-
ica’s history.” The book is
alternatingly hilarious and
heartbreaking, and for me, as
a kid, it was a great introduc-
tion to the Civil Rights era
by a Black author.
If you’re looking for
books about spunky teens
bucking the system, two I
loved were “No More Dead
Dogs” by Gordan Kor-
man and “The Disreputa-
ble History of Frankie Lan-
dau-Banks” by E. Lockheart.
The fi rst features an eighth
grade football player who
gets himself into trouble by
writing a book review crit-
icizing his English teach-
er’s favorite book. The sec-
ond features a teenage girl at
a boarding school who anon-
ymously takes over running
a secret “boys only” club at
the school.
If you’re looking for more
strong heroines, “Howl’s
Moving Castle” by Diana
Wynne Jones is a great
choice. The fantasy novel
features Sophie, a young hat
maker who is turned into an
old woman after angering
a witch and seeks a power-
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
COLUMN
BMCC remains committed to students
n 1962, our community took on the
courageous challenge of opening
one of the fi rst community colleges
in Oregon. In the nearly 60 years since
Blue Mountain Community College fi rst
opened its doors and began serving stu-
dents, much has changed. The college
has celebrated triumphs and
weathered challenges. The
past year has brought about
a particularly challeng-
ing time for our faculty and
staff , students, and the com-
munities we serve.
BMCC is working to
address the issues that most Dr. Connie
Green
rural community colleges
in 2021 face: enrollment
decline, budget challenges, poverty and
COVID-limited contact. Despite these
challenges, and what you may have read
elsewhere, BMCC is committed to being
your college and meeting the needs of the
communities we serve. Failing you is not
an option.
As the interim president at BMCC,
my agreement with the Board of Edu-
cation is to address these issues openly,
and with the campus team and our com-
munity partners working together to cre-
ate a stable two-year budget. This step
will ensure BMCC’s programs and ser-
vices are strong and vibrant. In doing so,
we will also become fl exible and nimble
to ensure the connections and the results
increase.
So, yes, BMCC is experiencing sig-
nifi cant transition and change to meet
the current reality. The college will
I
begin a search for a new president. The
intent is to not pass on current budget
challenges for a new president to han-
dle. The college and its board of educa-
tion recognize that for BMCC to con-
tinue to meet the evolving needs of its
students and communities, it, too, must
adapt. That means BMCC will change
how we are organized, how we operate
and how we partner. This can be a scary
endeavor.
It can also be an opportunity.
BMCC has an opportunity to renew
its commitment to students and the com-
munity while reviewing its internal orga-
nization and structure. It has an oppor-
tunity to serve students in new ways in a
post-pandemic era that will see our econ-
omy in recovery and our local industries
adapting to the challenges of the past
year.
Like most community colleges across
the country, BMCC has experienced
enrollment decline for the past several
years. This was exacerbated by the pan-
demic over the past year, which forced us
into virtual learning, and became a major
challenge for the hands-on Career Tech-
nical Education programs. In 2019-2020,
the college received 31.03% from state
funding, 32.38% from student tuition and
fees, and 36.59% from local property tax
revenue.
Many community colleges, includ-
ing BMCC, have had to raise tuition to
help cover costs. BMCC has also taken
steps to reduce its expenses, reducing
nearly $2 million for the 2020-2021 bud-
get. These reductions were in materials
and services and staff development, as
well as a reduction of 24 positions. Last
year had diffi cult decisions. The intent
of the board is to make any additional
reductions for the 2021-2022 budget so
that the expenditures and revenues bal-
ance and the college is “right-sized” for
the future.
How does BMCC do this? Through
inclusive conversations with faculty,
staff , students and the community.
Now, a discussion does not neces-
sarily mean all things change. A discus-
sion means we learn, listen, and con-
sider implications so that we can make
informed decisions moving forward.
While this process will be challenging
— and even heartbreaking — for many,
BMCC’s faculty and staff are resilient.
They have weathered past storms, and
each time the college comes out stronger.
With these impending changes, there
remains one constant: BMCC is commit-
ted to the students and communities it
serves. Our administration, faculty, staff ,
and board are committed to strengthen-
ing BMCC so that it can thrive and be
the aff ordable, high-quality educational
option for Eastern Oregon. We are com-
mitted to working with local industries to
put Eastern Oregonians back to work and
reinvigorate our local economy. We are
committed to being “students fi rst.” And,
just like when we fi rst opened our doors
in 1962, we are committed at BMCC to
you — our community.
———
Dr. Connie Green is interim president of
Blue Mountain Community College.
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 12
Andrew Cutler | Publisher • acutler@eomediagroup.com • 541-278-2673
Jade McDowell | News Editor • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536
Kelly Schwirse | Multi-Media consultant • kschwirse@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.
ful wizard to undo the curse.
The book was turned into
an anime movie, which may
entice some anime fans to
pick it up.
“Running Out of Time,”
by Margaret Peterson Had-
dix, is another fun one, as
the main character Jessie
is shocked to discover she
did not grow up in a vil-
lage in the early 1800s as she
believed, but in 1990s tourist
attraction where visitors can
watch “authentic” frontier
living from one-way mirrors.
One of my favorite fan-
tasy authors growing up
was Robin McKinley. I love
her fairytale retellings, and
“Beauty,” featuring Belle as
a gangly tomboy, is one of
the best retellings of “Beauty
and the Beast” I’ve read. I
also particularly enjoyed her
original novel “The Hero and
the Crown” and its prequel
“The Blue Sword.”
Other fantasy favor-
ites from juvenile litera-
ture are “Ella Enchanted” by
Gail Carson Levine and the
“Goose Girl” series by Shan-
non Hale. For older teens
(or those reading at a more
advanced level) I would rec-
ommend the “Inheritance
Cycle” series by Christo-
pher Paolini or the “Books
of Pellinor” series by Alison
Croggon.
Enjoy!
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 ©2021
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.
Oregon needs tighter mink
regulations
The Center for Biological Diversity is
absolutely aiming to reshape how Oregon
treats animals by seeking to end beaver
trapping and hunting last year and this year
improve how mink farms are regulated.
Here’s why: COVID-19 can and has
been passed back and forth between
humans and mink (this has already resulted
in a viral mutation). COVID-19 has rav-
aged mink farms in Europe and the U.S. At
least three mink escaped an Oregon mink
farm that was quarantined following a
COVID-19 outbreak (and two tested posi-
tive for COVID-19).
In addition to the threat of mink becom-
ing a reservoir for COVID-19 mutations
that may undo our human vaccination
eff orts, we’re concerned that farmed mink
could spread COVID-19 to wild mink and
their relatives, like otters, fi shers, martens
and badgers, potentially decimating wild
animal populations.
We’ve been through a lot this past year.
A lot has changed. Many of us are think-
ing about what we want to keep changing.
If we want to stop the next pandemic and
get this one under control, we need to make
changes to the facilities that provide ideal
breeding grounds for pandemics.
Oregon’s mink factory farms are a threat
to public health and wildlife. Our petition
to add mink to ODFW’s prohibited species
list and Senate Bill 832, the bill to close
Oregon’s mink farms and shift their work-
ers to new employment, would reshape our
relationship with animals to provide us all a
safer future.
Lori Ann Burd
Center for Biological Diversity
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.